Resident Scientists Research Articles

Unlocking the Potential of Secondary Data for Public Health Research: Retrospective Study With a Novel Clinical Platform.

Clinical routine data derived from university hospitals hold immense value for health-related research on large cohorts. However, using secondary data for hypothesis testing necessitates adherence to scientific, legal (such as the General Data Protection Regulation, federal and state protection legislations), technical, and administrative requirements. This process is intricate, time-consuming, and susceptible to errors. This study aims to develop a platform that enables clinicians to use current real-world data for testing research and evaluate advantages and limitations at a large university medical center (542,944 patients in 2022). We identified requirements from clinical practitioners, conceptualized and implemented a platform based on the existing components, and assessed its applicability in clinical reality quantitatively and qualitatively. The proposed platform was established at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and made 639 forms encompassing 10,629 data elements accessible to all resident scientists and clinicians. Every day, the number of patients rises, and parts of their electronic health records are made accessible through the platform. Qualitatively, we were able to conduct a retrospective analysis of Parkinson disease over 777 patients, where we provide additional evidence for a significantly higher proportion of action tremors in patients with rest tremors (340/777, 43.8%) compared with those without rest tremors (255/777, 32.8%), as determined by a chi-square test (P<.001). Quantitatively, our findings demonstrate increased user engagement within the last 90 days, underscoring clinicians' increasing adoption of the platform in their regular research activities. Notably, the platform facilitated the retrieval of clinical data from 600,000 patients, emphasizing its substantial added value. This study demonstrates the feasibility of simplifying the use of clinical data to enhance exploration and sustainability in scientific research. The proposed platform emerges as a potential technological and legal framework for other medical centers, providing them with the means to unlock untapped potential within their routine data.

330.5: A Prediction Model for Antibody Response to Three Vaccines Against SARS-CoV-2 Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Background: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) show impaired immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. A prediction model for immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines could enable targeted antibody monitoring and vaccine dose adjustments in SOTRs during potential epidemic/endemic circulations of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We studied 782 SOTRs recruited from across the United States who received a 3-dose series of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and underwent serologic testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between 2-5 weeks after the third dose. We used gradient boosting and logistic regression to create prediction models for positive antibody response based on demographic, transplant-related, and immunosuppression-related clinical factors. Results: Overall, 643 (82.3%) SOTRs had positive antibody responses. The gradient boosting model predicted positive antibody response with moderate accuracy (C-statistic, 0.790). The influential predictors of positive antibody response were mycophenolate avoidance (variable importance, 43.0%), longer time since transplant (31.2%), and corticosteroid avoidance (11.9%). The logistic model showed similar prediction accuracy (C-statistic, 0.790). Mycophenolate use (aOR, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.02-0.16]), corticosteroid use (aOR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.24-0.61]), and time since transplant (per year; aOR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.06-1.15]) showed significant association with positive antibody response. Conclusion: Antibody response to a 3-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine series could be predicted with moderate accuracy in SOTRs. This prediction model could identify SOTRs with higher risks that warrant additional vaccine doses and antibody monitoring. This work was supported by the Ben-Dov family; grants T32DK007713 (Dr. Alejo), The ASTS Fryer Resident Scientist Award (Dr. Mitchell), K01DK101677 (Dr. Massie), and K23DK115908 (Dr. Garonzik-Wang) from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; grant K24AI144954 (Dr. Segev) and K23AI157893 (Werbel) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

210.5: Differential Immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 Versus BNT162b2 as a Third Vaccine Dose for Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Seronegative After Two BNT162b2 Doses.

