bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONVERSION COEFFICIENTS FOR CALCULATING CARBON DIOXIDE ABSORPTION DURING REFORESTATION AND AFFORESTATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE VORONEZH REGION)
Authors: Vodolazhskiy Aleksey , Tuvyshkina M. , Serikov Mikhail
Published: December 2024

As a result of this work, conversion coefficients have been obtained, with the help of which it is possible to calculate the volume of carbon dioxide absorption during reforestation or reforestation per 1 hectare of land for the period from the beginning of reforestation until the transfer of these areas to the category of land covered with forest vegetation. All methods of reforestation (artificial and natural) for all the main breeds of the Voronezh region are considered. Within the framework of artificial reforestation, coefficients were obtained for 1 ha of forest crops when planted with an open and closed root system. When calculating the coefficients for young plants of natural origin, the timing of overgrowth of cuttings and harems, and the presence of preliminary renewal were tak-en into account.
ASSESSMENT OF THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE MAIN FOREST-FORMING SPECIES IN THE ALUSHTA FORESTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CRIMEA
Authors: Tolmacheva V. , Slavskiy Vasiliy , Slavskaya Galina
Published: December 2024

The key problem of forestry is the deterioration of the sanitary condition of plantations, which de-termines the need for forest protection measures in the form of sanitary logging. The purpose of the study is to obtain new information about the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of forest ecosystems, to assess the sanitary condition of plantations of the main forest−forming species of the Republic of Crimea, as well as to analyze the growth and development of plantations in the Alushta forestry. In the course of the work, 4 sample areas were laid, on which the forestry and taxation in-dicators of the plantation were studied in detail and analyzed. The studied plantings are not inhabit-ed by harmful organisms and are not infected with diseases. The paper evaluates the current state and makes a forecast for the growth and development of stands of Oriental beech and Crimean pine after conducting selective sanitary logging (HRV). After the planned sanitary felling, dry–hardy trees will be completely removed, healthy trees will make up about 2% of the total stock, and weak-ened ones - about 60%. The weighted average value of the sanitary condition of the plantings is 2.35...2.49 points; all plantings will be classified as "weakened". It is recommended that timely sanitary and health measures be carried out in the form of selective sanitary logging of low intensity (10%) in the Alushta district forestry in quarter 21, allotment 24 and 26, as well as in the Zaprudensky district forestry in quarter 22, allotment 4. For intensive growth and development of planta-tions, as well as an increase in their growth, it should be carried out logging of care in Zaprudnenskoye district forestry in block 22, allotment 8.
A SHORT HISTORY OF GEOECONOMICS AND GEOPOLITICS OF INTERNET
Authors: Ozelli Tunc
Published: December 2024

The www is a network whose nodes are documents and whose links are URLs that allow us to ‘stuff’ with one click from one web document to another exceeding in size even the human brain. With Donald Trump declared TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY war in 2018 INTERNET has become a strategic battlegrounds of the war as USA and PRC try to win by ring-fencing their supply chains. ARPANET, funded by PENTAGON, was the brainchild of Paul Baran for packet switching, Vint Cref for writing TCP/IP protocols and Sir Tim Berners Lee for developing the world wide web that connected computers to each other so that people could see what was on other nodes than their own hard drive. The INTERNET was built without memory. Self-governing cyber-communities can escape geography and rely in open source, peer-to-peer networking. OPEN-SOURCE collaborative network created a very large portion of the lines of code on the INTERNET, smartphones, stock markets and airplanes. But in 21st Century, governments developed techniques for controlling offshore INTERNET communications, thus enforcing their laws by exercising coercion within their borders. The INTERNET’s design was not the result of some grand theory or vision. Open design was necessitated by the particularities of specific engineering challenges. With the ascendancy of FACEBOOK, AMAZON, APPLE, MICROSOFT, and GOOGLE [FAANG] in the USA and BAIDU, ALIBABA, and TENCENT [BAT] in the PRC in 21st Century to solve the ‘trust’ problem of money transactions the industry retreated to the centralized CLOUD abandoning the distributed architecture for centralized monopolies. The CLOUD is gargantuan data centers composed of immense systems of data storage and processors linked together by millions of miles of fiber optic lines and consuming electric power and radiating heat that exceeds most industrial enterprises in history. The INTERNET may have ushered in a new age of sustainable open systems, but as APPLE and MICROSOFT have shown an integrated closed system monopoly remains as irresistible as ever both in the USA and PRC.
Manejo del Infarto Agudo al Miocardio con Elevación del Segmento ST
Authors:   Critical Care & Emergency Medicine, Prado Ediciones , Tirado Estrada Arturo , Soto Páramo Dejanira Georgina
Published: December 2024

Background: In Mexico, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) recorded 200,535 cases of mortality due to heart disease during 2022, being the leading cause of death in people aged 45 to 54 years and over 65 years of age ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a cardiovascular emergency, with the potential for morbidity and mortality and the priority of reperfusion therapy

Objectives: To review the definitions, classifications, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with priority for coronary reperfusion and a focus on early pharmacoinvasive strategy.

