Firms’ rationales for interaction with research universities and the principles for public co-funding

R&D managers at 50 firms who have formal relations with two research universities in Stockholm are interviewed about their rationales for collaboration. Drawing on this material, a distinctive typology of rationales for establishing cooperative relations is presented. While the typology demonstrates a considerable breadth of interaction rationales, rationales related to innovation, in terms of invented or improved products or processes, are found to be the main drivers for interaction. Based on this framework, we analyse which rationales for interaction are consistent with public rationales for supporting university-industry relationships. Public co-funding that allow firms to influence (part of) the academic agenda is identified as a particularly interesting case that requires further theoretical attention.     

Estimation of explosive charge mass used for explosions on concrete surface for the forensic purpose

The method of choice used by most terrorists for achieving political goals remains the utilization of explosive devices and there is always visible evidence at a crime scene after the deployment of such devices. Given favorable circumstances, forensic analysis can determine the cause of the explosion — the type of the explosive device, the means of detonation, the type and mass of the explosive charge that has been used and perhaps provide information to lead to the identity of the individual who may have constructed or deployed the explosive device, etc. Evidence of an explosion may take the form of a crater or other damage which may provide some information facilitating and estimating the mass of explosive material used. This paper reports the findings obtained by performing experimental explosions of known charges on a concrete surface, in order to establish the correlation between the charge weight and the effects of the explosion. Known masses of explosives were fired and the dimensions of craters made by explosions were measured. Five empirical equations for estimation of the explosive charge mass from crater dimensions were used.     

On State, Identity and Rights: Putting Identity First

The paper considers the nature of the state understood as the political unity articulated on the basis of a collective identity which provides the state with its capacity to make decisions. The foremost decision of the state to protect and defend this identity is the source of its authority to enforce laws. Collective identity thus represents an object of special interest, unlike both ??political?? interests (Millian other-regarding acts) and private interests (Millian self-regarding acts). The validation of laws through this special interest is a necessary condition for both of these latter kinds of interests to materialize. Hence, unlike the Millian thesis of two different kinds of interests (self- and other-regarding), here we take that there are three types or spheres of interests. Any conception of rights, then, will cover a subset of interests found in the domains of all of those three types of interests: in the domain of political interest the issue concerns selection among competing sets of legitimate interests, within the domain of private interests the point is to discern those that will be protected by law, while the third type of interests, the object of which is a unique collective identity and its defining specificity, represents an overarching interest that is embedded in any legitimate collective concern. In this scheme, well-suited for democratic theory, the majority/minority discourse is a matter of distinguishing which particular set of legitimate interests is chosen to be dominant (e.g., which political party is in power) and which ones are waiting for the opportunity to achieve their transformation from minority (opposition) to majority (i. e. government). If, however, there is no well-defined collective identity, minorities acquire a new meaning. Rather than being possible future majorities, they form a nucleus of competing collective identities with, sometimes hopeless but still alive, aspirations to sovereignty. Thus they become sources of likely conflicts that may go well beyond political controversies.     

Ownership structure, regulation and the market for corporate control in the EU banking sector

This paper analyzes the efficiency of shareholder control and hostile takeovers as corporate governance mechanisms in the EU banking sector against the background of the existing corporate governance regulations and different ownership structures of banks in the EU. The results indicate the there is trade-off in EU corporate governance regulation between better investor protection and a higher efficiency of the market for corporate control. The main problem is differences in the ownership structure of banks in the EU banking sector. This implies that EU corporate governance regulations should be customized to the specific ownership structure of banks and not toward harmonising national regulations.     

Dan ?t’astny: The Economics of Economics

The Economics of Economics (2010) by Dan ?t??astny extends the economic approach of public choice and law and economics to see how economists behave so as to improve their well being in the world of uncertainty, scarcity and institutions. According to ?t??astny, economists have been adjusting their behavior to the changing institutional environment and, consequently, ended up policy irrelevant. The book review provides an assessment of the model ?t??astny employs. On the one hand, ?t??astny offers a looking glass that helps seeing the decision making process of an economist from a price theory perspective. I suggest, on the other hand, that the model would be more accurate had it not considered preferences constant. In fact, the evolution of economists?? preferences and the changing sense of praiseworthiness is what the model should try to explain.     