Introduction: There is no consensus as to the optimal SARS-CoV-2 vaccination sequence in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). Anti-spike antibody response to the two-dose BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine series is poor in SOTRs, and it is possible that the higher-dose mRNA-1273 vaccine could improve immunogenicity in suboptimal responders, who are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We evaluated 114 SOTRs who tested negative on an anti-spike antibody assay after two doses of BNT162b2 and had a third dose (D3) of either homologous BNT162b2 or heterologous mRNA-1273 vaccine. The proportion of seroconversion [WW1] at 1 month post-D3 was compared between groups using Fisher’s exact testing. Additionally, the rate of high-titer response at 1 month post-D3, defined as achieving an antibody level associated with neutralizing capacity versus the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 variant (≥250 binding antibody units), was analyzed using multivariable Poisson regression with robust standard error, adjusting for mycophenolate (MMF) use, age, and years since transplant. Results: Overall, 99 SOTRs received homologous BNT162b2 D3 and 15 received heterologous mRNA-1273 D3. There was no significant difference in age (median 65 [IQR 50-71] vs 63 [58-68] years), sex (59% vs 69% female), time since transplant (median 4 [IQR 2-10] vs 7 [2-15] years), or MMF use (84% vs 80%) between BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 D3 groups, though calcineurin inhibitor use differed (88% vs 67%, p=0.03). Seroconversion at 1 month post-D3 was similar between BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 D3 groups (52% vs 53%, p>0.99). However, the mRNA-1273 D3 group was significantly more likely to develop high-titer response at 1 month post-D3 (17% vs 47%, p=0.02). After adjusting for demographic and transplant characteristics, the mRNA-1273 D3 group was 2.71-fold more likely to develop high-titer response at 1 month post D3 (incidence rate ratio [95% CI] 2.71 [1.30-5.64], p=0.008). Conclusion: In SOTRs without initial response to two-dose BNT162b2 vaccination, a heterologous mRNA-1273 D3 showed similar seroconversion rates (~50%) to homologous BNT162b2 D3, but was significantly more likely to generate high-titer responses. Further directions include assessment of COVID-19 breakthroughs among vaccine regimens, as well as exploring the neutralizing capacity and durability of antibody response to heterologous platforms.ASTS Jon Fryer Resident Scientist Award. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: T32DK007732 (Dr. Chang), T32DK007713 (Dr. Alejo), K01DK101677 (Dr. Massie), K01DK114388-03 (Dr. Levan), and K23DK115908 (Dr. Garonzik-Wang). National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease: K23AI157893 and U01AI138897 (Dr. Werbel) and K24AI144954 (Dr. Segev).

230.6: Ad.26.COV2.S Versus BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 as a Third Dose in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Seronegative After 2-dose mRNA Vaccination

