Comparing transport emissions and impacts for energy recovery from domestic waste (EfW): centralised and distributed disposal options for two UK Counties

Many local authorities (LAs) are currently working to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) sent to landfill. The recovery of energy from waste (EfW) can assist in meeting both of these objectives. The choice of an EfW policy combines spatial and non-spatial decisions which may be handled using Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This paper addresses the impact of transporting MSW to EfW facilities, analysed as part of a larger decision support system designed to make an overall policy assessment of centralised (large-scale) and distributed (local-scale) approaches. Custom-written ArcMap extensions are used to compare centralised versus distributed approaches, using shortest-path routing based on expected road speed. Results are intersected with 1-kilometre grids and census geographies for meaningful maps of cumulative impact. Case studies are described for two counties in the United Kingdom (UK); Cornwall and Warwickshire. For both case study areas, centralised scenarios generate more traffic, fuel costs and emitted carbon per tonne of MSW processed.

The influence of twist drill design on rigidity and chip disposal

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Innovation, networking and globalisation:the role of regional innovation systems in the global innovation process

In the global economy, innovation is one of the most important competitive assets for companies willing to compete in international markets. As competition moves from standardised products to customised ones, depending on each specific market needs, economies of scale are not anymore the only winning strategy. Innovation requires firms to establish processes to acquire and absorb new knowledge, leading to the recent theory of Open Innovation. Knowledge sharing and acquisition happens when firms are embedded in networks with other firms, university, institutions and many other economic actors. Several typologies of innovation and firm networks have been identified, with various geographical spans. One of the first being modelled was the Industrial Cluster (or in Italian Distretto Industriale) which was for long considered the benchmark for innovation and economic development. Other kind of networks have been modelled since the late 1970s; Regional Innovation Systems represent one of the latest and more diffuse model of innovation networks, specifically introduced to combine local networks and the global economy. This model was qualitatively exploited since its introduction, but, together with National Innovation Systems, is among the most inspiring for policy makers and is often cited by them, not always properly. The aim of this research is to setup an econometric model describing Regional Innovation Systems, becoming one the first attempts to test and enhance this theory with a quantitative approach. A dataset of 104 secondary and primary data from European regions was built in order to run a multiple linear regression, testing if Regional Innovation Systems are really correlated to regional innovation and regional innovation in cooperation with foreign partners. Furthermore, an exploratory multiple linear regression was performed to verify which variables, among those describing a Regional Innovation Systems, are the most significant for innovating, alone or with foreign partners. Furthermore, the effectiveness of present innovation policies has been tested based on the findings of the econometric model. The developed model confirmed the role of Regional Innovation Systems for creating innovation even in cooperation with international partners: this represents one of the firsts quantitative confirmation of a theory previously based on qualitative models only. Furthermore the results of this model confirmed a minor influence of National Innovation Systems: comparing the analysis of existing innovation policies, both at regional and national level, to our findings, emerged the need for potential a pivotal change in the direction currently followed by policy makers. Last, while confirming the role of the presence a learning environment in a region and the catalyst role of regional administration, this research offers a potential new perspective for the whole private sector in creating a Regional Innovation System.

Comparing regional organizations in global multilateral institutions:ASEAN, the EU and the UN

Structural change brought about by the end of the Cold War and accelerated globalisation have transformed the global environment. A global governance complex is emerging, characterised by an ever-greater functional and regulatory role for multilateral organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and its associated agencies. The evolving global governance framework has created opportunities for regional organisations to participate as actors within the UN (and other multilateral institutions). This article compares the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as actors within the UN network. It begins by extrapolating framework conditions for the emergence of EU and ASEAN actorness from the literature. The core argument of this article is that EU and ASEAN actorness is evolving in two succinct stages: Changes in the global environment create opportunities for the participation of regional organisations in global governance institutions, exposing representation and cohesion problems at the regional level. In response, ASEAN and the EU have initiated processes of institutional adaptation.

Industrial districts, inward foreign investment and regional development

This article compares the importance of agglomerations of local firms, and inward FDI as drivers of regional development. The empirical analysis exploits a unique panel dataset of the Italian manufacturing sector at the regional and industry levels. We explore whether FDI and firm agglomeration can be drivers of total factor productivity (separately and jointly), with this effect being robust to different estimators, and different assumptions about inter-regional effects. In particular, we isolate one form of firm agglomeration that is especially relevant in the Italian context, industrial districts, in order to ascertain their impact on productivity. In so doing, we distinguish standard agglomeration and localization economies from industrial districts to understand what additional impact the latter has on standard agglomeration effects. Interaction effects between FDI spillovers and different types of agglomeration economies shed some light on the heterogeneity of regional development patterns as well as on the opportunity to fine tune policy measures to specific regional contexts.

