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The worldwide importance of crop production is undisputed due to its function for basic nutrition of billions of people. Yet, the emergence of global forces implies severe consequences for the organization of crop value chains. These forces particularly include processes of liberalization and deregulation, the dominance of large retail groups as well as ever-changing consumer demands, leading to continuous reconfigurations of crop value chains. Based on a literature review, this paper aims at thematically ‘organizing’ and differentiating the key findings of relevant empirical studies on global crop value chains, with a particular focus on South-North relations. Thereby, current shifts and challenges are identified and analysed with special attention paid to spatio-relational dimensions. The spatial perspective is important since crop value chains both shape and are shaped by specific geographical settings which is, among others, considered in the growing literature on food geographies. Overall, we could extract three strands of literature on global crop value chains: the integration of smallholders; the role of food standards; and the effect of ‘hidden’ dynamics. These issues especially reveal the interdependencies between the Global South and the Global North as a crucial feature of contemporary crop production and distribution systems. These are A further outcome of the literature analysis is the derivation of suggestions regarding future research and areas of needed progress.

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Surprisingly little theoretical or empirical research is available on Auckland’s actual functional and geographic connectivity, including developments relating to closer economic relations with Australia. This paper draws on the geography of accumulation literatures to argue that close attention must be given to developments in the three circuits of capital (trade, production and finance) if the changing character and contributions of globalising firm networks are to be discerned and understood. The empirical investigations show that for Australian owned firms globalising rather than purely Australasian networks are the norm, network complexity is considerable and that it makes sense to think of Auckland’s economy in globalising terms. A globalising networks perspective means that estimates of the magnitude and assessments of the character of employment contributions of Australian owned firms to the Auckland economy reflects these interdependencies.

The treatment of organic waste, by‐products and other residual materials from bio‐based industries is currently changing from disposing to recycling and reusing activities, which may create significant added values. However, these valorisation pathways as well as their institutional and geographical contexts are not yet sufficiently understood. From an actor‐centric perspective, we seek to shed light on extant practices of agri‐food waste valorisation using the examples of potato and rapeseed production in Lower Saxony, Germany. Drawing on conceptual thoughts on circular bioeconomies and the nexus approach, we will show that these practices not only depend on the availability of (technological) solutions but are affected by changing economic and political environments in combination with place‐specific conditions and local networks. We further describe the cross‐sectoral relations, synergies and externalities that come along with by‐product valorisation in multi‐use systems, while also revealing the fragile stability of circular bioeconomies that are linked to the food–feed–energy nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current discourses on the agrifood sector indicate that issues like provenance, regionality or traceability are becoming more and more relevant. This also applies to the globalizing pork industry which is the focus of this paper. On the basis of a case study on the Oldenburger Münsterland, Northwest Germany, the impact of geographic origin effects on multiscalar networks of pork production is examined from the perspective of three conceptual frameworks (global production networks, commodity cultures, and imaginative geographies). The empirical findings based on expert interviews show that key actors of the pork industry (e.g. slaughterers, manufacturers, retailers) adopt specific strategies that are related to changing (and partly delusive) meanings of provenance and regionality. In this respect, several export-oriented firms emphasize a guaranteed German origin primarily in order to develop markets (particularly in East Asian countries). Regional and small-scale strategies, however, are obviously not of such a great importance as media-dominated discourses on geographic origins of foods would have us believe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists analyze sustainability at the regional level with a combination of multiple indicators which reflect different characteristics of regions without combining the results in a single comparative unit. Moreover, the assessment of interdependencies between different characteristics requires experts' analyses, which makes sustainability analysis subjective, time consuming, and limited in use. This article analyzes the relative sustainability of subnational level regions through the application of regional sustainability assessment methodology (RSAM) based on accounting of resources capital and its internal and external transfers. This approach allows for assessment of regional sustainability as a function of resource quantity, quality, and interchangeability. The comparison of the two case study regions presented in the paper indicates the difference between a more sustainable region and a region of 'weak