bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solution of Boundary Value Problems Using Dual Reciprocity Boundary Element Method
Authors: Zakerdoost Hassan , Ghassemi Hassan , Iranmanesh Mehdi
Published: January 2017

In this work we utilize the boundary integral equation and the Dual Reciprocity Boundary Element Method (DRBEM) for the solution of the steady state convection-diffusion-reaction equations with variable convective coefficients in two-dimension. The DRBEM is a numerical method to transform the domain integrals into the boundary only integrals by using the fundamental solution of Helmholtz equation. Some examples are calculated to confirm the accuracy of the approach. The results obtained by the analytic solutions are in good agreement with ones provided by the DRBEM technique.
Numerical Solution of the Coupled System of Nonlinear Fractional Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Zhou Xiaojun , Xu Chuanju
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we consider the numerical method that is proposed and analyzed in [J. Cao and C. Xu, J. Comput. Phys., 238 (2013), pp. 154–168] for the fractional ordinary differential equations. It is based on the so-called block-by-block approach, which is a common method for the integral equations. We extend the technique to solve the nonlinear system of fractional ordinary differential equations (FODEs) and present a general technique to construct high order schemes for the numerical solution of the nonlinear coupled system of fractional ordinary differential equations (FODEs). By using the present method, we are able to construct a high order schema for nonlinear system of FODEs of the orderα,α>0. The stability and convergence of the schema is rigorously established. Under the smoothness assumptionf,g∈C4[0,T], we prove that the numerical solution converges to the exact solution with order 3+αfor 0<α≤1 and order 4 forα>1. Some numerical examples are provided to confirm the theoretical claims.
Cosine Radial Basis Function Neural Networks for Solving Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Qu Haidong
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we first apply cosine radial basis function neural networks to solve the fractional differential equations with initial value problems or boundary value problems. In the examples, we successfully obtained the numerical solutions for the fractional Riccati equations and fractional Langevin equations. The computer graphics and numerical solutions show that this method is very effective.
A Mortar Method Using Nonconforming and Mixed Finite Elements for the Coupled Stokes-Darcy Model
Authors: Huang Peiqi , Chen Jinru , Cai Mingchao
Published: January 2017

In this work, we study numerical methods for a coupled fluid-porous media flow model. The model consists of Stokes equations and Darcy's equations in two neighboring subdomains, coupling together through certain interface conditions. The weak form for the coupled model is of saddle point type. A mortar finite element method is proposed to approximate the weak form of the coupled problem. In our method, nonconforming Crouzeix-Raviart elements are applied in the fluid subdomain and the lowest order Raviart-Thomas elements are applied in the porous media subdomain; Meshes in different subdomains are allowed to be nonmatching on the common interface; Interface conditions are weakly imposed via adding constraint in the definition of the finite element space. The well-posedness of the discrete problem and the optimal error estimate for the proposed method are established. Numerical experiments are also given to confirm the theoretical results.
Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis as a Cause of Febrile Illness in Korea Since at Least 2006
Authors: Yi Jongyoun , Kim Kye-Hyung , Ko Mee Kyung , Lee Eun Yup , Choi Su Jin , Oh Myoung-don
Published: January 2017

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne rickettsial zoonosis with fever, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. HGA has been reported in Korea in 2013 but it is uncertain how long it has existed. A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent bone marrow examination due to fever and cytopenia, with no clear hematologic or microbiologic causes, from 2003 through 2012. Laboratory diagnosis was made by detecting 16S rRNA genes of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from the stored blood samples. Among the 70 patients, five (7.1%) HGA cases were found, and the earliest case dated back to 2006. Two cases met the diagnostic criteria of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and were fatal. Although HGA has been prevalent in Korea since at least 2006, it is not always diagnosed and has posed a possible lethal health risk to the people in Korea. HGA should be considered as a cause of fever with cytopenia or HLH.
Effect of Deworming on Indices of Health, Cognition, and Education Among Schoolchildren in Rural China: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Liu Chengfang , Lu Louise , Zhang Linxiu , Luo Renfu , Sylvia Sean , Medina Alexis , Rozelle Scott , Smith Darvin Scott , Chen Yingdan , Zhu Tingjun
Published: January 2017

