Patents as technological information in Latin America

This study shows the importance of patents as a source of technological information in Latin America. We studied the industrial property offices’ websites and the kind of patent information available such as laws, gazette, statistics, cost, forms, and contacts. We found at the USPTO and PCT websites the quantity of patent applications from applicants in Latin American countries filed in these offices. Brazil and Mexico in particular provide information on their websites to anyone interested in filing patent applications, searching patents and using patents as a source of technological information. This work shows that the quantity of patent applications is only slowly increasing in Latin America. Thus, each one of the 21 countries of Latin America needs to have a policy of dissemination of the importance of the patent system as a source of technological information to increase research and innovation in their countries.     

Gender differences and patenting in Latin America: understanding female participation in commercial science

Scientometrics - Although female involvement in science and technology has been growing over recent years, it is still low. Latin America is no exception. Even though the Latin American region has...     

科技场馆巨幕(胶片)影院的数字化转换及相关影像制作技术研究

一直以来,科技场馆的胶片巨幕影院以70mm胶片放映为主,为科普事业发展做出了巨大贡献。但是,随着全球主流商业影院和电影节目内容创作生产的全面数字化,这些胶片巨幕影院面临着胶片放映的片源母版内容严重不足的问题,必须进行数字化改造和升级。本文从“科技场馆巨幕(胶片)影院向数字化放映转型的设备选择”、“科技场馆数字巨幕影院的母版DCP格式”、“面向科技场馆巨幕(数字)影院的数字巨幕影像制作技术及工艺流程研究”三个角度,以设计和实验的方法,提出了一套完整的解决方案和思路,供讨论研究。     

Characteristics of the publishing infrastructure of peripheral countries: A comparison of periodical publications from Latin America with periodicals from the US and the UK

Bibliometric research can provide science policy makers with indicators of the capacity of a country's national scientific system to produce printed information. The capacity of the local publishing industry to produce scientific and technical periodical publications reflects the availability of outlets for the dissemination of scientific findings. The present research attempts to evaluate the role of the publishing industry in the level of bibliographic control, and the level of peer review of periodical publications from Latin America. A random search was performed on the 1990 Cd-Rom version ofThe Serials Directory, a commercially produced international reference source on periodical publications. A sample of 311 periodicals from Latin America was downloaded to a local database. A similar search was performed on publications from the United States and the United Kingdom for comparison purposes. A random search of 235 publications was downloaded into a local database. Publishers were classified for both samples according to three types: academic, governmental, and commercial. Publications were sorted thematically and indicators of bibliographic control, and of peer review were recorded for both samples. Publications from Latin America showed a very low level of bibliographic control, particularly in the case of the assignment of ISSN numbers, where 58% of the sample studied was published without this element of bibliographic control. This contrasted sharply with the periodicals from the US and UK, where 83% (195) journals had an ISSN number assigned. The involvement of editorial boards in the academic quality of Latin American publications amounted only to 21% of the sample studied. Periodicals from the US and UK reported an editor as responsible for the journal in 40% (93) of the cases. This amount constitutes about double the number of editors reported by Latin American publications. Latin American academic publishers are the most numerous publishers in the sample studied accounting for 37% (114) of the journals studied however, 68% (77) of those editors printed periodicals without a named editor. Governmental publishers are the second largest publisher type. They produced 29% (89) of the journals in the sample. Commercial publishers are responsible for 26% (82) of the journals studied. Publications from the US and UK show a clear predominance of commercial publishers, accounting for 47% (111) of the journals. Academic publishers only produced 29% (68) of the 235 journals in the sample. This clear dominance of the commercial publisher sector shows that publishing in at least the two countries studied is clearly practised as a business enterprise. This is in sharp comparison to the publishing patterns exhibited in Latin America where the academic sector is the most prominent one.     

Is it opened or closed? Colombian science on the move

Using recent original data from three different sources, the article exhibits some strengths and weaknesses of science in Colombia. It shows that research in this country is in a process of growth although recent results of this positive trend are still to be confirmed. Comparing the evolution of science in Colombia with that of Latin America as a whole, describing and explaining its geographical and institutional concentration as well as its thematic distribution, it also reveals the interdependance between science production dynamics and international cooperation programmes. A basic argument is that the development of science in this country, even though it is fragile and erratic, does not lack sound bases. The indicators used suggest indeed an autonomous scientific motion and inspiration which does not contradict the internationalization process of Colombian science but rectifies the picture of an excessively isolated or dependent community that used to be portrayed.     

