The increasing dominance of science in the economy: Which nations are successful?

Scientometrics - We analyzed breakthrough patents that serve as the basis of emerging technological trajectories and paradigm over 25-years. The results showed that although technological fields...     

Which are the relevant costs and benefits of road safety measures designed for pedestrians and cyclists?

This paper discusses the current state-of-the-art with respect to impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis of measures designed to improve safety or mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. The study concludes that a number of impacts that are likely to regarded as important for pedestrians and cyclists are not included in current impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses as these are made in Norway. Impacts that are not currently included in impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses are: (a) changes in the amount of walking and cycling; (b) changes in travel time for pedestrians and cyclists; (c) changes in road user insecurity (feeling of safety); and (d) changes in road user health state. In order to include these effects in impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses, more needs to be known about their occurrence and monetary value. Hypothetical examples of ideally designed cost-benefit analyses are given, based on highly preliminary monetary values for travel time, insecurity and generalised costs of travel for pedestrians and cyclists. These analyses indicate that inclusion of these effects in cost-benefit analyses could make a major difference for the results of those analyses.     

Analysis of organic compounds by particle beam/hollow cathode atomic emission spectroscopy: determinations of carbon and hydrogen in amino acids

A detailed evaluation of the analytical characteristics of a particle beam/hollow cathode glow discharge atomic emission spectroscopy (PB/HC-AES) system is described for applications in the area of organic sample analysis. The optimization of sample introduction, nebulization parameters, and glow discharge conditions was performed for the elemental analysis (focusing on C and H) of a group of amino acids. By use of a high-efficiency thermoconcentric nebulizer, analyte particles are introduced into a heated hollow cathode glow discharge source, in either flow injection or continuous-flow mode, for subsequent vaporization/atomization and excitation. Nebulization temperature, solvent composition, and liquid flow rate were studied to elucidate their roles in the ultimate analyte emission characteristics for organic compound analysis. The hollow cathode operating discharge current and gas pressure were optimized, with the general responses found to be similar to those for the case of metal analysis. Background interferences from solvent and additive media on carbon and hydrogen determinations were studied and substantially reduced. The analytical response curves for carbon and hydrogen present in amino acids were obtained using 200 μL injection volumes, showing less than 10% RSD for replicate injections over a concentration range of 10-250 ppm, with detection limits of 3 and 1 ppm, respectively, for C (I) and H (I) emission. Subsequent studies of the response of carbon and hydrogen emission signal intensities to differences in amino acid stoichiometries suggest a capability of the PB/HC-AES system for the determination of empirical formulas based on H (I)/C (I) intensity ratios.     

Does a ‘turbophoretic’ effect account for layer concentrations of insects migrating in the stable night-time atmosphere?

Large migrating insects, such as noctuid moths and acridoid grasshoppers, flying within the stable nocturnal boundary layer commonly become concentrated into horizontal layers. These layers frequently occur near the top of the surface temperature inversion where warm fast-moving airflows provide good conditions for downwind migration. On some occasions, a layer may coincide with a higher altitude temperature maximum such as a subsidence inversion, while on others, it may seem unrelated to any obvious feature in the vertical profile of meteorological variables. Insects within the layers are frequently orientated, either downwind or at an angle to the wind, but the mechanisms involved in both layer formation and common orientation have remained elusive. Here, we show through the results of numerical simulations that if insects are treated as neutrally buoyant particles, they tend to be advected by vertical gusts (through the ‘turbophoretic’ mechanism) into layers in the atmosphere where the turbulent kinetic energy has local minima. These locations typically coincide with local maxima in the wind speed and/or air temperature, and they may also provide cues for orientation. However, the degree of layering predicted by this model is very much weaker than that observed in the field. We have therefore hypothesized that insects behave in a way that amplifies the turbophoretic effect by initiating climbs or descents in response to vertical gusts. New simulations incorporating this behaviour demonstrated the formation of layers that closely mimic field observations, both in the degree of concentration in layers and the rate at which they form.     

Which differences can be expected when two universities in the Leiden Ranking are compared? Some benchmarks for institutional research evaluations

Scientometrics - The comparison of two universities in terms of bibliometric indicators frequently faces the problem of assessing the differences as meaningful or not. This Letter to the Editor...     

