The determinants of university patenting: Do incentives matter?

In recent years various studies have examined the factors that may explain academic patents. Existing analyses have also underlined the substantial differences to be found in European countries in the institutional framework that defines property rights for academic patents. The objective of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature on the factors explaining academic patents and to determine whether the incentives that universities offer researchers contribute towards explaining the differences in academic patenting activity. The results of the econometric analysis for the Spanish universities point towards the conclusion that the principal factor determining the patents is funding of R&D while royalty incentives to researchers do not appear to be significant.Patents, University, R&D

The determinants of University patenting: do incentives matter?

In recent years various studies have examined the factors that may explain academic patents. Existing analyses have also underlined the substantial differences to be found in European countries in the institutional framework that defines property rights for academic patents. The objective of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature on the factors explaining academic patents and to determine whether the incentives that universities offer researchers contribute towards explaining the differences in academic patenting activity. The results of the econometric analysis for the Spanish universities point towards the conclusion that the principal factor determining the patents is funding of R&D while royalty incentives to researchers do not appear to be significant

Agustín Cueva: nación, mestizaje y literatura

Este libro rastrea la lectura de Agustín Cueva respecto al proceso literario ecuatoriano, particularmente, sobre la problemática de la mediación mestiza en la narrativa de la nación, y ubica el lugar de Cueva en el discurso crítico latinoamericano en diálogo con Antonio Cornejo Polar y Ángel Rama. La problemática configuración de la nación y el papel que la literatura ha cumplido determinan la manera en que Agustín Cueva presenta las formas concretas en las que la subjetividad dominante representó a los sujetos sociales y, desde esa perspectiva, también anuló a grupos subalternos –como a los negros, los cholos y los indios–, convirtiendo al lenguaje en un espacio del exilio, libre de la barbarie de la Conquista y la colonización. A la vez, el lenguaje también fue utilizado como elemento de reivindicación y visibilización de lo popular, operación que estaría a cargo de la Generación del 30, que integra a los excluidos a la narrativa nacional. De ahí que, en los años 60, Cueva y el grupo Tzántzico realizaron una dura crítica a la labor intelectual en Ecuador

Ensayo y literatura: un acercamiento a la configuración intelectual de Agustín Cueva y su lugar en el discurso crítico latinoamericano en diálogo con Antonio Cornejo Polar y Ángel Rama

Este trabajo muestra, en diferentes niveles, la configuración del campo intelectual de los años de 1960 y de uno de sus integrantes en particular, Agustín Cueva, personaje ligado al contexto histórico que le tocó vivir y en el cual intervino de manera activa. Para ello se recogen de manera breve los principales debates, luchas y problemáticas que le permitieron configurar su discurso crítico. El parricidio, el compromiso intelectual y la búsqueda de un horizonte revolucionario son palabras que se vuelven sentido común para esta generación, desde donde tratan de mostrar la inautenticidad de lo que las elites denominaron como „cultura nacional‟. Construcción cuestionada por esta generación y frente a la cual Cueva muestra, dentro de sus ensayos (como forma de escritura), que dicha artificialidad es el resultado de la carga colonial que pesa sobre los hombros de la sociedad ecuatoriana y del hecho de que, el discurso sobre el mestizaje, fue la salida elegida por las élites para justificar su proyecto nacional. En esta perspectiva, el diálogo que se propone con Antonio Cornejo Polar y Ángel Rama, muestra más puntos de encuentro que desencuentro, pues estos dos autores dan cuentan a partir de los conceptos de heterogeneidad y de transculturación, que el proceso cultural y político de constitución de nuestros países es el resultado de una élite (blanco-mestiza) que vio en la narrativa (en sus distintas formas) un mecanismo para edificarlo; sin embargo, estos tres autores revelan narrativas disidentes, cuestionadoras, y una vía popular de entender el proyecto nacional

The determinants of university patenting : do incentives matter?

In recent years various studies have examined the factors that may explain academic patents. Existing analyses have also underlined the substantial differences to be found in European countries in the institutional framework that defines property rights for academic patents. The objective of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature on the factors explaining academic patents and to determine whether the incentives that universities offer researchers contribute towards explaining the differences in academic patenting activity. The results of the econometric analysis for the Spanish universities point towards the conclusion that the principal factor determining the patents is funding of R&D while royalty incentives to researchers do not appear to be significant

Massive Branes

We investigate the effective worldvolume theories of branes in a background given by (the bosonic sector of) 10-dimensional massive IIA supergravity (``massive branes'') and their M-theoretic origin. In the case of the solitonic 5-brane of type IIA superstring theory the construction of the Wess-Zumino term in the worldvolume action requires a dualization of the massive Neveu-Schwarz/Neveu-Schwarz target space 2-form field. We find that, in general, the effective worldvolume theory of massive branes contains new worldvolume fields that are absent in the massless case, i.e. when the mass parameter m of massive IIA supergravity is set to zero. We show how these new worldvolume fields can be introduced in a systematic way. In particular, we find new couplings between the massive solitonic 5-brane and the target space background, involving an additional worldvolume 1-form and 6-form. These new couplings have implications for the anomalous creation of branes. In particular, when a massive solitonic 5-brane passes through a D8-brane a stretched D6-brane is created. Similarly, in M-theory we find that when an M5-brane passes through an M9-brane a stretched Kaluza-Klein monopole is created. Pairs of massive branes of type IIA string theory can be viewed as the direct and double dimensional reduction of a single ``massive M-brane'' whose worldvolume theory is described by a gauged sigma model.Comment: Latex file, 78 pages, 1 eps figure. Typos corrected. Version to be published in Nuclear Physics

