An Evolutionary Approach to Regional Systems of Innovation

This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces and production of intermediate goods. In particular we are concerned with how cooperative behaviour of technology producers is affected by the need to protect technological secrecies and of being financially constrained by forms demanding innovative input. Based on the theoretical model, we provide an analysis using computer simulations. The primary fidings are, firstly, that the model generates predictions suited for empirical research on how economic selection influences cooperative behaviour of innovative actors. Secondly, we demonstrate how a region's entrepreneurial activity and growth can be controlled in a decentralised way by regions.social capital; social identity; civil society; open methods of coordination

An evolutionary approach to regional systems of innovation

Regional system of innovation, Intermediate goods, Economic selection, Organizational capital, L24, O33, R38,

Recycling of fecal pellets in isopods : Microorganisms and nitrogen compounds as potential food for Oniscus asellus L

The isopod Oniscus asellus was fed wood pieces. The fecal pellets produced during 6 days were reingested twice. Both fresh and ageing pellets were examined for microorganisms and nitrogen compounds including proteins and bacterial cell wall compounds, d-alanine and diaminopimelic acid. In old pellets, the plate counts of fungi decreased but that of bacteria as well as the concentrations of proteins and bacterial cell wall compounds increased from the first to the third gut passage. Immediately after a gut passage, the counts of microorganisms were lower than before the passage whereas the concentrations of bacterial cell wall compounds and proteins were higher. This indicates that both growth and lysis of bacteria occurred in the guts but that a considerable part of the bacterial cells were not digested and assimilated by the isopods. Comparison of the bacterial cell wall compounds also indicated shifts in the ratio of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria during gut passages and during ageing of the fecal pellets. The concentration of total N did not markedly change after the second and third gut passages, indicating that the availability of N decreased due to accumulation of N into relatively recalcitrant proteins and bacterial cell walls

ISSN: 1601-2461 (online) An Evolutionary Approach to Regional Systems of Innovation

This article examines how the birth and the development of regional systems of innovation are connected with economic selection and points to implications for regional-level policies. The research questions are explored using an evolutionary model, which emphasises geographical spaces and production of intermediate goods. In particular we are concerned with how cooperative behaviour of technology producers is a¤ected by the need to protect technological secrecies and of being …nancially constrained by …rms demanding innovative input. Based on the theoretical model, we provide an analysis using computer simulations. The primary …ndings are, …rstly, that the model generates predictions suited for empirical research on how economic selection in‡uences cooperative behaviour of innovative actors. Secondly, we demonstrate how a region’s entrepreneurial activity and growth can be controlled in a decentralised way by region

Mate choice and male competition in Orchesella cincta (Collembola)

Both male and female Orchesella cincta (Collembola) were able to discriminate between spermatophores of different origin. Females chose spermatophores deposited by closely related males while males preferentially destroyed spermatophores of other males

''Sponge" nanoparticle dispersions in aqueous mixtures of diglycerol monooleate, glycerol dioleate, and polysorbate 80

Lipid nanoparticles of nonlamellar lyotropic phases have a wide solubilizing and encapsulating spectrum for a range of substances thanks to their nanostructured interior featuring both lipophilic and hydrophilic domains. As a consequence, these systems have emerged as promising drug delivery systems in various pharmaceutical and diagnostic applications. Here we present the phase behavior and dispersion properties of a novel three-component lipid system composed of diglycerol monooleate (DGMO), glycerol dioleate (GDO), and polysorbate 80 (P80) which shows several advantageous features relating to drug delivery applications including: spontaneous dispersion formation with a narrow size distribution and tunable particle phase-structure. The obtained phase diagram shows the presence of lamellar (L-alpha), hexagonal (H-2), and reverse bicontinuous cubic (V-2) liquid crystalline phases and an inverse micellar (L-2) solution. A particularly interesting observation is the presence of a phase region where two liquid phases coexist, most likely the L-2 and L-3 ("sponge phase"). These two phase structures appear also to coexist in the submicron particles formed in the dilute water region, where the L-3 element appears to stabilize nanoparticles with inner L-2 structure. Increasing the fraction of the dispersing P80 component results in the growth of the more water rich L-3 "surface phase" at the expense of the size of the inner L-2 core

Long-term pain after inguinal hernia repair in a population-based cohort; risk factors and interference with daily activities

In the Swedish Hernia Register 2834 inguinal hernia repairs in 2583 patients were registered in the county of Uppsala 1998-2004. In May 2005 the 2421 patients still alive were requested by mail to fill in a validated questionnaire concerning postherniorrhaphy pain. The final response rate became 72%. Altogether 519 patients (29%) stated that they had pain in the operated groin to some extent during past week. In 98 patients (6%) the pain interfered with daily activities. Factors associated with an increased risk of residual pain in a multivariate logistic regression analysis were age below median, operation for recurrence, open repair technique, history of preoperative pain, and less than three years from surgery. Factors not associated with occurrence of residual pain were gender, method of anaesthesia during surgery, hernia sac diameter, postoperative complications, hernia type, need for emergency operation, reducibility of the hernia sac and complete dissection of the hernia sac. Factors found to be associated with impairment of function due to pain in a multivariate logistic regression analysis were: age below median, female gender, medial hernia, open repair technique, postoperative complications, need for operation for recurrence, presence of preoperative pain and less than three years from surgery. The possibility of long-term pain as an outcome after hernia operations should be taken into consideration in the decision making prior to operation