Defining and measuring urban regions: A sensitivity analysis

This paper evaluates the impact of alternative city boundary definitions on economic performance. First we discuss the theoretical background and motivate the empirical work. Then we present the methodological concept of the sensitivity analysis, which will be applied to a variety of data of Zurich and Bern (the financial and the administrative centres of Switzerland) in order to see how the values of different indicators vary depending on the definition adopted. Finally we will show whether the empirical patterns found are statistically significant. The analysis shows, that the delimitation of a city or city region indeed matters.

Segmentation and Segregation Patterns of Women-Owned High-Tech Firms in Four Metropolitan Regions in the United States

Mayer H. Segmentation and segregation patterns of women-owned high-tech firms in four metropolitan regions in the United States, Regional Studies. The number of women starting and owning a business has increased dramatically and female entrepreneurs are entering non-traditional sectors such as high technology, construction and manufacturing. This paper investigates the trends in high-tech entrepreneurship by women in four US metropolitan regions (Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; and Portland, Oregon). The research examines the sectoral and spatial segmentation patterns of women-owned high-tech firms. Although women are entering non-traditional sectors, the research finds that women entrepreneurs tend to own businesses in female-typed high-tech sectors. In established high-tech regions like Silicon Valley and Boston, male-typed and female-typed women-owned high-tech firms differ significantly in terms of sectoral and spatial segmentation regardless of firm age. While differences between male-typed and female-typed firms are not significant at the regional level for Washington, DC, the analysis shows significant intra-metropolitan differences for the female-typed high-tech firms. The paper concludes that sectoral and spatial segmentation are powerful dynamics that shape business ownership by women in high technology.

Research for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change: Research for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change. A Transdisciplinary Appraisal of Selected Regions of the World to Prepare Development-Oriented Research Partnerships

The present publication is the final outcome of the "Syndrome Pre-SynthesisProject" (SPSP), a preparatory project initiated in 2001 to pave the way for the NCCR North-South. The SPSP applied a transdisciplinary approach to identify research partnerships for development in 8 regions of the world. The primary aim of the present publication is to present an initial synthesis of core problems in each region, of the status and focus of related research, and of corresponding new research needs. Based on the results of this participatory process, the NCCR North-South programme has followed up on the outcomes of the regional syntheses by identifying future research aims along the general lines determined in the workshops.

Narrow dust jets in a diffuse gas coma: a natural product of small active regions on comets

Comets often display narrow dust jets but more diffuse gas comae when their eccentric orbits bring them into the inner solar system and sunlight sublimates the ice on the nucleus. Comets are also understood to have one or more active areas covering only a fraction of the total surface active with sublimating volatile ices. Calculations of the gas and dust distribution from a small active area on a comet’s nucleus show that as the gas moves out radially into the vacuum of space it expands tangentially, filling much of the hemisphere centered on the active region. The dust dragged by the gas remains more concentrated over the active area. This explains some puzzling appearances of comets having collimated dust jets but more diffuse gaseous atmospheres. Our test case is 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission target comet, whose activity is dominated by a single area covering only 4% of its surface.

Primary structure and evolutionary relationship between the adult alpha-globin genes and their 5'-flanking regions of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus tropicalis

To investigate the evolution of globin genes in the genus Xenopus, we have determined the primary structure of the related adult alpha I- and alpha II-globin genes of X. laevis and of the adult alpha-globin gene of X. tropicalis, including their 5'-flanking regions. All three genes are comprised of three exons and two introns at homologous positions. The exons are highly conserved and code for 141 amino acids. By contrast, the corresponding introns vary in length and show considerable divergence. Comparison of 900 bp of the 5'-flanking region revealed that the X. tropicalis gene contains a conserved proximal 310-bp promoter sequence, comprised of the canonical TATA and CCAAT motifs at homologous positions, and five conserved elements in the same order and at similar positions as previously shown for the corresponding genes of X. laevis. We therefore conclude that these conserved upstream elements may represent regulatory sequences for cell-specific regulation of the adult Xenopus globin genes.

An intergenic non-coding RNA targets and regulates the ribosome in H. volcanii

As translation is the final step in gene expression it is particularly important to understand the processes involved in translation regulation. It was shown in the last years that a class of RNA, the non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), is involved in regulation of gene expression via various mechanisms (e.g. gene silencing by microRNAs). Almost all of these ncRNA discovered so far target the mRNA in order to modulate protein biosynthesis, this is rather unexpected considering the crucial role of the ribosome during gene expression. However, recent data from our laboratory showed that there is a new class of ncRNAs, which target the ribosome itself [Gebetsberger et al., 2012/ Pircher et al, 2014]. These so called ribosome-associated ncRNAs (rancRNAs) have an impact on translation regulation, mainly by interfering / modulating the rate of protein biosynthesis. The main goal of this project is to identify and describe novel potential regulatory rancRNAs in H. volcanii with the focus on intergenic candidates. Northern blot analyses already revealed interactions with the ribosome and showed differential expression of rancRNAs during different growth phases or under specific stress conditions. To investigate the biological relevance of these rancRNAs, knock-outs were generated in H. volcanii which were used for phenotypic characterization studies. The rancRNA s194 showed association with the 50S ribosomal subunit in vitro and in vivo and was capable of inhibiting peptide bond formation and seems to inhibit translation in vitro. These preliminary data for the rancRNA s194 make it an interesting candidate for further functional studies to identify the molecular mechanisms by which rancRNAs can modulate protein biosynthesis. Characterization of further rancRNA candidates are also underway.

Domains of importance to the quality of life of older people from two Swiss regions

BACKGROUND Quality of life (QoL) is a subjective perception whose components may vary in importance between individuals. Little is known about which domains of QoL older people deem most important. OBJECTIVE This study investigated in community-dwelling older people the relationships between the importance given to domains defining their QoL and socioeconomic, demographic and health status. METHODS Data were compiled from older people enrolled in the Lc65+ cohort study and two additional, population-based, stratified random samples (n = 5,300). Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to determine the underlying domains among 28 items that participants defined as important to their QoL. The components extracted were used as dependent variables in multiple linear regression models to explore their associations with socioeconomic, demographic and health status. RESULTS PCA identified seven domains that older persons considered important to their QoL. In order of importance (highest to lowest): feeling of safety, health and mobility, autonomy, close entourage, material resources, esteem and recognition, and social and cultural life. A total of six and five domains of importance were significantly associated with education and depressive symptoms, respectively. The importance of material resources was significantly associated with a good financial situation (β = 0.16, P = 0.011), as was close entourage with living with others (β = 0.20, P = 0.007) and as was health and mobility with age (β = -0.16, P = 0.014). CONCLUSION The importance older people give to domains of their QoL appears strongly related to their actual resources and experienced losses. These findings may help clinicians, researchers and policy makers better adapt strategies to individuals' needs.