Scientific Coordination Research Articles

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

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

A New Stage of Development of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Russia: Problems in Creation of a Geriatric-Care System. Part 2. Structure of the System and a Scientific Approach

The publication is the second part of the analytical review on the new stage of development of gerontology and geriatrics in Russia. Components of social support system for senior citizens and the structure of social-medical care as its crucial components are presented. The problem of positioning of geriatric care within the system of social support for senior citizens, as well as its peculiarities and the algorithm providing geriatric care are discussed. The analysis of this algorithm allowed us to justify the indissoluble link and continuity of individual components of geriatric care and its cost-effectiveness. The position of the Russian Federation Ministry of Health concerning of introduction of geriatric care as an element in the system of medical care for older citizens was looking through. The pilot project «Territory of Care» proposed by the Russian Federation Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Health for establishment of long-term system of medical and social care to citizens of the older generation on the principles of multidisciplinary and interdepartmental interaction was elucidated as well. Some failures of the project have been highlighted and recommendations for its development were stressed. The role of gerontology as a systemic basis for creation of geriatric service in Russia and for the development of an integrated social and medical care to citizens of the older generation was underlined. The main priorities in the field of aging in the forthcoming decade are formulated. The most promising areas of research in the field of gerontology were discussed, the implementation of which will allow to realize the State social policy goals focused on the quality of life of senior citizens. Finally, the position of Gerontological Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the creation of mechanisms of scientific support for the renovation of geriatric services, including collaboration with experts in the field of practical medicine, social workers, and organization of scientific coordination of all efforts for the development of geriatric care to citizens of the older generation are presented.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions

Corrigendum to "Analgesic Effect of Maternal Human Milk Odor on Premature Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial".

Baudesson de Chanville, A., Brevaut-Malaty, V., Garbi, A., Tosello, B., Baumstarck, K., Gire, C., & Le Cozannet, R. (2017). Analgesic effect of maternal human milk odor on premature neonates: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Human Lactation, 33(2), 300-308. (Original DOI: 10.1177/0890334417693225) In this article that appeared in the May 2017 issue of Journal of Human Lactation, the following corrections are required due to an inadvertent omission by the research team authoring the paper. 1) Dr. Romain Le Cozannet has been added as an author. The corrected author list is as follows: Audrey Baudesson de Chanville, MD, Véronique Brevaut-Malaty, MD, Aurélie Garbi, MD, Barthelemy Tosello, MD, PhD, Karine Baumstarck, MD, PhD, Catherine Gire, MD, and Romain Le Cozannet, PhD 2) At the time this study was conducted, Dr. Le Cozannet was the scientific coordinator for Aroma Therapeutics in Marseille, France. The funding statement has been amended to include Aroma Therapeutics, which provided materials and technical and scientific support for this study. The corrected funding statement is also provided as follows: Funding The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by institutional grants from the French 2013 Appel d'Offre Recherche Clinique Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Marseille. The sponsor was represented by Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Marseille, France, whose role was to control the appropriateness of ethical and legal considerations. Aroma Therapeutics provided materials and technical and scientific support for this study.

Adapting the CIS Cooperation Formats to the Modern Context Based on Scientific and Technological Policy Coordination

The issues of collaboration between the CIS member states in the field of the interstate scientific and technical information exchange are explored. Various formats of cooperation, including interstate cooperation programs, provision of information and legal support, and the implementation of joint R&D projects are explored. Based on the results of the study, it is proposed to develop an electronic analytical system, a model applied to monitor and control the processes related to the design and implementation of joint scientific and technological projects by the CIS member states. The structured analytical data collected through the monitoring of joint coordinated requests for proposals (RFPs) and scientific and technological projects will support the adaptation of the CIS Economic Council, the CIS Executive Committee, and national authorities to the modern context based on the coordination of the respective scientific and technological policies in the framework of national state programs. Further improvement and greater effectiveness of the CIS collaboration is a priority for the Russian chairmanship of the CIS in 2017.

