European research funding and regional technological capabilities: Network composition analysis

We use network and correspondence analysis to describe the composition of the research networks in the European BRITE--EURAM program. Our main finding is that 27\% of the participants in this program fall into one of two sets of highly ``interconnected'' institutions --one centered around large firms (with smaller firms and research centers providing specialized services), and the other around universities--. Moreover, these ``hubs'' are composed largely of institutions coming from the technologically most advanced regions of Europe. This is suggestive of the difficulties of attaining European ``cohesion'', as technically advanced institutions naturally link with partners of similar technological capabilities.Management of technological innovation and R&D,government policy

Outerfactor and the indirect journal impact

In this paper, we use research chains across the citation graph as the basis for journal impact analysis. While some existing measures take into account research chains that end in a given journal, we calculate the proportion of research chains that include a journal, obtaining a new index of journal impact, Outerfactor, that is directly related to Pagerank (Brin and Page, 1998), Eigenfactor (Bergstrom, 2007) and the Invariant Method (Pinsky and Narin, 1976). In this way, the Outerfactor score obtained by each journal is independent on its own citation pattern and its article share. To our knowledge, this is the fi�rst measure that satis�fes these invariance properties whilst accounting for both direct and indirect impact. Based on research chains that connect two journals, we also construct new measures for analyzing cross-impact. This cross-impact analysis results in a two-fold view of Outerfactor in terms of a journal�'s infl�uence (impact) on other journals, or a journal�'s contribution to all journals' �impact scores. Finally, we provide an illustration with 60 economics journals, showing how Outerfactor performs compared to other measures: apart from its cardinal invariance, Outerfactor behaves more robustly to ordinal manipulation than other eigenvector-based measures.citation analysis, impact factor, eigenfactor, eigenvector-based measures, manipulation

Ultraviolet filtering of lattice configurations and applications to Monte Carlo dynamics

We present a detailed study of a filtering method based upon Dirac quasi-zero-modes in the adjoint representation. The procedure induces no distortions on configurations which are solutions of the euclidean classical equations of motion. On the other hand, it is very effective in reducing the short-wavelength stochastic noise present in Monte Carlo generated configurations. After testing the performance of the method in various situations, we apply it successfully to study the effect of Monte Carlo dynamics on topological structures like instantons.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figure

Debt management in Brazil : evaluation of the Real Plan and challenges ahead

Brazil's domestic debt has posed two challenges to policymakers: it has grown very fast and, despite progress, remains extremely short in maturity. The authors analyze Brazil's experience with domestic public debt management, searching for policy prescriptions for the next few years. After briefly reviewing the recent history of the country's domestic debt, they decompose the large rise in federal bonded debt in 1995-98, searching for its macroeconomic causes. The main explanations: extremely high interest payments (caused by Brazil's weak fiscal stance and quasi-fixed exchange rate regime) and the accumulation of assets (especially obligations of Brazil's states). Simulations of the net debt path for the near future underscore the importance of a tighter fiscal stance to prevent the debt-to-GDP ratio from growing further. The authors'main policy advice is to foster and rely more on inflation-linked bonds--the least harmful way to lengthen debt maturity.Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Strategic Debt Management,Economic Theory&Research,Banks&Banking Reform,Strategic Debt Management,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Municipal Financial Management

Holding Containers, Conscientious Education, and a Divine Ajiaco: My Theory of Supervision

This set of theory papers was nominated and selected as the Theory Papers of the Year Award

The Chemical Sector al System. Firms, markets, institutions and the processes of knowledge creation and diffusion

According to the Sectoral Systems of Innovation and Production approach, the analysis of a specific sector has to describe its knowledge and technological base, existing complementarities among knowledge, technologies and products, the heterogeneity of agents, their learning processes and competencies, the role of non-firm organisations, and the presence of (co)evolutionary processes. This study applies this theoretical framework to the chemical industry, and examines evolution and co-evolution processes that have characterised this industry over its 200 years history. It emerges a strong dichotomy in industry dynamics. On the one hand, big discontinuities can be observed in knowledge and technological dimensions, which implied a major change in industry structure and a growing division of labour at the industry level. On the other hand, a big continuity can be observed as well, mainly in companies life. Indeed, one important feature of the chemical industry is that between small and large companies, markets, research institutions and other organisations there has been a continuous process of co-evolution, with firms playing the central role within the chemical system.Chemical Industry, Industry Dynamics, Networks, Markets for Technology, Division of Innovative Labour, Networks of Inventors, Patents, Technology Licensing.