PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Call for long-term view on 'dire' funding of biological research databases

2010-10-19
(Press-News.org) A rethink is needed on the 'dire' situation of funding of databases across biology, researchers say.

A paper co-authored by Sabina Leonelli, Research Fellow at Egenis at the University of Exeter, reviews the business models currently used to deal with long-term sustainability of these resources, and suggests a 'global change' in funding policies is necessary.

"There is no point investing resources into collecting data, if the development of tools needed to disseminate and interpret those data is not supported. In this sense, building appropriate cyberinfrastructure is as important as preserving the privacy of patients who donate information of potential use to the biomedical sciences: if that information is not effectively used to advance research, its collection and dissemination are unwarranted," argues Dr Leonelli.

Sustainable digital infrastructure by Dr Leonelli and Ruth Bastow of the University of Warwick, published in EMBO Reports, is one of the first assessments of its kind and has already caught the attention of the US government agency the National Science Foundation.

"The past decade has seen an unprecedented explosion of data, tools and databank resources in the biological sciences, most of which can be freely accessed by researchers over the Internet," say the authors.

"Access to online data has become a basic requirement for conducting scientific research, but the growth in data, databases, websites and resources has outpaced the development of mechanisms and models to fund the necessary cyberinfrastructure, curation and long-term stewardship of these resources."

But, they conclude, "A single, viable framework for sustainable and long-term stewardship of data and resources has not emerged."

"No current model is able to meet the requirements of cyberinfrastructure and data-intensive research," explains Dr Leonelli. "Sustained funding is needed to ensure that reliable and ready-to-use data can be found in high quality and up-to-date databases maintained by professional curators."

The authors argue that funding agencies and national governments operate under an outdated assumption that cyberinfrastructure can be treated either as another branch of the research process – the value and novelty of which needs to be constantly assessed and demonstrated – or as an inexpensive service that can be outsourced to industry or users themselves.

In the article Dr Leonelli and Dr Bastow review some of the financial models and mechanisms that could be employed to support public repositories, databases and resources in the long term, arguing that the current division of labour underlying scientific research is not sustainable.

For one or more of the models to work, they suggest, current modes of interaction between researchers, funders, publishers, curators and editors, and their respective responsibilities, need to change.

"This might happen through a change in the role of publishers, who could become central to the management and dissemination of databases and related personnel," they write. "It might involve a change in the assessment of researchers' work, clearly distinguishing between their roles as data generators and data users and assigning penalties for failure to upload and maintain data in public repositories. It might involve a global change in funding policies, if science funders recognize that they need to provide targeted, long-term funding for cyberinfrastructure. Most probably, all three of these shifts will need to occur to secure the long-term sustainability of database building and curation."

INFORMATION: Notes for Editors: 1. 'Sustaining digital infrastructure' by Ruth Bastow and Sabina Leonelli is published in EMBO Reports 11 (10), 2010, pp.730-734. 2. Egenis is the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, a research centre at the University of Exeter funded by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to study the meaning and social implications of developments in genomic science. Website: www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/egenis/ 3. For further details or to arrange an interview, contact Claire Packman, Egenis Communications Officer, on 01392 269126, c.h.packman@exeter.ac.uk


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Demand for radiation therapy projected to outpace supply of radiation oncologists

2010-10-19
HOUSTON - Between 2010 and 2020, the demand for radiation therapy will exceed the number of radiation oncologists practicing in the U.S. tenfold, which could profoundly affect the ability to provide patients with sufficient access to treatment, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study, published in the October 18, 2010 issue of The Journal of Clinical Oncology, estimates that over the next decade, the number of cancer patients requiring radiation therapy will increase by 22 percent, while the number of full-time equivalent ...

Type 2 diabetes and insulin use are associated with colorectal cancer in men

2010-10-19
There is an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and colorectal cancer (CRC) among men, but not women, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. In 2000, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was approximately 171 million worldwide, and 366 million people are projected to have the disease by 2030. Obesity, western-style diet and lack of physical activity are established risk factors for CRC. Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, which are especially pronounced during the early ...

