Are 'STEM from Mars and SSH from Venus'?: Challenging disciplinary stereotypes of research's social value

There is a reasonably settled consensus within the innovation community that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research is more 'useful' to societies than other types of research, notably social sciences and humanities (SSH) researchOlmos-Peñuela, J.; Benneworth, P.; Castro-Martinez, E. (2014). Are 'STEM from Mars and SSH from Venus'?: Challenging disciplinary stereotypes of research's social value. Science and Public Policy. 41(3):384-400. doi:10.1093/scipol/sct071S384400413Abreu, M., & Grinevich, V. (2013). The nature of academic entrepreneurship in the UK: Widening the focus on entrepreneurial activities. Research Policy, 42(2), 408-422. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2012.10.005Alrøe, H. F., & Kristensen, E. S. (2002). Agriculture and Human Values, 19(1), 3-23. doi:10.1023/a:1015040009300Azagra-Caro, J. M. (2007). What type of faculty member interacts with what type of firm? Some reasons for the delocalisation of university–industry interaction. Technovation, 27(11), 704-715. doi:10.1016/j.technovation.2007.05.003Bonaccorsi, A., & Piccaluga, A. (1994). A theoretical framework for the evaluation of university-industry relationships. R&D Management, 24(3), 229-247. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9310.1994.tb00876.xBullen *, E., Robb, S., & Kenway, J. (2004). ‘Creative destruction’: knowledge economy policy and the future of the arts and humanities in the academy1. Journal of Education Policy, 19(1), 3-22. doi:10.1080/0268093042000182609Cohen, W. M., Nelson, R. R., & Walsh, J. P. (2002). Links and Impacts: The Influence of Public Research on Industrial R&D. Management Science, 48(1), 1-23. doi:10.1287/mnsc.48.1.1.14273D’Este, P., & Patel, P. (2007). University–industry linkages in the UK: What are the factors underlying the variety of interactions with industry? Research Policy, 36(9), 1295-1313. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2007.05.002Donovan, C. (2005). The Governance of Social Science and Everyday Epistemology. Public Administration, 83(3), 597-615. doi:10.1111/j.0033-3298.2005.00464.xEdgar, A., & Pattison, S. (2006). Need humanities be so useless? Justifying the place and role of humanities as a critical resource for performance and practice. Medical Humanities, 32(2), 92-98. doi:10.1136/jmh.2006.000226Geuna, A., & Muscio, A. (2009). The Governance of University Knowledge Transfer: A Critical Review of the Literature. Minerva, 47(1), 93-114. doi:10.1007/s11024-009-9118-2Gulbrandsen, M., & Kyvik, S. (2010). Are the concepts basic research, applied research and experimental development still useful? An empirical investigation among Norwegian academics. Science and Public Policy, 37(5), 343-353. doi:10.3152/030234210x501171Hessels, L. K., van Lente, H., & Smits, R. (2009). In search of relevance: the changing contract between science and society. Science and Public Policy, 36(5), 387-401. doi:10.3152/030234209x442034Jaaniste, L. (2009). Placing the creative sector within innovation: The full gamut. Innovation, 11(2), 215-229. doi:10.5172/impp.11.2.215Kaiser, R., & Prange-Gstöhl, H. (2010). A paradigm shift in European R&D policy? The EU Budget Review and the economic crisis. Science and Public Policy, 37(4), 253-265. doi:10.3152/030234210x496655Kyvik, S. (1994). Popular science publishing. Scientometrics, 31(2), 143-153. doi:10.1007/bf02018557Kyvik, S. (2005). Popular Science Publishing and Contributions to Public Discourse among University Faculty. Science Communication, 26(3), 288-311. doi:10.1177/1075547004273022Leisyte, L., & Horta, H. (2011). Introduction to a special issue: Academic knowledge production, diffusion and commercialization: policies, practices and perspectives. Science and Public Policy, 38(6), 422-424. doi:10.3152/030234211x12960315267697Molas-Gallart, J., & Tang, P. (2011). Tracing «productive interactions» to identify social impacts: an example from the social sciences. Research Evaluation, 20(3), 219-226. doi:10.3152/095820211x12941371876706Nightingale, P., & Scott, A. (2007). Peer review and the relevance gap: ten suggestions for policy-makers. Science and Public Policy, 34(8), 543-553. doi:10.3152/030234207x254396Pavitt, K. (1991). What makes basic research economically useful? Research Policy, 20(2), 109-119. doi:10.1016/0048-7333(91)90074-zPerkmann, M., & Walsh, K. (2007). University–industry relationships and open innovation: Towards a research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9(4), 259-280. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2370.2007.00225.xPilegaard, M., Moroz, P. W., & Neergaard, H. (2010). An Auto-Ethnographic Perspective on Academic Entrepreneurship: Implications for Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(1), 46-61. doi:10.5465/amp.2010.50304416Schartinger, D., Rammer, C., Fischer, M. M., & Fröhlich, J. (2002). Knowledge interactions between universities and industry in Austria: sectoral patterns and determinants. Research Policy, 31(3), 303-328. doi:10.1016/s0048-7333(01)00111-1Spaapen, J., & van Drooge, L. (2011). Introducing «productive interactions» in social impact assessment. Research Evaluation, 20(3), 211-218. doi:10.3152/095820211x12941371876742Van Langenhove, L. (2012). Make social sciences relevant. Nature, 484(7395), 442-442. doi:10.1038/484442

Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests

The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Compositional response of Amazon forests to climate change.

Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate-induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long-term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water-deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have become increasingly dominated by large-statured taxa, but to date there has been no detectable change in mean wood density or water deficit affiliation at the community level, despite most forest plots having experienced an intensification of the dry season. However, among newly recruited trees, dry-affiliated genera have become more abundant, while the mortality of wet-affiliated genera has increased in those plots where the dry season has intensified most. Thus, a slow shift to a more dry-affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics (recruits and mortality) consistent with climate-change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole-community composition. The Amazon observational record suggests that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is driving a shift within tree communities to large-statured species and that climate changes to date will impact forest composition, but long generation times of tropical trees mean that biodiversity change is lagging behind climate change

Simvastatin Sodium Salt and Fluvastatin Interact with Human Gap Junction Gamma-3 Protein

Finding pleiomorphic targets for drugs allows new indications or warnings for treatment to be identified. As test of concept, we applied a new chemical genomics approach to uncover additional targets for the widely prescribed lipid-lowering pro-drug simvastatin. We used mRNA extracted from internal mammary artery from patients undergoing coronary artery surgery to prepare a viral cardiovascular protein library, using T7 bacteriophage. We then studied interactions of clones of the bacteriophage, each expressing a different cardiovascular polypeptide, with surface-bound simvastatin in 96-well plates. To maximise likelihood of identifying meaningful interactions between simvastatin and vascular peptides, we used a validated photo-immobilisation method to apply a series of different chemical linkers to bind simvastatin so as to present multiple orientations of its constituent components to potential targets. Three rounds of biopanning identified consistent interaction with the clone expressing part of the gene GJC3, which maps to Homo sapiens chromosome 7, and codes for gap junction gamma-3 protein, also known as connexin 30.2/31.3 (mouse connexin Cx29). Further analysis indicated the binding site to be for the N-terminal domain putatively ‘regulating’ connexin hemichannel and gap junction pores. Using immunohistochemistry we found connexin 30.2/31.3 to be present in samples of artery similar to those used to prepare the bacteriophage library. Surface plasmon resonance revealed that a 25 amino acid synthetic peptide representing the discovered N-terminus did not interact with simvastatin lactone, but did bind to the hydrolysed HMG CoA inhibitor, simvastatin acid. This interaction was also seen for fluvastatin. The gap junction blockers carbenoxolone and flufenamic acid also interacted with the same peptide providing insight into potential site of binding. These findings raise key questions about the functional significance of GJC3 transcripts in the vasculature and other tissues, and this connexin’s role in therapeutic and adverse effects of statins in a range of disease states

Guidelines for pathology. Supplement to european guidelines for quality assurance in mammography screening

Item does not contain fulltex

Pathological work-up of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer. Review of current data to be considered for the formulation of guidelines.

Controversies and inconsistencies regarding the pathological work-up of sentinel lymph nodes (SNs) led the European Working Group for Breast Screening Pathology (EWGBSP) to review published data and current evidence that can promote the formulation of European guidelines for the pathological work-up of SNs. After an evaluation of the accuracy of SN biopsy as a staging procedure, the yields of different sectioning methods and the immunohistochemical detection of metastatic cells are reviewed. Currently published data do not allow the significance of micrometastases or isolated tumour cells to be established, but it is suggested that approximately 18% of the cases may be associated with further nodal (non-SN) metastases, i.e. approximately 2% of all patients initially staged by SN biopsy. The methods for the intraoperative and molecular assessment of SNs are also surveyed

Discrepancies in current practice of pathological evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer. Results of a questionnaire based survey by the European Working Group for Breast Screening Pathology

Aims: To evaluate aspects of the current practice of sentinel lymph node (SLN) pathology in breast cancer via a questionnaire based survey, to recognise major issues that the European guidelines for mammography screening should address in the next revision. Methods: A questionnaire was circulated by mail or electronically by the authors in their respective countries. Replies from pathology units dealing with SLN specimens were evaluated further. Results: Of the 382 respondents, 240 European pathology units were dealing with SLN specimens. Sixty per cent of these units carried out intraoperative assessment, most commonly consisting of frozen sections. Most units slice larger SLNs into pieces and only 12% assess these slices on a single haematoxylin and eosin (HE) stained slide. Seventy one per cent of the units routinely use immunohistochemistry in all cases negative by HE. The terms micrometastasis, submicrometastasis, and isolated tumour cells (ITCs) are used in 93%, 22%, and 71% of units, respectively, but have a rather heterogeneous interpretation. Molecular SLN staging was reported by only 10 units (4%). Most institutions have their own guidelines for SLN processing, but some countries also have well recognised national guidelines. Conclusions: Pathological examination of SLNs throughout Europe varies considerably and is not standardised. The European guidelines should focus on standardising examination. They should recommend techniques that identify metastases > 2 mm as a minimum standard. Uniform reporting of additional findings may also be important, because micrometastases and ITCs may in the future be shown to have clinical relevance

Consistency of staining and reporting of oestrogen receptor immunocytochemistry within the European Union--an inter-laboratory study.

Item does not contain fulltextTo assess the variability of oestrogen receptor (ER) testing using immunocytochemistry, centrally stained and unstained slides from breast cancers were circulated to the members of the European Working Group for Breast Screening Pathology, who were asked to report on both slides. The results showed that there was almost complete concordance among readers (kappa=0.95) in ER-negative tumours on the stained slide and excellent concordance among readers (kappa=0.82) on the slides stained in each individual laboratory. Tumours showing strong positivity were reasonably well assessed (kappa=0.57 and 0.4, respectively), but there was less concordance in tumours with moderate and low levels of ER, especially when these were heterogeneous in their staining. Because of the variation, the Working Group recommends that laboratories performing these stains should take part in a external quality assurance scheme for immunocytochemistry, should include a tumour with low ER levels as a weak positive control and should audit the percentage positive tumours in their laboratory against the accepted norms annually. The Quick score method of receptor assessment may also have too many categories for good concordance, and grouping of these into fewer categories may remove some of the variation among laboratories