Culture, entrepreneurship and uneven development: a spatial analysis

Interest in the proposed connection between culture and entrepreneurship has grown significantly in recent years. However, less attention has been given to the nature of the overall impact of this proposed association on development outcomes, particularly at a local level. In response, this paper analyses the relationship between the nature of the culture, entrepreneurship and development experienced across localities, proposing that the link between culture and development is mediated by entrepreneurship. It focuses upon the concept of community culture, as well as embracing a notion of development incorporating both economic and social well-being outcomes. Drawing upon a multivariate spatial analysis of data from localities in Great Britain, the findings indicate that differences in rates of entrepreneurship are strongly influenced by the community culture present in these localities. Furthermore, a bidirectional relationship is found to exist between entrepreneurship and economic and social development outcomes. It is concluded that the embeddedness of local community culture presents a significant challenge for those places seeking to promote entrepreneurially-driven development

Circumstellar Na I and Ca II lines in type IIP supernovae and SN 1998S

We study a possibility of detection of circumstellar absorption lines of Na I D$_{1,2}$ and Ca II H,K in spectra of type IIP supernovae at the photospheric epoch. The modelling shows that the circumstellar lines of Na I doublet will not be seen in type IIP supernovae for moderate wind density, e.g., characteristic of SN 1999em, whereas rather pronounced Ca II lines with P Cygni profile should be detectable. A similar model is used to describe Na I and Ca II circumstellar lines seen in SN 1998S, type IIL with a dense wind. We show that line intensities in this supernova are reproduced, if one assumes an ultraviolet excess, which is caused primarily by the comptonization of supernova radiation in the shock wave.Comment: To be published in Astronomy Letter

An appropriate tool for entrepreneurial learning in SMEs? The case of the 20Twenty Leadership Programme

The 20Twenty Leadership Programme was developed by Cardiff Metropolitan University as an executive education programme to be delivered within South Wales to small businesses. It is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and administered by the Welsh European Funding Office and has the key aim of developing SME’s growth potential via a range of leadership and management skills, including a focus on ‘soft’ skills. The focus of this paper is to place the 20Twenty Leadership Programme within the wider context of entrepreneurship policy and SME training initiatives in particular, and then to examine the rationale and delivery methods of the Programme in relation to these. It also reflects on the Programme’s success (or otherwise) to date where possible. Finally, the paper seeks to suggest fruitful areas of further research both in terms of the 20Twenty Leadership Programme itself, but also with regard to evaluation in relation to other parallel programmes, and to SME training initiatives more generally

The digital divide and ICT learning in rural communities:examples of good practice service delivery

This article aims to gain a greater understanding of relevant and successful methods of stimulating an ICT culture and skills development in rural areas. The paper distils good practice activities, utilizing criteria derived from a review of the rural dimensions of ICT learning, from a range of relevant initiatives and programmes. These good practice activities cover: community resource centres providing opportunities for ‘tasting’ ICTs; video games and Internet Cafe´s as tools removing ‘entry barriers’; emphasis on ‘user management’ as a means of creating ownership; service delivery beyond fixed locations; use of ICT capacities in the delivery of general services; and selected use of financial support

Intrinsic profiles and capillary waves at homopolymer interfaces: a Monte Carlo study

A popular concept which describes the structure of polymer interfaces by ``intrinsic profiles'' centered around a two dimensional surface, the ``local interface position'', is tested by extensive Monte Carlo simulations of interfaces between demixed homopolymer phases in symmetric binary (AB) homopolymer blends, using the bond fluctuation model. The simulations are done in an LxLxD geometry. The interface is forced to run parallel to the LxL planes by imposing periodic boundary conditions in these directions and fixed boundary conditions in the D direction, with one side favoring A and the other side favoring B. Intrinsic profiles are calculated as a function of the ``coarse graining length'' B by splitting the system into columns of size BxBxD and averaging in each column over profiles relative to the local interface position. The results are compared to predictions of the self-consistent field theory. It is shown that the coarse graining length can be chosen such that the interfacial width matches that of the self-consistent field profiles, and that for this choice of B the ``intrinsic'' profiles compare well with the theoretical predictions.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.

