Scientific information centers in the United States

1962 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States

GUIDELINES FOR THE REGULATION OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ANIMALS

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 322
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Recombinant Dna ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
The Body ◽  
United States Government ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
National Environmental Policy Act ◽  
Food Species

The FDA has been regulating genetically engineered (GE) animals under the new animal drug provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act or the Act) since producers of these animals first approached the agency in the mid-1990s, although it did not issue a final Guidance for Industry clarifying its statutory authority until 2009 (Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM113903.pdf). The regulatory trigger that enables the regulation of these animals under the new animal drug provisions of the Act is the definition of a drug as “an article (other than food) that is intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals.” The products of modern biotechnology (such as spliced recombinant DNA) are technically the “articles” that must be approved, but for shorthand, we often refer to the regulation of “genetically engineered” animals. For the purpose of the guidance, FDA defined “genetically engineered (GE) animals” as those animals modified by rDNA techniques, including all progeny that contain the modification. The term GE animal can refer both to an animal with a heritable rDNA construct or its residues and to an animal with a nonheritable rDNA construct (e.g. a construct intended as therapy for a disease in that animal). If the agency engages in an “action,” such as an approval, obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are triggered, such that the agency must perform an environmental assessment to determine whether a significant impact is likely to occur on the environment of the United States. If not, the agency issues a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). If a significant impact is likely to occur as the result of an agency action, the agency must engage in a more complex process to characterise that impact in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This regulation is consistent with the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, a policy that was first issued by issued by the Office of Science and Technology Policy [51 Fed Reg 23,302 (1986)] of the United States Government. It describes the interagency mechanism for “sharing scientific information related to biotechnology,” and states that, to the extent possible, jurisdiction of the products of biotechnology lies with a single agency. Where more than one agency will review a particular product, “the policy establishes a lead agency and consolidated or coordinated reviews.” Consistent with this policy, FDA has leveraged, and intends to continue to leverage, the expertise of other agencies in the review of GE animal-related applications. Under certain conditions, based on risk, the agency may not enforce the premarket approval requirement for some GE animals. In general, these include GE animals of non-food species that are regulated by other government agencies or entities, such as GE animals of non-food species that are raised and used in contained and controlled conditions such as GE laboratory animals (e.g. mice, rats, some model fish) used in research institutions. In addition, on a case-by-case basis, the agency may consider exercising enforcement discretion for GE animals of very low risk, non-food species GE animals, such as the Zebra danio aquarium fish genetically engineered to fluoresce in the dark (GloFish). An exemption from the prohibition on introducing an unapproved new animal drug in interstate commerce is provided for in the regulations covering “investigations,” which allow for lawful research to occur, including the shipping of GE animals or their gametes from the sponsor of an investigation to other qualified investigators. These and other responsibilities are outlined in GFI 187, as are recommendations for the submission of data to be reviewed by CVM’s hierarchical risk-based review, and will be the subject of this talk.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site: An International Center of Excellence

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Matthews
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Radioactive Waste ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ◽  
Disposal Area ◽  
The World ◽  
Waste Repository

