The i3S initiative: a Portuguese blend of Research and Innovation.

Centre for Genomic Regulation - a hub for Integrative Biology in Barcelona.

Achieving Health Equity through Clinical Practice, Research and Policy Leonard Jack Jr. , PhD, MSc (bio) and Kathleen Kennedy, PharmD (bio) Xavier University College of Pharmacy’s Center for Minority Health & Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) is committed to serving as a leader in translating research and interventions into multidisciplinary approaches that promote healthier communities. The CMHDRE, supported through funds from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), since 2002, has maintained its mission to improve health outcomes of diverse communities disproportionately impacted by health and health care disparities, through community engagement and partnerships in research, education, and practice (see Figure 1). The CMHDRE has implemented targeted programmatic activities through its four cores: administrative, research, training, and community outreach. The administrative core is responsible for providing overall direction and leadership to the CMHDRE. Key activities of the administrative core include overseeing activities across all other cores; implementing the center’s annual health disparities conference; providing support to the CMHDRE’s internal and external advisory boards; and recruiting new faculty members with interests and capacity in developing independent areas of research. The research core is central to creating a culture of research in the College of Pharmacy at Xavier. The research core provides salary support for research faculty; start-up packages for junior faculty members; and promotes an environment conducive to conducting behavioral, clinical and basic research. The CMHDRE’s training core places heavy emphasis on identifying and implementing training opportunities as it relates to such activities as research methods, technical writing, oral presentations, and grantsmanship. Training opportunities are provided to faculty members, residents, and students. In addition, the CMHDRE also provides support for the college’s residency and PharmD/PhD programs. The CMHDRE’s community outreach core focuses on establishing partnerships with local communities that address local health concerns and providing equipment and educational material for community events. Several results of these activities are depicted in Figure 1, including guidance from the CMHDRE’s external advisory board; increased grant proposals submitted and funded; increased manuscripts submitted to peer-reviewed journals; increased faculty [End Page 1] participation in behavioral, clinical, and basic science research; and increased community input and participation in community-based and clinical research. These programmatic activities and the before-mentioned results help the CMHDRE to achieve one or more of its overarching short-term goals. They are: 1. Support and create an infrastructure and culture that leads to production of scientific research that is relevant, meaningful, and consistent. 2. Develop the infrastructure of the CMHDRE to support its mission by establishing a diverse funding base and with the recruitment and retention of health professionals dedicated to the reduction of health disparities. 3. Advance and sustain meaningful partnerships with diverse communities to address health and health care disparities. Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education logic model. These three short-term goals are critical to the CMHDRE’s efforts in reducing health disparities and health inequalities in disease burden and deaths experienced among minority populations in New Orleans, throughout the state of Louisiana, and the nation. It is important to point out to readers that the CMHDRE is unique in that it is housed in a College of Pharmacy. The College of Pharmacy has two divisions: Clinical and Administrative Sciences and Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences—both help to create a diverse environment around which to conduct research and develop evidenced-based [End Page 2] clinical practice. Hence, the CMHDRE is greatly strengthened by faculty members from diverse backgrounds and experiences, lending itself to maximizing the role and contribution of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in the elimination of health disparities. This volume, Achieving Health Equity through Clinical Practice, Research, and Policy, includes 9 manuscripts emerging from oral presentations given at the CMHDRE 5th Health Disparities Conference, Achieving Health Equity through Access, Advocacy, Treatment, and Policy Development, held in New Orleans, March 6–8, 2012. These manuscripts capture important lessons learned from clinical practice and/or basic science research. A brief description of these manuscripts follows. Obesity results from a combination of causes and contributing factors. As a result, prevention...

Journal Article Ultrastructural Morphology and Phylogeny of Henneguya sp. (Myxozoa) Infecting the Gills of the Teleostean Fish Cyphocharax Gilbert (Curimatidae) in Brazil Get access Graça Casal, Graça Casal Dept. of Sciences, High Institute of Health Sciences-North, CESPU, Gandra, PortugalLab. Animal Pathology, Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (CIIMAR/UP), Porto, Portugal Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Sérgio CS Clemente, Sérgio CS Clemente Lab. of Inspection and Technology of Food, Faculty of Veterinary, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Leila Lopes, Leila Lopes Lab. of Inspection and Technology of Food, Faculty of Veterinary, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Sónia Rocha, Sónia Rocha Lab. Animal Pathology, Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (CIIMAR/UP), Porto, PortugalLab. Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS/UP), Porto, Portugal Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Nilza Felizardo, Nilza Felizardo Lab. of Inspection and Technology of Food, Faculty of Veterinary, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Elsa Oliveira, Elsa Oliveira Lab. Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS/UP), Porto, Portugal Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Saleh Al-Quraishy, Saleh Al-Quraishy Dept. of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Carlos Azevedo Carlos Azevedo Lab. Animal Pathology, Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (CIIMAR/UP), Porto, PortugalLab. Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (ICBAS/UP), Porto, PortugalDept. of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 22, Issue S4, 1 March 2016, Pages 10–11, https://doi.org/10.1017/S1431927616000246 Published: 14 March 2016

