A Conceptual Model of the Incubation of New Technology-Based Ventures: a Social Capital Perspective

Technology incubators are newer organizational forms that are created to support and accelerate the development and success of affiliated ventures, particularly new technology-based ventures. Current literature regarding incubators has suggested that an understanding of the incubation process is important when seeking to understand how affiliated ventures develop and grow. However, very little is known about the incubation process, particularly the incubation of technology-based ventures. Prior literature suggests that technology-based ventures develop in terms of both business and technological development and that the incubation process varies along these dimensions. Thus, understanding the incubation of technology–based ventures must consider the differing but simultaneous dynamics of business and technological development. Drawing from the social capital, entrepreneurship, incubation, and organizational learning literature, a conceptual model of the incubation of new technology-based ventures within technology incubators is presented.incubators; new technology-based ventures; entrepreneurship; innovation.

Innovation and Productivity in U.S. Industry

macroeconomics, U.S. industry, productivity, manufacturing, textiles, chemicals

Defence and space expenditures in the US: An inter-firm analysis

The economic impact of defence and space expenditures has been an important policy issue because of the secondary benefits expected to be accruing from it. Although defence and space activities can stimulate the early development of many technologies, the lasting economic impact of these technologies is difficult to measure. To capture the scientific and technological values added of defence and space financed productions, we have depended on the patents and scientific and technical publications as the indicators. The economic performance has been measured by two separate indicators: (a) firm growth in terms of average annual rate of change in the number of employees, and (b) rate of return on sales measured by the company's net profits in relation to sales. From 1970-75 and 1980-85 the weight within the manufacturing sector of both defence contractors and the civilian companies increased. Defence firms gained considerably in terms of sales, employment, gross plants and company funded R&D in the latter period under the Reagan Administration. Whereas this may be considered a Reagan effect in defence procurement, other indicators point to in the opposite direction: (a) decrease in the shares of defence R&D contracts, (b) relatively low growth of patent output as percent of total manufacturing from the defence firms, and (c) decrease in scientific publications from defence firms per 1000 employees. Firm level analysis showed that military R&D contracts did not contribute to economic or technical efficiency. Space expenditure did not contribute to improvement of economic performance as measured by company growth and profitability. NASA contracts were not associated with technical progress measured by patents, but they improved scientific publications. Defence expenditures are not of importance for the overall economic efficiency. The standard financial variables, capital formation and own R&D activities prove mostly relevant. The study is restricted to an efficiency analysis in a cross sectional comparison and does not include the effect of market structure.

Does it pay to acquire technological firms? Motives, process and success of corporate acquisition ; experience of German-American firms

Acquisition of corporation has always been an important activity in th U.S. and other countries. The motives for mergers have changed over time. Acquisition has become an important and quick means to gain access to technology and technological know-how. Acquisition of foreign firms has been an important instrument for foreign investment. Very little attention has been paid to strategic issues related to marketing and technology, and no attention has been paid to cross-national acquisitions. The paper focuses on several research questions: - -- How do the firms differ in terms of their strategic objectives for foreign acquisitions? - What are the differences in the characteristics of firms following different strategies for acquisitions? - What are the determinants of "success" of acquisition when it is aimed at getting access to technology and know-how? - What are the differences between the American and German firms in terms of their acquisition strategies and successes? Our special interest was to get a closer look into the technological motive of the foreign acquisitions. The literature shows that technology is not unimportant, but it ranks only in the middle of the strategic considerations. Since technological knowledge is a long-term strategic variable, it seems to be underestimated in the empirical investigations. To find out about the technological motive we needed a two-step procedure..

Defence and space expenditures in the US: An inter-firm analysis

The economic impact of defence and space expenditures has been an important policy issue because of the secondary benefits expected to be accruing from it. Although defence and space activities can stimulate the early development of many technologies, the lasting economic impact of these technologies is difficult to measure. To capture the scientific and technological values added of defence and space financed productions, we have depended on the patents and scientific and technical publications as the indicators. The economic performance has been measured by two separate indicators: (a) firm growth in terms of average annual rate of change in the number of employees, and (b) rate of return on sales measured by the company's net profits in relation to sales. From 1970-75 and 1980-85 the weight within the manufacturing sector of both defence contractors and the civilian companies increased. Defence firms gained considerably in terms of sales, employment, gross plants and company funded R&D in the latter period under the Reagan Administration. Whereas this may be considered a Reagan effect in defence procurement, other indicators point to in the opposite direction: (a) decrease in the shares of defence R&D contracts, (b) relatively low growth of patent output as percent of total manufacturing from the defence firms, and (c) decrease in scientific publications from defence firms per 1000 employees. Firm level analysis showed that military R&D contracts did not contribute to economic or technical efficiency. Space expenditure did not contribute to improvement of economic performance as measured by company growth and profitability. NASA contracts were not associated with technical progress measured by patents, but they improved scientific publications. Defence expenditures are not of importance for the overall economic efficiency. The standard financial variables, capital formation and own R&D activities prove mostly relevant. The study is restricted to an efficiency analysis in a cross sectional comparison and does not include the effect of market structure