The United States Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) is responsible for the successful management of transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW) in the United States. TRUW is a long-lived radioactive waste/material. CBFO’s responsibilities includes the operation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which is a deep geologic repository for the safe disposal of U.S. defense-related TRUW and is located 42 kilometers (km) east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. WIPP is the only deep-geological disposal site for long-lived radioactive waste that is operating in the world today. CBFO also manages the National Transuranic Waste Program (NTP), which oversees TRU waste management from generation to disposal. As of August 1, 2003, approximately 1890 shipments of waste have been safely transported to the WIPP, which has been operating since March 1999. Surface and subsurface facilities designed to facilitate the safe handling and disposal of TRU waste are located within the WIPP site. The underground waste disposal area is in a bedded salt formation at a depth of 650 meters (m). Approximately 176,000 m3 of TRU waste containing up to 17 kilograms of plutonium will be emplaced in disposal rooms 4 m high, 10 m wide and 91 m long. Magnesium oxide (MgO) backfill will be emplaced with the waste to control the actinide solubility and mobility in the disposal areas. Properties of the repository horizon have been investigated in an underground test facility excavated north of the waste disposal area, and in which seals, rock mechanics, hydrology, and simulated waste emplacement tests were conducted. Thus, in some areas of broad international interest, the CBFO has developed a leading expertise through its 25-years WIPP repository and TRU waste characterization activities. The CBFO’s main programmatic responsibilities during the disposal phase are to operate a safe and efficient TRU waste repository at the WIPP, to operate an effective system for management of TRU waste from generation to disposal, and to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and permits. This responsibility requires maintenance and upgrades to the current technologies for TRU waste operations, monitoring, and transportation. This responsibility also requires the maintenance of scientific capabilities for evaluating the performance of the WIPP repository. Every 5 years, WIPP must be recertified for operations by the regulator, the EPA. Currently, the CBFO is preparing for the 2004 recertification. The CBFO/WIPP has been designated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as an International Center of Excellence. The IAEA is working with CBFO, other designated centers of excellence, and other member states in the IAEA to foster collaborative training activities and experiments in order to address major radioactive waste disposal issues. As the only operating deep radioactive waste repository in the world today, CBFO/WIPP is an important participant in this IAEA initiative. In addition to participating in relevant and beneficial experiments, the CBFO is providing the international community convenient access to information by sponsoring and hosting symposia and workshops on relevant topics and by participation in international waste management organizations and topical meetings. The CBFO has agreed to exchange scientific information with foreign radioactive waste management organizations. These activities result in the cost-effective acquisition of scientific information in support of increased WIPP facility operational and post-closure assurance and reliability. It also demonstrates the CBFO’s intent and resolve to honor international commitments and obligations.

scholarly journals Institutional self-citation rates: A three year study of universities in the United States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Hendrix
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Research Universities ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Power Laws ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Year ◽  
California Institute ◽  
California Institute Of Technology ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Institute Of Technology

Using Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) data, this paper calculated institutional self citations rates (ISCRs) for 96 of the top research universities in the United States from 2005-2007. Exhibiting similar temporal patterns of author and journal self-citations, the ISCR was 29% in the first year post-publication, and decreased significantly in the second year post-publication (19%). Modeling the data via power laws revealed total publications and citations did not correlate withthe ISCR, but did correlate highly with ISCs. California Institute of Technology exhibited the highest ISCR at 31%. Academic and cultural factors are discussed in relation to ISCRs.

scholarly journals In the free web of science

2003 ◽  
Vol 02 (04) ◽  
pp. F02
Author(s):  
Mauro Scanu
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Inflation Rate ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Circulation System ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Web

A ghost is wandering around the web: it is called open access, a proposal to modify the circulation system of scientific information which has landed on the sacred soil of scientific literature. The circulation system of scientific magazines has recently started faltering, not because this instrument is no longer a guarantee of quality, but rather for economic reasons. In countries such as Great Britain, as shown in the following chart, the past twenty years have seen a dramatic increase in subscription fees, exceeding by far the prices of other publishing products and the average inflation rate. The same trend applies to the United States.

scholarly journals Innovative Solutions to Human-Wildlife Conflicts: National Wildlife Research Center Accomplishments, 2006

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Wildlife Damage Management ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Wildlife Damage ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Strategic Program

The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) functions as the research arm of Wildlife Services (WS) by providing scientific information on the development of socially acceptable methods for wildlife damage management. NWRC has identified four strategic program goals: (1) developing methods, (2) providing wildlife services, (3) valuing and investing in people, and (4) enhancing information and communication. WS is dedicated to helping meet the wildlife damage management needs of the United States by building on NWRC's strengths in these four key areas. This annual research highlights report is structured around these programs goals.

