Variety, economic growth and knowledge intensity of European regions: a spatial panel analysis

Although the theoretical framework on agglomeration externalities and the channels through which they influence the regional economy appear well established, the empirical evidence on their magnitude and impact has been rather ambiguous and inconclusive. Applying the concepts of related and unrelated variety to an interregional European dataset and using spatial panel analysis, this paper provides critical information on the type and functioning of agglomeration externalities in relation to regional heterogeneity in knowledge intensity and innovation. We demonstrate that modeling this regional heterogeneity in a spatial panel setting is a crucial condition for identifying the positive agglomeration effects of (un)related variety on regional growth. The outcomes hav

Picosecond fluorescence of intact and dissolved PSI-LHCI crystals

Over the last years many crystal structures of photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes have been determined, and used extensively to model spectroscopic results obtained on the same proteins in solution. However, the crystal structure is not necessarily identical to the structure of the protein in solution. Here we studied picosecond fluorescence of Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I (PSI-LHCI), a multisubunit pigment protein complex that catalyzes the first steps of photosynthesis. The ultrafast fluorescence of PSI-LHCI crystals is identical to that of dissolved crystals, but differs considerably from most kinetics presented in literature. In contrast to most studies, the present data can be modeled quantitatively with only 2 compartments: PSI core and LHCI. This yields the rate of charge separation from an equilibrated core (22.5+/-2.5 ps) and rates of excitation energy transfer from LHCI to core (kLC) and vice versa (kCL). The ratio R=kCL/kLC between these rates appears to be wavelength-dependent and scales with the ratio of the absorption spectra of LHCI and core, indicating the validity of a detailed balance relation between both compartments. kLC depends slightly but non systematically on detection wavelength, averaging (9.4+/-4.9 ps)(-1). R ranges from 0.5 (below 690 nm) to around 1.3 above 720 nm

What is the market potential for on-demand services as a train station access mode?

Ride-hailing and other on-demand mobility services are often proposed as a solution for improving the accessibility of public transport by offering first/last mile connectivity. We study the potential of using on-demand services to improve train station access by means of a three-step sequential stated preference survey. We compare the preferences for on-demand services with the bicycle, car and public transport for accessing two alternative train stations at different access distances. We estimate a joint access mode and train station choice model. By estimating a latent class choice model, we uncover five distinct segments in the population. We describe the classes based on their stated preferences, travel behaviour, attitudes towards new mobility and their socio-demographic characteristics. The two largest classes, accounting for over half of the sample, are the most likely to adopt on-demand services. Having an average willingness-to-pay, they would choose these services for longer access distances, competing mainly with the car and local public transport. Applying the model estimates, we observe that while on-demand services mainly compete with public transportation (obtaining most of its travellers from it), they are not able to fully substitute a public transport service for train station access, as many users would switch to cycling or driving a car, rather than opting for the on-demand service

Potential of on-demand services for urban travel

On-demand mobility services are promising to revolutionise urban travel, but preliminary studies are showing that they may actually increase the total vehicle miles travelled, thereby worsening road congestion in cities. In this study, we assess the demand for on-demand mobility services in urban areas, using a stated preference survey, to understand the potential impact of introducing on-demand services on the current modal split. The survey was carried out in the Netherlands and offered respondents a choice between bike, car, public transport and on-demand services. 1,063 valid responses are analysed with a multinomial logit and a latent class choice model. By means of the latter, we uncover four distinctive groups of travellers based on the observed choice behaviour. The majority of the sample (55%) are avid cyclists and do not see on-demand mobility as an alternative for making urban trips. Two classes (27% and 9% of the sample) would potentially use on-demand services: the former is fairly time-sensitive and would thus use on-demand service if they were sufficiently fast. The latter class however is highly cost-sensitive, and would therefore use on-demand mobility primarily if it is cheap. The fourth class (9%) shows very limited potential for using on-demand services

