Government Research Institutes Research Articles

An Efficient EM based Ontology Text-mining to Cluster Proposals for Research Project Selection

Both the internet and the intranets contain more resources and they are called as text documents. Research and Development (R&D) scheme selection is a type of decision-making normally present in government support agencies, universities, research institutes and technology intensive companies. Text Mining has come out as an authoritative technique for extracting the unknown information from large text document. Ontology is defined as a knowledge storehouse in which concepts and conditions are defined in addition to relationships between these concepts. Ontology's build the task of searching alike pattern of text that to be more effectual, efficient and interactive. The present method for combine proposals for selection of research project is proposed by ontology based text mining technique to the data mining approach of cluster research proposals support on their likeness in research area. This proposed method is efficient and effective for clustering research proposals. Though the research proposal regarding particular research area is cannot always be accurate. This study proposed an ontology based text mining to group research proposals, external reviewers based on their research area. The proposed method like Efficient Expectation-Maximization algorithm (EEM) is used to cluster the research proposal and gives better results in more efficient way.

Governing and Delivering a Biome-Wide Restoration Initiative: The Case of Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact in Brazil

In many human-modified tropical landscapes, biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services require large-scale restoration initiatives. Such initiatives must be able to augment the amount and the quality of remaining natural habitats. There is thus a growing need for long-term, multi-stakeholder and multi-purpose initiatives that result in multiple ecological and socioeconomic benefits at the biome scale. The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (AFRP) is a coalition of 260+ stakeholders, including governmental agencies, private sector, NGOs and research institutions, aimed at restoring 15 million ha of degraded and deforested lands by 2050. By articulating, and then integrating common interests, this initiative has allowed different sectors of society to implement an ambitious vision and create a forum for public and private concerns regarding forest restoration. The AFRP adopts a set of governance tools so multiple actors can implement key processes to achieve long-term and visionary restoration goals. Having overcome some initial challenges, AFRP now has to incorporate underrepresented stakeholders and enhance its efforts to make forest restoration more economically viable, including cases where restoration could be less expensive and profitable. The AFRP experience has resulted in many lessons learned, which can be shared to foster similar initiatives across tropical regions.

The Database of Online Health Statistics: a new search tool

Health statistics are notoriously difficult to locate, even for the most competent health librarians. However, as statistics often play a vital role in healthcare policy, planning, services, and evaluation, finding them is a necessity. This article reviews the difficulties in finding health statistics and describes the creation of the Database of Online Health Statistics at the Institute of Health Economics in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This resource was designed to simplify the search for statistics by librarians and the general public. For decades, the hunt for health statistics has been described as a frustrating and (or) feared task by the general public and information specialists alike [1–5]. The challenges involved are numerous. Government agencies, international organizations, associations, research institutes, corporations, universities, and interest groups, among others, all generate health statistics. However, access provided by these groups differs. Governments often make the statistics they gather freely available on the Internet and researchers publish their figures within journal articles, whereas corporations may not provide public access at all. This plethora of creators and publication methods, coupled with the lack of a central location to house the statistics, often makes finding a particular figure difficult. The format of the publications may create impediments; a statistic may be represented by one or more sentences buried within an article or report. The searcher must then know what terminology to use to locate the numerical data within the document. Alternatively, the statistics could be featured in image formats such as figures or tables, which often precludes searching within them [5]. New technologies, such as geographical information systems (GIS), are being employed to provide the public with interactive graphical displays of datasets generated in real-time that, while useful for manipulating variables to get at the statistics one desires, prohibit searching via online search engines [1]. Also, drop-down menus are not crawled by search engines, and are often of broad categories rather than the specific variables of interest. The various creators of statistics also use different terminology, definitions, collection and analytical methods, and date ranges for their data collection, making comparisons complicated [1]. This leads to fragmentation of data, and thus the need to look in multiple places to find answers to different elements of the same question. Many countries have national statistical agencies that serve as repositories for statistical publications. While many provide free access via websites to these statistics, their sites are often difficult to navigate. Coverage is also inconsistent as not all countries, states, or provinces are represented. The information specialist has the additional challenge of trying to interpret the patron’s request. Reference queries are not always expressed clearly at the best of times, so when the confusing world of statistics is thrown in, the patron’s needs often become even less apparent. The National Library of Medicine’s tutorial Finding and Using Health Statistics [6] and the book Introduction to Reference Sources in the Health Sciences [7] provide useful tips for the reference librarian in assessing needs and formulating a search strategy. Finally, librarians or information specialists are rarely asked to find the same statistics more than once, so it is difficult to gain confidence, knowledge of specific resources, and subject mastery in this area.

