ISCB Ebola Award for Important Future Research on the Computational Biology of Ebola Virus

Speed is of the essence in combating Ebola; thus, computational approaches should form a significant component of Ebola research. As for the development of any modern drug, computational biology is uniquely positioned to contribute through comparative analysis of the genome sequences of Ebola strains as well as 3-D protein modeling. Other computational approaches to Ebola may include large-scale docking studies of Ebola proteins with human proteins and with small-molecule libraries, computational modeling of the spread of the virus, computational mining of the Ebola literature, and creation of a curated Ebola database. Taken together, such computational efforts could significantly accelerate traditional scientific approaches. In recognition of the need for important and immediate solutions from the field of computational biology against Ebola, the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) announces a prize for an important computational advance in fighting the Ebola virus. ISCB will confer the ISCB Fight against Ebola Award, along with a prize of US$2,000, at its July 2016 annual meeting (ISCB Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology [ISMB] 2016, Orlando, Florida)

Establishment of computational biology in Greece and Cyprus: Past, present, and future.

We review the establishment of computational biology in Greece and Cyprus from its inception to date and issue recommendations for future development. We compare output to other countries of similar geography, economy, and size—based on publication counts recorded in the literature—and predict future growth based on those counts as well as national priority areas. Our analysis may be pertinent to wider national or regional communities with challenges and opportunities emerging from the rapid expansion of the field and related industries. Our recommendations suggest a 2-fold growth margin for the 2 countries, as a realistic expectation for further expansion of the field and the development of a credible roadmap of national priorities, both in terms of research and infrastructure funding

Evolutionary biology for the 21st century

New theoretical and conceptual frameworks are required for evolutionary biology to capitalize on the wealth of data now becoming available from the study of genomes, phenotypes, and organisms - including humans - in their natural environments.Molecular and Cellular BiologyOrganismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Evolutionary Biology for the 21st Century

We live in an exciting time for biology. Technological advances have made data collection easier and cheaper than we could ever have imagined just 10 years ago. We can now synthesize and analyze large data sets containing genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and multivariate phenotypes. At the same time, society's need for the results of biological research has never been greater. Solutions to many of the world's most pressing problems—feeding a global population, coping with climate change, preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, curing and preventing genetically based diseases—will rely heavily on biologists, collaborating across disciplines

