Clinical Science-linking basic science to disease mechanisms

For more than 50 years, Clinical Science has been at the interface linking basic science to disease mechanisms. Here, Rhian Touyz, the Editor-in-Chief, describes the journal, its aims and scope, and recent developments

Confidence assessment in the teaching of basic science

A scheme is described for including information about confidence in the computer‐based assessment of students. After each answer, students declare a confidence level of 1, 2, or 3. If the answer is correct, then this is the mark awarded. If not, marks of 0, ‐2, or ‐6 are awarded Students do well on this scheme if they can discriminate between when they are sure of correct answers and when they are partly guessing. In self‐assessment, students are trained to reflect on their reasoning, and to develop the skills of correct confidence judgement. The task of writing tests is simplified, since it becomes less important to ask complex questions. Simple direct questions discriminate better between students than they do with ordinary marking. Good students answer correctly with high confidence, while weak students moderate their confidence level if they know they are uncertain, or else lose heavily when they make mistakes. Preliminary data are presented from self‐assessment trials amongst medical students

Basic Science and Risk Communication: A Dialogue-Based Study

The authors use ethnographic analysis of a focus group discussion between scientists and laypersons to study information exchange in risk communication

Weighted Network of Chinese Nature Science Basic Research

Using the requisition papers of Chinese Nature Science Basic Research in management and information department, we construct the weighted network of research areas({\bf WRAN}) represented by the subject codes. In WRAN, two research areas are considered connected if they have been filled in at least one requisition paper. The edge weight is defined as the number of requisition papers which have filled in the same pairs of codes. The node strength is defined as the number of requisition papers which have filled in this code, including the papers which have filled in it only. Here we study a variety of nonlocal statistics for these networks, such as typical distances between research areas through the network, and measures of centrality such as betweenness. These statistics characteristics can illuminate the global development trend of Chinese scientific study, it is also helpful to adjust the code system to reflect the real status more accurately. Finally, we present a plausible model for the formation and structure of networks with the observed properties.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figure

Developing Basic Space Science World Wide: Progress Report

The UN/ESA Workshops on Basic Space Science is a long-term effort for the development of astronomy and regional and international co-operation in this field on a world wide basis, particularly in developing nations. The first four workshops in this series (India 1991, Costa Rica and Colombia 1992, Nigeria 1993, and Egypt 1994) addressed the status of astronomy in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Western Asia, respectively. One major recommendation that emanated from the first four workshops was that small astronomical facilities should be established in developing nations for research and education programmes at the university level and that such facilities should be networked. Subsequently, material for teaching and observing programmes for small optical telescopes were developed or recommended and astronomical telescope facilities have been inaugurated at UN/ESA Workshops on Basic Space Science in Sri Lanka (1995), Honduras (1997), and Jordan (1999). UN/ESA Workshops on Basic Space Science in Germany (1996), France (2000), Mauritius (2001), Argentina (2002), and P.R. China (2004) emphasised the particular importance of astrophysical data systems and the virtual observatory concept for the development of astronomy on a world wide basis. Since 1996, the workshops are contributing to the development of the World Space Observatory concept. Achievements of the series of workshops are briefly summarised in this report.Comment: 3 page

Transition to turbulence in Taylor-Couette ferrofluidic flow

Y.D. was supported by Basic Science Research Program of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology under Grant No. NRF-2013R1A1A2010067. Y.C.L. was supported by AFOSR under Grant No. FA9550-12-1-0095.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mathematics for Non-Science Majors Chemistry Course

A chemistry course developed for non-science majors has been taught at Virginia Commonwealth University for the past five years. CHEM 112 uses current event articles from science magazines to make use of a verbal channel of learning in non-science majors, but some mathematics is necessary. Examples are given of successful presentation of nuclear chemistry and data needed for a balanced discussion of global warming. Manipulation of symbols in balancing chemical and nuclear reactions, simple algebra, and logarithms for pH and unit analysis of simple stoichiometric conversions are fundamental to basic chemistry. The population of a voting democracy could benefit from basic education in the concepts of logarithms and algebra in one variable in order to function in a society of increasing dependence on technology

Tendinopathy—from basic science to treatment

Chronic tendon pathology (tendinopathy), although common, is difficult to treat. Tendons possess a highly organized fibrillar matrix, consisting of type I collagen and various 'minor' collagens, proteoglycans and glycoproteins. The tendon matrix is maintained by the resident tenocytes, and there is evidence of a continuous process of matrix remodeling, although the rate of turnover varies at different sites. A change in remodeling activity is associated with the onset of tendinopathy. Major molecular changes include increased expression of type III collagen, fibronectin, tenascin C, aggrecan and biglycan. These changes are consistent with repair, but they might also be an adaptive response to changes in mechanical loading. Repeated minor strain is thought to be the major precipitating factor in tendinopathy, although further work is required to determine whether it is mechanical overstimulation or understimulation that leads to the change in tenocyte activity. Metalloproteinase enzymes have an important role in the tendon matrix, being responsible for the degradation of collagen and proteoglycan in both healthy patients and those with disease. Metalloproteinases that show increased expression in painful tendinopathy include ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase)-12 and MMP (matrix metalloproteinase)-23. The role of these enzymes in tendon pathology is unknown, and further work is required to identify novel and specific molecular targets for therapy