Regional competitiveness:theories and methodologies for empirical analysis

A significant forum of scholarly and practitioner-based research has developed in recent years that has sought both to theorize upon and empirically measure the competitiveness of regions. However, the disparate and fragmented nature of this work has led to the lack of a substantive theoretical foundation underpinning the various analyses and measurement methodologies employed. The aim of this paper is to place the regional competitiveness discourse within the context of theories of economic growth, and more particularly, those concerning regional economic growth. It is argued that regional competitiveness models are usually implicitly constructed in the lineage of endogenous growth frameworks, whereby deliberate investments in factors such as human capital and knowledge are considered to be key drivers of growth differentials. This leads to the suggestion that regional competitiveness can be usefully defined as the capacity and capability of regions to achieve economic growth relative to other regions at a similar overall stage of economic development, which will usually be within their own nation or continental bloc. The paper further assesses future avenues for theoretical and methodological exploration, highlighting the role of institutions, resilience and, well-being in understanding how the competitiveness of regions influences their long-term evolution.

Inward investment, transaction linkages and productivity spillovers

The article examines the extent to which foreign manufacturing firms in the UK promote productivity growth in the domestically owned manufacturing sector through their buying and supplying relationships. Evidence for intra- and inter-regional externalities from the presence of foreign manufacturing, and intraand inter-industry effects is brought to light. Externalities in the domestic sector are most noticeable where foreign manufacturing sells to domestic manufacturing. These externalities are, however, not wholly robust to different specifications of spatial dependence. The findings are positioned in a debate, which has tended to view backward (as opposed to forward) linkages from multinationals to domestically owned supply bases as a critical driver of indirect economic benefits. © RSAI 2004.

Outsourcing in the innovation process: locational and strategic determinants

There is now substantial evidence that locational and agglomeration influences can have a significant positive effect on innovation performance. Networking and boundary-spanning activities are also increasingly recognised as important contributors to innovation success. In this article we attempt to discover whether these factors are associated: in particular, is there any link between plant location, agglomeration effects and the extent of outsourcing in the innovation process? Using data for a large sample of UK and German manufacturing plants, we find that organisational and strategic factors play a much greater and more consistent role than locational influences in shaping the level of outsourcing in the innovation process. Strategic approaches to outsourcing may also benefit plants in obtaining economies of scope in the management or governance of outsourcing within the innovation process.

The stratigraphy of the Fishguard volcanic complex and associated sediments, SW Dyfed, Wales

This thesis describes the geology of a Lower Palaeozoic terrain, situated west of the town of Fishguard, SW Dyfed, Wales. The area is dominated by the Fishguard Volcanic Complex (Upper Llanvirn), and sediments that range in age from the Middle Cambrian to the Lower Llandeilo. The successions represent an insight into sedimentation and volcanism for c. 100 Ma. along the south-western margin of the Lower Palaeozoic Welsh Basin. The stratigraphy of the sedimentary sequence has been completely revised and the existing volcanostratigraphy modified. The observed complexity of the stratigraphy is primarily the consequence of Caldedonide deformation which resulted in large scale repetition. Fold-thrust tectonics dominates the structural style of the area. Caledonide trending (NE-SW) cross-faults complicate preexisting structures. Middle Cambrian (?) sedimentation is documented by shallow marine clastics and red shales deposited within tidal - subtidal environments. Upper Cambrian sedimentation was dominated by shallow marine `storm' and `fair weather' sedimentation within a muddy shelf environment. Shallow marine conglomerates and heterolithic intertidal siliciclastics mark the onset of Ordovician sedimentation during the lower Arenig transgression. Mid-Arenig sediments reflect deposits influenced by storm, fair-weather and wave related processes in various shallow marine environments, including; shoreface, inner shelf, shoaling bar, and deltaic. Graptolitic marine shales were deposited from the upper mid-Arenig through to the lower Llandeilo; during which time sediments accumulated by pelagic processes and fine grained turbidites. The varied nature of sedimentation reflects both localised change within the depositional system and the influence of larger regional eustatic events. Ordovician subaqueous volcanic activity produced thick accumulations of lavas, pyroclastics, hydroclastics, and hyaloclastics. The majority of volcanism was effusive in nature, erupted below the Pressure Compensation Level. Basaltic volcanism was characterised by pillowed lavas and tube networks, whilst sheet-flow lavas, pillow breccias and minor hyaloclastites developed locally. Silicic volcanism was dominated by rhyolitic clastics of various affinities, although coherent silicic obsidian lavas, sheet-flow lavas and pyroclastics developed. Hypabyssal intrusives of variable composition and habit occur throughout the volcanic successions. Low-grade regional metamorphism has variably affected the area, conditions of the prehnite-pumpellyite and greenschist facies having been attained. Numerous secondary phases developed in response to the conditions imposed, which collectively indicate that P-T conditions were of low-pressure facies series in the range P= 1.2-2.0 kbars and T= 230-350oC, under an elevated geothermal gradient of 40-45oC km-1. Polymineralic cataclastites associated with Caledonide deformation indicate that tectonism and metamorphism were in part contemporaneous.

