Democratizing Technology and Enhancing the Inclusivity of Technology Policies: Investigating 100 T-Forum Sessions in Taiwan

A cabinet‐level National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was established by President Clinton on November 23, fulfilling a key recommendation of the National Performance Review to strengthen and streamline the White House science and technology policy function. “Investing in science and technology is investing in America's future.… During the campaign and in my first days in office, I committed to reorganize and strengthen the White House science and technology function in order to implement my science and technology agenda,” said the president at the signing of the executive order.The NSTC will be a single, strengthened science and technology policy council within the White House intended to significantly improve decision making by consolidating and elevating functions previously carried out by interagency councils such as the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET), the National Space Council, and the National Critical Materials Council, the president said.

The 2017 Environmental Scan

Excessive inflammation is a postulated cause of severe disease and death in respiratory virus infections. In response to severe influenza virus infection, adoptively transferred naïve hemagglutinin-specific CD4+ T cells from CD4+ TCR-transgenic 6.5 mice drive an IFN-γ-producing Th1 response in wild-type mice. It helps in virus clearance but also causes collateral damage and disease aggravation. The donor 6.5 mice have all the CD4+ T cells with TCR specificity toward influenza hemagglutinin. Still, the infected 6.5 mice do not suffer from robust inflammation and grave outcome. The initial Th1 response wanes with time, and a prominent Th17 response of recent thymic emigrants alleviates inflammation and bestows protection in 6.5 mice. The severe disease in older than younger adult 6.5 mice with aging-related thymic involution and waning Th17 response further supports the protective role of the de novo Th17 response in severe influenza. Our results suggest that viral neuraminidase-activated TGF-β of the Th1 cells guides the Th17 evolution. IL-17 up-regulates and phosphorylates the non-canonical IL-17 receptor EGFR, activates the scaffold protein TRAF4, and promotes the translocation of TRAF4 to the EGFR signaling complex. Taken together, Th1-guided de novo Th17 response alleviates lung inflammation through the IL-17-EGFR-TRAF4 signaling cascade in severe influenza. The Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections receives support from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Taiwan and NSTC 111-2634-F-182-001 from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan. This work was supported by Projects MOST 111-2314-B-182-029 (AD) and MOST-105-2321-B-182A-003-MY3 (AD) from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, and by CMRPG3L1671 (CTH), CMRPVVJ0052 (CTH), and CMRPG3J1771 (CYH) from the Medical Research Project Fund, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