The missing middle: Central Arctic Ocean gaps in fishery research and science coordination

The warming global climate is reducing sea-ice coverage in the central Arctic, transforming a mostly inaccessible marine region into a 'new' and relatively poorly studied ocean. History shows that exploitation of newly accessible natural resources tends to precede effective research and management measures. But in response to increasing access to the central Arctic, a precautionary approach has been taking hold, with broad political and scientific support culminating in the Oslo Declaration of 2015, which aims to prevent unregulated high seas fishing in the central Arctic. Negotiations toward a full binding agreement are continuing. Formal efforts toward assessing knowledge of the Arctic marine ecosystems and coordinating research are underway, and practitioner-based research coordination and collaboration in the region is also ongoing. Yet broad gaps in our current marine research and coordination exist, and this paper draws attention to the spatial middle, middle trophics, and the middle scale — an Arctic 'missing middle'. Scientific activity in the central Arctic Ocean region is burgeoning in recent years, and a large number of initiatives, projects, and arrangements are meeting some of the need for coordination. But full pan-Arctic scientific coordination does not yet exist. In support of ecosystem-based and precautionary management of the central Arctic Ocean, this paper considers a fully Arctic-focused organization that can both orchestrate and prioritize marine research in the Arctic in view of policy imperatives, and bring emerging scientific understanding of the region directly into the discussion and formation of new policy.

New human biomonitoring methods for chemicals of concern—the German approach to enhance relevance

In Germany strong efforts have been made within the last years to develop new methods for human biomonitoring (HBM). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and the German Chemical Industry Association e. V. (VCI) cooperate since 2010 to increase the knowledge on the internal exposure of the general population to chemicals. The projects aim is to promote human biomonitoring by developing new analytical methods Key partner of the cooperation is the German Environment Agency (UBA) which has been entrusted with the scientific coordination. Another key partner is the "HBM Expert Panel" which each year puts together a list of chemicals of interest to the project from which the Steering Committee of the project choses up to five substances for which method development will be started. Emphasis is placed on substances with either a potential health relevance or on substances to which the general population is potentially exposed to a considerable extent. The HBM Expert Panel also advises on method development. Once a method is developed, it is usually first applied to about 40 non-occupationally exposed individuals. A next step is applying the methods to different samples. Either, if the time trend is of major interest, to samples from the German Environmental Specimen Bank, or, in case exposure sources and distribution of exposure levels in the general population are the focus, the new methods are applied to samples from children and adolescents from the population representative 5th German Environmental Survey (GerES V). Results are expected in late 2018. This article describes the challenges faced during method development and solutions found. An overview presents the 34 selected substances, the 14 methods developed and the 7 HBM-I values derived in the period from 2010 to mid 2016.

Large-scale study of herd-level risk factors for bovine brucellosis in Brazil

Bovine brucellosis is an important zoonosis caused by Brucella abortus that negatively impacts livestock productivity. In 2001, Brazil launched a new national program aimed at eradicating animal brucellosis that included large-scale studies of the prevalence and risk factors to support strategic decision-making. These studies were implemented by the animal health authorities and were underpinned by the scientific coordination of the University of São Paulo and the University of Brasília. The state-level results were published and revealed important differences in herd prevalence among regions. The risk factors varied across states and did not clearly explain the observed spatial disease spread. This study used a consolidated herd-level database of 14 states and 17,100 herds, from the prevalence surveys’ data, to gain insights into herd profiles and cattle production practices that might be associated with the risk of brucellosis. At the time of data collection, the study area comprised just over 56 million bovine females aged over 24 months and approximately 1.8 million herds. After an exploratory univariable analysis, all factors with p≤0.20 were included in a multiple logistic regression model, using the design-based method in order to take herd sampling weights into account. The number of females in the herd markedly increased the risk of infection; compared with smaller herds (less than 30 females), the odds ratio was 3.42 [CI 95% 2.98–3.91] for herds with 31 to 100 females, 5.68 [4.92–6.55] for herds with 101 to 400 females, and 13.14 [10.94–15.78] for herds with more than 400 females. The risk was higher for extensive cattle production farms (OR=1.23 [1.07–1.42]) and for farms that purchased replacement stock from cattle traders (OR=1.27 [1.08–1.47]) or directly from other farms (OR=1.19 [1.07–1.32]). The exclusive use of artificial insemination (OR=0.57 [0.4–0.81]) and regular veterinary support (OR=0.68 [0.6–0.77]) appeared to be protective factors. These findings are consistent with the regional prevalence trends observed in the study and provide key guidance for the planning of the national effort to control and eradicate brucellosis. High vaccination coverage of heifers is recommended, especially when targeted to areas where large-scale extensive cattle production predominates. The smaller, more intensive herds, are good candidates for disease accreditation schemes.

