Networks of inventors and the role of academia: an exploration of Italian patent data

This paper proposes a quantitative analysis of social distance between Open Science and Proprietary Technology. A few general properties of social networks within both realms are discussed, as they emerge from the new economics of science and recent applied work on “small worlds”. A new data-set on patent inventors is explored, in order to show that social networks within Proprietary Technology are much more fragmented than Open Science ones, except for science-based technologies. Two propositions are then put forward on the “open” behaviour expected from academic inventors, namely university scientists getting involved in Proprietary Technology networks by signing patents. Both propositions are confirmed by data, which show academic inventors to be more central and better connected than non-academic ones. The database and methodology produced for this paper are suggested to be relevant for the more general debate on the role of geographical and cognitive distance in university-industry technology transfer.     

Changes in Sensory Dominance During Childhood: Converging Evidence From the Colavita Effect and the Sound‐Induced Flash Illusion

In human adults, visual dominance emerges in several multisensory tasks. In children, auditory dominance has been reported up to 4 years of age. To establish when sensory dominance changes during development, 41 children (6–7, 9–10, and 11–12 years) were tested on the Colavita task (Experiment 1) and 32 children (6–7, 9–10, and 11–12 years) were tested on the sound‐induced flash illusion (Experiment 2). In both experiments, an auditory dominance emerged in 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children compared to older children. Adult‐like visual dominance started to emerge from 9 to 10 years of age, and consolidated in 11‐ to 12‐year‐old children. These findings show that auditory dominance persists up to 6 years, but switches to visual dominance during the first school years.     

Physiological and biomechanical responses to walking underwater on a non-motorised treadmill: effects of different exercise intensities and depths in middle-aged healthy women

Abstract

Non-motorised underwater treadmills are commonly used in fitness activities. However, no studies have examined physiological and biomechanical responses of walking on non-motorised treadmills at different intensities and depths. Fifteen middle-aged healthy women underwent two underwater walking tests at two different depths, immersed either up to the xiphoid process (deep water) or the iliac crest (shallow water), at 100, 110, 120, 130 step-per-minute (spm). Oxygen consumption (VO₂), heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration, perceived exertion and step length were determined. Compared to deep water, walking in shallow water exhibited, at all intensities, significantly higher VO₂ (+13.5%, on average) and HR (+8.1%, on average) responses. Water depth did not influence lactate concentration, whereas perceived exertion was higher in shallow compared to deep water, solely at 120 (+40%) and 130 (+39.4%) spm. Average step length was reduced as the intensity increased (from 100 to 130 spm), irrespective of water depth. Expressed as a percentage of maximum, average VO₂ and HR were: 64–76% of peak VO₂ and 71–90% of maximum HR, respectively at both water depths. Accordingly, this form of exercise can be included in the “vigorous” range of exercise intensity, at any of the step frequencies used in this study.     

Independent Olympic Athletes and the Legitimacy of the International Olympic Committee in Resolving International Conflicts

Abstract

Over the last three centuries (nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first) humanity has been facing huge political and ideological conflicts, especially wars. For these reasons, it was seen how necessary it was to create global institutions that aimed to promote peace and reduce or stop conflicts of this magnitude. Therefore, an international institution had already brought on its premises the principles of international peace and reconciliation through sport: the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, despite bringing together nations around peaceful ties in an international competition, the IOC and the Olympic Games event have always been affected by constant conflicts along their path in the twentieth century, emphasizing issues involving nationalities. Thereby, in a mediator posture of international conflicts and in an effort to reduce the subversions that surrounded it, the IOC, in the 1990s, created the delegation of Independent Olympic Athletes. Such a delegation consists of athletes who cannot represent their respective nationalities at the Olympics due to political factors and/or armament conflicts. This proposal of the IOC demonstrates its posture to avoid, minimize, and even cease ideological and political events that might interfere with the Olympics Games or the athletes participating in them.     

课程效能评价——以“教育效能与教育评价”为例

“教育效能与教育评价”课程以个人的、团队的、组织的(PTO)效能和规划、实施与评价(PIE)代表其内容与过程的主要结构。教师以双语教学——中英文的阅读材料、学习指南、课程纲要和视听讲座的形式，采取具有高度互动性的学习方式，如个人与小组层次的讨论、比赛、模拟、奖励、批判性反思，向50名来自中小学、大学和行政机关的高层教育领导者授课，以增加课程的效能。文章所展示的就是如何应用课程中有关效能与评价的基本原理评价这一课程本身的效能。     

The discursive construction of the fathers’ positioning within family participation frameworks

The aim of this paper is to analyze how fathers position themselves within their everyday discursive practices at home. We consider the shift from a traditional father figure, defined and perceived as a provider, to an emerging collaborative one in order to explore the discursive acts of fathers’ positioning through the observation of the everyday activities of eight middle-class Italian families. Adopting the positioning theory and the discursive approach as guiding analytical concepts, we discuss how fathers position themselves as representatives and as mediators of the family and of its everyday activities. We propose a qualitative analysis of discursive interactions in order to show how Italian fathers position themselves as active partners in different activities at home, ascribing meanings to what they do with the other family members and with the researchers.     

