The role of a Proof of Concept Center in a university ecosystem: an exploratory study

The Proof of Concept phase in university technology transfer is considered to be critical for the success of both licensing and the creation of spin-off companies. In the United States, Proof of Concept Centers are emerging as successful structures to address the challenges of this phase. In this paper, we present a framework to assess the role for such a structure in a university ecosystem. The framework is built from previous references that we use to explicitly link the features of Proof of Concept Centers with the challenges of the Proof of Concept phase, and establish their specific contributions to the overall technology commercialization efforts of a university. We illustrate the application of this framework in a case study of the University of Coimbra, in Portugal, and develop a characterization that is representative of the role that a Proof of Concept Center can play in comparable university ecosystems that feature conventional technology commercialization structures, and struggle with the challenges of the Proof of Concept phase. Our study suggests that there is in fact a possible role for a Proof of Concept Center in the regional ecosystem of the University of Coimbra, with a potentially very relevant impact in the technology commercialization process, through networking outside academia and research environments, funding of Proof of Concept activities, and technology entrepreneurship education for the development of entrepreneurial skills for researchers.     

Identification of a Carbonized Body Using Implanted Surgical Plates: The Importance of Computed Tomography

In addition to clinical examination, forensic odontologists can use diagnostic imaging as an auxiliary method for identification. This paper reports a case where forensic odontologists from the Afrânio Peixoto Legal Medicine Institute in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) positively identified a carbonized and partially calcined body using oral and maxillofacial imaging. The cadaver showed several metallic plates fixed with metallic screws on bones of the neurocranium and viscerocranium. Family members provided spiral computed tomography scans of the skull and a panoramic radiograph that were acquired after an accident that required surgical procedures. Comparative analysis between the clinical exam and the maxillofacial images demonstrated complete coincidence, confirming the victim's identity. Dactyloscopy, which is the most commonly used method of identification, was not possible because of the body carbonization. Thus, diagnostic imaging, especially computed tomography, was essential for elucidation of this case.     

Psychometric Proprieties and Construct Validity of the Brother-Sister Questionnaire in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents

The Brother-Sister Questionnaire (BSQ; Graham-Bermann and Cutler 1994) is an instrument designed to measure qualities of sibling relationships. Aim: In the present study the main objective was to examine the psychometric properties and validity construct of BSQ - Portuguese version. Data were collected among 197 adolescents. The Cronbach’s alpha of the four domains ranged from .58 to .84. The psychometric characteristics of BSQ Portuguese version were found to be adequate. The results confirm the multi-dimensional model composed of four factors proposed by the authors of this instrument, as well as their suitability to assess quality of Portuguese sibling relationships. The BSQ offers a reliable and valid measure to be used within Portuguese population.     

Enhancing the cognitive interview with an alternative procedure to witness-compatible questioning: category clustering recall

The Cognitive Interview (CI) is one of the most widely studied and used methods to interview witnesses. However, new component techniques for further increasing correct recall are still crucial. We focused on how a new and simpler interview strategy, Category Clustering Recall (CCR), could increase recall in comparison with witness-compatible questioning and tested if a Revised Cognitive Interview (RCI) with CCR instead of witness-compatible questioning and without the change order and change perspective mnemonics would be effective for this purpose. Participants watched a mock robbery video and were interviewed 48 hours later with either the CI or the RCI. Recalled information was classified as either correct, incorrect or confabulation. Although exclusion of the change order and change perspective mnemonics in the RCI group might have caused a slight decrease in recall during the last interview phases, the RCI group generally produced more correct information than the CI group, with a lower number of confabulations. Further analyses revealed CCR was largely responsible for this increase in correct recall. CCR is a very promising interview technique which allowed the interviewer to obtain more detailed information without additional questions and may have, in certain situations, several practical advantages over a questioning phase.     

Dyadic Types of Sibling Sexual Coercion

Sibling sexual abuse seems to be the most prevalent form of sexual abuse in the family context. This study used the Sexual Coercion Scale of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales – Sibling Version (Straus et al. 1995) to measure the extent of sibling sexual coercion in a sample of 590 Portuguese university students. Prevalence: 11% of male students and 5% of female students had sexually coerced a sibling in the year when the participant was about 13 years old or in another year. Chronicity: When there was sexual coercion in a sibling relationship, it was perpetrated an average of 22.4 (mean) times by males and 9.1 times by females. Dyadic Concordance Types (DCT’s) revealed that in 26% there was only one perpetrator who was Male-Only, in 19% the perpetrator was Female-Only and more than half (55%) Both coerced. From the perspective of female respondents, in 50% of the cases the perpetrator was a Male-Only, in 31% Female-Only and in 19% Both coerced. Conclusions: Sexual coercion of siblings is probably more frequent than generally realized. Males had higher rates of perpetration, but the percentage of females was substantial. These results suggest a need to expand research to understand the etiology of sibling sexual coercion by females as well as males, understand causes, risk factors and to expand efforts to reduce sexual coercion in sibling relationships.     