A study on knowledge flows of dye-sensitized solar cells’ patent

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the development and knowledge flows of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) via the use of patent inventor database. Moreover, this study aims to explore patentees and inventors’ companies to help readers and practitioners to be able to understand the patentees, technology development and activities of knowledge flows from four countries. DSSCs, which are known as one of the key technologies of green energy, have been applied ever more widely to many different industries, and their use has quickly grown with a number of scientific publications and patent applications. Design/methodology/approach – This paper was based on the US patent database collection of third-generation DSSCs in four typical countries such as USA, Japan, Germany and Taiwan to map the knowledge network of DSSC technology via the social network analysis method. Findings – The knowledge network of 132 DSSC patents was explored. Among the four countries, Japan leads, with the main patent number being H01G009. This paper also indicates the knowledge flow situation of Japanese inventors of DSSCs. For example, patented inventors Wariishi and Koji (JP) served the Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (JP) in 2002, and then in 2008, transferred to the Fuji Film Corporation (JP). This means that the knowledge of technology was transferred by people who moved to another company for a new job. Research limitations/implications – This study is based on US Patent and Trademark Office patent database to do exploration. Practical implications – This study was expected to provide information for the industry, government and academia, so that they will understand the trajectory of the technology inventor, specialist cultivation and technology development in the DSSC industry. Originality/value – This study provides useful information for the green energy industry, government and academia to understand the importance of the knowledge flows and future development of DSSC technology of the solar cell industry. Thereby, they can intensify industrial competence and innovation by externally collaborating in this field as well as to increase the industrial competence by reimbursing the funds from government and other research institutes.

Challenges of Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Education and Technology Transfer in a Fast Developing Industry

Abstract. During the past decade, Taiwan has experienced an unusual and fast growing in the industry of mapping, remote sensing, spatial information and related markets. A successful space program and dozens of advanced airborne and ground-based remote sensing instruments as well as mobile mapping systems have been implemented and put into operation to support the vast demands of geospatial data acquisition. Moreover, in addition to the government agencies and research institutes, there are also tens of companies in the private sector providing geo-spatial data and services. However, the fast developing industry is also posing a great challenge to the education sector in Taiwan, especially the higher education for geo-spatial information. Facing this fast developing industry, the demands of skilled professionals and new technologies in order to address diversified needs are indubitably high. Consequently, while delighting in the expanding and prospering benefitted from the fast growing industry, how to fulfill these demands has become a challenge for the remote sensing and spatial information disciplines in the higher education institutes in Taiwan. This paper provides a brief insight into the status of the remote sensing and spatial information industry in Taiwan as well as the challenges of the education and technology transfer to support the increasing demands and to ensure the continuous development of the industry. In addition to the report of the current status of the remote sensing and spatial information related courses and programs in the colleges and universities, current and potential threatening issues and possible resolutions are also discussed in different points of view.

Social Media Risks and Benefits

Social media are becoming an important intermediary for interaction between governments, governments and citizens, and governmental agencies and businesses. This is due to the unique characteristics of social media: openness, participation, and sharing. However, despite rapid adoption, a growing concern and skepticism regarding the use of social media exists in the public sector. The purpose of this study is to investigate empirically the risks and benefits of social media use by public agencies. For this purpose, a research model was developed and tested in a survey of 289 government sector employees from six South Korean government research institutes. We found that both risks (i.e., social risk, time, psychological risks, and privacy concern) and benefits (i.e., social connectivity, social involvement, information attainment, and entertainment) significantly affect public sector employees’ satisfaction with and intention to use social media. However, the effect of the benefits on users’ satisfaction was stronger than the risks. The results of the study have important implications for researchers and policy makers.