Obstacles and solutions to maximising biodiversity in major urban development schemes

The current rate of global biodiversity loss led many governments to sign the international agreement ‘Halting Biodiversity Loss by 2010 and beyond’ in 2001. The UK government was one of these and has a number of methods to tackle this, such as: commissioning specific technical guidance and supporting the UK Biodiversity Acton Plan (BAP) targets. However, by far the most effective influence the government has upon current biodiversity levels is through the town planning system. This is due to the control it has over all phases of a new development scheme’s lifecycle.There is an increasing myriad of regulations, policies and legislation, which deal with biodiversity protection and enhancement across the hierarchical spectrum: from the global and European level, down to regional and local levels. With these drivers in place, coupled with the promotion of benefits and incentives, increasing biodiversity value ought to be an achievable goal on most, if not all development sites. However, in the professional world, this is not the case due to a number of obstructions. Many of these tend to be ‘process’ barriers, which are particularly prevalent with ‘urban’ and ‘major’ development schemes, and is where the focus of this research paper lies.The paper summarises and discusses the results of a questionnaire survey, regarding obstacles to maximising biodiversity enhancements on major urban development schemes. The questionnaire was completed by Local Government Ecologists in England. The paper additionally refers to insights from previous action research, specialist interviews, and case studies, to reveal the key process obstacles.Solutions to these obstacles are then alluded to and recommendations are made within the discussion.

How transition paths differ:enterprise performance in Russia and China

We use enterprise survey data to analyse and contrast the determinants of enterprise performance in China and Russia. We find that in China, enterprise growth and efficiency is associated with rapid increases in factor inputs, and with ownership to a lesser extent, but not greatly correlated with industry-specific or institutional factors. However, in Russia, enterprise growth is not associated with improvements in factor quantity (except for labor) or quality. The main determinants of company performance are instead demand and institutional factors at a regional level. The findings are robust across a variety of specifications.

Independent modulation of engagement and connectivity of the facial network during affect processing by CACNA1C and ANK3 risk genes for bipolar disorder

IMPORTANCE Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) indicate that single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the CACNA1C and ANK3 genes increase the risk for bipolar disorder (BD). The genes influence neuronal firing by modulating calcium and sodium channel functions, respectively. Both genes modulate ?-aminobutyric acid-transmitting interneuron function and can thus affect brain regional activation and interregional connectivity. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the genetic risk for BD associated with 2 GWAS-supported risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms at CACNA1C rs1006737 and ANK3 rs10994336 is mediated through changes in regional activation and interregional connectivity of the facial affect-processing network. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging study at a research institute of 41 euthymic patients with BD and 46 healthy participants, all of British white descent. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Blood oxygen level-dependent signal and effective connectivity measures during the facial affect-processing task. RESULTS In healthy carriers, both genetic risk variants were independently associated with increased regional engagement throughout the facial affect-processing network and increased effective connectivity between the visual and ventral prefrontal cortical regions. In contrast, BD carriers of either genetic risk variant exhibited pronounced reduction in ventral prefrontal cortical activation and visual-prefrontal effective connectivity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Our data demonstrate that the effect of CACNA1C rs1006737 and ANK3 rs10994336 (or genetic variants in linkage disequilibrium) on the brain converges on the neural circuitry involved in affect processing and provides a mechanism linking BD to genome-wide genetic risk variants.