Narrow Results

The multi-species ecological system with cyclic dominance and vacant sites is studied. The theme is the forming problem of species' defensive alliances in the corresponding systems. György Szabó and Gustavo Arial Sznaider have discussed the forming problem of species' defensive alliance in Phys. Rev. E69, 031911 (2004). Now, this problem is discussed in depth. The following conclusions are obtained: Firstly, the necessary and sufficient condition of forming defensive alliances is that the number of species is even. Secondly, in the condition where the number of species is an even number, for any density of vacant sites, there is three forms of defensive alliance as follow:

• Deadlock — the habitats of specie's individuals in each alliance interweave together.

• Relative preponderance — the different of the number of species' individuals between the two defensive alliances keeps steadily.

• Absolute preponderance — the different of the number of species' individuals between the two defensive alliances enlarges continuously.

This paper discusses the relations between the number of species and the forming of the defensive alliances, and shows the corresponding three statistical distributions of discrete density of vacant sites when there are four species.

Overgrazing in a nonmigrating caribou population, in the absence of predators, is simulated using the Penna life-history model. Despite the lack of natural enemies, the population size may not increase permanently. A balanced ecosystem with moderate predation gives better results.

AUSTRALIA – Aussie Meteorite Yields Anti-Epileptic Amino Acid.

AUSTRALIA – Novel Partnership Could Transform Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

AUSTRALIA – University of Sydney Academics Laud Sunbed Ban.

AUSTRALIA – Australian Universities Losing Appeal to Asians.

INDIA – New Nanobiotechnology Lab in Gurgaon.

INDIA – China, India, and Myanmar Collaborate to Develop Brahmaputra-Salween Ecosystem.

INDIA – Incredible India – Now Polio-Free.

INDIA – Increase Women's Participation in Science for Over-All Development of Nation.

JAPAN – DNA Motor Now Can Navigate Networks.

JAPAN – RIKEN's Diagnosis Technique Detects H1N1 at Record Speed.

JAPAN – New Hotspot on Rice Chromosome Could Yield Improved Varieties.

OTHER REGIONS — Delivering RNAi the Spongy Way.

One Step Closer to Predicting Cancer Risk.

China Reveals Plans for National Lab System.

CSA Group Grants Philips Suzhou its First CPC Laboratory Qualification in China.

China-Myanmar Established Biodiversity Research Institute Unveiled in Nay Pyi Taw.

Athenex and Beijing Sciecure Pharmaceutical Announce Binding Agreement to Launch and Market Five Injectable Pharmaceutical Products in North America.

MicuRx Initiates Phase 3 Clinical Trial for MRX-I, A New Potent Oral Antibiotic Against Gram-positive Bacteria, Including MRSA.

WuXi AppTec Receives Inaugural "Company of the Year" Award from BayHelix.

The US FDA Granted Orphan Drug Designation to Yisheng Biopharma's Biological Product for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

China Promotes Sci-Tech Cooperation Along Belt and Road.

Infinitus launches Joint Laboratory for the Research of Modern Preparation Technology with Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Mundipharma and Helsinn Group Expand Exclusive Licensing and Distribution Agreements for Leading Anti-emetic Products in Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Indonesia.

Leading Regional Medical Technology Trade Associations Reinforce their Commitment to Evidence-based Healthcare.

Lonza Expands Airway Disease Portfolio with Addition of IPF Airway Cells.

Boston Scientific Launches Interventional Cardiology Online Education Portal for Physicians.

Pfizer Presented Data from PALOMA-2 Phase 3 Study Demonstrating Clinical Benefit of IBRANCE^® (palbociclib) in Asian Women with ER+, HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Global Healthcare Systems at Pivotal Point as Technology Offers Solutions to Industry Challenges – The Economist Intelligence Unit.

Cellectricon and Censo Biotechnologies Introduce a Joint Technology Access Program Utilizing High-Quality Human iPSC-based Discovery Services for CNS and Pain Research.

The concept of ecosystem has been largely used to indicate the network of complementary actors, resources and relationships required to succeed in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial initiatives. The development of ecosystems has been mostly considered as a region and industry-independent issue. This paper discusses the relevance of fostering the creation of more entrepreneur-centric ecosystems (“EGO-Systems”) to support an effective idea-to-venture process. A model is presented which includes five components (entrepreneurial actor, stakeholders, project, roadmap, flows) and it is addressed to support technology entrepreneurship initiatives through an innovative approach which is glocal, project-specific and dynamic.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the most relevant conceptualizations of innovation taken into account by scholars, and the linkages among them. Over time, the increasing interest in this area has involved a great variety of actors and contexts in establishing the definition of different innovation labels; we chose to focus the analysis on “system innovation”, “network innovation” and “ecosystem innovation”. In order to observe the most relevant elements of each research stream and common aspects, a two-step analysis of literature contributions has been performed through a bibliometric analysis comparing the evidence emerging from one survey of keywords provided by authors and a second of keywords provided by editors. Through this kind of investigation the editors’ keywords emerged as more objective, but nevertheless, by considering some of the different evidences obtained from the keywords provided by authors, the two-step analysis is useful to provide more complete results.