sustainability.' First, the article indicates the discussion of the relevant geographic, economic, and social literature for both sustainability assessment and regional comparison. This discussion is followed by a conceptual representation of proposed RSAM and its application to various regions. Next, the article covers the data used and applied methods to test the proposed methodology and compare the two case study regions. The article concludes with a discussion of findings and recommendations for further application and testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand's regions exhibit marked spatial variations in firm formation, with the urban areas being less entrepreneurial than the rest of the country, when the analysis controls for the varying sizes of regions. This empirical finding reflects differences in industry structures, with a greater presence of firm births in manufacturing industries and business services in more peripheral and less urbanised areas, especially on the South Island of New Zealand. Using the business demographic statistics (BDS) database by Statistics New Zealand we develop a regression model to explain spatial variations in firm formations over the period 2000–2005. The following explanatory factors are found to be of central importance for firm formations in the New Zealand context: concentration, firm size, population, population growth, income growth and specialisation. Implications of the findings for policy makers and politicians in New Zealand are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, technology-oriented business incubators are a worldwide phenomenon, although empirical research evidence clearly suggests that they tend to fail in supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional development and, therefore, do not fulfil their expected role as policy instrument. The paper focuses on this obvious antagonism. It deliberates upon political rationales, reviews evaluation literatures, and delineates suggestions for the future of the incubation industry. The main conclusion is that technology-oriented business incubators should be run as private organisations without public funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamásy C. (2006) Determinants of regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany: a conceptual and empirical analysis, Regional Studies 40, 365–384. The importance of entrepreneurship for the development of national and regional economies is widely recognized. Although politicians in Germany are aware of entrepreneurship, their practices cannot rely on a generally accepted theory of entrepreneurship. The paper develops a holistic conceptualization of regional entrepreneurship dynamics and investigates empirically determinants of start-up activities and new business success in selected German regions. It uses two primary data sets explicitly designed to analyse regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany. The research project ‘Regional Entrepreneurship Monitor’ focuses on determinants of start-up activities in the pre-entry phase of entrepreneurial processes, while the ‘New Firm Survey’ examines factors influencing post-entry firm success. The paper suggests holistic approaches in entrepreneurship research are necessary, because entrepreneur-associated factors, characteristics of the newly founded firm and the geographical environment influence entrepreneurial processes. These determinants can have direct or indirect influences on entrepreneurial processes. The results suggest that politicians and policy-makers need to pay special attention to entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours if they wish to boost regional entrepreneurship dynamics in Germany. Regional entrepreneurship dynamics Start-up activities New business success Determinants Germany Tamásy C. (2006) Determinants of regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany: a conceptual and empirical analysis, Regional Studies 40, 365–384. The importance of entrepreneurship for the development of national and regional economies is widely recognized. Although politicians in Germany are aware of entrepreneurship, their practices cannot rely on a generally accepted theory of entrepreneurship. The paper develops a holistic conceptualization of regional entrepreneurship dynamics and investigates empirically determinants of start-up activities and new business success in selected German regions. It uses two primary data sets explicitly designed to analyse regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany. The research project ‘Regional Entrepreneurship Monitor’ focuses on determinants of start-up activities in the pre-entry phase of entrepreneurial processes, while the ‘New Firm Survey’ examines factors influencing post-entry firm success. The paper suggests holistic approaches in entrepreneurship research are necessary, because entrepreneur-associated factors, characteristics of the newly founded firm and the geographical environment influence entrepreneurial processes. These determinants can have direct or indirect influences on entrepreneurial processes. The results suggest that politicians and policy-makers need to pay special attention to entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours if they wish to boost regional entrepreneurship dynamics in Germany. Dynamique entrepreneuriale régionale Création d'entreprise Réussite des nouvelles entreprises Déterminants Allemagne Tamásy C. (2006) Determinants of regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany: a conceptual and empirical analysis, Regional Studies 40, 365–384. The importance of entrepreneurship for the development of national and regional economies is widely recognized. Although politicians in Germany are aware of entrepreneurship, their practices