Exchanging information through social links: The role of friendship, trust and reciprocity

Ingenio Working Paper SeriesThis paper shows that the features that characterize the exchange of information among individuals vary depending on the type of information exchanged (novel or specific) and the institutional affiliation of the individuals involved. It unbundles the concept of strong and weak links into three main tie characteristics: trust, friendship and reciprocity. Using data from a survey of nanotechnology researchers, we identify the characteristics of 594 links between researchers and individuals from different institutional groups (firms, governmental organizations and universities). Findings suggest behavioral regularities that are contingent on the kind of information being exchanged and the contact’s institutional membership. For, instance, when university researchers exchange novel information between themselves, the level of trust becomes essential, but exchanges with individuals from other institutional settings (firms and governmental organizations) will be characterized instead by reciprocity and friendship. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on the relational perspective of social networks and university-society relationshipsPeer reviewe

Diversity in knowledge transfer: a network theory approach

Trabajo presentado al 7th Biennial International Conference on University, Industry & Government Linkages celebrado en Glasgow (UK) del 17 al 19 de Junio de 2009.In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer processes between academia and industry. Although there is growing evidence that the characteristics of individual researchers are important when explaining cases of successful transfer, few studies have taken the individual researcher as their unit of analysis. This study aims to use social network theory techniques to gain a better insight into knowledge transfer processes. In particular, we study how the characteristics of ties among individuals, and the interdisciplinary and pervasiveness of research affects the diversity of knowledge transfer activities. To this end, we conduct an empirical study among researchers in the field of nanotechnology. This sector is chosen for its interdisciplinarity and its expected pervasiveness. Data was collected using a survey conducted in Spain and in The Netherlands, allowing us to correct for some environmental and context effects.This research has been partially supported by a grant from the Spanish National Research Plan (Project ref.: SEJ2005-05923/EDUC)Peer reviewe

Network ties and the diversity of knowledge transfer

8 páginas, 5 tablasIn recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer processes between academia and industry. Although there is growing evidence that the characteristics of individual researchers are important when explaining cases of successful transfer, few studies have taken the individual researcher as their unit of analysis. This study uses social network theory techniques to gain a better insight into knowledge transfer processes. In particular, the authors study how the characteristics of ties among individuals and the interdisciplinary and pervasive nature of research affect the diversity of knowledge transfer activities. To this end, an empirical study was conducted among researchers in the field of nanotechnology, a sector chosen for its interdisciplinary nature and expected pervasiveness. Data were collected using a survey carried out in Spain and The Netherlands, allowing the authors to correct for environmental and contextual effects.This research has been partially supported by a grant from the Spanish National Research Plan (Project reference: SEJ2005–05923/EDUC)Peer reviewe

Measuring personal networks and their relationship with scientific production

24 p., 2 figures, 5 tables, 1 appendix and referencesThe analysis of social networks has remained a crucial and yet understudied aspect of the efforts to measure Triple Helix linkages. The Triple Helix model aims to explain, among other aspects of knowledge-based societies, “the current research system in its social context” (Etzkowitz & Leydesdorff, 2000:109). This paper develops a novel approach to study the research system from the perspective of the individual, through the analysis of the relationships among researchers, and between them and other social actors. We develop a new set of techniques and show how they can be applied to the study of a specific case (a group of academics within a university department). We analyse their informal social networks and show how a relationship exists between the characteristics of an individual’s network of social links and his or her research output.Peer reviewe

Exchanging information through social links

Trabajo presentado al Eu-SPRI Early Career Researcher Conference INTERACT UNI, celebrado en Enschede (Holanda) del 9 al 11 de Mayo de 2012.This paper shows that the features that characterize the exchange of information among individuals vary depending on the type of information exchanged (novel or specific) and the institutional affiliation of the individuals involved. It unbundles the concept of strong and weak links into three main tie characteristics: trust, friendship and reciprocity. Using data from a survey of nanotechnology researchers, we identify the characteristics of 594 links between researchers and individuals from different institutional groups (firms, governmental organizations and universities). Findings suggest behavioral regularities that are contingent on the kind of information being exchanged and the contact's institutional membership. For, instance, when university researchers exchange novel information between themselves, the level of trust becomes essential, but exchanges with individuals from other institutional settings (firms and governmental organizations) will be characterized instead by reciprocity and friendship. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on the relational perspective of social networks and university-society relationships.Peer Reviewe

Characterization of Plasminogen Binding to NB4 Promyelocytic Cells Using Monoclonal Antibodies against Receptor-Induced Binding Sites in Cell-Bound Plasminogen

The NB4 promyelocytic cell line exhibits many of the characteristics of acute promyelocytic leukemia blast cells, including the translocation (15 : 17) that fuses the PML gene on chromosome 15 to the RARα gene on chromosome 17. These cells have a very high fibrinolytic capacity. In addition to a high secretion of urokinase, NB4 cells exhibit a 10-fold higher plasminogen binding capacity compared with other leukemic cell lines. When tissue-type plasminogen activator was added to acid-treated cells, plasmin generation was 20–26-fold higher than that generated by U937 cells or peripheral blood neutrophils, respectively. We found that plasminogen bound to these cells can be detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using an antiplasminogen monoclonal antibody that specifically reacts with this antigen when it is bound to cell surfaces. All-trans retinoid acid treatment of NB4 cells markedly decreased the binding of this monoclonal antibody. This cell line constitutes a unique model to explore plasminogen binding and activation on cell surfaces that can be modulated by all-trans retinoid acid treatment