Short-term effects of new universities on regional innovation

This paper analyzes empirically the channels through which university research affects industry innovation. We examine how the opening of new science, medicine and engineering departments in Italy during 1985-2000 affected regional innovation systems. We find that creation of a new university department increased regional innovation activity 3-4 years later. On average, an opening of a new department in a region has led to a ten percent change in the number of patents filed by regional firms. Given that this effect occurs within the first half decade of the appearance of a new department, it cannot be ascribed to improvements in the quality and quantity of graduates. At the same time, traditional measures of academic research activity can explain only around 30 percent of this effect.Innovation, Academic Research, R&D, Universities, University-Industry Linkages, Technology Transfer, Regional Innovation Systems.

ICT, Skills and Organisational Change: Evidence from a Panel of Italian Manufacturing Firms

This paper explores the complementarity between skills, organizational change and investments in information and communication technology (ICT). Our work contributes to the literature on the effects of ICT by testing the hypothesis of complementarity in a panel of 540 Italian manufacturing firms during the period 1995-2000. Our analysis provides strong support to the hypothesis of complementarity between skills and ICT (which is at the core of the skill-biased technical change theory). We also find some evidence in favour of the skill-biased organizational change hypothesis. The results obtained by drawing on different statistical methods suggest that interactions among ICT, skills and organizational change are complex and non-linear and difficult to explain.Organisational Change, ICT Investment, Workplace Organization, Human Capital, Productivity

Does the gender composition of scientific committees matter?

We analyze how a larger presence of female evaluators affects committee decision-making using information on 100,000 applications to associate and full professorships in Italy and Spain. These applications were assessed by 8,000 randomly selected evaluators. A larger number of women in evaluation committees does not increase either the quantity or the quality of female candidates who qualify. Information from individual voting reports suggests that female evaluators are not significantly more favorable toward female candidates. At the same time, male evaluators become less favorable toward female candidates as soon as a female evaluator joins the committee

Explain It: mRNA

Anna Zinovyeva, assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, studies gene expression and RNA biology. Zinovyeva explains, in fewer than 100 words, what mRNA is and why revolutionary mRNA vaccines are so important during the COVID-19 pandemic

Estimation of the AASHTO structural layer coefficient by FWD for the concrete pavement Rubblizing. A case study in the District of San Felix, Panama.

En la actualidad, la correcta elección de metodologías de rehabilitación de pavimentos se convierte en un tema que implica dedicación y estudio, debido al aumento en la ocurrencia de patologías en los pavimentos existentes. Se requiere implementar metodologías que permitan procesos de rehabilitación que resuelvan integralmente las debilidades estructurales y funcionales del pavimento y de esta manera, provean nuevamente de vida útil la estructura de pavimento. El presente trabajo pretende socializar la técnica de rehabilitación de pavimentos en concreto hidráulico Rubblizing, la cual consiste en triturar y pulverizar la losa de concreto existente para convertir esta en una capa de base granular de alto modulo. A su vez presenta resultados de la evaluación estructural mediante FWD para un tramo en estudio, en términos de coeficiente de aporte estructural según la metodología AASHTO 1993.Currently, the correct choice of pavement rehabilitation methodologies becomes an issue that involves dedication and study, due to the increase in the occurrence of diseases in existing pavements. Required to implement methodologies for rehabilitation processes that fully solve the structural and functional pavement weaknesses and thus, provide service life again the pavement structure. This paper aims to socialize pavement rehabilitation technique Rubblizing, which consists of f the existing concrete slab to turn this into a high modulus granular base. In turn presents results for structural evaluation by FWD for a real project, in terms of AASHTO 1993 structural coefficien

Practices of forest exploitation in priority investment projects: Benefits and implications

The paper discusses the topical issues of investment activities enhancement in the forest sector of the Russian economy by implementing the mechanism of priority investment projects in the field of forest exploitation - economic model of public-private partnership proposed by the forest owner (the State) for the private sector. The aim of the considered investment projects is the development of a timber-processing infrastructure, which is reliably provided with wood raw materials. It becomes possible to ensure certain preferences for businessmen that encourage them to invest money into the forest sector. Thus, the other objective is to develop recommendations for attracting investments into the forest sector of the Russian economy in the framework of priority investment projects. The paper analyzes a ten-year experience in the practice of applying priority investment projects in forest exploitation using an integrated approach to studying project management issues and method of comparison. The research identifies positive moments and a number of organizational and methodological shortcomings related to the development and implementation of investment projects in the forest sector of the Russian Federation. A number of areas contributing to the development of investment activities in forest exploitation is proposed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Recursos humanos na gestão do liso da polarização espacial geográfica da região

