Characteristics of New Firms: A Comparison by Gender

Based on data from the Kauffman Firm Survey, compares characteristics of the owner, type of business, industry, financing, size, and performance of new firms owned by women and by men. Considers the factors behind women-owned firms' underperformance

Fundamental Researcher Attributes: Reflections on Ways to Facilitate Participation in Community Psychology Doctoral Dissertation Research

As novice researchers, Community Psychology doctoral students encounter fresh challenges when they attempt to facilitate participation by members of the community in their dissertation projects. This article presents the merit in adopting fundamental researcher attributes, which have been described in published academic literature as personal characteristics that facilitate participation by members of the community in research studies. The value of these researcher attributes is exemplified in the discussion of one of the author’s experiences in the early stages of his dissertation research process. This article also presents new researcher attributes for facilitating participation by community members that the author recognised after critical reflection on his experiences during the same research process. Cultural humility, shared vulnerability, reflexivity, methodological flexibility, academic assiduity and creative resourcefulness are researcher attributes doctoral students should consider adopting and developing if they intend to facilitate participation by members of the community in their dissertation projects

An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results From 2009 Business Activities

Highlights findings from longitudinal data on new businesses' performance since 2004 as well as new firms founded in 2009, including trends in customer payment problems and loan denials, financial injections, and sources of comparative advantage

Portable machine welding head automatically controls arc

Portable weld tool makes weld repairs out-of-station and on the side opposite the original weld. It provides full automatic control of the arc voltage, current, wire feed, and electrode travel speed in all welding attitudes. The device is readily adaptable to commercially available straight polarity dc weld packs

Casting a Wide Net: Online Activities of Small and New Businesses in the United States

Examines trends in businesses' use of Web sites and e-mail, online sales, and outcomes of such online activities by industry, age and size of firm, and owners' race/ethnicity, gender, location, and education

An Overview of the Kauffman Firm Survey: Results From 2010 Business Activities

Examines longitudinal data on new businesses' survival and performance since 2004 as well as new firms founded in 2010, including trends in slow or lost sales, predictability of business conditions, credit availability, and product or service innovation

Modelling of AlAs/GaAs interfacial structures using high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) image simulations

High angle annular dark field (HAADF) image simulations were performed on a series of AlAs/GaAsinterfacial models using the frozen-phonon multislice method. Three general types of models were considered—perfect, vicinal/sawtooth and diffusion. These were chosen to demonstrate how HAADFimage measurements are influenced by different interfacialstructures in the technologically important III–V semiconductor system. For each model, interfacial sharpness was calculated as a function of depth and compared to aberration-corrected HAADF experiments of two types of AlAs/GaAs interfaces. The results show that the sharpness measured from HAADF imaging changes in a complicated manner with thickness for complex interfacialstructures. For vicinal structures, it was revealed that the type of material that the probe projects through first of all has a significant effect on the measured sharpness. An increase in the vicinal angle was also shown to generate a wider interface in the random step model. The Moison diffusion model produced an increase in the interface width with depth which closely matched the experimental results of the AlAs-on-GaAs interface. In contrast, the interface width decreased as a function of depth in the linear diffusion model. Only in the case of the perfect model was it possible to ascertain the underlying structure directly from HAADFimage analysis

Characterisation of InAs/GaAs short period superlattices using column ratio mapping in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

The image processing technique of columnratiomapping was applied to aberration-corrected high angle annular dark field (HAADF) images of shortperiod MBE (molecular beam epitaxy) grown InAs/GaAssuperlattices. This method allowed the Indium distribution to be mapped and a more detailed assessment of interfacial quality to be made. Frozen-phonon multislice simulations were also employed to provide a better understanding of the experimental columnratio values. It was established that ultra-thin InAs/GaAs layers can be grown sufficiently well by MBE. This is despite the fact that the Indium segregated over 3–4 monolayers. Furthermore, the effect of the growth temperature on the quality of the layers was also investigated. It was demonstrated that the higher growth temperature resulted in a better quality superlattice structure

The Capital Structure Decisions of New Firms

Based on data from the Kauffman Firm Survey, examines the funding sources of firms in their first year of operations. Highlights start-ups' reliance on external debt financing such as bank loans and credit cards, regardless of their credit scores