The development of ornithology in Mexico and the importance of access to scientific information

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Townsend Peterson ◽  
Adolfo G. Navarro-Sigüenza ◽  
Alejandro Gordillo-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
The World ◽  
Mexican Government ◽  
Science Community

Mexican ornithology has seen a curious trajectory, beginning with remarkably well documented indigenous knowledge, progressing to colonial expeditions and intensive nineteenth-century exploration. The baton passed to collectors and scientists from the United States of America around the beginning of the twentieth century, and most recently to Mexican scientists. The documentation of Mexican bird diversity grew in each of these phases, but has now become a Mexican enterprise, thanks to the combined availability of information (both from within the country and that “repatriated” from around the world) and funding (provided in largest part by the Mexican government). This evolutionary process of a science community is perhaps general and global, but with different phases emphasized in different countries, and at diverse points in the process.

scholarly journals Defending scientific integrity in conservation policy processes: lessons from Canada, Australia, and the United States

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Carroll ◽  
Brett Hartl ◽  
Gretchen T Goldman ◽  
Daniel J Rohlf ◽  
Adrain Treves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Conservation Policy ◽  
Scientific Integrity ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Scientific Societies ◽  
Evidence Based Policy

Government agencies faced with politically controversial decisions often discount or ignore scientific information, whether from agency staff or non-governmental scientists. Recent developments in scientific integrity (the ability to perform, use, communicate and publish science free from censorship or political interference) in Canada, Australia and the United States demonstrate a similar trajectory: a perceived increase in scientific integrity abuses is followed by concerted pressure by the scientific community, leading to efforts to improve scientific integrity protections under a new administration. However, protections are often inconsistently applied, and are at risk of reversal under administrations that are publicly hostile to evidence-based policy. We compare recent challenges to scientific integrity to determine what aspects of scientific input into conservation policy are most at risk of political distortion and what can be done to strengthen safeguards against such abuses. To ensure the integrity of outbound communication from government scientists to public, we suggest that governments strengthen scientific integrity policies, include scientists’ right to speak freely in collective bargaining agreements, guarantee public access to scientific information, and strengthen agency culture supporting scientific integrity. To ensure the transparency and integrity with which information from non-governmental scientists (e.g., submitted comments or formal policy reviews) informs the policy process, we suggest that governments broaden the scope of independent reviews, ensure greater diversity of expert input with transparency regarding conflicts of interest, require substantive response to input from agencies, and engage proactively with scientific societies. For their part, scientists and scientific societies have a civic responsibility to engage with the wider public to affirm that science is a crucial resource for developing evidence-based policy and regulations that are in the public interest.

Bibliometric Analysis of Palliative Care-Related Publication Trends During 2001 to 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1280-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Jen Liu ◽  
Te-Chun Yeh ◽  
Su-Hsuan Hsu ◽  
Chao-Mei Chu ◽  
Chih-Kuang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
The United States ◽  
Related Literature ◽  
Leading Position ◽  
Number Of Publications

Background: The scientific contributions (publications) and international influence (citations) from authors providing the palliative care (PC)-related literature has a limited number of bibliometric reports. We aimed to analyze PC-related literature using the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science (WoS) database. Methods: WoS database was used to retrieve publications with the following key words with title: “palliative care” OR “End of Life care” OR “terminal care.”. The statistical analysis of the documents published during 2001 to 2016 was performed. The quantity and quality of research were assessed by the number of total publications and citation analysis. In addition, we also analyzed whether there were possible correlations between publication and socioeconomic factors. Results: The total research output was 6273 articles for PC. There was a 3-fold increase in the number of publications during the period and strong correlation between the year and number of PC-related publications ( R2 = .96). The United States took a leading position in PC research (2448, 39.0%). The highest average citations was reported for the Norway (21.8). Australia had gained the highest productive ability in PC research (24.9 of articles per million populations). The annual impact factor rose progressively with time and increased 1.13 to 2.24 from 2003 to 2016. The number of publications correlated with gross domestic product ( r = .74; P < .001). Conclusion: The United States and United Kingdom contributed most of the publications, but some East Asian countries also had a great performance. According to the socioeconomic factors, the publication capacity of top 20 countries is correlated with their economic scale.

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