The majority of countries with “owertaken” economy on EU territory, and Russian Federation, has significant margin of human resources that have sufficiently high educational level and “hard skills” - professional competences. With the assumption that in the modern economic discus there is the hypothesis that sifgnificant margine of human resources increases the competitive structure of geofraphical space economy in the region, stimulate development of high technology sectors in it, and, in whole, gives significant economical growth. However, up to the present day, given hypothesis proves unfounded in practical apects in emerging countries, which still lag behind in terms of sustainable economic development. In our opinion, this situation is associated with geographical space polarization in the regions, related to the irregularity in the distribution of various recources, human recources included. Therefore, in this article authors attempted to highlight the main theoretical aspects to the understanding of the importance of human resources accumulation and consumption in the management of uneven spatial development smoothing of geographic areas in the current conditions of Russian economy recession.La mayoría de los países con una economía "adquirida" en el territorio de la UE y la Federación de Rusia tienen un margen significativo de recursos humanos que tienen un nivel educativo suficientemente alto y "habilidades duras": competencias profesionales. Con la suposición de que en el debate económico moderno existe la hipótesis de que una cantidad significativa de recursos humanos aumenta la estructura competitiva de la economía espacial geografica en la región, estimula el desarrollo de sectores de alta tecnología en ella y, en conjunto, brinda un crecimiento económico significativo. Sin embargo, hasta el día de hoy, la hipótesis dada resulta infundada en los aspectos prácticos de los países emergentes, que todavía están rezagados en términos de desarrollo económico sostenible. En nuestra opinión, esta situación está asociada a la polarización geográfica del espacio en las regiones, relacionada con la irregularidad en la distribución de diversos recursos, incluidos los recursos humanos. Por lo tanto, en este artículo los autores intentaron resaltar los principales aspectos teóricos para la comprensión de la importancia de la acumulación y el consumo de recursos humanos en la gestión del alisamiento del desarrollo espacial desigual de áreas geográficas en las condiciones actuales de la recesión de la economía rusa.A maioria dos países com uma economia "adquirida" no território da UE e a Federação Russa tem uma margem significativa de recursos humanos que têm um nível suficientemente elevado de educação e "hard skills": habilidades profissionais. Com o pressuposto de que existe no moderno debate econômico a hipótese de que uma quantidade significativa de recursos humanos aumenta a estrutura competitiva da economia espaço geográfico na região, estimula o desenvolvimento de setores de alta tecnologia nele e em conjunta, fornece crescimento econômico significativo. No entanto, até hoje, a hipótese é infundada dada aos aspectos práticos dos países emergentes, que ainda estão atrasados em termos de desenvolvimento económico sustentável. Em nossa opinião, esta situação está associada com a polarização geográfica do espaço em regiões relacionadas com a irregularidade na distribuição de vários recursos, incluindo recursos humanos. Portanto, neste artigo, os autores tentaram destacar os principais aspectos teóricos para a compreensão da importância da acumulação e consumo de gestão de recursos humanos suavização desenvolvimento espacial desigual de áreas geográficas nas condições atuais de recessão a economia russa

Practices of forest exploitation in priority investment projects: Benefits and implications

The paper discusses the topical issues of investment activities enhancement in the forest sector of the Russian economy by implementing the mechanism of priority investment projects in the field of forest exploitation - economic model of public-private partnership proposed by the forest owner (the State) for the private sector. The aim of the considered investment projects is the development of a timber-processing infrastructure, which is reliably provided with wood raw materials. It becomes possible to ensure certain preferences for businessmen that encourage them to invest money into the forest sector. Thus, the other objective is to develop recommendations for attracting investments into the forest sector of the Russian economy in the framework of priority investment projects. The paper analyzes a ten-year experience in the practice of applying priority investment projects in forest exploitation using an integrated approach to studying project management issues and method of comparison. The research identifies positive moments and a number of organizational and methodological shortcomings related to the development and implementation of investment projects in the forest sector of the Russian Federation. A number of areas contributing to the development of investment activities in forest exploitation is proposed. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

The C. elegans Frizzled CFZ-2 is required for cell migration and interacts with multiple Wnt signaling pathways

AbstractMembers of the Frizzled family of integral membrane proteins are implicated in many developmental events, including specifying cell fate, orienting cell and planar polarity, and directing cell migration. Frizzleds function as cell surface receptors for secreted Wnt proteins. We report here the isolation of a mutation in cfz-2, a Caenorhabditis elegans Frizzled gene. Mutation of cfz-2 causes defective cell migration, disorganization of head neurons, and can cause ectopic axon outgrowth. Analysis of mosaic animals shows that CFZ-2 functions cell nonautonomously, but does not rule out an autonomous role. CFZ-2 is expressed primarily in the anterior of embryos and in several cells in the head of adults. Our analysis of interactions between CFZ-2 and other Wnt pathways reveals that three Wnts, CWN-1, CWN-2 and EGL-20, and a Frizzled, MOM-5, function redundantly with one another and with CFZ-2 for specific cell migrations. In contrast, CWN-1, CWN-2, EGL-20, CFZ-2, and MOM-5 antagonize one another for other migrations. Therefore, CFZ-2 functions by collaborating with and/or antagonizing other Wnt signaling pathways to regulate specific cell migrations

The development of regional management by smoothing of spatial polarization

© 2015, Asian Social Science. All rights reserved. The article briefly highlights main theoretical approaches to understanding the uneven of spatial development. The analysis of existing methods of evaluating the effectiveness of management by smoothing of spatial polarization in the region was made. The methods of evaluating the effectiveness of state and municipal administrating systems were described. The system of indicators for assessing management effectiveness of economic territory polarization in the region was studied