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The article focuses on the impact a Russian amended law concerning state secrets is having on science publishing by Russian scientists. It states President Vladimir Putin used a decree in May 2015 expanding the scope of a law requiring scientists get permission from the Federal Security Service prior to publishing results which could have industrial or military applications. It reports Russian universities are requiring scientists seek approval to the publication of any findings without exception.

Reports on Great Britain's 1993 white paper `Realizing Our Potential.' Research reforms proposed in the white paper; Threat on the medical Research Council's institutes; Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council's funding of basic research; Privatization of public research laboratories.

Discusses reaction to the British government's White Paper (policy statement) on the organization of science and technology, `Realising our Potential,' published last week in London, England. The lack of radical change; Additional information. INSETS: Waldegrave gets help, by D.D.;A global search, by D.D..

Reports on a policy document prepared by Jurgen Ruttger, Germany's research minister, concerning the federal funding of space research. The focus on projects that promise economic return; The proposed merger of the German Space Agency with the national air and space research center.

The article reports on the efforts of U.S. government to make scientific research available for all. It reports that the accessibility offered by the Internet has transformed science publishing over the past decade. The government of the U.S. is making efforts to make all federally funded research available for free. The new system will make huge numbers of scientific articles publicly available for all. It reports that such archives will basically contain the final versions of the manuscripts written by the authors. There was an increase in public access in late 2007 when the U.S. Congress passed a bill and made it compulsory for scientists funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to deposit their papers within 12 months of publication.

This section offers news briefs on science as of May 2015. A new rule proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires drug companies that sell veterinary antibiotics to track where their drugs are going. A record energy of 13 teraelectronvolts of protons was achieved by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) on May 20. An independent investigation found that surgeon Paolo Macchiarini committed scientific misconduct in several papers.

The article focuses on the growing demand of lawmakers for greater public access to the literature. The demand is increasing in many fields like biomedicine. It is expected that the U.S. president Barack Obama will issue an executive order to make authors' or publishers' versions of research papers publicly available in the PubMed Central repository within 12 months of publication. It suggests that publishers should recognize that science's social contract is moving towards greater openness.

The article offers the author's insights on the policy report called "Science as an Open Enterprise" from the Royal Society in London, England concerning access to scientific papers and theories. He mentions that open inquiry to scientific research and publication of scientific papers and theories allow others to identify errors, refine theories and reuse of data. He states that everyone will benefit from a more open information access.

In this article, the author discusses the need for China to improve the quality of its research publication. According to a 2011 report of the Londons's Royal Society, China produced the second highest quantity of scientific papers but is ranked ninth in the citation aspect. He presents several areas that must be addressed by China to improve its research's quality including the importance of wide data sharing, better data access, and international collaboration improvements.

The author discusses the need for a global agreement in order to tackle extreme climate change and global warming. Topics include political efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions., combustion of fossil fuels, model of the Kyoto Protocol, and man-made climate change. The author talks about a need for resolution in issues related to emissions trading and encourage energy saving construction by investing in energy storage technology.

Praises the decision of United States President Bill Clinton to refrain from destroying the US store of smallpox. Potential public health benefits of retaining the live virus; Virus stored at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia; Vulnerability of a population not routinely vaccinated for smallpox; Need for a live virus to produce vaccines; Risks for the reemergence of smallpox.

The article reports that though the Japanese government is introducing structural reforms to support scientific community science leaders are concerned whether the reforms will address deeper problems. Topics discussed include the Japan Revitalization Strategy of Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe for innovations, decline in economic performance and grants by the government for scientific research and strengthening of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI).

The article reports that in 2012, the European Commission (EC) joined Great Britain's plan to subject its taxpayer-funded research to open-access starting April 2013. It states that the EC launched a similar suggestion to open up the work financed by its Horizon 2020 research programme. EC vice-president Neelie Kroes says that they lead by example, making European Union (EU)-funded research accessible to all.

