The OECD is pleased to announce, together with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission Joint Research Centre, the Adverse Outcome Pathway Knowledge Base (AOP KB). This is a web-based platform which aims to bring together all the knowledge on how chemicals can induce adverse effects, therefore providing a focal point for AOP development and dissemination.

Thousands of vital coronavirus 'contact tracers' are only now being recruited by the Government - two weeks after the Health Secretary first announced they would be hired.

Two of Great Britain's greatest track and field athletes, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill, lead the list of sporting stars to be acknowledged in the New Year Honours.

Thousands of vital coronavirus 'contact tracers' are only now being recruited by the Government - two weeks after the Health Secretary first announced they would be hired.

Everton defender Keane was responsible for the mistake that led to Kosovo's opening goal in the first minute of the Euro 2020 qualifier, which England won 5-3.

Beyonce and her BeyGOOD Foundation have been aiding in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

Elyse Knowles has bought a $2.3million beach house in Byron Bay. 

The World Bank's much touted 'knowledge' products are coming out of a flawed process. The bank hires highly paid consultants who are mostly directed through a system of incentives towards arriving at a pre-determined policy consensus. Information and experiences that run counter to the consensus are ignored. Shripad Dharmadhikary on the implications for India.

Archives, Room Use Only - TK5745.G53 1914

Archives, Room Use Only - QC21.L53 1827b

Archives, Room Use Only - Q171.S42 1836

Archives, Room Use Only - TK5263.R85 1878

We may be witnessing a slow erosion of the democratic republic and the emergence of the police State, warns Sunanda K Datta-Ray.

We may be witnessing a slow erosion of the democratic republic and the emergence of the police State, warns Sunanda K Datta-Ray.

Being able to visualize biology at the molecular level is essential for our understanding of the world. A structural biology approach reveals the molecular basis of disease processes and can guide the design of new drugs as well as aid in the optimization of existing medicines. However, due to the lack of a synchrotron light source, adequate infrastructure, skilled persons and incentives for scientists in addition to limited financial support, the majority of countries across the African continent do not conduct structural biology research. Nevertheless, with technological advances such as robotic protein crystallization and remote data collection capabilities offered by many synchrotron light sources, X-ray crystallography is now potentially accessible to Africa-based scientists. This leap in technology led to the establishment in 2017 of BioStruct-Africa, a non-profit organization (Swedish corporate ID: 802509-6689) whose core aim is capacity building for African students and researchers in the field of structural biology with a focus on prevalent diseases in the African continent. The team is mainly composed of, but not limited to, a group of structural biologists from the African diaspora. The members of BioStruct-Africa have taken up the mantle to serve as a catalyst in order to facilitate the information and technology transfer to those with the greatest desire and need within Africa. BioStruct-Africa achieves this by organizing workshops onsite at our partner universities and institutions based in Africa, followed by post-hoc online mentoring of participants to ensure sustainable capacity building. The workshops provide a theoretical background on protein crystallography, hands-on practical experience in protein crystallization, crystal harvesting and cryo-cooling, live remote data collection on a synchrotron beamline, but most importantly the links to drive further collaboration through research. Capacity building for Africa-based researchers in structural biology is crucial to win the fight against the neglected tropical diseases, e.g. ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis, lymphatic filariasis, active trachoma, loiasis, yellow fever, leprosy, rabies, sleeping sickness, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, etc., that constitute significant health, social and economic burdens to the continent. BioStruct-Africa aims to build local and national expertise that will have direct benefits for healthcare within the continent.

The title hydrated mol­ecular salt (systematic name: tetra-n-butyl­ammonium 2,6-dioxo-1,2,3,6-tetra­hydro­pyrimidine-4-carboxyl­ate monohydrate), C16H36N+·C5H3N2O4−·H2O, crystallizes with N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonded double-stranded anti­parallel ribbons consisting of the hydro­philic orotate monoanions and water mol­ecules, separated by the bulky hydro­phobic cations. The hydro­phobic and hydro­philic regions of the structure are joined by weaker non-classical C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. An accurate structure analysis conducted at T = 100 K is compared to a lower-resolution less accurate determination using data measured at T = 295 K. The results of both analyses are evaluated using a knowledge-based approach, and it is found that the less accurate room-temperature structure analysis provides geometric data that are similar to those derived from the accurate low-temperature analysis, with both sets of results consistent with previously analyzed structures. A minor disorder of one methyl group in the cation at low temperature was found to be slightly more complex at room temperature; while still involving a minor fraction of the structure, the disorder at room temperature was found to require a non-routine treatment, which is described in detail.

Long before dawn on a recent morning, Katie Milton and a group of stalwart volunteers, each armed with flashlight and compass, spread out into the jungle to take up positions at 35 listening stations marked on maps of the island.

The post Census reveals 1,200 howler monkeys living on Barro Colorado Island appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

To prevent the loss of Inupiaq words for ice and the knowledge that it embodies, Igor Krupnik, ethnologist at the Arctic Studies Center of the National Museum of Natural History, and Wales native Winton Weyapuk Jr., recently compiled an illustrated dictionary of some 120 Kingikmiut words used in Wales to describe different types of ice.

The post Dictionary captures traditional ice knowledge of the Inupiaq people of Wales, Alaska appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The young primate seems bright, alert, and increases its activity and independence day by day.

