Keeping Tabs on the Women: Life Scientists in Europe

To increase the visibility of European women from post-docs to senior group leaders, the European Life Science Organization (ELSO) has created a Database of Expert Women in the Molecular Life Sciences

Peer-review in a world with rational scientists: Toward selection of the average

One of the virtues of peer review is that it provides a self-regulating selection mechanism for scientific work, papers and projects. Peer review as a selection mechanism is hard to evaluate in terms of its efficiency. Serious efforts to understand its strengths and weaknesses have not yet lead to clear answers. In theory peer review works if the involved parties (editors and referees) conform to a set of requirements, such as love for high quality science, objectiveness, and absence of biases, nepotism, friend and clique networks, selfishness, etc. If these requirements are violated, what is the effect on the selection of high quality work? We study this question with a simple agent based model. In particular we are interested in the effects of rational referees, who might not have any incentive to see high quality work other than their own published or promoted. We find that a small fraction of incorrect (selfish or rational) referees can drastically reduce the quality of the published (accepted) scientific standard. We quantify the fraction for which peer review will no longer select better than pure chance. Decline of quality of accepted scientific work is shown as a function of the fraction of rational and unqualified referees. We show how a simple quality-increasing policy of e.g. a journal can lead to a loss in overall scientific quality, and how mutual support-networks of authors and referees deteriorate the system.Comment: 5 pages 4 figure

Peer Review—The Newcomers' Perspective

The World Academy of Young Scientists argue that double blind peer-review will generate a better perception of fairness and equality in global scientific funding and publishin

Representation of women in sport sciences research, publications, and editorial leadership positions: are we moving forward?

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Elena Martinez-Rosales was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU18/01107) . Alba Hernandez-Martinez was supported by the Plan Propio, Gerty Cori program from the University of Almeria, Spain. Irene Esteban-Cornejo was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RTI2018-095284-J-100) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC2019-027287-I) . Alberto Soriano-Maldonado was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (ref. RTI2018-093302-A-I00) .Objectives: We determined the representation of women in sport sciences research leadership by assessing the proportion of women in (i) leading authorship positions of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from January 2000 to September 2020 in sport sciences journals and (ii) editorial boards of these journals as of September 2020. Design: Review. Methods: We searched PubMed for RCTs published from January 1, 2000, to September 1, 2020, in a representative sample of the top sport sciences journals and identified the sex of first and senior authors through photographs, sex pronouns, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, institutional, or other profiles. This strategy was also used to identify the sex of the editorial board members from the selected journals. Results: A total of 4841 articles published in 14 journals, and 1418 editors, were analyzed. The average proportions of female first and senior authorship were 24.8% and 16.8%, respectively. The percentage of female first authorship increased by ~0.5% annually (β=0.702; B=0.46, 95% CI=0.24 to 0.68, p < 0.001) from2000 to 2020, while the percentage of female senior authorship did not change over time (β = 0.274; B = 0.15, 95% CI = −0.102 to 0.398, p = 0.230). Among the editorial boards' positions, 19.7% were occupied by women. None of the editors-in-chief of the selected journals were women. Conclusions:Women are markedly underrepresented in leading authorship and editorial board positions in sport sciences, despite a ~0.5% annual increase in female first authorship in the past two decades. The mechanisms underlying these findings and the actions needed to reduce potential gender inequalities warrant further research.Spanish Government FPU18/01107University of Almeria, SpainSpanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTI2018-095284-J-100Spanish Government RYC2019-027287-ISpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities RTI2018-093302-A-I0

Natural IgM antibodies in the immune defence against neoehrlichiosis

Background: Neoehrlichiosis is an infectious disease caused by the tick-borne bacterium “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis”. Splenectomy and rituximab therapies are risk factors for severe neoehrlichiosis. Our aim was to examine if neoehrlichiosis patients had low levels of natural IgM antibodies and/or were hypogammaglobulinemic, and if such deficiencies were associated with asplenia and vascular complications. Methods: Neoehrlichiosis patients (n = 9) and control subjects (n = 10) were investigated for serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM, and for levels of natural IgM antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides (6B, 14), and to the malondialdehyde acetaldehyde epitope of oxidized LDL. The multivariate method Projection to Latent Structures was used to analyze the data. Results: The levels of natural IgM antibodies of various specificities were decreased or not measurable in half of the studied patients with neoehrlichiosis. Only one patient and one control subject were hypogammaglobulinemic. An inverse relationship was noted between the levels of natural IgM antibodies and the development of deep vein thrombosis. Unexpectedly, no association was seen between having or not having a spleen and the levels of natural IgM antibody levels in the circulation. Conclusions: Neither hypogammaglobulinemia nor lack of natural IgM antibodies alone predisposes for severe neoehrlichiosis. The importance of the spleen in the immune defence against Ca. N. mikurensis probably lies in its capacity to generate or maintain specific antibodies

Cultivation of the causative agent of human neoehrlichiosis from clinical isolates identifies vascular endothelium as a target of infection