The article reports on the condition of the scientific and technological research in Japan. It notes that the country's science and education ministry published a government report that suggests the alarming condition of the country's science and technology due to the declining workforce and increasing international competition. The Japanese government is required to provide sufficient incentives and support for young researchers to boost its scientific power.

Discusses the political opposition to carbon sequestration research by the United States government. The assertion that removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is as important as controlling emissions; Recommendations of the US President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology to the Department of Energy to increase funding; The belief that the US political climate is hindering research.

Discusses the creation of two overarching bodies by the British government to monitor developments in human genetics and the use of genetically modified (GM) food. The government's resistance to having non-scientists on technical advisory committees; News leak about editorial changes made by the government about a GM food safety report; Response of environmental groups to the changes in the report; Need to improve public relations regarding GM foods.

Examines a discussion paper by European Union (EU) Research Commissioner Edith Cresson, which says the EU's Fifth Framework Program for research (FP5) should focus more on social needs. The paper's approval in July 1996 by the full commission and presented to the EU Council of Ministers; Cresson's view that FP5 should be organized around a limited set of objectives; Trying to meet the social and economic needs of European citizens.

The article reports on the declaration made by the White House that government-funded research in the U.S. would be made accessible for the public by 12 months after publication, rather than kept behind paywalls. It notes that federal agencies have been give until August 22, 2013 to produce plans for making the data and papers from the research they fund more accessible to all. Open-access advocacy group Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition called the memorandum a landmark.

The article offers world news briefs as of December 6, 2012. The German Federal Court of Justice has ruled that patents may be granted on human embryonic stem cells if cells are obtained without destroying a viable embryo. Results from the Messenger space probe has revealed that craters on Mercury holds one trillion tonnes of water ice. Immunization of children against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) by 24 months of age has reached more than 90% in England.

The author reflects on the proposed change in the German constitution made by education and research minister Annette Schavan on March 4, 2012. The author says that the proposal focused on the funding of the government on the infrastructure and large equipment in universities. An overview of the funding of the federal government to universities is offered. The author suggests that the federal government should directly assure the survival beyond 2017 of successful institutes.

The author reflects on the Basel Declaration principles, a directive which will regulate the use of animals in research and experimentation. The author says that Germany must transform the directive which influences animal experimentation in research into the national law. The author adds that scientists want the Basel Declaration to have the same authority with the ethics on human experimentation.

The article offers world news briefs. The annual scoreboard of the European Union reveals the 1.9% decrease of global investment on research & development (R&D) by the biggest research spenders in 2009. District of Columbia's U.S. Court of Appeals set a date to hear the oral arguments to a lawsuit against the legality for the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell while China has announced plans for its manned space station.

The article discusses the scientific policies of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, evaluating the scientific sectors that were bolstered as well as those that were restricted. Beneath this tutelage, the U.S. realized large increases in energy production from alternative, renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass. In 2006, the administration declared the Northwest Hawaiian Island as the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. However, the administration also chose to restrict federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells.

The article reports on the legal battle faced by the gene-testing firms. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California addressed a biotechnology industry convention about issues in the U. S. regulation. This paper focuses on the legal battle between Kari Stefansson's company about the deCODE genetics located in Reykjavik, Iceland and the California Department of Public Health. Civil case and criminal sanctions are being filed against the company for allegedly failing to have a clinical laboratory license in the state for genetics tests.

The author argues that the unavailability of public data held by Chinese government agencies is a problem facing researchers in China. Topics include transparency in relation to air-pollution data, problems with access to academic research and internet search engines, and the lack of data in economics, public health, and environmental issues in China.

The article examines how the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa could lead to more initiatives to better prepare for future possible pandemics or epidemics. It looks at efforts to monitor viruses in animal populations and conduct infectious-disease research to identify potential threats. Particular attention is given to the need for outbreak response strategies from the World Health Organization (WHO), other international organizations, and world governments.

