The Geographic Reach of Market and Non-Market Channels of Technology Transfer: Comparing Citations and Licenses of University Patents

The growth of high-technology clusters in the United States suggests the presence of strong regional agglomeration effects that reflect proximity to universities or other research institutions. Using data on licensed patents from the University of California, Stanford University, and Columbia University, this paper compares the geographic 'reach' of knowledge flows from university inventions through two important channels: non-market 'spillovers' exemplified by patent citations and market contracts (licenses). We find that knowledge flows through market transactions to be more geographically localized than those operating through non-market 'spillovers.' Moreover, the differential effects of distance on licenses and citations are most pronounced for exclusively licensed university patents. We interpret these findings as reflecting the incomplete nature of licensing contracts and the need for licensees to maintain access to inventor know-how for many university inventions. Such access appears to be less important for inventions that are non-exclusively licensed (e.g. 'research tools').

Addressing Tobacco through Organizational Change (ATTOC)

Describes the Addressing Tobacco through Organizational Change (ATTOC) intervention that provides services and ongoing support for agencies and organizations that are interested in learning how to initiate, improve, and or provide treatment for tobacco addiction; reduce tobacco addiction amongst employees; restrict or eliminate tobacco use on campus; and change the work environment to promote health and wellness. Originally published as: Research in the Works, Issue 1, 2011

Case Management

This chapter describes the roles and responsibilities of the MISSION-VET Case Manager and how it relates to MISSION-VET service delivery. The chapter begins with an overview of the MISSION-VET Case Manager’s responsibilities. Settings in which MISSION-VET can be delivered and implications for case management are then reviewed. The importance of teamwork with the Peer Support Specialist is stressed, and the Case Manager’s role is distinguished from that of the Peer Support Specialist. The Chapter then reviews each of the Case Manager’s primary responsibilities. Because case management is seen as the foundation of the MISSION-VET model, this chapter refers to a number of appendices that will be useful tools for the Case Manager to use as MISSION-VET is implemented

The MISSION-VET Consumer Workbook

Summary: Supplemental workbook for the Maintaining Independence and Sobriety through Systems Integration, Outreach, and Networking (MISSION) treatment approach, which was adapted specifically for Veterans (MISSION-VET). MISSION-VET, a flexible, integrated, time-limited, yet assertive service delivery platform was designed specifically to provide direct treatment, ongoing support, and care coordination to homeless Veterans suffering from co-occurring disorders and transitioning and/or adjusting to independent living in the community. The Consumer Workbook is a supplemental workbook to engage homeless Veterans by providing exercises and resources to aid in their recovery from a co-occurring disorder and homelessness. Peer Support Specialists and Case Managers should work with the Veteran to complete the items in the workbook that correspond with specific Dual-Recovery Therapy sessions and use the workbook as a talking point in helping clients with co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse, homelessness and related issues that arise in the various stages of their recovery

How to measure patent thickets – a novel approach

The existing literature identifies patent thickets indirectly. In this paper we propose a novel measure based on patent citations which allows us to measure the density of patent thickets directly. We discuss the algorithm which generates the measure and present descriptive results validating it. Moreover, we identify technology areas which are particularly impacted by patent thickets

Three Measures of Tobacco Dependence Independently Predict Changes in Neural Structure

Studies have demonstrated moderate correlations between fractional anisotropy (FA, a measure of white matter organization), and Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores in various white matter brain structures (r=-.52 to -.64). FA increases with smoking in adolescents, but in adult smokers FA declines with the progression of physical dependence. We examined correlations between FA and 3 measures of tobacco dependence: the FTND, Levels of Physical Dependence (PD), and the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC). The latter 2 measures assess only symptoms rather than behaviors, based on an assumption that a direct assessment of subjective symptoms will better reflect underlying biological conditions than behaviors that might be constrained by sociocultural factors.We compared white matter FA in 8 smokers and 10 nonsmokers and plotted the location of maximal correlation between FA and each dependence measure. FA trended higher in smokers than nonsmokers in the anterior cingulum bundle (ACb) (p=0.05). Among smokers, plots of the maximal correlation for all 3 measures fell within a circumscribed area of the left ACb, showing excellent concordance of results across measures. The maximal correlation with FA was r= -.78 for the FTND, -.85 for Levels of PD, and -.96 for the HONC (

Progressive levels of physical dependence to tobacco coincide with changes in the anterior cingulum bundle microstructure