Introduction: Heterologous vaccination (“mixing platforms”) for the third (D3) dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is a potential strategy to improve antibody responses in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), but data are mixed as to whether this provides any differential immunogenicity benefit. Method: We assessed for differences in immunogenicity and tolerability of homologous (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273; D3-mRNA) versus heterologous (Ad.26.COV2.S; D3-JJ) D3 among 377 SARS-CoV-2-infection naïve SOTRs who were seronegative after two mRNA vaccines. We measured anti-spike titers and used weighted (age and organ type) Poisson regression to evaluate prevalence of seroconversion and development of high-titers, comparing D3-JJ to D3-mRNA, at 1, 3 and 6-months post-D3. Titers measured after a fourth dose of vaccine, receipt of monoclonal antibodies, or SARS-CoV-2 infection were excluded from analyses. Results: 40 D3-JJ recipients and 337 D3-mRNA recipients were similar in sex, years since transplant, and mycophenolate use. At 1-month post-D3, 63% of D3-JJ recipients and 52% of D3-mRNA recipients became seropositive (p=0.28); this difference did not reach statistical significance in weighted analysis (weighted incidence-rate-ratio wIRR=0.981.291.69, p=0.064). High-titer response at 1-month post-D3 occurred in 29% of D3-JJ recipients and 25% of D3-mRNA recipients (p=0.7); this difference did not reach statistical significance in weighted analysis (wIRR=0.911.572.70, p=0.10). At 3-months post-D3, 80% of D3-JJ recipients and 57% of D3-mRNA recipients were seropositive (p=0.018); D3-JJ recipients were 1.4-fold more likely to be seropositive (wIRR=1.101.401.77, p0.006). High-titer response at 3-months post-D3 occurred in 27% of D3-JJ recipients and 22% of D3-mRNA recipients (p=0.64); this did not reach statistical significance (wIRR=0.440.921.93, p=0.8). At 6-months post-D3, 88% of D3-JJ recipients and 59% of D3-mRNA recipients were seropositive (p=0.026); D3-JJ recipients were 1.41-fold more likely to be seropositive (wIRR=1.041.411.93, p=0.029). High-titer response at 6-months post-D3 occurred in 59% of D3-JJ recipients and 21% of D3-mRNA recipients (p=0.005); D3-JJ recipients were 2.63-fold more likely to develop high-titers at 6-months post-D3 compared to D3-mRNA recipients (wIRR=1.382.635.00, p=0.003). Severe adverse reactions after D3 were rare; one D3-mRNA recipient reported fluid overload temporarily associated mRNA-1273. No D3-JJ recipients reported rejection before or after D3. Six D3-mRNA recipients reported acute rejection at median (IQR) 23 (12-131) days before D3. Conclusion: Heterologous vaccination with Ad.26.COV2.S for D3 was associated with higher late seroconversion than homologous vaccination with a third mRNA dose among SOTRs negative after a 2-dose mRNA series. SOTRs with persistent negative sero-response to mRNA vaccine series might benefit from Ad.26.COV2.S as an additional vaccine dose. Ben-Dov family. Trokhan Patternson family. 5T32DK007713 (Dr. Alejo). ASTS Fryer Resident Scientist Award (Dr. Mitchell). K01DK101677 (Dr. Massie). K23DK115908 (Dr. Garonzik-Wang). K24AI144954 (Dr. Segev). U01AI138897 (Dr. Werbel). K23AI157893 (Dr. Werbel). DL Segev has the following financial disclosures: consulting and speaking honoraria from Sanofi, Novartis, CLS Behring, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Veloxis, Mallinckrodt, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Regeneron, and AstraZeneca. Dr. Levan is the Social Media Editor for Transplantation. Dr. Avery has grant/research support from Aicuris, Astellas, Chimerix, Merck, Oxford Immunotec, Qiagen, Regeneron, and Takeda/Shire. The remaining authors of this manuscript have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to disclose.

A Model Controversy: Using Environmental Competency Groups to Inform Coastal Restoration Planning in Louisiana

This article assesses the use of the environmental competency group (ECG) method as a tactic for bringing residents and scientists in coastal Louisiana into collaboration on designing coastal restoration projects. Based on qualitative research on the competency group during a period of ten months, this article describes the achievements and limitations of the ECG as a technique for democratizing the production of scientific knowledge. Particular attention is paid to distinctions between expert and lay or traditional environmental knowledge in literature on ECGs and how the aspirations of the ECG unfold in the context of coastal restoration planning in Louisiana. Against this backdrop, the article first presents a theoretical overview of the ECG method. Next, it describes the methods and outcomes of an ECG in Louisiana and the efforts of members of the ECG to collaboratively design numeric predictive models and restoration projects. From here, the article analyzes the ideological barriers faced by ECG in their attempts to overcome a one-directional, input-based framework for resident–scientist collaboration. The article ends with a series of critical questions about the possibilities of ECG to achieve the democratization of environmental knowledge in practice.

Water-quality genesis in a mountain catchment affected by acidification and forestry practices

Effects of changes in air pollution and forest cover on the acid atmospheric deposition and runoff were studied in the Jizerka experimental catchment (Czech Republic), a sensitive mountain environment of low buffering capacity. From 1982 to 2015, resident scientists and volunteers measured water quality of precipitation, fog, and stream samples at the watershed level. Archived LANDSAT imagery was used to reconstruct changes in forest composition in the watershed based on a detailed ground inventory done in 2010 to 2012. Spatial interpolation was used to approximate atmospheric deposition of water and SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+ over the watershed area. The open-field load of S peaked in 1987 to 1988 and dropped substantially in the 1990s, but inorganic N did not show a significant trend. The N∶S deposition ratio increased from 0.37 to 2.83. Mean annual stream-water pH increased from 4.2 to 5.9, and concentrations of SO42− and NO3− decreased by 55 and 53%, respectively. Seasonal acidification of stream water was observed during snowmelt (March, April) and episodic summer rainstorms. The relatively rapid response of stream-water quality to reduced deposition corresponded with subsurface runoff generated in a shallow podzolic soil. Relatively high leaching of NO3− in the 1980s followed limited N uptake in damaged spruce stands and clear-cut areas. Recovery of stream-water chemistry followed the drop in the acid atmospheric deposition by ~5 y, and stream biota revived after 10 to 15 y. Removal of spruce forest and reduced air pollution caused faster recovery from acidification than expected from pure air-quality improvement. Reduced atmospheric deposition and fog-drip interactions caused by lower canopy area suggest that modified forestry practices can affect deposition rates and stream-water quality. Deciduous or mixed forests could decrease the acidic atmospheric load by reducing leaf area and surface roughness.

