Private Research Institutions Research Articles

Recovery of cerebral blood flow following sports-related concussion.

Animal models suggest that reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) is one of the most enduring physiological deficits following concussion. Despite this, longitudinal studies documenting serial changes in regional CBF following human concussion have yet to be performed. To longitudinally assess the recovery of CBF in a carefully selected sample of collegiate athletes and compare time course of CBF recovery with that of cognitive and behavioral symptoms. A cohort of collegiate football athletes (N = 44) participated in this mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional study at a private research institute specializing in neuroimaging between March 2012 and December 2013. Serial imaging occurred approximately 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month postconcussion for a subset of participants (n = 17). All athletes reported no premorbid mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or alcohol abuse. Arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging was used to collect voxelwise relative CBF at each visit. Neuropsychiatric evaluations and a brief cognitive screen were also performed at all 3 points. Clinicians trained in sports medicine provided an independent measure of real-world concussion outcome (ie, number of days withheld from competition). The results indicated both cognitive (simple reaction time) and neuropsychiatric symptoms at 1 day postinjury that resolved at either 1 week (cognitive; P < .005) or 1 month (neuropsychiatric; P < .005) postinjury. Imaging data suggested both cross-sectional (ie, healthy vs concussed athletes; P < .05) and longitudinal (1 day and 1 week vs 1 month postinjury; P < .001) evidence of CBF recovery in the right insular and superior temporal cortex. Importantly, CBF in the dorsal midinsular cortex was both decreased at 1 month postconcussion in slower-to-recover athletes (t11 = 3.45; P = .005) and was inversely related to the magnitude of initial psychiatric symptoms (Hamilton Depression Scale: r = -0.64, P = .02; Hamilton Anxiety Scale: r = -0.56, P = .046), suggesting a potential prognostic indication for CBF as a biomarker. To our knowledge, these results provide the first prospective evidence of reduced CBF in human concussion and subsequent recovery. The resolution of CBF abnormalities closely mirrors previous reports from the animal literature and show real-world validity for predicting outcome following concussion.

The Group of 20 transnational policy community: governance networks, policy analysis and think tanks

The G20 is an evolving international institution. Aided by both advances in information technology and support from home governments, a number of knowledge actors and networks seek to influence global economic governance with policy analysis and advice. This article assesses the international G20 think tank network called Think20 and the policy advocacy of private research institutes (such the Lowy Institute in Australia and the Centre for International Governance and Innovation in Canada) which are in the orbit of the G20 policy community. Think20 assists the global economic governance processes of the G20 by developing ‘coordinative discourses’ for policy development and implementation. Points for practitioners Ideas matter but ideas that imply major policy reform and innovation need to be made to matter if they are to direct government action. Networks provide one mechanism to broadcast and disseminate ‘communicative discourses’ to many different publics – local as well as global – and the infrastructure to crystalize and amplify ‘coordinative discourses’ underpinning the policy blueprints and reform proposals of governments that must motivate their own bureaucracies as well as collaborate with foreign government. This article discusses some of the network tools and practices for consensus building in ‘transnational policy communities’ that cultivate global policy coordination.

The organizational advantage in early inventing and patenting: Empirical evidence from interference proceedings

Recent research suggests that individual inventors produce less valuable inventions than those operating within organizational boundaries. The current study demonstrates that organizations invent and file for patents earlier than individuals. Analyses of priority contests between competing agents reveal that public and private corporations invent faster than individual inventors, whereas public and private corporations, universities, and research institutes patent their inventions earlier than do individuals. We examine the outcomes of patent interference proceedings involving about 650 U.S. patents and patent applications occurring between 2005 and 2013. We theorize that individual inventors lack resources as well as functional and integrative capabilities needed to invent and patent as quickly as organizations. The paper offers policy-making insights and contributes quantitative-based grounds for further research into more efficient and effective intellectual property regimes.