Definitionen der Bioethik in der Bioethik-Ausbildung in Kroatien

Work purpose: to present and analyze pedagogical strategies and the communicational approach to definitions of bioethics, a mutual part of the bioethics contents being realized on the university studies of Dentistry, Organization, Planning and Management in Healthcare, and professional studies of Medical Radiology at the Medical School in Rijeka. Methods: the method of content analysis was used to research and present encyclopaedic and some authorial definitions of bioethics, with special emphasis on definitions of bioethics by authors – bioethicists from Croatia; the method of pattern 1: included the curriculum of Medical Ethics and Bioethics and the Ethics of Healthcare, and researched standpoints of forty-five students educated in studies where bioethics courses are being realized. The pattern is specifically stratified because it: a) included students whose curriculum is being realized in shifts – intensive lectures in a duration of two weeks, and those whose lectures are being realized each week during one semester; b) different year of education (Dentistry – second year students, Organization, Planning and Management in Healthcare and Medical Radiology – first year students). 2. The scale of assessment was used to research and obtain standpoints of students on the contents of the curriculum, methods of its performance, and the achieved level of communication among students and communication with the professor. Expected results: the presented method of work and results obtained by the scale of assessment should display the acceptability and successfulness of the presented pedagogicalmethodological means of work and point out to weaknesses and deficiencies, and finally conclude the extent to which the presented concept, and approaches to the actualization of the definitions of bioethics contribute to the realization of dialogue and communication in which students simultaneously experience the curriculum as necessary, useful, interesting, and one that may motivate them to think, exchange ideas and offer possible solutions. The scale of assessment should point out to different standpoints of students depending on the length of their study (year of study) and commitment to a method of class realization (in shifts and/or weeks throughout the whole semester).Cilj rada: izložiti i analizirati pedagoške strategije i komunikacijski pristup definicijama bioetike, zajednički dio bioetičkih sadržaja koji se održavaju na sveučilišnim studijima Stomatologije i Organizacije, planiranja i upravljanja u zdravstvu, te Stručnom studiju medicinske radiologije na Medicinskom fakultetu u Rijeci. Metode: metoda analize sadržaja korištena je za istraživanje i prezentiranje enciklopedijskih i nekih autorskih definicija bioetike, s posebnim naglaskom na definicije bioetike autora – bioetičara iz Hrvatske; metoda uzorka 1. uključivala je kurikulum Medicinske etike, Bioetike i Etike zdravstvene skrbi te istraživala stajališta 45 studenata studija na kojima se održavaju bioetički kolegiji. Uzorak je specifično stratificiran jer je: a) uključivao studente čiji se kurikulum odvija u turnusima – intenzivnim predavanjima u trajanju od dva tjedna, te one čija su se predavanja održavala svaki tjedan tijekom jednog semestra; b) različite godine studija (Stomatologija – studenti druge godine, Organizacija, planiranje i upravljanje u zdravstvu te Medicinska radiologija – studenti prve godine), 2. skala procjene korištena je za istraživanje i prikupljanje stajališta studenata o sadržaju kurikuluma, metodama izvođenja i postignutoj razini komunikacije između studenata te komunikacije s profesorom. Očekivani rezultati: izložena metoda rada i rezultati dobiveni skalom procjene bi trebali pokazati prihvatljivost i uspješnost prikazanih pedagoško-metodoloških načina rada, ukazati na slabosti i nedostatke te konačno zaključiti o razmjeru u kojem izloženi koncept i pristupi aktualizaciji definicija bioetike doprinose realizaciji dijaloga i komunikacije u kojoj studenti istovremeno doživljavaju kurikulum kao nužan, koristan i zanimljiv te takav da potiče na razmišljanje, razmjenu ideja i nuđenje mogućih rješenja. Skala procjene bi trebala istaknuti različite stavove nastave (u turnusima i/ili tjednoj nastavi tijekom cijelog semestra).Objectif de l’étude : exposer et analyser les stratégies pédagogiques et l’approche communicationnelle des définitions de la bioéthique, un contenu bioéthique commun aux études universitaires de Stomatologie, aux études universitaires d’Organisation, de planification et d’administration des soins de santé, ainsi qu’aux études professionnelles de radiologie médicale à la Faculté de médecine de Rijeka. Méthodes : la méthode d’analyse de contenu a été utilisée pour examiner et présenter les définitions encyclopédiques de la bioéthique et quelques définitions d’auteur, avec l’accent sur les définitions de la bioéthique données par les auteurs experts en bioéthique croates ; la méthode de panel incluait 1. le curriculum de L’Éthique médicale, de Bioéthique et de L’Éthique des soins de santé, et examinait les points de vue de 45 étudiants qui suivaient les matières relatives à la bioéthique. Le panel a été stratifié car il prenait en compte : a) les étudiants dont le curriculum se déroule par alternance, avec des cours intensifs durant deux semaines, puis les étudiants dont les cours