Fast LC-MS/MS method for the determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, MDEA, MBDB and PMA in urine

A fast method was designed for the simultaneous determination of amphetamine (A), methamphetamine (MA), PMA, MDA, MDMA, MDEA and MBDB in urine. The drugs were analysed by LC (ESI)-MS/MS, after a simple liquid-liquid extraction in the presence of the deuterated analogues. Reverse phase separation on an Atlantis dC18 Intelligent Speed column was achieved in less than 4 min under gradient conditions, and the total run time was 8 min. The method was fully validated, including linearity (1-1000 ng/mL for A, MDMA, MDEA and MBDB; 2-1000 ng/mL for MDA and PMA; 1-200 ng/mL for MA; r2>0.99 for all compounds), recovery (>80%), within-day and between-day precision and accuracy (CV and MRE<12.7% for intermediate level and ULOQ, and <17.2% for LLOQ), limit of detection (0.2 ng/mL for MDMA, MDEA and MBDB; 0.5 ng/mL for A, MA and PMA; 1 ng/mL for MDA) and quantitation (1 ng/mL for A, MA, MDMA, MDEA and MBDB; 2 ng/mL for MDA and PMA) and relative ion intensities. No matrix effect was observed. The procedure proved to be sensitive, specific and rapid, and was applied to real forensic cases.     

Establishing identity using cheiloscopy and palatoscopy

Establishing a person's identity can be a very difficult process. Dental, fingerprint and DNA comparisons are probably the most common techniques used in this context, allowing fast and secure identification processes. However, since they cannot always be used, sometimes it is necessary to apply different and less known techniques. In this paper, the authors describe two unusual techniques: cheiloscopy and palatoscopy. It is known that due to their special features, both lip grooves and palatal rugae can be used successfully in human identification. This paper reviews the techniques of cheiloscopy and palatoscopy, and describes the different classifications and their advantages and limitations.     

To Discipline and Publish: Scottsboro and Narratives of Delinquency

With the economics of racism of the 1930s and 1950s American South in mind, our essay explores the relationship between the act of writing and institutional penology. Taking an obscure, but visceral autobiographical account by Paterson and Conrad (Scottsboro Boy, Garden City Doubleday, 1950), we examine how discipline, punishment, and institutional identity emerge out of publishing, or, as Foucault put it, “the power of writing.” Narratives of delinquency born out of a racialized penal economy tend to resist attempts to tame the criminal, making institutional survival a productive discourse, and its articulation, a unique revolutionary act.

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SNPs in paternity investigation: The simple future

Based on the 52 SNP-plex developed by the SNPforID Consortium, we designed two 10-plex to study single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for human identification and to establish its usefulness in paternity casework. This 20 autosomal SNP set was studied in 56 paternity investigation cases from South Portuguese resident population, also analyzed with 17 Short Tandem Repeats (STRs). Results obtained with both methodologies were consistent with each other, except for one case where the alleged father could not be excluded by SNPs. No mutation was found in the SNP loci, whereas a mismatch in STRs was detected. The use of SNPs as a complement to the analysis of autosomal STRs in paternity casework can result in paternity index and paternity probability values equivalent or higher than those obtained with more STR loci, but with lower costs. This study shows that instead of using additional STR loci, the analysis of 20 autosomal SNPs, as a complement technique to standard methodologies, is an appealing alternative in paternity investigation cases.     

MtSNP typing before mtDNA sequencing: Why do it?

Analysis of control mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable regions is sometimes the only available method to study hair evidence in forensic casework although being a laborious technique. Nowadays there is a huge interest in new genetic markers such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to type degraded forensic samples. For that purpose, a 10-Plex mitochondrial SNP for haplogroup typing, chosen from several SNP studies and useful to study the most common populations in our laboratory was applied in forensic casework. Hair shafts from three forensic cases with different ethnic backgrounds were studied with mtDNA sequencing and compared with mitochondrial SNPs (mtSNPs) study. Coding mtSNP typing prior to sequencing can allow for a rapid screening in forensic casework, which is emphasized in the first two cases. Moreover, in cases in which mtDNA sequencing fails, mtSNPs can still be detected. This 10 SNP loci multiplex provides a less expensive and simpler method for mitochondrial typing compared to control region mtDNA sequencing, especially when used as a fast screening method.