Inclusion criteria: Scientific articles written in the adult population with STEMI, in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, between 2018 and 2023.
Methodology: A systematic search was performed in PUDMED, LILACS, and COCHRANE, identifying 1,071 articles, of which 48 met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Patients with an initial diagnosis of STEMI require immediate reperfusion therapy (percutaneous cardiological intervention primary (PCI) or fibrinolysis if primary PCI cannot be performed within the first 120 minutes (min) of diagnosis). However, in some situations primary PCI is not an immediate option and fibrinolysis should be started as part of the pharmacoinvasive strategy, provided that it can be performed within the first 12 hours of symptom onset.

Conclusion: Coronary reperfusion is the main goal of treatment for patients with STEMI, and pharmacoinvasive therapy is ideal in an environment without rapid access to a haemodynamics or interventional cardiology centre; Always keeping in mind the premise that time is myocardium, time is organ, time is life.
IoT-Enabled Smart Fence: Remote Security and Monitoring Using NodeMCU ESP32 and Blynk
Authors: Syahrani Fadhilah Putri , Saputra Hadi Kurnia , Anori Sartika , Agustiarmi Winda , Ayasrah Firas Tayseer , Thanh Pham Van
Published: December 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed home security by enabling automated remote monitoring and control systems. This study presents an IoT-enabled smart fence prototype that utilizes the NodeMCU ESP32 microcontroller and the Blynk application to provide secure, efficient remote gate operations. The system allows users to remotely open, close, and lock gates via mobile devices, addressing the limitations of traditional manual methods. Core components include ultrasonic sensors for real-time obstacle detection, relays, and motors, all integrated into a robust hardware-software framework. Testing revealed consistent system responses within two seconds under stable network conditions, with accurate obstacle detection ensuring the safety zone is maintained. Despite network stability challenges, the system is practical, user-friendly, and scalable for residential security applications. Future improvements could incorporate dual connectivity options to enhance network resilience and advanced sensor calibration to improve reliability across varied environments. This cost-effective prototype demonstrates significant potential for modern smart home security applications and future advancements.
Otantik Liderlik
Authors: Yavuz Andaç Efe , Oğuzhan Yavuz Sezer
Published: December 2024

Liderlik alanyazın taramaları geçmişten bugüne fazlasıyla çeşitlendirilmiş olmakla birlikte, günümüzde hala ilk günkü gibi tazeliğini korumayı başarmaktadır. Liderliğin özünde sadece bir örgüt, topluluk veya şirketin hedeflerini gerçekleştirmekten ziyade insanlığın hedeflerini yönlendirmek ve başarıya taşımak yatmaktadır. Liderliğin bu temel tanımı yakın geçmişte bilimin ışığında ortaya çıkan “Modern Liderlik Teorileri” ile zenginleştirilmekle kalmayıp aynı zamanda bizlere yeni bir bakış açısı kazandırmaya ve liderliğin özünde bulunan insan temelli liderliği daha yakından tanımamıza olanak sunmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, çağımızda liderliğin rolü sadece yönlendirme ve başarıya ulaştırmayla sınırlı kalmayıp bireylerin kendilerini tanımalarına imkân sağlayıp potansiyellerini gerçekleştirmelerine imkan tanıma unsuru olarak da karşımıza çıkmaktadır (Erkutlu, 2020:14). Görüldüğü üzere liderlik, köklerini insan psikolojisi üzerine dayandırarak bireylerin duygusal ve bilişsel süreçlerini anlamaya odaklanmaktadır. Bu noktada klasik liderlik teorilerinden kendini arındırabilmiş “Otantik Liderlik” devreye girmektedir.
Otantik liderlik kavramı, ilk olarak Bruce Avolio ve Fred Luthans’ın 2003 yılında yayımladıkları “Authentic Leadership: A Positive Developmental Approach” başlıklı makalede ele alınmaktadır. Bu makale, otantik liderliğin temel ilkelerini tanımlayarak liderlerin, kendi değerlerine sadık kalarak liderlik yapmalarının önemine vurgu yapmaktadır. Otantiklik, bireyin dış baskılardan etkilenmeden, içsel değerleri ve inançları doğrultusunda özgün benliğini özgürce ifade etmesi olarak tanımlanırken (Kernis, 2003), otantik liderlik Öz-farkındalık, içsel ahlaki bakış, dengeli işleme ve ilişkisel şeffaflık boyutlarına bireyleri yönlendirmeye çalışan liderlik davranışı olarak tanımlanabilmektedir (Walumbwa vd., 2008). Sonuç olarak otantik liderler, karar ve eylemlerinde dışsal baskılardan ziyade kendi içsel değerlerine ve inançlarına dayanarak hareket etmektedir. Bu liderler, kimliklerini ve ahlaki standartlarını koruyarak tutarlılık sergiler ve takipçilerine ilham olmaktadırlar. Bu şekilde hem kendi gelişimlerine hem de takipçilerinin potansiyellerini keşfetmelerine katkıda bulunmaktadırlar.
Factors affecting the purchase behavior of One Commune One Product (OCOP) agricultural product consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors:   College of Economics, Law and Government (CELG), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), Vietnam, Nguyen Hoang Nam
Published: December 2024