A collimated, ionized bipolar structure and a high density torus in the young planetary nebula IRAS 17347-3139

We present observations of continuum (lambda = 0.7, 1.3, 3.6 and 18 cm) and OH maser (lambda = 18 cm) emission toward the young planetary nebula IRAS 17347-3139, which is one of the three planetary nebulae that are known to harbor water maser emission. From the continuum observations we show that the ionized shell of IRAS 17347-3139 consists of two main structures: one extended (size ~1". 5) with bipolar morphology along PA=-30 degrees, elongated in the same direction as the lobes observed in the near-infrared images, and a central compact structure (size ~0". 25) elongated in the direction perpendicular to the bipolar axis, coinciding with the equatorial dark lane observed in the near-infrared images. Our image at 1.3 cm suggests the presence of dense walls in the ionized bipolar lobes. We estimate for the central compact structure a value of the electron density at least ~5 times higher than in the lobes. A high resolution image of this structure at 0.7 cm shows two peaks separated by about 0". 13 (corresponding to 100-780 AU, using a distance range of 0.8-6 kpc). This emission is interpreted as originating in an ionized equatorial torus-like structure, from whose edges the water maser emission might be arising. We have detected weak OH 1612 MHz maser emission at VLSR ~ -70 km/s associated with IRAS 17347-3139. We derive a 3 sigma upper limit of < 35% for the percentage of circularly polarized emission. Within our primary beam, we detected additional OH 1612 MHz maser emission in the LSR velocity ranges -5 to -24 and -90 to -123 km/s, associated with the sources 2MASS J17380406-3138387 and OH 356.65-0.15, respectively.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Size-dependent spinodal and miscibility gaps for intercalation in nano-particles

Using a recently-proposed mathematical model for intercalation dynamics in phase-separating materials [Singh, Ceder, Bazant, Electrochimica Acta 53, 7599 (2008)], we show that the spinodal and miscibility gaps generally shrink as the host particle size decreases to the nano-scale. Our work is motivated by recent experiments on the high-rate Li-ion battery material LiFePO4; this serves as the basis for our examples, but our analysis and conclusions apply to any intercalation material. We describe two general mechanisms for the suppression of phase separation in nano-particles: (i) a classical bulk effect, predicted by the Cahn-Hilliard equation, in which the diffuse phase boundary becomes confined by the particle geometry; and (ii) a novel surface effect, predicted by chemical-potential-dependent reaction kinetics, in which insertion/extraction reactions stabilize composition gradients near surfaces in equilibrium with the local environment. Composition-dependent surface energy and (especially) elastic strain can contribute to these effects but are not required to predict decreased spinodal and miscibility gaps at the nano-scale

Recommendations and challenges of the clinical services panel of the phenx early psychosis working group

Coordinated specialty care (CSC) is a promising multielement treatment for the care of individuals experiencing the onset of schizophrenia. The community mental health block grant program has increased federal support for CSC programs. In order to maximize the number of sites capable of science-to-service or service-to-science translation, the National Institute of Mental Health funded a supplement to the PhenX toolkit consisting of measures for early psychosis. The early psychosis working group included translational research and clinical services panels. The clinical services panel was charged with identifying low-burden and psychometrically sound measures for use in routine clinical settings. The 19 new clinical measures complement existing measures already in the toolkit. Measures cover a range of domains, including symptoms, social and occupational functioning, well-being, medication adherence and side effects, physical activity, and shared decision making and person-centered care. Several challenges are also discussed. The review process underscored the challenges facing nonacademic sites in collecting even lowburden assessments

The spatio-relational nature of urban innovation systems: Universities, knowledge intensive business service firms, and collaborative networks

The need to better identify the spatio-relational nature of urban innovation systems and spaces is increasingly acknowledged. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to provide an enhanced understanding of the knowledge networks existing between urban Knowledge Intensive Business Services firms (KIBS) and universities, which are often key components of such systems and spaces. Drawing on an analysis of urban KIBS firms and universities in the UK, it is found that the nature of firms, the location in which they are based, and the research intensity of their university partners are important determinants of the spatiality and localisation of the networks they form. The results show that the smallest urban KIBS firms have the highest propensity to engage in local links with universities, suggesting that they rely most significantly on their own urban innovation system for collaborative network ties. Keywords : innovation systems; urban innovation spaces; knowledge-based development; proximity; networks; KIBS; universities