Independent Scientists Research Articles

Citizen Science in the Philippines: Coastal biodiversity engagements on a small island

The community's extreme perception of volunteerism (97%) for conservation on a small island relates to the limited resources and coastline vulnerability. This probably results in various types of citizen scientists associated with different coastal biodiversity projects. To elucidate these aspects, I explored the public’s perception of participation in biodiversity conservation, the citizen science groups and their engagements (including profile by gender, age, and frequency of activity), as well as the potential ecological drawback of the engagement (primarily involving Independent Citizen Scientists). Results suggest that the public has a high perception of willingness to participate in citizen science (with three Types of Citizen Scientists). Gender prevalence in the participation is evident (suggesting viable options of participation for both genders) while the age and frequency of activities suggest that younger and more active individuals are significantly present in one type (Independent Citizen Scientists). Data gathering and public services demonstrate the contribution of citizen science to productive coastal biodiversity engagements on the island, although a potentially misguided activity, is also identified. It is emphasized, however, that this does not discourage any type of citizen scientists. This study recommends policy formulation and extended interventions in the island’s coastal biodiversity programs.

Environmental impact assessments should include rigorous scientific peer review

Twenty USA states or jurisdictions and 125 nations have modeled national environmental policies after the National Environmental Policy Act. That act mandates that federal agencies initiate environmental impact statements (EISs) when substantive environmental or human health consequences are likely because of an agency action related to proposed development projects. The science used to inform the EIS process, however, does not require independent scientific peer review (ISPR) in the USA or most other nations. But ISPR is needed for governments to accurately inform the EIS decision-making and public reporting processes. Instead, science is routinely manipulated during EIS reviews to generate expedient project outcomes with substantially negative ecological, political, and long-term economic consequences. We provide four examples of EISs that lack ISPR, as well as four examples where reviews by independent scientists were helpful to improve agency decisions. We also recommend that independent scientists (no affiliation with the project proponents or agencies overseeing projects) be used to help assess potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, as well as offer appropriate risk assessments, study designs, and monitoring timeframes. We conclude that nations should convene formal reviews using independent scientists as a form of peer review in the EIS process.

Building Equitable Neuroscience Research Collaborations in Resource-limited Settings.

The burden of noncommunicable neurological disorders, such as stroke, dementia, and headache disorders, are on the rise in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), while neuroinfectious diseases remain a major concern. The development of neuroscience research aimed at defining the burden of neurological diseases across the lifespan, as well as optimizing diagnosis and treatment strategies, is fundamental to improving neurological health in resource-limited settings. One of the key factors to advancing neuroscience research in LMICs is the establishment of effective collaborations based on responsible and trustworthy partnerships between local scientists in LMICs and international collaborators. LMIC researchers face many logistical, institutional, and individual level challenges as they embark on their neuroscience research journey. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for improving LMIC investigator-led research that should focus on human and institutional infrastructure development. With regard to human capacity building, potential areas for offering support include enhancing research methodology training, offering instruction in manuscript and grant-writing, institutionalizing mentorship programs, and providing opportunities to conduct funded, mentored research to disseminate in high-impact journals. The foundational elements required for implementing and optimizing neuroscience research within an institution include an institutional review board, mentorship programs, data management, research administration, and laboratory facilities. This institutional capacity varies significantly across and within countries, and many rely on collaborations with better-resourced institutions to initiate research. Successful equitable collaborations ensure the engagement of all local and international stakeholders, as well as implementation of a self-sustaining long-term program. Building research capacity in LMICs is an essential endeavor that requires ongoing commitment to training independent scientists. As research capacity increases, LMIC institutions and governments should consider developing competitive research grant programs to support innovative studies led by local researchers, foster regional collaborations, and hence create a sustainable and independent neuroscience research environment.