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds in the environment, a case study: Höje River in Sweden

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in the environment lately have been acknowledged to constitute a health risk for humans and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Human and veterinary applications are the main sources of PhACs in the environment and the major pathways are excretion and discharge to the environment through sewage treatment plants (STPs). In this study, the occurrence and fate of selected human PhACs belonging to different therapeutic classes (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulators, anti-epileptics, antibiotics and beta-blockers) were investigated in a small river in the very south of Sweden. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the impact of a high and rather constant load in sewage influent on downstream concentrations and whether substances that are metabolized to a high degree in humans also show a low persistency in a natural aquatic environment. Water samples were collected from the influent and effluent of the STP, in a series of dammed reservoirs leading to discharge into the H?je River in Sweden, and at several locations in the river downstream of the outfall. After enrichment by solid-phase extraction, the compounds were analyzed using GC-MS (methylated derivatives) or LC-MS/MS. In addition to the targeted pharmaceuticals, GC-MS analysis of the samples revealed the presence of other sewage-related pollutants (triclosan, caffeine, flame-retardants, antioxidants) and these results where included for comparison. Removal efficiencies were calculated in the STP and found to display a wide range with numerous species surviving treatment at greater than half their influent concentrations, including diclofenac, the anti-epileptic carbamazepine, a beta-blocker (propanolol), and antibiotics trimetoprim and sulfamethoxazole. Low removals were also observed for Tris(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate (flame retardant), BHT-aldehyde (oxidation product of BHT) and synthetic musk (HHCB). The concentrations of chloride (Cl(-)) and boron (B) were used as natural inert tracers to estimate the relative extent of dilution of PhACs measured in the effluent of the STP on concentrations measured further downstream. Based on spatial trends of concentrations (recalculated to reflect a hypothetical scenario with no dilution), ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen and dicofenac were shown to be subject to significant abiotic or biotic transformations or physical sequestration in the river. The beta-blockers atenolol, metoprolol and propanolol, the antibiotics trimetoprim and sulfametoxazole, and carbamazepine demonstrated a high degree of persistence. Fluctuations in the concentration of carbamazepine and gemfibrozil were observed along the series of reservoirs and within the river and are hypothesized to be due to release of parent compound from glucuronides. Several of the investigated substances (metaprolol, propanolol and carbamazepin) that exhibit low excretion rates as parent compounds demonstrate a surprising persistence in the aquatic environment. It is concluded that pharmaceutical substances with a high metabolic rate in humans (low excretion rate) do not necessarily induce a short lifetime in aquatic environments. Results from this study emphasize the need for a broader view on the concept of persistence that accounts for loading rates, in addition to removal mechanisms (e.g., transformation, volatility and physical sequestration by solids), under a variety of spatial and temporal scales.     

Magnetic coupling of waves and oscillations in the lower solar atmosphere: can the tail wag the dog?

Can the ubiquitously magnetic solar atmosphere have any effect on solar global oscillations? Traditionally, solar atmospheric magnetic fields are considered to be somewhat less important for the existence and characteristic features of solar global oscillations (p,f and the not-yet-observed g-modes). In this paper, I demonstrate the importance of the presence of magnetism and plasma dynamics for global resonant oscillations in the solar atmosphere. In particular, in the lower part of the solar atmosphere there are both coherent and random components of magnetic fields and velocity fields, each of which contribute on its own to the line widths and frequency variations of solar global acoustic waves. Changes in the coherent large-scale atmospheric magnetic fields cause frequency shifts of global oscillations over a solar cycle. The random character of the continuously emerging, more localized, magnetic carpet (i.e. small-scale, possibly even sub-resolution, loops) gives rise to additional frequency shifts. On the other hand, random and organized surface and sub-surface flows, like surface granulation, meridional flows or differential rotation, also affect the coupling mechanism of global oscillations to the lower magnetic atmosphere. The competition between magnetic fields and flows is inevitable. Finally, I shall discuss how solar global oscillations can resonantly interact with the overlaying inhomogeneous lower solar atmosphere embedded in a magnetic carpet. Line width broadening and distorsion of global acoustic modes will be discussed. The latter is suggested to be tested and measured by using ring-analysis techniques.     

Localization and Registration of Three-Dimensional Objects in Space-Where are the Limits?

We discuss the accuracy limits for the localization of surfaces in three-dimensional (3-D) space. Such a localization is necessary for the registration of different views of an object, taken by 3-D sensors from several directions. A quantitative analysis shows that the lateral localization accuracy of a small surface area is proportional to the local curvature of the surface. This confirms the intuitive conjecture that our visual system performs localization of 3-D objects via sharp features. The longitudinal localization accuracy depends only on the noise of the data and is usually much better than the lateral localization accuracy, suggesting that surfaces are to be registered only along the longitudinal directions.     