R&D cooperation for non-technological innovations

Past research on the impact of R&D cooperation on firm innovation performance has almost solely focused on technological innovations. This paper investigates the impact of R&D cooperation on non-technological innovation performance of firms. In doing so, seven different cooperation partner types are distinguished. Survey data from German firms are used for the econometric analysis. It is shown that R&D cooperation increases the probability of a firm to introduce non-technological innovations. R&D cooperation with suppliers, consultants, other firms within the same firm group and universities has a significant positive impact on organizational and marketing innovation performance. Cooperation with governmental research institutes and competitors has no significant effect. R&D cooperation with customers has a significant impact on a firm's organizational innovation performance, but not on marketing innovation performance.

Damage pattern recognition of spatially distributed slope damages and rainfall using optimal GIS mesh dimensions

Damage assessment for slopes using geographical information system (GIS) has been actively carried out by researchers working on several government organizations and research institutes in Korea. In this study, 596 slope damages were examined to identify the types of damage associated with dip angles, dip directions, and heavy rainfall resulting from typhoons in South Korea. Heavy rainfall of 100 mm to 300 mm resulted in 80% at the investigated slope damages. A GIS database was developed for highways, rainfall, soil or rock geometry, and types of damage. A grid of rainfall intensity was generated from the records of maximum daily rainfall. Contours for slope damages and heavy rainfall using optimal GIS mesh dimensions were generated to visualize damage patterns and show substantially strong correlation of rainfall with slope damages. The combination of remote sensing with the GIS pattern recognition process described in this work are being expanded for a new generation of emergency response and rapid decision support systems.

Transferring Agricultural Technology from Government Research Institution to Private Firms in Malaysia

Process of technology transfer is the most challenging and critical in the development and diffusion of technology. The ultimate aim of this research is to contribute towards a viable theoretical framework of agro-based technology transfer. This study uses case study methodology involving an agro-based government research institution and six private firms in Malaysia. This research reveals that the development of new technology did not lead to technology transfer until business opportunity is properly recognised. The business opportunity must be recognised first; then, the process of technology transfer will follow. The accomplishment of technology transfer from government research institution to private firms requires a well planned and comprehensive, structured process, and the support of the following factors: (a) business opportunity is recognised; (b) the technology generator shared his/her knowledge and know-how fully; (c) both the technology generator and technology recipient are passionate about technology transfer; and (d) both of them are totally involved and committed throughout the technology transfer process. As a conclusion, the accomplishment of technology transfer is explained by cognitive and affective theories in that, the entrepreneur's mental judgment links the process of technology transfer through the recognition of opportunity, while emotions and feeling complement this process.

Farmers’ adaptive practices for drought risk reduction in the northwest region of Bangladesh

Being an agrarian region, the northwest part of Bangladesh frequently experiences recurrent droughts over the last decade. To cope with this insidious disaster, the farmers in this region practice various adaptation measures through their own efforts with institutional support. But these efforts and support are not sufficient for farmers to survive droughts. In this light, this study assesses the adaptive capacity of farmers along with institutions to develop suitable drought adaptation policy in the context of this region. The drought adaptive practices developed in this study are mainly adopted from the unique approach called socioeconomic, institutional and physical. Results reveal that establishment of mango orchard, vegetable gardening and community health care service would be helpful in enhancing drought resilience at community level. Moreover, an important policy message from this study suggests that validation of these practices through government offices, research institutes and other relevant organizations can help to develop an appropriate drought adaptation policy for this region. Similarly, by performing these practices from national to local level, farmers as well as communities in this region will be able to effectively sustain their livelihoods against droughts.