We are witnessing the advent of a new era of robots - drones - that can autonomously fly in natural and man-made environments. These robots, often associated with defence applications, could have a major impact on civilian tasks, including transportation, communication, agriculture, disaster mitigation and environment preservation. Autonomous flight in confined spaces presents great scientific and technical challenges owing to the energetic cost of staying airborne and to the perceptual intelligence required to negotiate complex environments. We identify scientific and technological advances that are expected to translate, within appropriate regulatory frameworks, into pervasive use of autonomous drones for civilian applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

States that last week's government White Paper on British research policy has the air of finality proper in a policy statement. Assertion that there are several passages which deny the Haldane principle; Other criticisms of the document; Additional information.

The article focuses on science monitoring policy reforms proposed by the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) in Japan as of May 2014. It mentions that the council has called for the promotion of research integrity in individual researchers and set up of fraud prevention measures at the institutional level in order to restore public faith in science. It also mentions that Japanese institutions are required to give funding for educating researchers for data management.

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most complex, persistent and controversial problems facing the British cattle industry, costing the country an estimated £100 million per year. The low sensitivity of the standard diagnostic test leads to considerable ambiguity in determining the main transmission routes of infection, which exacerbates the continuing scientific debate. In turn this uncertainty fuels the fierce public and political disputes on the necessity of controlling badgers to limit the spread of infection. Here we present a dynamic stochastic spatial model for bovine TB in Great Britain that combines within-farm and between-farm transmission. At the farm scale the model incorporates stochastic transmission of infection, maintenance of infection in the environment and a testing protocol that mimics historical government policy. Between-farm transmission has a short-range environmental component and is explicitly driven by movements of individual cattle between farms, as recorded in the Cattle Tracing System. The resultant model replicates the observed annual increase of infection over time as well as the spread of infection into new areas. Given that our model is mechanistic, it can ascribe transmission pathways to each new case; the majority of newly detected cases involve several transmission routes with moving infected cattle, reinfection from an environmental reservoir and poor sensitivity of the diagnostic test all having substantive roles. This underpins our findings on the implications of control measures. Very few of the control options tested have the potential to reverse the observed annual increase, with only intensive strategies such as whole-herd culling or additional national testing proving highly effective, whereas controls focused on a single transmission route are unlikely to be highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the move U.S. Officials to review the policies drafted by 19 government agencies for scientific integrity to avoid the recurrence of the alleged abuses on science during the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.

The article reports on the power of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco in the country. It states that the Congress had passed the power to regulate tobacco to FDA under a bill, which U.S. President Barack Obama promised to sign. It states that the bill will empower the FDA to lower the nicotine level in tobacco products and requires large warning label to the tobacco packaging.

The article reports that Great Britain's government will reform certain aspects of immigration rules that were implemented in November 2008. This decision stems from universities' warnings that the rules could prevent overseas researchers from gaining access to the country. Prior to this, non-citizen academics could enter the country on a sponsored researcher visa, but this visa has been done away with under the revised provisions.

The article states that California has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in an attempt to block amendments to the Endangered Species Act that environmentalists believe will threaten animals and their habitats. These changes, which were finalized by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, allow federal agencies to engage in commercial activities, such as mining and logging, without having an environmental assessment first performed.

The article presents the views of Robert Higgs, a political economist at the Independent Institute, on peer review in scientific research. Higgs says that personal quarrels, ideological conflicts, and professional jealousies are a part of the scientific world. According to Higgs, in scientific research at upper levels, researchers attend the same conferences, and review each other's work for publication and funding.

The article reports on the advocacy of marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco toward the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which affected the dolphin communities in there as well as the revolution of the U.S. ocean management. The author emphasizes the stand of Lubchenco toward the need of people to speak out issues of public importance, the environmental problem, such as dwindling fish stocks. He notes the activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationo (NOAA) toward the spill.

The article focuses on conducting social science research utilizing government data records. The article discusses government restrictions to the use of this data, how government data is different from other forms of online "big data," and the benefits of using data such as tax records, welfare applications, government identification cards, or medical records. The article discusses privacy and legislative concerns regarding the use of this data.

