Innovative and Competitive Structure of Regional Economies in Turkey

Regional development theories have experienced a transition from Keynesian state‐led economic development models to development based on public–private partnerships, innovation, industrial districts, etc. With the increasing concern for innovative milieu, products, process, organizational, and institutional innovations have assumed an important place in regional development policies. All these regional development paradigms have formed the basis of the initiation of a new process in regional development called the new regionalism, which includes cumulative efforts to revitalize local economic growth. In this paper, we identify technological levels of 26 NUTS 2‐level regions according to the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD)'s classification. Then, we develop an innovation and competitiveness index for Turkey by employing principal component analysis. In conclusion, we formulate some workable policy solutions and suggestions for regional economies in Turkey. According to the results, Istanbul is the most innovative and competitive region in Turkey. Ankara is becoming a regional knowledge cluster, thanks to its strong R&D infrastructure and highly qualified researchers.     

Ethnicity,Economic Polarization and Regional Inequality in Southern Slovakia

This paper examines the relationships between ethnicity and regional economic transformation in Slovakia. It takes as its focus the position of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia in the uneven process of regional change. The paper places these issues within the context of struggles over ethnicity and ‘nation’ in post‐independence Slovakia. The paper argues that ethnicity has been a thoroughly contested issue since the collapse of ‘communism’ in Slovakia and a variety of struggles have been waged over enhancing the rights and position of the Hungarian minority population. The concentration of the Hungarian minority in the southern Slovak border regions with Hungary is examined within the context of the uneven economic impacts of the ‘transition to capitalism’. It is argued that, while the economic decline seen in many of these ‘Hungarian’ regions has impacted negatively on the local populations, the roots of these changes lie within the ways in which such regions were integrated into the state socialist regional division of labor. In particular, the role of peripheral industrialization in such regions prior to 1989, in attempting to reduce economic differences among various ethnic groups, resulted in the establishment of branch plant economies which have had difficulty in surviving since 1989. It is therefore the interweaving of the economics of regional decline and the politics of ethnicity that help us to understand the complex place of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.     

基于主成分和GIS 的关天经济区区域经济空间分异研究

在关中-天水经济区＂一核、一轴、三辐射＂的空间发展战略基础上,对经济区县域生产要素禀赋和生产技术水平等基本特征进行综合评价,据此划分区域并进行各区产业功能定位,以期为促进产业整合与升级和优化区域经济结构提供科学依据。运用多元统计的主成分分析,对研究区65个区（县）经济发展状况进行综合评价;运用区域分工指数和区位商衡量各县之间的产业集聚趋势,采用层次聚类法和GIS空间分析将经济区划分为5个区域;最后提出促进经济区地区分工及一体化,统筹区域经济发展的对策建议。     

Classification of some indigenous maize collections from Southern and Southeastern Europe

A race classification, based on multiple variate analysis using 23 morphological characteristics, was applied to 42 indigenous maize strains from Southeastern Europe, 20 race collections from Spain and 2 Corn Belt Dent hybrids from the United States. Based on the evidence obtained and on comparisons with other studies, the Southeastern European strains were assigned to one of seven races or race groups, of which at least five appear on historical evidence to be derived directly or by recent hybridization from importations originating in North America. In contrast, the majority of the Spanish collections appeared to have their origins in importations from Central America or the West Indies. Very little similarity was observed between the Spanish and Southeastern European collections, when considered overall.Detailed classification and study of European maize appears highly desirable as an aid to utilization of this potentially valuable germ plasm in world maize breeding programs.     

Regional Marginal Costs and Cost Savings from Economies of Scale in Municipal Waste Treatment: An Application to the Chesapeake Bay Region

Marginal costs of removing effluent from waste treatment facilities are defined under different assumptions about regulatory policies. Marginal costs are different under a policy of uniform treatment for all plants compared to a least-cost policy, where different plants treat at different levels. The cost savings under these alternative policies are compared for river basins of the Chesapeake Bay when there are economies of scale in treatment costs. Current regulations for treatment plants in the Bay, which are not entirely uniform, are also compared to both the uniform and least-cost solutions. The potential savings from a least-cost policy are substantial for some basins.     

Regional phenotypic diversity of Puccinia triticina and wheat host resistance in western Europe, 1995

Pathogenicity data from surveys of Puccinia triticina (formerly P. recondita f. sp. tritici) conducted in western Europe in 1995 were analysed to compare the structure of regional populations of the pathogen. Many of the populations differed in phenotypic diversity and pathotypic composition, even though they occurred within a single epidemiological unit, suggesting that local factors may influence the establishment and propagation of individual pathotypes in the regional populations. Neighbouring regions were more similar than distant regions, and all regions shared at least one pathotype, except populations in northern Italy and Scotland. A high degree of similarity was found between populations in northern France and Great Britain, providing strong evidence of free movement of inoculum between these regions. Resistance genes were postulated for a selection of 91 wheat cultivars, representing those most commonly grown in western Europe in 1995. Thirteen cultivars lacked detectable seedling resistance genes and the remaining 78 possessed from one to three resistance genes; those detected were Lr1, Lr3a, Lr10, Lr13, Lr14a, Lr17b, Lr20, Lr26 and Lr37. The most commonly detected resistance gene was Lr13, which was present singly or in combination with other resistance genes in 48 cultivars (53%). The gene Lr14a was detected in 18 cultivars, Lr26 was present in 16 cultivars. The role of host selection in the composition of the regional populations of P. triticina in western Europe in 1995 was difficult to assess on the basis of the results obtained, since virulence data were not available for Lr13 and Lr14a. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New Business Survival in Georgia: Exploring the Determinants of Survival Using Regional Level Data

New business formation is an important stimulant to economic activity. However, some 20 percent of new firms die within their first year of operation. Policy makers designing programs to engineer regional economic development need to know what specific factors affect new firm survival. This paper conducts an analysis of the determinants of survival for new enterprises in the state of Georgia. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of local factors. Duration analysis is applied to four cohorts of new enterprises starting during the period 2001 to 2004. The results show that firms located in urban areas are at a higher risk of failure. However, firms situated in counties that have achieved a high level of economic development stand a better chance of surviving. Other factors such as firm size, ownership structure, industry entry rates, and business cycle fluctuations are also influential.     