Experimental proof of a chromatographic paradox: are the injected molecules in the peak?

Forty years ago Helfferich and Peterson published an article in Science regarding a "paradoxical" behavior in nonlinear chromatography (Helfferich, F.; Peterson, D. L. Science 1963, 142, 661-662). They theoretically predicted that when an excess of sample molecules is injected into a chromatographic column that is equilibrated with a constant stream of identical molecules, the observed peak will not contain the injected molecules. Instead the observed peak will only contain molecules from the stream whereas the injected molecules will exit the column in a slower moving, "invisible" peak. They considered it paradoxical that a single injection in a single-component system could cause the successive elution of two peaks (Helfferich, F. J. Chem. Educ. 1964, 41, 410-413). In this study, the paradox is experimentally proven for the first time. Two different strategies were employed: (i) a radiochemical approach and (ii) a method based on the use of two enantiomers in a nonchiral separation system. The experiments were compared with computer simulations.     

Does photosensitivity pave the way towards the fabrication of miniature coherent light sources in inorganic glass waveguides?

Photosensitivity designates the ability to permanently change the refractive index of a glass by optical processing. The phenomenon allows the fabrication of numerous phase structures, the simplest of which is the Bragg grating obtained by photoimprinting a periodic index modulation within the material. Bragg gratings have changed the way in which optical fibre (or planar waveguide) lasers are now used. Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) or Distributed Feed Back (DFB) lasers, when intracore Bragg gratings are used for linear cavity feedback, are commonly fabricated in rare earth doped optical silica-based fibres. On the other hand, photosensitivity can also result in effects which can prove to be detrimental to the fabrication of miniature coherent light sources. The paper will cover some of the advances that have been made in improving the photosensitivity of inorganic glasses, in searching new photosensitive materials and in characterizing Bragg grating properties relevant to laser applications.     

Comparison of Brazilian researchers in clinical medicine: are criteria for ranking well-adjusted?

Quantifying the relative performance of individual scholars has become an integral part of decision-making in research policy. The objective of the present study was to evaluate if the scholarship rank of Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) researchers in Medicine is consistent with their scientific productivity. The Lattes curricula of 411 researchers (2006–2008) were included in the study. Scholarship category was the variable of interest. Other variables analyzed were: time since receiving the doctorate, teaching activity (undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students), number of articles published, and number of papers indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and Scopus databases. Additional performance indicators included were: citations, h-index, and m-index. There was a significant difference among scholarship categories regarding number of papers per year, considering the entire scientific career (P < 0.001) or the last 5 years (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference among scholarship categories regarding the number of citations per article in the ISI (Thomson Reuters) database (P = 0.23). There was a significant difference in h-index among scholarship categories in both databases, i.e. (P < 0.001) and Scopus (P < 0.001). Regarding the m-index, there was a significant difference among categories only in the ISI database (P = 0.012). According to our findings, a better instrument for qualitative and quantitative indicators is needed to identify researchers with outstanding scientific output.     

Biokinetic models for the behaviour of carbon-14 from labelled compounds in the human body: can a single generic model be justified?

The published data on the biokinetic behaviour of 27 14C-labelled compounds in humans or animals have been reviewed. Effective doses have been calculated for those compounds for which this information had not been published and doses have been compared to that calculated with the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) default model for carbon compounds of unknown composition. The compound-specific effective doses for a few natural human biochemical substrates are quite close to the ICRP default dose coefficient, but for the remainder of the compounds considered the doses are smaller by factors ranging from about 5 to 200. Comparison of the dosimetric data suggests that although the ICRP default model will overestimate the dose for very many compounds it could remain useful as a guide for general prospective radiological protection purposes. However, a comparison of the biokinetic information indicates that the ICRP default model would not be reliable for the interpretation of bioassay data.     

Do digital inclusive finance,innovation, and entrepreneurship activities stimulate vitality of the urban economy? Empirical evidence from the Yangtze River Delta,China

This research empirically analyzes the impact of digital inclusive finance on urban economic vitality in Yangtze River Delta, China. The findings are as follows. 1) The development of digital inclusive finance significantly boosts the economic vitality of urban areas. 2) The promotion effect of digital finance on urban economic vitality varies regionally, as such vitality is more strongly impacted by the overall degree of digital inclusive finance development in core areas than it is by that in non-core areas. 3) The economic impact of digital inclusive finance has a clear spatial spillover, whereby an increase in digital financial inclusion in one region boosts the economic vitality of neighboring regions. 4) The total levels of innovation and entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial activity, and innovation activity all have a double threshold effect in the threshold model, indicating that digital inclusive finance has a leapfrog-promoting influence on urban economic vitality via an increase in innovation and entrepreneurship levels. Future developments in digital technology should therefore be fully embraced, and the state of inclusive digital finance should be enhanced. Governments and relevant authorities can target to advance the leadership roles of innovation and entrepreneurship and raise the contribution of mass entrepreneurship and innovation to urban economic growth.     