Scientists closer to grasping how the brain's 'hearing center' spurs responses to sound

2010-10-19
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. – Just as we visually map a room by spatially identifying the objects in it, we map our aural world based on the frequencies of sounds. The neurons within the brain's "hearing center"—the auditory cortex—are organized into modules that each respond to sounds within a specific frequency band. But how responses actually emanate from this complex network of neurons is still a mystery. A team of scientists led by Anthony Zador, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Neuroscience program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has come a step closer ...

Latinas: 'Cancer was just meant to be'

2010-10-19
Fatalism may prevent women from Latin American descent – Latinas - from using cancer screening services, according to Karla Espinosa de los Monteros and Dr. Linda Gallo from San Diego State University in the US. Their review (1) shows that women who are pessimistic about preventive health practices and disease outcomes are less likely to have been screened for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer. The research is published online in Springer's International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Latinas have some of the lowest cancer screening rates in the United States. They ...

Mount Sinai researchers discover why cocaine is so addictive

2010-10-19
Mount Sinai researchers have discovered how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive. These findings—the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward—were published in Science on October 15. The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug. Led by Mary Kay Lobo, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and first author of the study, researchers found that the two main neurons (D1 and D2) in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain, ...

Egg allergy: Not a reason to avoid flu vaccine after all

2010-10-19
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Having an egg allergy is not a reason to avoid getting the 2010-2011 flu vaccination. According to new recommendations by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website, anyone with a history of suspected egg allergy should first be evaluated by an allergist or immunologist for appropriate testing and diagnosis but can probably receive the vaccination. Matthew J. Greenhawt, M.D., M.B.A., clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan Health System and James T. Li, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Division of Allergic Diseases in the Department ...

Intestinal enzyme helps maintain population of beneficial bacteria

2010-10-19
An enzyme that keeps intestinal bacteria out of the bloodstream may also play an important role in maintaining the normal microbial population of the gastrointestinal system. Since the loss of beneficial bacteria that usually results from antibiotic therapy can sometimes lead to serious health problems, a treatment that maintains microbial levels could have significant benefits. "Our mouse studies confirmed that giving this enzyme by mouth keeps the gut healthy, in terms of the microbes that usually live there," says Richard Hodin, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital ...

Breakthrough: With a chaperone, copper breaks through

2010-10-19
Information on proteins is critical for understanding how cells function in health and disease. But while regular proteins are easy to extract and study, it is far more difficult to gather information about membrane proteins, which are responsible for exchanging elements essential to our health, like copper, between a cell and its surrounding tissues. Now Prof. Nir Ben-Tal and his graduate students Maya Schushan and Yariv Barkan of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have investigated how a type of membrane protein transfers essential ...

Can naturally raised beef find its place in the industry?

2010-10-19
URBANA – As consumer demand for naturally raised beef continues to increase, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that naturally raised beef can be produced effectively for this niche market as long as a substantial premium is offered to cover additional production and transportation costs. Naturally raised beef is produced without hormones or antibiotics, whereas traditional systems take advantage of technologies the industry offers such as ionophores like Rumensin® to improve feed efficiency and implants to improve gain and efficiency. "Producers ...

Geophysicists claim conventional understanding of Earth's deep water cycle needs revision

Geophysicists claim conventional understanding of Earths deep water cycle needs revision
2010-10-19
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A popular view among geophysicists is that large amounts of water are carried from the oceans to the deep mantle in "subduction zones," which are boundaries where the Earth's crustal plates converge, with one plate riding over the other. But now geophysicists led by the University of California, Riverside's Harry Green, a distinguished professor of geology and geophysics, present results that contradict this view. They compare seismic and experimental evidence to argue that subducting slabs do not carry water deeper than about 400 kilometers. "The ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes

New research expands laser technology

Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain

A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers

Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes

CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds

Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies

Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design

KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity

More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia

“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues

What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?

A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists

Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script

Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds

Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides

Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization

Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults

Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement

Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development

A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI

Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption

Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications

[Press-News.org] Call for long-term view on 'dire' funding of biological research databases