Setting research priorities across science, technology, and health sectors: the Tanzania experience

BackgroundIdentifying research priorities is key to innovation and economic growth, since it informs decision makers on effectively targeting issues that have the greatest potential public benefit. As such, the process of setting research priorities is of pivotal importance for favouring the science, technology, and innovation (STI)-driven development of low- and middle-income countries.MethodsWe report herein on a major cross-sectoral nationwide research priority setting effort recently carried out in Tanzania by the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) in partnership with the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) and the NEPAD Agency. The first of its type in the country, the process brought together stakeholders from 42 sub-sectors in science, technology, and health. The cross-sectoral research priority setting process consisted of a ‘training-of-trainers’ workshop, a demonstration workshop, and seven priority setting workshops delivered to representatives from public and private research and development institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, and other agencies affiliated to COSTECH.ResultsThe workshops resulted in ranked listings of research priorities for each sub-sector, totalling approximately 800 priorities. This large number was significantly reduced by an expert panel in order to build a manageable instrument aligned to national development plans that could be used to guide research investments.ConclusionsThe Tanzania experience is an instructive example of the challenges and issues to be faced in when attempting to identify research priority areas and setting an STI research agenda in low- and middle-income countries. As countries increase their investment in research, it is essential to increase investment in research management and governance as well, a key and much needed capacity for countries to make proper use of research investments.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12961-015-0002-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pattern Recognition in Latin America in the “Big Data” Era

The “Big Data” era has arisen, driven by the increasing availability of data from multiple sources such as social media, online transactions, network sensors or mobile devices. This is currently a focus of interest among public and private organizations, governments, research institutes and companies operating in diverse fields as health, security, commercial recommendations, detection of anomalies and future trends among others. In this problem, the main objective is to recognize and extract meaningful information (patterns, structure, underlying relationships, etc.) from huge amounts of heterogeneous data. This task is complicated by new, significant storage and processing requirements due to unprecedented volumes of data. In this scenario, new algorithms in Pattern Recognition and related fields are being devised, while well known techniques are revisited and adapted to these new challenges. Latin American research in the “Big Data” problem is still incipient, but there is a significant body of recent works in the subjects of Pattern Recognition and related fields that indirectly addresses the problem. This paper reviews Latin American contributions in Pattern Recognition and related fields in the last lustrum. The focus is set on—but not restricted to—applications in the fields of Computer Vision and Image Analysis with large scale characteristics.

The Makhana Value Chain in Bihar: An Assessment and Policy Implications

The Makhana Value Chain in Bihar: An Assessment and Policy Implications

The Organizational Advantage in Early Inventing and Patent Filing: Empirical Evidence from Interference Proceedings

Recent research suggests that individual inventors produce less valuable inventions than those operating within organizational boundaries. The current study demonstrates that organizations invent and file for patents earlier than individuals. Analyses of priority contests between competing agents reveal that public and private corporations invent faster than individual inventors, whereas public and private corporations, universities, and research institutes patent their inventions speedier than do individuals. We examine the outcomes of patent interference proceedings involving about 650 U.S. patents and patent applications occurring between 2005 and 2013. We theorize that individual inventors lack resources as well as functional and integrative capabilities needed to invent and patent as quickly as organizations. The paper offers policy-making insights and contributes quantitative-based grounds for further research into more efficient and effective intellectual property regimes.

韓国における在来品種の管理状況と関係者の意識

This study aims to determine trends in private organizations and research institutes engaging in the management of indigenous varieties of crops and vegetables. By analyzing the results of a questionnaire sent to the members of the Korean Association of Local Varieties and by interviewing the four organizations associated with it, the current condition of conservation activities and the consciousness of stakeholders were examined. The results implied that (1) conservation activities in Korea were heavily dependent on the public sector, (2) some private organizations were continuously engaging in these activities by building a commercial business, and (3) some organizations try to promote varieties from foreign countries.

Development of an integrated chemical, biological and ecological approach for impact assessment of Mediterranean offshore gas platforms

The pressure for more energy demand is a strong driver for the construction of offshore oil and gas platforms. This also applies to the Adriatic Sea where, since 1960, several gas fields have been commissioned. The continuous expansion of the gas industry may potentially have detrimental effects on marine communities. This may become particularly clear in such a peculiar semi-enclosed basin as the Adriatic Sea, which contains ecosystems that are subject to intensive anthropic pressures, such as unsustainable fishing and inputs of environmental pollutants. To date, still scant information is available on the environmental effects of gas platforms. Thus, to comply with the national Italian legislation and to support the development of protocols for the monitoring of offshore activities, multidisciplinary studies have been conducted and performed by CNR-ISMAR in cooperation with some private and public research institutes. A multidisciplinary approach based on chemical, biological and ecological investigations was performed to evaluate both the water column and the sediment quality near a gas platform. The overall results indicate moderate effects of platform-related environmental stress.

