Perspectives on Open Science and The Future of Scholarly Communication: Internet Trackers and Algorithmic Persuasion.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ignat T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8734967 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Regulatory science for medical devices aims to develop new tools, standards and approaches to assess the safety, effectiveness, quality and performance of medical devices. In the field of biomaterials, hernia mesh is a class of implants that have been successfully translated to clinical applications. With a focus on hernia mesh and its regulatory science system, this paper collected and reviewed information on hernia mesh products and biomaterials in both Chinese and American markets. The current development of regulatory science for hernia mesh, including its regulations, standards, guidance documents and classification, and the scientific evaluation of its safety and effectiveness was first reported. Then the research prospect of regulatory science for hernia mesh was discussed. New methods for the preclinical animal study and new tools for the evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of hernia mesh, such as computational modeling, big data platform and evidence-based research, were assessed. By taking the regulatory science of hernia mesh as a case study, this review provided a research basis for developing a regulatory science system of implantable medical devices, furthering the systematic evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of medical devices for better regulatory decision-making. This was the first article reviewing the regulatory science of hernia mesh and biomaterial-based implants. It also proposed and explained the concepts of evidence-based regulatory science and technical review for the first time. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Hernia mesh is a class of biomaterials-based implants that have been successfully translated to clinical applications.• This is the first article reviewing the current status and future perspectives of regulatory science for hernia mesh.• Research on regenerative medicine, computational modeling, big data and evidence-based research could promote the development.• Evidence-based regulatory science and technical review were also proposed and defined for the first time.
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Project description:Microbiome research has recently gained centre-stage in both basic science and translational applications, yet researchers often feel that public communication about its potential overpromises. This manuscript aims to share a perspective on how scientists can engage in more open, ethical and transparent communication using an ongoing research project on food systems microbiomes as a case study. Concrete examples of strategically planned communication efforts are outlined, which aim to inspire and empower other researchers. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on the benefits of open and transparent communication from early-on in innovation pathways, mainly increasing trust in scientific processes and thus paving the way to achieving societal milestones such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal.
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Project description:BackgroundThe Scholarly Concentrations program was established at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2009 with the aim of instilling passion for scholarship.ObjectiveOur study aimed to determine whether the Scholarly Concentrations program achieves positive changes in medical student self-efficacy in conducting research and, if so, whether this results in future career aspirations toward scholarship.DesignWe used the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory-Short Form (CRAI-SF) to assess changes in self-efficacy among students completing the Scholarly Concentrations program between 2014 and 2017. We calculated composite mean scores of six domains. We included outcomes on whether students published a manuscript, overall program perceptions, and likelihood of future research careers. We analyzed relationships between CRAI-SF scores and outcomes using paired t-tests and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression.ResultsA total of 419 students completed the Scholarly Concentrations program. All 6 CRAI domain scores showed significant improvements in self-efficacy between the pre-Scholarly Concentrations and post-Scholarly Concentrations ratings (range of changes 0.76-1.39, p < 0.05 for all). We found significant associations between post-Scholarly Concentrations self-efficacy ratings and course satisfaction (adjusted OR 1.57 [95% CI 1.20, 2.07]) and mentor satisfaction (OR 1.46 [1.15, 1.86]), as well as students' intent to conduct future research (OR 1.46 [1.15, 1.86]). These results were robust to sensitivity analyses, and pronounced in the group of students without prior research experience.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that a Scholarly Concentrations program is associated with an increased self-efficacy for research, and these changes in self-efficacy are associated with higher satisfaction in the scholarly experience and increased likelihood of pursuing scholarly work. Other medical schools could use such a tool of self-efficacy to both investigate the overall Scholarly Concentrations experience and understand factors that may increase interest in future physician-scientist pathways.
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Project description:Background: Since 2013, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of preprint servers available online. To date, little is known about the position of researchers, funders, research performing organisations and other stakeholders with respect to this fast-paced landscape. In this article, we explore the benefits and challenges of preprint posting, along with issues such as infrastructure and financial sustainability. We also discuss the definition of a 'preprint' in different communities, and the impact this has on further uptake. Methods: This study is based on 38 detailed semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders based on a purposive heterogeneous sampling approach. Interviews were undertaken between October 2018 and January 2019. These were recorded, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis to identify trends. Interview questions were designed based on Innovation Diffusion Theory, which is also used to interpret the results of this study. Results: Our study is the first using empirical data to understand the new wave of preprint servers and found that early and fast dissemination is the most appealing feature of the practice. The main concerns are related to the lack of quality assurance and the 'Ingelfinger rule'. We identified trust as an essential enabler of preprint posting and stress the enabling role of Twitter in showcasing preprints and enabling comments on these. Conclusions: The preprints landscape is evolving fast and disciplinary communities are at different stages in the innovation diffusion process. The landscape is characterised by significant experimentation, which leads to the conclusion that a one-size-fits-all approach to preprints is not feasible. Cooperation and active engagement between the stakeholders involved will play an important role in the future. In our paper, we share questions for the further development of the preprints landscape, with the most important being whether preprint posting will develop as a publisher- or researcher-centric practice.
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Project description:Microglia are the tissue macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) and the first to respond to CNS dysfunction and disease. Gene expression profiling of microglia during development, under homeostatic conditions and in the diseased CNS provided insight in microglia functions and changes thereof. Single cell sequencing studies further contributed to our understanding of microglia heterogeneity in relation to age, sex and CNS disease. Recently, single nucleus gene expression profiling was performed on (frozen) CNS tissue. Transcriptomic profiling of CNS tissues by (single) nucleus RNA-sequencing has the advantage that it can be applied to archived and well stratified frozen specimens. Here, we give an overview of the significant advances recently made in microglia transcriptional profiling. In addition, we present matched cellular and nuclear microglia RNA-seq datasets we generated from mouse and human CNS tissue to compare cellular versus nuclear transcriptomes from fresh and frozen samples. We demonstrate that microglia can be similarly profiled with cell and nucleus profiling, and importantly also with nuclei isolated from frozen tissue. Nuclear microglia transcriptomes are a reliable proxy for cellular transcriptomes. Interestingly, lipopolysaccharide- (LPS)-induced changes in gene expression were even more pronounced in the nuclear transcriptome. In addition, heterogeneity in microglia observed in fresh samples is similarly detected in frozen nuclei of the same donor. Together, these results show that microglia nuclear RNAs obtained from frozen CNS tissue are a reliable proxy for microglia gene expression and cellular heterogeneity and may prove an effective strategy to study of the role of microglia in neuropathology.
2019-08-10 | GSE135618 | GEO
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Project description:Effective communication is a requisite skill for scientists. However, formalized training in this area is often unavailable for members of the scientific community. As one approach to combat this problem, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) developed The Art of Science Communication, an eight-week-long online course that provides facilitated instruction on how to communicate science in an oral format. The course is offered three times a year, and as of December 2017, nearly 200 individuals from all career stages have taken part in it. The course completion rate is currently 60%, a rate three to five times as high as the average for similar Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Participants have indicated that taking the course has improved their ability to communicate about their research, and that the skills and lessons learned have benefited them professionally. Moving forward, we are examining approaches that will help us improve the course and expand its reach throughout the scientific community. This article details the development of the course and examines the role and potential of such training within the larger scientific community.
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