Fear and Foxes: An Educational Primer for Use with "Anterior Pituitary Transcriptome Suggests Differences in ACTH Release in Tame and Aggressive Foxes".

The way genes contribute to behavior is complicated. Although there are some single genes with large contributions, most behavioral differences are due to small effects from many interacting genes. This makes it hard to identify the genes that cause behavioral differences. Mutagenesis screens in model organisms, selective breeding experiments in animals, comparisons between related populations with different behaviors, and genome-wide association studies in humans are promising and complementary approaches to understanding the heritable aspects of complex behaviors. To connect genes to behaviors requires measuring behavioral differences, locating correlated genetic changes, determining when, where, and how these candidate genes act, and designing causative confirmatory experiments. This area of research has implications from basic discovery science to human mental health

Geographic proximity and firm-university innovation linkages: evidence from Great Britain

We investigate evidence for spatially mediated knowledge transfer from university research. We examine whether firms locate their R&D labs near universities, and whether those that do are more likely to co-operate with, or source knowledge from universities. We find that pharmaceutical firms locate R&D near to frontier chemistry research departments, consistent with accessing localised knowledge spillovers, but also linked to the presence of science parks. In industries such as chemicals and vehicles there is less evidence of immediate co-location, but those innovative firms that do locate near to relevant research departments are more likely to engage with universities

Characteristics of foreign-owned firms in British manufacturing

This paper describes the characteristics of manufacturing establishments in Britain overthe period 1980 to 1996. Particular attention is paid to differences between plants ofdifferent ownership nationality. The findings suggest that establishments that are alwaysforeign-owned have significantly higher labour productivity than those that remainunder domestic ownership. In addition, labour productivity improves faster over timeand faster with age in foreign-owned establishments. The difference in labourproductivity is matched by an equivalent difference in levels of investment peremployee. Establishments that change ownership nationality do not seem to experiencevery large changes in labour productivity levels. The proportion of skilled workers inthe workplace, and wages for both skilled and operative workers are higher in foreignownedestablishments than domestic-owned, in line with differences in labourproductivity

The use of diatom records to establish reference conditions for UK lakes subject to eutrophication

A knowledge of pre-disturbance conditions is important for setting realistic restoration targets for lakes. For European waters this is now a requirement of the European Council Water Framework Directive where ecological status must be assessed based on the degree to which present day conditions deviate from reference conditions. Here, we employ palaeolimnological techniques, principally inferences of total phosphorus from diatom assemblages (DI-TP) and classification of diatom composition data from the time slice in sediment cores dated to similar to 1850 AD, to define chemical and ecological reference conditions, respectively, for a range of UK lake types. The DI-TP results from 169 sites indicate that reference TP values for low alkalinity lakes are typically 3 m mean depth) generally had lower reference TP concentrations than the shallow sites. A small group of shallow marl lakes had concentrations of similar to 30 mu g L-1. Cluster analysis of diatom composition data from 106 lakes where the key pressure of interest was eutrophication identified three clusters, each associated with particular lake types, suggesting that the typology has ecological relevance, although poor cross matching of the diatom groups and the lake typology at type boundaries highlights the value of a site-specific approach to defining reference conditions. Finally the floristic difference between the reference and present day (surface sample) diatom assemblages of each site was estimated using the squared chord distance dissimilarity coefficient. Only 25 of the 106 lakes experienced insignificant change and the findings indicate that eutrophication has impacted all lake types with > 50% of sites exhibiting significant floristic change. The study illustrates the role of the sediment record in determining both chemical and ecological reference conditions, and assessing deviation from the latter. Whilst restoration targets may require modification in the future to account for climate induced alterations, the long temporal perspective offered by palaeolimnology ensures that such changes are assessed against a sound baseline

Foreign ownership and productivity: new evidence from the service sector and the R&D lab

This paper examines the relationship between foreign ownership and productivity, paying particular attention to two issues neglected in the existing literature – the role of multinationals in service sectors and the importance of R&D activity conducted by foreign multinationals. We review existing theoretical and empirical work, which largely focuses on manufacturing, before presenting new evidence using establishment level data on production, service and R&D activity for the United Kingdom. We find that multinationals play an important role in service sectors and that entry of foreign multinationals by takeover is more prevalent than greenfield investment. We find that British multinationals have lower levels of labour productivity than foreign multinationals, but the difference is less stark in the service sector than in the production sector, and that British multinationals have lower levels of investment and intermediate use per employee. We also find that foreign-owned multinationals conduct a substantial amount of UK R&D. We discuss the implications of these and other findings for the policy debate on incentives to influence multinational firms’ location choices

Space environmental work simulator Patent

Space environmental work simulator with portions of space suit mounted to vacuum chamber wal

Agglomeration, regional grants and firm location

We examine whether discretionary government grants influence the location ofnew plants, and how effective these incentives are in the presence of agglomeration andurbanisation externalities. We find evidence that regional industrial structure affects thelocation of new entrants. Firms in more agglomerated industries locate new plants near toothers in the same industry. Firms are also attracted to industrially diversified locations.Foreign multinationals locate new plants near to other foreign-owned plants in the sameindustry. Fiscal incentives in the form of grants are found to have some effect in attractingplants to specific geographic areas eligible for such aid. We examine whether discretionary government grants influence the location ofnew plants, and how effective these incentives are in the presence of agglomeration andurbanisation externalities. We find evidence that regional industrial structure affects thelocation of new entrants. Firms in more agglomerated industries locate new plants near toothers in the same industry. Firms are also attracted to industrially diversified locations.Foreign multinationals locate new plants near to other foreign-owned plants in the sameindustry. Fiscal incentives in the form of grants are found to have some effect in attractingplants to specific geographic areas eligible for such aid

Increasing innovative activity in the UK? Where now for government support for innovation and technology transfer?

In this Briefing Note, we present new evidence on the UK’s innovative performance and provide a summary of government business support programmes aimed at fostering innovative activity and technology transfer. Following recent reviews of policy in this area, there remain a number of such schemes in operation. We discuss the rationales for each, including the extent to which they overlap, and suggest some ways in which evidence on take-up and on effectiveness might be used to guide any future policy changes in this area

Product market reform and innovation in the EU

European Union countries have implemented widespread reforms to productmarkets in order to stimulate competition, innovation and economic growth. We provideempirical evidence that the reforms carried out under the EU Single Market Programme(SMP) were associated with increased product market competition, as measured by areduction in average profitability, and with a subsequent increase in innovation intensityand productivity growth for manufacturing sectors. In our analysis we exploit exogenousvariation in the expected impact of the SMP across countries and industries to identify theeffects of reforms on average profitability, and the effects of profitability on innovationand productivity growth. European Union countries have implemented widespread reforms to productmarkets in order to stimulate competition, innovation and economic growth. We provideempirical evidence that the reforms carried out under the EU Single Market Programme(SMP) were associated with increased product market competition, as measured by areduction in average profitability, and with a subsequent increase in innovation intensityand productivity growth for manufacturing sectors. In our analysis we exploit exogenousvariation in the expected impact of the SMP across countries and industries to identify theeffects of reforms on average profitability, and the effects of profitability on innovationand productivity growth

Radiator deployment actuator Patent

Hydraulic actuator design for space deployment of heat radiator