International Scientific Activities Research Articles

The role and significance of international cooperation in the biomedical sciences: endocrinology research at the University of Rome.

THE ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES: ENDOCRINOLOGY RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME MARIO ANDREOLI* By way of fulfilling the aims of the organizers of this meeting, I would like to point out the role that international cooperation plays in the development of endocrinological research at the University of Rome. This report, based on my experience in a relatively small university unit, will also focus on the importance of continuous scientific interchanges to the improvement of the standard of teaching programs at the level of our postgraduate school of endocrinology. I consider myself, together with Professor G. Salvatore, to be one of the pioneers of the Italian migration to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since my first stay in 1960 at the Clinical Endocrinology Branch of the Arthritis Institute, at that time directed by J. E. Fall and subsequently by Dr. J. Robbins, I have observed how the flux of Italy-United States scientific relationships has gradually changed from a one-way to a continuous two-way channel. I wish to point out, as shown in table 1, that many scientists have been involved in this informal exchange program. The reciprocal visits have varied from a few weeks to 3 years. The core of our activity has been at the NIH campus. The collaboration has, however, expanded to other American and European institutions that are engaged in both basic and clinical investigations. Our research is concentrated in four main areas, and examples of scientific collaboration follow. In relation to the scientific achievements in the studies on thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), following its initial partial isolation in 1962, TBG has been purified from human serum and, the protein has been recently characterized, in its molecular prop- *Professor of Endocrinology, University of Rome, 2° Clinica Medica—Policlinico Umberto Io—Roma 00100, Italy.© 1986 by The University of Chicago. AU rights reserved. 003 1-5982/86/2932/$0 1.00 S218 I Mario Andreoli ¦ The University ofRome TABLE 1 University of Rome Department of Endocrinology International Exchanges YearInvestigatorStay 1959 ............ . . M. AndreoliParis-Marseilles 1960-1962 ......... M. AndreoliNIH 1968 ............... H. EdelhochRome 1969 ............... M. BlecherRome 1969 ............... J. HicksRome 1969 ............... A. SchneiderRome 1970-1972 ......... F.MonacoNIH 1971-1973 ......... M. D'ArmientoNIH 1973 ............... J. RobbinsRome 1976 ............... R. DominiciParis 1978 ............... A. La PostaNIH 1980-1983 ......... S. GrimaldiNIH 1982-1984 ......... M. De LucaNIH 1982 ............... M. D'ArmientoSan Francisco 1982 ............... F. MonacoGöteborg 1983-1985 ......... A. PontecorviNIH erties, by Dr. Grimaldi in collaboration with Dr. Robbins and co-workers [I]. Concerning the studies on thyroglobulin, the human protein species has been characterized in its subunit structure, in collaboration with Dr. Edelhoch, Dr. Salvatore, and Dr. Schneider [2]. Dr. Monaco, in collaboration with Dr. Robbins and Dr. Salvatore, has demonstrated that, in the rat and human thyroid, carbohydrates play a pivotal role in the biochemical machinery of synthesis and secretion of thyroglobulin [3]. More recently, Dr. De Luca has collaborated with Dr. L. Kohn on various aspects of the membrane receptor for thyroglobulin [4]· On the evolutionary scale, it has been established, in collaboration with Professor Roche, that thyroglobulin precedes the morphological differentiation of thyroid cells and the organization of the thyroid follicle [5]. Regarding investigations on c-AMP, starting from the initial observation in Dr. Pastan's laboratory that the cyclic-nucleotide system is involved as a modulator of cell growth and differentiation, the regulatory role of the c-AMP system in experimental thyroid tumor has been elucidated by Dr. D'Armiento and Dr. Monaco [6]. In addition, the role of the c-AMP system was investigated in experimental hypertension, in collaboration with Dr. Frati [7], showing an alteration in the c-AMP phosphodiesterase activity of the aorta. Concerning human endocrine hypertension, in collaboration with Professor Biglieri the heterozygotes carrying a partial defect of the 17alpha -hydroxylast enzyme have been identified [8]. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 29, 3, Part 2 ¦ Spring 1986 \ S219 The international scientific activity of our department has been supplemented by the organization of several international endocrine meetings , among which I would like to mention the Fifth International Thyroid Conference held in Rome in 1965. Our staffwas responsible for the very rapid publication of the proceedings, and this book [9] is...

The adequacy of the science citation index (SCI) as an indicator of international scientific activity

AbstractThe adequacy of the Science Citation Index (SCI) as a data source for developing indicators of international scientific activity was tested by comparing country‐by‐country journal counts based on the SCI with British Library Lending Division country‐by‐country journal counts, and with country‐by‐country counts of papers in other abstracting services, and by looking at the patterns of references from key journals. While the SCI appears to be an excellent, internationally balanced data source for the core of the physical and biological sciences, particularly for the English‐speaking countries, there still are significant differences between the SCI and other sources in national coverage of fields with a more dispersed literature, especially in the case of journals from countries with non‐Roman alphabets. In particular, SCI coverage of the Soviet literature appears incomplete, especially in the biological and medical sciences.

Activities in oceanic research

The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), a committee of the International Council of Scientific Unions, is charged with furthering international scientific activity in all branches of oceanic research. At present there are 37 members, 27 nominated by national academies or equivalent bodies and 10 nominated by unions within ICSU. Probably the best known of SCOR3s accomplishments since its founding in 1957 are the organization of the International Indian Ocean Expendition and the convening of the first International Oceanographic Congress. During recent years, SCOR has worked closely with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the Unesco program in oceanography through its advisory responsibilities to both bodies.

Some Recent Lessons

The significance of international scientific activities to the relations between nations is perhaps the most important of the roles science and scientists can play in today's embittered and divided world—not a new role in the sense that international activities of science are part of the life-blood of science; but new in its potential impact on political relations.For science is today one of the few common languages of mankind; it can provide a basis for understanding and communication of ideas between people… independent of political boundaries and of ideologies. Science also provides a sometimes unique opportunity for cooperative endeavors that can contribute in a major way to the reduction of tension between nations.George B. Kistiakowsky

International Relations Centers

A series of centers designed to assist foreign scientific visitors in establishing contacts in this country with people in their fields and, in general, in making their stay here as effective as possible has been proposed by the Office of International Relations of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council. Under study for the past year by the Cooperative Research Foundation (CORE), the program was to be activated August 31, 1953 with the opening of the first regional center at the Morrison Planetarium, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Other such centers will be located in similar areas of concentrated scientific endeavor, and are to act as coordinating agencies for international scientific activities in their vicinities.