Sotto lo stesso cielo. Fragilità, educazione, contemporaneità

Under the same sky. Fragility, education, contemporaneity. The papers in this section of the journal are based on discussions from the conference Sotto lo stesso cielo. Fragilita, educazione, contemporaneita [Under the Same Sky. Fragility, education, contemporaneity] held at the University of Milano-Bicocca in December 2015. At this event, the research groups IRACLIA-Narrative and writing practices in educational and healthcare contexts and Adult Condition and Educational Processes [Condizione Adulta e Processi Formativi] (scientific coordinator: Micaela Castiglioni-University of Milano-Bicocca) set out to explore the theme, or rather, the issue of adult fragility in the contemporary era, with a view to identifying its particular lights and shadows and areas of fullness versus emptiness. In so doing, we felt that it was of key importance to adopt a multidisciplinary approach matching the multifaceted nature and diverse range of adult experience, while nevertheless retaining a strongly educational and pedagogical perspective. Is it possible to support fragile subjects and to contain the experience of fragility common to all, by means of educational and, where appropriate, narratively oriented action? Furthermore, is it feasible for us to engage with, and creatively and generatively challenge, discourse on the education and care of contemporary adults from our own condition of fragility as distinct from vulnerability? These are some of the questions that oriented our discussions and are taken up again in the current papers. From a transcultural viewpoint, the virtue of fragility is well portrayed in the eternal myth of Antigone, who, in contrast with Oedipus’ going unknowingly to meet his fate, was mindful and deliberate in her behaviour, defied the law of men and bravely chose to expose her own fragility. The virtue of fragility, of which Antigone is an emblematic figure, sums up and defines a way of thinking that renews itself by drawing on experience. Fragility also entails an awareness of one’s own condition that is the essence of the human condition itself. In turn, these qualities foster self-knowledge and knowledge of the world, and encourage a flexible mode of thinking that is open to the thinking of others, thereby maintaining its own vitality. This is because the awareness of being fragile invites us to seek out new experiences and to give ourselves a break by accepting temporary and provisional truths that are related to specific situations and times in our lives, before reasserting our editorial control. It is difficult to remain mindful of our fragility throughout our concrete being in relationships and in the world, even more so in the context of the relations between women and men, which have undergone great change but as yet lack new models and pathways. Being aware that we are fragile, becoming conscious of our own incompleteness and recognizing our dependence on the other prepares us to accept that we can never fully get to know, or gain mastery over, ourselves.

Understanding collaboration in a multi-national research capacity-building partnership: a qualitative study.

BackgroundResearch capacity building and its impact on policy and international research partnership is increasingly seen as important. High income and low- and middle-income countries frequently engage in research collaborations. These can have a positive impact on research capacity building, provided such partnerships are long-term collaborations with a unified aim, but they can also have challenges. What are these challenges, which often result in a short term/ non viable collaboration? Does such collaboration results in capacity building? What are the requirements to make any collaboration sustainable? This study aimed to answer these and other research questions through examining an international collaboration in one multi-country research capacity building project ARCADE RSDH (Asian Regional Capacity Development for Research on Social Determinants of Health).MethodA qualitative study was conducted that focused on the reasons for the collaboration, collaboration patterns involved, processes of exchanging information, barriers faced and perceived growth in research capacity. In-depth interviews were conducted with the principal investigators (n = 12), research assistants (n = 2) and a scientific coordinator (n = 1) of the collaborating institutes. Data were analysed using thematic framework analysis.ResultsThe initial contact between institutes was through previous collaborations. The collaboration was affected by the organisational structure of the partner institutes, political influences and the collaboration design. Communication was usually conducted online, which was affected by differences in time and language and inefficient infrastructure. Limited funding resulted in restricted engagement by some partners.ConclusionThis study explored work in a large, North-South collaboration project focusing on building research capacity in partner institutes. The project helped strengthen research capacity, though differences in organization types, existing research capacity, culture, time, and language acted as obstacles to the success of the project. Managing these differences requires preplanned strategies to develop functional communication channels among the partners, maintaining transparency, and sharing the rewards and benefits at all stages of collaboration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12961-016-0132-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Modelling responses of forages to climate change with a focus on nutritive value

