Report of NSF Workshop Series on Scientific Software Security Innovation Institute

Many individuals attended these workshops and contributed to the writing of this report. They are named in the report itself.Over the period of 2010‐2011, a series of two workshops were held in response to NSF Dear Colleague Letter NSF 10‐050 calling for exploratory workshops to consider requirements for Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2s). The specific topic of the workshop series was the potential benefits of a security-­‐focused software institute that would serve the entire NSF research and development community. The first workshop was held on August 6th, 2010 in Arlington, VA and represented an initial exploration of the topic. The second workshop was held on October 26th, 2011 in Chicago, IL and its goals were to 1) Extend our understanding of relevant needs of MREFC and large NSF Projects, 2) refine outcome from first workshop with broader community input, and 3) vet concepts for a trusted cyberinfrastructure institute. This report summarizes the findings of these workshops.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 1043843. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science

Twenty questions about design behavior for sustainability, report of the International Expert Panel on behavioral science for design

How behavioral scientists, engineers, and architects can work together to advance how we all understand and practice design—in order to enhance sustainability in the built environment, and beyond.https://www.nature.com/documents/design_behavior_for_sustainability.pdfPublished versio

Fiction Fix 12

https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/fiction_fix/1004/thumbnail.jp

Reduced levels of hydroxylated, polyunsaturated ultra long-chain fatty acids in the serum of colorectal cancer patients: implications for early screening and detection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are currently no accurate serum markers for detecting early risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We therefore developed a non-targeted metabolomics technology to analyse the serum of pre-treatment CRC patients in order to discover putative metabolic markers associated with CRC. Using tandem-mass spectrometry (MS/MS) high throughput MS technology we evaluated the utility of selected markers and this technology for discriminating between CRC and healthy subjects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Biomarker discovery was performed using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS). Comprehensive metabolic profiles of CRC patients and controls from three independent populations from different continents (USA and Japan; total <it>n </it>= 222) were obtained and the best inter-study biomarkers determined. The structural characterization of these and related markers was performed using liquid chromatography (LC) MS/MS and nuclear magnetic resonance technologies. Clinical utility evaluations were performed using a targeted high-throughput triple-quadrupole multiple reaction monitoring (TQ-MRM) method for three biomarkers in two further independent populations from the USA and Japan (total <it>n </it>= 220).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Comprehensive metabolomic analyses revealed significantly reduced levels of 28-36 carbon-containing hydroxylated polyunsaturated ultra long-chain fatty-acids in all three independent cohorts of CRC patient samples relative to controls. Structure elucidation studies on the C28 molecules revealed two families harbouring specifically two or three hydroxyl substitutions and varying degrees of unsaturation. The TQ-MRM method successfully validated the FTICR-MS results in two further independent studies. In total, biomarkers in five independent populations across two continental regions were evaluated (three populations by FTICR-MS and two by TQ-MRM). The resultant receiver-operator characteristic curve AUCs ranged from 0.85 to 0.98 (average = 0.91 ± 0.04).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A novel comprehensive metabolomics technology was used to identify a systemic metabolic dysregulation comprising previously unknown hydroxylated polyunsaturated ultra-long chain fatty acid metabolites in CRC patients. These metabolites are easily measurable in serum and a decrease in their concentration appears to be highly sensitive and specific for the presence of CRC, regardless of ethnic or geographic background. The measurement of these metabolites may represent an additional tool for the early detection and screening of CRC.</p

2011 Report of NSF Workshop Series on Scientific Software Security Innovation Institute

Over the period of 2010-2011, a series of two workshops were held in response to NSF Dear Colleague Letter NSF 10-050 calling for exploratory workshops to consider requirements for Scientific Software Innovation Institutes (S2I2s). The specific topic of the workshop series was the potential benefits of a security-focused software institute that would serve the entire NSF research and development community. The first workshop was held on August 6th, 2010 in Arlington, VA and represented an initial exploration of the topic. The second workshop was held on October 26th, 2011 in Chicago, IL and its goals were to 1) Extend our understanding of relevant needs of MREFC and large NSF Projects, 2) refine outcome from first workshop with broader community input, and 3) vet concepts for a trusted cyberinfrastructure institute. Towards those goals, the participants other 2011workshop included greater representation from MREFC and large NSF projects, and, for the most part, did not overlap with the participants from the 2010 workshop. A highlight of the second workshop was, at the invitation of the organizers, a presentation by Scott Koranda of the LIGO project on the history of LIGO’s identity management activities and how those could have benefited from a security institute. A key analysis he presented is that, by his estimation, LIGO could have saved 2 senior FTE-years of effort by following suitable expert guidance had it existed. The overarching finding from the workshops is that security is a critical crosscutting issue for the NSF software infrastructure and recommended a security focused activity to address this issue broadly, for example a security software institute (S2I2) under the SI2 program. Additionally, the 2010 workshop participants agreed to 15 key additional findings, which the 2011 workshop confirmed, with some refinement as discussed in this report.NSF Grant # 1043843Ope

