Mar. 27, 2013 ? A recent study published in the Journal of Political Economy suggests that some types of intellectual property rights discourage subsequent scientific research.
"The goal of intellectual property rights -- such as the patent system -- is to provide incentives for the development of new technologies.However, in recent years many have expressed concerns that patents may be impeding innovation if patents on existing technologies hinder subsequent innovation," said Heidi Williams, author of the study."We currently have very little empirical evidence on whether this is a problem in practice."
Williams investigated the sequencing of the human genome by the public Human Genome Project and the private firm Celera. Genes sequenced first by Celera were covered by a contract law-based form of intellectual property, whereas genes sequenced first by the Human Genome Project were placed in the public domain. Although Celera's intellectual property lasted a maximum of two years, it enabled Celera to sell its data for substantial fees and required firms to negotiate licensing agreements with Celera for any resulting commercial discoveries.
By linking a number of different datasets that had not previously been used by researchers, Williams was able to measure when genes were sequenced, which genes were held by Celera's intellectual property, and what subsequent investments were made in scientific research and product development on each gene. Williams' conclusion points to a persistent 20-30 percent reduction in subsequent scientific research and product development for those genes held by Celera's intellectual property.
"My take-away from this evidence is that -- at least in some contexts -- intellectual property can have substantial costs in terms of hindering subsequent innovation," said Williams."The fact that these costs were -- in this context -- 'large enough to care about' motivates wanting to better understand whether alternative policy tools could be used to achieve a better outcome.It isn't clear that they can, although economists such as Michael Kremer have proposed some ideas on how they might.I think this is an exciting area for future work."
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Journal Reference:
Heidi L. Williams. Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation: Evidence from the Human Genome. Journal of Political Economy, 121:1; February 2013
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's jobless rate edged higher and industrial production fell slightly in February as consumer prices also fell, underscoring the fragility of the recovery of the world's third-largest economy.
The government data released Friday showed the main consumer price index fell 0.3 percent from a year earlier as deflation continued to defy the combined efforts of the government and central bank to move toward a 2 percent inflation target. However the CPI was up 0.1 percent from January's figure.
Unemployment rose to 4.3 percent from 4.2 percent the month before, while industrial production slipped by 0.1 percent in the first decline in three months. The unemployment rate for those below the age of 35 is significantly higher, at over 6 percent.
Japan's central bank governor, Haruhiko Kuroda, said Thursday that he believed the economy was improving after years of stagnation and would enter a moderate recovery by midyear. But he acknowledged high uncertainty because of the global economy.
Kuroda has pledged to work with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government in achieving the 2 percent inflation target set in January, preferably within two years, and ending years of growth-inhibiting deflation.
After taking power late last year, Abe's administration embarked on an aggressive stimulus program of government spending, monetary easing and planned reforms aimed at improving Japan's competitiveness. Revised figures show Japan's economy likely emerged from a recession late last year, but other data has been mixed.
The government's strategy will depend on getting consumers, whose spending accounts for the lion's share of economic activity, to spend more, and that in turn will hinge on encouraging companies to raise wages and increasing higher. Many companies huge cash reserves after having shed debt from the collapse of the economic bubble over 20 years ago but are wary of increasing investment given the existing weak demand and the aging and shrinking of the Japanese population.
Friday's data, coupled with signs of weakening retail sales, show the scale of the challenge in restoring consumer confidence.
By boosting inflation, Japan's planners hope to persuade consumers to spend more now in anticipation of price increases in the future. That could prove a daunting challenge given a drop in real wages over the past two decades and the weak job market, said Susumu Takahashi, head of the Japan Research Institute and a member of a government economic advisory council.
To achieve the inflation target the government must change expectations, he said.
"The only way is for the deflationary way of thinking to change. Without that it will be very hard," he said.
Speaking to lawmakers about the central bank's semiannual report, Kuroda said prices are unlikely to rise for the next few months but after that Japan would see some progress toward its inflation target as the economy moved toward a "moderate recovery path."
The central bank asset purchases and other strategies adopted so far have not been sufficient to reach the inflation target, he said, reiterating his intention to manage market expectations and "make clear that we have adopted the uncompromising stance that we will do whatever is necessary to overcome deflation."
Kuroda was appointed to succeed former BOJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa when he stepped down on March 19, three weeks before his term expired. The parliament is expected to approve his appointment to the five-year term, which is due to begin April 8.
The central bank is due to hold its first regular policy meeting under Kuroda April 3-4, though it may wait until later in the month to embark on any significant moves, such as a boosting its purchases of government bonds to help increase the amount of money available in the economy and encourage more investment by the private sector.
