Universities and regional advantage: Higher education and innovation policies in English regions

This paper examines the links developing between universities and their regions as observed in the UK. It highlights interactions between public policy and institutional behaviour in a multi-level governance (MLG) structure at sub-national, national and European levels. Different strategic processes of networking between universities and the developing links with the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in nine English regions are illustrated, in light of the recent government policies which influence the resources and strategies of universities. Universities' wide range of activities and strategies at different geographical levels need to be strategically incorporated as part of regional innovation systems.     

Nonmetric dental characteristics of the early modern population of Okinawa Island in Nansei Islands,Japan

Dental morphological characteristics of the early modern population (c. 17–19th century AD) of Okinawa Island, Nansei Islands, were investigated to clarify their genealogical characteristics. We observed and classified 25 nonmetric traits of tooth crowns and roots from human remains (106 individuals) excavated from tombs of the early modern period in Okuma, Ginowan City, Okinawa. The incidences of these traits were compared with the incidences in the populations of the other Nansei Islands, of Japan, and of Asia overall. Univariate analysis of each trait and multivariate biological distance analysis based on the frequencies of the traits showed that the Okinawa population in the early modern period more closely resembled the migrant Yayoi populations than it did the native Jomon populations. It is difficult to support the “Ainu‐Ryukyu common origin theory” with regard to the early modern population in Okinawa without some modification of the theory, as well as the modern populations in Tanegashima and Okinawa Island. The geographical cline in the modern period from the northern Kyushu to the Okinawa Island via Tanegashima was confirmed in this analysis. Considering the major temporal changes in northern Kyushu and Tanegashima in addition to the geographical cline, the southward gene flow of the migrant Yayoi elements from northern Kyushu to the central Nansei Islands via the northeast end of the Nansei Islands is suggested. In addition, this study detected some temporal changes from the early modern to the modern period in Okinawa Island. Although the minor temporal change may be attributed to some genetic drift, gene flow from the Japanese main islands or China might be considered one of the causes of the change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cave occupations in Southeastern Arabia in the second millennium BCE: Excavation at Mugharat al-Kahf,North-Central Oman

This paper reports the results of excavation at Mugharat al-Kahf (WTN01) in Wādī Tanūf, North-central Oman. It also provides information on the nonmortuary and nonsedentary activities in central Oman during the Wādī Sūq period (2000–1600 BCE), as the subsistence and social arrangements of this period are the subject of much debate. Previous surveys had discovered a substantial amount of Wādī Sūq pottery at the site. This project took forward the excavation for further exploration. The excavation at Test Pit 1 identified Layers Ia and Ib, wherein pottery sherds, charred date stones and other samples for radiocarbon dating were discovered. These prove the cave's occupation during the early third millennium BCE, early second millennium BCE and the Islamic period. The analysis of artefacts and floral remains provided insights into the sojourn, storage and consumption of dates in the cave, and the mobile lifestyle in central Oman.     

The Fukuoka Silicon Sea-belt Project—An East Asian Experiment in Developing Transnational Networks

This article illustrates the recent development of the Fukuoka Silicon Sea-Belt Project in Japan which enhances transnational inter-linkages between regional clusters. Local innovation cluster developing in Fukuok on Kyushu Island, is situated in a wider cross-border division of labour in globalizing economies, especially in the current political economy of East Asia. The development of the semiconductor industry in Kyushu Island is analysed in terms of the developing transnational networks of knowledge production which encompass regions in East Asia.     

Nonmetric morphological characters of deciduous teeth in Japan: diachronic evidence of the past 4000 years

The efficiency of nonmetric (discrete) characters of the deciduous dentition in assessing affinities of human populations was investigated in seven population samples from western Japan. The Neolithic Jomon (the Late and Latest stages, 4000–2300 BP ), the Aeneolithic Yayoi (2300–1700 BP , divided into materials from the Tanegashima Island and other western Japan materials), the protohistoric Kofun (1700–1300 BP ), the medieval Kamakura & Muromachi (800–400 BP ), the early modern Edo (400–130 BP ) and modern Japanese were compared for 17 traits. From the analyses of univariate and multivariate comparisons, close affinities between the Jomon and the Tanegashima Yayoi populations and between the other Yayoi, Kofun, Medieval, Edo and modern Japanese populations were indicated. This result coincided with the results obtained from the investigations of permanent dentition. The Jomon and Tanegashima Yayoi populations showed high frequencies of middle trigonid crest and cusp 6, while the other Yayoi and post‐Yayoi Japanese populations expressed high frequencies of shovelling, cusp 7 and distal trigonid crest. As simple tooth crowns are characteristic of their permanent teeth, the traits abounding in the Jomon and the Tanegashima Yayoi deciduous dentition were unique to their deciduous dentition. Different gene frequencies in juveniles and adults, or a heavy functional demand on their deciduous teeth, may be responsible for this difference. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creating Critical Mass of Research Excellence in the Region: The Case of Scottish Research Pooling Initiatives

This article examines the recent development of, and policy rationale for “research pooling” initiatives in Scotland. Research pooling initiatives have been started with financial support from the Scottish Funding Council in order to form inter-organizational “international critical mass” of research excellence at universities at the regional level. This article examines the development of university cooperations at the regional level as vehicles for obtaining “strategic resources”. Then the “multi-level governance” structure of research pooling is explored in light of the future development of a Scottish regional innovation system (RIS). Particular attention is drawn to challenges concerning knowledge transfer, which is critical in integrating research pooling initiatives in the development of RIS in Scotland.