European livestock agriculture is extraordinarily diverse, and so are the challenges it faces. This diversity has contributed to the development of a fragmented set of research communities. As a result, livestock research is often under-represented at policy level, despite its high relevance for the environment and food security. Understanding livestock systems and how they can sustainably adapt to global change requires inputs across research areas, including grasslands, nutrition, health, welfare and ecology. It also requires experimental researchers, modellers and stakeholders to work closely together. Networks and capacity building structures are vital to enable livestock research to meet the challenges of climate change. They need to maintain shared resources and provide non-competitive arenas to share and synthesize results for policy support. Long term strategic investment is needed to support such structures. Their leadership requires very different skills to those effective in scientific project coordination.

INTRODUCTION

As Head of the Editorial and Advisory Board of Sophia [1], a peer reviewed Journal published by scopio Editions [2] and specifically designed to address theoretical work on Image and Architecture, I am very pleased to be writing this introduction to our first number that has as title Crossing Borders, Shifting Boundaries and sub-title The Aura of the Image, being its Scientific Coordinators Susana Ventura — Editor — and Edward Dimendberg – the Invited Editor for this number. Sophia collection is specifically designed to address theoretical work, and it aims to be the publishing medium for a set of exploratory and critical texts on image in the broad sense, i.e. comprehending the worlds of design, photography, film, video, television and new media. The objective is to challenge different artists and creators to publish in book format original articles, reviews and other texts of interest and value. We are interested in making Sophia a mentis instrumental capable of extending our critical knowledge and questioning the universe of image in innovative ways. The published set of theoretical and critical texts on image can either be taken from sections of scopio magazine, or from our International Conference On the Surface: Photography and Architecture, or submitted by new authors and other R&D national and international centers, through our call for abstract submissions. The title Crossing Borders, Shifting Boundaries defines the global theme for this present cycle of Sophia and conveys the interest in promoting a critical analysis around this theme, exploring how image is a medium that, on the one hand, can cross borders and shift boundaries between different subjects and disciplines where image and photography are present in a significant way and, on the other hand, in how image and photography can be used as critical instruments to better understand the real and its different realities, always questioning the universe of image in an innovative way. This is to say, besides other things, that we are very interested to see photography as a practice and discipline that is able to explore different boundaries – boundaries between nations, between text and images, between different visual genres, forms of work and ways of thinking. The sub-title The Aura of the Image ensures the specificity of Sophia´s present number and marks the editorial work made by its Editors, being thus no surprise to read, on the one hand, in Susana Ventura´s text, besides other authors, the reference to Walter Benjamin and to his concept of “the aura” used by him for explaining how photography has transformed the relation between the image and its beholder. Then, on the other hand, in Edward Dimendberg´s text the reference to Benjamin´s idea of “the tiny spark of contingency” inherent in photography, which Benjamin expressed in his essay “little history of photography” (1931). Finally, it can be said we believe that Sophia will help to globally promote the awareness and reflection upon Architecture, Art and Image (AAI) and specifically to Image in regards to its conception as an instrument to question Art and Architecture, which is understood as an extended discipline and practice with an interest, on one side, in the real space and its experiences, exploring new spatial forms and architectural codes, and on the other side, on how architecture operates within larger systems: socio-cultural, technical, and historical. [...]

Quantifying 10 Years of Improved Earthquake‐Monitoring Performance in the Caribbean Region

ABSTRACT Over 75 tsunamis have been documented in the Caribbean and adjacent regions during the past 500 years. Since 1500, at least 4484 people are reported to have perished in these killer waves. Hundreds of thousands are currently threatened along the Caribbean coastlines. Were a great tsunamigenic earthquake to occur in the Caribbean region today, the effects would potentially be catastrophic due to an increasingly vulnerable region that has seen significant population increases in the past 40–50 years and currently hosts an estimated 500,000 daily beach visitors from North America and Europe, a majority of whom are not likely aware of tsunami and earthquake hazards. Following the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra–Andaman Islands earthquake of 26 December 2004, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Early Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE‐EWS) was established and developed minimum performance standards for the detection and analysis of earthquakes. In this study, we model earthquake‐magnitude detection threshold and P ‐wave detection time and demonstrate that the requirements established by the UNESCO ICG CARIBE‐EWS are met with 100% of the network operating. We demonstrate that earthquake‐monitoring performance in the Caribbean Sea region has improved significantly in the past decade as the number of real‐time seismic stations available to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tsunami warning centers have increased. We also identify weaknesses in the current international network and provide guidance for selecting the optimal distribution of seismic stations contributed from existing real‐time broadband national networks in the region.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions

An interview with Ivette Gomes

Maria Ivette Gomes was born July 21, 1948 in Almada, Portugal. After obtaining a BSc in Pure Mathematics in 1970 from the University of Lisbon, Ivette moved in to the University of Sheffield where she completed her PhD in Statistics in 1978, under the supervision of Clive Anderson. Research on statistics of extremes in Portugal has now a long tradition, with Ivette being one of the founders of the movement, along with Tiago de Oliveira (1928–1992). Ivette was co-founder of the Portuguese Statistical Society, and acted as its President from 1990 until 1994; since 1975 she played a key role in the Center of Statistics and Applications (CEAUL), being its scientific coordinator from 1999 until 2006. She was Professor at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Lisbon, from 1986 until her retirement in 2011. She has been an influential and distinguished scientist in the field of statistics of extremes, through her research, teaching and supervision activities, as well an ambassador of the ‘school of extremes’ in Portugal.

Self‐X Materials and Structures in Nature and Technology: Bio‐inspiration as a Driving Force for Technical Innovation

Over the course of 3.8 billion years of biological evolution, nature has found the answers to many engineering problems. The aim of biomimetics is to analyse and tap biology's potential as a huge reservoir for innovative solutions. Thomas Speck, Professor and Director of the Plant Biomechanics Group (PBG) at the University of Freiburg and the Freiburg Centre for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT), Jan Knippers, Professor and Head of the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart, and Olga Speck, a researcher at the PBG, scientific coordinator of FIT and manager of the Competence Network Biomimetics at Freiburg, explain how biological material systems with self‐x properties are cost‐efficient, multifunctional, and can be environmentally friendly; and with several billion trial runs, have surely stood the test of time.

Reichenbach on causality in 1923: Scientific inference, coordination, and confirmation

In The Theory of Relativity and A Priori Knowledge (1920b), Reichenbach developed an original account of cognition as coordination of formal structures to empirical ones. One of the most salient features of this account is that it is explicitly not a top-down type of coordination, and in fact it is crucially “directed” by the empirical side. Reichenbach called this feature “the mutuality of coordination” but, in that work, did not elaborate sufficiently on how this is supposed to work. In a paper that he wrote less than two years afterwards (but that he published only in 1932), “The Principle of Causality and the Possibility of its Empirical Confirmation” (1923/1932), he described what seems to be a model for this idea, now within an analysis of causality that results in an account of scientific inference. Recent reassessments of his early proposal do not seem to capture the extent of Reichenbach's original worries. The present paper analyses Reichenbach's early account and suggests a new way to look at his early work. According to it, we perform measurements, individuate parameters, collect and analyse data, by using a “constructive” approach, such as the one with which we formulate and test hypotheses, which paradigmatically requires some simplicity assumptions. Reichenbach's attempt to account for all these aspects in 1923 was obviously limited and naive in many ways, but it shows that, in his view, there were multiple ways in which the idea of “constitution” is embodied in scientific practice.