Institutos privados de investigación “pura” versus políticas públicas de ciencia y tecnología en la Argentina (1943-1955)

Fil: Hurtado de Mendoza, Diego Fabian. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Escuela de Humanidades. Centro de Estudios de Historia de la Ciencia y de la Tecnica jose Babini; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas; Argentina

Economic Analysis of Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research institution of higher education that is housed in a city that has undergone, and is still undergoing, the change from a manufacturing hub to a center of knowledge enterprise. Although colleges and universities are part of a local oligopoly, CMU is a global institution which considers its peers to be among the elite institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and MIT. Amongst its peers, CMU is on the lower end of the undergraduate student demand spectrum, and it pays its professors significantly less than other great institutions. While CMU is not at risk of low student demand, it faces the same risk of faculty loss to other elite institutions as public institutions face losing their professors to CMU. As a global institution, CMU is affected by exchange rates, and the weak dollar makes a CMU education cheaper to foreign students. However, with the decrease in government funding, CMU, like other higher education institutions, has been forced to look elsewhere for revenue – primarily through tuition increases, private donors, and auxiliary services, to maintain its strong student body, elite faculty, and abundance of resources. While not entirely shielded from vulnerability, CMU appears to face a sustained future, as long as it is able to continue to adapt to the changing society and economic climate.

A patent landscape analysis for organic photovoltaic solar cells: Identifying the technology's development phase

Organic photovoltaics (OPV) have developed into a vast research area. Progress in various directions has made it difficult to monitor the technology's precise development state. We offer a patent landscape analysis over all OPV devices, their substrates and encapsulation materials to provide an overview of patenting activity from a historical, organizational, geographical and technological point of view. Such an exercise is instrumental for private companies and research institutes aiming at both internal or external technology creation. We discuss our findings in the context of the Industrial Life Cycle model and find OPV still residing in the fluid technology development phase. Technology development is still following an exponential growth path, with the majority of patents coming from the Asian continent and in general private companies. For devices, the main technological focus can be traced back to the “H01L-031” international patent classification (IPC) main group. For the queried substrates, the most attention has gone to glass, but paper and textile have drawn significant interest too. Finally, encapsulation is found to be a less mature research field given the smaller number of patent families. The latter shows that the technology has not matured to the level where processing is carried out on a commercial scale.

Interoperability of data in spatial planning

Spatial planning activity in the last 10 years has increasingly used computer-based tools. With the diffusion of geographic information systems, technicians and planners have had at their disposal more and more databases. Geo-databases were originally created to meet specific local or thematic purposes, whereas now data tend to be organised in more complex spatial data infrastructures that can be useful in various types of spatial planning and programming activities. In order to ensure that the different spatial data infrastructures of the EU member states are compatible and usable in a community and trans-boundary context, the European Union issued the ‘Inspire’ directive, which aims to create a pan-European spatial data infrastructure. A common European spatial data insfrastructure would allow the sharing of spatial information among public sector organisations, thereby facilitating better access to spatial information across Europe. ‘Inspire’ requires that common implementing rules are adopted in a number of specific areas such as metadata, data specifications, network services, data and service sharing, monitoring and reporting. These implementing rules are adopted as EC decisions or regulations and are binding in their entirety. The Plan4all project, co-funded by the EC programme ‘eContentplus’, experimented in the harmonisation of spatial planning data based on trans-national cooperation among EU public administrations, public and private research institutions and stakeholders. More information and details can be found at http://www.plan4all.eu .

Pattern and Trends of Cancer in Odisha, India: A Retrospective Study

The burden of cancer is growing globally and is one of the top leading causes of death. Information on cancer patterns are essential for effective planning of cancer control interventions. There is limited published information available on pattern of cancer for the state of Odisha, India. The present study was an attempt to explore the pattern and trend of cancer in Odisha. To fulfill the objectives retrospective data available from 2001-2011 at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Center (AHRCC), Cuttack, Odisha, were analyzed. Medical records of cancer patients were reviewed and relevant information on diagnosis, primary site and demographic data were retrieved. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc.). A total of 74,861 cancer inpatients were registered at AHRCC for the years 2001-2011. The proportion of females outnumbered males with female:male ratio 1.1:1. The number of female cases increased four folds and that of males three fold over the period studied. Malignancies such as oral cancer (16.93%), acute lymphocytic leukemia/non Hodgkins lymphoma (14.09%) and cancer of gastrointestinal tract (21.07%) are leading cancers among males and carcinomas of breast (28.94%), cervix (23.66%) and ovary (16.11%) were leading among females. Findings from this study indicate an overall increase in cancer reporting which could be regarded as proxy measure for overall cancer situation in Odisha. There is scope and need for integrating other government hospitals, existing private health service providers and research institutions across the state for better planning of cancer control program.

