Growth determinants of start-ups in Eastern Germany: a comparison between innovative and non-innovative firms

This empirical analysis deals with the determinants of growth and the explanation of variations in the growth between innovative and non-innovative start-ups. Based on theoretical models explaining the growth of firms, hypotheses on potential determinants are formulated. The regression results indicate strong correlations between the growth rate on the one side and firmspecific, founder-specific as well as external factors on the other side. These factors influence the growth rates of innovative and non-innovative young firms in different ways. It becomes obvious that large and mature firms have smaller growth rates than small and young innovative as well as non-innovative firms. Moreover, other firm-specific characteristics like legal form and formal links to other firms from Western industrialised countries have an impact on the development of start-ups. With respect to founder-specific characteristics, positive effects can be derived from the human capital of the founder(s). This holds especially for technological disciplines whereas business knowledge plays a minor role. In addition to firm and founder characteristics, locationspecific factors controlling for agglomeration effects and the industry structure in the Eastern German counties have an impact on growth. Comparing annual growth rates of start-ups, innovative start-ups grow on average faster than non-innovative start-ups. --New Technology-based Firms,Employment Growth,Determinants of Growth

Multi-Modal Human-Machine Communication for Instructing Robot Grasping Tasks

A major challenge for the realization of intelligent robots is to supply them with cognitive abilities in order to allow ordinary users to program them easily and intuitively. One way of such programming is teaching work tasks by interactive demonstration. To make this effective and convenient for the user, the machine must be capable to establish a common focus of attention and be able to use and integrate spoken instructions, visual perceptions, and non-verbal clues like gestural commands. We report progress in building a hybrid architecture that combines statistical methods, neural networks, and finite state machines into an integrated system for instructing grasping tasks by man-machine interaction. The system combines the GRAVIS-robot for visual attention and gestural instruction with an intelligent interface for speech recognition and linguistic interpretation, and an modality fusion module to allow multi-modal task-oriented man-machine communication with respect to dextrous robot manipulation of objects.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

LEVANTAMENTO DA FAUNA SILVESTRE ATROPELADA NA BR 290 (KM 210 a 214), MUNICÍPIO DE PANTANO GRANDE, RS, BRASIL

A construção de rodovias é um dos fatores que contribui para a fragmentação original do habitat da fauna silvestre causando uma barreira ao fluxo gênico de espécies. Desta forma, o monitoramento da fauna atropelada nas estradas se tornou uma ferramenta importante para determinar a perda da biodiversidade faunística, revelando aspectos da forma de deslocamento e dinâmica sazonal de populações de algumas espécies. Neste contexto, o objetivo do estudo foi monitorar os atropelamentos da fauna silvestre na BR 290, entre os Km 210 a 214, município de Pântano Grande, RS. O inventário de campo foi realizado durante o período de 1 ano, entre dezembro de 2013 a dezembro de 2014, percorrendo a rodovia através de caminhadas uma vez ao dia geralmente pela manhã. O critério utilizado foi contabilizar todos os animais vertebrados que estavam atropelados por veículos automotores que trafegaram na rodovia. As espécies foram identificadas no local pela morfologia externa, sendo as ocorrências documentadas utilizando câmera fotográfica. Os resultados indicaram que a classe melhor representada foi o grupo das Aves com 46,5%, seguido da classe Mammalia com 24,1%, Reptilia com 23,2% e Amphibia com 6,1%. Dentre a fauna ameaçada de extinção, registrou-se a espécie Tamandua tetradactyla (tamanduá-mirim), que se encontra na categoria vulnerável para o Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Através do inventário dos animais silvestres atropelados, foi verificada uma perda da biodiversidade relacionada à fauna local, com 228 animais mortos durante o período da pesquisa. Neste sentido, visando à preservação da diversidade biológica, e consequente banco genético animal, torna-se necessário à adoção de medidas mitigatórias para conter este impacto à fauna local

Technical Report Scintigraphic Evaluation of Bone Formation in Göttingen Minipigs