Are leaders really leading? Journals that are first in Web of Science subject categories in the context of their groups

This study focuses on journals that lead their Web of Science (WoS) subject category ranking when the usual 2-year window for the Journal Impact Factor (JIF2) is used as the ranking variable, and examines evidence that contradicts their top-ranked position in the context of their group. The source data were obtained from all 177 WoS subject categories in the Science Edition 2015 Journal Citation Reports (JCR). I compared journals in each WoS subject category with leaders in terms of JIF2, number of citable items and number of citations that contribute to the JIF2. Rankings were calculated with alternative metrics (for example, the Journal Impact Factor without self-citations and the eigenfactor), and the minimum reduction in the number of citations that would displace the top-ranked journal from its leading position was also calculated. In addition, the stability of rankings over time, the number of WoS subject categories in which journals are leaders, the publishers that own leading journals, and the percentages of research articles (as opposed to review articles) published in different journals were also studied. In general, leading journals are not necessarily the top-ranked in terms of citations received or the number of citable items they publish. In addition, most leaders maintained their position when other metrics were used instead the JIF2, although rankings based on the eigenfactor were at variance with this finding. The distribution of publishers was highly skewed, with a linear relationship between the cumulative number of publishers owning the top-ranked journal and the cumulative number of WoS subject categories. In only 85 subject categories (48%) the percentage of research articles (not reviews) in the number of citable items was greater than the mean percentage for the subject category. In 31 instances, leaders did not publish any research articles, but only reviews.     

AlInAsSb and AlGaInAsSb solid solutions for barrier layers of 3–5 μm spectral range radiation sources obtained by the method of vapor-phase epitaxy from organometallic compounds

Epitaxial growth of Al _u Ga_{1 ? u ? x} In _x As _y Sb_{1 ? y} and Al _u Ca_{1 ? u} As _y Sb_{1 ? y} solid solutions has been investigated. Epitaxial layers with the compositions 0.02 < u < 0.11, 0.88 < x < 0.93, and 0.88 < y < 0.98 have been grown on InAs substrates by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy at low pressure (76 Torr) and at the ratio of the sum of partial pressures of compounds of fifth-group elements to that for compounds of third-group elements V/III = 3.6?C6. At a lattice mismatch of 1 × 10^?3, the half-widths of the rocking curves for the best samples were 15 arcsec for substrates and 66 arcsec for layers.     

On the Impurity Parameters for Impurities Detected in the Eutectics Co?CC and Pt?CC and Their Role in the Estimate of the Uncertainty in the Eutectic Temperatures

In this paper, impurity parameters m _i and k _i have been calculated for a range of impurities I as detected in the eutectics Co?CC and Pt?CC, by means of the software package Thermo-Calc within the ternary phase spaces Co?CC-I and Pt?CC-I. The choice of the impurities is based upon a selection out of the results of impurity analyses performed for a representative set of samples for each of the eutectics in study. The analyses in question are glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-mass). Tables and plots of the impurity parameters against the atomic number Z _i of the impurities will be presented, as well as plots demonstrating the validity of van??t Hoff??s law, the cornerstone to this study, for both eutectics. For the eutectics in question, the uncertainty u(T _E ? T _liq ) in the correction T _E ? T _liq will be derived, where T _E and T _liq refer to the transition temperature of the pure system and to the liquidus temperature in the limit of zero growth rate of the solid phase during solidification of the actual system, respectively. Uncertainty estimates based upon the current scheme SIE?COME, combining the sum of individual estimates (SIE) and the overall maximum estimate (OME) are compared with two alternative schemes proposed in this paper, designated as IE?CIRE, combining individual estimates (IE) and individual random estimates (IRE), and the hybrid scheme SIE?CIE?CIRE, combining SIE, IE, and IRE.     

