Collective Attention towards Scientists and Research Topics

Emergent patterns of collective attention towards scientists and their research may function as a proxy for scientific impact which traditionally is assessed via committees that award prizes to scientists. Therefore it is crucial to understand the relationships between scientific impact and online demand and supply for information about scientists and their work. In this paper, we compare the temporal pattern of information supply (article creations) and information demand (article views) on Wikipedia for two groups of scientists: scientists who received one of the most prestigious awards in their field and influential scientists from the same field who did not receive an award. Our research highlights that awards function as external shocks which increase supply and demand for information about scientists, but hardly affect information supply and demand for their research topics. Further, we find interesting differences in the temporal ordering of information supply between the two groups: (i) award-winners have a higher probability that interest in them precedes interest in their work; (ii) for award winners interest in articles about them and their work is temporally more clustered than for non-awarded scientists.Comment: Accepted at the 2018 ACM on Web Science Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 27-30, 201

Collective Attention towards Scientists and Research Topics

Emergent patterns of collective attention towards scientists and their research may function as a proxy for scientific impact which traditionally is assessed via committees that award prizes to scientists. Therefore it is crucial to understand the relationships between scientific impact and online demand and supply for information about scientists and their work. In this paper, we compare the temporal pattern of information supply (article creations) and information demand (article views) on Wikipedia for two groups of scientists: scientists who received one of the most prestigious awards in their field and influential scientists from the same field who did not receive an award. Our research highlights that awards function as external shocks which increase supply and demand for information about scientists, but hardly affect information supply and demand for their research topics. Further, we find interesting differences in the temporal ordering of information supply between the two groups: (i) award-winners have a higher probability that interest in them precedes interest in their work; (ii) for award winners interest in articles about them and their work is temporally more clustered than for non-awarded scientists.Comment: Accepted at the 2018 ACM on Web Science Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands, May 27-30, 201

Wikiwhere: an interactive tool for studying the geographical provenance of Wikipedia references

Wikipedia articles about the same topic in different language editions are built around different sources of information. For example, one can find very different news articles linked as references in the English Wikipedia article titled "Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation" than in its German counterpart (determined via Wikipedia's language links). Some of this difference can of course be attributed to the different language proficiencies of readers and editors in separate language editions, yet, although including English-language news sources seems to be no issue in the German edition, English references that are listed do not overlap highly with the ones in the article's English version. Such patterns could be an indicator of bias towards certain national contexts when referencing facts and statements in Wikipedia. However, determining for each reference which national context it can be traced back to, and comparing the link distributions to each other is infeasible for casual readers or scientists with non-technical backgrounds. Wikiwhere answers the question where Web references stem from by analyzing and visualizing the geographic location of external reference links that are included in a given Wikipedia article. Instead of relying solely on the IP location of a given URL our machine learning models consider several features

Wikiwhere: an interactive tool for studying the geographical provenance of Wikipedia references

Wikipedia articles about the same topic in different language editions are built around different sources of information. For example, one can find very different news articles linked as references in the English Wikipedia article titled "Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation" than in its German counterpart (determined via Wikipedia's language links). Some of this difference can of course be attributed to the different language proficiencies of readers and editors in separate language editions, yet, although including English-language news sources seems to be no issue in the German edition, English references that are listed do not overlap highly with the ones in the article's English version. Such patterns could be an indicator of bias towards certain national contexts when referencing facts and statements in Wikipedia. However, determining for each reference which national context it can be traced back to, and comparing the link distributions to each other is infeasible for casual readers or scientists with non-technical backgrounds. Wikiwhere answers the question where Web references stem from by analyzing and visualizing the geographic location of external reference links that are included in a given Wikipedia article. Instead of relying solely on the IP location of a given URL our machine learning models consider several features

Phenomenon of intellectual entrepreneurship and emerging patterns of intellectual entrepreneurship in Latvia