avaient lieu chaque semaine au cours du semestre ; b) les différents niveaux d’études (pour la stomatologie, il s’agissait des étudiants en deuxième année ; pour l’Organisation, la planification et l’administration des soins de santé, il s’agissait des étudiants en première année) ; 2. une grille d’évaluation utilisée pour l’examen et la collecte des points de vue des étudiants à l’égard du contenu du curriculum, des méthodes de mise en oeuvre et du niveau de communication – entre étudiants ainsi qu’avec le professeur – accompli. Résultats attendus : la méthode de travail exposée et les résultats obtenus par le biais de la grille d’évaluation devraient montrer la recevabilité et l’aboutissement des moyens pédago-méthodologiques cités, indiquer leurs faiblesses et leurs insuffisances, puis conclure dans quelle mesure le concept et les approches de l’actualisation des définitions de la bioéthique présentés contribuent au dialogue et à la communication, ce qui permet en même temps de vivre le curriculum comme nécessaire, utile, intéressant et incitant à la réflexion, à l’échange d’idées et de propositions. La grille d’évaluation devrait mettre en relief les différents points de vue des étudiants en fonction de la durée (du niveau) de leurs études et de leur adhésion à une méthode de cours (par alternance / hebdomadaire durant tout le semestre).Ziel der Arbeit: Die Autorin präsentiert und analysiert pädagogische Strategien sowie einen bei der Bioethikdefinierung zum Tragen kommenden Kommunikationsansatz, ferner die gemeinsamen bioethischen Inhalte, die innerhalb verschiedener Studiengänge an der Medizinischen Fakultät in Rijeka gelehrt werden (Zahnmedizin; Organisation, Planung und Verwaltung im Gesundheitswesen; Radiologie). Methode: Die Methode der inhaltlichen Analyse wurde eingesetzt, um bestimmte enzyklopädische Bioethikdefinitionen sowie die Definitionen einzelner weiterer Autoren, insbesondere bioethischer Autoren aus Kroatien, darzulegen und zu untersuchen; die Exemplarische Methode wurde angewandt 1) auf die Curricula der Medizinischen Ethik, der Bioethik sowie der Ethik der Gesundheitsfürsorge und schloss eine Umfrage unter 45 Studenten mit ein, die im Rahmen ihres Studiums bioethische Kollegs besuchten. Die Gruppe der Umfrageteilnehmer wies eine besondere Stratifizierung auf: a) Manche Studenten besuchten die Fakultät in Turnussen, die jeweils zweiwöchig mit intensiven Lehrveranstaltungen abgehalten wurden, andere wiederum hatten allwöchentliche Vorlesungen innerhalb eines Semesters; b) an der Umfrage nahmen Studenten verschiedener Jahrgänge teil (Zahnmedizin – 2. Studienjahr; Organisation, Planung und Verwaltung im Gesundheitswesen sowie Radiologie – 1. Studienjahr). 2) Die Bewertungsskala wurde eingesetzt, um zu ermitteln, wie von den Studenten die Lehrinhalte, Unterrichtsmethoden und die Kommunikation zu Kommillitonen und Professoren eingeschätzt werden. Erwartete Resultate: Aufgrund der angewandten Methode und der Ergebnisse der Bewertungsskala müsste zu erkennen sein, inwiefern die präsentierte pädagogisch-methodologische Unterrichtsweise von den Studenten akzeptiert wird und erfolgreich ist, welche Schwächen und Mängel vorliegen und in welchem Maße das vorgestellte Lehrkonzept sowie die Ansätze zur Aktualisierung der Bioethikdefinition dazu beitragen, dass die Curricula als notwendig, nützlich und interessant bewertet werden und zum Nachdenken, Gedankenaustausch und zur Suche nach bestimmten Lösungen anregen. An der Bewertungsskala müssten unterschiedliche Einstellungen abzulesen sein, je nachdem, in welchem Semester sich die Befragten befanden und in welcher Form ihre Lehrveranstaltungen abgehalten wurden (in 2-Wochen-Turnussen oder allwöchentlich)

Scientific diasporas from developing countries in Switzerland: empirical evidence and policy responses. Skilled migrants from Colombia, India and South Africa in Switzerland as partners in development

Over the last two decades, globalisation has accelerated international migration flows, particularly of skilled labour. Yet increasing migration by skilled workers from developing countries («brain drain») has raised serious concerns internationally about the adverse development impact on their countries of origin. This book, however, highlights the positive aspects of skilled labour migration as scientific diasporas are playing a growing role in the transfer of technology, skills and knowledge («brain gain») to their home countries. This is a very significant development in a globalised world where science, technology and knowledge can trigger economic and social transformations. The book presents solid empirical evidence of the contributions scientific diasporas make to their countries of origin, based on primary surveys of skilled migrants from Colombia, India and South Africa employed in Switzerland, a major destination country. The findings lead to a better understanding of the motives for migration, the profile of the scientific diaspora communities in Switzerland, and the varied ways in which they help their home countries. The book makes a significant contribution to the international policy debate and dialogue on migration and development. In particular, it shows how to leverage the potential of scientific diasporas as agents of home country development, by identifying good practices and offering specific recommendations for the countries of origin and of destination