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Portico and Ithaka release results of Digital Preservation Survey of US library directors - 09 Jun 2008
In September 2005, library directors from 17 universities and colleges met to discuss the current state of electronic journal preservation and endorsed a statement calling for 'Urgent Action' to preserve scholarly e-journals. Over two years later in January 2008, Portico and Ithaka invited 1,371 library directors of four-year colleges and universities in the US to respond to a survey examining current perspectives on the preservation of e-journals. Both parties have now released the results of the Digital Preservation Survey of US library directors. The survey finds widespread agreement that the potential loss of e-journals is unacceptable. A significant majority of library directors believe their own institution has a responsibility to take action to prevent intolerable loss of scholarly records. It was found that while larger libraries support one or more e-journal preservation initiatives, the majority of respondents from smaller libraries are yet to support any preservation effort and secure permanent access to e-journals for their institutions. The survey findings raise a range of important questions about how the responsibility for preservation of critical electronic resources should be supported by the community, even as electronic resources expenditures expand substantially at libraries across the spectrum. The full report is available for download online at http://www.portico.org/comment/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/porticosurveyondigitalpreservation.pdf. Readers are also invited to share comments and reactions in the provided discussion space.
FIZ Karlsruhe releases new patent family file on STN International - 09 Jun 2008
Scientific information services provider FIZ Karlsruhe, Germany, has released the new bibliographic patent family file INPAFAMDB (International Patent Family Database) on STN International. Data sources of INPAFAMDB are the EPO Patent Information Resource that currently covers 81 patent authorities, and the INPADOC legal status file covering 51 authorities. INPAFAMDB currently contains about 36 million patent families with 65 million publications dating back to the early 19th Century. The family data has been quality-improved by FIZ Karlsruhe. A patent family comprises all worldwide patent publications belonging to one invention. Thus it provides valuable insights, such as where a particular invention is brought to market and in which countries the patent owner is active. INPAFAMDB records contain bibliographic information for all family members from 81 patent authorities, including 12.6 million English abstracts for 8.5 million families; fully integrated legal status for 51 patent authorities, including the seven categories assigned by FIZ Karlsruhe to simplify legal status searches; and citations from 13 patent authorities. Coverage for the most important industrialised countries reaches back to the 19th century: the US (1836), the UK (1840), Germany (1879), France (1900), and Japan (1944). With its coverage of 81 authorities and its invention-based search indexes, INPAFAMDB is projected to be especially useful for performing comprehensive prior-art searches in primary data using free-text (terms from titles and abstracts) and/or classifications (IPC, ECLA, ICO, IDT and national classifications including US). For a better overview and in order to reduce the information overload, display formats with de-duplicated content have been created.
Thomson Reuters adds ROS Data to its Newport Premium solutions - 09 Jun 2008
Thomson Reuters, a US-based provider of information for businesses and professionals, has announced the addition of Prous Science routes of synthesis (ROS) data to the Newport Horizon Premium and Newport Vision Premium solutions. An ROS focused search allows users to identify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) according to an intermediate or reagent used, number of available routes or by patents referenced in a given route. Provided free of charge to current subscribers of the Premium systems, this new dataset, compliments the kilogram demand data released in March. Also, it enhances product targeting, business development and competitive intelligence by helping users to understand better the chemistry and manufacture of APIs. The true or original manufacturing process used for a particular API is usually well protected by patents, making it challenging to devise equivalent, cheaper or more efficient processes without infringing on the originator's intellectual property. The new dataset will help to remedy this by providing extensive information for more than 2,500 APIs, consisting of full chemical name; CAS number; synthesis route diagram text commentary (with each step indexed to the diagram); patent references (linked to the patent page); intermediate chemicals and CAS numbers; reagent chemicals and CAS numbers; and scientific journal references. By providing access to this data, Newport Horizon Premium and Newport Vision Premium now allows customers to gauge which patents are involved, what raw materials are needed, the cost and complexity of the process and whether specialised equipment or facilities must be bought or constructed.
Elsevier announces new partnership with Petroleum Exploration and Development - 09 Jun 2008
STM publisher Elsevier, Netherlands, has announced a new partnership with the journal Petroleum Exploration and Development (PED). The journal belongs to the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), and the Central Research Institute of the Chinese Petroleum Industry, and is sponsored by PetroChina. PED claims to be the most authoritative and widely distributed journal on petroleum exploration and production in China. The journal focuses on the advances in the rapidly expanding areas of petroleum exploration, production, engineering, and resources, and oil and gas field development in the world. The English version will be published bi-monthly on ScienceDirect, starting January 2009. Due to the latest developments following the global integration of the Chinese economy, PED is committed to expand its international readership, while delivering high quality information. The journal's rejection rate of 80 percent and strict peer-review process reflect this commitment. PED is highly ranked among the geoscience journals in China due to its focused topics, large readership and high citability. In the past 50 years, Chinese petroleum geologists, geophysicists, and engineers have amassed a wealth of knowledge in their exploration and development of oil and gas in China. Much of this knowledge was inaccessible through challenges of language and distribution, but will now be available to ScienceDirect's 11 million users.
