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Many Scientists (many + scientists)
Selected Abstracts175 Toward an Optical Biogeography of the OceansJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2003A. M. Wood Remote sensing of ocean color has revolutionized our ability to understand the processes leading to the observed distribution of different taxa in marine waters. Many scientists in the remote sensing and optics community are working toward retrieval of species distributions using ocean color measurements to derive the concentration of recognized chemotaxonomic markers. In this talk, I work toward an optical biogeography of the ocean by viewing the optical environment as a selection regime that creates biogeographic boundaries or "optical fences" defining the distribution of taxa with different light harvesting systems and/or different physiologies. Working primarily with data from a wide range of tropical, sub-tropical, and warm temperate coastal margins, I show that there is a close association between the distribution of different spectral forms of PE-containing picocyanobacteria and the optical properties of the water masses in which they are found. This pattern also appears to be reflected in the distribution some dinoflagellate taxa, indicating that the optical environment encompasses a range of key niche parameters that, in turn, determine the biogeographic distribution of species. [source] United States Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Research Service research on pest biology: weeds,,PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 6-7 2003Frank Forcella Abstract Over 125 permanent full-time scientists conduct research within the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on issues related to weeds. The research emphasis of most of these scientists involves ecology and management or biological control of weeds. Many scientists perform research on weed biology as components of their primary projects on weed control and integrated crop and soil management. Describing all ARS projects involved with weed biology is impossible, and consequently only research that falls within the following arbitrarily chosen topics is highlighted in this article: dormancy mechanisms; cell division; diversity of rangeland weeds; soil resources and rangeland weeds; poisonous rangeland plants; horticultural weeds; weed traits limiting chemical control; aquatic and semi-aquatic weeds; weed/transgenic wheat hybrids; seedbanks, seedling emergence and seedling populations; and weed seed production. Within these topics, and others not highlighted, the desire of ARS is that good information on weed biology currently translates or eventually will translate into practical advice for those who must manage weeds. Published in 2003 for SCI by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Government and Science: A Troubled, Critical Relationship and What Can Be Done about ItPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 1 2008W. Henry Lambright The U.S. government,science relationship, which helped win World War II, put a man on the moon, unravel the human genome, and nurture economic growth, is troubled. Money is one reason. However, far more than funding, the tensions between government and science are about politics and policy management. Many scientists and their allies argue that the Bush administration has crossed the line separating appropriate control of information from political interference. That is, there has been a "politicization of science." This essay examines the current debate about politicization in historical context; discusses the tensions among scientists, politicians, and administrators; and suggests possible ways to strengthen the government,science partnership in the future. [source] Beyond Just Research: Experiences from Southern Africa in Developing Social Learning Partnerships for Resource Conservation InitiativesBIOTROPICA, Issue 5 2009Charlie M. Shackleton ABSTRACT There is a well-acknowledged communication or knowledge gap between scientists and decision-makers. Many scientists who take on the challenge of narrowing this gap operate on the understanding that their role is to communicate their findings in a one-way flow of information: from science to decision-makers. However, to be effective scientists must engage in an ongoing social learning process with decision-makers, and regard themselves as facilitators, and also as one among many stakeholders who have valid and important ecological knowledge. The developing world poses some particular challenges in this regard, specifically in terms of the large number of local level subsistence resources users who are important de facto decision-makers. We examine four natural resource management case studies from South Africa that differ in spatial scale and complexity, ranging from a single village to a whole biome. We distil seven lessons to help guide development of social learning processes and organizations in similar situations relating to natural resource planning and management. The lessons pertain to: maintaining ,key individuals' within social learning processes; the role of researchers; the formulation of research questions that social learning processes require adaptive long-term funding and capacity support; that local resource users are key decision-makers in developing countries; some perspectives on knowledge; and the need to measure research success. [source] Recent cancer drug development with xanthone structuresJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009Younghwa Na Abstract Objectives Xanthones are simple three-membered ring compounds that are mainly found as secondary metabolites in higher plants and microorganisms. Xanthones have very diverse biological profiles, including antihypertensive, antioxidative, antithrombotic and anticancer activity, depending on their diverse structures, which are modified by substituents on the ring system. Although several reviews have already been published on xanthone compounds, few of them have focused on the anticancer activity of xanthone derivatives. In this review we briefly summarize natural and synthetic xanthone compounds which have potential as anticancer drugs. Key findings The interesting structural scaffold and pharmacological importance of xanthone derivatives have led many scientists to isolate or synthesize these compounds as novel drug candidates. In the past, extensive research has been conducted to obtain xanthone derivatives from natural resources as well as through synthetic chemistry. Xanthones interact with various pharmacological targets based on the different substituents on the core ring. The anticancer activities of xanthones are also