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infect over one billion people worldwide. There is concern that chronic infection with STHs among school-aged children may detrimentally affect their development, including their health, cognition, and education. However, two recent Cochrane reviews examining the impact of deworming drugs for STH on nutrition, hemoglobin, and school performance found that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the literature provide an insufficient evidence base to draw reliable conclusions. This study uses a cluster-RCT to add to existing evidence by assessing the impact of a deworming intervention on nutrition, cognition, and school performance among schoolchildren in rural China. The intervention, implemented by local health practitioners in a setting with a baseline infection prevalence of 41.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 39.8%, 43.9%) and infection intensity of 599.5 eggs per gram of feces among positive-tested schoolchildren (95% CI = 473.2, 725.8), consisted of distributing a 400-mg dose of albendazole accompanied with educational training about STH infection, treatment, and prevention. The intervention was conducted twice over the course of the study—at baseline in May 2013 and later in November 2013. We found that the deworming intervention reduced both infection prevalence and infection intensity, but these declines in infection were not accompanied by an impact on outcomes of nutrition, cognition, or school performance. Our interpretation is that the impact of deworming was attenuated by the light infection intensity in our sample population. Evidence from future RCTs is needed to assess the effect of deworming on key outcomes in areas with moderate and severe worm infections.
The Role of Adherence on the Impact of a School-Based Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Intervention in Mali
Authors: Garn Joshua V. , Trinies Victoria , Toubkiss Jérémie , Freeman Matthew C.
Published: January 2017

Studies assessing the impacts of school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions have revealed inconsistent improvements in pupils' health and educational outcomes. This may be in part due to suboptimal project fidelity or adherence. As part of a matched-control trial of a comprehensive school-based WASH project in Mali, we measured the degree to which schools met four prespecified WASH targets, comprised of 15 criteria, 0–3 years after program implementation. We compared achievement of the targets and criteria between beneficiary and matched control schools, and compared achievement within beneficiary schools at baseline and at follow-up visits. We assessed the “as-treated” associations between WASH target achievement and pupil diarrhea, respiratory symptoms, and absence. Between 44% and 81% of beneficiary schools achieved each target. Although adherence was inconsistent across schools, beneficiary schools, on average, met more WASH targets than matched control schools, and beneficiary schools also met more WASH targets at follow-up than at baseline. Very few of the targets were individually associated with health and absenteeism outcomes. Increasing achievement of multiple WASH targets together was associated with a lower odds of pupils having diarrhea (P trend < 0.01) and having respiratory symptoms (P trend < 0.01), but was not associated with roll-call absence (P trend = 0.14) or pupil-reported absence (P trend = 0.41). These results indicate that a comprehensive WASH intervention and a focus on increasing adherence may help maximize the health effects of school WASH programs, but that WASH alone might not be sufficient to decrease pupils' absenteeism.
Evacuation performance evaluation tool
Authors: Farra, PhD, RN, CNE Sharon , Miller, PhD, RN, CRRN, FAAN Elaine T. , Gneuhs, CHEP Matthew , Timm, MD Nathan , Li, PhD Gengxin , Simon, RN, MSN Ashley , Brady, DNP, RN Whittney
Published: January 2017

Objective: Hospitals conduct evacuation exercises to improve performance during emergency events. An essential aspect in this process is the creation of reliable and valid evaluation tools. The objective of this article is to describe the development and implications of a disaster evacuation performance tool that measures one portion of the very complex process of evacuation.Design: Through the application of the Delphi technique and DeVellis's framework, disaster and neonatal experts provided input in developing this performance evaluation tool. Following development, content validity and reliability of this tool were assessed.Setting: Large pediatric hospital and medical center in the Midwest.Participants: The tool was pilot tested with an administrative, medical, and nursing leadership group and then implemented with a group of 68 healthcare workers during a disaster exercise of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Results: The tool has demonstrated high content validity with a scale validity index of 0.979 and inter-rater reliability G coefficient (0.984, 95% CI: 0.948-0.9952).Conclusions: The Delphi process based on the conceptual framework of DeVellis yielded a psychometrically sound evacuation performance evaluation tool for a NICU.
Circus disaster: Case report, response, and review of injuries
Authors: Asselin, DO Nicholas , Proano, MD Lawrence , Williams, MD Kenneth , Partridge, MD, MPH Robert
Published: January 2017