Living Labs for Electric Vehicles in Flandres

In 2011 the Flemish government launched the Living Labs Electric Vehicles, consisting of 5 different platforms each differing in technology, scope, size and use patterns. For the build-up of these platforms, the Flemish government relies on private companies, local authorities and research institutes. These platforms serve as an environment in which platform members as well as other partners can carry out experimental research related to the roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV fleets. A total financial investment of ±30 million € was made, equally divided between the private sector and the government, and an introduction of 600 electric vehicles and 600 new electric charging points is aimed for. The addressed research topics within these living labs include the assessment of the driving range of the EVs, the assessment of the implemented drivetrain technologies and charging infrastructure, travel- and purchase behaviour, market potential analyses, the development of new business cases, the development of new services and products, total cost of ownership analyses, environmental impact analyses, and social acceptance. In addition, with respect to the charging infrastructure, standardization issues, interoperability of the charging systems, and billing and roaming procedures are studied. A wide variety of stakeholders related to electric mobility is involved in these living labs, ranging from knowledge centres, automotive manufacturers, electricity producers and distributors, service providers. public transport companies and local authorities, to fleet owners and end users. This paper gives an overview of the 5 launched platforms: EVA, iMOVE, Olympus, EV TecLab and Volt-Air.

Contribution of the universities to the development of field crop cultivars

Public and private research institutions employ their best efforts to produce new cultivars, which are intended to ensure productivity, reduce ecological footprint and present characteristics that meet consumer expectations. Some Brazilian universities, which are usually originated from schools of higher education in agriculture, have contributed to the breeding of some crops. These universities also aimed to solve the problems of the Brazilian agricultural sector, and became essential tool to make Brazil an important player in the agribusiness world. In the last decades, regarding the five species presented here, the universities have developed 35 oat cultivars and made the country self-sufficient in this grain; they have also developed cultivars of common beans (27), sugarcane (59), soybean (62), and wheat (03), besides countless corn hybrids, since works in this species date before the establishment of the national cultivar registration system.

Status of Nano Science and Technology in India

Perceived globally as an enabling technology with multiple applications and revolutionary impact, nanoscience and technology has been keenly embraced by developing countries like India for socio-economic and industrial benefits. Several advances have been made by India in this emerging technology since the turn of the century. The present paper examines the Indian engagement with nanotechnology across the policy, academic, industry and sectoral domains. The study reveals that the nanotechnology endeavour in India has been shaped by the state, primarily led by DST and public funded R&D institutions although it has witnessed expanded participation via the involvement of other actors both in the public and private domains. The other funding agencies such as DBT and DIT, private research institutes, large firms, industry associations, civil society organizations and individual states are emerging as key players in directing India’s nanotechnology trajectory. After establishing this context, the study assesses the role of the main players in sculpting the nanotechnology’s course in India. A formal nanotechnology initiative, the NSTI in 2001 was the culmination of previous fragmented beginnings in nanomaterial sciences. The study reviews and examines the goals and initiatives under the DST led flagship programs alongside those assumed by other players through the lens of the capacities that are being created to expand nanotechnology R&D in India. The support for R&D projects, institutional, infrastructure and human resource developments as well as forging collaborations are the key dimensions of government role in the national nanotechnology domain. Industry role on the other hand has been to give shape to technology development and concrete applications in various sectors in individual capacities or even through collaborations with public institutions as emphasised in the NSTM. In addition, the paper also analyses the research avenues in nanotechnology being undertaken in India and shows that alongside fundamental research in nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, applied research and application development in the health, energy, water, agriculture, environment, electronics and textiles are also being assumed. Identifying nanomedicine as a prominent sphere of research in India it gives a detailed account of the actors, research and technologies being developed in this sphere in both public and private domains. Finally the study highlights the outcome of nanotechnology in the research domain by the way of growth in publications and patent numbers. Despite limited resources as compared to developed nations, India has developed a strong foundation for nanotechnology research. We can easily meet the societal and economic needs by strengthening our innovation capabilities.

