Between policy and science: Research councils' responsiveness in Austria, Norway and Switzerland

This paper investigates the developments of research councils in Austria, Norway and Switzerland, and analyses their responsiveness to government and science. By use of various data sources and indicators, our results suggest that councils are sometimes more responsive to the beneficiaries' interests (science) than to policy-makers, but are more responsive to government policies when under stronger government control. Patterns of responsiveness tend to be stable through time despite important changes in national contexts and the changing roles and organisation of research councils. These findings have interesting theoretical consequences about responsiveness and independenc

Resilienz des österreichischen FTI-Systems. Krisenabsorption und Krisenvorbereitung am Beispiel von Pandemie und Klimawandel

Wie ist das österreichische Forschungs-, Technologie- und Innovationssystem (FTI-System) durch die Krise gekommen und welche Lehren können daraus für die Bewältigung zukünftiger Krisen gewonnen werden? Wie kann man in diesem Zusammenhang Resilienz beobachten und/oder messen? Diese Fragestellungen standen im Zentrum der vorliegenden Studie, die vom österreichischen Rat für Forschung und Technologieentwicklung beauftragt wurde. Methodisch stützt sich die Studie auf Interviews mit Expert*innen aus dem FTI-System, Workshops mit dem Rat, relevanten Stakeholdern und FTI-Akteuren sowie auf eine Recherche der einschlägigen Literatur und weiterer Quellen. Die Studie betrachtet die drei Resilienzdimensionen Absorption, Adaption und Transformation. Dahinter verbergen sich konzeptionelle Vorstellungen hinsichtlich der Abfederung externer Schocks, der Anpassung eines Systems an Krisenereignisse sowie nach der Fähigkeit eines Systems, sich aufgrund von Krisen oder der Antizipation von Krisen grundlegend und zukunftsgerichtet zu ändern. Die Dimension der Transformation bzw. des bounce forward wird dabei nicht als inkrementelle Veränderungen in einem System verstanden, sondern als Beitrag zu einem systemischen Wandel. Die wichtigste Empfehlung der Studie ist es, das Thema Resilienz zukunftsgerichtet zu verstehen und die Vorbereitung auf mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit erwartbare Krisenszenarien (Klimakrise, Biodiversitätskrise, etc.) zu intensivieren, z.B. durch mehr vorausschauende Aktivitäten in diesem Bereich sowie in Anlehnung an die europäischen Instrumente eine stärkere strukturelle und thematische Ausrichtung des Systems auf mögliche Krisen

Comparing the evolution of national research policies: What patterns of change?

This article presents a comparative analysis of the evolution of national research policies during the past three decades in six European countries (Austria, Italy, France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland), with a special focus on the changes of public project funding schemes. It systematically uses indicators on the volume of funding attributed by each instrument and agency, which have been developed in a project of the European network of excellence PRIME. A common model is identified in these countries, where project funding is the second main channel of public funding of research, but also there are considerable variations among them in the share of instruments and agencies, and in beneficiaries. There are three interesting commonalities: a strong increase of project funding volumes; a differentiation of instruments; and a general shift towards instruments oriented to thematic priorities. They also show that individual countries appear to follow quite distinct paths in the organisation setting of funding agencies, and that national differences in funding portfolios persist through tim

Sleep deprivation impairs object-selective attention: A view from the ventral visual cortex

10.1371/journal.pone.0009087PLoS ONE52

VRG Program Evaluation 2021. Accompanying Research

Dieser Bericht enthält die Ergebnisse der Begleitforschung für das internationale Gutachtergremium des WWTF Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators (VRG) Programms

Crew factors in flight operations 9: Effects of planned cockpit rest on crew performance and alertness in long-haul operations

This study examined the effectiveness of a planned cockpit rest period to improve alertness and performance in long-haul flight operations. The Rest Group (12 crew members) was allowed a planned 40 minute rest period during the low workload, cruise portion of the flight, while the No-Rest Group (9 crew members) had a 40 minute planned control period when they maintained usual flight activities. Measures used in the study included continuous ambulatory recordings of brain wave and eye movement activity, a reaction time/vigilance task, a wrist activity monitor, in-flight fatigue and alertness ratings, a daily log for noting sleep periods, meals, exercise, flight and duty periods, and the NASA Background Questionnaire. The Rest Group pilots slept on 93 percent of the opportunities, falling asleep in 5.6 minutes and sleeping for 25.8 minutes. This nap was associated with improved physiological alertness and performance compared to the No-Rest Group. The benefits of the nap were observed through the critical descent and landing phases of flight. The nap did not affect layover sleep or the cumulative sleep debt. The nap procedures were implemented with minimal disruption to usual flight operations and there were no reported or identified concerns regarding safety

Fibroblast activation protein is expressed by rheumatoid myofibroblast-like synoviocytes

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP), as described so far, is a type II cell surface serine protease expressed by fibroblastic cells in areas of active tissue remodelling such as tumour stroma or healing wounds. We investigated the expression of FAP by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) and compared the synovial expression pattern in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Synovial tissue from diseased joints of 20 patients, 10 patients with refractory RA and 10 patients with end-stage OA, was collected during routine surgery. As a result, FLSs from intensively inflamed synovial tissues of refractory RA expressed FAP at high density. Moreover, FAP expression was co-localised with matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-13) and CD44 splice variants v3 and v7/8 known to play a major role in the concert of extracellular matrix degradation. The pattern of signals appeared to constitute a characteristic feature of FLSs involved in rheumatoid arthritic joint-destructive processes. These FAP-expressing FLSs with a phenotype of smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts were located in the lining layer of the synovium and differ distinctly from Thy-1-expressing and non-proliferating fibroblasts of the articular matrix. The intensity of FAP-specific staining in synovial tissue from patients with RA was found to be different when compared with end-stage OA. Because expression of FAP by RA FLSs has not been described before, the findings of this study highlight a novel element in cartilage and bone destruction of arthritic joints. Moreover, the specific expression pattern qualifies FAP as a therapeutic target for inhibiting the destructive potential of fibroblast-like synovial cells

A Unique Radiation Scheme for the Treatment of High-Grade Non-Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma: The Detroit Medical Center Experience

Purpose:This is the initial report on the utilization of combined photon irradiation followed by a neutron boost irradiation for the initial management of patients with high-grade non-metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). We present data on local control, complications, disease-free survival and overall survival in patients at high risk for local relapse