Circus acts with human artists performing acrobatic feats are a popular spectator pastime in the United States and in international venues. There is little data in the literature regarding injuries sustained during circus acts. Some injuries are minor, but others can be serious, or even fatal. This article describes a recent circus disaster, a review of the relevant literature, and an analysis of the disaster response.
A new mechanism for atmospheric mercury redox chemistry: Implications for the global mercury budget
Authors: Horowitz Hannah M. , Jacob Daniel J. , Zhang Yanxu , Dibble Theodore S. , Slemr Franz , Amos Helen M. , Schmidt Johan A. , Corbitt Elizabeth S. , Marais Eloïse A. , Sunderland Elsie M.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Mercury (Hg) is emitted to the atmosphere mainly as volatile elemental Hg0. Oxidation to water-soluble HgII controls Hg deposition to ecosystems. Here we implement a new mechanism for atmospheric Hg0 / HgII redox chemistry in the GEOS-Chem global model and examine the implications for the global atmospheric Hg budget and deposition patterns. Our simulation includes a new coupling of GEOS-Chem to an ocean general circulation model (MITgcm), enabling a global 3-D representation of atmosphere-ocean Hg0 / HgII cycling. We find that atomic bromine (Br) of marine organobromine origin is the main atmospheric Hg0 oxidant, and that second-stage HgBr oxidation is mainly by the NO2 and HO2 radicals. The resulting lifetime of tropospheric Hg0 against oxidation is 2.7 months, shorter than in previous models. Fast HgII atmospheric reduction must occur in order to match the ~ 6-month lifetime of Hg against deposition implied by the observed atmospheric variability of total gaseous mercury (TGM ≡ Hg0 + HgII(g)). We implement this reduction in GEOS-Chem as photolysis of aqueous-phase HgII-organic complexes in aerosols and clouds, resulting in a TGM lifetime of 5.2 months against deposition and matching both mean observed TGM and its variability. Model sensitivity analysis shows that the interhemispheric gradient of TGM, previously used to infer a longer Hg lifetime against deposition, is misleading because southern hemisphere Hg mainly originates from oceanic emissions rather than transport from the northern hemisphere. The model reproduces the observed seasonal TGM variation at northern mid-latitudes (maximum in February, minimum in September) driven by chemistry and oceanic evasion, but does not reproduce the lack of seasonality observed at southern hemisphere marine sites. Aircraft observations in the lowermost stratosphere show a strong TGM-ozone relationship indicative of fast Hg0 oxidation, but we show that this relationship provides only a weak test of Hg chemistry because it is also influenced by mixing. The model reproduces observed Hg wet deposition fluxes over North America, Europe, and China, including the maximum over the US Gulf Coast driven by HgBr oxidation by NO2 and HO2. Low Hg wet deposition observed over rural China is attributed to fast HgII reduction in the presence of high organic aerosol concentrations. We find that 80 % of global HgII deposition takes place over the oceans, reflecting the marine origin of Br and low concentrations of marine organics for HgII reduction, and most of HO2 and NO2 for second-stage HgBr oxidation.
WoSIS: providing standardised soil profile data for the world
Authors: Batjes Niels H. , Ribeiro Eloi , van Oostrum Ad , Leenaars Johan , Hengl Tom , Mendes de Jesus Jorge
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The aim of the World Soil Information Service (WoSIS) is to serve quality-assessed, georeferenced soil data (point, polygon, and grid) to the international community upon their standardisation and harmonisation. So far, the focus has been on developing procedures for legacy point data with special attention to the selection of soil analytical and physical properties considered in the GlobalSoilMap specifications (e.g. organic carbon, soil pH, soil texture (sand, silt, and clay), coarse fragments ( <  2 mm), cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, bulk density, and water holding capacity). Profile data managed in WoSIS were contributed by a wide range of soil data providers; the data have been described, sampled, and analysed according to methods and standards in use in the originating countries. Hence, special attention was paid to measures for soil data quality and the standardisation of soil property definitions, soil property values, and soil analytical method descriptions. At the time of writing, the full WoSIS database contained some 118 400 unique shared soil profiles, of which some 96 000 are georeferenced within defined limits. In total, this corresponds with over 31 million soil records, of which some 20 % have so far been quality-assessed and standardised using the sequential procedure discussed in this paper. The number of measured data for each property varies between profiles and with depth, generally depending on the purpose of the initial studies. Overall, the data lineage strongly determined which data could be standardised with acceptable confidence in accord with WoSIS procedures, corresponding to over 4 million records for 94 441 profiles. The publicly available data – WoSIS snapshot of July 2016 – are persistently accessible from ISRIC WDC-Soils through doi:10.17027/isric-wdcsoils.20160003.
A Bayesian Framework Based on Gaussian Mixture Model and Radial Basis Function Fisher Discriminant Analysis for Flood Spatial Prediction (BayGmmKda V1.1)
Authors: Tien Bui Dieu , Hoang Nhat-Duc
Published: January 2017

