Tag: eusja

  • Which are the next walls to fall?

    By Luca Tancredi Barone,
    ACCC freelance journalist (Spain, Catalan)

    Berlin3

    This November 14 members of EUSJA were offered a grant to attend the Falling Walls Conference in Berlin – the international conference on future breakthroughs in science and society. EUSJA has been invited to this fascinated event not once, and the journalists always could get enough possibilities for interesting articles and useful contacts. Our Spanish colleague, ACCC freelance journalist Luca Tancredi Barone shares his impressions – both positive and negative. Photos: Raili Leino (science journalist from Finland) and from www.falling-walls.com.
     

    It was my first time at a Falling Walls Conference. After being rejected in the first round, when a colleague had to cancel at the last minute, I was able to receive a grant that covered the conference fee and one hotel night.

    The Conference has been truly inspiring for me. A lot of nicely presented speeches on cutting-edge topics, mostly on science, but also on economy, human rights, policies, start-ups. The invited speakers had been carefully selected, and their time slots were respected in an original and entertaining way: a professional mime would intervene to “convince” the speaker to cut it short when time had arrived to leave the stage. The general feeling was that this conference gathered many interesting people, both on the stage and among the public.

    I had a chance to talk with some of the speakers and met people in the public who shared their different background with me. Many journalists also attended the meeting, and it was interesting to meet them too. I am going to prepare some interviews I will also share with you as soon as they are ready. Tweeting during the conference was also entertaining, though I would have expected more interactions. The opening event, on Friday night, was at the Science museum – a very suggestive venue, especially at night – to hold a celebration. And the dinner was in another fascinating museum: the Communication museum. Very nicely chosen environments.

    Despite my general positive feeling about this event, which I plan to attend again in the future, there is still room for improvement in my opinion. First and foremost, the venue is not ideal for the number of people, many of which had to sit on the floor during the conferences. It was also difficult to listen to the forums, small discussions organised during the breaks, where three sets of the scientists talking in the previous sessions where moderated each by a journalist – all the same time in the same, concentrated area. This during the coffee breaks, so while people were trying to get to their coffee, all in the same space. This worsened during lunch time, with very long cues and not very abundant food I have to say. Certainly, not the most important aspect of the otherwise exciting day, but still, given the fact that the venue was in an isolated area, the risk of remaining without anything to eat was high if you were not fast enough.

    Most annoying was the fact that journalistically it was very difficult to perform the interviews. If you needed a quiet place to record your interview, it was impossible. Of the 8 interviews I planned, I was given access to only 4 people, one I had to figure out myself, and I was only given one short slot in a (relatively) quiet room. The rest had to be done in the press room, together with many other people in a very noisy environment. I believe something better could be organized for sure. Finally, despite the fact I had been invited to both the welcoming event and the dinner, I had been cancelled from both lists and had to ask to be admitted in. And, together with a good number of people, had no table to sit for the dinner, and had to dine standing – in the end, it wasn’t a bad experience: I shared the time with interesting people. And the president of Falling Walls came personally to say he was sorry and explain that the no-show percentage at the dinner was unusually low. Easy to forgive but still telling of a may be not too smooth organization.

    Last observation for EUSJA: I think that to better help freelancers, a contribution should have been given to cover flight expenses and at least one extra night – the events were during two days – even in a cheaper place.

    Robert KirshnerJules Hoffmann

    Anne GloverFALLING WALLS 2011 - Radialsystem Berlin

     

     

     

     

  • Removing the veil of silence from chronic pain

    By Sílvia Garcia Farreny,
    freelance science journalist, member of ACCC (Spain, Catalan)

    florence
    EUSJA has been invited to attend the 8-th biennial congress “Pain in Europe” in Florence (October 9-12, http://www1.kenes.com/efic/). 13 science journalists from Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain and Switzerland could take part in that very interesting multidisciplinary forum, meet top scientists and learn about the latest developments in the study and treatment of acute or chronic and recurrent pain. Silvia Garcia Farreny, science journalist from Spain (Catalan) shares with her colleagues the interview with the President of European Pain Federation, professor Hans Georg Kress.

    “Pain is the major healthcare problem in Europe. Although acute pain may reasonably be considered a symptom of disease or injury, it is a specific disease”, Prof. Hans G. Kress

    Approximately 20% of the European adult population –more than 80 million people- suffer from chronic pain, meaning pain which occurs repeatedly over a period of three months or longer. In other words, one in five Europeans suffer from chronic pain, and the direct and indirect costs resulting from the condition amount to between 1,5 and 3% of total European GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

    These alarming figures were the subject of discussion last 9-12 October at Pain in Europe VIII, the 8th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, in Florence, Italy. More than 4.000 experts from all over the world attended Europe’s largest pain medicine event.