Neue Perspektiven der Gemeindezusammenarbeit? Die B-VG-Novelle BGBl I 60/2011 und ihre Relevanz für die interkommunale Kooperation

Die B-VG-Novelle BGBl I 60/2011 enth?lt einige wichtige Neuerungen in den verfassungsrechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen der interkommunalen Kooperation. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei der Gemeindeverband als zentrale Institution der Gemeindezusammenarbeit in ?sterreich. Allerdings verdient auch das neu eingeführte Instrument der ?ffentlich-rechtlichen Vereinbarungen von Gemeinden Interesse. Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert die neue Verfassungsrechtslage und prüft ihre Relevanz für die künftige Gemeindezusammenarbeit.     

RNA/DNA co-analysis from blood stains—Results of a second collaborative EDNAP exercise

A second collaborative exercise on RNA/DNA co-analysis for body fluid identification and STR profiling was organized by the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP). Six human blood stains, two blood dilution series (5-0.001 μl blood) and, optionally, bona fide or mock casework samples of human or non-human origin were analyzed by the participating laboratories using a RNA/DNA co-extraction or solely RNA extraction method. Two novel mRNA multiplexes were used for the identification of blood: a highly sensitive duplex (HBA, HBB) and a moderately sensitive pentaplex (ALAS2, CD3G, ANK1, SPTB and PBGD). The laboratories used different chemistries and instrumentation. All of the 18 participating laboratories were able to successfully isolate and detect mRNA in dried blood stains. Thirteen laboratories simultaneously extracted RNA and DNA from individual stains and were able to utilize mRNA profiling to confirm the presence of blood and to obtain autosomal STR profiles from the blood stain donors. The positive identification of blood and good quality DNA profiles were also obtained from old and compromised casework samples. The method proved to be reproducible and sensitive using different analysis strategies. The results of this collaborative exercise involving a RNA/DNA co-extraction strategy support the potential use of an mRNA based system for the identification of blood in forensic casework that is compatible with current DNA analysis methodology.     

The influence of functional and geographical diversity in collaboration on product innovation performance in SMEs

Collaboration in innovation is considered an effective strategy to overcome barriers to innovate in SMEs. However, resource constraints and risk of knowledge leakage force management in SMEs to be selective with whom and where to collaborate. Still little is known about interactions between types of partners and their geographical location. This paper sheds new light on the relation between functional and geographical diversity in innovation partners and new-to-the-market and new-to-the-firm innovation performance in SMEs. Using data from two waves (2008 and 2010) of the Community Innovation Survey for Belgium, a positive relation is found between market partners and innovation new-to-the-firm, and between science and global partners and innovation new-to-the-market. A larger diversity in type and in geographical spread of partners is found to be positively associated with innovation new-to-the-market. Cooperation with a diverse set of market partners enhances new-to-the-firm innovation. More diversity in science partners enhances the balance between new-to-the-firm and new-to-the-market innovation. Diversity among international partners enhances new-to-the-firm and new-to-the-market innovation, but not the balance between both. A cooperation strategy balancing functional with geographical partner diversity enhances the balance between new-to-the-firm versus new-to-the-market innovation.     

Feminism and the Gender Recognition Act 2004

This paper argues, first, that the legal construction of transsexualism is a matter of interest, not only to members of the trans community, but to all students of gender, including feminists. The paper then proceeds to explain and analyse, using feminist perspectives, key aspects of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in the light of the recent caselaw concerning the rights of trans persons. The 2004 Act, it is argued, is a conservative move, which attempts to deny the threat transsexualism poses to the binary system of gender, by instigating a system to formally ‘recognise’ only men and or women. However, the way in which the Act constructs the public/private divide and the mind/body relation carries potential for legal recognition of subject positions which may in a variety of ways be ‘beyond’ the binary system that is currently orthodox. The paper can as such be read as a case study in the legal (re)construction of gender, the gender/sex relation, and the widespread tendency to construct gender conservatively.