The paper is a report on the work in progress on the broader exploratory study into intellectual entrepreneurship in the Baltics, which aims to explore the emerging patterns of intellectual entrepreneurship through experience of individuals. The findings are based on the qualitative interviews with 13 entrepreneurs, who fit Johansson et. al. (1999) and Konstantinov and Filonovich (2005) definition of intellectual entrepreneurs and whose businesses fit Schumpeter's (1934) definition of innovativeness. Based on the literature of intellectual entrepreneurship the emerging typology of intellectual entrepreneurship was developed to assist in selecting the sample. The participants of the study were divided into the following categories: entrepreneuring academics, entrepreneuring academic profesionals, entrepreneuring intellectuals and intuitive entrepreneurs. During the study three emerging patterns of IE in Latvia were identified, which can be called ‘an ideal one’, ‘professional one’ and a ‘forced one’ depending on the educational, professional and experiential background of the entrepreneurs. The identified patterns will lay the foundation for further development of training and educational programmes for potential entrepreneurs, providing specialised cross‐disciplined programmes not only for students studying entrepreneurship, economics or business, but also for the students from other disciplines, thus increasing the potential for developing intellectual entrepreneurs. It will also allow identifying the ways of utilising intellectual capacity of individuals and attracting them into entrepreneurship in non‐extreme, positive circumstances. Firstd Published Online: 14 Oct 201

Interleukin-36 family as a novel regulator of inflammation in the barrier tissues

The interleukin-36 (IL-36) family was discerned in the superfamily of interleukin-1 (IL-1) ten years ago. This family includes three isoforms of IL-36α, IL-36β, IL-36γ, which have pro-inflammatory activity and a specific receptor antagonist, IL-36ra, which implements anti-inflammatory function. All of them bind to the same IL-1R6 receptor. The pro-inflammatory isoforms also involve an accessory IL-1RAcP protein into signaling; resulting into conduction of a signal into the cell via the assembling heterodimer receptor. In contrast, IL-36ra inhibits the formation of a heterodimer and blocks the signal transmission. The cytokines of the IL-36 family and appropriate receptors are normally expressed on epithelial cells in barrier tissues such as the respiratory, intestinal tract and skin. Like all cytokines of the IL-1 superfamily, IL-36 is synthesized as inactive form and requires activation, but not due to caspases, but being mediated by neutrophil enzymes, such as cathepsin G, proteinase-3, and elastase, which are constantly present in barrier tissues. In this regard, IL-36 is involved in homeostasis of barrier tissues. Apparently, the IL-36 cytokine system appeared in response to the developing ability of some microorganisms to avoid immune recognition and activation of innate immune response, and, in particular, the IL-1 pro-inflammatory system. An imbalance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways readily causes inflammation in the corresponding tissue. This review discusses participation of cytokines from the IL-36 family in homeostasis of barrier tissues, as well as potential role of the IL-36 family in pathogenesis of bacterial, viral, and fungal skin diseases, atopic dermatitis, autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The role of IL-36 family cytokines in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis has been well studied. This review is presenting the modern ideas about immune pathogenesis of psoriasis. The special role of cytokines from the IL-36 family was shown both for induction of psoriatic inflammation and evolving a positive feedback loop that supports and enhances the immune component of inflammation, which leads to progression of the disease. Moreover, modern methods of treating psoriasis are discussed, in particular, a possible promising approach to IL-36 blockade, or usage of recombinant IL-36ra for the treatment of psoriatic patients. Experimental studies in this area in mice provide some grounds for optimism

From fundamental freedom to political and economic ‘hot potato’ in 50 years: Labour mobility and migration within the EU

The free movement of labour and the creation of a European Labour Market have been the objectives of the European Union since its creation, but it is only with the 2004 enlargement that this has started to become a reality, with substantial numbers of East European workers seeking employment in the old member states. This paper uses the data from the UK Worker Registration Scheme and that compiled by the European Commission to examine the nature of this movement and its impact on the economies of both the existing and the new member states. First Published Online: 14 Oct 201