Part of the key program for economic development in rural areas to promote internal resources and increase the value of exploiting local agricultural products, the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program, is considered an important solution and task in implementing the national target program on building new rural areas for the period from 2021 to 2025, oriented to 2030 according to Decision 194/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister issued on February 9, 2021. This study aims to identify and measure the effect of factors that influence the consumption behavior of OCOP agricultural products in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) through shopping systems such as shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores and agricultural markets. Research data was collected from 500 survey forms in shopping systems in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2024, statistical analysis performed using SPSS 22. The paper shows that different factors, including Attitude, Subjective norms, Perceived behavioral control, and Purchase intention influence on the Purchase behavior of OCOP agricultural product consumers, and discusses the management implications to improve the purchase behavior of local OCOP agricultural product consumers.
Determinants of scientific research intention of students of the Faculty of Accounting and Auditing at the Banking Academy of Vietnam
Authors:   Banking Academy of Vietnam, Nguyễn Thị Khánh Phương , Phạm Ngân Hà , Nguyễn Thị Hà My
Published: December 2024

Scientific research is an important extracurricular activity that helps students develop analytical and research skills, enhancing the effectiveness of learning and the quality of education at colleges and universities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of various factors on the intention to engage in scientific research among students. Research data were collected in January 2024 using a convenience sampling technique on 220 students of the Faculty of Accounting and Auditing at the Banking Academy of Vietnam. The results from multiple regression analysis indicate that Activities of guidance and encouragement for scientific research provided by educational institutions and family support exert the strongest impact on students' intention to conduct scientific research, followed by Capacity Limitations and Perception of Benefits. Difficulties in Implementation and Academic Year are not statistically significant in the regression model. The results of this study contribute to suggestions to improve the quality of scientific research and increase the rate of participation in scientific research among students at the Banking Academy of Vietnam.
The effect of female on Board of Directors on dividend payout policy of Vietnamese listed firms
Authors:   Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Vietnam, Phan Quỳnh Trang , Nguyễn Thị Thùy Dung
Published: December 2024

In recent years, women have more opportunities to participate in senior management positions. According to the Country Gender Equality Profile Vietnam 2021 (UN Women), Vietnam ranks among the top two countries in the ASEAN region for the highest percentage of women on the boards in listed firms. This study aims to assess the role of women, through their presence on the Board of Directors (BOD), in the dividend payout policies. Using the binary and multinomial logistic regression with a dataset of Vietnamese listed firms during the 2010 2022 period, the results show that the probability of a firm choosing not to pay dividends is positively associated with the increase in the percentages of females in the BOD. This result implies that women tend to accept lower risk and prefer to preserve the internal funds rather than distribute dividends to shareholders.
WHOLE ROCK K/Ar VS. ZIRCON U/Pb AGES FOR THE UPPER CRETACEOUS MAGMATIC ROCKS (BANATITE) ASSOCIATED TO GOSAU-TYPE BASINS LĂPUGIU AND RUSCA MONTANĂ (W ROMANIA)
Authors:   Institute of Geodynamics “Sabba S. Ștefănescu”, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, SEGHEDI IOAN , PÉCSKAY ZOLTAN ,   Institute for Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
Published: December 2024

This study comprises 12 new K/Ar data on Upper Cretaceous intrusive and volcaniclastic deposits associated to Gosau-type basins Lăpugiu and Rusca Montană (South Carpathians, W Romania). Here we validate K/Ar as a useful method for age determination of Upper Cretaceous rocks, those that in the absence of zircon cannot be dated by U-Pb methodologies. The K-Ar age determinations fall within the age range of the known zircon U-Pb method, i.e. 83-70 Ma. We found that the age of volcaniclastic sequences or subvolcanic rocks is always younger (~70-76 Ma) than the associated hypabyssic intrusive rocks (~80-83 Ma). We suggest that 70-80 Ma may corresponds to a period with extensional tectonics and Gosau basins generation.
STRATEGI KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL DALAM KURIKULUM MERDEKA PADA SD NEGERI 010 SAMARINDA SEBERANG
Authors: Munastari Ningsih Indah , Eka Wardana Kautsar
Published: December 2024