Mental health issues are recognized among patients with Graves' disease (GD), a cause of hyperthyroidism. The role of the glutamatergic system in major depressive disorder has been confirmed, and glutamatergic agents are considered the next generation of antidepressants.1, 2 Current drugs include broad glutamatergic modulators (e.g., esketamine), glycine site modulators (e.g., rapastinel and sarcosine), and subunit (NR2B)-specific N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists (e.g., traxoprodil).2 Notably, elevated glutamate levels are related to mania.3 Little is known about whether the level of brain glutamate is associated with depression as well as anxiety and mania symptoms among patients with GD, which could be an urgent issue as the use of glutamatergic agents for the treatment of depression has increased. A total of 26 GD patients with mood and anxiety symptoms (age = 41.19 ± 10.50 years; 22 females and 4 males) were enrolled. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were identical to those of our previous study.4 The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the 11-item Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) were used. We employed a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner (GE Discovery MR750, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA) with an eight-channel head coil. 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was performed using point-resolved spectroscopy (echo time (TE) = 35 ms, repetition time (TR) = 2000 ms, spectral width = 2500 Hz, 2048 data points, 128 water-suppressed, 16 water-unsuppressed averages, and eight excitation numbers). The voxels were placed in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC; voxel size = 10.0 mL) and the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; voxel size = 10.0 mL). Spectra were preprocessed using FID-Appliance (https://github.com/CIC-methods/FID-A), and concentrations of neurometabolites were measured using linear combination (LC) models. MRS data were fitted and analyzed using the LC Model (version 6.3-1K). Project-R version 4.3.2 was used to conduct the correlational analysis and plotting. As the data were not normally distributed, Spearman's ρ was used as a conclusive test. The associations between glutamate concentrations and symptoms were probed after controlling for the effects of sex and age via supplemental regression analysis. A nonparametric Spearman's correlation test indicated that the glutamate concentration in the ACC was associated with the HDRS (glutamate: ρ = −0.48, p < 0.05; glutamate/creatine: ρ = −0.55, p < 0.01), while the glutamate concentration in the MPFC was associated with the YMRS (glutamate: ρ = 0.67, p < 0.001; glutamate/creatine: ρ = 0.42, p < 0.05), as shown in Figure 1. The significant associations for the absolute level remained robust after controlling for age and sex. No associations were found between the HARS score and glutamate concentration. The finding that lower levels of glutamate and more depressive symptoms occur in GD patients is in agreement with the recent glutamate hypothesis of depression, which suggests that the glutamatergic system is also involved in the pathophysiology of depression. This hypothesis has been supported by studies indicating that glutamate levels are lower within the cortex of patients with depression.5 The increases in manic symptoms and glutamate concentration could support previous scarce findings.3 Currently, little is known about the biological mechanisms involved in the glutamate system in GD patients with mood and anxiety symptoms. Previous findings regarding elevated glutamate levels among mania patients involved the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.3 We speculate that the tendency toward depression and mania in GD patients with certain psychiatric disorders could be related to both higher and lower glutamate levels in the brain. However, because of the heterogeneity of the distribution shown in the figure, the implications of this finding should be considered preliminary. Whether the tendency toward depression and mania among these patients could be influenced by increasing or decreasing glutamate levels in the brain remains to be confirmed by future trials. This phenomenon may imply that intervention in depression among patients with GD via glutamatergic agents should be conducted with caution. This study had two limitations. First, the causal relationship cannot be confirmed by the cross-sectional design. Second, the statistical power was limited by the small sample size and the limited distribution of the data. The authors thank the study participants. We also thank Dr. Huai-Hsuan Tseng and the Mind Research and Imaging Center (MRIC) at National Cheng Kung University for consultation and instrument availability. The MRIC is supported by the National Science and Technology Council. This work was supported by the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan (MOST 106-2314-B-006-036-, MOST 107-2314-B-006-064-, and MOST 108-2314-B-006-046-). The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests. The funding institutions had no further role in the study design; the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data; the writing of this paper; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV2 cause serious emerging infectious diseases. Even seasonal influenza results in significant morbidity and mortality. Host immunity responds to influenza virus infection to eradicate the pathogen. However, dysregulated responses such as the cytokine storm contribute to severe disease. Mechanistic dissection of immune regulation may offer practical solutions for severe influenza. In our mouse model of severe influenza, a LAG-3 regulatory response evolves with the pro-inflammatory IFN-γ response in influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA)-specific CD4+ T cells. Adoptive transfer of LAG-3(+) IFN-γ(-) HA-specific CD4+ T cells suppressed lung inflammation without compromised virus eradication. Genomic study of LAG-3(+) IFN-γ(−) CD4+ T cells revealed up-regulation of the PPIL-5 [Peptidylprolyl isomerase (Cyclophilin)-like 5] gene. PPIL-5(+) HA-specific CD4+ T cells accumulated in the lung with time after infection. PPIL-5 protein suppressed HA-specific CD4+ T cell activation in vitro in a dose dependent manner. PPIL-5 blockade in vitro with siRNA reversed immune suppression and unleashed activation of HA-specific CD4+ T cells. PPIL-5 blockade in vivo with monoclonal anti-PPIL-5 antibodies attenuated LAG-3 and PD-1 and augmented IFN-γ responses of the lung-infiltrating HA-specific CD4+ T cells, with aggravated disease and intensified mortality of severe influenza. The HA-specific CD4+ T cells took less glucose and produced lactate with anti-PPIL-5 blockade. They adopted anaerobic glycolysis in this reverted inflammatory response. Our results suggest that PPIL-5, similar to LAG-3, is also an immune checkpoint and a possible target to be manipulated for alleviation of severe influenza. The Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections receives support from The Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Taiwan and NSTC 111-2634-F-182-001 from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan. This work was supported by Projects MOST 111-2314-B-182-029 (AD) and MOST-105-2321-B-182A-003-MY3 (AD) from the National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan, and by CMRPG3L1671 (CTH), CMRPVVJ0052 (CTH), and CMRPG3J1771 (CYH) from the Medical Research Project Fund, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