2013年度における大学・官公庁研究機関の研究題目に関する調査結果

2013年度における大学・官公庁研究機関の研究題目に関する調査結果

An assessment of etiological spectrum and injury characteristics among maxillofacial trauma patients of Government dental college and Research Institute, Bangalore

Background:Maxillofacial injuries pose a therapeutic challenge to trauma, maxillofacial and plastic surgeons practicing in developing countries. This was a retrospective study carried out to determine the incidence, etiology, injury characteristics of maxillofacial injuries reported at our centre.Patients and Methods:The data for this study were obtained from the medical records of 689 cases reported to our centre during the period from 2006-2009. Records of patients who were either treated in the emergency room as outpatients or the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as inpatients were analyzed and were subjected to statistical analysis using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 17.0. Data was summarized in form of proportions and frequency tables for categorical variables and was subjected to Chi-Square test.Results:Out of 689 patients, 75.9% were male and 24.1% were female. 42.5% of the patients were in the age group of 21 to 30 years. Road traffic accidents accounted for the majority (74.3%) of cases of maxillofacial trauma. Mandible was seen as the most commonly fractured bone (50.3%) and 53.8% head and neck injuries were most common among the associated injuries.Conclusion:Road traffic accidents were clearly the most prevalent etiological factor for maxillofacial trauma. Measures on prevention of road traffic crashes should be strongly emphasized in order to reduce the occurrence of these injuries.

Knowledge and Attitude of Farmers towards Vermicompost Technology

A study was conducted with 150 randomly selected farmers in Barmer Panchayat Samiti area of Barmer district. The study revealed that the majority of the farmers (84%) were having moderate level of knowledge and favourable attitude about advantages of vermicompost technology. The major constraints noticed were the non availability of worms in nearby market, lack of knowledge about preparation of vermicompost and high temperature during summer season. Removing these constraints need organized efforts from all the stakeholder's namely farmers, government (local administration and research institution) and non government organizations.

Evaluation model for research and development commercialization capability

The purpose of this research was to study the research and development (R&D) evaluation process situation and identify criteria for commercialization capability in Thai government in research institutes. The data were collected by in-depth interviews and purposive sampling is deployed. Series of interviews were conducted with 14 Thai experts from all the eight Thai government research institutes which stipulated R&D commercialization as their mission. The research results revealed that most of Thai R&D institutes focus on basic research; hence, the developed technology does not fit to the industrial demand. This paper hence suggested that the research institute should set the research agenda based on market together with technology driven. To assess the commercialization capability, six criteria for R&D project commercialization capability are technology, marketing, finance, intellectual property, resource, and beneficial impact should be considered but at different level relates to R&D development process. This paper is based on innovation theory to decrease the ambiguous subjectivity of Fuzzy expert system. Moreover, the proposed model explains major criteria to be used at each R&D development process to ensure commercialization capability.

Conflits entre conceptions locales et scientifiques de la gestion du paysage pour la conservation de la faune : politiques de la coexistence entre humains et chimpanzés à Bossou, Guinée

Environmental conservation policies in Africa have their origin in the forced establishment of nature reserves during the colonial era. Even after African countries became independent, top-down operation of these reserves continued primarily due to international calls for nature conservation and to consumerist demand from western countries. For the people of Africa, this continued to be an externally-driven activity with little endogenous motivation and, quite often, real motives for opposition. Even in the context of today’s participatory conservation approaches, there is vocal skepticism about the ability of Africans to act independently and about the existence of local “conservation” philosophies. This paper offers a detailed description of field clearing demonstrations by the villagers of Bossou, Republic of Guinea, which flared up in 2002 following the establishment of a governmental research institute in the village. This place had been portrayed for several decades by natural scientists as a place of peaceful coexistence between people and chimpanzees. The stated goals of the swidden preparation campaign was to secure land for subsistence purposes, but it is thought that the main driving factor was maintaining the right to decide matters like the allocation of tourism income, which the government research institute was attempting to usurp. After the general 2002 uprising, a particular individual and his family continued their resistance consisting of swidden preparation and cultivation in the chimpanzee habitat. This was likely due to a conviction to recover the original vegetative landscape of the village, which had been transformed under the pressure of academic research, to its prior state. The agricultural environment is valued by a chimpanzee “conservation model” based on indigenous experience and knowledge, which is in conflict with models introduced by outsiders (scientists and public administrations).The indigenous conservation model revealed by this case study may better help to prevent epidemics of zoonoses and injury and deaths due to chimpanzee attacks, compared with the outsiders’ conservation approach based on general knowledge drawn from conservation ecology. Future conservation measures should be determined based on dialog between the two models. This article is modified after Yamakoshi (2006a).