ABSTRACTCandidatus (Ca.) Neoehrlichia mikurensis is the cause of neoehrlichiosis, an emerging tick-borne infectious disease characterized by fever and vascular events. The bacterium belongs to the Anaplasmataceae, a family of obligate intracellular pathogens, but has not previously been cultivated, and it is uncertain which cell types it infects. The goals of this study were to cultivate Ca. N. mikurensis in cell lines and to identify possible target cells for human infection. Blood components derived from infected patients were inoculated into cell lines of both tick and human origin. Bacterial growth in the cell cultures was monitored by real-time PCR and imaging flow cytometry. Ca. N. mikurensis was successfully propagated from the blood of immunocompromised neoehrlichiosis patients in two Ixodes spp. tick cell lines following incubation periods of 7–20 weeks. Human primary endothelial cells derived from skin microvasculature as well as pulmonary artery were also susceptible to infection with tick cell-derived bacteria. Finally, Ca. N. mikurensis was visualized within circulating endothelial cells of two neoehrlichiosis patients. To conclude, we report the first successful isolation and propagation of Ca. N. mikurensis from clinical isolates and identify human vascular endothelial cells as a target of infection

From External Evaluation, to School Self-evaluation, to Peer Review

Most modern systems of school education around the world now have highly developed evaluation processes. Following quickly in the wake of external evaluation policies have followed calls for schools to develop their own capacities for self-review. An OECD report (2013) describes a number of ways in which developing school evaluation capacity should be a priority for school improvement. Among the report’s suggestions are promoting peer learning among schools (pp. 469–470). This chapter describes the research on external evaluation, internal evaluation and the relationship between these two. It then moves on to define and describes peer review and chart its growth. The accountability dimension of peer review is also explored. Finally the existing evidence on peer review is presented from the vocational and schools sectors to show key findings so far, and key conditions for effective peer review are described

Gender inequalities in research in public health and epidemiology in Spain (2007-2014)

Objetivo: Analizar las desigualdades de género en investigación en salud pública y epidemiología en España, en el periodo 2007-2014. Método: Estudio descriptivo según sexo de posiciones de liderazgo del Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER), especialmente en el área temática de epidemiología y salud pública (CIBERESP) en 2014; de sociedades científicas de salud pública (SESPAS) y epidemiología (SEE), 2009-2014; y de proyectos de investigación solicitados (13.320) y financiados (4699), e importes de convocatorias de Acción Estratégica en Salud (AES), 2007-2013. Resultados: Existe una clara infrarrepresentación de mujeres líderes y contratadas en investigación de excelencia en salud pública (CIBERESP), con predominio de los hombres en puestos de decisión. Aunque los proyectos de investigación de la Acción Estratégica en Salud (AES) liderados por mujeres han crecido ligeramente entre 2007 y 2013, entre los solicitados no alcanzan el 50%, con excepción de los de la Comisión de Salud Pública. La brecha de género es aún mayor en proyectos financiados. Los proyectos liderados por hombres tienen mayor probabilidad de obtener financiación, alcanzando el 29% en los de salud pública. Persiste una segregación horizontal de género en posiciones de reconocimiento científico en congresos de SESPAS y SEE. Conclusiones: La sobrerrepresentación de líderes masculinos en la investigación en salud pública en España debe entenderse como indicador y consecuencia del androcentrismo en las sociedades científicas y los grupos profesionales. Esta situación sexista pone en riesgo la existencia de productos y servicios innovadores desde la perspectiva de género que den respuestas a necesidades y demandas de toda la sociedad. Se necesitan más mujeres en investigación que tengan incorporada esta perspectiva.Objective: To analyse gender inequalities in research on public health and epidemiology in Spain for the period 2007-2014. Method: A descriptive study was conducted by sex of leadership positions in the Centre for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER), especially in the subject area of epidemiology and public health (CIBERESP) in 2014; scientific societies of public health (SESPAS) and epidemiology (SEE) 2009-2014; research projects requested (13,320) and financed (4,699), and monetary amounts of calls for Strategic Action in Health (AES), 2007-2013. Results: Women were clearly under-represented in positions of leadership and in research excellence in public health (CIBER), with a predominance of men in decision-making positions. Although research projects led by women in AES increased slightly between 2007 and 2013, among proposed projects this figure was less than 50%, with the exception of the public health commission. The gender gap was even greater in funded projects. Projects led by men were more likely to be funded, representing 29% in public health. There was also a persistence of horizontal gender segregation in positions of scientific recognition in the SESPAS and SEE Congresses. Conclusions: The overrepresentation of male leaders in public health research in Spain can be understood as an indicator and a consequence of androcentrism in scientific societies and professional groups. This sexist situation threatens the existence of innovative products and services from a gender perspective that respond to the needs and demands of society as a whole. More women are needed in research incorporating this perspective.Este trabajo ha recibido financiación parcial de la Acción Estratégica en Salud del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Exp. PI12/00498) y Fondos FEDER