The role of universities in a network of subsidized R&D collaboration: The case of the biotechnology-industry in Germany

This paper contributes to the growing literature on knowledge network evolution. It provides an analysis of the role universities play in a network emerging from the joint participation of organizations in R&D projects subsidized by public authorities. In addition to theorizing universities’ effect on network formation processes, the paper includes an empirical study identifying the main drivers behind the formation of the subsidized network of R&D collaboration in the German biotechnology industry. We find that universities strongly shape the evolution of the network in the period 2007–2010. They are clearly central knowledge sources and dominate the network as partners in many R&D projects. While knowledge links among universities are an essential part of the network, universities are also able to connect local firms to inter-regional knowledge networks. Accordingly, subsidies for joint R&D support universities in acting as regional gatekeepers and thereby facilitate local and inter-regional knowledge diffusion. © 2017 The Author(s

A study of the Jovian [S II] nebula at high spectral resolution

Observations of forbidden line S II λλ6716-6731 A emissions from the Jovian magnetosphere have been carried out with a PEPSIOS spectrometer at the Hale 5 m telescope. Spectral resolving power was sufficient to resolve the forbidden line S II line widths. From measured λλ6716-6731 A doublet ratios and spectral line widths a thermal plasma is found characterized by temperatures about 2 x 10^4 K and electron densities about ~2 x 10^3 cm^(-3). The source of forbidden line S II emissions was centered within a toroidal region of radius 5 Jupiter radii (inside the orbit of Io), with tight latitudinal confinement near the equilibrium equator for ions in the tilted corotating Jovian magnetic field, and significant long-lived longitudinal structure

In vivo efficacy of carvacrol on Campylobacter jejuni prevalence in broiler chickens during an entire fattening period

Carvacrol, a primary constituent of plant essential oils (EOs), and its antimicrobial activity have been the subject of many in vitro studies. Due to an increasing demand for alternative antimicrobials and an emerging number of antibiotic resistant bacteria, the use of essential oils has played a major role in many recent approaches to reduce Campylobacter colonization in poultry before slaughter age. For that purpose, the reducing effect of carvacrol on Campylobacter jejuni prevalence in broilers was determined in vivo in an experimental broiler chicken model during an entire fattening period. Carvacrol was added to the feed in a concentration of 120 mg/kg feed four days post hatch until the end of the trial. In this study, we demonstrated a statistically significant decrease of C. jejuni counts by 1.17 decadic logarithm (log10) most probable number (MPN)/g in cloacal swabs during starter and grower periods (corresponding to a broilers age between 1 and 28 days). Similar results were observed for colon enumeration at the end of the trial where C. jejuni counts were significantly reduced by 1.25 log10 MPN/g. However, carvacrol did not successfully reduce Campylobacter cecal colonization in 33-day-old broilers

Update On The Code Intercomparison and Benchmark For Muon Fluence and Absorbed Dose Induced By An 18-GeV Electron Beam After Massive Iron Shielding

In 1974, Nelson, Kase and Svensson published an experimental investigation on muon shielding around SLAC high-energy electron accelerators. They measured muon fluence and absorbed dose induced by 14 and 18 GeV electron beams hitting a copper/water beamdump and attenuated in a thick steel shielding. In their paper, they compared the results with the theoretical models available at that time. In order to compare their experimental results with present model calculations, we use the modern transport Monte Carlo codes MARS15, FLUKA2011 and GEANT4 to model the experimental setup and run simulations. The results are then compared between the codes, and with the SLAC data.Comment: 14 pp. Presented paper at the 13th Meeting of the task-force on Shielding aspects of Accelerators, Targets and Irradiation Facilities (SATIF-13), HZDR, October 10-12, 2016, Dresden, Germany. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1502.0168

Calculation Of Secondary Particles In Atmosphere And Hadronic Interactions

Calculation of secondary particles produced by the interaction of cosmic rays with the nuclei of Earth's atmosphere pose important requirements to particle production models. Here we summarize the important features of hadronic simulations, stressing the importance of the so called ``microscopic'' approach, making explicit reference to the case of the FLUKA code. Some benchmarks are also presented.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Extended version of report given at the IInd Workshop on Matter and anti-Matter, Trento, Oct. 200

Initial State: Theory Status

I present a brief discussion of the different approaches to the study initial state effects in heavy ion collisions in view of the recent results from Pb+Pb and p+p collisions at the LHC.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the XXII International Conference on Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, QM2011. Annecy, France, 22-28 May 201

Discrimination of Vaccinated and infected Pigs by Salmonella-specific IGa antibodies

Isotype switching from IgM to IgG or IgA leads to generation of high affinity antibodies during the immune response. This phenomenon can be applied for differentiation of early and late infection stages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a newly developed Ig-isotype specific Salmonella antibody ELISA for discrimination between vaccinated and infected pigs. Using this novel ELISA we were able to detect different patterns of Salmonella-specific IgM, IgG and IgA antibodies following immunization with a S. Typhimurium live vaccine or after experimental infection with a nalidixic-acid resistant wild-type strain of S. Typhimurium. Interestingly, Salmonella-specific IgA antibodies represented an excellent tool for the recognition of fresh infection in vaccinated pigs. Under SPF conditions, we were able to discriminate between naive, vaccinated, experimentally infected nonvaccinated, and experimentally infected vaccinated animals. However, the highest specific IgA levels were detected in challenged vaccinated pigs. Preliminary results from field trials support the findings from experiments using SPF animals

The evaluation of a shuttle borne lidar experiment to measure the global distribution of aerosols and their effect on the atmospheric heat budget

A shuttle-borne lidar system is described, which will provide basic data about aerosol distributions for developing climatological models. Topics discussed include: (1) present knowledge of the physical characteristics of desert aerosols and the absorption characteristics of atmospheric gas, (2) radiative heating computations, and (3) general circulation models. The characteristics of a shuttle-borne radar are presented along with some laboratory studies which identify schemes that permit the implementation of a high spectral resolution lidar system

Hard diffraction in hadron--hadron interactions and in photoproduction

Hard single diffractive processes are studied within the framework of the triple--Pomeron approximation. Using a Pomeron structure function motivated by Regge--theory we obtain parton distribution functions which do not obey momentum sum rule. Based on Regge-- factorization cross sections for hard diffraction are calculated. Furthermore, the model is applied to hard diffractive particle production in photoproduction and in $p\bar{p}$ interactions.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 13 uuencoded figure