Changing leadership strategies are becoming important in education. This research discusses effective change leadership strategies in an educational institution. The qualitative approach used in this study explores strategies implemented by leaders in the independent curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka), including transparent communication, employee empowerment, and collaboration. The subjects in this research were the principal and teachers of SD Negeri 010 Samarinda Seberang. The results show that leaders who create a clear vision and involve all parties in the change process can increase the level of acceptance and commitment to the change. Apart from that, support and motivation from leadership, and providing adequate training also contribute to the successful implementation of change. The data in this research was obtained through observation and unstructured interviews with the principal and several teachers at SD Negeri 010 Samarinda Seberang. This research concludes that adaptive and inclusive change leadership is essential to face future challenges and achieve sustainable success for an institution.
Bob Dylan at Imperial
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

It’s hard to believe, but Bob Dylan is at Imperial. Stranger than an eleven-dollar bill. But it’s true.  Not in person you understand, that would be ridiculous. But his words are there, as the sub-text to an exhibition of photographs by Mark Edward illustrating humankind’s disconnection from the planet that we inhabit. The pictures are displayed on temporary boarding along one side of the Queen’s Lawn in the centre of the campus.
iLecture
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Last month I gave a talk to a group of Imperial College Alumni, all of whom had made a generous donation to the university and still take an interest in what goes on there. An interest keen enough to drag them to a lecture theatre on a grey October evening to hear one of the College’s researchers give an account of their latest work.
The Speed of X-rays
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I was back at the Diamond Light Source today — the synchrotron that we use to blast protein crystals with X-rays to figure out the structures of protein molecules. The beamlines at the synchrotron where we do our experiments have some very fancy kit and, in explaining the apparatus to one of my students, I was reminded of how much things have changed in the past twenty years.
Moving On
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Hi All – this is just a short placeholder post for anyone who

may

have wanted to leave a comment about my farewell post at Nature Network, which is now up. I’m afraid I am unable to respond to comments there, so thought I’d make a space here.
Homeopathy and the Structure of Memory
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I wanted to write something in time for World Homeopathy Awareness Week since homeopathy is such an amazing phenomenon. But though the promotional week is now over, I’m sure you can remember it. You will have memories of some of the things that were written and said. Memories are so important for human beings. They enrich the present and allow us to navigate from the past into the future.
So last week
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I know, I know. He’s been done to death, but I realised this morning that I have been walking past this poster for some weeks now and it’s always pleased me. I think, somehow, it still seems a little…

subversive

.
Science and Politics Mix
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Tonight I attended a science policy debate organised by CaSE at the Institution of Engineering and Technology on London’s Embankment.
This is not good enough
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

In a letter that I received this week from the Wellcome Trust about my grant application I read: “The Committee commended your engaging lay summary, which was deemed to be one of the most entertaining ever presented.” That was very good of them to say so. But it was not good

enough

. That’s because the statement was preceded by the news that “whilst the Committee agreed your application had merit, the competition was strong, and as a
Numb or Numbered? Part 2.
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Back in April — it seems so long ago now — I wrote about the problems created in university life science courses by the relatively low uptake of maths by the student intake. It provoked a very long and thoughtful discussion, both beneath the blog post and in email exchanges that I had with many of my colleagues. I am extremely grateful to everyone who took part.
Interview with the author
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Those of you who have read all 346 posts on my Reciprocal Space blog will have no need to read this one. You probably already have a sense of what I do and what I’m like – my science, my hobbies, my hobby-horses, and my foibles. But on the off chance that you’re new here, or are a faithful reader who just can’t get enough, here is an interview I did with The Free Think Tank. I say ‘interview’ though this was no Michael Parkinson affair.
Take off (some time)
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Last week, the engine on NASA’s brand new Ares 1-X flamed into life and the oddly thin white tube slowly raised itself from the launchpad. It accelerated impressively quickly and arced into the blue Florida sky. Within about two minutes it was travelling at almost five times the speed of sound.

Aiming high (picture courtesy of NASA).

Right on cue, explosive bolts fired to initiate stage separation.
Are you being served?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Working at home last Thursday, trying to get some quiet time to focus on a review article, I caught the lunchtime news and heard of the untimely death of the actress Wendy Richard. She was best known as Pauline Fowler from long-running BBC soap Eastenders.
Eye-opening access
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

If this paper is the future of open access publishing, then we are in for an interesting ride. And it’s a journey that will reveal a great deal more about the process of science than most outsiders will have seen hitherto.
The geeks might inherit the earth
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

“The problem with the French is that they don’t have a word for

entrepreneur

.” Thus—allegedly—spoke soon-to-be ex-President George Bush. It may be an apocryphal tale but I do so want it to be true. And speaking of entrepreneurs, Michael Birch, founder of the social networking site bebo.com, gave a talk at Imperial a couple of weeks ago. Birch, a physics graduate back in 1991, was speaking at the College’s Alumni Reunion.
Here comes Impact
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