Citation expectations: are they realized? Study of the Matthew index for Russian papers published abroad

We consider the “Matthew effect” in the citation process which leads to reallocation (or misallocation) of the citations received by scientific papers within the same journals. The case when such reallocation correlates with a country where an author works is investigated. Russian papers in chemistry and physics published abroad were examined. We found that in both disciplines in about 60% of journals Russian papers are cited less than average ones. However, if we consider each discipline as a whole, citedness of a Russian paper in physics will be on the average level, while chemistry publications receive about 16% citations less than one may expect from the citedness of the journals where they appear. Moreover, Russian chemistry papers mostly become undercited in the leading journals of the field. Characteristics of a “Matthew index” indicator and its significance for scientometric studies are also discussed.     

What are the differences in driver injury outcomes at highway-rail grade crossings? Untangling the role of pre-crash behaviors

Crashes at highway-rail grade crossings can result in severe injuries and fatalities to vehicle occupants. Using a crash database from the Federal Railroad Administration (N = 15,639 for 2004–2013), this study explores differences in safety outcomes from crashes between passive controls (Crossbucks and STOP signs) and active controls (flashing lights, gates, audible warnings and highway signals). To address missing data, an imputation model is developed, creating a complete dataset for estimation. Path analysis is used to quantify the direct and indirect associations of passive and active controls with pre-crash behaviors and crash outcomes in terms of injury severity. The framework untangles direct and indirect associations of controls by estimating two models, one for pre-crash driving behaviors (e.g., driving around active controls), and another model for injury severity. The results show that while the presence of gates is not directly associated with injury severity, the indirect effect through stopping behavior is statistically significant (95% confidence level) and substantial. Drivers are more likely to stop at gates that also have flashing lights and audible warnings, and stopping at gates is associated with lower injury severity. This indirect association lowers the chances of injury by 16%, compared with crashes at crossings without gates. Similar relationships between other controls and injury severity are explored. Generally, crashes occurring at active controls are less severe than crashes at passive controls. The results of study can be used to modify Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) to account for crash injury severity. The study contributes to enhancing the understanding of safety by incorporating pre-crash behaviors in a broader framework that quantifies correlates of crash injury severity at active and passive crossings.     

What is the difference in organic matrix of aragonite vs. vaterite polymorph in natural shell and pearl? Study of the pearl-forming freshwater bivalve mollusc Hyriopsis cumingii

Aragonite pearl, vaterite pearl and shell nacre of the freshwater mollusc Hyriopsis cumingii (Zhejiang province, China) were chosen to analyze microstructure and organic composition in the different habits of calcium carbonate. SEM and TEM were used to reveal the microstructure and mineralogical phase. We found that tablets in vaterite exhibited more irregular texture and were packaged with more organic matrices than in aragonite forms. Then a peculiar method was introduced to extract water soluble matrix (WSM), acid soluble matrix (ASM) and acid insoluble matrix (AIM) from the three samples, and biochemical analysis of these organic matrixes involved in crystal formation and polymorph selection was carried out. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirms the hydrophobic pattern of the organic matrix intermingled with mineral, the opposite of the early mobilizable water soluble fraction. Amino acid composition confirms hydrophobic residues as major components of all the extracts, but it reveals an imbalance in acidic residues rates in WSM vs. ASM and in aragonite vs. vaterite. Electrophoresis gives evidence for signatures in proteins with a 140 kDa material specific for aragonite in WSM. Conversely all ASM extracts reveal the presence of about 55 kDa components, including a discrete band in vaterite extract.     

Synergistic effect enhances the peroxidase-like activity in platinum nanoparticle-supported metal—organic framework hybrid nanozymes for ultrasensitive detection of glucose

The metal—organic frameworks (MOFs) are expected as ideal biomimetic enzymes for colorimetric glucose detection because of their large surface areas, well defined pore structures, tunable chemical composition, and multi-functional sites. However, the intrinsically chemical instability and low mimetic enzyme activity of MOFs hinder the application of them in imitating the enzyme reactions. In this work, we demonstrated a metal-MOF synergistic catalysis strategy, by loading Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) on MIL-88B-NH₂ (Fe-MOF) to increase peroxidase-like activity for the detection of glucose. The induced electrons transfer from Pt atom to Fe atom accelerated the redox cycling of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺, improved the overall efficiency of the peroxidase-like reaction, and enabled the efficient and robust colorimetric glucose detection, which was proved by both experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Additionally, the sensitivity and chemical stability of this synergistic effect strategy to detect the glucose are not affected by the complex external factors, which represented a great potential in fast, easy, sensitive, and specific recognition of clinical diabetes.