Weed Science Education at the Tertiary Educational Level in Nigeria

Weed Science is a discipline in that it deals with the study of vegetation management in agriculture, horticulture, aquatics, right-of-way, estates or amenities, essentially anywhere plants need to be managed. It involves the study of all the tools available for this purpose. In comparison with other plant protection disciplines, it has not enjoyed being a distinct discipline. Its study has in most cases been aligned with degrees in Agriculture and Agricultural related discipline. It has always been a component of degrees in Agricultural Science or Crop Science in Nigerian universities. This paper reviews the current status of Weed Science education in Nigeria. In Nigerian universities courses on weed control is part of degree programmes in Agriculture, Horticulture and/or Biological/Plant Sciences, where only aspects of weed characteristics and their control with herbicides, are taught in the third or final years. At the Masters or graduate levels it is taught where there is a Resident Weed Scientist. Because of government’s insensitivity the growth and development of professionalism is stifled. To date, of 149 universities in the country, only 58 of them offer one form of a course or the other that is related to weed science, constituting 44.8%. There were no Weed Scientists present in all the categories of Polytechnics, hence limiting per capita availability of Weed Scientists in the country. This situation does not engender participation or entrant of new members into the discipline. Inadequate funding of the education and agricultural sectors has been the bane of developing adequate manpower and expertise needed in the area. For instance the Weed Science Society of Nigeria has been in existence since 1971, but their presence has not adequately influenced professionalism due to lack of appropriate policy environment. Weed Science education in Nigeria has not found its rightful space in the national polity. If national agricultural development is to remain afloat, Weed Science education should be properly appropriated through adequate budgetary allocation to the Agriculture and Education sectors. This will enhance the quality of teaching and recruitment of Weed Scientist.

What Does an Engineer Do? Conceptual Changes and Effects of Fellow Engagement on Middle School Students Involved in a GK-12 Program

This study investigates students’ conceptions of engineering at the beginning and end of their involvement in a National Science Foundation funded Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. It examines whether students involved in the program exhibited greater conceptions of engineering from beginning to end, whether differences exist among males and females, and if students’ engagement and satisfaction with their Fellows affects growth in conceptions of engineering. Pre-survey and post-survey data were collected annually over four years from 1,522 participants in grades 7 and 8 who had a GK-12 Fellow. Statistical analyses indicated students gained significantly in their conceptions of engineering during a year of GK-12 involvement. Those with a second year benefitted more, and the initial conception of engineering gap that occurred between males and females was closed by the end of students’ involvement in GK-12. The greater the degree of student engagement and satisfaction with their GK-12 Fellows, the more accurate were their conceptions of engineering. This study suggests STEM-focused partnership programs may positively affect students’ career conceptions, and there is value in value placing resident scientists who can facilitate student engagement in classrooms. Recommendations to program coordinators are provided.

Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

Reviewed by: Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward Wesley Jacques Ward, Kaitlin Where She Fell. Point/Scholastic, 2018 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-338-23007-9 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-338-23009-3 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10 Sixteen-year-old geology nerd Eliza is the middle child, and her two best friends have made her feel like the middle friend, that is, often left out and generally inferior, which doesn't help her social anxiety at all. When peer pressure and poor decision-making find Eliza swallowed by a sinkhole and transported deep into the Earth, however, her concerns shift from the social milieu to survival. In secret and mysterious underground caverns, she happens upon a colony of a dozen survivors of similar falls that have simply given up on ever reaching the surface again. It's unclear whether there's something preternatural at hand, but as Eliza befriends the three other teens and gets close to the resident scientist, who is the only one who seems to notice how weird it is that everyone has so thoroughly settled into underground life, the ripple effects of a new person in this tight-knit community cause palpable tension. Eliza is a relatable protagonist, as her self-doubt makes her wary of taking the leadership role, but her knowledge of (and excitement for) geology makes her perfect for the perilous journey back to the surface—encountering deadly beasts, giant insects, and glowing human-like creatures along the way. A novel as much about interpersonal relationships as it is about (literally) exploring new pathways in our relationship with the Earth, this survival adventure story is both exciting and emotionally mature. WJ Copyright © 2018 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Medical researchers unite for study on cancer intervention

Medical researchers unite for study on cancer intervention

Controlling and culturing diversity: experimental zoology before World War II and Vienna's Biologische Versuchsanstalt.

Founded in Vienna in 1903, the Institute for Experimental Biology pioneered the application of experimental methods to living organisms maintained for sustained periods in captivity. Its Director, the zoologist Hans Przibram, oversaw until 1938, the attempt to integrate ontogeny with studies of inheritance using precise and controlled measurements of the impact of environmental influences on the emergence of form and function. In the early years, these efforts paralleled and even fostered the emergence of experimental biology in America. But fate intervened. Though the Institute served an international community, most of its resident scientists and staff were of Jewish ancestry. Well before the Nazis entered Austria in 1938, these men and women were being fired and driven out; some, including Przibram, were eventually killed. We describe the unprecedented facilities built and the topics addressed by the several departments that made up this Institute, stressing those most relevant to the establishment and success of the Journal of Experimental Zoology, which was founded just a year later. The Institute's diaspora left an important legacy in North America, perhaps best embodied by the career of the developmental neuroscientist Paul Weiss.

How Large‐Scale Research Facilities Connect to Global Research

AbstractPolicies for large‐scale research facilities (LSRFs) often highlight their spillovers to industrial innovation and their contribution to the external connectivity of the regional innovation system hosting them. Arguably, the particular institutional features of LSRFs are conducive for collaborative research. However, based on data on publications produced in 2006–2009 at the Neutron Science Directorate of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee (United States), we find that internationalization of its collaborative research is restrained by coordination costs similar to those characterizing other institutional settings. Policies mandating LSRFs should consider that research prioritized on the basis of technological relevance limits the international reach of collaborations. Additionally, the propensity for international collaboration is lower for resident scientists than for those affiliated with domestic universities or government laboratories. Policies conceiving LSRFs as “knowledge attractors” therefore should consider the complementarities between research at a LSRF and in its academic context at a regional or national level.

Internet startups look to reinvent higher education

Massive open online courses promise a convenient, low-cost experience, but high dropout rates threaten to slow their growth.

Dances with magpies

Summary As the Scientist in Residence at the UK's oldest contemporary dance company, Cambridge professor Nicola Clayton uses her research on corvids and children to provide inspiration for Mark Baldwin's choreography. Michael Gross caught up with their latest moves.

Collaboration and Productivity in Scientific Synthesis

Scientific synthesis has transformed ecological research and presents opportunities for advancements across the sciences; to date, however, little is known about the antecedents of success in synthesis. Building on findings from 10 years of detailed research on social interactions in synthesis groups at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, we demonstrated with large-scale quantitative analyses that face-to-face interaction has been vital to success in synthesis groups, boosting the production of peer-reviewed publications. But it has been about more than just meeting; the importance of resident scientists at synthesis centers was also evident, in that including synthesis-center residents in geographically distributed working groups further increased productivity. Moreover, multi-institutional collaboration, normally detrimental to productivity, was positively associated with productivity in this stimulating environment. Finally, participation in synthesis groups significantly increased scientists' collaborative propensity and visibility, positively affecting scientific careers and potentially increasing the capacity of the scientific community to leverage synthesis for enhanced scientific understanding.

