Can scientific productivity impact the economic complexity of countries?

What are the global patterns of microplastic ingestion by fish? A scientometric review

The billions of tons of plastic released into the environment mostly fragment into smaller particles that reach rivers and oceans, posing toxicity risks to aquatic organisms. As fish serve as excellent environmental indicator organisms, this study aims to comprehensively review and quantify published data regarding the abundance of microplastics (MPs) ingested by fish through scientometric analysis. Systematic analysis reveals that global aquatic ecosystems are contaminated by MPs, with the characteristics of these contaminants stemming from inadequate disposal management practices. The abundance of MPs was recorded in several fish species, notably Cyprinus carpio in natural environments and Danio rerio in controlled environments. According to the surveyed studies, laboratory experiments do not accurately represent the conditions found in natural environments. The results suggest that, in natural environments, the predominant colors of MPs are blue, black, and red. Fibers emerged as the most prevalent type, with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) being the most frequently identified chemical compositions. On the other hand, laboratory studies showed that the spheres and fragments ingested were predominantly polystyrene (PS) green, followed by the colors blue and red. This discrepancy complicates drawing accurate conclusions regarding the actual effects of plastic particles on aquatic biota. Given the enduring presence of plastic in the environment, it is imperative to consider and implement environmental monitoring for effective, long-term management.

Urban economic fitness and complexity from patent data

Over the years, the growing availability of extensive datasets about registered patents allowed researchers to get a deeper insight into the drivers of technological innovation. In this work, we investigate how patents' technological contents characterise metropolitan areas' development and how innovation is related to GDP per capita. Exploiting worldwide data from 1980 to 2014, and through network-based techniques that only use information about patents, we identify coherent distinguished groups of metropolitan areas, either clustered in the same geographical area or similar in terms of their economic features. Moreover, we extend the notion of coherent diversification to patent production and show how it is linked to the economic growth of metropolitan areas. Our findings draw a picture in which technological innovation can play a key role in the economic development of urban areas. We contend that the tools introduced in this paper can be used to further explore the interplay between urban growth and technological innovation.

Facts and Figures on Materials Science and Nanotechnology Progress and Investment

As the twenty-first century unfolds, nanotechnology is no longer just a buzzword in the field of materials science, but rather a tangible reality. This is evident from the surging number of commercial nanoproducts and their corresponding revenue generated in different industry sectors. However, it is important to recognize that sustainable growth of nanotechnology is heavily dependent on government funding and relevant national incentive programs. Consequently, proper analyses on publicly available nanotechnology data sets comprising information on the past two decades can be illuminating, facilitate development, and amend previous strategies as we move forward. Along these lines, classical statistics and machine learning (ML) allow processing large data sets to scrutinize patterns in materials science and nanotechnology research. Herein, we provide an analysis on nanotechnology progress and investment from an unbiased, computational vantage point and using orthogonal approaches. Our data reveal both well-established and surprising correlations in the nanotechnology field and its actors, including the interplay between the number of research institutes-industry, publications-patents, collaborative research, and top contributors to nanoproducts. Overall, data suggest that, supported by incentive programs set out by stakeholders (researchers, funding agencies, policy makers, and industry), nanotechnology could experience an exponential growth and become a centerpiece for economical welfare. Indeed, the recent success of COVID-19 vaccines is also likely to boost public trust in nanotechnology and its global impact over the coming years.

Economic growth, economic complexity, and carbon dioxide emissions: The case of Colombia

This paper aims to validate the hypothesis of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) for Colombia, introducing the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) into the analysis as a differentiating element of production volumes. We use a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to corroborate if there is a long-term relationship between the variables covering the period between 1971-2014. Also, we test the robustness of the results using three different techniques: Dynamic Least Squares, Fully Modified Least Squares, and Canonical Cointegration Regression. The results show that for a developing country like Colombia, the EKC does not exist, and does not yet benefit from increases in economic complexity. Arguably, the country has several hurdles to overcome before achieving the environmental benefits of increased product sophistication. Some of them could be related to the country's own productive and institutional rigidities, which opens the space for public policy intervention.

Global Academic Productivity in the Field of Internal Medicine and Its Correlation to National Economic Indicators: A Bibliometric Analysis of 24 Years

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between national economic indicators and academic productivity. However, such a relationship has not been studied in the field of internal medicine (IM).

METHODS

The number of documents published, number of citable documents, number of citations, citations per document and the h index between 1996 and 2019 in the field of IM among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries were analysed. Data were derived from the The Scimago Journal and Country rank source. We analysed the correlation between these indicators to the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, health spending as percent of GDP and gross domestic expenditure on research and development as percent of GDP (GERD). Economic data were collected from the OECD websites.

RESULTS

A significant correlation was found between health expenditure and h index (r = 0.75, P < 0.001), number of citations (r = 0.72, P < 0.001), number of documents (r = 0.62, P < 0.001) and number of citable documents (r = 0.61, P < 0.001); between GERD and number of citations (r = 0.6, P < 0.001), h index (r = 0.6, P < 0.001), number of documents published (r = 0.53, P = 0.001) and citable documents (r = 0.51, P = 0.001); between the GDP per capita and number of citations (r = 0.46, P = 0.005), citations per document (r = 0.54, P = 0.001) and h index (r = 0.5, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated a positive correlation between academic productivity in the field of IM and economic indicators of the OECD countries, mainly health expenditure, implying the advantage of domestic investment in health.

The imaginary carrot: no correlation between raising funds and research productivity in geosciences

The ability of researchers to raise funding is central to academic achievement. However, whether success in obtaining research funds correlates with the productivity, quality or impact of a researcher is debated. Here we analyse 10 years of grant funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation in Earth and Environmental Sciences, and compare it to the publication record of the researchers who were awarded the funds. No significant statistical correlation can be established between the publication or citation record of a researcher and the amount of money this researcher obtains in grant funding. These results imply that researchers successful in raising funds are not necessarily in a position to be more productive or produce more impactful publications. Those results should be considered for deciding whether to use grant funding as a criterion for career advancement procedures.

Measuring the Contribution of the Bioeconomy: The Case of Colombia and Antioquia

This paper proposes a set of five indicators to monitor the bioeconomy in Colombia and Antioquia, one of the main regions of the country. The proposed indicators encompass the dimensions of sustainability and emphasize the role of knowledge and scientific research as driving forces of the bioeconomy strategies. To estimate the contribution of the bioeconomy to value added, employment, and greenhouse gas emissions, an input–output analysis is carried out. In addition, text mining analysis techniques are implemented to identify the research groups with an agenda related to bioeconomy fields. Our results reveal an important slot to foster the growth of a sustainable bioeconomy that enables local economies to achieve inclusive growth.