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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · 22d

Reposting my 2024 #PeerReviewWeek editorial as it is particularly fitting to this year's theme, "Rethinking Peer Review in the AI Era": www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · 27d

Our September issue is now live! www.cell.com/patterns/iss...

This month's awesome cover image highlights a paper from a team of researchers at @uniulm.bsky.social who present a #quantum algorithm for gene regulatory network discovery
www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

The journal's cover image illustrates a futuristic city where all structures are interconnected to support the collective prosperity of the organism. At its center is a highly advanced building that receives comprehensive information from across the city and uses it to evaluate the city’s current status as a global entity, which arises from the interconnected components of such a complex network. Similarly, genes within cells function like dynamic circuits by continuously toggling on and off to generate stable patterns known as “attractors,” which influence and control the behaviour of living organisms. In this issue of Patterns, Rossini et al. present an innovative quantum computing approach that rapidly detects these stable genetic patterns—much like navigating a maze—by harnessing quantum mechanical properties. The integration of quantum computing with biology opens new pathways for better understanding the complexity of life. Image credit: Marietta Hamberger.

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Anke Sparmann @ankesparmann.bsky.social · 28d

1/2 Bacteriophages are among Earth’s most diverse biological entities, but many resist genetic manipulation. This leaves much of their diversity unexplored and constrains efforts to discover new proteins and exploit their potential for biotechnology and therapeutic applications.

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Aug 20

Are you an educator in a higher ed setting using generative AI in innovative ways in the classroom? We are currently seeking contributors for a short piece being developed at the journal on the topic. Please DM us if you would be interested in sharing your story.

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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Aug 20

In an editorial this month at @cp-patterns.bsky.social, I make a simple plea to our authors: cite what you read, and, please, please, read what you cite.

www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

Also, some stuff about #preprints

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Russ Poldrack @russpoldrack.org · Aug 20

Our department is seeking applicants for an Assistant Professor position with a focus on affective science. Please apply and/or pass this along to anyone who might be interested! facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/49...

Stanford | Faculty Positions: Details - Assistant Professor, Psychology

facultypositions.stanford.edu

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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Jun 24

I‘m looking forward to visiting the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (#CASUS) tomorrow in Görlitz!

I will be giving a talk to CASUS and other @hzdr.bsky.social researchers at 14:00. Details: www.casus.science?page_id=15608

Event — Effectively publishing data-rich science – CASUS – Center for Advanced Systems Understanding

Andrew Hufton, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief Patterns, Cell Press, Munich (Germany)

www.casus.science

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Jun 13

Also in this month's issue:

Did you know women have been shaping data science since BEFORE it had a name? Check out this opinion about the often overlooked history of women in data science and why it matters

www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

#WomenInSTEM

Highlighting the achievements and impact of women in data science

Women have been instrumental in shaping data science from its earliest days. This opinion highlights both the achievements and the ongoing challenges faced by women in the field, emphasizing that a wi...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Jun 13

Our June issue is now live! www.cell.com/patterns/iss...

On the cover is an artwork from Dirk Vanmassenhove that the artist feels evokes findings in a study on gender bias also published in this issue. "Gender, like color, is layered, mutable," he writes.

Related study
www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

$On the cover: “Sur Incise / On Intersection”: Seeing through layers “Sur Incise” draws us in with fractured surfaces—blocks of ochre, navy, yellow, and green, colliding with purpose. Its title, referencing Boulez's composition and the act of cutting, hints at fragmentation and ambiguity. At the painting's center lies a human figure—nude, abstracted, shifting between identities. Visible in color but elusive in form, it invites questions: what remains unseen when language fails us? This visual tension mirrors findings from Savoldi et al.'s study on gender bias in machine translation, where systems default to binaries and overlook intersectionality. Just as the painting resists clear categorization, translation models struggle with identities that do not conform to fixed labels—flattening complexity and erasing nuance. “Sur Incise” offers no singular reading. Gender, like color, is layered, mutable. The figure is not absent—only obscured. To perceive it, we must move beyond rigid categories and accept that some meanings are felt rather than defined.Image credit: Picture of the painting “Sur Incise / On Intersection” 2025. Acrylic paint on a linen canvas mounted on an aluminum frame. 120 cm × 120 cm × 1.5 cm. © Dirk Vanmassenhove.$

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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Jun 5

I wouldn't allow it. It will print poorly, and unless the rest of the journal is dark-backgrounded, you're forcing the readers' eyes to transition from a white page to this. This particular figure would also benefit from a more careful vector-graphics rendering of the labels...

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Emily Atkin @emorwee.bsky.social · Apr 14

Teaching kids about climate change is not what causes climate anxiety.

*Not doing anything about climate change* is what causes climate anxiety.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/c...

Trump Administration Cuts Research Funding, Claiming It Creates ‘Climate Anxiety’

The cuts to a Princeton University program come as the Trump administration has been reviewing an array of research grants related to global warming.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Ellen Barry @ellenbarry.bsky.social · Apr 11

“I was in paradise,” she said. “I would very much like to stay in paradise.”

The story of Harvard researcher Kseniia Petrova, who has been in ICE detention for nearly two months and fears she will be deported to Russia.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/s...

She Worked in a Harvard Lab to Reverse Aging, Until ICE Jailed Her (Gift Article)

President Trump’s immigration crackdown ensnared Kseniia Petrova, a scientist who fled Russia after protesting its invasion of Ukraine. She fears arrest if she is deported there.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Kelly Hereid @kellyhereid.bsky.social · Apr 11

"eliminate all funding for [NOAA] climate, weather, and ocean laboratories and cooperative institutes"

"ending the operations of a huge host of earth science satellites"

"closure of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center"

Paul Voosen @voosen.me · Apr 11

BREAKING from @science.org: The Trump admin is seeking to kill nearly all climate research at NOAA, its climate science agency.

