The demand for higher education in the Netherlands 1950-'99

This paper investigates the role of economic factors in the university enrollment decision for the post-war period in the Netherlands. We include those factors standing at the heart of the idea that education is an investment. Collecting student enrollment data for eight subject categories results in a large data set, as a cross-section dimension is added to the time-series. The econometric results suggest that students are not responsive to tuition fees, but financial support (the sum of loans and grants), the college premium on future labour market earnings, and the alternative wage are important in the enrollment decision.

A Java Reference Model of Transacted Memory for Smart Cards

Transacted Memory offers persistence, undoability and auditing. We present a Java/JML Reference Model of the Transacted Memory system on the basis of our earlier separate Z model and C implementation. We conclude that Java/JML combines the advantages of a high level specification in the JML part (based on our Z model), with a detailed implementation in the Java part (based on our C implementation)

Process innovation and performance : the role of divergence

Process innovation is a key determinant of performance. While extant literature paints a clear picture of the drivers of process innovation, the effect of process innovation on performance has received little attention. This paper contributes to theory building in this important area and examines how divergence of process innovation impacts performance. Divergence concerns the extent to which the observed level of process innovation diverges from the expected level of process innovation. Positive (negative) divergence occurs when the observed level of process innovation is higher (lower) than expected. In turn, we consider how divergence acts as a driver of performance. This approach is useful and important for managers and theory development as it provides insight into situations where a firm may have “too little” or “too much” process innovation. We use survey and archival data from 5,594 firms across 15 countries and find negative divergence to reduce performance under high competitive intensity, whereas positive divergence is detrimental under high environmental uncertainty. Thus, divergence advances understanding as, in contrast with previous work, we do not suggest that more innovation is always better. These findings contribute to understanding the process innovation-performance relationship and has important implications for strategic management research and practice alike

Global value chain participation and its impact on industrial upgrading

Participation in global value chains (GVCs) has become a central topic in trade and development policy. It has opened new ways to achieve industrial upgrading. However, some theoretical models suggest that not all countries will upgrade through participation in GVCs. Using panel data from the World Input-Output Database, we examine the effects of backward and forward GVC participation on three dimensions of industrial upgrading (process, product and skill upgrading). We find that backward GVC participation provides more upgrading opportunities for developing countries as it enables a less developed country to import sophisticated inputs. This activates learning through embodied knowledge. In contrast, forward participation has higher level of upgrading effect on developed countries

European White Book on Real-Time Power Hardware in the Loop Testing : DERlab Report No. R- 005.0

The European White Book on Real-Time-Powerhardware-in-the-Loop testing is intended to serve as a reference document on the future of testing of electrical power equipment, with specifi c focus on the emerging hardware-in-the-loop activities and application thereof within testing facilities and procedures. It will provide an outlook of how this powerful tool can be utilised to support the development, testing and validation of specifi cally DER equipment. It aims to report on international experience gained thus far and provides case studies on developments and specifi c technical issues, such as the hardware/software interface. This white book compliments the already existing series of DERlab European white books, covering topics such as grid-inverters and grid-connected storag

SapB and the rodlins are required for development of Streptomyces coelicolor in high osmolarity media

Streptomyces coelicolor produces spore-forming aerial hyphae after a period of vegetative growth. These aerial structures are decorated with a hydrophobic coating of rodlets consisting of chaplins and rodlins. Here, we show that rodlins and the surface-active peptide SapB are essential for development during growth in a medium with high osmolarity. To this end, both vegetative and aerial hyphae secrete SapB, whereas rodlins are only secreted by the spore-forming aerial hyphae.

Gezinsbegeleiding achter de voordeur. Een evaluatie volgens de methode Theory of Change

Sinds 2007 voert Bureau Frontlijn in Rotterdam het Programma Praktijkbegeleiding uit. Dit bureau heeft tot taak om nieuwe methoden en aanpakken van stedelijk beleid in Rotterdam te ontwikkelen en, indien werkzaam, over te dragen aan reguliere diensten van het Rotterdams stadsbestuur. In het Programma Praktijkbegeleiding worden zogenoemde achterstandsgezinnen op pragmatische wijze begeleid in de verbetering van hun thuissituatie. Hierbij speelt het wegnemen van risicofactoren in de opvoed- en opgroeisituatie een grote rol. Met behulp van stagiaires worden gezinnen op zes leefvelden terzijde gestaan, te weten: wonen, werk & inkomen, gezondheid & hulpverlening, scholing, sociale participatie en veiligheid. De bedoeling van deze studie is niet alleen om dit Rotterdamse project te evalueren, maar ook om een – in Nederland – nieuwe evaluatiemethode uit te proberen. Het betreft de Theory of Change (ToC) methode, die ontwikkeld is door Carol Weiss (1995)