Attaining a record level of copper-wire properties by using SPD methods

A new approach is proposed to control the processes of plastic deformation of materials by the methods of severe plastic deformation (SPD). High strength and plasticity have been attained for the processed copper billets after multiple repetitions of angular hydroextrusion (ECAH) and hydroextrusion (HE) methods and with ECAH and HE implementation in the fractional mode. The combined severe plastic deformation technology including ECAH, HE and drawing (D) provided the ultimate tensile strength σ = 686 MPa, the elongation to failure δ = 2% and the electrical conductivity at a level of 86.4% IACS in the 0.5 mm diameter copper wire. Such a processing is efficient due to the alternating schemes of deformation and periodic creation of favorable conditions for relaxation and dynamic recrystallization processes in the material. An important condition for the attaining of the maximum processing effect is the fractional mode and the optimum degree of deformation by the both methods.Предложен новый подход к управлению процессами пластической деформации материалов при обработке заготовок методами интенсивной пластической деформации (ИПД). Высокий комплекс прочности и пластичности обработанных медных заготовок получен после многократного чередования методов угловой гидроэкструзии (УГЭ) и прямой гидроэкструзии (ГЭ) с реализацией УГЭ и ГЭ в дробном режиме. Комбинированная ИПД-технология, включающая УГЭ, ГЭ и волочение (В), обеспечивает в медной проволоке диаметром 0.5 mm предел прочности σ = 686 MPa, относительное удлинение δ = 2% и электрическую проводимость на уровне 86.4% IACS. Эффект такой обработки обусловлен чередованием схем деформаций и периодическим обеспечением благоприятных условий для протекания в материале процессов релаксации и динамической рекристаллизации. Важным условием достижения максимального эффекта обработки являются дробный режим и оптимальные степени деформации обоими методами.Запропоновано новий підхід до керування процесами пластичної деформації матеріалів при обробці заготовок методами інтенсивної пластичної деформації (ІПД). Високий комплекс міцності й пластичності оброблених мідних заготовок отриманий після багаторазового чергування методів кутової гідроекструзії (КГЕ) і прямої гідроекструзії (ГЕ) з реалізацією КГЕ й ГЕ в дробовому режимі. Комбінована ІПД-технологія, що включає КГЕ, ГЕ й волочіння (В), забезпечує в мідному дроті діаметром 0.5 mm межу міцності σ = 686 MPa, відносне подовження δ = 2% і електричну провідність на рівні 86.4% IACS. Ефект такої обробки обумовлений чергуванням схем деформацій і періодичним забезпеченням сприятливих умов для протікання в матеріалі процесів релаксації й динамічної рекристалізації. Важливою умовою досягнення максимального ефекту обробки є дробовий режим і оптимальні ступені деформації обома методами

CHANGES IN THE CAPILLARY AND VENOUS BLOOD CYTOKINE PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH PSORIASIS DEPENDING ON THE TREATMENT

ABSTRACT. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease involving T-cell immunity. The interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17/IL-22 cytokine axis is key in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. The role of the IL-36 subfamily regulating inflammation in the skin is shown. Topical preparations are used to treat psoriasis. Objective: to study changes in the cytokine profile of venous and capillary blood taken near the focus of psoriatic inflammation, depending on the treatment with topical preparations. 40 patients with psoriasis, mean age 43.7 years, were examined. Group 1a (20 people) received local treatment with mometasone, Group 1b (20 people) received topical gel containing IL-36 receptor antagonist. 20 healthy people, mean age 46.6 years, consisted the control group 2. Capillary blood was collected from a finger, in patients near the lesion 200 μl in a microvette with EDTA. Venous blood was taken from the cubital vein 3 ml into a vacuum tube with EDTA. The concentration of 15 cytokines in blood plasma was tested by the multiplex method (MagPix, BioRad, USA). The effectiveness of therapy was assessed using the PASI and DLQI indices. At the end of treatment (day 14), the PASI and DLQI indices significantly decreased in both groups. On the 28th day, the PASI index in Group 1a returned to its original level, in group 1b it remained steadily reduced. Before treatment, the levels of all cytokines except IL-10 in the capillary blood of patients with psoriasis were significantly increased compared to Group 2, and the levels of 5 cytokines were increased in the venous blood. After 14 days in Group 1a, the levels of IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-33 significantly decreased in capillary blood, and only IL-17F, IL-21, IL-33 and TNF in the venous blood. On the 28th day, the concentrations of almost all cytokines returned to their original level. In Group 1b, on the 14th day, the levels of IFN-γ, IL-1, IL-4, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-33 significantly decreased in capillary blood, and in venous blood - IFN-γ, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-33. On the 28th day, the concentration continued to decrease, or the level of these cytokines remained reduced, and IL-6 significantly decreased in the vein. Thus, the method for determining the profile of capillary blood cytokines from the area of ​​psoriatic lesions can be used to monitor the effect of treatment in patients with psoriasis

Evaluation of the Level of Competition in Ukraine in Industrial Production Industries