Up-and-down journeys: The making of Latin America's uniqueness for the study of cosmic rays

In 1942, American Nobel Prize-winning physicist Arthur Compton pointed out that, “Because in this field of cosmic ray studies certain unique advantages are given by their geographical position, this field of physics has been especially emphasized in South America.” This paper seeks to interrogate the making of Latin America's uniqueness with respect to cosmic-ray research through an analysis that considers Compton's geographical argument, but also goes beyond it, referring to the interactions of nature, knowledge, practices, scientific communities, and diplomacy. To begin with, it highlights the place-based strategies and practices associated with cosmic-ray research. Once research in the field at different altitudes demonstrated that cosmic rays traveled from outer space to the Earth surface, their nature was scrutinized by expeditions that covered broad vertical and horizontal expanses. The study of cosmic rays in Latin America displayed the mobilization of that strategy, which reinforced the reliability of certain sites located at high altitudes and close to the geomagnetic equator in projected investigations. Moreover, such analysis of cosmic rays involved research practices in the field, the emergence of (local, regional, or international) research traditions, and the creation of spaces of knowledge at different scales. By centering on the interaction of knowledge and place, this paper shows that an exploration of the “up-and-down journeys” of cosmic-ray research in Latin America expands our understanding of the geographies and practices of 20th-century physics.     

Mapping emergence across the Atlantic: Some (tentative) lessons on nanotechnology in Latin America

This article is a tentative exploration of the early history of nanotechnology, focusing on the distinct meanings attributed to this field within the United States, Europe and Latin America. In assessing the patterns of nanotechnology on both sides of the Atlantic, this article identifies this field as a hybrid category, combining forms of social reflexivity, industrial organization, and localized histories of research and development. It is argued that such patterns are only understood by rendering nanotechnology as a category used by actors in defining practices, products and institutions rather than as a solid core of technical competencies. Some implications of holding this view are drawn for Latin America.     

LOOKING AT NATIONAL SYSTEMS OF INNOVATION FROM THE SOUTH

This paper deals with national systems of innovation (NSIs) from a Latin American perspective. It begins by looking into the related conceptualization elaborated in the North with a "Southern head", stressing some characteristics of the NSIs concept that are helpful to understand Southern specificity: its ex-post nature, the normative weight it carries, its "relational" features, the fact that it describes a purposeful policy subject and not only an outcome of evolutionary patterns. Then the paper describes some contextual differences between Latin America and the developed nations in terms of the NSIs conceptualization. This is followed by an abbreviated account of empirical findings gathered from recent innovation industrial surveys in Latin America. It also briefly describes some of the findings of a methodological attempt to construct a picture of the NSI in a small Latin American country, Uruguay. Finally, some lessons stemming from more mature systems of innovation are outlined.     

Sustainability impact assessment of trade policy and its application in the context of Latin America

This paper gives a panoramic view of the state of the art of sustainability impact assessment (SIA) of trade policy in Latin American countries. Whereas in developed countries, such as the USA, Canada and the European Union, SIA is quite consolidated, in Latin America the practice is in its infancy, and it has mainly been driven by non-governmental and international organisations. Its value is indisputable, particularly in terms of the insights into the trade-development relationship, the opportunities for defining relevant monitoring processes, and the participation process it encompasses. The paper argues for the prompt implementation of specific, and regionally relevant, SIA processes in Latin America.     

如何利用Internet上的高分子科学信息资源

综述了Internet上高分子科学研究和应用相关的信息资源。分别从搜索引擎、各种专业网站、论文数据库和材料性能数据库入手,详细介绍了高分子科学信息在Internet上的分布及检索的途径和方法,列出了Internet上一些比较重要的高分子科学相关网站。     

FIAT LUX

This article contributes an analytical overview of the evolution of photography in Spain over the last decades. The subject is broached both at the institutional level, that is, focusing on photography in public and private collections, galleries, museums and art centres; and in association with the cultural policies revolving around photography that have been implemented at the national or local level in recent decades. This includes open discussions and studies on the state of play that, be it from institutions, archives or art centres, whether public or private, revolve around the topics of collecting, teaching, research, dissemination and heritage that have crossed contemporary photography creation in any way. The study also includes an analysis of the publishing scene in connection with the theory and practice of photography in the context of postmodern aesthetic trends, as well as a tour through the current distribution and reception models from the diverse and many-sided outlook of contemporary creation.     