Everybody in life is subject to the unexpected and abrupt vicissitudes of life but we usually tend to evade thinking about the transience of what we have so that we can live happily and indifferently! A wise Arabic proverb says: ?Health is a crown?on the head of the healthy that only the sick can see.? It?s so true! This crown, sadly, has been ripped of Mohammed Amine Boubdali?s head who counts his days in the Hospital Ibn Sinaa in Rabat, connected to a set of wires and devices that replace the function of his frail heart.
Mohammed Amine, a 25 years old young man, like most people in his age, was full of energy, ambition and determination to make of his life the best he can until he was surprised at the middle of his educational and professional success by this illness that tie him permanently to his bed in the hospital. He left France in 2011 after graduating from the Belfour Institute of Technology as an engineer. Now he wishes to be back in France not to continue his studies but for a heart transplant- an operation which is not yet possible in Morocco.
The widow mother has nothing to afford but her wholehearted supplications to God to help her son recover again. The cost of transportation of Mohammed Amine from Morocco to France aboard a special plane that should be equipped with the same devices he uses in the hospital and the heart transplant will amount to 3 million dirhams ($350,000).
? The amount of money needed for the transportation and the operation seems impossible to afford for his family. The more days Mohammed spends on his bed in Rabat, the more his mother and family get anxious and pessimistic about his life. The mere act of electricity going off can end his life!
Mohammed Amine Bouabdali has been in the hospital of Rabat for three weeks so far and in need of an urgent medical operation that excessively expensive. His mother calls on philanthropists to give and wishes the intervention of anyone who could make this operation possible.
On Giving
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
?.
There are those who give little of the much which they have- and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
??.
You often say,?I would give, but only to the deserving.? The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to with-hold is to perish.
On Giving: excerpt from ?The Prophet? by Kahlil Gibran
For anyone wanting to contact the mother, this is her phone number:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures fell on Wednesday, after a robust rally a day earlier, as soft demand at an Italian debt auction sparked fresh jitters over the financial health of the euro zone.
The Dow climbed more than 100 points Tuesday to another record close, and the S&P 500 rose to within striking distance of its all-time closing high, on optimism about the economy.
"I suspect that we are seeing institutions reposition their positions and the new worries from Europe are causing a bit of technical hiccup in the market today after a solid day yesterday," said Peter Cardillo of Rockwell Global Capital in New York.
Italy paid more to borrow over five years than it has since October at an auction Wednesday as lack of progress in forming a new government and worries about Cyprus's bailout hit demand. The treasury sold $5 billion of the new June 2018 bond at a yield of 3.65 percent, two days after an election in which no party won enough seats to govern.
Cyprus is finalizing capital control measures to prevent a run on its banks by depositors anxious about their savings, after wealthy depositors were penalized under a rescue package agreed with international lenders. Cypriot banks are due to reopen on Thursday.
European stocks slid and the euro currency fell to a four-month low against the dollar on Wednesday. <.eu/>
U.S. investors awaited data on pending home sales for February, due at 10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).
S&P 500 futures fell 8.1 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures lost 64 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 13.25 points.
As Boeing works to regain permission for its 787 Dreamliner to resume flights, the company faces what could be a costly new challenge - a temporary ban on some of the long-distance, trans-ocean journeys the jet was intended to fly. The stock fell 0.3 percent in premarket trade.
BlackBerry will be in focus after data released Tuesday showed short interest in the stock is at record levels and has more than doubled over the course of the last year. Shares were down 0.4 percent in premarket trading.
T-Mobile USA said Tuesday it will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone on April 12, making it the last of the big national U.S. operators to sell the popular smartphone. The No. 4 U.S. mobile provider hopes the device can help stem customer losses.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc said Tuesday it is "probable" the company will incur losses relating to allegations that its representatives had bribed officials in Mexico to speed up expansion there. The stock was off 0.5 percent in premarket trading.
U.S. prosecutors are examining whether JPMorgan Chase & Co fully alerted authorities to suspicions about fraudster Bernard Madoff, the New York Times reported, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter. The stock was off 0.8 percent in premarket trade.
FILE - In this March 17, 2013, file photo, New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana, left, and third baseman David Wright watch from the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Santana knows he won't be pitching when the Mets start their season April 1. He doesn't know when he'll take the mound again. The 33-year-old left-hander was scheduled to throw on flat ground from 90 feet Saturday, up from 60 feet a week ago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - In this March 17, 2013, file photo, New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana, left, and third baseman David Wright watch from the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Santana knows he won't be pitching when the Mets start their season April 1. He doesn't know when he'll take the mound again. The 33-year-old left-hander was scheduled to throw on flat ground from 90 feet Saturday, up from 60 feet a week ago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? The New York Mets say Johan Santana has injured his left shoulder again and likely will need surgery and miss the 2013 season.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner missed the 2011 season following shoulder surgery in September 2010, then returned last year and pitched the first no-hitter in the team's history. He hasn't pitched in an exhibition game this year because of arm weakness.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Thursday that an MRI in New York a day earlier showed a "probable" re-tear of Santana's left shoulder capsule.