Abstract. In this study, a probabilistic model, named as BayGmmKda, is proposed for flood assessment with a study area in Central Vietnam. The new model is essentially a Bayesian framework constructed a combination of Gaussian Mixture Model, Radial Basis Function Fisher Discriminant Analysis, and a Geographic Information System database. Experiments used for measuring the model performance point out that the hybrid framework is superior to other benchmark models including the adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system and the support vector machine. To facility the model implementation, a software program of BayGmmKda has been developed in Matlab environment. The newly proposed model is shown to be a very promising alternative for assisting decision-makers in flood assessment.
Bayesian joint inference of hydrological and generalized error models
with the enforcement of Total Laws
Authors: Hernández-López Mario R. , Francés Félix
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Over the years, the Standard Least Squares (SLS) has been the most commonly adopted criterion for the calibration of hydrological models, despite the fact that they generally do not fulfill the assumptions made by the SLS method: very often errors are autocorrelated, heteroscedastic, biased and/or non-Gaussian. Similarly to recent papers, which suggest more appropriate models for the errors in hydrological modeling, this paper addresses the challenging problem of jointly estimate hydrological and error model parameters (joint inference) in a Bayesian framework, trying to solve some of the problems found in previous related researches. This paper performs a Bayesian joint inference through the application of different inference models, as the known SLS or WLS and the new GL++ and GL++Bias error models. These inferences were carried out on two lumped hydrological models which were forced with daily hydrometeorological data from a basin of the MOPEX project. The main finding of this paper is that a joint inference, to be statistically correct, must take into account the joint probability distribution of the state variable to be predicted and its deviation from the observations (the errors). Consequently, the relationship between the marginal and conditional distributions of this joint distribution must be taken into account in the inference process. This relation is defined by two general statistical expressions called the Total Laws (TLs): the Total Expectation and the Total Variance Laws. Only simple error models, as SLS, do not explicitly need the TLs implementation. An important consequence of the TLs enforcement is the reduction of the degrees of freedom in the inference problem namely, the reduction of the parameter space dimension. This research demonstrates that non-fulfillment of TLs produces incorrect error and hydrological parameter estimates and unreliable predictive distributions. The target of a (joint) inference must be fulfilling the error model hypotheses rather than to achieve the better fitting to the observations. Consequently, for a given hydrological model, the resulting performance of the prediction, the reliability of its predictive uncertainty, as well as the robustness of the parameter estimates, will be exclusively conditioned by the degree in which errors fulfill the error model hypotheses.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Acetabular Dysplasia: The Academic Network of Conservational Hip Outcomes Research (ANCHOR) Periacetabular Osteotomy
Authors: Sankar Wudbhav N. , Duncan Stephen T. , Baca Geneva R. , Beaulé Paul E. , Millis Michael B. , Kim Young-jo , Peters Christopher L. , Podeszwa David A. , Schoenecker Perry L. , Sierra Rafael J. , Sink Ernest L. , Sucato Daniel J. , Trousdale Robert T. , Zaltz Ira , Clohisy John C.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an established treatment for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia, which is a well-recognized cause of hip pain, functional limitations, and secondary osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographics of patients undergoing PAO, the baseline patient-reported outcome measures for this population, and the types of adjunctive procedures performed at the time of PAO surgery.

Methods:

Demographics, disease characteristics, and patient-reported functional measures were prospectively collected from all patients who underwent PAO performed by 12 surgeons from 2008 to 2013.

Results:

We enrolled 950 consecutive patients (982 hips) in the study; 83% were female and 17% were male, with an average age of 25.3 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 24.6 kg/m2. Most patients were Caucasian (87%), and 15% had undergone previous hip surgery. Before PAO was performed, most patients had had symptoms for 1 to 3 years. Baseline modified Harris Hip and University of California Los Angeles activity scores (61.8 and 6.6, respectively) indicated that patients had considerable functional limitations.

Discussion:

Patients undergoing PAO for symptomatic dysplasia were predominantly young, female, and Caucasian with a normal BMI. Many patients had undergone prior hip surgery, and most had had symptoms for several years before treatment. Baseline patient-reported functional scores demonstrated marked functional limitations. Adjunctive procedures for intra-articular pathology, especially femoral osteochondroplasty and hip arthroscopy, are commonly performed at the time of PAO.
NGOs’ Advertising in South Africa and Implications for NGOs in China
Authors: Liu Sijia , Kirby Vivian G. , Berger Paul D.
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we discuss NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and NPOs (Non-Profit Organizations) in general and focus on the advertising strategy NGOs should undertake. More specifically, we compare and contrast the NGO history in South Africa and China, its corresponding past advertising, and implications for advertising strategy for Chinese NGOs going forward. This includes a discussion of a key issue of the efficacy of advertising that evokes emotion, and how it can be a “mixed-blessing.” It is suggested that the advertising strategy of South African NGOs can usefully inform NGOs in China.
E-Marketing via Social Networking and Its Role on the Enhancement of Small Business Projects
Authors: Salamah Najah Hassan
Published: January 2017

This study aimed to highlight the concepts of e-marketing through social networking sites and its role in the enhancement of small business projects; and the extent to which it is effective for proprietors of such projects. Questionnaire technique was used for collecting data from large number of individuals. Analysis of data was performed by using the analytic and descriptive approaches. The population was comprised of some directors of the small business projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study evaluated that there is a general recognition for the significance of using social networking sites in marketing. To advertise the products and services of the small business projects in consideration with social media sites as a modern method for e-marketing together with its widespread application, it is essential to utilize the need for taking advantage from the revolution of social networking sites in marketing sector. Doing so will give attention to creative activities related to the sorts of such small projects, and attempt to know continuously the latest electronic applications. The retrieved outcomes of the study demonstrate that how e-marketing and social networking sites support small business projects and identify the major obstacles faced by the proprietors in Saudi Arabia.
Social theory and the significance of free will in our system of criminal justice
Authors: Schwitters Rob
Published: January 2017