A unique influenza A (H5N1) virus causing a focal poultry outbreak in 2007 in Manipur, India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A focal H5N1 outbreak in poultry was reported from Manipur, a north-eastern state, of India, in 2007. The aim of this study was to genetically characterize the Manipur isolate to understand the relationship with other H5N1 isolates and to trace the possible source of introduction of the virus into the country.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Characterization of the complete genome revealed that the virus belonged to clade 2.2. It was distinctly different from viruses of the three EMA sublineages of clade 2.2 but related to isolates from wild migratory waterfowl from Russia, China and Mongolia. The HA gene, had the cleavage site GERRRRKR, earlier reported in whooper swan isolates from Mongolia in 2005. A stop codon at position 29 in the PB1-F2 protein could have implications on the replication efficiency. The acquisition of polymorphisms as seen in recent isolates of 2005–07 from distinct geographical regions suggests the possibility of transportation of H5N1 viruses through migratory birds.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Considering that all eight genes of the earlier Indian isolates belonged to the EMA3 sublineage and similar strains have not been reported from neighbouring countries of the subcontinent, it appears that the virus may have been introduced independently.</p

Theory of nonlinear optical properties of phenyl-substituted polyacetylenes

In this paper we present a theoretical study of the third-order nonlinear optical properties of poly(diphenyl)polyacetylene (PDPA) pertaining to the third-harmonic-generation (THG) process. We study the aforesaid process in PDPA's using both the independent electron Hueckel model, as well as correlated-electron Pariser-Parr-Pople (P-P-P) model. The P-P-P model based calculations were performed using various configuration interaction (CI) methods such as the the multi-reference-singles-doubles CI (MRSDCI), and the quadruples-CI (QCI) methods, and the both longitudinal and the transverse components of third-order susceptibilities were computed. The Hueckel model calculations were performed on oligo-PDPA's containing up to fifty repeat units, while correlated calculations were performed for oligomers containing up to ten unit cells. At all levels of theory, the material exhibits highly anisotropic nonlinear optical response, in keeping with its structural anisotropy. We argue that the aforesaid anisotropy can be divided over two natural energy scales: (a) the low-energy response is predominantly longitudinal and is qualitatively similar to that of polyenes, while (b) the high-energy response is mainly transverse, and is qualitatively similar to that of trans-stilbene.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures (included), to appear in Physical Review B (April 15, 2004

An avian influenza A(H11N1) virus from a wild aquatic bird revealing a unique Eurasian-American genetic reassortment

Influenza surveillance in different wild bird populations is critical for understanding the persistence, transmission and evolution of these viruses. Avian influenza (AI) surveillance was undertaken in wild migratory and resident birds during the period 2007–2008, in view of the outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) H5N1 in poultry in India since 2006. In this study, we present the whole genome sequence data along with the genetic and virological characterization of an Influenza A(H11N1) virus isolated from wild aquatic bird for the first time from India. The virus was low pathogenicity and phylogenetic analysis revealed that it was distinct from reported H11N1 viruses. The hemagglutinin (HA) gene showed maximum similarity with A/semipalmatedsandpiper/Delaware/2109/2000 (H11N6) and A/shorebird/Delaware/236/2003(H11N9) while the neuraminidase (NA) gene showed maximum similarity with A/duck/Mongolia/540/2001(H1N1). The virus thus possessed an HA gene of the American lineage. The NA and other six genes were of the Eurasian lineage and showed closer relatedness to non-H11 viruses. Such a genetic reassortment is unique and interesting, though the pathways leading to its emergence and its future persistence in the avian reservoir is yet to be fully established

ABC Transporter Genes Show Upregulated Expression in Drug Resistant Clinical Isolates of Candida auris : a Genome-Wide Characterization of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Genes

Funding This work was supported by the ICMR (AMR/149/2018-ECD-II) and DBT (BT/PR14117/BRB/10/1420/2015) to RP. AKM appreciates the support by research grant EMR/2016/001927 and DST PURSE II from the Department of Science and Technology (IN). MW was grateful for a Senior Research Fellowship from the University Grant Commission. NG acknowledges the Wellcome Trust support of a Senior Investigator (101873/Z/13/Z), Collaborative (200208/A/15/Z), and Strategic Awards (097377/Z11/Z), and the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/1). AJM was supported by the University of Aberdeen studentship. Work in AL’s laboratory was supported by the Wellcome Trust (212524/Z/18/Z) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen (MR/P501955/1 and MR/N006364/1). Acknowledgments We thank the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine at the University of Aberdeen (E. Collie-Duguid and S. Shaw) for sequencing and support with genome analysis.Peer reviewedPublisher PD