dramatically altered by the ring substituents and their positions. Summary The biological activities of synthetic xanthone derivatives depend on the various substituents and their position. Study of the biological mechanism of action of xanthone analogues, however, has not been conducted extensively compared to the diversity of xanthone compounds. Elucidation of the exact biological target of xanthone compounds will provide better opportunities for these compounds to be developed as potent anticancer drugs. At the same time, modification of natural xanthone derivatives aimed at specific targets is capable of expanding the biological spectrum of xanthone compounds. [source] Recent advances in selective opioid receptor agonists and antagonistsMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 2 2004Masakatsu Eguchi Abstract Opioid analgesics provide outstanding benefits for relief of severe pain. The mechanisms of the analgesia accompanied with some side effects have been investigated by many scientists to shed light on the complex biological processes at the molecular level. New opioid drugs and therapies with more desirable properties can be developed on the bases of accurate insight of the opioid ligand,receptor interaction and clear knowledge of the pharmacological behavior of opioid receptors and the associated proteins. Toward this goal, recent advances in selective opioid receptor agonists and antagonists including opioid ligand,receptor interactions are summarized in this review article. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 24, No. 2, 182,212, 2004 [source] Would a "one-handed" scientist lack rigor?AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2008How scientists discuss the work-relatedness of musculoskeletal disorders in formal, informal communications Abstract Background When research results concerning occupational health are expressed ambiguously, compensation and prevention can be affected. This study examined the language used by scientists to discuss the relation between work and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Methods Language regarding work and MSDs in twenty articles from two peer-reviewed journals was compared with that in 94 messages on MSDs posted by published scientists to an internet list. Results Almost all the articles found some link between work and MSDs. However, few articles expressed belief in such a link unambiguously in the title or abstract, and language on links was often hard for a non-health scientist to interpret. Language and methods gave excess weight to negative results. On the listserve, many scientists expressed unambiguous views on linkages between work and MSDs. Conclusions Scientists must express their opinions more forthrightly if they wish their results to be used to favour prevention and to foster access to workers' compensation. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:173,185, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Changing Perceptions of Change: The Role of Scientists in Tamarix and River ManagementRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Juliet C. Stromberg Abstract Initially introduced to western United States to provide ecosystem services such as erosion control, Tamarix by the mid-1900s had became vilified as a profligate waster of water. This large shrub continues, today, to be indicted for various presumed environmental and economic costs, and millions of dollars are expended on its eradication. In this review, we examine the role of scientists in driving changes in perceptions of Tamarix from valuable import to vilified invader and (in some instances) back to a productive member of riparian plant communities. Scientists over the years have sustained a negative perception of Tamarix by, among other things, (1) citing outmoded sources; (2) inferring causation from correlative studies; (3) applying conclusions beyond the scope (domain) of the studies; and (4) emphasizing findings that present the species as an extreme or unnatural agent of change. Recent research is challenging the prevailing dogma regarding Tamarix's role in ecosystem function and habitat degradation and many scientists now recommend management shifts from "pest plant" eradication to systemic, process-based restoration. However, prejudice against this and other non-native species persists. To further close the gap between science and management, it is important for scientists to strive to (1) cite sources appropriately; (2) avoid reflexive antiexotic bias; (3) avoid war-based and pestilence-based terminology; (4) heed the levels of certainty and the environmental domain of studies; (5) maintain up-to-date information on educational Web sites; and (6) prior to undertaking restoration or management actions, conduct a thorough and critical review of the literature. [source] Recommendations for Integrating Restoration Ecology and Conservation Biology in Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Southwestern United StatesRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Reed F. Noss Abstract Over the past century, ponderosa pine,dominated landscapes of the southwestern United States have been altered by human activities such as grazing, timber harvest, road building, and fire exclusion. Most forested areas within these landscapes now show increased susceptibility to stand-replacing fires, insect outbreaks, and drought-related mortality. Recent large wildfires in the region have spurred public interest in large-scale fuel reduction and restoration programs, which create perceived and real conflicts with the conservation of biodiversity. Conservation concerns include the potential for larger road networks, soil and understory disturbance, exotic plant invasion, and the removal of large trees in treated areas. Pursuing prescribed burning, thinning, or other treatments on the broad scale that many scientists and managers envision requires the reconciliation of ecological restoration with biodiversity conservation. This study presents recommendations from a workshop for integrating the principles and practices of restoration ecology and conservation biology, toward the objective of restoring the composition, structure, and function of dry ponderosa pine forests. Planning on the scale of hundreds of thousands of hectares offers opportunities to achieve multiple objectives (e.g., rare species protection and restoration of ecological structures and processes) that cannot easily be addressed on a site-by-site basis. However, restoration must be coordinated with conservation planning to achieve mutual objectives and should include strict guidelines for protection of rare, declining, and sensitive habitats and species. [source] | ||||||||||||||||