Social theory and the significance of free will in our system of criminal justice

Free will is a key assumption of our system of criminal justice. However, the assumption of a free will is questioned by the rapidly growing empirical findings of the neuro and the brain sciences. These indicate that human behavior is driven by subconscious forces beyond the free will. In this text I aim to indicate how social theory might contribute to this debate. This text is an attempt to demonstrate that social theory does not automatically side with the deterministic attacks on free will. The denial of the free will is to a great extent based on a flawed interpretation of free will, in which it is seen as a capacity of separate individuals. I will suggest that it is the sociological realization that free will is embedded in intersubjective relations that helps to clarify which value is at stake when we deny free will. Free will presumes social practices and social relations that facilitate moral and political discourse. As long as we see human actors as capable to evaluate these practices and contexts in moral and political terms, we cannot deny them a free will. My argumentation will build on the theories of Peter Strawson, Anthony Giddens and Jürgen Habermas.
Interference basics
Authors: Kowalski Thomas J , Lawrence William F , Megerditchian Samuel H
Published: January 2017

A US patent is a prized form of intellectual property, and the first to invent the claimed subject matter is awarded the patent right. When two or more parties, however, simultaneously invent the same claimed subject matter, priority issues arise. An interference proceeding is a complex endeavour before the US Patent and Trademark Office that resolves the issue of priority of invention. Patentable and interfering subject matter are the prerequisites for a declaration of an interference. Once declared, the proceeding itself involves two stages: the preliminary motions phase and the priority phase. Each phase may be outcome determinative, and the preliminary motions phase provides the parties with the opportunity to invalidate an opponent's claimed subject matter. An interference proceeding thus involves high stakes and high drama, and considerable care must be taken to navigate it wisely.
Where will industry go to for its high-calibre staff?
Authors: Kermani Faiz , Gittins Rebecca
Published: January 2017

The presence of individuals who can effectively and intelligently communicate ideas and results will help to influence the overall performance and success of a company. The pharmaceutical and biotech sectors are characterised by a high level of competition and innovation, but they can only maintain this reputation if they continue to attract talented staff. The best graduates will be drawn to those organisations that are at the top of their industry, reward staff for their efforts and commit themselves in terms of R&D investment. As the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors are important contributors to the economies of industrialised countries and are major employers, it is also in the interest of governments to create incentives for high achievers to enter these industries and drive future success.
Cross-border transactions: A roadmap for commercial arrangements between North American and European companies
Authors: Fersko Raymond S , Merabet Hind , Cordioli Valentina
Published: January 2017

Major advances and breakthroughs in the biotechnology industry are increasingly reached through cross-Atlantic strategic alliances and collaborations. This paper explores some of the distinctions between biotech transactions that are between parties in different countries, particularly the US and EU members.
Financial accounts reports
Authors: Aaronson Colin
Published: January 2017

Cambridge Antibody Technology plc (CAT) has established itself as a leader in the development of human monoclonal antibodies as new treatments for disease, based upon its own antibody technology. By mid-June 2004 it had one drug, HUMIRATM, a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, approved in 41 countries including the USA and the UK, drug treatments for five conditions in Phase III and a number of other drugs at Phase I or II, or at the preclinical stage.
Australian biotech companies: Navigating the maze
Authors: Herpin Timothy F , Karuso Helen , Foley James E
Published: January 2017

Australia is largely accepted as an active biotech nation and claims the sixth position globally in the industry. A recent survey of the Australian biotechnology industry reported 370 biotechnology and 600 medical-device companies, most, if not all, products of Australia's academic research initiatives. The country presents a unique biotechnology landscape dominated by seed-stage companies and a handful of larger companies with validated technologies and/or products in development. The reason for this skewed distribution lies, in part, in Australia's funding infrastructure. This is characterised by a large and high-quality academic system that derives applied research support from numerous government incentives for seed funding without a critical mass of downstream venture capital or other financial support to fund continued growth. The unique challenges faced by Australian companies, such as visibility, distance to key markets and potential commercial collaborators and lack of development funding, have resulted in a number of strategies being implemented. These include efforts to raise money, often prematurely and very discounted, through public markets in Australia and/or partnerships around very early, very high-risk development-stage projects with US/European pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. In addition, a recent strategy has been to merge with or acquire another Australian or overseas small company.
EU Financial accounts reports
Authors: Citron David
Published: January 2017