When Artists Enter the Laboratory Visceral The Living Art Experiment Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr, Curators Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Through 25 February 2011. http://sciencegallery.com/visceral

This Dublin exhibition offers a retrospective of bio-art from SymbioticA, a laboratory at the University of Western Australia that draws resident scientists and artists from around the globe.

Turning brain drain into brain networking

This article argues that, given the difficulties of reversing brain drain and of creating brain circulation, small developing countries should instead put efforts into brain networking, which is the systematic development of an ICT-based form of links between scientific diasporas and resident scientists. The study suggests that brain networking is the most realistic institutional platform for tackling developing countries’ problems related to the loss of talent. Reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of existing diaspora initiatives in different countries, and based on an original survey of 133 Romanian scientific diaspora members, this article identifies a series of policy preferences and implications.

The AEROCREW mission: Training space session at Ny Ålesund Arctic Base

The AEROCREW mission was realized at Ny-Ålesund Arctic Base in December 2007, in the frame of the International Polar Year, and in cooperation with the French Polar Institute. The team made an original training experience, constituting an integrated space crew, including physicians, aerospace trainers and engineers, implied in a seminar with four sessions, dealing with the training capabilities of arctic bases. This kind of base constitutes a pertinent and affordable facility for aerospace teams, and the specific aerospace crew training techniques are fruitful for the polar scientists (glaciologists, geologists, specialists of the atmosphere). The sessions, given by professionals of aerospace, robotics and medicine, covered the training methods for crews, robotics for outdoor and indoor activities, engineering of embedded systems and the arrangement of crafts. The experience has shown the efficiency of a transverse visiting multidisciplinary team for training, and possible synergies with the resident scientists. In addition, the sessions were enriched by demonstrations such as mini-robot for observation, micro-helicopter and also the comparison between extra vehicular activities (EVA) Russian glove and polar suits.

Global estimates of high-level brain drain and deficit.

Brain drain, the international migration of scientists in search of better opportunities, has been a long-standing concern, but quantitative measurements are uncommon and limited to specific countries or disciplines. We need to understand brain drain at a global level and estimate the extent to which scientists born in countries with low opportunities never realize their potential. Data on 1523 of the most highly cited scientists for 1981-1999 are analyzed. Overall, 31.9% of these scientists did not reside in the country where they were born (range 18.1-54.6% across 21 different scientific fields). There was great variability across developed countries in the proportions of foreign-born resident scientists and emigrating scientists. Countries without a critical mass of native scientists lost most scientists to migration. This loss occurred in both developed and developing countries. Adjusting for population and using the U.S. as reference, the number of highly cited native-born scientists was at least 75% of the expected number in only 8 countries other than the U.S. It is estimated that approximately 94% of the expected top scientists worldwide have not been able to materialize themselves due to various adverse conditions. Scientific deficit is only likely to help perpetuate these adverse conditions.

The Spirit of the Arctic and the Next Generation of Arctic Researchers

Last September I was asked to give the closing talk at the American Association for the Advancement of Science .... My topic: Who will be the Arctic researchers of the next 50 years? ... With at least six trends at work - declining length of field time, increasing autonomous and remotely sensed data collection, increasing funding in the U.S., more scientists chasing the funding, a shift from regional to topical focus, and an increasing resident population of scientists - predicting the future is difficult. Were it not for the increasing population of resident scientists, the number of scientists infused with the spirit of the Arctic might be in decline, but even office-bound computer modelers living in the Arctic get exposed to the magic of the land and sea during road and camping trips. In addition, while the length of field time overall has decreased, it remains the highest for students. They are younger, more impressionable, and more likely to be susceptible to the spell of the Arctic. For the future, it is more important for them to develop a sense of commitment than for any other group to do so. It is my firm belief that if the researchers of the next 50 years are not committed to the Arctic, not under its spell, and not wanting to spend time out, the result will not be good. ... If we want the Arctic researchers of the next 50 years to be as passionate, caring, and committed as those of the past 50 years, then we must connect them to the past and give them reason to be committed in the future.