    Hans Georg Kress, the President of European Pain Federation EFIC, is Professor of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine and Head of the Department of Special Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna. He is fascinated leading an organisation as EFIC; which has grown to 36 national chapters and a staggering 20.000-plus physicians, researchers and other healthcare professionals.
    Hans Georg has a calm voice, deliberate and clear, with a slight German accent. He speaks with confidence and never takes his blue eyes from yours, keeping an intense and warm eye contact most of the time. He gestures to emphasize his words and every small gesture of his body seems to reinforce the conviction in his words.

    Why is your organisation so important in our society?
    It is vital that we raise awareness of chronic pain as a medical, economic and social problem. Chronic pain affects quality of life more than other illnesses and it is the number one reason why people visit their doctor. Chronic pain has a major impact on everyday routines, on work and family life. It not only causes personal suffering for millions; it has greater effects on society than is usually assumed.
    This is a big step forward towards public recognition of chronic pain as a true challenge, not only to our patients and their physicians, but to our healthcare systems in Europe, the budget holders, decision-makers and, of course, politicians.
    As the current President of EFIC I am very proud of these achievements and look forward to further contributing, to supporting and to playing an active role in our campaign for the recognition of chronic pain as a disease in its own right.

    Thereby, chronic pain is still difficult to diagnose nowadays, isn’t it?
    Yes, more or less. One reason why we have chronic pain as a challenge is that chronic pain is sometimes hidden behind other different diagnoses. There is for example no single category in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) tend, which is our international code for diseases that is used at the hospitals and everywhere. There is no single category for chronic pain; so chronic pain is hidden behind diagnoses.

    Really? In which kind of diagnoses is most usually hidden?
    I am talking about, for instance, neurological diagnoses. Or we can find other good example in diabetes; no one will count a diabetic patient as a chronic pain patient. Although the only thing is suffering from is the polyneuropathy with the pain. The diabetes is treated; the patient is under the insulin treatment and, theoretically, there aren’t more problems. But he is suffering from a permanent chronic neuropathic pain. Nevertheless this patient is always counted as a diabetic patient not as a chronic pain patient.

    But how is possible that doctors do not distinguish chronic pain yet?
    Listen, even physicians don’t know that chronic pain is a disease. In fact, many of our colleagues from other specialities think just chronic pain is not a problem, as long as they treat the underline disease chronic pain is a symptom that will disappear during the physiological dealing process, but this is not true. So what we need is more awareness about chronic pain. Because chronic pain is more frequent and it is more money spent on chronic pain than on cancer and diabetes for example.

    From your point of view, how is possible to change the marginal situation of pain in our countries?
    We have to change it with medical approaches from different perspectives; we have to improve the medical education about pain from medical schools, we have to improve and we have to talk about chronic pain to post-graduated physicians that are already in their practice and, specially, we have to educate family physicians. We have to educate also physicians that are more or less involved on treatment of chronic pain. And, very important, listen the patients that suffered from chronic pain because of an operation.

    One moment… Are you talking about surgeons?
    Yes, I am. Because many surgeons have no idea how frequent and persistent pain is after an operation. Really considerable percentages of chronic pain patients have a chronic pain because of an operation. And our surgeons are not aware about this problem so we have to make them to be aware, to recognise, this type of pain. And therefore, to treat this pain as a chronic pain, not as a complication as a result on the operation.

    However, it is possible to treat chronic pain to improve the patients’ quality of life, isn’t it?
    Yes, it is. But more than a half of chronic pain patients suffer from the condition for two years or more before they receive adequate treatment. One third of patients get no treatment at all, and around 38% say that the treatment received was not sufficient. All of this is a result of inadequate treatment of pain, at last. Despite major advances in chronic pain therapies, far too many patients do not benefit from the opportunities opened up by modern pain medicine.

    Maybe, another problem is how to measure pain. It seems very difficult because the same pain is different in each person, isn’t it?
    Yes, it is. That is a double good point. You can’t see the pain. I mean, you can’t see an image of pain. So that is a big obstacle, because many physicians think: ‘What I can not see, what I can not measure, that doesn’t exist’. And this is a big problem. However, the well educated and expert pain physicians could know what kind of patients are suffering from chronic pain or other kind of pain. There is a second problem that’s that perception of pain changes in each patient; in one patient the pain is insufferable and, the same pain with the same intensity, in another one is supportable. So, the training of physicians for recognising the pain and his intensity its essential; we have questionnaires, we have instruments, we have specifically test, there are a lot of things for well recognition of chronic pain.

    Nowadays, in some countries, like Spain, the economic crisis has a direct impact on health services. I imagine that’s an important point that spoils the fight about aware society of chronic pain….
    With health and social services under pressure due to cost-cutting measures it is more important to draw attention to the economic impact of chronic pain. We need investments in pain research, in education and training in this field, and most of all in specialised facilities for chronic pain prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Less chronic pain, less suffering, greater productivity. We can achieve it, but doesn’t come free.