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International mega-trends and growth prospects of the Finnish biotechnology industry: Recent economic research and policy implications
Authors: Hermans Raine , Kulvik Martti , YlÃ¤-Anttila Pekka
Published: January 2017

The aim of this paper is to describe recent economic growth forecasts of the Finnish biotechnology industry and provide analysis of the international and industry-specific factors behind these forecasts. The new economic geography of the European regions suggests that spatial agglomeration of economic activities will be strengthened internationally if European integration deepens. In addition to that, the Finnish pharmaceutical industry has enjoyed high regulatory protection and it has achieved similar price mark-ups during the 1970sâ€“1990s to its counterpart in the USA. According to the analysis of small and medium-sized Finnish biotechnology companies, it seems that the most promising biotechnology companies have a well-balanced combination of intellectual capital. Despite expectations of rapid growth, it will take decades rather than years for the biotechnology industry to catch up with the three industrial pillars, the forestry, machinery and electronics industries. To fulfil the expectations, there is a need to build collaboration and financing networks between the biotechnology industry and traditional industries, such as forestry, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Most of the current Finnish biotechnology companies are related to healthcare activities. The Finnish biotechnology industry could offer solutions to the cost crisis in healthcare while at the same time spurring development of an internationally competitive industrial cluster.
Growth of Indian biotech companies, in the context of the international biotechnology industry
Authors: Palnitkar Utkarsh
Published: January 2017

The paper discusses the evolution and growth of Indian biotech companies in recent years. It focuses on the alternative business models key players in the industry have adopted and highlights the activities and achievements of some of the globally competitive companies across various segments of the market. The paper also chronicles recent developments in the industry with respect to international alliances, product development and investment and expansion. Increasingly, India is being recognised as a country that combines low-cost research and manufacturing capabilities with a rapidly improving climate for intellectual property (IP) creation and protection. Efforts are being made by Indian companies to move up the value chain in niche areas within the biotechnology sector. There is indeed a clear opportunity for global players to leverage the India advantage by collaborating with Indian companies and exploring potential market opportunities.
NGO war on biotechnology
Authors: Miller Henry I , Conko Gregory
Published: January 2017

Discussions of the risks and benefits of recombinant DNA technology, or 'genetic modification' (GM), should occur within the context of experience with older, 'conventional' techniques for genetic improvement. But critics' alarmist reports and commentaries invariably emphasise the things that might go wrong only with recombinant DNA-modified organisms, while studiously avoiding the essential broader context. They ignore vast amounts of data, including literally millennia of experience with less precise methods used for genetic modification, and they continue to deny the well-established scientific consensus that no unique risks attend the use of recombinant DNA techniques. They promulgate the perception that recombinant DNA technology is unproven, untested and unregulated â€“ and promote an approach to regulation in which there is an inverse relationship between degree of scrutiny and risk. The disproportionate regulation of the products of recombinant DNA technology needlessly raises the cost of research and development, while it fails to advance consumer or environmental safety. The question we must ask is not whether regulation generally is or is not justified, but rather what should be regulated and how? The use of certain techniques â€“ in particular, those that are the most precise and predictable â€“ as a trigger for regulation cannot be justified scientifically. Regulatory efforts should be redirected to focus oversight on new organisms that express characteristics likely to pose significant risk, regardless of the methods used in their development, while leaving relatively low-risk traits of both classical and molecular genetic modification unburdened by costly regulation.
The latest orphan drug designations and the Commission Communication on Regulation (EC) 141/2000
Authors: Shah Rashmi R
Published: January 2017

The implementation of Community Regulation on orphan medicinal products in the European Union in April 2000 has resulted in a deluge of applications for designation of medicinal products as orphan for rare diseases. By April 2004, the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products had already given positive opinion on 63 per cent of the 316 applications considered by them. A significant number of these positive designations have already matured into full marketing authorisations. Three major reasons â€“ failure to meet prevalence or significant benefit criteria or provide evidence of biological plausibility â€“ have equally contributed to either the negative opinion on or the applicants withdrawing the remaining applications. In July 2004, the European Commission issued a communication setting out its position on certain matters relating to the implementation of the designation and market exclusivity provisions. The Commission, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) continue to be proactive and provide as much guidance and incentives as practical, engaging themselves with sponsors, patient groups and academia. As experience builds up and issues are clarified, there are expectations that the Community Regulation on orphan medicines will prove to be a spectacular success.
Corporate development in biotechnology in 2005
Authors: Williams Alan
Published: January 2017

In 1998 the author produced two papers which argued that consolidation was a necessary activity for biotechnology companies to consider more. Three years later a further consideration of the subject was published. Corporate developments in biotechnology in the first decade of the 21st century are now considered.
Amgen v TKT: Assessment of inventive concept is crucial for assessing infringement of biotechnology patents
Authors: Cook William
Published: January 2017