Heren Energy re-brands as ICIS Heren - 09 Jun 2008
Heren Energy, UK, has announced that after the recent acquisition of the company by ICIS the organisation is to be re-named ICIS Heren. As of June 2, the business has re-located to a new central London location, and re-branded their products and marketing communications. ICIS Heren is now also in a position to develop additional sales points through the global network of ICIS offices and expand into new markets. ICIS Heren is a leading publisher of gas, power and carbon market information. A series of market reports provide news, analysis, benchmark price assessments and indices. These publications are complemented by historical data packages, which collectively provide a comprehensive data solution to the energy sector's information requirements. ICIS, the commodity market information business of Reed Business Information UK Ltd, acquired Heren Energy (now ICIS Heren) earlier in March this year. This purchase provides ICIS with the opportunity for greater geographic coverage of international energy markets, as well as additional sales points for ICIS Heren products through the global network of ICIS offices. The acquisition also provides the opportunity to broaden the spread of markets currently covered by ICIS Heren, besides providing support for entry into new vertical energy markets.
Pfizer acquires licence for Ariadne Pathway Studio Enterprise - 09 Jun 2008
Bioinformatics firm Ariadne Genomics, Inc., US, has announced that drug manufacturer Pfizer, US, has purchased a multi-site licence for Ariadne's Pathway Studio Enterprise software. Pfizer will use the tool to assemble reference networks of biological interactions from internal and public data sources for interpretation of experimental results throughout its research facilities. Pathway Studio Enterprise includes functionality to import and analyse microarray and proteomics data, and includes the Ariadne ResNet database, a collection of interaction data retrieved by MedScan technology from PubMed and open-text journals. Pfizer has additionally purchased a copy of Prolexys Human Interaction Database, a proprietary high-confidence source of human protein interactions built by Prolexys, Inc. using Y2H technology and repackaged for Pathway Studio. Pathway Studio is used worldwide as a comprehensive solution for analysis and searching of pathways and molecular interaction information, according to the company. Ariadne offers desktop and enterprise editions of Pathway Studio which are supported by several commercial and publicly available molecular interaction databases including ResNet Mammalian and ResNet Plant. Pathway Studio is powered by MedScan Technology, which can be used to edit and enhance database content from the current literature and from experimental data.
Mary Ann Liebert offers free online access of Sustainability: The Journal of Record - 09 Jun 2008
Publisher Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., US, has announced that it is providing free online access to the journal, Sustainability: The Journal of Record, in recognition of World Environment Day. A bimonthly publication, Sustainability: The Journal of Record brings together educators, administrators, policy makers, economists, technologists, researchers, and executives at all levels of business that have a commitment to implementing sustainability programmes and advancing the efforts toward the preservation and sustainability of global resources. Coverage includes sustainability in higher education; implementing corporate sustainability programmes; integration of environmental, social, human, and economic goals; sustainable products, food, and agriculture; design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings; development of laws and policy; government and nonprofit initiatives; and new collaborations and opportunities. The Journal seeks to be the central forum for academic institutions, the business community, foundations, government agencies, and leaders of green-collar endeavours to learn about one another's progress and programmes and foster collaborations for attaining mutually supportive objectives. In addition, another new journal from the publisher, Environmental Justice, is also available free online through the end of June. This quarterly peer-reviewed journal will explore the adverse and disparate environmental burden impacting marginalised populations and communities all over the world.
Benefit now from the Content atomisation initiative from Knowledgespeak - 09 Jun 2008
Knowledgespeak is planning to atomise its content. A preliminary but significant initiative has already been taken in this direction. For an internationally esteemed association, we have repackaged and categorised our news under various topics to suit the information needs of its members. We are exploring other possibilities of bringing a granular dimension to our content that we believe can help us reach a wider audience, such as providing RSS feeds categorised into various topics of interest. Readers are invited to discuss mutually beneficial methods and possibilities of atomising such content, as we firmly believe this can help all of us in serving a better value proposition to our users. Please contact us at scope@scopeknowledge.com with your thoughts and for further discussions in this direction.