The state of science and technology in Africa (2000–2004): A scientometric assessment

This article reports for first time the state of science and technology in the African Continent on the basis of two scientometric indicators — number of research publications and number of patents awarded. Our analysis shows that Africa produced 68,945 publications over the 2000–2004 period or 1.8% of the World’s publications. In comparison India produced 2.4% and Latin America 3.5% of the World’s research. More detailed analysis reveals that research in Africa is concentrated in just two countries — South Africa and Egypt. These two counties produce just above 50% of the Continent’s publications and the top eight countries produce above 80% of the Continent’s research. Disciplinary analysis reveals that few African countries have the minimum number of scientists required for the functioning of a scientific discipline. Examination of the Continent’s inventive profile, as manifested in patents, indicates that Africa produces less than one thousand of the world’s inventions. Furthermore 88% of the Continent’s inventive activity is concentrated in South Africa. The article recommends that the African Governments should pay particular attention in developing their national research systems.     

Scientific collaboration of Cuban researchers working in Europe: understanding relations between origin and destination countries

The global network of scientific collaboration created by researchers opens new opportunities for developing countries to engage in the process of knowledge creation historically lead by institutions in the developed world. The results discussed here explore how Cubans working in European science and technology might contribute to extending the scientific collaboration of the country through their ties with Cuban institutions mainly in the academic sector. A bibliometric method was used to explore the pattern of collaboration of Cuban researchers in Europe using the institutional affiliation of authors and collaborators. The records of scientific publications of the defined sample were obtained from Scopus database for the period between 1995 and 2014. The network of collaboration was generated using the affiliations of Cuban authors in Europe and co-authors with worldwide affiliations shown in the records of publications of each Cuban researcher of the study. The analysis of aggregate values of the output of Cuban researchers in Europe (1995–2014) reveals that their collaboration with Cuba correlates moderately with their performance in Europe. However, when taking into account their time publishing in Europe, the collaboration with Cuba decreases the longer they remain away from home. The network of collaborating Cuban researchers in Europe comprises 991 different affiliations from 58 countries: 698 from Europe, 118 from North America, 96 from Latin America and 79 from the rest of the world. K-core analysis of centrality shows two Cuban universities sharing the central position with another 24 institutions worldwide of which 18 belong to higher education.     

How to have narrative-flipping history in a pandemic: Views of/from Latin America

This piece seeks to elucidate how and why Latin America is neither anecdotal nor peripheral to pandemic preoccupations—nor to larger health and disease narratives—past and present. First, it examines the world's proportionately most destructive pandemic as coterminous with the rise of imperialism. Next, it traces how the impetus for international health cooperation based on regional crises predated and informed efforts elsewhere. Finally, it explores two under-charted narratives: the creative harnessing of data produced under adversity, and alternative health solidarities that bypass reigning hierarchies of “humanitarian” aid. Together, these glimpses underscore a fundamental need for incorporating histories of and from Latin America to overcome the “history-telling injustice” created by the centuries-long Western dismissal of knowledge, practices, experiences, and existential meaning generated in the Global South. In short, these accounts provide a more complex and possibility-filled restructuring of dominant narratives around the diverse trajectories and consequences, as well as varieties of resistance, that shape understandings of pandemics.     

Latin American trends in urban environmental management

While urban environmental management has received increasing worldwide attention in recent years, much of the international attention to this growing field has focused, as is the case with most scientific fields, on the English language literature. Nevertheless, much professional work of interest has been taking place in Latin America, where the problems of the urban environment have been identified early and considered major difficulties in the development of this heavily urbanised region. Consequently, the purpose of the research that this article summarises is to address the Spanish and Portuguese language literature written in Latin America on Latin America itself to identify the trends in the field that are emerging there and, eventually, to determine what lessons they offer to other regions. Electronic Publication     

Competencies Beyond Countries: The Re‐Organization of Engineering Education in the United States,Europe, and Latin America

For over two centuries, the competencies that engineers have been expected to gain from engineering education have been associated with countries. Increased mobility in the workplace is generating pressure to expand competencies beyond countries. A key indicator of changing expectations is found in efforts by engineering education organizations to extend themselves beyond countries. This article compares the transformation of engineering education organizations in the United States with those in Europe and Latin America. In the U.S., organizations are attempting to expand directly from the country to the globe, relying upon prior acceptance of a redefinition of required competencies. In Europe, the redefinition of engineering competencies is taking longer to develop as participating organizations have worked first to define a new regional identity in terms of continental mobility and economic competitiveness. Finally, in Latin America, the redefinition of competencies awaits a resolution of a competition between alternative models of the region. This study of the expected competencies of engineers contributes to the research area of engineering epistemologies. Overall, the contemporary re‐definition of competencies in engineering education is not a universal phenomenon but depends upon success in defining identities that extend beyond the country.     