Event Abstract Back to Event Effects of Salinity Challenge on Ion Regulation in Early and Late Upstream Migrating Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Diogo Ferreira-Martins1, 2*, Stephen D. McCormick3, João Coimbra1, 2 and Jonathan M. Wilson1, 4* 1 Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Portugal 2 Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal 3 Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center, USGS, United States 4 Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada The sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus, is an anadromous species in which the adults re-enter freshwater, and migrate upstream for terminal spawning. A reduction in salinity tolerance has been document in migrants although the underlying mechanisms have not been characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the capacity for marine osmoregulation in late, upstream migrants by characterizing the morphological and physiological effects of salinity challenge from a molecular perspective. For this two experiments were performed using early and late upstream migrants. Animals salinity limited was found to be 17.5‰ for late upstream migrants, thought some early migrants were able to perform at 24‰. A number of relevant blood and intestinal parameters were measured to assess ionoregulatory and biochemical changes as well as the expression of key ion-transport related proteins by immunoblotting (IB) [Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), vacuolar-type H+-ATPase, carbonic anhydrase, and Na+:K+:2Cl-contransporter]. NKA activity was also measured, in addition to oxidative stress indicators. The Na+ and Cl- levels with plasma and intestinal fluid were quantified and it was found that in non performing animals these fluids approached environmental concentrations (osmoconforming and failure of drinking mechanism, respectively). A drop in hematocrit was also observed with plasma lactate indicating hemolytic anemia. Plasma [ALT], GST activity and [GSH] were used to assess oxidative damage to tissues. An increase in Na+/K+-ATPase activity in mid-intestine in late migrants and posterior intestine in early migrates showed a potentially adaptive ionoregulatory response to salinity increase. (FCT grant PTDC/MAR/98035/2008). Keywords: Seawater acclimation, Spawning Migration, Ionoregulation, osmoregulation, osmotic stress Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Physiology, Behavior and Toxicology Citation: Ferreira-Martins D, McCormick SD, Coimbra J and Wilson JM (2015). Effects of Salinity Challenge on Ion Regulation in Early and Late Upstream Migrating Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus.. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00018 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Oct 2015; Published Online: 04 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Dr. Diogo Ferreira-Martins, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, 4050-123, Portugal, diogofmartins14@gmail.com Prof. Jonathan M Wilson, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, 4050-123, Portugal, wilson.jm.cimar@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Diogo Ferreira-Martins Stephen D McCormick João Coimbra Jonathan M Wilson Google Diogo Ferreira-Martins Stephen D McCormick João Coimbra Jonathan M Wilson Google Scholar Diogo Ferreira-Martins Stephen D McCormick João Coimbra Jonathan M Wilson PubMed Diogo Ferreira-Martins Stephen D McCormick João Coimbra Jonathan M Wilson Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Evaluation of research--a difficult but necessary task.

s a lecturer of biomedical writing, I have usually been asked about the impact factor of journals and how authors can publish their scientific manuscripts in journals with high impact factors. This is particularly important for faculty members since recently, many officials in Iran evaluate the scientific merit of an article based on the impact factor of the journal that published it. Sometimes, the impact factor is also used for academic career promotion, awarding prize, or allocating research grant to a researcher or research center. However, this issue is not confined to Iran and is a common practice in some other countries. To see whether it is reasonable to use the journal impact factor to determine the value of an article or evaluation of researchers or research centers, let us see what this index really is. In 1955, Eugene Garfield created the “journal impact factor.” The impact factor of a journal reflects the frequency with which the journal’s articles are cited in scientific literature. A journal’s impact factor is a quotient the numerator of which is the number of citations in the current year to items published in the previous two years in the journal; the denominator is the number of substantive articles published within the same two years in the journal. For example, assume that in year 2008, there were 500 citations to items published in 2006 –2007 in a journal and that the journal published 100 substantive articles in 2006 –2007; then, the 2008 impact factor of that journal is 5 (=500/100). Each year, this index is calculated and reported in Journal Citation Report (JCR) by Thomson Scientific (formerly Thomson ISI) for over 8000 journals. This index reflects the average number of citations that each article published in the previous two years in that journal has received. Those in favor of using impact factor for evaluating an article, in fact assume that publication in a high impact journal indicates greater scientific merit. This assumption would be correct if the citation rate of individual articles published in a journal have a narrow (preferably normal) distribution. Nonetheless, it has been shown that this is not the case; the distribution is very skewed so that the most cited half of the articles are cited almost 10 times as often as those least cited. Furthermore, it was shown that the impact factor of a journal does not affect the citation rate of an article. Another point is that if the citation rate of an article is high, it does not necessarily mean that the article is of great scientific value; many nonscientific articles on controversial issues receive numerous citations. Furthermore, the Thomson Scientific, the body which calculates and reports the impact factor, clearly states that “drawing conclusions about individual performance is not the proper way to interpret impact factor.” Finally, the value of the journal impact factor, even as a metric for evaluation of journal quality, is also under question. Based on the current evidence, I therefore believe that for the time being, for evaluation of scientific quality of an article, researcher, or research center, there is no alternative but to seek expert opinion of qualified peer reviewers.