Adoption of On-Farm Tree Planting in Kibaale District, Western Uganda

Using logistic and multiple regression analyses, this article examines the socioeconomic factors that influence farmers’ decisions to adopt on-farm tree planting, one of the agroforestry techniques promoted by government agencies and research institutions for use in the farming systems of Uganda. A household survey involving 200 farmers was carried out in the Subcounties of Kabamba, Mugarama, Kagadi, and Kiryanga in Kibaale District, western Uganda. From the analyses, we found out that a farmer's decision to adopt on-farm tree planting is influenced by household and field characteristics. Gender, tree tenure security, availability of seed and supply, guidance by extension and research Institutions, size of landholding per household, fuelwood scarcity, and main source of family income were the factors that significantly influenced the decision to adopt on-farm tree planting. We recommended that in order to promote increased adoption of on-farm tree planting, appropriate socioeconomic characterization should be explored in order to target areas with better adoption potential for optimal realization of the intended objectives by government agencies and research institutions.

Aftershocks Associated With Impaired Health Caused by the Great East Japan Disaster Among Youth Across Japan: A National Cross-Sectional Survey

BackgroundThe Great East Japan earthquake, subsequent tsunamis and the Fukushima nuclear incident had a tremendous impact on Japanese society. Although small-scale surveys have been conducted in highly affected areas, few have elucidated the disaster’s effect on health from national perspective, which is necessary to prepare national policy and response.ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to describe prefecture-level health status and investigate associations with number of aftershocks, seismic intensity, a closer geographical location to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, or higher reported radiation dose in each prefecture even after adjusting for individual socioeconomic factors, by utilizing individual-level data acquired from a national cross-sectional Internet survey as well as officially reported prefecture-level data.MethodsA Japanese government research institute obtained 12,000 participants by quota sampling and 7335 participants were eligible for the analysis in an age range between 17 and 27 years old. We calculated the percentage of people with decreased subjective health in each prefecture after the earthquake. Variability introduced by a small sample size for some prefectures was smoothed using empirical Bayes estimation with a random-intercept logistic model, with and without demographic factors. Multilevel logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for change of subjective health associated with prefecture-level and individual-level factors.ResultsAdjusted empirical Bayes estimates were higher for respondents commuting in the northeast region (Iwate 14%, Miyagi 19%, and Fukushima 28%), which faces the Pacific Ocean, while the values for Akita (10%) and Yamagata (8%) prefectures, which do not face the Pacific Ocean, were lower than those of Tokyo (12%). The values from the central to the western region were clearly lower. The number of aftershocks was coherently associated with decreased health (OR 1.05 per 100 times, 95% CI 1.04-1.06; P<.001) even after adjusting for covariates (OR 1.02 per 100 times, 95% CI 1.00-1.05; 1.32 per 1000 times, 95% CI 1.03-1.71; P=.049). In contrast, seismic intensity of the initial earthquake (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.65-1.17; P=.36), radiation dose (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.82-1.64; P=.41), and distance from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.99-1.00; P=.66) were not. Change in job condition (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.72-2.45; P<.001), female (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.19-1.69; P<.001), higher age (OR 1.06 per year, 95% CI 1.02-1.11; P=.005), and duration of evacuation longer than 4 weeks (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.06-1.97; P=.02) seemed to decrease perceived health status.ConclusionsWe found nationwide differences that show decreased health status because of the Great East Japan disaster according to prefecture. The number of aftershocks, change in work conditions, being female, a higher age, and duration of the evacuation were risk factors for the population after the major earthquake, tsunamis, and nuclear incident.