BACKGROUND: The tobacco withdrawal syndrome indicates the development of neurophysiologic dependence. Clinical evidence indicates that neurophysiologic dependence develops through a set sequence of symptom presentation that can be assessed with a new 3-item survey measure of wanting, craving, and needing tobacco, the Level of Physical Dependence (PD). This study sought to determine if advancing neurophysiologic dependence as measured by the Level of PD correlates with characteristics of white matter structure measured by Fractional Anisotropy (FA). METHODS: Diffusion-MRI based FA and diffusion tensor imaging probabilistic tractography were used to evaluate 11 smokers and 10 nonsmokers. FA was also examined in relation to two additional measures of dependence severity, the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC), and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). RESULTS: Among smokers, FA in the left anterior cingulate bundle (ACb) correlated negatively with the Level of PD (r = -0.68, p = 0.02) and HONC scores (r = -0.65, p = 0.03), but the correlation for the FTND did not reach statistical significance (r = -49, p = 0.12). With advancing Levels of PD, the density of streamlines between the ACb and precuneus increased (r = -0.67, p\u3c0.05) and those between the ACb and white matter projecting to the superior-frontal cortex (r = -0.86, p = 0.0006) decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The correlations between neural structure and both the clinical Level of PD survey measure and the HONC suggest that the Level of PD and the HONC may reflect the microstructural integrity of white matter, as influenced by tobacco abuse. Given that the Level of PD is measuring a sequence of symptoms of neurophysiologic dependence that develops over time, the correlation between the Level of PD and neural structure suggests that these features might represent neuroplastic changes that develop over time to support the development of neurophysiologic dependence

A pilot study of Qigong for reducing cocaine craving early in recovery

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study examined the feasibility, preliminary efficacy, and determined the effect sizes of external qigong therapy (EQT) in reducing cue-elicited cocaine craving and associated symptoms among recently abstinent cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals. METHODS: This study randomized 101 CD subjects to either a real EQT (n=51) or sham EQT control (n=50) group. Subjects underwent a baseline assessment and a weekly cue-exposure session for 2 weeks. Total EQT or sham treatments ranged from 4 to 6 sessions in 2 weeks. RESULTS: EQT-treated subjects displayed a greater reduction in cue-elicited craving (p=0.06) and symptoms of depression (p\u3c0.05) with medium effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the feasibility of delivering EQT among CD individuals early in residential treatment. Future research should include a larger sample and examine the mechanisms and potential longitudinal benefits of EQT

A brief community linkage intervention for veterans with a persistent mental illness and a co-occurring substance abuse disorder

Objective: Individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse problems often exhibit poor outpatient treatment engagement and re-hospitalization following discharge from acute psychiatric services. Although case management can improve treatment engagement and reduce attrition, these services are often delivered indefinitely, limiting the availability of treatment slots. In an effort to reduce re-hospitalization rates and improve outcomes during the transition from inpatient to outpatient treatment, we developed and evaluated Time-Limited Case Management (TLC), an eight-week integrated mental health and substance abuse augmentation intervention. Method: Sixty-five dually diagnosed veterans admitted to inpatient psychiatric treatment were included in the program evaluation, 32 who received the TLC service in addition to Treatment as Usual (TAU) that began during inpatient treatment and continued after the transition to outpatient services, and a comparison group of 33 who received only TAU without transitional support provided through the TLC augmentation service. Results: The TLC group had fewer days and episodes of hospitalization at two and six month post-study entry. Furthermore, the TLC group exhibited greater improvements on the Global Assessment of Functioning from baseline to the six-month follow-up. Conclusion: TLC appears to be an effective transitional augmentation service with benefits that persist beyond the eight weeks of the program. Future research should include a larger and more rigorously controlled trial to confirm the efficacy and unique contributions of the intervention

The development and expression of physical nicotine dependence corresponds to structural and functional alterations in the anterior cingulate-precuneus pathway

INTRODUCTION: Perturbations in neural function provoked by a drug are thought to induce neural adaptations, which, in the absence of the drug, give rise to withdrawal symptoms. Previously published structural data from this study indicated that the progressive development of physical dependence is associated with increasing density of white matter tracts between the anterior cingulum bundle and the precuneus. METHODS: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we compared 11 smokers after 11 h of abstinence from nicotine and after satiation, with 10 nonsmoking controls, using independent component analysis for brain network comparisons as well as a whole brain resting-state functional connectivity analysis using the anterior cingulate cortex as a seed. RESULTS: Independent component analysis demonstrated increased functional connectivity in brain networks such as the default mode network associated with the withdrawal state in multiple brain regions. In seed-based analysis, smokers in the withdrawal state showed stronger functional connectivity than nonsmoking controls between the anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus, caudate, putamen, and frontal cortex (P \u3c 0.05). Among smokers, compared to the satiated state, nicotine withdrawal was associated with increased connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus, insula, orbital frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, superior temporal, and inferior temporal lobe (P \u3c 0.02). The intensity of withdrawal-induced craving correlated with the strength of connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus, insula, caudate, putamen, middle cingulate gyrus, and precentral gyrus (r = 0.60-0.76; P \u3c 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In concordance with our previous report that structural neural connectivity between the anterior cingulate area and the precuneus increased in proportion to the progression of physical dependence, resting-state functional connectivity in this pathway increases during nicotine withdrawal in correlation with the intensity of withdrawal-induced craving. These findings suggest that smoking triggers structural and functional neural adaptations in the brain that support withdrawal-induced craving