The founders of startups in Sergipe state, Brazil, began to unite in 2012, with a purpose of strengthening the innovation ecosystem in the state. The aim of this paper was to deepen the knowledge about the entrepreneurs’ movement entitled “Caju Valley”, in order to propose measures to strengthen the group. From the analysis realized, it was possible to observe that the Caju Valley group, although being important to the startups’ ecosystem, still suffers due to the lack of balance between the various stakeholders, and also faces the lack of maturity of the entrepreneurs, timid or suspicious investors, accelerators without effective action and incubators with low effectivity.

We aim to establish the relationship between the stakeholders who are part of the Open-Access Ecosystem (OAE). The study was developed from an ecosystem approach, analyzing the actors and their relationships. As a result, we proposed a simplified view of the main components of an OAE and the relationships between them, which could be useful for understanding the roles of the different stakeholders and the implications that current and new policies and mandates could have for them.

The December 26, 2004 tsunami has caused extensive damage in the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India, affecting 115.36 km of coastline. In order to identify the impacts of tsunami in South Andaman of the Andaman Islands, the study has been carried out using satellite data for pre-tsunami (Feb. 2003) and post-tsunami (March 2005). This paper provides an assessment of damages caused by tsunami and suitable resettlement places for the people using remote sensing and GIS technology. Assessment of tsunami inflicted damage to island ecosystems assumes greater importance owing to their life-sustaining and livelihood support abilities. Apart from the reparation caused to life and property, significant damage has afflicted the ecosystem, which will have long lasting effects. The tsunami-induced damage to coastal ecosystems was studied based on coastal landuse, geomorphology and coastal critical habitat for South Andaman Island using remote sensing and GIS. An area of 3,366 ha of land area was affected by tsunami. Within the coastal ecosystem, coral reef and mangrove were also severely affected. The study of landforms shows that the land is submerged. The severity of damages and their consequences suggest the need for a definite restoration ecology programme.

Of late, technology entrepreneurship and ecosystem for technology based start-ups are attracting the attention of policy makers and empirical researchers alike, across the world. In India, Bangalore has been receiving increased global recognition as a tech start-up hub; as of now, Bangalore is considered to be the home for the largest number of tech start-ups in the country and third largest in the world. An important factor that contributed to this “status and recognition” of Bangalore is the emergence of a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem, which supports and promotes tech start-ups. Given this, it is important to understand how a favorable entrepreneurial ecosystem for tech start-ups emerged in Bangalore. What are its major components? What role do these components play in different stages of the life cycle of tech start-ups in Bangalore? How mature is the ecosystem of Bangalore to support the emergence, sustenance and growth of tech start-ups to nurture them? What are the key lessons that can be derived out of the Bangalore tech hub experience? This article is an attempt to shed light on these issues.

This paper explores how competences are developed for values-based innovation. We conduct action research to develop a values-based network–an ecosystemic project; we propose a Values-Based Innovation Competence Model (VBIC). Based on values-based innovation, innovation pedagogy and activity theory, the model presents the process of developing competences based on a system of activities with prerequisites, triggering factors and an expansive learning cycle. We discovered three additional competences that lead to the development of a values network: sensemaking, forecasting, and the meta-competence of orchestration. We also found that competences develop over time, with a hierarchical relationship between them. This model aims to help universities educate their students and organisations to facilitate values-based innovation.

The incorporation of integrated water cycle management into urban design is essential for urban sustainability. This paper provides insight into the evolution of Low Impact Urban Design and Development (LIUDD). It explores changes in urban design and infrastructure that reduce or avoid adverse biophysical effects that have contributed to the decline of aquatic biotic integrity following urban intensification in catchments. Recent practices in Canada, the United States and New Zealand offset receiving water ecosystem degradation by maximising catchment stormwater infiltration at source, contaminant containment and catchment revegetation. Local soil, climate, maturity and density of urban form, and vegetation characteristics determine the balance between infiltration and evapotranspiration in application of techniques. Examples are cited of brownfield stormwater infiltration in the Netherlands (Ruwenbosch, Enschede), neighbourhood containment of water and waste cycles in Germany (Leipzig) and site-specific developments proving the cost-effectiveness of LIUDD. LIUDD, which is evolving from its origins in stormwater management, is making a major contribution to many facets of urban sustainability, including improved urban amenity and recreation, cost-effective infrastructure and biodiversity enhancement.

In this paper, we use Lyapunov approach to study the stability of an exploited fish population system. The model considered is structured in n age classes and includes a nonlinear polynomial stock-recruitment relationship. Lyapunov candidate functions is investigated and sufficient conditions for global asymptotic stability of the studied polynomial system are proposed to allow computational implementation. The results obtained extend our previous study focusing on the solution to the same problem solved using other tools of control engineering. The advantage of the proposed approach is that the derived conditions proving the stability of the studied systems can be presented as in inequality in general and feasibility tests. The obtained results are tested by numerical examples.