In UK scientific circles and the wider realm of academia

impact

has been around for a while now. Grant forms incorporate large blank spaces in which applicants are required to outline their plans for ensuring that the work they hope to do will have impact.
To be or not to be great
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

You choose, but both paths involve outrageous fortune. Me? I can’t figure it out. Until six months ago I had never heard of Richard Hamming, a masterful mathematician and computer scientist from Bell Labs. I’d heard of Bell Labs all right, a celebrated hot zone of physics and computational research and home to no less than six Nobel laureates. But of Hamming? Nothing.
Mind your language
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

When it comes to language, I am a lover

and

a fighter. I’m no great expert but I know what I like and do try to take a

bit

of care every time I lay out my little handkerchief of prose here on Nature Network.
Nerds and Words (about science)
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Nerds

Many of you will already have seen this because I have been promoting it shamelessly on twitter. But this is the video of the talk I mentioned in a post back in March that my daughter Eleanor gave on a topic she feels passionately about: corduroy. I thought it might amuse some of you.
The Case for Support
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

If you are a scientist and you want some money to spend on research, as part of the grant application you have to write a case for support. It has to be good.
I’m reviewing the situation
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I should have done this a long time ago but I was too proud. I think I need to review. In 2002 Dan Carter published a paper in BBRC describing the crystal structure of the protein, human serum albumin, complexed with hemin.
Libel is not Funny
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Sunday evening saw the Curry clan heading into central London for the Big Libel Gig in support of the ongoing campaign for Libel Reform.
You can call him Al
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

This is normally Matt’s brief but I thought people (in the UK at least) might be interested to know that a three-part series on

Science and Islam

, fronted by Prof Jim Al-Khalili, starts at 9 pm tonight on BBC4.
A reciprocal space in Nature
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I couldn’t not do a quick post about this – today’s Futures story in Nature which provides an interesting medical twist on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, a tale that resonated with me a couple of weeks back.
An Open Letter to Elsevier
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Since the beginning of the argument with Elsevier over their support of the Research Works Act (RWA) in the US and the announcement of the boycott of the publisher, I have been keen to stimulate dialogue.
Nod to the pod squad
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

When I was a little boy I remember that my mother would sometimes extract a dull metal implement from the dark recess of a rarely used cupboard and clamp it to the kitchen table. Turning the handle she would feed the device with cubes of beef and it would spew mince onto a cold white plate. This is what my brain feels like. I have read fourteen grant applications in the past few days in preparation for an upcoming funding committee meeting.
Alive to the prospects for libel reform
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

The campaign for libel reform has been grinding away for several years now but there was still a buzz of expectation as we gathered in Committee Room 10 in the House of Commons last Wednesday evening. By 6 pm the room was packed. All seats had been taken and people parked themselves on window sills or stood in expectant clusters at both doors to the room.
Freedom of Error
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I have been struggling recently to find ways to rehash my post on scientific authority without causing NPG any further distress. This evening, on the train journey home, I think I finally found a way because I read one of the most remarkable scientific papers I have ever come across. The paper, by Keating

et al.

, brings us directly back to the ongoing saga of the British Chiropractic Association’s libel suit against Simon Singh.
Lucky Stan
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Attending the spring meeting of the Society for General Microbiology in sunny Harrogate earlier this week I had the chance to hear Stanley Prusiner deliver the SGM Prize Lecture on “Prion biology and diseases”. Not bad as talks go, though he would never win prizes for the design of his slides. Prusiner won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine back in 1997 for his work to establish the prion hypothesis.
JoK-ing Apart
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Today it is my signal honour to have a guest post on @JackofKent‘s most excellent blog. It examines the understanding of the nature of scientific evidence set out in the Court of Appeal’s recent ruling on the libel case brought by the British Chiropractic Association against science writer, Dr Simon Singh. In my opinion, the stance taken by the Court is pleasingly

scientific

.
I confess
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

There is something inherently confessional in a blog, even in a science blog. There is an urge to reveal—do you feel it?—that is normally kept safely in check. Mine is pretty well locked down. And yet I admire those who, on occasion, have cast off their reins and opened their hearts with great honesty. I think particularly of Richard’s pieces on “depression” and, more recently, faith.
Abandoned post
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Abandoned
Perusing the Papers
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Last night, having rounded off a busy week with a day of manual labour helping to repair my mother-in-law’s kitchen floor, I retired to bed early with the newspaper. Saturday’s

Guardian

, if you want to know. It was delightful. I hadn’t taken the time to read the paper for ages and was pleased to rediscover that singular pleasure. Unfortunately, it’s a pleasure that is unlikely to endure.
Fabulous night
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Tonight, at the end of an exhausting day, I have few words, but it was beautifully clear so I have taken some pictures of the night sky. And made a short film. The photographs are by no means exemplary. The shots of Orion are not pin sharp. The Moon and Venus are both over-exposed so you cannot see their phases. To the naked eye the moon was only a quarter full – as is apparent in the video below;
Before the Deluge
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

It starts tomorrow. The floodgates will open and will not close again for two whole weeks. I mean of course that “I’m a scientist, get me out of here!” starts tomorrow morning. I have signed up to submit myself for interrogation — on any topic — by children from participating schools from around the country.

