The effects of broadband deployment on output and employment: a cross-sectional analysis of U.S. data

While most communications sector analysts concur that the ability to deliver broadband communications is a critical feature of the modern global communications infrastructure, there is limited recent empirical research on the economic effects of broadband. In particular, much of the available research is now several years old or refers to the benefits of the Internet generally or more broadly of the "digital economy" rather than to the broadband telecommunications infrastructure per se

Bacterial mutagenicity and toxicity of cycloaliphatic epoxides

The mutagenicity of 12 cycloaliphatic epoxides was investigated using the Ames Salmonella assay without the addition of liver homogenate fractions. Base-pair substitution mutagenic activity was detected for 8 members of this series of compounds, confirming our laboratory's previous observations of weak mutagenic response at high dose levels for cis-1,2-disubstituted epoxides. While mutagenicity decreased with expanding ring size, inhibition of bacterial growth increased for increases in ring size. Toxicity accompanying the required high doses for the demonstration of mutagenicity for these compounds prevented the establishment of meaningful dose-response ranges for the remaining epoxides tested. The volatility observed with these oxiranes also made dose-response establishment difficult but was countered by the use of petri dish sealing bands during incubation. Mutagenicity in this series was found to be generally more pronounced in TA1535 while toxicity was detected with greater sensitivity by TA100. The use of the less permeable strains TA92, TA1950 and TA2410, all having normal lipopolysaccharide cell wall coatings, failed to reduce this marked toxicity. The repair test compared results in TA1535 (repair-deficient strain) with TA1975 (repair-proficient strain) and demonstrated that the bacteria were not being killed by damage to DNA since toxicity was not reduced in TA1975.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24263/1/0000527.pd

Learning processes in municipal broadband projects: an absorptive capacity perspective

Effective knowledge management is important to the success of information technology projects. This research applies the integrated lens of the absorptive capacity theory and the social process model of information system development projects to examine the dynamic of knowledge activities concerning broadband infrastructure development in the context of municipal broadband networks. The research questions are: (1) What is the extent of the dynamic of knowledge activities involved in the development process?, (2) What are the events that trigger knowledge activities in municipal broadband development?, and (3) How does a city create and utilize new knowledge in the development process? This study examines municipal wireless projects in three cities (Chaska, MN; Hermosa Beach, CA; and Fredericton, Canada). Events that trigger knowledge activities are assignment of personnel, physical system construction, performance problems, resistance, and reassignment of organizational roles. Four factors that influence knowledge activities and project performance are the dynamic of technology development, partnership commitments, limitation of external knowledge and learning-by-doing, and political dynamics. The study has policy implications for cities that are in the process of planning and deployment. A good project planning, user expectation management, systematic performance evaluation, a careful partner selection process, and the use of service level agreements are important to project success. In addition, cities need to take into consideration that the technology is not a plug and play technology and that considerable efforts are needed to integrate the technology with other solutions to deliver broadband services as well as to configure the system according to topologies, street conditions, buildings, density of trees, among others