759 research outputs found
Bioethics Authorship in Context: How Trends in Biomedicine Challenge Bioethics
This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article whose final and definitive form, the Version of Record, has been published in The American Journal of Bioethics 2011. Available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/ or DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2011.603808Resnik and Master (2011) propose a set of authorship guidelines for what they describe as âconceptualâ papers in
bioethics. These guidelines speciïŹcally address who should
count as an author within multiply-authored conceptual
research publications, given that various guidelines exist
regarding empirical research in bioethics. Their arguments
attend to an important and controversial issue, yet they do
not take account of the broader historical and social contexts
surrounding the growth of multiply-authored research publications. In this paper, we outline some of the characteristics
of that context, particularly the rise of âbig scienceâ and its
effects on patterns of practice (including authorship criteria) in the biomedical sciences and in turn bioethics. We then
point to ways in which taking account of this context leads
to challenges to some of Resnik and Masterâs conclusions,
and sketch alternative models that could overcome those
difïŹculties
Repertoires: How to Transform a Project into a Research Community
SubmittedArticleHow effectively communities of scientists come together and co-operate is crucial both to the quality of research outputs and to the extent to which such outputs integrate insights, data and methods from a variety of fields, laboratories and locations around the globe. This essay focuses on the ensemble of material and social conditions that makes it possible for a short-ÂŹâterm collaboration, set up to accomplish a specific task, to give rise to relatively stable communities of researchers. We refer to these distinctive features as repertoires, and investigate their development and implementation across three examples of collaborative research in the life sciences. We conclude that whether a particular project ends up fostering the emergence of a resilient research community is partly determined by the degree of attention and care devoted by researchers to material and social elements beyond the specific research questions under consideration
Model Organisms
A philosophical exploration of the concept of the 'model organism' in contemporary biology. Thinking about model organisms in order to examine how living organisms have been brought into the laboratory and used to gain a better understanding of biology, and to explore the research practices, commitments, and norms underlying this understanding
Impact of environmental factors on stilbene biosynthesis
Stilbenes are a small family of polyphenolic secondary metabolites that can be found in several distantly related plant species. These compounds act as phytoalexins, playing a crucial role in plant defense against phytopathogens, as well as being involved in the adaptation of plants to abiotic environmental factors. Among stilbenes, trans-resveratrol is certainly the most popular and extensively studied for its health properties. In recent years, an increasing number of stilbene compounds were subjected to investigations concerning their bioactivity. This review presents the most updated knowledge of the stilbene biosynthetic pathway, also focusing on the role of several environmental factors in eliciting stilbenes biosynthesis. The effects of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, ultrasonication, mechanical stress, salt stress, drought, temperature, ozone, and biotic stress are reviewed in the context of enhancing stilbene biosynthesis, both in planta and in plant cell and organ cultures. This knowledge may shed some light on stilbene biological roles and represents a useful tool to increase the accumulation of these valuable compounds
Beyond the digital divide: Towards a situated approach to open data
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from OUP via the DOI in this record.Poor provision of information and communication technologies in low/middle-income countries represents a concern for promoting Open Data. This is often framed as a âdigital divideâ and addressed through initiatives that increase the availability of information and communication technologies to researchers based in low-resourced environments, as well as the amount of resources freely accessible online, including data themselves. Using empirical data from a qualitative study of lab-based research in Africa we highlight the limitations of such framing and emphasize the range of additional factors necessary to effectively utilize data available online. We adopt the âCapabilities Approachâ proposed by Sen to highlight the distinction between simply making resources available, and doing so while fostering researchersâ ability to use them. This provides an alternative orientation that highlights the persistence of deep inequalities within the seemingly egalitarian-inspired Open Data landscape. The extent and manner of future data sharing, we propose, will hinge on the ability to respond to the heterogeneity of research environments.The research informing this article was supported by a grant from the Leverhulme Trust title âBeyond the Digital Divideâ (RPG-2013-153). Sabina Leonelli was also funded by the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ ERC grant agreement n° 335925. Ann Kellyâs contribution was also supported by UK Economic Social Research Council Urgency Grants mechanism (ES/M009203/1)
Probing Hyperbolic and Surface Phonon-Polaritons in 2D materials using Raman Spectroscopy
The hyperbolic dispersion relation of phonon-polaritons (PhPol) provides
high-momentum states, highly directional propagation, subdiffractional
confinement, large optical density of states, and enhanced light-matter
interactions. In this work, we use Raman spectroscopy in the convenient
backscattering configuration to probe PhPol in GaSe, a 2D material presenting
two hyperbolic regions separated by a \textit{double} reststrahlen band. By
varying the incidence angle, dispersion relations are revealed. Raman spectra
calculations confirm the observation of one surface and two extraordinary
guided polaritons and matches the evolution of PhPol frequency as a function of
confinement. Resonant excitation close to the excitonic state singularly exalts
the scattering efficiency of PhPol. Raman spectroscopy of PhPol in
non-centrosymmetry 2D materials does not require any wavevector matching
strategies. Widely available, it may accelerate the development of MIR
nanophotonic devices and applications
Geopolymers: A new and smart way for a sustainable development
âGeopolymersâ is a general term that describes a wide variety of inorganic and composite materials with limited restrictions on alumina and silica content. In the last decades, they have been also defined as âlow-temperature aluminosilicate glassesâ, âhydroceramicsâ, âinorganic polymer concreteâ or âalkali bonded ceramicsâ. Recently, an updated definition has been proposed by the RILEM Technical Committee 224-AAM: âgeopolymer materials are essential aluminosilicates activated with alkaline solution, excluding any other alkali-activated materials that should be classified apartâ [1]
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