End co-formulant secrecy

Pesticides, widely used in modern agriculture, are applied in formulations that contain the main ingredient (active ingredient) and additional chemicals like solvents and surfactants (co-formulants). Both active ingredients and co-formulants can cause human and environmental toxicity. However, under European Union and United States law, the full details of the co-formulant composition are kept secret from the public and researchers. Only the producer and regulators know the full details. Here I argue that legislators should end ‘co-formulant secrecy’ and require all the ingredients in a pesticide be listed openly, including their concentrations. To this end I draw parallels between the legislation for pesticides with that of medicines, review the counterarguments, and discuss the impacts on research and regulation. Co-formulants can be toxicologically relevant, and some are even more toxic than the active ingredient in the formulation. Pesticide users, consumers and scientists deserve to have transparency in understanding what co-formulants are included in pesticide formulations. The stated rationale for secrecy is to protect innovation and reward companies for undertaking expensive research and development. However, secrecy is ineffective at protecting innovation, as it is possible to reverse engineer a formulation’s composition. Further, patents are already utilised, so secrecy adds no additional benefit to industry. I argue that co-formulant secrecy only serves to stifle and limit the ability of independent scientists to conduct research.

Animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows and their validity and practicality: a systematic review of the existing literature.

Animal welfare is of increasing importance, with consumers preferring animal products made with ethical practices due to growing awareness. This shift highlights the need for reliable methods to evaluate welfare. This systematic review aims to assess the validity of current animal-based welfare indicators for dairy cows to aid farmers and agricultural professionals in evaluating and improving welfare amidst the lack of a clear legislative definition. The literature search spanned five databases: CAB Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Livivo, covering publications in English and German from 2011 to 2021. Specific search terms were employed, and abstracts were screened for relevance. Publications were categorized based on exclusion criteria, with a final verification process conducted by three independent scientists. Research highlights correlations between welfare measures, farm characteristics and innovative indicators like hair cortisol concentration. Farming systems and housing methods significantly affect welfare, with pasture-based systems generally resulting in reduced lameness and improved behavior. Proper housing design and management practices are important, as they influence indicators like lameness and cleanliness. Heart rate variability and heart rate monitoring provide insights into dairy cow stress levels during milking and other stressors, making them valuable for welfare assessment. Biomarker research emphasizes the need to balance productivity and health in breeding strategies, as high milk production alone does not indicate good welfare. Behavioral studies and the human-animal relationship are key to understanding welfare. Precision Livestock Farming offers real-time assessment capabilities, although validation is needed. Stress physiology is complex, and while cortisol measurement methods are promising, further research is necessary. Assessment tools like the Animal Needs Index and routine herd data analysis are valuable for identifying welfare concerns. Key findings highlight the WQ® protocol's effectiveness and versatility, the challenge of its time demands, and the DCF protocol's promise for more practical and efficient welfare assessments. Commercial animal welfare audits should prioritize easily observable indicators and herd records due to logistical constraints in measuring biomarkers or heart rate variability. This focus on easily accessible indicators, such as body condition score, lameness, claw health, cleanliness, and somatic cell count allows effective welfare assessments, enabling prompt action to enhance wellbeing.

Global Well-Being and Mental Health in the Internet Age

In the last 2 decades, the widespread adoption of Internet technologies has inspired concern that they have negatively affected mental health and psychological well-being. However, research on the topic is contested and hampered by methodological shortcomings, leaving the broader consequences of Internet adoption unknown. We show that the past 2 decades have seen only small and inconsistent changes in global well-being and mental health that are not suggestive of the idea that the adoption of Internet and mobile broadband is consistently linked to negative psychological outcomes. Further investigation of this topic requires transparent study of online behaviors where they occur (i.e., on online platforms). We call for increased collaborative efforts between independent scientists and the Internet-technology sector.

The German experience with asbestos-related diseases: a failure of compensation due to the manipulation of science

The world pandemic of asbestos-related diseases results from inadequate prevention and late bans on asbestos use. For years in Germany there has been an annual average of about ten thousand new claims. Many countries deny compensation due to unsound diagnostic applications that have entered into the literature and are used to deny compensation. One such well-established incorrect scientific strategy is the use of quantifying asbestos bodies or fibers in lung tissue and setting restrictive thresholds on the findings in tissues of workers who had been exposed primarily to chrysotile which shows low bio-persistence, movement to the pleura, and rarely forms asbestos bodies. The so called one thousand asbestos body hypothesis for the diagnosis of asbestosis, originating from the German Mesothelioma Register run by the employers’ statutory accident insurance institutions, has been applied in Germany and similarly in several other western countries. As opposed to the well-substantiated hit and run phenomena that has been predominantly applied to chrysotile asbestos, low asbestos body or fiber counts in tissue had been systematically misinterpreted. This, combined with restrictive histopathology definitions, have been used for the manipulation not only of diagnostic criteria but also of science and has had an effect on laws governing compensation. The counting of asbestos bodies or fibers in human lungs should under no circumstances invalidate a qualified occupational history of exposure as the hallmark requisite tool for assessing asbestos exposure and acceptance of asbestos-related diseases in compensation schemes. An outcome suggested by this paper is the need to broaden the WHO beneficial initiative to eliminate ARD worldwide by establishment of an international board of independent scientists on remedial action that would recommend standards for acknowledgement and compensation. Such a board should be supported by national legal branches recognizing possible regional differences and initiating compliance with the recommendations.