Factor XI Antisense Oligonucleotide for Prevention of Venous Thrombosis

BACKGROUNDPatients undergoing total knee arthroplasty are at risk for postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The pathogenesis of postoperative VTE is incompletely understood, but tissue factor exposed at the surgical site is thought to be the major driver through the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. Experimental data indicate that reducing factor XI (FXI), a key component of the intrinsic pathway, attenuates thrombosis without causing bleeding, but the role of FXI in postoperative VTE in humans is unknown. There is evidence that patients with congenital FXI deficiency are at a reduced risk of VTE. FXI levels can be lowered with ISIS 416858 (FXI-ASO), an antisense oligonucleotide that specifically reduces human FXI mRNA expression in the liver. To determine whether lowering FXI levels prevents VTE without increasing the risk of bleeding, we compared several doses of FXI-ASO with enoxaparin on the rates of postoperative VTE and bleeding in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. METHODSWe randomized 300 patients to one of two FXI-ASO regimens (200 or 300 mg) or to 40 mg enoxaparin once daily in an open-label, parallel group study. FXI-ASO was administered as 9 subcutaneous injections starting 36 days before surgery with the last dose given 3 days postoperatively. Enoxaparin was to be continued for at least 8 days postoperatively. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of VTE detected by mandatory bilateral venography (performed on days 8 to 12 postoperatively) or symptomatic events. The principal safety outcome was major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. All outcomes were adjudicated by a committee blinded to treatment allocation. RESULTSFXI-ASO prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on the prothrombin time. Around the time of surgery, mean FXI activities were 0.38 ± 0.01, 0.20 ± 0.01 and 0.93 ± 0.02 units/ml in patients given the 200 and 300 mg FXI-ASO regimens and enoxaparin, respectively. In contrast, levels of FXII, FIX and FVIII, other components of the intrinsic pathway, were unaffected by FXI-ASO. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 36 of 134 (26.9%) and 3 of 71 (4.2%) patients given the 200 and 300 mg FXI-ASO regimens, respectively, compared with 21 of 69 (30.4%) patients in the enoxaparin group. The 200 mg regimen was non-inferior, while the 300 mg regimen was superior to enoxaparin (P<0.001). Bleeding occurred in 2.8%, 2.6% and 8.3% of patients in the 200 mg, 300 mg, and enoxaparin groups, respectively. Preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin values and transfusion requirements were similar in the three treatment groups. CONCLUSIONSThis study is the first to show that FXI contributes to postoperative VTE and that lowering FXI levels is very effective for its prevention and appears to be safe. Additional studies are needed to confirm the safety of FXI-ASO, although the fact that patients receiving this therapy safely underwent major orthopedic surgery is reassuring. Our findings support the concept that thrombosis and hemostasis can be dissociated with strategies that target FXI. The profile of FXI-ASO renders it an appealing option for treatment of patients with a wide range of chronic thrombotic conditions. DisclosuresBuller:Isis Pharmaceuticals Daiichi-Sankyo Bayer Health-Care Pfizer Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria. Bethune:Isis Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Bhanot:Isis Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Gailani:Aronora: Consultancy, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Dyax: Consultancy, Research Funding; Instrument Laboratory: Consultancy, Research Funding; Isis: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Monia:Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment. Raskob:Bayer Healthcare: Consultancy, Honoraria; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria; ISIS Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria. Segers:Isis Pharmaceuticals Daiichi-Sankyo Bayer Health-Care Pfizer Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Medical Director ofAcademic Research Organization which received services fees for the scientific coordination of clinical studies Other. Weitz:Pfizer, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Enabling scalable scientific workflow management in the Cloud

Cloud computing is gaining tremendous momentum in both academia and industry. In this context, we define the term “Cloud Workflow” as the specification, execution and provenance tracking of large-scale scientific workflows, as well as the management of data and computing resources to support the execution of large-scale scientific workflows in the Cloud. In this paper, we first analyze the gap between these two complementary technologies, and what it means to bring Clouds and workflows together. Then, we present the key challenges in supporting Cloud workflows, and present our reference framework for scientific workflow management in the Cloud. Last we present our experience in integrating a scientific workflow management system—Swift into the Cloud. We discuss the performance of cluster provisioning within the OpenNebula Cloud platform, the Eucalyptus Cloud platform and Amazon EC2, and we demonstrate the capability and efficiency of the integration using a NASA MODIS image processing workflow and the Montage image mosaic workflow.Note to practitioners. Scientific workflow management plays a very important role for scientific computing and application coordination, while Cloud computing offers scalability and resource on-demand. We devise autonomous methods to integrate scientific workflow management systems with Cloud platforms and also provision resources for large scale workflows, which can facilitate scientists to easily manage their workflows in the Cloud, and take advantage of large scale Cloud resources. There are a few integration options and many challenges in the process, and the experience we gain will help researchers in migrating their workflow management systems and workflow applications into the Cloud.

Editorial introductions

Editorial introductions