Strip tillage effect on seedbed tilth and maize production in Northern Italy as case-study for the Southern Europe environment

Strip tillage is a conservative technique widespread overseas with recognized environmental, agronomical and economic benefits. In Europe it has been proposed only recently and is almost unknown by farmers of Italy and other Mediterranean countries, where its compliance with soil and climate environments needs to be evaluated. For this reason, a two-year field trial comparison was carried out between strip tillage, minimum tillage and no tillage for the cultivation of maize in the Po valley, as representative crop and environment for the Italian and Southern Europe intensive agriculture. The aim was to evaluate effects on seedbed quality, weed infestation, and maize performance from crop establishment to final harvest.The experiment was conducted on a sandy-loam soil with high chemical fertility and good water availability for the crop. Strip tillage was carried out by an original passive tool implement hitched to a pneumatic drill operating at a forward speed of around 6 km h⁻¹. We determined soil penetration resistance, bulk density, water content, clod size distribution, ground residue cover, number of weeds along crop rows and between rows, maize drilling depth, crop emergence, biomass accumulation and grain yield.Strip tillage moved less soil and left higher ground residue cover than minimum tillage, while the seedbed prepared by the two techniques did not differ for suitability to drilling, root exploration and crop growth. In fact, maize grown after strip tillage emerged fast and regularly approximating the wished plant density, experienced a limited weed infestation, and showed high total biomass and grain yields, similar to those obtained with minimum tillage.     

Innovation and Regional Growth in the Enlarged Europe: The Role of Local Innovative Capabilities,Peripherality, and Education

ABSTRACT In this paper, a formal model for the relationship between innovation and growth in European Union regions is developed drawing upon the theoretical contribution of the systems of innovation approach. The model combines the analytical approach of the regional growth models with the insights of the systemic approach. The cross‐sectional analysis, covering all the Enlarged Europe (EU‐25) regions (for which data are available), shows that regional innovative activities (for which a specific measure is developed) play a significant role in determining differential regional growth patterns. Furthermore, the model sheds light on how geographical accessibility and human capital accumulation, by shaping the regional system of innovation, interact (in a statistically significant way) with local innovative activities, thus allowing them to be more (or less) effectively translated into economic growth. The paper shows that an increase in innovative effort is not necessarily likely to produce the same effect in all EU‐25 regions. Indeed, the empirical analysis suggests that in order to allow innovative efforts in peripheral regions to be as productive as in core areas, they need to be complemented by huge investments in human capital.     

Stochastic and Deterministic Trends in State Economies

ABSTRACT Nonstationary behavior in regional economies must be recognized and categorized before activity indicators can be properly used in analyses. The nonstationary behavior of gross product by one-digit industry and personal income from all of the 50 states is examined. Tests to discriminate between stochastic and deterministic trends are pursued and the results indicate that the former dominate the latter. State-nation linkages in the presence of stochastic trends are explored and it is shown that stable, long-term relationships between nonstationary state and national outputs are rare at both the industry and aggregate levels.     

基于地域分异与农户兼业视角下农户参与农地流转行为的研究

深入研究农户农地流转参与行为的影响因素,对促进农地流转具有现实意义。基于地域分异与农户兼业视角,通过构建多元Logistic模型,实证检验地域分异与农户兼业对农户参与农地转出和转入行为的影响。结果表明:(1)区域经济发展水平对农户农地转出行为和转入行为均有显著正向影响,它能显著促进农户参与农地转出和农地转入;(2)区位性质对农户农地转出行为有显著影响,但对农户农地转入行为却无显著影响;(3)农户兼业程度对农户农地转出行为有显著正向影响,但对农户农地转入行为有显著负向影响;(4)家庭劳动力数、家庭承包地面积和承包地块数对农户农地转出行为,分别有显著的负向、正向和正向影响,但对农户农地转入行为却无显著性影响。农地流转政策制定应从政策差别化、兼业深度化、经营规模化3个方面着手。     

晋南旱地小麦区试品系农艺性状相关分析

为了解晋南旱地小麦育种发展趋势,对2006—2015年晋南旱地小麦区试参试的121份品系进行农艺性状比较分析、相关分析和通径分析。结果表明:单位面积产量变异系数最大(29.74%)。产量三因素变异系数顺序为有效穗数穗粒数千粒重。单位面积产量与有效穗数(0.869**)、株高(0.878**)、穗粒数(0.775**)、有效分蘖率(0.735*)、千粒重(0.593**)、穗长(0.519**)和最高总茎数(0.371**)极显著正相关,与基本苗(0.191*)显著正相关,与生育期(-0.291**)极显著负相关。有效穗数、穗粒数、千粒重、株高、有效分蘖率和生育期对单位面积产量的直接贡献较大,依次为有效穗(0.591)穗粒数(0.373)千粒重(0.266)株高(0.093)有效分蘖率(|-0.069|)生育期(0.059),它们决定了单位面积产量97.65%的变异。2006—2015年山西省南部旱地小麦品种产量的提高是在保证穗数的基础上,通过增加穗粒数和提高千粒重来实现的。