The aim of this work is to study market competition on the example of Ukrainian companies in all manufacturing industries for the period 2008-17 and to compare the results with the similar indicators for the Russian Federation. The study is based on microdata for more than twenty thousand Ukrainian companies. The main analysis tools are aggregate labor productivity decomposition and econometric assessment of the relationship between the productivity of companies and their revenue growth. The first method makes it possible to single out the share of productivity growth provided by the redistribution of market shares in favor of the more productive firms (which represents competitive process), and the share provided by the firms’ own growth of productivity. The second method allows us to analyze how the static and dynamic components of productivity affect the revenue growth of firms. The analysis of the literature indicates a weak role of competitive selection both in developed countries (USA, EU countries) and in developing countries (Russia and its regions). The results of the analysis indicate a limited role of competition in the growth of industrial labor productivity in Ukraine, as well as an insignificant role of companies’ own productivity in determining the growth of their sales. Moreover, such results are obtained both for decomposition and for econometric analysis and are robust to different ways of measuring productivity. Comparing the results with the estimates obtained earlier for Russia, we conclude that the role of competition is significantly lower for the Ukrainian manufacturing industries and firms in these industries. The results can be useful when working out recommendations for improving industrial policy, as well as in analyzing the market position of firms.Целью данной работы является исследование рыночной конкуренции на примере украинских компаний по всем отраслям обрабатывающей промышленности за период с 2008 по 2017 год и сравнение результатов с показателями для Российской Федерации. Исследование проводится на основе микроданных по более чем двадцати тысячам украинских компаний. Основными инструментами анализа выступают метод декомпозиции агрегированной производительности труда и эконометрическая оценка взаимосвязи производительности компаний и роста их выручки. Первый метод позволяет выделить долю роста производительности, обеспеченную перераспределением рыночных долей к более производительным фирмам (что олицетворяет процесс конкуренции), и долю, обеспеченную собственным ростом производительности фирм. Второй же метод позволяет проанализировать, как статическая и динамическая компоненты производительности влияют на рост выручки фирм. Проведенный анализ литературы указывает на низкую наблюдаемую роль конкурентного отбора как в развитых странах (США, страны ЕС), так и в развивающихся (Россия и ее регионы). Полученные результаты указывают на ограниченную роль конкуренции в росте отраслевой производительности труда на Украине, а также низкой роли производительности компаний в определении роста их продаж. При этом такие результаты получены как для декомпозиции, так и для эконометрического анализа и являются устойчивыми для разных способов измерения производительность. Сравнивая результаты с оценками, полученными ранее для России, мы делаем вывод о существенно более низкой роли конкуренции для украинских отраслей обрабатывающей промышленности и фирм в этих отраслях. Полученные результаты могут быть полезны при формировании рекомендаций по улучшению промышленной политики, а также при анализе рыночного положения фирм.Целью данной работы является исследование рыночной конкуренции на примере украинских компаний по всем отраслям обрабатывающей промышленности за период с 2008 по 2017 год и сравнение результатов с показателями для Российской Федерации. Исследование проводится на основе микроданных по более чем двадцати тысячам украинских компаний. Основными инструментами анализа выступают метод декомпозиции агрегированной производительности труда и эконометрическая оценка взаимосвязи производительности компаний и роста их выручки. Первый метод позволяет выделить долю роста производительности, обеспеченную перераспределением рыночных долей к более производительным фирмам (что олицетворяет процесс конкуренции), и долю, обеспеченную собственным ростом производительности фирм. Второй же метод позволяет проанализировать, как статическая и динамическая компоненты производительности влияют на рост выручки фирм. Проведенный анализ литературы указывает на низкую наблюдаемую роль конкурентного отбора как в развитых странах (США, страны ЕС), так и в развивающихся (Россия и ее регионы). Полученные результаты указывают на ограниченную роль конкуренции в росте отраслевой производительности труда на Украине, а также низкой роли производительности компаний в определении роста их продаж. При этом такие результаты получены как для декомпозиции, так и для эконометрического анализа и являются устойчивыми для разных способов измерения производительность. Сравнивая результаты с оценками, полученными ранее для России, мы делаем вывод о существенно более низкой роли конкуренции для украинских отраслей обрабатывающей промышленности и фирм в этих отраслях. Полученные результаты могут быть полезны при формировании рекомендаций по улучшению промышленной политики, а также при анализе рыночного положения фирм.This study was supported by a grant of the President of the Russian Federation for young doctors of sciences MD-3196.2019.6. The authors are grateful to I. Savin for the scientific guidance and comments that have made it possible to significantly improve this article.Данное исследование было поддержано в рамках гранта Президента Российской Федерации для молодых докторов наук МД-3196.2019.6. Авторы выражают благодарность Савину И. В. за научное руководство и замечания, позволившие существенно улучшить данную стать