Practice what you preach A self case report effect of a lifestyle intervention

This is a self case report of a 56 year old Moluccan Dutch woman, an independent behavioral scientist in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Estimating the association between Facebook adoption and well-being in 72 countries.

Social media's potential effects on well-being have received considerable research interest, but much of past work is hampered by an exclusive focus on demographics in the Global North and inaccurate self-reports of social media engagement. We describe associations linking 72 countries' Facebook adoption to the well-being of 946 798 individuals from 2008 to 2019. We found no evidence suggesting that the global penetration of social media is associated with widespread psychological harm: Facebook adoption predicted life satisfaction and positive experiences positively, and negative experiences negatively, both between countries and within countries over time. Nevertheless, the observed associations were small and did not reach a conventional 97.5% one-sided credibility threshold in all cases. Facebook adoption predicted aspects of well-being more positively for younger individuals, but country-specific results were mixed. To move beyond studying aggregates and to better understand social media's roles in people's lives, and their potential causal effects, we need more transparent collaborative research between independent scientists and the technology industry.

Charting success for the Plastics Treaty

Charting success for the Plastics Treaty

Can tires turn green?

Tires’ substantial environmental footprint is set to drop as producers increase their use of renewable materials and efficient technologies emerge for chemically recycling them. Currently, most tires are incinerated or landfilled, at a high environmental price. While the sector’s footprint may be shrinking, millions of metric tons of rubber particles get released annually as tires wear down on roads. And independent scientists say this pollution is a cause for concern. The tire industry says it is trying to understand the impacts of these particles. Until issues around them are addressed, however, the sustainable tire will remain out of reach. Rubber crumbs rain down onto more than 150 electric heating plates, raising their temperature to over 600 °C within seconds. In an atmosphere depleted of oxygen, the crumbs rapidly transform into a gas, which is cooled into a synthetic oil and a solid that is mostly carbon black. This process is

Institutional Adaptation in Slow Motion: Zooming In on Desertification Governance

Abstract The ability of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to keep pace with their changing circumstances is crucial for a more effective global environmental governance. Yet, we know little about how new institutional design features are taken up by MEAs, allowing them to evolve over time. Building on Kingdon’s multiple streams theory, I conceive the development of new institutional design features as the association between streams of problems, solutions, and political receptivity at critical moments. I apply this framework to two features introduced within the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) framework and find that the main design entrepreneurs were the UNCCD Secretariat and independent scientists. The article provides important insight into characteristics that can make MEAs more adaptive. Namely, treaty bodies able to generate feedback about problems, push for solutions, and provide windows of opportunity for advocates to present and revise their proposals are found critical to the development of new design features.

The effect of vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy on infant growth and development in Nepal: a community-based, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Vitamin B12 is required for healthy infant growth and development, but low and marginal vitamin B12 status is endemic in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to measure the effect of vitamin B12 supplementation from early pregnancy until 6 months post partum on infant growth and neurodevelopment. In this community-based, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we randomly assigned (1:1) 800 pregnant women (aged 20-40 years) who were up to 15 weeks pregnant-recruited from home visits and outpatient departments at three hospitals in Nepal-to daily supplementation with 50 μg oral vitamin B12 or placebo until 6 months postpartum. Independent scientists generated the list that linked allocation to participants' study identification number. Participants were masked to group assignment and all investigators were masked until data cleaning was completed. The primary outcomes were length-for-age Z score (LAZ) at age 12 months and the cognitive composite score of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (3rd edition) at age 6 months and 12 months. The primary and secondary outcomes, including adverse events, were assessed in the intention-to-treat population, for all participants with available outcome data. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03071666. 800 eligible pregnant women were enrolled in the trial between March 28, 2017, and Oct 15, 2020, with 400 women randomly assigned to each group. Follow-up was completed on May 18, 2022. At baseline, 569 (71%) of 800 women had plasma vitamin B12 indicating low or marginal status (<221 pmol/L). We found no effect of vitamin B12 on the primary outcomes. The mean LAZ at age 12 months were -0·57 (SD 1·03) in the B12 group and -0·55 (1.03) in the placebo group (366 infants in the vitamin B12 group vs 363 infants in the placebo group) with a mean difference of -0·02 (95% CI -0·16 to 0·13). The mean cognitive composite scores were 97·7 (SD 10·5) in the B12 group and 97·1 (10·2) in the placebo group, with a mean difference of 0·5 (95% CI -0·6 to 1·7) measured in 364 and 361 infants. Stillbirths or infant deaths occurred in three (1%) of 374 women in the vitamin B12 group and nine (2%) of 379 women in the placebo group. Although vitamin B12 deficiency was prevalent in our study population and vitamin B12 supplementation from early pregnancy substantially improved vitamin B12 status, supplementation did not improve infant growth or neurodevelopment. Our findings support the current WHO recommendations of no routine vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy. Research Council of Norway.