Image hosted at flickr
Chance can be a fine thing
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

There was an old man from Downe, Kent Who found man arose by descent He said, “This may grate: But my friends we’re primate, Give thanks for life’s great accident!”
The Seriously Funny Fringe
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

When Simon Jenkins wrote in

The Guardian

a couple of months back about science being a new religion we all scoffed. Oh, how we scoffed. Scoff, scoff, scoff, scoff, scoff. Scoff. But having been at the Edinburgh Fringe for a few days now, I’m wondering if he

might

have had a point.
Are you going to this seminar? Huxley’s speaking.
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Oh wait, I’ve just checked the poster and we’re 129 years too late. Damn. But if you had been in the Piccadilly area at 8 pm on Monday 16th Feb 1880, you could have attended his talk on ‘The characters by which dogs resemble and differ from other animals’, the first of a series of six lectures on ‘Dogs and their forefathers’. The whole series would have set you back a mere sixpence.
Impact factors — RCUK provides a chance to act
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

If I had more time, this post would be shorter. But it explains how we have an opportunity to get UK research councils to help break the corrosive dependence of researchers on impact factors. Please at least skim all the way to the bottom to see how easy it is for you to participate.

15-3-2013:

Please see update at the foot of this post for an important announcement from RCUK.
The Best Seminar?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

What is the best seminar that you have ever attended? And what made it so good? I pondered this question after my name appeared on the list of speakers for our internal divisional seminar series this term. I thought that, rather than give another run-of-the-mill progress report, I might have a little fun with the format. And perhaps make a useful point at the same time.
Science is Vital – The Case for Support
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

A quick note here for those interested in the details of the case for support behind the Science is Vital Campaign that is fighting against cuts in the UK’s public spending on R&D. The campaign has posted key points and I have written my own digest of the case on the

Naturally Selected

blog over at

The Scientist

.
Not at all saturnine about Saturn
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Returning home from Lablit this evening at about 11 pm I scanned the clear sky in the south-east and noticed a small bright speck to the left of and slightly higher than the glowing moon. A quick perusal of Starmap on the iPhone told me that this was likely to be Saturn. At last! I dashed into the house, had a quick comfort-break (at the Americans so delicately put it), grabbed my telescope and set up shop on our front pathway.
Passing Time
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

At the weekend the clocks went forward. Time was shifted and the days suddenly seem longer. I realised that my stargazing will be pushed later and later into the spring and summer evenings. Oh well, I’ll just have to sit up longer. Earlier today I travelled under dismal skies to North London to attend the funeral of a colleague, a man in his prime–not yet forty–for whom time has cruelly and suddenly stopped. His young family is devastated.
Picture perfect?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I love pictures. And photographs. Unlike some, I can’t paint or draw with any great skill, but in common with many other people I get immense pleasure from photography. I’m no expert and wouldn’t even consider myself a serious hobbyist, but I have been known to enjoy composing and capturing an image with my little compact camera. Here’s one I took the weekend before last when we were at Brighton.
Biochemical Futures
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

The fourth edition of Voet & Voet’s

Biochemistry

, which is currently the recommended undergraduate text on our degree program at Imperial College, weighs three thousand and thirty-nine point two four grams. It has one thousand four hundred and eighty-two pages of text and pictures (page 945 is particularly good) divided into thirty-two chapters covering the whole of the core curriculum. The book is in every sense a weighty tome.
Let’s democratise the bejesus out of libel reform
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

This week the

Guardian

made the astonishing revelation that a man who is heir to the throne by an accident of birth and who is the representative on Earth of precisely no-one has been enjoying the right of veto over government legislation. I think this might be a good time to strap on our democratic boots and make our way to Parliament.
Warm words but cold, hard choices ahead
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Yesterday morning I was at the Royal Institution to hear David Willetts, the UK Minister for Science, outline the new government’s policy on science. His speech comes at a time when the government is issuing all sorts of warnings about the parlous state of the British economy.
A faking disgrace?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Today I finally made it to the Darwin Big Idea Exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London. I had been concerned that our almost legendary lack of familial organization was going to prevent us from seeing it (Matt caught it back in January). But late last week I summoned the wherewithal to log on and book tickets, just managing to sneak in a visit before the show closes.
Pronto pre-print
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Without quite meaning to I realise that I have been generating a series of blogposts about the publication process. Initially I wrote about my struggles to finesse the figures needed to show off the important aspects of our structure of the complex of the 3C protease with a peptide substrate. After we had submitted the manuscript, I discussed the issues surrounding our use of language that had been raised by one of the reviewers.
The Perutz Effect
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I have Jim Franks of Newton TV to thank for the opportunity to sit around a table with some of the current scientists at the world-famous MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology to talk about the legacy of its founder, Max Perutz. The discussion was part of a video that you can see at