A descriptive analysis of the Canadian prehospital and transport transfusion (CAN-PATT) network

Objective Out-of-hospital blood transfusion (OHBT) is becoming increasingly common across the prehospital environment, yet there is significant variability in OHBT practices. The Canadian Prehospital and Transport Transfusion (CAN-PATT) network was established to collaborate, standardize, and evaluate the effectiveness of out-of-hospital blood transfusion (OHBT) across Canada. The objectives of this study are to describe the setting and organizational characteristics of CAN-PATT member organizations and to provide a cross-sectional examination of the current OHBT practices of CAN-PATT organizations. Methods This was a cross-sectional examination of all six critical care transport organizations that are involved in CAN-PATT network. Surveys were sent to identified leads from each organization. The survey focused on three main areas of interest: 1) critical care transport organizational service and coverage, 2) provider, and crew configurations, and 3) OHBT transfusion practices. Results All six surveys were completed and returned. There are a total of 30 critical care transport bases (19 rotor-wing, 20 fixed-wing and 6 land) across Canada and 11 bases have a blood-on-board program. Crew configurations very between organizations as either dual paramedic or paramedic/nurse teams. Median transport times range from 30 to 46 minutes for rotor-wing assets and 64 to 90 minutes for fixed-wing assets. Half of the CAN-PATT organizations started their out-of-hospital blood transfusion programs within the last three years. Most organizations carry at least two units of O-negative, K-negative red blood cells and some organizations also carry group A thawed plasma, fibrinogen concentrate and/or prothrombin complex concentrate. All organizations advocate for early administration of tranexamic acid for injured patients suspected of bleeding. All organizations return un-transfused blood components to their local transfusion medicine laboratory within a predefined timeframe to reduce wastage. Conclusions Variations in OHBT practices were identified and we have suggested considerations for standardization of transfusion practices and patient care as it relates to OHBT. This standardization will also enable a robust means of data collection to study and optimize outcomes of patients receiving OHBT. A fulsome description of the participating organizations within CAN-PATT should enhance interpretation of future OHBT studies that will be conducted by this network

Erratum to: Methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41512-016-0001-y.]

Optimal nitrogen application rates for three intensively-managed hardwood tree species in the southeastern USA

Forest production can be limited by nutrient and water availability, and tree species are expected to respond differently to fertilization and irrigation. Despite these common expectations, multi-species comparisons are rare, especially ones implementing a range of fertilization rates crossed with irrigation. This study compares the response of three forest hardwood species to numerous nitrogen (N) fertilization levels and water availability using a novel non-replicated technique. A range of N levels was included to determine how N affected the growth response curve, and statistical procedures for comparing these non-linear response functions are presented. We used growth and yield data to calculate the Land Expectation Value (LEV) for these intensive management treatments, and to determine the optimal growing conditions (accounting for tree productivity and grower expenses). To accomplish these objectives, we used a series of cottonwood, sycamore, and sweetgum plots that received a range of N fertilization with or without irrigation. Regression is an economical approach to define treatment responses in large-scale experiments, and we recommend >3 treatment levels so the response of any single plot does not disproportionally influence the line. The non-replicated plots showed a strong positive N response below 150 kg N ha -1 yr -1, beyond which little response was observed. However, different amounts of fertilization were required for the greatest biomass accumulation rate in each tree species. Cottonwood and sycamore growth was optimized with less than 150 kg N ha -1 yr -1 while sweetgum growth was optimized with less than 100 kg N ha -1 yr -1. Results from this experiment should be representative of many of the nutrient-poor soils in the Coastal Plain in the southeastern USA. The LEVs were not positive for any treatment x genotype combination tested when using irrigation or liquid fertilizer, but our analysis showed that several non-irrigated treatments in sycamore and sweetgum did result in positive LEVs when fertilized with granular urea

Physiological Correlates of Volunteering

We review research on physiological correlates of volunteering, a neglected but promising research field. Some of these correlates seem to be causal factors influencing volunteering. Volunteers tend to have better physical health, both self-reported and expert-assessed, better mental health, and perform better on cognitive tasks. Research thus far has rarely examined neurological, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic correlates of volunteering to any significant extent, especially controlling for other factors as potential confounds. Evolutionary theory and behavioral genetic research suggest the importance of such physiological factors in humans. Basically, many aspects of social relationships and social activities have effects on health (e.g., Newman and Roberts 2013; Uchino 2004), as the widely used biopsychosocial (BPS) model suggests (Institute of Medicine 2001). Studies of formal volunteering (FV), charitable giving, and altruistic behavior suggest that physiological characteristics are related to volunteering, including specific genes (such as oxytocin receptor [OXTR] genes, Arginine vasopressin receptor [AVPR] genes, dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4] genes, and 5-HTTLPR). We recommend that future research on physiological factors be extended to non-Western populations, focusing specifically on volunteering, and differentiating between different forms and types of volunteering and civic participation