In experiments and processes requiring the application of nuclear tracers in large animals, statutory provisions  and safety standards as well as a variety of techniques have to be regarded and employed. In order to sufficiently analyze questions pertaining to osseointegration as well as the possibility of ectopic  bone formation in Göttingen minipigs, we decided to use scintigraphic examinations using 99mTc-HDP  (Technetium - hydroxymethane diphosphonate). In this study, metallic implants coated in different forms  with rhBMP-2 (recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2) were surgically introduced into the  pigs’ femora. A total of 26 adult female minipigs (Ellegard, Dalmose, Denmark) averaging 40 months in  age were post-surgically evaluated through the application of a radionuclide and its subsequent distribution  using a scintillation camera. Each animal received approximately 10 MBq/kg BW (mega Becquerel per  kilogram bodyweight). This paper describes the procedures of anaesthesia, the quite challenging transvaginal- urethral catheterization,  the application of a catheter in the jugular vein, the radionuclide injection and the disposal of the  sacrificed animals under statutory provisions and safety standards. The technical report reveals that the scintigraphic evaluation in large animal experiments is a practicable  – yet sophisticated – method of examination and also strives to encourage further research groups to implement  this elegant procedure.

Tight Glycemic Control After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in High-Risk Patient Populations

Background—Our previous randomized, clinical trial showed that postoperative tight glycemic control (TGC) for children undergoing cardiac surgery did not reduce the rate of health care–associated infections compared with standard care (STD). Heterogeneity of treatment effect may exist within this population. Methods and Results—We performed a post hoc exploratory analysis of 980 children from birth to 36 months of age at the time of cardiac surgery who were randomized to postoperative TGC or STD in the intensive care unit. Significant interactions were observed between treatment group and both neonate (age ≤30 days; P=0.03) and intraoperative glucocorticoid exposure (P=0.03) on the risk of infection. The rate and incidence of infections in subjects ≤60 days old were significantly increased in the TGC compared with the STD group (rate: 13.5 versus 3.7 infections per 1000 cardiac intensive care unit days, P=0.01; incidence: 13% versus 4%, P=0.02), whereas infections among those \u3e60 days of age were significantly reduced in the TGC compared with the STD group (rate: 5.0 versus 14.1 infections per 1000 cardiac intensive care unit days, P=0.02; incidence: 2% versus 5%, P=0.03); the interaction of treatment group by age subgroup was highly significant (P=0.001). Multivariable logistic regression controlling for the main effects revealed that previous cardiac surgery, chromosomal anomaly, and delayed sternal closure were independently associated with increased risk of infection. Conclusions—This exploratory analysis demonstrated that TGC may lower the risk of infection in children \u3e60 days of age at the time of cardiac surgery compared with children receiving STD. Meta-analyses of past and ongoing clinical trials are necessary to confirm these findings before clinical practice is altered

Description and evaluation of GMXe: a new aerosol submodel for global simulations (v1)

We present a new aerosol microphysics and gas aerosol partitioning submodel (Global Modal-aerosol eXtension, GMXe) implemented within the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry model (EMAC, version 1.8). The submodel is computationally efficient and is suitable for medium to long term simulations with global and regional models. The aerosol size distribution is treated using 7 log-normal modes and has the same microphysical core as the M7 submodel (Vignati et al., 2004). <br><br> The main developments in this work are: (i) the extension of the aerosol emission routines and the M7 microphysics, so that an increased (and variable) number of aerosol species can be treated (new species include sodium and chloride, and potentially magnesium, calcium, and potassium), (ii) the coupling of the aerosol microphysics to a choice of treatments of gas/aerosol partitioning to allow the treatment of semi-volatile aerosol, and, (iii) the implementation and evaluation of the developed submodel within the EMAC model of atmospheric chemistry. <br><br> Simulated concentrations of black carbon, particulate organic matter, dust, sea spray, sulfate and ammonium aerosol are shown to be in good agreement with observations (for all species at least 40% of modeled values are within a factor of 2 of the observations). The distribution of nitrate aerosol is compared to observations in both clean and polluted regions. Concentrations in polluted continental regions are simulated quite well, but there is a general tendency to overestimate nitrate, particularly in coastal regions (geometric mean of modelled values/geometric mean of observed data ≈2). In all regions considered more than 40% of nitrate concentrations are within a factor of two of the observations. Marine nitrate concentrations are well captured with 96% of modeled values within a factor of 2 of the observations

Billiard Systems in Three Dimensions: The Boundary Integral Equation and the Trace Formula

We derive semiclassical contributions of periodic orbits from a boundary integral equation for three-dimensional billiard systems. We use an iterative method that keeps track of the composition of the stability matrix and the Maslov index as an orbit is traversed. Results are given for isolated periodic orbits and rotationally invariant families of periodic orbits in axially symmetric billiard systems. A practical method for determining the stability matrix and the Maslov index is described.Comment: LaTeX, 19 page