The identification of grand challenges can be a powerful tool for encouraging concerted efforts toward important goals, whether in research or other endeavors. For example, the National Science and Technology Council [2005] report entitled “Grand challenges for disaster reduction” targeted the handling and mitigating of natural hazards on Earth. Are there grand challenges in understanding the natural hazards of space weather, the solutions to which would transform forecasting, prediction, or systems design? Would specifically identifying several such challenges foster focused and transformational research that would arrive at solutions more quickly? The objectives of Space Weather include the advancement of the practical applications of solar and geospace research. Papers published in this journal are targeted to this objective, guided by the editor's reviews and by the formal peer-review process. But how many papers published here have been motivated by the most critical problems facing the users of space weather information? Is there indeed a set of critical problems that require substantially more effort, and are such problems even recognized if they exist? I believe that one grand challenge could be developing how to predict the electromagnetic amplitude and spectral characteristics of a solar X-ray and radio burst event with sufficient lead time to be useful (approximately 3 hours prior to eruption). Such events immediately affect the upper atmosphere of Earth and can severely disturb—and even totally disrupt—radio signals that transit through or are reflected by the ionosphere. These bursts pose an increasing hazard as society expands its use of navigation methods based on global positioning systems. At present, the events, and therefore their impacts, occur without warning. Not only can an electromagnetic event not be predicted with a 3-hour warning, but also any prediction of an event contains no information of its electromagnetic characteristics or its duration. Do you, the readers of Space Weather, agree that predicting solar X-ray and radio burst events may be a grand challenge for space weather research? What other grand challenges exist for our field of research and its applications? Or do you think that such challenge identifications are likely a waste of time and would accomplish little? The journal welcomes and encourages opinion articles that address the questions raised in this editorial. Let us hear from you! National Science and Technology Council (2005), Grand challenges for disaster reduction, 26 pp., Off. of Sci. and Technol. Policy, Washington, D. C. Louis J. Lanzerotti is editor of Space Weather and a distinguished research professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, in Newark.

Population and Development ReviewVolume 44, Issue 3 p. 652-655 DOCUMENTS US National Science and Technology Council on Impacts of Near-Earth Objects First published: 28 September 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/padr.12187Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume44, Issue3September 2018Pages 652-655 RelatedInformation

The Clinton Administration has issued—five months late—its report on the future of three sets of federal laboratories—those of the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics & Space Administration, and the Department of Energy. The White House report and a statement by Clinton accompanying it represent a ringing endorsement of the labs' existence, while reflecting several harsh criticisms of them made by separate task forces commissioned by the agencies. The report, Interagency Federal Laboratory Review, was issued by the Administration's National Science & Technology Council (NSTC), a Cabinet-level body chaired by the president. The review bases its findings on the Administration's five major themes for its national science and technology policy: fundamental science, national security, environmental protection and cleanup, industrial competitiveness, and space exploration and aeronautics. For all its importance, the report is modest in appearance. Its presentation by the White House was similarly ...

As the Korean government expands the budget for national research and development, the need for an institute that deliberates, coordinates, and operates research development and its budget has increased. In response to these demands, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was recently established. However, to achieve a creative economy, which is the economic system where value is based on novel imaginative qualities rather than the traditional resources of land, labor, and capital, more efficiently, fundamental research regarding the current state of the Korean national administration system of science and technology in Korea is required. Accordingly, this study first analyzes the function and organizational structure of the NSTC in Korea. Second, it investigates the current state of the NSTC in other countries. Finally, the study derives several implications for improving NSTC operation based on the benchmarking study and suggests an operational improvement plan for NSTC with respect to enhancement of function, operation of organization, human resource management, and improvement of the relationships between other departments. The study contributes to analyze the current state of the NSTC in Korea and science and technology (S&amp;T) Councils in other major countries, systematically and in detail. In addition, based on benchmarking study, this study derived operational improvement of NSTC in Korea with four perspectives, including enhancement of function, operation of organization, human resource management, and improvement of the relationships between other departments.

Since April 1996, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), in collaboration with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President, has been leading the development of a government-wide Federal policy for research misconduct. The author is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a participant in this process. This paper places the NSTC/OSTP effort in historical context, outlines the process by which the policy will be finalized, and discusses the principal issues raised during the policy development process.