    Then, it’s very important to tell about chronic pain around the world…
    Absolutely. Pain is the major healthcare problem in Europe. Although acute pain may reasonably be considered a symptom of disease or injury, chronic pain is a specific healthcare problem, a disease in its own right. For this reason, we have to tell to the media that chronic pain is an important topic we should think about and we should change something; we must approach the politicians, because they decided were money have to be invested.

    This is maybe the most difficult thing. In some countries, like Spain, nowadays the difficult economic situation spoils the investment in good treatments.
    Yes, that’s true. However, Spanish Pain Society approaches the concern to politicians to convince them about the importance of it.
    In Spain (most particulary in Galicia, Andalusia or Catalonia) these kinds of projects are very successful. We need many many of small steps to have big steps and finally improve this situation.

    Then, where is exactly Spain in the ranking of good treatments of pain?
    I think Spain is in the middle. You aren’t in the top, because you have also very much to improve. It could be still better, yes. However, Spain is not one of there countries that we have many worries about. I said this because there are some countries where the patient has no opportunity of treatment or prescriptions. I think Spain is in the good way.

  • Eight things Grenoble taught me

    Grenoble4AText:  David Redeker,

    freelance science journalist and communications adviser in the Netherlands
    Photo’s: Anna Shatalova, science journalist of POISK Russia, Diana Hornung, freelance science writer in Switzerland & Raili Leino, science journalist at Talentum Media in Finland

    The Eusja was invited for a 3-day press trip to the GIANT-campus in Grenoble (France). It was an overwhelming trip. Here are some experiences of Dutch science journalist David Redeker.

    1. Grenoble is as flat as my home town Zoetermeer.
    The difference between Zoetermeer (the Netherlands) and Grenoble is that the first one is surrounded by green, billiard sheet like meadows and the latter by beautiful mountains.

    Grenoble62. The GIANT-campus is not so giant in square meters.
    But it is one of the most dense campuses I have ever seen. And it is practically in the city. That makes it one of the nicest campuses in the world. The campus encompasses some European institutes (ILL, EMBL and ESRF), a lot of French institutes (Miniatec, CNRS and CEA to name a few), research schools (amongst others the nice GEM, Grenoble Ecole de Management) and university facilities.

    Grenoble43. The only moving clean room in the world is in… Grenoble.
    It is a ski-cabin like room of 2 by 5 meters that travels 200 meters from one big clean room facility to another. It is made by a famous French ski-cabin manufacturer and works with an airlock of inflating cushions. Salient detail: the only time in the year it does not function is when there is too much snow on the track.

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    4. French MBA-students watch Youtube clips starring their professor.
    Valérie Sabatier, professor of strategy at the Grenoble Ecole de Management made some movies to explain her research papers. In one video she compares cooking with business models: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31cia5aaUs . And in another one she explains the transformation of the biopharma industry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T52rN6AgvQ .Grenoble8

    5. French write their last name in capitals.
    That is not because they are yelling. It is because many last names can also be first names. At first I did not like it, but now I am used to it. Back home I realized that I am now writing Dutch names in capitals too.

    6. European Science writers have a lot in common.
    We always want to know more about a subject. We like playing with words and we love to make puns. We like telling stories. We are interested in weird subjects and we are skeptic at first and not always too polite when asking questions (my sincere apologies for that dear French professors, directors and presidents).

    Grenoble97. European Science writers differ very much.
    At the dinner table I realized that free speech is not a common good in every country. And when walking from one building to another I learned that the payments differ a lot. For example: a writer of a four page article in a big Spanish magazine earns three times less than a writer of a four page article in the Dutch version of that magazine.

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    8. The French can be very punctual.

    The Dutch and the Belgians have a saying that states that French are loose and sloppy (‘met de Franse slag’). It is from the period when we had French rulers (1795 to 1813). They drove horses and used their whips elegant and loose. Probably we were jealous at that time. And now I am still jealous. Because every part of the program was on time. Being an organizer myself, I know that it is a great accomplishment. My compliments go out to everyone in the program and especially to Mary PARRINELLO (notice the capitals). Mary, merci beaucoup!

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  • THE ECHO OF FRENCH ALPS

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    Have you ever been in a clean room? Ask EUSJA members, they will explain you what a difficult experience it is! Last week 22 science journalists from Belgium, Hungary, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK attended the study trip in Grenoble to learn more about a prestigious project of GIANT which promises very interesting perspectives for well known science centers situated in the heart of French Alps.

