Abbey J., Davies G. and Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: towards a system of innovation in south-west Wales, Regional Studies. Begun in 2001, Technium is a Welsh university-business interface project presently consisting of ten facilities. Seven of these are jointly managed by the Welsh Development Agency and Swansea University. Taken together with other, linked developments at the university, Technium is helping to generate a distinct sub-regional innovation system incorporating many features that researchers have identified as critical to successful localized collective learning and innovation. A provisional evaluation of costs and benefits suggests that recent criticism of the project is unfounded. With its initial dependence on European Union Structural Funds, the Technium model incorporates design elements that may be appropriate to other relatively deprived regions of the European Union. [image omitted] Abbey J., Davies G. et Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: vers un systeme d'innovation dans le Sud-ouest des pays de Galles, Regional Studies. Lancee en 2001, Technium est une interface entre le secteur universitaire et le milieu du commerce comportant actuellement dix complexes, dont sept administres conjointement par la Welsh Development Agency (commission chargee de la promotion des pays de Galles) et par l'Universite de Swansea. Considere avec d'autres developpements universitaires connexes, Technium contribue a la creation d'un different systeme d'innovation sousregional qui embrasse beaucoup des traits qu'ont identifies les chercheurs comme essentiels pour assurer un apprentissage collectif et une innovation localises reussis. Une evaluation provisioire des couts et des benefices laisse supposer que la critique recente du projet est sans fondement. Avec sa dependance initiale des Fonds structurels de l'Ue, le modele Technium inclut des elements qui pourraient s'averer appropries aux autres regions relativement defavorisees de l'Ue. Technium Systemes d'innovation locaux Sud-ouest des pays de Galles Abbey J., Davies G. und Mainwaring L. Vorsprung durch Technium: auf dem Weg zu einem System der Innovation in Sudwest-Wales, Regional Studies. Technium ist ein 2001 gegrundetes Schnittstellenprojekt zwischen Universitaten und Unternehmen in Wales, das derzeit zehn Einrichtungen umfasst. Sieben dieser Einrichtungen stehen unter der gemeinsamen Verwaltung der Welsh Development Agency und der Universitat Swansea. Gemeinsam mit anderen, verknupften Entwicklungen an der Universitat tragt Technium zum Aufbau eines eigenen subregionalen Innovationssystems bei, das zahlreiche Merkmale aufweist, die von Wissenschaftlern als entscheidend fur erfolgreiches kollektives Lernen und Innovation vor Ort bezeichnet wurden. Eine provisorische Bewertung von Kosten und Nutzen lasst darauf schliessen, dass die jungste Kritik am Projekt unbegrundet ist. Mit seiner anfanglichen Abhangigkeit von EU-Strukturfonds weist das Technium-Modell Merkmale auf, die sich auch fur andere relativ benachteiligte Regionen der EU als gee...

New insights into the intra- and intercellular trafficking of drug delivery particles challenges the dogma of particles as static intracellular depots for sustained drug release. Recent discoveries in the cell-to-cell transfer of cellular constituents, including proteins, organelles, and microparticles sheds light on new ways to propagate signals and therapeutics. While beneficial for the dispersion of therapeutics at sites of pathologies, propagation of biological entities advancing disease states is less desirable. Mechanisms are presented for the transfer of porous silicon microparticles between cells. Direct cell-to-cell transfer of microparticles by means of membrane adhesion or using membrane extensions known as tunneling nanotubes is presented. Cellular relays, or shuttle cells, are also shown to mediate the transfer of microparticles between cells. These microparticle-transfer events appear to be stimulated by environmental cues, introducing a new paradigm of environmentally triggered propagation of cellular signals and rapid dispersion of particle-delivered therapeutics. The opportunity to use microparticles to study cellular transfer events and biological triggers that induce these events may aid in the discovery of therapeutics that limit the spread of disease.

The transfer of material between cells includes macromolecules, organelles, and synthetic drug delivery vehicles. The cover image by B. Melendez and R. E. Serda is a pseudo‐colored scanning electron micrograph showing cellular communication through tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). A silicon microparticle is shown engaged in cellular membrane folds, a process leading to cellular uptake. Despite the relatively large size of the microparticle, data presented by R. E. Serda and co‐workers supports the transfer of microparticles between cells by means of TNTs.