The Guardian

web-site and is intercut with previously unseen interview footage of Pertuz himself looking back on his scientific life.
Ceci n’est pas un blogpost
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Load. Aim. Fire!!!!! Grant application submitted. Who knows what will happen? If you feel moved to comment, please do so randomly. I’m all out of evidence and logic.
Blog hol
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

This’ll be brief since it’s been a busy week. I’m aiming to get through my ‘to do’ list before heading off on holiday at the weekend. If past form is anything to go by, it will me take a few days to wind down. I have a plans for a grant application roiling in the back of my mind, still churning, still not quite formed. But eventually, I will come to rest. We’re going to the seaside.
Public Engagement Ring
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Cath Ennis wrote back in June about the reluctance of some of her colleagues to write lay summaries of their work when applying for grants. Clearly for some scientists the effort of casting their work into a form that is accessible to the general public is just too much like hard work. But, as has often been stated on NN, making our science

intelligible

to the public is a valuable activity.
Patrick Blackett’s Science was Vital
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Please be patient while I experiment with audio to drum up support for the “Science is Vital campaign”:http://scienceisvital.org.uk/. It will only take two minutes and forty-nine seconds. Listen! Listen! Thank you for listening.
Music in a nutshell
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I once read in a physics textbook that if an atom were to be magnified to the size of London’s Wembley Stadium, the nucleus at the centre would be about as big as a hazelnut. Well screw that, because I can think of

much

better uses for Wembley Stadium. Besides the obvious — football — it is of course an ideal venue for rock concerts and last Friday night U2 showed exactly how it should be done.
Hawking with Dinosaurs
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Here is a ‘paper‘ that I think would not be accepted by PLoS ONE and yet it was the subject of a report on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning, arguably the nation’s premier morning news show. Please have a listen. It’s 3 minutes and 51 seconds long. And it’s unbelievable. The radio report describes findings in a new paper by Professor Brian J Ford that call into question the ability of large dinosaurs to move around on land.
Transport of Delight
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I spent most of last weekend and all of yesterday finalising a chapter I had been asked to contribute to an upcoming monograph on human serum albumin. Monograph is a fancy word for book in academia. And academia is a fancy word for the people who work in universities and research institutes and consider themselves smart. Yesterday I was polishing the text of my latest draft and assembling the figures.
The Age of Wonder, Thunder or Blunder?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I am reading

The Age of Wonder

, Richard Holmes’ award-winning romp through the romantic era of science which lasted, roughly speaking, from the middle of the eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth.
Back to the road not travelled
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Last week I took the train through a snowy landscape to Warwick University to give a seminar at the Department of Chemistry. I arrived a little early to catch up with a couple of virologist friends; in the coffee bar we chewed over funding politics and hot topics in viral replication. I met my hosts for lunch and a pleasant chat about common interests in serum albumin.
A MAD day
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

This is a quick one. The internet’s not working terribly reliably at home so, in case you missed it on Twitter, Facebook or Friendfeed, here is a short film about what myself and some of my group got up to last Saturday. Hit it Van… Thanks to GrrlScientist for already promoting it on her blog.
For your consideration: a preprint on open access and public engagement
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I have just posted a preprint of a book chapter on the interactions of open access and public engagement with science. It’s called “Open Access: the beast that no-one could – or should – control?” and is my contribution to an upcoming book – “‘Here be monsters’: Science, politics and the dilemmas of openness” which is being edited by Brigitte Nerlich, Alexander Smith, Sarah Hartley, and Sujatha Raman.
Science is Vital: Perturbation Theory and Practice
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

The firework screamed upwards into the night sky and burst, with an almighty crack, into a vibrant spray of light and colour. ﻿Everyone looked up. Some people cheered. And then the murmur of conversation resumed. Is that what happened with the Science is Vital campaign, which bloomed and boomed in the UK this past September and October?
Some progress on Open Access
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

This morning there have been

two very interesting developments

on open access. First, Doug Kell, Chief Executive of the BBSRC, responded on his blog to my open letter. His reply is detailed and goes some way to clarifying progress in the approaches that Research Councils will take to improve uptake of OA publishing options. I would encourage you to read it and respond.
The Sword of Sabin
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