Mechanical Hyperalgesia but Not Forward Shoulder Posture Is Associated with Shoulder Pain in Volleyball Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Activity, Exercise Testing and Clinical Assessment in Sports Medicine[Abstract] Shoulder antepulsion, altered scapular kinematics and imbalance of muscle activity are commonly associated with shoulder pain. This study aimed to observe if there is an association between the forward shoulder angle (FSA) and the pectoralis minor length index (PMI) in volleyball players with and without shoulder pain. Furthermore, this study observed if there is an association between shoulder posture and upper limb mechanical hyperalgesia in volleyball players with and without shoulder pain. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Physiotherapy and Pain Research Center in Alcalá de Henares (Spain). A total of 56 volleyball players met the inclusion criteria and agreed to enter the study. Subjects were divided into two groups: shoulder pain group (SPG) and control group (without pain). The following measurements of the dominant sides of the players were collected: FSA, PMI, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in serratus anterior, lower trapezius, infraspinatus, teres minor, upper trapezius, levator scapulae, pectoralis major, radial nerve, cubital nerve, and median nerve. Results: The Spearman’s Rho revealed no significant correlations were found between FSA and PMI. Moreover, Spearman’s Rho test revealed in the SPG a negative moderate correlation between FSA and Infraspinatus-PPT (Rho = −0.43; p = 0.02); FSA and levator scapulae-PPT (Rho = −0.55; p < 0.01); FSA and pectoralis major-PPT (Rho = −0.41; p = 0.02); PMI and cubital nerve-PPT (Rho = −0.44; p = 0.01). Conclusions: No association was found between the forward shoulder angle and the pectoralis minor index in volleyball players with and without shoulder pain. There is a moderate negative association between shoulder forward angle and muscle mechanical hyperalgesia in volleyball players with shoulder pain, but no such associations were found in volleyball players without shoulder pain. Treatment of the infraspinatus, levator scapulae, pectoralis major, and pectoralis minor muscles could improve shoulder pain and ulnar nerve mechanosensitivity.Part of Hector Beltran-Alacreu’s salary is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (2020/5154

Apolipoprotein C-III is linked to the insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction that are present in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction are manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC3) has been associated with such insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction in the general population. Our purpose was to study whether ApoC3 is also related to the insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction that are present in patients with RA. Methods: Three hundred thirty-eight non-diabetic patients with RA who had a glycemia lower than 110 mg/dl were recruited. Insulin, C-peptide, and ApoC3 were assessed. Insulin resistance and beta-cell function were calculated using the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA2) indices. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to study the relationship of ApoC3 with those molecules and indices adjusting for classic factors associated with insulin resistance that included glucocorticoids. Results: ApoC3 was related to significant higher levels of circulating insulin (beta coef. 0.37 [95%CI 0.01–0.73] μU/ml, p = 0.044) and C-peptide (beta coef. 0.13 [95%CI 0.05–0.22] ng/ml, p = 0.003), and higher insulin resistance —HOMA2- IR— (beta coef. 0.05 [95%CI 0.00–0.09], p = 0.041) and beta-cell dysfunction —HOMA2-%B— (beta coef. 2.94 [95%CI0.07–5.80], p = 0.044) indices. This was found after a fully multivariable analysis that included, among others, prednisone intake and the classic factors associated with carbohydrate metabolism such as triglycerides, waist circumference, and obesity. Conclusion: ApoC3, insulin resistance, and beta-cell dysfunction are independently associated in patients RA.This work was supported by a grant to I.F-A. from the Spanish Ministry of Health, Subdireccion General de Evaluacion y Fomento de la Investigacion, Plan Estatal de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica y de Innovacion 2013–2016 and by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional—FEDER—(Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias, PI17/00083

Massive Consumption of Gelatinous Plankton by Mediterranean Apex Predators

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to test the hypothesis that stomach content analysis has systematically overlooked the consumption of gelatinous zooplankton by pelagic mesopredators and apex predators. The results strongly supported a major role of gelatinous plankton in the diet of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus), spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the oceanic stage and ocean sunfish (Mola mola) also primarily relied on gelatinous zooplankton. In contrast, stable isotope ratios ruled out any relevant consumption of gelatinous plankton by bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), blue shark (Prionace glauca), leerfish (Lichia amia), bonito (Sarda sarda), striped dolphin (Stenella caerueloalba) and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the neritic stage, all of which primarily relied on fish and squid. Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were confirmed as crustacean consumers. The ratios of stable isotopes in albacore (Thunnus alalunga), amberjack (Seriola dumerili), blue butterfish (Stromaeus fiatola), bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), dolphinfish (Coryphaena hyppurus), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) were consistent with mixed diets revealed by stomach content analysis, including nekton and crustaceans, but the consumption of gelatinous plankton could not be ruled out completely. In conclusion, the jellyvorous guild in the Mediterranean integrates two specialists (ocean sunfish and loggerhead sea turtles in the oceanic stage) and several opportunists (bluefin tuna, little tunny, spearfish, swordfish and, perhaps, blue butterfish), most of them with shrinking populations due to overfishing