Metabolic regulation in meagre, Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801): Study of gene-diet interactions on lipid metabolism

First Person Profile: Cheryl Willman, MD: As director and CEO of the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Willman has led major health equity initiatives while making pioneering discoveries in precision medicine.

A species distribution model for Paracentrotus lividus: predicted projections of habitat suitability

Project Goals: The first goal will fill a CUREs gap by creating self-supporting and sustainable protein-centric CUREs. The second goal will use this protein-centric CUREs community to examine two critical aspects of a CURE: 1) the impact of the length of CUREs (course long CUREs (cCUREs) or shorter, modular CUREs (mCUREs)), and 2) the role of research collaborations across courses or institutions to assess their importance for student learning, retention and motivation. Student and Faculty outcomes will be assessed using validated assessment tools and an outside evaluator working with both an internal advisory team and an external advisory board as well as the participants. Participants: Twenty-two faculty from 19 institutions that were a part of the MCC participated in this research project. Approximately 1,500 of their students participated in this project. Students were involved in courses from introductory to advanced biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. Participant institutions included public and private community colleges, primarily undergraduate institutions, and research institutions. Methods: There were five conditions: control (not CURE), part of a semester CURE (mCURE), full semester CURE (cCURE), independent cCURE, and collaborative CURE (students collaborated with a faculty member outside of the institution). Students were given surveys pre and post semester including the (1) The Laboratory Course Assessment Survey (LCAS: Corwin LA, Runyon C, Robinson A, Dolan EL. The laboratory course assessment survey: a tool to measure three dimensions of research-course design. CBE— Life Sciences Education. 2015;14(4): ar37), (2) Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS: Gormally C, Brickman P, Lutz M. Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): measuring undergraduates’ evaluation of scientific information and arguments. CBE- Life Sciences Education. 2012;11(4): 364-377), (3) Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT: Sirum K, Humburg J. The Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT). Bioscene: Journal of College Biology Teaching. 2011;37(1): 8-16) (4) Student CURE survey (Lopatto D, Alvarez C, Barnard D, Chandrasekaran C, Chung J, Du C, et al. Education Forum: Genomics Education Partnership. Science. 2008;322: 684-685), (5) the STEM Career Interest Scale (Tyler-Wood T, Knezek G, Christensen R. Instruments for assessing interest in STEM content and careers. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. 2010;18(2): 345-368), and (5) Institutional data request for STEM enrollment, graduation, demographics, and GPA. Faculty data from the Faculty CURE survey (Lopatto D, Alvarez C, Barnard D, Chandrasekaran C, Chung J, Du C, et al. Education Forum: Genomics Education Partnership. Science. 2008;322: 684-685) and elements of a CURE as defined by the grant were given to the faculty post-semester. Faculty surveys are available from the appendices of the attached manuscripts. Analysis: For pre-post tests ANOCVAs with the co-variate and an interaction term between Minoritized Group (MG or URM) status was were included. For categorical data chi-squared analysis was included.

A certificate of graduate studies in Biobased Industrial Products is to be established at Kansas State University (KSU) along with the development of a similar program at Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS. At KSU, the program of study will be coordinated through the steering committee of the Agricultural Products Utilization Forum (APUF); the certificate of graduate studies will be awarded through the Graduate School of Kansas State University. This certificate will establish an interdisciplinary program of study that will: (1) ensure participating students receive a broad education in several disciplines related to Biobased Industrial Products, (2) provide a documented course of study for students preferring a freestanding certificate program, and (3) provide a paradigm shift in student awareness away from petroleum-based feedstocks to the utilization of renewable resources for fuels and chemical feedstocks. The academic program described herein will accomplish this goal by: (1) providing exposure to several academic disciplines key to Biobased Industrial Products; (2) improving university/industry collaboration through an external advisory board, distance learning opportunities, and student internships; (3) expanding the disciplines represented on the students' supervisory committee; (4) establishing a seminar series on Biobased Industrial Products that draws upon expert speakers representing several disciplines; and (5) increasing collaboration between disciplines. Numerous research programs emphasizing Biobased Industrial Products currently exist at KSU and PSU. The certificate of graduate studies, the emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration within the students? thesis research, the proposed seminar series, and formation of an industrial advisory board will: (1) provide an interdisciplinary academic experience that spans several departments, four colleges, four research centers, and two universities; (2) tangibly promote collaboration between KSU and PSU; (3) catalyze involvement of plant geneticists with researchers active in the development and utilization of biobased industrial products; and, (4) promote university/industry collaboration.

How does an animal work?

Stock structure of Trachurus picturatus from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea using microsatellite DNA markers

Spatio-temporal variability of wrack abundance and composition along the north Portuguese sandy beaches

Improving perception and acceptability of aquaculture through hands-on experimental activities for schools