Its near-final budget proposal would end all NOAA research labs, academic institutes, and regional climate centers. And it wants to fully end the NOAA Research division.

Trump seeks to end climate research at premier U.S. climate agency

White House aims to end NOAA’s research office; NASA also targeted

www.science.org

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Apr 11

Also this month, van Amsterdam et al show that prediction models, including AI models, can be well-validated for accuracy but still have harmful consequences when applied to the real-world, such as in clinical decision-making.

www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

When accurate prediction models yield harmful self-fulfilling prophecies

Prediction models are often developed with the aim to guide treatment decisions, but can they cause harm? This study reveals that even models with good post-deployment performance—such as strong discr...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Apr 11

Our April issue is now live!
www.cell.com/patterns/iss...

On the cover this month, researchers from Beijing Jiaotong & Rensselaer Polytech Universities present a graph learning method for predicting extreme failure events in transport networks.
www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

On the cover: Extreme disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and landslides, although rare, can severely damage road transportation networks, potentially leading to significant declines in system performance. Predicting the impact of these “black swan” events and estimating the probability of extreme failures has long been a challenge because of the high computational cost of traditional methods. In this issue, Guo et al. propose an importance sampling method based on graph learning that enhances sampling efficiency for extreme failure scenarios in large-scale road transportation networks. This approach provides valuable technical support for improving disaster resilience in infrastructure systems. The cover image illustrates a graph neural network used to analyze and quantify the criticality of road segments within transportation networks under various extreme disasters, thereby facilitating cost-efficient sampling of extreme failure scenarios in large-scale road transportation networks. Image credit: Tingting Zhao, Beijing Jiaotong University.

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Lilith Goddess of Rebellion @elo-cin.bsky.social · Apr 1

@booker.senate.gov
The record for the longest filibuster is 24 hours and 18 minutes.
It is held by Sen. Thurman who was filibustering AGAINST the Civil Rights Act.

How poetic would it be for a black man to smash that record for a much more noble cause?!

Keep going, Cory!! #corybooker #filibuster

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · Apr 1

Cory Booker.

That’s the post. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Melissa McCradden @mdmccradden.bsky.social · Mar 28

“Compared with the patients’ doctors, the AI model more often failed to detect the presence of disease in Black patients or women, as well in those 40 years or younger.” 😒

Filing this one away for the next time someone offers the truly stupendous retort of “but humans are biased too”

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · Mar 28

no shit

www.science.org/content/arti...

AI models miss disease in Black and female patients

Analysis of chest x-rays underscores need for monitoring artificial intelligence tools for bias, experts say

www.science.org

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Mar 20

Happy to share that this was recently implemented for papers on Cell.com. Example below from www.cell.com/patterns/ful....

At @cp-patterns.bsky.social, our Bluesky account is now our primary social media account and we are de-emphasizing X.

Shows example paper with social media sharing icons, including Bluesky

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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Mar 20

Happy to share that this was recently implemented for papers on Cell.com. Example below from www.cell.com/patterns/ful....

At @cp-patterns.bsky.social, our Bluesky account is now our primary social media account and we are de-emphasizing X.

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Mar 14

Also in our March issue, Melania Muñoz-García, Amber Hartman Scholz & other members of the DSI Scientific Network (www.dsiscientificnetwork.org) explain what a recent international agreement on genetic data could mean for researchers
www.cell.com/patterns/ful...

Navigating COP16’s digital sequence information outcomes: What researchers need to do in practice

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity adopted new rules for sharing benefits from publicly available genetic sequence data, also known as digital sequence information (DSI). In this Opinion, the a...

www.cell.com

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Patterns, a Cell Press journal @cp-patterns.bsky.social · Mar 14

Our March issue is now live, including a great cover by Z. Wang and @jsulam.bsky.social highlighting their work on breast cancer biomarker discovery

www.cell.com/patterns/iss...

On the cover: The complex biology reflected in the tissue surrounding and including tumors has important implications on the evolution of cancer and on the overall prognosis of the patient. However, this microenvironment is very complex and heterogeneous, making it difficult to extract informative quantitative measures that can inform patient outcomes. BiGraph is a method that automatically finds patterns of cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment that characterize different groups of patients with distinct outcomes, leading to prognostic biomarkers. BiGraph builds a graph at the population (macro) level that associates patients by studying their similarity according to the composition of their tumor microenvironments. In turn, each microenvironment is characterized by specific patterns of cell interactions, which are modeled by a cellular (micro) level graph. The work by Wang et al. highlights the power of interpretable data-driven methods in uncovering biologically meaningful features using breast cancer as a case study, while applicable to other diseases more broadly. Image credits: Z. Wang and J. Sulam.

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Reposted by Andrew L. Hufton

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Mar 10

99% of new medicines developed by the pharmaceutical industry depend on NIH research jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Comparison of Research Spending on New Drug Approvals by the NIH vs the Pharmaceutical Industry

This cross-sectional study examines National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical industry investments in recent drug approvals.

jamanetwork.com

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Andrew L. Hufton @alhufton.bsky.social · Mar 8

Great, accessible piece @undark.org by Peter A. Smith on digital sequence information and benefit sharing
undark.org/2025/03/05/d...

Includes a quote from me :) And, also insightful comments from actual experts.

In Digital Genetic Data, An Uncertainty Over Ownership

Digital sequence information has radically changed the way researchers look at the world’s genetic resources.

undark.org

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