The post Howler monkey born at National Zoo appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Long-term population trends for some North American pollinators -- bees, birds, bats, and other animals and insects that spread pollen so plant fertilization can occur -- are demonstrably downward, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Educational and business leaders want todays students both to master school subjects and to excel in areas such as problem solving, critical thinking, and communication

Ovarian cancer should not be categorized as a single disease, but rather as a constellation of different cancers involving the ovary, yet questions remain on how and where various ovarian cancers arise, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Improved understanding of the coupled natural-human coastal system will help promote resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems under rapidly changing environmental conditions and support informed decision-making, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Science Foundation: Creating knowledge to transform our future

The National Science Foundation: Creating knowledge to transform our future

Effective ‘knowledge exchange’ - the process of producing, sharing, understanding and using knowledge - is vital to good environmental management. New research has uncovered five principles for this process which could help researchers, decision makers and other parties work together to better manage environmental change.

A research update on climate change has indicated that many global risks are now assessed as stronger than predicted by the 2007 IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The risk of large sea-level rise, extreme weather events and ocean acidification are all thought to be underestimated by the AR4.

The only way to establish a long-lasting and effective strategy for forest management is through collaboration between ‘conventional’ scientists and local experts, according to new research.

Understanding the social context of Swedish forestry is key to understanding how the sector could be persuaded to move beyond ‘business-as-usual’ practices, to prepare for future climate risks, argues a new study. Using an approach that provides insights for future behavioural change more widely, the researchers explore the influences on forest managers’ behaviour, and highlight certification schemes as one important driver of actions which make forests better adapted to climate change. Knowledge on climate change risks and actions in itself is not enough to change behaviour, the study finds. For many environmentalists it may seem ‘logical’ for forestry to adapt now to future climate change: it epitomises an industry where actions taken today will determine long-term development, given that trees will not be harvested until 70–90 years after planting. However, the sector has taken limited actions to adapt, despite an abundance of available information on the impacts of climate change — such as storms, drought and changes in insect population.

Outputs of conservation planning research are likely to be translated into action more quickly and successfully if a transdisciplinary approach is adopted, according to a recent study. The researchers have applied a transdisciplinary framework 'pyramid of knowledge' to aid in understanding the process of converting research into action, which may also be applicable to other academic disciplines.

Agricultural land use presents a number of environmental challenges, which the European Commission is committed to addressing through a range of agri-environmental policies. A new study points to the importance of aligning agri-environmental policies with farmers’ needs and operations. Using the case of land clearing in Finland, the research underlines the importance of incorporating input from grassroots stakeholders into policy design.

Research assessments should focus more on engagement processes and less on impacts and outcomes, a new study suggests. The authors examined researchers’ intended impacts and motivational factors, and stated that a change in research evaluation methods, together with better direction from university managers, could help incentivise knowledge exchange and engagement between departments and non-academic entities.

A recent analysis highlights the difference between the academic concept and the practical concept of ecosystem services. It suggests that academic science aims to discover and apply general and timeless concepts to measure ecosystem services, whereas in practice, stakeholders' valuations of ecosystem services vary with place and time.

New research has explored how well different governance systems can achieve desirable conservation outcomes. Results confirmed the importance of adaptive management, which relies on regular monitoring to enable 'learning through doing' to refine actions, and suggested that leadership using expert knowledge was also significant in successful governance.

The willingness of farmers to create wetlands within agri-environment schemes (AES) has been assessed as part of a new study in Sweden. Land-owning farmers and those with prior knowledge of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) were more likely to create wetlands than leasehold farmers or those with no prior knowledge of WFD. Common reasons for not wanting to take part in the scheme included the farmers’ senior age, that wetlands would not be suitable on the farm and high costs — leading the researchers to suggest that changes in subsidy payments may increase wetland creation.

Calculating the costs of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to society as well as business is vital to understand the true economic gains of reducing N2O emissions, new research suggests. Increasing nitrogen use efficiency by 20% by 2020 could bring global annual benefits to the climate, health and environment worth US $160 (€118) billion, the researchers conclude.

The most up-to-date knowledge and data must be used to assess policy objectives, new research confirms. Studying air pollution environmental quality targets set by the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive1, a new study has shown that if 2001 data are used to assess progress, most such targets appear to have been met. However, more recent and accurate current data show that this may not be the case.

Potters Fields in England is a perfect example of how to use design elements to make the landscape shine in the colder months.

Nobel by the numbers: How much do you know about the history of the Nobel Prize? Take the quiz.

When it comes to decisions on electricity and energy policy, women do not have the facts they need.

Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, is perhaps the greenest Republican candidate running for president, but he was once even greener.

New Screwless Terminal Sockets Added for MY and G2R Relays.(PYF[][]S / P2RF-[][]-S)

Regulator publishes findings of its largest research pool with UK consumers.

Learn more about Knowledge Base software and what your office is missing!

The digital health startup will now share revenue with patients and caregivers who manage complex chronic conditions using their platform

Driven by a love for teaching and music, Dr. Howles is the band director at Lakeview Community Schools

The multi-dimensional team at Nagele, Knowles & Associates has been assisting organizations create a more healthy and harmonious atmosphere at their workplace for many years. Today, this is a more urgent message than ever before.

Mr. Bowles has excelled in his distinguished role as Flex Circuit Applications Engineer at DuPont since 2018

Health and lifestyle experts tackle the challenge of staying healthy during Corona Virus isolation and beyond.

When searching for travel opportunities to include more than visiting museums, many people think about educating themselves through more practical experiences. The option to learn at the feet of a premier wine expert/travel guide is very appealing.