In a landmark decision, the House of Lords in Kirin Amgen v Hoechst & TKT has confirmed the correct approach of proper construction of patent claims, as interpreted in the full light of the invention, to assess infringement. There is no 'doctrine of equivalence' under English law: variants falling outside a patent claim cannot infringe that claim, even if they are somehow 'equivalent' to the claimed invention.
Book Review
Authors: Schofield Geraldine
Published: January 2017

Market Development for Genetically Modified Foods V. Santaniello, R. E. Evenson and D. Zilberman (Eds) CABI Publishing, Wallingford; 2002; 336pp
Editorial: Moving beyond metaphors: University-industry collaboration in biotechnology
Authors: Lynskey Michael J
Published: January 2017

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Stanford's licensing and equity practices with biotechnology companies
Authors: Leute Kirsten
Published: January 2017

Stanford University's Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) has a long history of licensing technologies to biotechnology start-up companies. This paper presents (1) examples of how the OTL works with biotechnology start-ups to negotiate licence agreements for Stanford-owned intellectual property, taking into account a new company's scarce financial resources and needs but their large intellectual property appetite; and (2) an analysis of the rate of success of biotechnology companies emerging from Stanford based on information obtained from the equity records at Stanford's OTL. OTL started taking equity more often in start-up companies in the mid-1990s and generally takes equity as part of most exclusive licences to early-stage companies.
How DanioLabs has evolved its relationship with the CIMR
Authors: Goldsmith Paul , Jones Derek
Published: January 2017

The commonest interaction of industry with academia is as the passive recipient of intellectual property. A much deeper and productive interaction is possible with the creation of closely knit collaborations. Here the barriers to achieving this and how they may be overcome are explored.
Current topics in biotechnology patent law: The written description requirement
Authors: Adler Benjamin A
Published: January 2017

Universities and medical research institutions are as interested in securing patent protection for their biotechnological inventions as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Obtaining adequate patent protection by universities and research institutions has been hampered by the 'embryonic' nature of its inventions. This problem is particularly noticeable in the fields of biotechnology and molecular medicine. This paper focuses on recent court cases in US biotechnology patent law and analyses the effects of the legal decisions on the effort by universities and research institutions to secure meaningful legal protection for biotechnological inventions.
Financial accounts reports
Authors: Aaronson Colin
Published: January 2017

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG is a Swiss-based biotechnology company whose shares are traded on the Swiss Stock Exchange. It is developing antibacterial and antifungal drugs along with dermatology treatments. The company was founded in October 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of F. Hoffmann-La Roche, which subsequently sold over half of the company's shares to other investors but retained approximately 33 per cent of the company at 31st December, 2004. The company's pipeline consists of the following compounds:
Future employment in biotechnology in Germany
Authors: Menrad Klaus
Published: January 2017

This paper quantitatively analyses the employment effects of biotechnology in Germany. In 2000, a total of 614,000 employees were influenced by this technology of which biotechnology was highly relevant for maintaining the competitiveness of around 220,000 jobs. In this high-impact cluster the number of jobs increases to a range of 330,000 to 677,000 jobs in the year 2010 which equals a maximum of approximately 1.7 per cent of all employees in Germany. Additional spill-over effects of biotechnology will range between 657,000 and more than 1 million jobs in the year 2010, depending mainly on diffusion rates of biotechnology.
Rethinking innovation in pharmaceutical R&D
Authors: Baker Ann , Gill Jasween
Published: January 2017

The pharmaceutical industry is facing a challenge to be productive. One of the solutions to this problem is for the industry to better harness innovation to deliver more and better drugs through the pipeline. But what is innovation and how can it deliver higher performance through more valuable drugs? Historically, pharmaceutical innovation has been seen to be firmly rooted in discovery. The focus has been on the pursuit of first-in-class products based on new targets. However, new research by CMR International and Accenture challenges the view that investment in this type of innovation alone will solve the productivity gap. The research shows that projects based on new targets (no public data are available on the target and no drugs have been developed for it) are slower and less likely to get to market than those based on known targets. (Either some public data are available but the company has not previously worked on the target, or the company has previously worked on and has experience with the target.) Hence, they substantially increase the risk in pharmaceutical research. In addition, there is evidence that later entrants based on known mechanisms and designed specifically to be best in class often displace first-in-class products in the marketplace. Based on these findings and on wider research into what makes high-performing businesses tick, Accenture believes that companies pursuing high performance need to rethink their innovation strategies. Companies must take a broader view of how and where they innovate. Applying novel approaches throughout the organisation and across the entire R&D process may be the true key to higher levels of productivity. Innovation in discovery is clearly important and the portfolio needs to be carefully balanced to maintain risk within acceptable limits and to deliver expected levels of output. But it is not in itself sufficient.
Managing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Schmid Esther F , Smith Dennis A
Published: January 2017