Memorial de Concurso para Provimento do Cargo de Professor Titular no Departamento de Geografia na Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

O material aqui apresentado corresponde ao corpo do texto do Memorial apresentadopela Profa. Bertha Koiffmann Becker em Dezembro de 1993, por ocasião do concursorealizado para provimento do Cargo de professor Titular da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Nele consta seu relato sobre sua importante trajetória acadêmico-profissional,ressaltando, principalmente, as temáticas abordadas em suas pesquisas, seu papel no fortalecimentodo Departamento de Geografia da UFRJ e sua significativa contribuição naimplantação e dinamização do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia (PPGG-IGEO/UFRJ), além de sua valiosa participação em setores do governo brasileiro e em inúmeras Universidades, Institutos e Organizações de Ensino e Pesquisa Nacionais e Internacionais, contribuindo de forma sempre rica, espontânea e, podemos dizer, brilhante à Ciência! Ao final de seu relato fizemos uma síntese de sua atuação profissional e suas inúmeras premiaçõese condecorações, demonstrando a salutar contribuição a Ciência de uma das mais preciosas Geógrafas brasileira que teve reconhecimento mundial.

The Tip of the “Celiac Iceberg” in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveUntil recently, celiac disease was considered to be rare in China. We aimed to estimate its true status.MethodsBy searching the MEDLINE database and four Chinese full-text databases (CNKI, CBM, VIP and WANFANG) (up to August 2012), as well as two HLA allele frequency net databases and the Chinese Statistics Yearbook databases, we systematically reviewed the literature on definite and suspected cases of celiac disease, the predisposing HLA allele frequencies, and on gluten exposure in China. Meta-analysis was performed by analyzing DQ2, DQ8 and DQB1*0201 gene frequencies and heterogeneity in populations from different geographic regions and ethnicities in China.ResultsAt present, the number of reported celiac disease cases is extremely low in China. The frequencies of the HLA-DQ2.5 and HLA-DQ8 haplotypes were 3.4% (95% confidence interval 1.3–5.5%) and 2.1% (0.1–4.1%), respectively. HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 antigen frequencies were 18.4% (15.0–21.7%) and 8.0% (4.5–11.4%), respectively. The frequency of the DQB1*0201 allele was 10.5% (9.3–11.6%) and it was more common in the northern Chinese than in the southern Chinese populations. The chance of being exposed to gluten is rapidly increasing all over China nowadays.ConclusionThe data on HLA haplotyping, in conjunction with increasing wheat consumption, strongly suggests that the occurrence of celiac disease is more common in China than currently reported. Coordinated measures by the Chinese government, medical and agricultural research institutions, and food industries, would be justified to create more awareness about celiac disease and to prevent it becoming a medical and societal burden.

The roles of intermediaries and the development of their capabilities in sectoral innovation systems: a case study of Thailand

This paper investigates the roles of both public and private intermediaries in the sectoral innovation systems of developing countries by analysing three case studies in the hard disk drive (high-tech sector), automotive (mid-tech sector), and frozen-food (resource-based sector) industries in Thailand. We make three important findings. First, different sectors require different types of intermediaries who play different roles. In the high-tech sector, government research institutes and international industrial associations have gained the trust of transnational corporations (TNCs) and are able to keep pace with rapid technological change. In the mid-tech sector, public-sector development agencies can act as ‘brokers’ and leverage the knowledge of TNCs to strengthen local suppliers' capabilities, and local industrial associations can act as ‘mediators’ in solving conflicts between local firms. In resource-based sectors, public sectoral development agencies can act as ‘resource providers’ to local firms, and local industrial associations can broker coordinated efforts among members to achieve common goals. Second, the division of labour between public and private intermediaries is crucial; public intermediaries should play a leading role in producing the ‘public goods’ that are necessary to upgrade sectors, whereas private intermediaries should play an active role in producing ‘club goods’ for the sustainability of sectors. Third, different intermediary roles require different underlying capabilities.