Alderson said Santana's $25 million salary this year is not covered by insurance. The Mets will also owe him a $6 million buyout after this season.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery.
The new service, called Google Shopping Express, will initially provide same-day delivery of food and other products bought online by a small group of consumers in San Francisco and suburbs located south of the city. The company, based in Mountain View, Calif., didn't say how many people will be part of the test.
If the pilot program goes well, Google Inc. plans to expand delivery service to other markets.
"We hope this will help users explore the benefits of a local, same-day delivery service, and help us kick the tires on the new service," Google said in a Thursday statement.
The delivery service is part of Google's effort to increase consumer reliance on the Internet, so it will have more opportunities to show online ads, which generate most of its revenue.
Google has learned that the more time people spend online, the more likely they are to use its dominant search engine or one of its other popular services, like its YouTube video site or Gmail, that include advertising.
The delivery service also could spur merchants to buy more online ads if Google's same-day delivery service encourages consumers to do more of their shopping online. Having to wait days or, in some cases, more than a week for the delivery of online orders ranks among the biggest drawbacks to Internet shopping.
It's a problem that Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc., which operate the largest e-commerce sites, already have been trying to solve by offering same-day service in some U.S. markets. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, also offers same-day delivery in five markets.
A mix of national, regional and neighborhood merchants are enlisting in Google Shopping Express. The best-known names on the list include Target Inc. and Walgreen Co. All the merchants in the Google program will sell certain items through a central website. Google has hired courier services to pick up the orders at the merchant stores and then deliver them to the customer's home or office.
Although the couriers will be working on a contract basis, they will be driving Google trucks and wearing company-issued uniforms.
It remains unclear whether Internet shopping and same-day delivery can be profitable. Online grocer Webvan collapsed in 2001, largely because it couldn't devise a pricing plan that would pay for the costs of same-day delivery without alienating shoppers unwilling to pay too much extra for the added convenience.
Google is still trying to figure out how much to charge for its same-day delivery service. For the six-month test period in the San Francisco area, consumers won't have to pay a surcharge. Google instead will receive a commission from participating merchants.
The expansion into same-day delivery comes at the same time that Google is preparing to close some of its older online services so it can devote more attention and money to other projects.
The realignment has irked some Google users. The biggest complaints have centered on Google Reader, which allows people to automatically receive headlines and links from their favorite sites, and iGoogle, which allows Web surfers to design a page consisting of the Google search engine surrounded set up other online features, such as local weather reports and stock market quotes.
Google Reader is scheduled to close in July and iGoogle will shut down in November.
Google shares fell $8.47 to close at $794.19 on Thursday.
A new era in sports science journals: The launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and RehabilitationPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central
Open access publisher BioMed Central is proud to announce the launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, another addition to the BMC-series portfolio.
The journal's scope includes all aspects of sports medicine and the exercise sciences, including rehabilitation, traumatology, cardiology, physiology, and nutrition. It is journal policy to publish work deemed by peer reviewers to be a coherent and sound addition to scientific knowledge and to put less emphasis on interest levels, provided that the research constitutes a useful contribution to the field.
Deborah Kahn, BioMed Central's Publishing Director says, "This new journal is intended to move the BMC series into an exciting and fast growing field. The broad scope and open access nature of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation offers authors and readers from a wide range of disciplines a unique venue to serve their communities' needs."
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation also incorporates the recently closed Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation, Therapy & Technology (SMARTT) with an expanded scope and new Editorial Board. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation will fill its own niche in the BMC series alongside other companion journals including BMC Physiology, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders and BMC Surgery.
The launch articles reflect the breadth and scope of the new journal and include a study on the 'Determinants of pain, functional limitations and health-related quality of life six months after total knee arthroplasty' by Franois Desmeules et al. and an interview with Section Editor Michael Carmont examining the discipline of sports traumatology research. A systematic review by Emily Churton and Justin W Keogh also published amongst the launch articles highlights the constraints influencing sports wheelchair propulsion performance and injury risk.
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation fills a key niche in the sports science field and Per Renstrom, PhD, Emeritus Professor at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has said, "Sports Medicine by its very nature is multidisciplinary and the new BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation with its broad scope and inclusive editorial policy will offer a home for diverse research in this area. The field of sports science and medicine is an area with a very high public interest and the transparent open peer review process on the journal shall provide a greater trust in the research the journal reports."
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation is accepting submissions; please use the online submission system to submit your manuscript. For all enquiries about the journal, please contact: newjournals@biomedcentral.com.