Abstract 138: Establishment of monoclonal cell subpopulations as model systems for functionally exploring resistance mechanisms in EGFR mutant non-small cell cancers

Abstract Background: Coexisting subgroups of cells within a tumor are always evolving. Understanding the molecular events that drive this evolution remains a high priority for understanding dynamic response to treatment. However, models that accurately map individual clones’ activity and sensitivity to treatment remain a challenge. To fill this gap, we established monoclonal cell populations (MCP) from a cell line and used this model system to dissect coexisting cellular and molecular events within an individual tumor and modulated response to anti-EGFR treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC). Materials/Methods: MCPs were established from the commercially available H1975 EGFR-mutant NSCLC cell line. Parental cells were resuspended at a density of 10 cells per mL and 100 μL of cell suspension was added to each well of a 96-well plate. Eight plates were used, and each well was inspected 24 hours post-seeding by two or more independent scientists. Wells with individual cells were monitored every 3-4 days and followed throughout the expansion process. Once MCPs were established, morphological comparison was performed using the opensource QPath software and clones were classified as circular, branched, or mixed. Selected clones were then treated with 0.7 μM of Osimertinib for 72 hours, in line with the IC50 value of the parental line and treatment responses were compared. Results: Of the 120 single cells detected, 25 expanded successfully and 16 were treated with Osimertinib. Rates of clonal expansion varied from 19 to 49 days and the most prominent morphology was branched (68.75%), followed by mixed (18.75%) and circular (12.5%). No direct correlation was observed between rate of expansion and cell morphology. Response to Osimertinib varied significantly across the clones compared to the parental line from which they were established. Cell viability after 72 hours of treatment with Osimertinib was similar between the parental line and 5 of the 25 clones. For the remaining clones, cell viability was significantly lower in the monoclonal cell subpopulations compared to the parental line. Specifically, cell viability decreased by 40% compared to the parental cell in 5 clones. In the most sensitive clones, cell viability was reduced by 63% and 75% compared to the parental. Conclusion: 25 monoclonal cell subpopulations were successfully established and expanded from the H1975 cell line. MCPs showed significant variations in their growth rate and sensitivity to Osimertinib suggesting that this approach may help identify coexisting mechanisms of response to treatment within an individual tumor. Defining molecular profiles of coexisting MCPs may lead to the identification of biomarkers that may assist physicians in predicting response to treatment or design combination regimens that concomitantly target subclones within the tumor microecology. Citation Format: Claire Blanchard, Kyle Avery, Chelsea Ward, Abduljalil M. Alsubaie, Elisa Baldelli, Mariaelena Pierobon. Establishment of monoclonal cell subpopulations as model systems for functionally exploring resistance mechanisms in EGFR mutant non-small cell cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 138.

Noticing Acute Changes in Health in Long-Term Care Residents.