Comments on an article on U.S. President George W. Bush's policy on data security, previously published in volume 419 of the periodical 'Nature.' Need for balance between scientific openness and restriction on public information; Role of scientists in the administration's anti-terrorism efforts.

The authors argue that waste crab, lobster, and shrimp shells contain useful chemicals such as protein, calcium carbonate, and chitin, and should be refined to create an inexpensive renewable resource. The authors propose that governments in countries with a large amount of shell waste should fund a processing pipeline and stringent government regulations should be implemented regarding waste shell disposal.

Supports the United States National Aeronautics and Space Agency's policy of favoring smaller missions. Need for political support; Proposed budget cut in space science; Views of Dan Goldin, head of the US space agency.

Calls for a change in United States law regarding embryo research. Society's ability to regulate science; Advances in the culture of human embryonic stem cells; US ban on embryo research using federal funds; Lack of regulation for private sector; Geron, the company involved in embryo stem cell research; Need for further congressional debate on the matter.

States that concern over the growing interest of foreign companies and research institutes in China's wealth of genetic resources has helped to cement political support for country's research efforts. Controversy over China's decision to use genetic screening as part of its birth control strategy; Factors which have helped China's geneticists to press their case; Western biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies which are turning to genetics as a source of new diagnostic techniques and treatments. INSETS: Mining a rich seam of genetic diversity;A crash course in ethical behaviour.

Reports on the European Science Foundation's (ESF) call on Europe to reinvigorate its commitment to scientific research in order to boost its ability to compete internationally. Launching of position paper on the European Commission's Fifth Framework Program in 1998; Focus on five themes that are considered crucial to social and economic development in Europe.

Looks at an annual white paper from the Science and Technology Agency, that reveals that local governments provide a growing share of public spending on research in Japan. The Council of Science and Technology, Japan's highest science policy-making body; More.

Opinion. Explains concerns that the US Department of Energy (DOE) is abusing its monopoly of information on nuclear weapons. Why US nuclear weapons are controlled by a civilian agency; System of information dissemination about weapons; Concern that the DOE is not adhering to system regarding stockpile stewardship issues; Examples of possible abuses.

Describes the new grant system for the allocation of research funds in Italy, as of January 1, 1998. Funding problems in Italian universities; How research grants were formerly distributed; Greater government control over research funds; Grant money given by the CNR, Italy's national research council.

The author discusses the need to take control on the nuclear fuel cycle due to the dangers in nuclear weapons. He mentions that scientists, engineers and the government must unite to improve nuclear disarmament verification and to strengthen the international control of uranium use and plutonium reprocessing technologies. He explores on the dangers of using nuclear weapons, in which he highlights the case of Pakistan.

The article offers information on government policy regarding carbon trading and carbon emission. It says that the expansion of trading in carbon emission was not affected by the failure of the international negotiations on binding the targets for national carbon-emission. It states that carbon emission trading is considered to be one of the contributors in global market mentioning a 142 billion U.S. dollars spending in 2010. It also explores the continuous growth of carbon emission trading.

The article focuses on the criterion by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) on the required broader impacts of scientific researches and proposals to the society. NSF director Arden Bement in Arlington, Virginia says that the criterion was designed to make sure that the researches have connections with the society. However, the definition by the NSF of broader impacts is broad and vague in which the proposal guide includes appropriate involvement of students in the research, shared research infrastructure, and establishment of industrial and governmental collaborations. Meanwhile, the criterion makes scientists to think more on the connection of their work to the society. Moreover, the confusion of scientists on the criterion shows the issues on the relation of science and society.

The article discusses the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program implemented to fight acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) worldwide beneath the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. The program is believed by many to be the best plan implemented during the largely unpopular President's term in office. It began with some controversy, as many leaders within the U.S. Republican Party did not approve of supplying condoms. A compromise was found with the public health approach ABC, which stands for abstinence, be faithful, correct and consistent condom use. Praise for the program stemming from the U.S. Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Government Accountability Office is discussed.