The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010 (America Competes Act -H.R. 5116) recently signed into law has extended the oversight activities of several government agencies to coordinate appropriations and expenditures made in several areas aimed to bolster U.S. competitiveness in science and technology. In assigning these oversight activities to specific agencies under the coordination of an interagency committee within the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) established by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), strategies and roadmaps will be established in areas including science education, advanced manufacturing, innovation, and effective technology transfer. Also: Nanotechnology Education in the US; Dielectrophoretic Alignment of High Density Carbon Nanotube Arrays; and NanoBusiness Alliance Interview with Mihail Roco. Also included: Nanotechnology Education in the US, Dielectrophoretic Alignment of High Density Carbon Nanotube Arrays, and NanoBusiness Alliance Interview with Mihail Roco

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You have accessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Johnson Alastair, Soutis Costas, Waas Anthony and Zweben Carl 2016Summary and concluding remarksPhil. Trans. R. Soc. A.3742016007520160075http://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2016.0075SectionYou have accessDiscussionSummary and concluding remarks Alastair Johnson Alastair Johnson Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Costas Soutis Costas Soutis http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1402-9838 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Anthony Waas Anthony Waas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5258-2749 [email protected] Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Carl Zweben Carl Zweben Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Alastair Johnson Alastair Johnson Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Costas Soutis Costas Soutis http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1402-9838 Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author , Anthony Waas Anthony Waas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5258-2749 [email protected] Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author and Carl Zweben Carl Zweben Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:13 July 2016https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2016.0075This two-day Meeting of the Royal Society was motivated by worldwide developments in multi-scale modelling of composite materials and pays tribute to the sustained and pioneering work of Prof. Anthony Kelly and his associates, which began more than 50 years ago. Today, there is a concerted effort to model failure of composites at different length scales using advances in computational material science and mechanics, and to develop holistic methods to tie together these models, never an easy task. This short closure statement is a summary of what the panelists discussed with responses of attendees.The Meeting featured excellent presentations and papers based on these talks as found in this special issue, all of which are aimed at illuminating the central theme of the Meeting—multi-scale modelling. This theme also fits in with the goals of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) and objectives of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) [1,2]: — leading a culture shift in Materials Science and Engineering to encourage and facilitate an integrated approach;— integrating experiment, computation and theory to equip related industries with advanced tools and techniques;— easy access to digital data; and— developing a world class materials engineering workforce that is trained for careers in academia and industry.It is now recognized that damage and ultimate failure in fibre-reinforced composites occur at different length scales, starting at the molecular level and culminating in two-piece failure at the structural level. There has been a systematic approach adopted by the aeroplane composite structures community in which a building block approach is adopted in developing a particular aeroplane, as shown in figure 1a. Large cost savings can result if several layers of this building block can be eliminated through ICME. In that case, a virtual building block arises as shown in figure 1b. A major goal of ICME is to do just that, but also to tie in the effects of manufacturing process into the different levels. At the bottom-most level, advances in atomistic modelling can pave the way for key insights on the deformation response of polymers, and this can have a significant impact on the properties displayed by polymer matrix composites (PMCs). Even though a building block approach is not followed by the automotive industry and applications of PMCs in other industrial sectors (civil infrastructure, pressure vessels, marine industry, etc.), nevertheless, the goals of ICME, if adopted can be rewarding for these industrial sectors also because it can lead to large cost savings through, (i) reducing the number of tests required for certification and for developing confidence in PMC applications, (ii) by integrating the product design process, when downstream issues can be identified early on in the production cycle (figure 1). Figure 1. (a,b) Building block approach adopted in the development and certification of composite aerostructures. (Online version in colour.)Download figureOpen in new tabDownload PowerPointThe panelists (figure 2) identified the following topical areas that need ongoing attention by the composites modelling community. — Maturity of computational tools and associated software—ease of access and user friendliness of ICME-related software.— Understanding issues of scale—developing and validating models at the same length scale.— Do we know the ‘input data’ sufficiently accurately for a specific model and if so, are we sure what those quantities are?— Are models sensitive to be able to predict changes in mechanisms with changes to ‘properties’?— Hierarchical building block approaches add complexity in crossing over from one scale to another—defects creep in as we cross scales—do we know how to account for these defects and their influence on the final outcome?