The potential impact of gasoline additives on air quality in developing countries

The economic and environmental situations in many developing countries are troubling. For example, in Latin America and in the Caribbean, from an approximate population of 500 million, only 125 million have access to good drinking water, and about 200 million do not have adequate sanitary facilities. In many large populated centers, as well as in some small communities, the air quality is very poor and this becomes an additional factor to be added to the overall effects of poverty. In many cases, air pollution is not a high priority for governments that are intent on expanding economic development. A major issue, which is of great concern in the creation of air pollution, is the use of additives in automotive gasoline and/or to produce reformulated and oxygenated gasoline. In many Latin American and Asiatic countries, the use of reformulated gasoline (RFG) is being touted as a cure for the prevailing urban smog problems. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency, has reported that RFG represents “a significant” step toward clean air, with the introduction of RFG in 1995, combined with other industrial and transportation controls aimed at air pollution reduction. This information pertains to the USA and not to all countries in the world. All of these control measures together are responsible for the long-term downward trend in US air pollution. However, this “magic formula”, must be implemented only under certain conditions, many of which do not exist in Latin America, in order to produce the expected results. This paper investigates the transportation conditions that exist in most Latin American and Asiatic countries, using Mexico City as an example. It points out that the use of RFG can actually cause a degradation of air quality due to the age distribution of the automotive fleet, along with other technical issues associated with the type of cars currently in use. The reasons behind this degradation along with possible alternative transportation control measures are discussed with the goal of reducing the overall air pollution burden in these developing areas.     

Educational reforms and internationalization of universities: evidence from major regions of the world

Internationalization of universities has become a worldwide phenomenon as global economic integration continues to make its way forcefully into the higher education. The objective of the study is to develop a model for internationalization of universities with the transformation of some promising macroeconomic variables i.e., educational reforms and economic growth in the seven largest regions of the world [namely, East Asia and Pacific (sample 25 countries); Europe and Central Asia (40 countries); Latin America and Caribbean (27 countries); Middle East and North Africa (17 countries); North America (22 countries); South Asia (7 countries) and Sub-Saharan Africa (21 countries)]. The data has been analyzed by panel fixed effect regression from the period of 1990–2011. In addition to transform inputs into output, the study employed eleven indicators of education and five indicators for growth, where the resulting vector is internationalization. The results show the dynamic linkages between educational indicators and economic factors in the selected regions of the World. In East Asia and Pacific region, tertiary and higher education expenditures per student increase the economic factors. Higher education is a powerful driver of long-term growth in Europe and Central Asia. Governments of the state should have to focus on higher education enrolment, as it does not have any significant contribution to increase GDP; gross capital formation and FDI in Latin America and Caribbean region. Higher education enrolment in MENA region significantly increases growth factors on the cost of increase gross national expenditures. Investment in general education and other generic human capital is of the utmost importance in creating an enabling environment for FDI in North America. It is imperative for South Asia to encourage the skill levels and education opportunities for females, in order to maximize the effects of FDI on the female human capital stock and therefore economic growth. Tertiary school enrolment and tertiary expenditures per student identified the importance of tertiary education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results conclude that educational indicators improve the economic gains, which ultimately reap out the benefit of internationalization.     

博物馆文创产品情感化设计研究

目的 基于设计心理学,探析当下博物馆文创产品的情感化设计规律,总结出情感化设计的思路与方法。方法 通过分析情感要素对博物馆文创产品设计的影响,指出了情感要素与博物馆文创产品设计之间存在的内在联系。通过探析当下博物馆文创产品的情感化设计规律,在情感化设计层级(本能层级、行为层级、反思层级)的基础上,结合博物馆文创产品的具体特点,通过归纳分析获得情感要素,将发散的情感要素汇总为设计思路,总结出博物馆文创产品的情感化应用模式,以及情感要素应用于博物馆文创产品设计的方法和策略,并通过实例应用进行验证。结论 提出博物馆文创产品设计中的情感化设计思路,并应用于设计实例中,通过对博物馆文创产品的情感化设计,提升博物馆文创产品的情感价值与文化价值。