1. A new era in sports science: the launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Elizabeth Moylan and Genevieve Horne
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:1
Determinants of pain, functional limitations and health-related quality of life six months after total knee arthroplasty: results from a prospective cohort study
Franois Desmeules, Clermont E Dionne, tienne L Belzile, Rene Bourbonnais, Franois Champagne and Pierre Frmont
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:2
Constraints influencing sports wheelchair propulsion performance and injury risk
Emily Churton and Justin W Keogh Keogh
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:3
A case report of semitendinosus tendon autograft for reconstruction of the meniscal wall supporting a collagen implant
Juan D Ayala Mejias, Roselyn, C Sciamanna, Manuel Perez-Espaa Muniesac and Luis Alcocer Prez-Espaa
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:4
An interview with Michael Carmont, Section Editor for the Surgery, traumatology, and rehabilitation section on sports traumatology research: acute, overuse and chronic problems, early return to play and long-term outcomes
Michael Carmont
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:5
Articles available at journal website http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/ or here
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/1
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/2
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/3
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/4
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/5
Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.
2. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation (http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/) is an open access, peer reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of sports medicine and the exercise sciences, including rehabilitation, traumatology, cardiology, physiology, and nutrition. It is journal policy to publish work deemed by peer reviewers to be a coherent and sound addition to scientific knowledge and to put less emphasis on interest levels, provided that the research constitutes a useful contribution to the field.
3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
A new era in sports science journals: The launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and RehabilitationPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr Hilary Glover hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com 44-020-319-22370 BioMed Central
Open access publisher BioMed Central is proud to announce the launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, another addition to the BMC-series portfolio.
The journal's scope includes all aspects of sports medicine and the exercise sciences, including rehabilitation, traumatology, cardiology, physiology, and nutrition. It is journal policy to publish work deemed by peer reviewers to be a coherent and sound addition to scientific knowledge and to put less emphasis on interest levels, provided that the research constitutes a useful contribution to the field.
Deborah Kahn, BioMed Central's Publishing Director says, "This new journal is intended to move the BMC series into an exciting and fast growing field. The broad scope and open access nature of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation offers authors and readers from a wide range of disciplines a unique venue to serve their communities' needs."
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation also incorporates the recently closed Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation, Therapy & Technology (SMARTT) with an expanded scope and new Editorial Board. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation will fill its own niche in the BMC series alongside other companion journals including BMC Physiology, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders and BMC Surgery.
The launch articles reflect the breadth and scope of the new journal and include a study on the 'Determinants of pain, functional limitations and health-related quality of life six months after total knee arthroplasty' by Franois Desmeules et al. and an interview with Section Editor Michael Carmont examining the discipline of sports traumatology research. A systematic review by Emily Churton and Justin W Keogh also published amongst the launch articles highlights the constraints influencing sports wheelchair propulsion performance and injury risk.
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation fills a key niche in the sports science field and Per Renstrom, PhD, Emeritus Professor at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has said, "Sports Medicine by its very nature is multidisciplinary and the new BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation with its broad scope and inclusive editorial policy will offer a home for diverse research in this area. The field of sports science and medicine is an area with a very high public interest and the transparent open peer review process on the journal shall provide a greater trust in the research the journal reports."
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation is accepting submissions; please use the online submission system to submit your manuscript. For all enquiries about the journal, please contact: newjournals@biomedcentral.com.
1. A new era in sports science: the launch of BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Elizabeth Moylan and Genevieve Horne
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:1
Determinants of pain, functional limitations and health-related quality of life six months after total knee arthroplasty: results from a prospective cohort study
Franois Desmeules, Clermont E Dionne, tienne L Belzile, Rene Bourbonnais, Franois Champagne and Pierre Frmont
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:2
Constraints influencing sports wheelchair propulsion performance and injury risk
Emily Churton and Justin W Keogh Keogh
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:3
A case report of semitendinosus tendon autograft for reconstruction of the meniscal wall supporting a collagen implant
Juan D Ayala Mejias, Roselyn, C Sciamanna, Manuel Perez-Espaa Muniesac and Luis Alcocer Prez-Espaa
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:4
An interview with Michael Carmont, Section Editor for the Surgery, traumatology, and rehabilitation section on sports traumatology research: acute, overuse and chronic problems, early return to play and long-term outcomes
Michael Carmont
BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation 2013, 5:5
Articles available at journal website http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/ or here
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/1
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/2
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/3
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/4
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/content/5/1/5
Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.
2. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation (http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcsportsscimedrehabil/) is an open access, peer reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of sports medicine and the exercise sciences, including rehabilitation, traumatology, cardiology, physiology, and nutrition. It is journal policy to publish work deemed by peer reviewers to be a coherent and sound addition to scientific knowledge and to put less emphasis on interest levels, provided that the research constitutes a useful contribution to the field.
3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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