Early signs of acute conditions and increased fall risk often go unrecognized in patients in long-term care facilities. The aim of this study was to examine how healthcare staff identify and act on changes in health status in this patient population. A qualitative study design was used for this study. Six focus groups across two Department of Veterans Affairs long-term care facilities were conducted with 26 interdisciplinary healthcare staff members. Using thematic content analysis, the team preliminarily coded based on interview questions, reviewed and discussed emerging themes, and agreed on the resultant coding scheme for each category with additional independent scientist review. Themes included describing and explaining how "normal" or expected behavior is identified by staff, noticing changes in a resident, determining the significance of the change, hypothesizing reasons for an observed change, response to an observed change, and resolution of the clinical change. Despite limited training in formal assessment methods, long-term care staff have developed methods to conduct ongoing assessments of the residents. This technique, individual phenotyping, often identifies acute changes; however, the lack of formal methods, language, or tools to communicate the changes means that these assessments are not often formalized in a manner that informs the residents' changing care needs. More formal objective measures of health change are needed to assist long-term care staff in expressing and interpreting the subjective phenotype changes into objective, easily communicated health status changes. This is particularly important for acute health changes and impending falls, both of which are associated with acute hospitalization.

Advice for Early Career Clinical Stroke Researchers Applying for National Institutes of Health Funding.

Advice for Early Career Clinical Stroke Researchers Applying for National Institutes of Health Funding.

The Astroparticle Detectors Array—An Educational Project in Cosmic Ray Physics

ADA, short for Astroparticle Detectors Array, is an educational project aiming to detect cosmic radiation and possibly high-energy particles known as ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) or even to spot a supernova event. Its working process is the same as that used in professional cosmic ray observatories: it consists of simple detectors spread over the entire Italian territory and beyond. The detectors are hosted among high schools, associations, and private astronomical observatories. ADA has been operating since 2013 and was brought about with the intention of promoting astroparticle physics to any given level of outreach. Furthermore, ADA is becoming an interesting tool not only for teachers but also for independent and keen scientists. Over the years, we have discovered the importance of having a long series of data for studying the relation between and among cosmic rays, weather, and space weather and to investigate the main cause of oscillations in cosmic ray data. In this paper, we show what we find to be the most compelling results, such as the beautiful symmetry of the behavior between muons and the atmospheric temperature and, likewise, the evident anti-correlation between the intensity of the muons at ground level compared with solar activity.

Plastics Treaty Lockout Independent Scientists

Plastics Treaty Lockout Independent Scientists

Structural Challenges in Deployment of an Open-Source Diagnostic by Independent Researchers During a Public Health Emergency

Open-source diagnostic products have the potential to address some of the major challenges of diagnostic access revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as it stands, the current approval model in the US is poorly suited for such tests. In March 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a small group of independent scientists with members located in Illinois, New York, and Georgia collaborated on developing an open-source, patent-free COVID-19 diagnostic test. Within a few short months, we had developed a reliable test and published the protocol online with the hope that this simple, yet sensitive test would be adopted for widespread testing in laboratories, schools, and workplaces. However, we encountered several unexpected barriers to deployment of the test. This essay describes our experience and proposes a novel solution to reduce the barriers that limit meaningful contributions by independent researchers to addressing healthcare challenges in the United States.

Legendary Women in Dentistry: Racquel Z. LeGeros.

Racquel LeGeros' life demonstrates an inspirational phenomenon by which, through scholarly and academic production, one woman can have a dramatic effect shaping society. Although famous for her focus on biomaterials, ranging from bioceramics to calcium phosphates, her personal experiences likely shaped her work in public health, which took aim at oral health disparities. LeGeros left her home in Manila, Philippines and came to Manhattan at 18 years old to pursue her Master's degree at New York University. She served with great distinction NYU for over 50 years, rising to the rank of professor and associate chair of the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics. Her life experience allowed her to improve conditions for others like her. Her roles in life, the oldest daughter of eight children, a mother and a wife, likely gave her the tools to mentor. Not only did teaching and mentorship within her laboratory research generate a pipeline of independent researchers carrying forward biomaterials research, development, and implementation, but it also exemplified inclusion of individuals from a variety of demographics around the world who, today as independent scientists, bring diverse perspectives to science. A thorough evaluation of her over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers, tells a story that extends beyond the very important pioneering strides beyond materials development and public health dentistry. Her career arc amplifies the understanding of how scientific discovery translates to improve and upgrade society. LeGeros' progressive and comprehensive mindset is evident as she considered the implications of her science on larger problems facing society, dedicating her investigations to uncovering the causes and structures that reify healthcare inequity. Beyond clinical science, LeGeros applied research findings to improve health equity, social justice. Through her work and its impact on society, Dr. Racquel LeGeros is a remarkable figure.