— The need for integrating modelling approaches to include manufacturing process modelling, tied with service conditions and ultimately extended to predict product life.— The impact of the maturing of structural health monitoring (SHM) methods on the design and maintenance of future composite structures.Figure 2. Discussion panel. (Online version in colour.)Download figureOpen in new tabDownload PowerPointThere is general acceptance that the current practice of designing a damage-tolerant structure is to take advantage of composite material heterogeneity and to configure the material such that it will withstand certain types of damage and will naturally arrest their propagation. Yet, this is a passive approach and for this reason it is subject to its own limitations. On the other hand, the development of SHM techniques [3] for composite materials and structures is an emerging technology which seemingly can provide the means to enhance reliability and safety by ensuring early detection and monitoring of damage.Predictive capabilities enabling estimations of residual stiffness and strength of a composite structure with a known state of damage are also emerging. It is envisioned that new strategies for designing damage-resistant and tolerant composite materials and structures may become available, if we first develop and then synergistically combine new capabilities enabling in-service damage detection and characterization, health monitoring and structural prognosis. The rapid development of numerical codes and experimental techniques make possible not only the robust modelling behind the design of advanced composites with improved behaviour in critical operational conditions, but also for establishing sound, reliable SHM methods and strategies. The challenges will be an integration of modelling the design of composite structures, as well as process modelling, together with SHM and repair strategies. Moreover, SHM may also promote a ‘self-healing’ reaction in case of a particular damage, keeping the structural integrity, at least for a given period of time.The assurance of structural reliability of aircraft systems will greatly enhance confidence in their safety, reduce the probability of premature failures and diminish the costs of operation and maintenance. An important element in achieving reliable and low-maintenance cost structural systems is the availability of scheduled and automated SHM inspections and assessments of the actual physical condition of critical structural components which will amend or eliminate current preventive maintenance practices, with envisioned states of online and predictive condition-based maintenance capabilities. To this end, significantly improved techniques for inspection, analysis and interpretation are urgently needed to facilitate the assessment of the health of a structure and to promote the design, fabrication and reliable operation of future and current aircraft systems.The enhancement of damage tolerance in composites through structural monitoring [4] is a multi-disciplinary effort, involving composite mechanics, fracture mechanics, computational mechanics structural dynamics, new actuator and sensor development, signal processing and interpretation, system integration and so forth. Successful cross-fertilization of these tasks will lead to: (i) revolutionary design and manufacturing concepts and analyses for advanced ultra-reliable damage-tolerant composite structures of the new century;(ii) theoretical and computational models for predicting actuator/sensor performance, structural integrity and damage detection capabilities enabling composite structural prognosis and(iii) self-healing strategies.There was consensus that more discussion meetings and workshops associated with the goals of multi-scale modelling and multi-functional composite structures would greatly benefit younger researchers who are beginning their careers in the expanding field of composite materials and their applications.FootnotesOne contribution of 22 to a Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’.© 2016 The Author(s)Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.References1Pollock TMet al.2008Integrated computational materials engineering: a transformational discipline for improved competitiveness and national security. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Google Scholar22011Materials genome initiative for global competitiveness. Washington, DC: National Science and Technology Council, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Google Scholar3Diamanti K, Soutis C. 2010Structural health monitoring techniques for aircraft composite structures. Progr. Aerosp. Sci. 46, 342–352. (doi:10.1016/j.paerosci.2010.05.001) Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar4Giurgiutiu V, Soutis C. 2012Enhanced composites integrity through structural health monitoring. Appl. Compos. Mater. 19, 813–829. (doi:10.1007/s10443-011-9247-2) Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar Previous Article VIEW FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD PDF FiguresRelatedReferencesDetails This Issue13 July 2016Volume 374Issue 2071Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’ organized and edited by Peter Beaumont and Constantinos Soutis Article InformationDOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2016.0075Published by:Royal SocietyPrint ISSN:1364-503XOnline ISSN:1471-2962History: Manuscript accepted08/03/2016Published online13/07/2016Published in print13/07/2016 License:© 2016 The Author(s)Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. Citations and impact Subjectsmaterials science

A U.S. government interagency working group charged with developing a strategy for the future of U.S. land imaging began eliciting comments from the users of Landsat data at a public workshop held on 26 July in Washington, D.C.The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, in December 2005, announced that it would acquire the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM), which for a time had been planned to be part of the National Polarorbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System. In addition, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and other government agencies would develop a plan for what to do after Landsat and the LDCM to acquire moderate‐resolution land images.

Does the Federal government need an A-130 for STI?