The application of fungicides for commercial purposes has grown in response to increased food demand and shifting disease patterns. However, there is a scarcity of studies demonstrating their proper degradation. Due to the expanding global population, there is a heightened need for more agriculture to fulfill the growing demand for food, and this necessitates safeguarding crops from pests and diseases. Disease outbreaks in crops can result in the loss of food and the depletion of valuable resources. According to the European Union, organic fungicides constitute 60% of all fungicide sales, while synthetic fungicides make up the remaining 40% of pesticide sales. Fungicide usage is indispensable but needs to be considered within the context of potential environmental risks. Nonetheless, there is a pressing need to break down fungicides to preserve the natural environment. Our research is centered on hybrid enzymes derived from S. marcescens, which exhibit the capability to degrade fungicides. We employed computational techniques to assess the enzymes’ effectiveness in breaking down fungicides. S. marcescens was isolated from soil and identified through 16s rRNA analysis. Chitanase and lipase, enzymes identified in S. marcescens, can individually break down fungicides, as confirmed by auto-dock vina docking simulations. Notably, the combined action of these two enzymes surpasses the performance of individual docking, a result also corroborated by auto-dock vina. To further establish the efficacy and degradability of this approach, computational techniques were employed. In the future, it may be possible to create an in vitro antifungal agent, which could be categorized as a bioactive agent.

In recent years, there has been a growing debate on the contributions to innovation contexts. This research aims to analyze the differences emerging from the conceptualization of contexts in the “innovation ecosystem” (IE) and its linkages to the innovation system (IS) and network concepts and depict the current research trends in innovation and their expected evolution.

Our methodological choice is a bibliometric analysis as it allows us to review and focus on the theoretical proposals by the scholars in detail. The research process has been conducted through a co-word analysis on the authors’ keywords as this approach is considered to be the most suitable to compare the dynamics of different research trends on a specific topic. The analysis was performed in two steps: the first based on all the research papers collected and the second based on a sub-dataset extrapolated from the main datasets on IS and innovation network (IN) literatures.

The results demonstrate that both IS and IN research streams are, in some ways, connected with the IE perspective. The definitions and concepts used in the IS and IN literatures have been identified as replicated in the ecosystem approach even if specific insights have been generated.

This chapter focuses on the important aspects of the business environment of Armenia. In the beginning an overview of historical, political and economic development of Armenia, since its inception, is provided. The work addresses the characteristics of the Armenian business framework conditions, with details describing the ecosystem dimensions. The chapter concludes with providing a brief outlook for the future and provides insights and few recommendations.

This chapter focuses on several important aspects of the business context of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a tiny desert kingdom linked to Saudi Arabia by the 25-km long King Fahd Causeway. The chapter provides an overview of the historical, political and economic development of Bahrain since its inception, followed by a discussion of characteristics of Bahraini business framework conditions, wherein details of the ecosystem dimensions are described. The chapter concludes with providing a brief outlook for the future and provides a few insights and recommendations.

The term “sustainability” has become a commonly used and widely accepted term in both an ecological sense and a business sense. In this chapter, sustainability is seen as part of something bigger and can be seen as an ecosystem. The objective is to understand and assess how service and quality research can be used to meet transformative societal practice in city contexts to build city ecosystem frameworks. The main purpose is to develop and conceptualize in an explorative way a multilevel ecosystem for societal practice in the city context. The multilevel ecosystem for societal practice can be used for challenge-driven transformative change where sustainability, in the light of 2030 Agenda Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), will get a more regenerative and societal meaning in interaction with transformation and innovation. The suggested multilevel ecosystem model addresses the interaction between the three levels (macro, meso, and micro) and the interdependence of the systemic, institutional, and processes. The model highlights that it is about a real transformative change process and not about SDG-washing.

To reflect on the multilevel ecosystem for societal practice in city contexts in the light of 2030 Agenda SDGs, a case study of the ongoing process of Karlstad City’s transformation is developed. The suggested model will not make any transformative change without a proactive method to make a real mind shift or a paradigm shift. The chapter contributes the idea of building a lab platform for orchestrating innovation and transformation, to further develop ideas, create interaction and dialogues, and integrate and allocate resources to achieve a more radical change process and be aware that the devil is in the implementation process.

The FinTech disruption has affected the global financial industry, which required many countries to cater to this disruption by building the right FinTech Innovation Ecosystems. For these types of ecosystems to succeed, they need to be based on open innovation concept, where multiple players in the ecosystem can work together to ensure FinTech innovation. The FinTech industry itself is formed based on various collaborations between different stakeholders to come up with innovative products. However, on a macro level, for countries to become a global FinTech hub, they need to ensure the existence of nine important components of FinTech Innovation Ecosystem. These components are FinTech Start-ups, Traditional Financial Institutions (FIs), Government, Financial Customers, Technology Providers, Human Capital, Supporting Platforms, Associations, and International Profile. These nine components, using an open innovation concept, can play a major role in establishing the right FinTech Innovation Ecosystems, which shall lead countries to become global FinTech hubs.