cannot rely on a generally accepted theory of entrepreneurship. The paper develops a holistic conceptualization of regional entrepreneurship dynamics and investigates empirically determinants of start-up activities and new business success in selected German regions. It uses two primary data sets explicitly designed to analyse regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany. The research project ‘Regional Entrepreneurship Monitor’ focuses on determinants of start-up activities in the pre-entry phase of entrepreneurial processes, while the ‘New Firm Survey’ examines factors influencing post-entry firm success. The paper suggests holistic approaches in entrepreneurship research are necessary, because entrepreneur-associated factors, characteristics of the newly founded firm and the geographical environment influence entrepreneurial processes. These determinants can have direct or indirect influences on entrepreneurial processes. The results suggest that politicians and policy-makers need to pay special attention to entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours if they wish to boost regional entrepreneurship dynamics in Germany. Regionale Dynamik des Unternehmertums Gründungsaktivitäten Erfolge neuer Unternehmen bestimmende Faktoren Deutschland Tamásy C. (2006) Determinants of regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany: a conceptual and empirical analysis, Regional Studies 40, 365–384. The importance of entrepreneurship for the development of national and regional economies is widely recognized. Although politicians in Germany are aware of entrepreneurship, their practices cannot rely on a generally accepted theory of entrepreneurship. The paper develops a holistic conceptualization of regional entrepreneurship dynamics and investigates empirically determinants of start-up activities and new business success in selected German regions. It uses two primary data sets explicitly designed to analyse regional entrepreneurship dynamics in contemporary Germany. The research project ‘Regional Entrepreneurship Monitor’ focuses on determinants of start-up activities in the pre-entry phase of entrepreneurial processes, while the ‘New Firm Survey’ examines factors influencing post-entry firm success. The paper suggests holistic approaches in entrepreneurship research are necessary, because entrepreneur-associated factors, characteristics of the newly founded firm and the geographical environment influence entrepreneurial processes. These determinants can have direct or indirect influences on entrepreneurial processes. The results suggest that politicians and policy-makers need to pay special attention to entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviours if they wish to boost regional entrepreneurship dynamics in Germany. Dinámicas regionales para el empresariado Actividades de inicio Éxito de nuevas empresas Determinantes Alemania [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide importance of crop production is undisputed due to its function for basic nutrition of billions of people. Yet, the emergence of global forces implies severe consequences for the organization of crop value chains. These forces particularly include processes of liberalization and deregulation, the dominance of large retail groups as well as ever-changing consumer demands, leading to continuous reconfigurations of crop value chains. Based on a literature review, this paper aims at thematically 'organizing' and differentiating the key findings of relevant empirical studies on global crop value chains, with a particular focus on South-North relations. Thereby, current shifts and challenges are identified and analysed with special attention paid to spatio-relational dimensions. The spatial perspective is important since crop value chains both shape and are shaped by specific geographical settings which is, among others, considered in the growing literature on food geographies. Overall, we could extract three strands of literature on global crop value chains: the integration of smallholders; the role of food standards; and the effect of 'hidden' dynamics. These issues especially reveal the interdependencies between the Global South and the Global North as a crucial feature of contemporary crop production and distribution systems. These are A further outcome of the literature analysis is the derivation of suggestions regarding future research and areas of needed progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the evaluation of the prognosis of the melanoma malignum (MM) several markers have been used before but none of them was powerful enough therefore a search for new markers is justified. The authors have studied the expression of three metastasis associated proteins, nm23, CD44v3 and MMP2 collagenase using immunohistochemistry on the paraffin embedded tissue samples of 22 primary skin melanomas. The expression of these markers was independent from the thickness of the tumor or the clinical stage of the disease. Due to the frequent discrepancy between the thickness of the tumor and the actual outcome of the disease, they regrouped the cases according to the biological behaviour of the tumor into non-metastatic, lymph node-metastatic and organ metastatic forms. Based on the MMP2 expression +/- tumors can be found but the expression does not correspond to the biological behaviour of MM while decreased nm23 expression characterized the lymph node metastatic tumors. CD44v3 expression was rare in MM and occurred at low level, however, when expressed it showed significant correlation to the organ metastatic phenotype. The authors concluded that the classic invasion markers in case of MM have a limited potential in the characterisation of the invasive phenotype, therefore more sensitive markers are necessary.