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    The journalists visited some of these centers. They met researchers in ESRF where one of the biggest synchrotrons of the world has been built, visited the new nanoscience building of CNRS with its unique equipment. Science journalists could interview researchers from the EMBL, ILL, CEA, the University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble Ecole de Management and other amazing sites. We shall hear soon from the journalists who will share with their colleagues the impressions from this very interesting study trip. But for the beginning – some photos. By the way, try to find your friends to the pics were done in a clean room!

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  • Indian summer 2013 in Heidelberg

    Indian summer 2013 in Heidelberg

    By Olga Baklitskaya-Kameneva

    Heidelberg-2013-1

    The last week of September a group of EUSJA journalists attended the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF). The history of the HLF, where 200 young researchers from 49 different countries met with 39 Laureates of Turing Award, Fields Medal, Abel Prize and Nevanlinna Prize, just begins. The Organizers of the Forum did their best to make the event really interesting and prepared an extensive program in and around Heidelberg. The credo was announced by Dr. Klaus Tschira, a founder of the Klaus Tschira Foundation and inspirer of the HLF: “Mathematics as one of the oldest and computer science as a very new scientific discipline provide the grounds of today’s highly engineered and modern life, and belong to our culture. Their social relevance will continue to grow”. He has started this for the first time and plans for it to be an annual event.

     Of course, it was a fantastic chance not only for the young researchers to get the privilege to attend the Forum but also for the science journalists. You are in the right place at the right time – this idea comes up to you, when you see so many famous outstanding scientists and even can listen to their talks on their award-winning research. The lectures covered a wide range of different topics. For example, one of the first talks has been given by Ray Reddy, one of the pioneers in the artificial intelligence. He received the Turing Award as the highest distinction in computer science in 1994. His topic about who invented computing was a very interesting and unexpected look backward. Or can you imagine how billiard balls on a frictionless surface would bounce off? The answer knows the Fields Medalist Curtis T. McMullen who used computer programs to find unusual structures and patterns. He showed this presentation as a gateway to current research of complex surfaces and spaces. Stephen Smale (Fields Medal) talked about award-winning algorithms that can predict the folding of proteins. His main idea is to introduce a geometry on the space of protein.

    Surprisingly, Leslie Valiant (Nevanlinna Prize and Turing Award) explained how computational learning theory with Darwinian evolution within a computational framework can be applied to determine life. Is our universe deterministic or probabilistic? Awi Wigderson, received the Nevanlinna Prize, talked about difference between these two worlds, using his theory of “pseudorandomness”. Michael Francis Atiyah (Fields Medal and Abel Prize) during his talk gave some advice to young mathematicians. His words are useful for everyone: always be curious, don’t get disheartened in your early years, manage how much you get sidetracked, collaboration is important. One could tell more about all laureates, their lectures really were impressive, but you may watch them on the HLF website (http://www.heidelberg-laureate-forum.org/).

    What about young researchers? The atmosphere during the Forum was quite open. The organizers have prepared for them visits to local institutes and companies, workshops and panel discussions, giving them an opportunity to gain inspiration and exchange ideas. Here is the mix of their impressions: “How approachable all of laureates were!”, “Great experience!”, “I feel extremely lucky to be participating”, “The HLF provided the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, “It was both inspiring and comforting to hear that many of the Laureates were starting to turn their interests to apply mathematical and computational approaches to disciplines”, “That was an enormous step towards a successful career, fruitful for my own ambitions and dreams”.

    And we, journalists, have got another opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of pure science and communicate to current and future geniuses and, of course, colleagues (thanks to the organizers!). I met my EUSJA friends, many local journalists and colleagues from different countries – the USA, Australia, even from Philippines. We were welcome to take part in the press conferences and interview some of the laureates. The famous French mathematician Cédric Villani, who received the Fields medal for his work on Landau damping and the Boltzmann equation in 2010, had a mini press conference. Most of the reporters like to interview him not only for his romantic poet looking and the large spider brooch he always wears, he is one of the inspiring popularizers of mathematics.

    I was lucky to interview the Russian mathematician Vladimir Voevodsky from the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton whose talk was considered as a “Voevodsky’s mathematical revolution” at the forum. He told about Univalent Foundations of Mathematics. In spite of this inscrutable title it means that Voevodsky with collaborators are developing “software” that mathematicians can use in their research to proof different theories.

    During the event I heard not once how important are for mathematicians the beauty and the «elegance» of any proof, where the different parts mesh together in harmony, like music. And I would say that musical part of the HLF was brilliant: the eccentric saxophone quartet, the jazz concert and, of course, Mozartiana con spirito scientifico, but that’s another story.

     

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    The Heidelberg Laureate Forum is the result of a joint initiative of the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies and the Klaus Tschira Stiftung. The latter has been a supporter of the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting for many years, and the experience of this event spawned the idea of creating something similar for the two crucial scientific disciplines Mathematics and Computer Science. The Forum was organized by the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation in cooperation with the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the international Mathematical Union (IMU) and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.