La Réunion d'experts sur la présentation des cultures d'Asie dans les manuels et le matériel d'enseignement des pays occidentaux,Paris, mai 1956

Sans résumé     

Education and development in Latin America (1950–1975)

Structural analysis of educational development in Latin America shows the determining effect of economic and social trends. The past 25 years have seen a shift to industrialization and increasing involvement of foreign capital, visible in growing urbanization as well as in modernized agriculture focused on export. The reduction of job opportunities in both traditional and modern sectors has not been offset by the emerging service sector, although social structures have been deeply affected by these trends.The authors place in this context their analysis of education at successive levels. Progress in primary school enrolment has been real in the region, but with market disparities between countries and with little evidence of increased efficiency (i.e. enduring literacy) or equity. The basic fact is that this level of education has lost its economic value and prepares only for activities of low productivity.At secondary level, expansion has been considerable, even in countries with an inadequate primary infrastructure. A growing dichotomy is evident as schools continue to perpetuate classical values and forms while failing to establish links with the labour market. The effect is seen in growing pressure on higher education, where rapid expansion has led to fragmentation of institutions and a depreciation of standards.The relationship of education to development in these past 25 years has brought about a wide perception of the conservative role played by education, as the mechanism for reproducting the dominant cultural models and ideologies. This critical distrust, shared by teachers and students alike, may indeed be a force strong enough to create a new model of development.

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Zusammenfassung Eine strukturelle Analyse der Entwicklung des Bildungswesens in Latein-Amerika zeigt die entscheidende Auswirkung wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Tendenzen. Die Letzten 25 Jahre sahen eine Veränderung in Richtung auf Industrialisierung und zunehmende ausländische Kapitalbeteiligung, was ebenso in wachsender Verstädterung wie in Modernisierung der Landwirtschaft mit Konzentration auf den Export in Erscheinung tritt. Durch den aufkommenden Dienstleistungsbereich wurde der Rückgang der Stellenangebote sowohl in traditionellen als auch in modernen Bereichen nicht ausgeglichen, wenn auch die gesellschaftlichen Strukturen durch diese Tendenzen stark in Mitleidenschaft gezogen wurden.In diesen Zusammenhang stellen die Autoren ihre Analyse der Bildung auf den aufeinanderfolgenden Stufen hinein. Bei der Aufnahme in die Primarschule hat in Latein-Amerika tatsächlich ein Fortschritt stattgefunden, allerdings mit deutlichen Unterschieden zwischen den einzelnen Ländern und wenig erkennbarer Leistungssteigerung (d.h. andauernder Überwindung des Analphabetentums) oder Ausgleich. Es ist eine grundlegende Tatsache, daß diese Bildungsstufe ihren wirtschaftlichen Wert verloren hat und nur auf Aktivitäten mit geringer Produktivität vorbereitet.Auf der Sekundarstufe vollzog sich eine beachtliche Erweiterung, sogar in Ländern mit ungeeigneter primärer Infrastruktur. Deutlich zeigt sich eine zunehmende Dichotomie, da die Schulen fortfahren, klassische Werte und Formen weiterzugeben, und dabei versäumen, Brücken zum Arbeitsmarkt zu schlagen. Dies wirkt sich in zunehmendem Druck auf die höhere Bildung aus, wo schnelle Ausweitung zur Zersplitterung von Institutionen und zur Senkung der Anforderungen geführt hat.Durch die Beziehung zwischen Bildung und Entwicklung in den letzten 25 Jahren wurde die konservative Rolle des Bildungswesens deutlich wahrnehmbar, ist es doch ein Mechanismus zur Reproduktion der herrschenden kulturellen Modelle und Ideologien. Tatsächlich kann vielleicht dieses von Lehrern wie Schülern gleichermaßen gehegte kritische Mißtrauen eine genügend starke Kraft sein, um ein neues Entwicklungsmodell zu schaffen.

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Résumé L'analyse structurale du développement de l'éducation en Amérique Latine montre l'effet déterminant des courants sociaux et économiques. Ces dernières vingt-cinq années ont vu un glissement vers l'industrialisation et une intervention croissante des capitaux étrangers. Ceci est visible dans l'urbanisation grandissante et dans la modernisation de l'agriculture axée sur l'exportation. La réduction des chances de travail dans le secteur traditionnel aussi bien que dans le secteur moderne, n'a pas été compensée par une ouverture dans celui des services en formation, bien que les structures sociales aient été profondément affectées par ces courants.C'est dans ce contexte que les auteurs placent leur analyse de l'éducation à des niveaux successifs. En ce qui regarde la fréquentation de l'école primaire, le progrès a été indéniable dans toute l'Amérique Latine, avec toutefois des inégalités marquées selon les pays, et sans grand évidence d'efficacité croissante (c'est-à-dire alphabétisation persistante) ou d'équité. Un fait certain est que ce niveau d'éducation a perdu sa valeur économique et ne prépare qu'à des activités de basse productivité.Au niveau secondaire, l'expansion a été considérable, même dans les pays dont l'infrastructure primaire est inadéquate. Il est certain que la dichotomie va aller en s'amplifiant puisque les écoles continuent de perpétuer les valeurs et les formes classiques sans parvenir à établir des rapports avec le marché du travail. On en constate l'effet dans la pression grandissante qui s'exerce sur l'éducation supérieure, où l'expansion rapide a conduit à la fragmentation d'institutions et à une dépréciation des normes.Les relations entre l'éducation et le développement, au cours de ces vingt-cinq dernières années, ont conduit à une prise de conscience largement répandue du rôle conservateur de l'éducation, en tant que mécanisme de reproduction des idéologies et des modèles culturels dominants. Cette méfiance critique, partagée par les enseignants et les étudiants, peut devenir une force suffisamment puissante pour créer un nouveau modèle de developpement.