A discussion initiated by Katherine Haxton prompted me to check out ResearchBlogging.org and there I discovered the Virology Blog written by Vincent Racaniello. Vincent is a poliovirus researcher at Columbia University; I’d met him a few times while working on the same virus in Boston and it was nice to get back in touch. Racaniello definitely qualifies as a senior blogger, being a Professor of Microbiology and a very eminent virologist.
Libel Reform – where are we?
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Regular readers of this blog will be probably be aware of the ongoing campaign to reform the libel laws of England and Wales. These laws have pernicious effects in many aspects of public life — including science and medicine. They place a dangerous constriction on the freedom of scientists and medics to engage in robust debate on matters of public interest.
The Importance of Being Confident
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

The government is worried about the economy and rightly so. It’s in a bit of a state. When Value Added Tax was raised by 2.5% to 20% at the turn of the year, there were nervous glances to see what impact it might have on consumer confidence. The VAT increase was probably carefully calculated to ensure that people out shopping would not be deterred from their purchases, so that the consumption merry-go-round would keep on turning.
I’m a scientist, get me out of here!
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Ha, this’ll make you laugh. Having spent my last blogpost in wistful reflection on the endless judgements that I find myself subjected to as a working scientist, I have just signed up–quite voluntarily, of my own free will and with my eyes wide open–for a whole lot more. However, this time it should be fun. Though I confess to being a little bit terrified. I am going to take part in the upcoming round of I’m a scientist, get me out of here!
Around Downe
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

Around Downe, Sept 2012, a set on Flickr. I visited Downe yesterday. Darwin’s home village is quite close to where I live and we like to avail ourselves from time to time of the local environs and the local (which is called the George and Dragon). I had my camera with me. If you will indulge me, I am experimenting here with the link between my flickr account and my blog.
It was the blog wot won it!
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

My co-stars and I are €400 richer thanks to this blog becasue I am delighted to report that our recent video was awarded first prize in the competition run by the organisers of the EuFMD Meeting on the Global Control of FMD, Tools, Ideas and Ideals (held just this past week in beautiful Sicily).

Sunset in Sicily last Wednesday

The award was based simply on the number of hits that each entry received and our effort—shamelessly
Sisyphus at rest
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I’ve rolled my rock to the top of the mountain and sat down for a rest. Tonight I will allow myself a brief respite from my labours. I’ve been working very hard of late but the job is now done and I feel a great sense of relief. Having been made a professor about a year ago, on Wednesday night I finally got around to delivering my inaugural lecture to an audience of family, friends and colleagues.
Books of 2023
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

A combination of life’s distractions, ill discipline and slow reading mean that I have only managed to finish 11 books this year. I am almost embarrassed to admit to such a paltry tally. There are people who can rip through that many titles in less than a month. I envy them their capacity. But it is what it is. Eleven. As is now my habit, there is a tweet thread of brief reviews of each book – summarised in the image below.
This appeal must be allowed
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

I was in Court 4 at the Royal Courts of Justice at 9.30 this morning, the Court of the Lord Chief Justice. This one was a ‘real’ court room, all oak panel, wall-to-wall shelves of legal tomes and even a dock caged with cast-iron bars for the defendant (empty on this occasion). It was a brief affair. The buzz of conversation stopped abruptly with the words “Court Rise” and in came the Lord Chief Justice himself.
You should have seen the look on her face
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

The last king of England to lead an army on the battlefield was George II, at the Battle of Dettingen in Bavaria in 1743 during the War of the Austrian Succession.
Judgement Days
Authors: Curry Stephen
Published: December 2024

When I die and am laid in my grave and my soul ascends to the Pearly Gates and the Supreme Being peers at me over half-moon glasses and declares, “Well Stephen, it’s Judgement Day”, I will look him in the eye and reply: “Dear God, not again!” Because, as a scientist, my life seems to be a never-ending succession of judgement days. Lately it’s being getting ridiculous.
Knowledge management and e-Portfolios for sustainability
Authors: Polyakova Oksana
Published: December 2024

Integrating sustainable practices within technical university settings has garnered significant attention in recent years. However, there needs to be more progress in merging these practices with active foreign language learning and knowledge management. Recent studies have introduced new perspectives on social constructivism and second/third language (L2/3) acquisition, emphasizing knowledge-building and gender-related factors. This paper presents the methodology of a pilot study conducted during an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. The primary instructional technique employed was electronic portfolios (e-Portfolios), which facilitated extensive data collection to compare gender-differentiated lexical production among engineering university students. Two research instruments provided a comprehensive qualitative analysis of professional portfolio texts written in English. The visualization of e-Portfolio data, incorporating lexical and sentiment analysis, revealed specific differences in the characteristics of learners. This approach aims to integrate a broader perspective of ESP with sustainability and university knowledge management, areas that have yet to be explored. This study’s convergence of academic and labor market needs highlights the potential to prioritize sustainability goals while fostering and showcasing innovation in higher education.