Innovation is the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical industry, and has been a major driver of industry growth, as well as providing major advances for patients and society at large during the last century. Despite this record of success, the industry is currently under attack for its perceived lack of innovation. In this paper, data are provided that demonstrate that the pharmaceutical industry today is more innovative than even in its rapid, postwar growth period. The authors discuss in depth a framework for how today's R&D organisations can continue to be innovative.
Taking stock in biotechnology futures
Authors: Jacobs John L
Published: January 2017

Investors now have a new tool to help them manage the risk associated with biotechnology investment. Individual and professional investors can more confidently invest in companies whose products take years to develop and potentially several more to gain regulatory approvals and commercialise. This paper focuses on the development of the first stock index futures for the biotechnology market. Together, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. have launched an investment product to help reduce risk and foster greater confidence in biotechnology investment. By managing risk in the biotech sector, Biotechnology Index futures should appeal to a broader base of investors while offering greater visibility to biotechs included in the Index.
Editorial: Much ado about nothing
Authors: Bright Simon , Poole Nigel
Published: January 2017

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The new tax rules for university spin-outs: An answer to all the problems?
Authors: Hughes Alison , Brien Joanne
Published: January 2017

This paper gives an overview of the potential tax position for an academic participating in a university spin-out following the new legislation in the UK Finance Act 2005. The paper outlines a university spin-out transaction and explains the possible tax problems in this area since 2003. It then discusses the conditions that need to be met for an academic to potentially benefit from the new tax relief and some of the remaining issues. It concludes with some practical advice for structuring transactions.
Stem cell patenting
Authors: Baldock Claire
Published: January 2017

The patenting of embryonic stem cell-related inventions appears to be as controversial as the technology itself. The author outlines the state of play in Europe and the USA as well as other selected territories. While Europe has the broadest statutory exclusions to patenting of inventions which might be regarded as unethical, it appears that a smooth ride for applicants and patent holders is not guaranteed elsewhere.
Patent pooling: Uncorking a technology transfer bottleneck and creating value in the biomedical research field
Authors: Grassler Frank , Capria Mary Ann
Published: January 2017

Patent pools have long been used to collect intellectual property rights into a basket of rights that can facilitate the licensing thereof. By pooling relevant patent rights together, the out-licensing is streamlined and made more cost efficient. Many recent patent pools involved establishing and administering patents that meet an established industry standard and then granting non-exclusive licences to the patents that are considered essential to that standard, eg consumer electronics. While there are few, if any, established industry standards in biomedical research, there are opportunities to pool intellectual property rights that facilitate cost-efficient technology transfers and foster better research.
Strategic alliances as a mechanism for wealth creation in the biopharmaceutical industry: An empirical analysis of the Spanish case
Authors: De Mesa VÃ¡zquez Emma GutiÃ©rrez , MartÃ­n Juan Angel JimÃ©nez , MascareÃ±as Juan
Published: January 2017

The paper studies strategic alliances signed between traditional pharmaceutical companies (TPCs) and new biotechnology firms (NBFs) in Spain, on the initial basis that a firm's rate of new product development is a positive function of the number of strategic alliances that it has entered into. Nevertheless, we believe, as do others, that although strategic alliances may initially have positive effects on that rate, this relationship may exhibit diminishing returns. We suggest that the relationship between the number of alliances and the rate of new product development may be an inverted U-shape in the Spanish biopharmaceutical industry. Our regression model provides evidence to support such a relationship. However, the results suggest that only when the firm enters into too many alliances does diminishing return and ultimately negative return set in. The main strategic conclusion for the biopharmaceutical industry is that alliances represent a viable way for biopharmaceutical companies to gain access to the complementary assets required to increase their rate of new product development. A major contribution to this investigation is the empirical assessment for the Spanish biopharmaceutical industry.
Biotechnology in Cuba: 20 years of scientific, social and economic progress
Authors: Mola Ernesto LÃ³pez , Silva Ricardo , Acevedo Boris , BuxadÃ³ JosÃ© A , Aguilera Angel , Herrera Luis
Published: January 2017

An analysis of the biotechnology development in Cuba for 20 years has been attempted in this paper. This paper deals with the evolution of the biotechnology sector from the 1980s, how it was structured and the most important scientific and technical results. Relevant discoveries, methodologies, technologies, and products developed at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology are also presented as significant contributions to the advances of the life sciences. Data and evidences are shown in this document that demonstrates the feasibility of developing a new industry in a developing country under foreign economic pressures. Conclusions suggest new paradigms, and future discussions of the broadest interest on the Cuban approach followed for developing the biotechnology industry.