以儒家視角探討生命的本質——以人工合成生命為例

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.面對科學技術給我們帶來的越來越多的倫理學難題的時候，我們不妨從孔子的教導中尋找答案。美國科學家克雷格．文特爾目前宣佈，他們利用了一段人工合成的DNA 創造了人類有史以來的第一個人造生命，並取名其為“辛西婭”。這也使得人們開始重新思考生命的定義，生命的本質等本源問題。本文將從儒家的哲學視角分析辛西婭的生物學地位，並從儒家的“天命觀”的角度分析合成生物技術。希望能對新技術得出儒家獨到的見解。On May 20, 2010, the Craig Venter Institute, a U.S. private research institution, announced that they had successfully synthesized bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and implanted it in another bacterium. After several attempts, the implanted artificial DNA regained life and began to reproduce in a lab dish. This “artificial life” was named “Synthia” (meaning “man-made children”). The result of this research has attracted broad attention. Even U.S. President Barack Obama expressed concern, and has asked the White House Council on Bioethics to provide a detailed report on synthetic biology within six months, to determine the appropriate ethical boundaries and minimize the potential harm. Indeed, this latest research in synthetic biology requires careful philosophical, ethical and cultural considerations on the essence of life.This essay attempts to analyze the biological status of Synthia and explores the essence of life from the perspective of Confucian philosophy. In particular, it attempts to draw on the Confucian idea of Heaven (tian) or God (shangdi) to disclose unique Confucian insights into new technology in general and artificial life in particular. Indeed, as advanced and pioneering science and technology have brought about more and more ethical difficulties and dilemmas, the Chinese people need to draw on the wisdom of Confucius to work out suitable solutions and guide their actions. Researchers at the Craig Venter Institute recently announced that they could take advantage of man-made DNA to create the first artificial human life. How should Confucians reflect on such actions in terms of their view of the essence and meaning of life?This essay assumes that following the Mandate of Heaven (tianming) is central to Confucian teaching on the essence of life. The Mandate of Heaven is reflected in the natural development and transformation of the myriad things in the universe. However, things like Synthia are outside of this natural process of development and transformation, and cannot be taken as being consistent with the Mandate of Heaven. Just as Confucianism cannot support the creation of human cloning, it cannot support artificial human life such as Synthia, because both violate a fundamental understanding of the essence of life in the Confucian faith. Confucian scholars cannot hold a utilitarian view of maximizing human interests, no matter what those interests are taken to be. Instead, Confucianism must insist that human interests be consistent with the Mandate of Heaven to promote the virtuous essence of human life.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 174 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

Harnessing Data Flow and Modelling Potentials for Sustainable Development

Tackling the global challenges relating to health, poverty, business, and the environment is heavily dependent on the flow and utilisation of data. However, while enhancements in data generation, storage, modelling, dissemination, and the related integration of global economies and societies are fast transforming the way we live and interact, the resulting dynamic, globalised, information society remains digitally divided. On the African continent in particular, this division has resulted in a gap between the knowledge generation and its transformation into tangible products and services. This paper proposes some fundamental approaches for a sustainable transformation of data into knowledge for the purpose of improving the people's quality of life. Its main strategy is based on a generic data sharing model providing access to data utilising and generating entities in a multi-disciplinary environment. It highlights the great potentials in using unsupervised and supervised modelling in tackling the typically predictive-in-nature challenges we face. Using both simulated and real data, the paper demonstrates how some of the key parameters may be generated and embedded in models to enhance their predictive power and reliability. The paper's conclusions include a proposed implementation framework setting the scene for the creation of decision support systems capable of addressing the key issues in society. It is expected that a sustainable data flow will forge synergies among the private sector, academic, and research institutions within and among countries. It is also expected that the paper's findings will help in the design and development of knowledge extraction from data in the wake of cloud computing and, hence, contribute towards the improvement in the people's overall quality of life. To avoid running high implementation costs, selected open source tools are recommended for developing and sustaining the system.

Reducing the scarcity in mental health research from low and middle income countries: A success story from Sri Lanka

There is an enormous inequity in global health as well as research. Less than 10% of research funds are spent on the diseases that account for 90% of the global disease burden. This case study of north–south, south–south collaborations in Sri Lanka is a classic example of the issues faced by mental health researchers in low and middle income countries (LMICs). In this paper, work carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King's College London and the Institute for Research and Development (IRD) partnership since 1997 in Sri Lanka is presented to show an example of a successful private research institution based in a LMIC as a product of south–south and north–south collaboration in mental health research. The evidence of scarcity of mental health research and resources is overwhelmingly abundant in the context of Sri Lanka. IRD-IoP partnership showcases a successful north–south partnership with equality and efficiency. It has moved beyond start-up phase and has become a sustainable initiative in terms of funding, collaboration, research output and policy impact. International funding agencies, academics, and other bodies need to address sustaining such initiatives as priorities in reducing scarcity and inequity in mental health research in developing countries.