The Most Important Ethical Concerns in Science

The most unethical behaviors in science are of falsifying data and stealing ideas from previous investigators. But for publishing papers with high similarity and editing papers with coercion, it is necessary to carry out a concrete analysis case by case.

Nine requirements for the origin of Earth’s life:Not at the hydrothermal vent, but in a nuclear geyser system

The origin of life on Earth remains enigmatic with diverse models and debates.Here we discuss essential requirements for the first emergence of life on our planet and propose the following nine requirements:(1)an energy source(ionizing radiation and thermal energy);(2)a supply of nutrients(P.K.REE.etc.);(3)a supply of life-constituting major elements;(4)a high concentration of reduced gases such as CH4,HCN and NH3;(5)dry-wet cycles to create membranes and polymerize RNA;(6)a non-toxic aqueous environment;(7)Na-poor water;(8)highly diversified environments,and(9)cyclic conditions,such as dayto-night,hot-to-cold etc.Based on these nine requirements,we evaluate previously proposed locations for the origin of Earth’s life,including:(1)Darwin’s"warm little pond",leading to a"prebiotic soup"for life;(2)panspermia or Neo-panspermia(succession model of panspermia);(3)transportation from/through Mars;(4)a deepsea hydrothermal system;(5)an on-land subduct ion-zone hot spring,and(6)a geyser systems driven by a natural nuclear reactor.We conclude that location(6)is the most ideal candidate for the o rigin point for Earth’s life because of its efficiency in continuously supplying both the energy and the necessary materials for life,thereby maintaining the essential"cradle"for its initial development.We also emphasize that falsifiable working hypothesis provides an important tool to evaluate one of the biggest mysteries of the universe-the origin of life.

Analytic Methods for Quality Control of Scientific Publications Part VI: Presentation in Research Gate, Journal Indexing, and Recognition

In the world of science, recognition of scientific performance is strongly correlated with publication visibility and interest generated among other researchers, which is evident by downloads and citations. A published paper’s number of downloads and citations are the best indices of its importance and are useful measures of the researchers’ performance. However, the published paper should be valuated and indexed independently, and the prestige of the journal in which it is published should not influence the value of the paper itself. By participating in and presenting at congresses and international meetings, scientists strongly increase the visibility of their results and recognition of their research;this also promotes their publications. Status in Research Gate (RG), the so-called RG Score, the Percentile, and the h-index give researchers feedback about their performance, or their place and prestige within the scientific community. RG has become an excellent tool for disseminating scientific results and connecting researchers worldwide. RG also allows researchers to present achievements other than publications (e.g., membership in recognized associations such as the American Chemist Society, a biography in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, awards received, and/or ongoing projects). This paper discusses questions regarding how the RG Score, Percentile, and h-index are calculated, whether these methods are correct, and alternative criteria. RG also lists papers with falsified results and the journals that publish them. Thus, it may be appropriate to reduce the indices for such journals, authors, and the institutions with which these authors are affiliated.

Modelling the impact of antimalarial quality on the transmission of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum

Background:The use of poor quality antimalarial medicines,including the use of nonrecommended medicines for treatment such as sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine(SP)monotherapy,undermines malaria control and elimination efforts.Furthermore,the use of subtherapeutic doses of the active ingredient(s)can theoretically promote the emergence and transmission of drug resistant parasites.Methods:We developed a deterministic compartmental model to quantify the impact of antimalarial medicine quality on the transmission of SP resistance,and validated it using sensitivity analysis and a comparison with data from Kenya collected in 2006.We modelled human and mosquito population dynamics,incorporating two Plasmodium falciparum subtypes(SP-sensitive and SP-resistant)and both poor quality and good quality(artemether-lumefantrine)antimalarial use.Findings:The model predicted that an increase in human malaria cases,and among these,an increase in the proportion of SP-resistant infections,resulted from an increase in poor quality SP antimalarial use,whether it was full-or half-dose SP monotherapy.Interpretation:Our findings suggest that an increase in poor quality antimalarial use predicts an increase in the transmission of resistance.This highlights the need for stricter control and regulation on the availability and use of poor quality antimalarial medicines,in order to offer safe and effective treatments,and work towards the eradication of malaria.