Proyecto piloto 9x18, una alternativa a la expansión de Santiago

Ponencia que describe el proyecto píloto 9x18 que consiste en la construcción de una nueva vivienda para los allegados en los lotes donde habitan, sin necesidad de adquirir un terreno nuevo

Between spilling over and boiling down: network-mediated spillovers, local knowledge base and productivity in European regions

Abstract Productivity across European regions is related to three types of networks that mediate R&D-related knowledge spillovers: trade, co-patenting and geographical proximity. Both our panel and instrumental variable estimations for European regions suggest that network relations are crucial sources of R&D spillovers, but with potentially different features. Both import and co-patenting relations affect local productivity directly, but spillovers from innovation-leading regions are effective only when they are import-mediated and when recipient regions have a solid knowledge base. From a policy perspective, this may frustrate recent European policy initiatives, such as Smart Specialization, which are designed to benefit all regions in Europe

Bipolar-Hyper-Shell Galactic Center Statrburst Model: Further Evidence from ROSAT Data and New Radio and X-ray Simulations

Using the all-sky ROSAT soft X-ray and 408-MHz radio continuum data, we show that the North Polar Spur and its western and southern counter-spurs draw a giant dumbbell-shape necked at the galactic plane. We interpret these features as due to a shock front originating from a starburst 15 million years ago with a total energy of the order of $\sim 10^{56}$ ergs or $10^5$ type II supernovae. We simulate all-sky distributions of radio continuum and soft X-ray intensities based on the bipolar-hyper-shell galactic center starburst model. The simulations can well reproduce the radio NPS and related spurs, as well as radio spurs in the tangential directions of spiral arms. Simulated X-ray maps in 0.25, 0.75 and 1.5 keV bands reproduce the ROSAT X-ray NPS, its western and southern counter-spurs, and the absorption layer along the galactic plane. We propose to use the ROSAT all-sky maps to probe the physics of gas in the halo-intergalactic interface, and to directly date and measure the energy of a recent Galactic Center starburst.Comment: To appear in ApJ, Latex MS in ApJ macro, 8 figures in jpg (original quality ps figs available on request

Dissecting task-based fMRI activity using normative modelling: an application to the Emotional Face Matching Task

Functional neuroimaging has contributed substantially to understanding brain function but is dominated by group analyses that index only a fraction of the variation in these data. It is increasingly clear that parsing the underlying heterogeneity is crucial to understand individual differences and the impact of different task manipulations. We estimate large-scale (N = 7728) normative models of task-evoked activation during the Emotional Face Matching Task, which enables us to bind heterogeneous datasets to a common reference and dissect heterogeneity underlying group-level analyses. We apply this model to a heterogenous patient cohort, to map individual differences between patients with one or more mental health diagnoses relative to the reference cohort and determine multivariate associations with transdiagnostic symptom domains. For the face>shapes contrast, patients have a higher frequency of extreme deviations which are spatially heterogeneous. In contrast, normative models for faces>baseline have greater predictive value for individuals’ transdiagnostic functioning. Taken together, we demonstrate that normative modelling of fMRI task-activation can be used to illustrate the influence of different task choices and map replicable individual differences, and we encourage its application to other neuroimaging tasks in future studies

Global survey of star clusters in the Milky Way: III. 139 new open clusters at high Galactic latitudes

Context. An earlier analysis of the Milky Way Star Cluster (MWSC) catalogue revealed an apparent lack of old (t � 1 Gyr) open clusters in the solar neighbourhood (d � 1 kpc). Aims. To fill this gap we undertook a search for hitherto unknown star clusters, assuming that the missing old clusters reside at high Galactic latitudes | b | > 20°. Methods. We were looking for stellar density enhancements using a star count algorithm on the 2MASS point source catalogue. To increase the contrast between potential clusters and the field, we applied filters in colour-magnitude space according to typical colour-magnitude diagrams of nearby old open clusters. The subsequent comparison with lists of known objects allowed us to select thus far unknown cluster candidates. For verification they were processed with the standard pipeline used within the MWSC survey for computing cluster membership probabilities and for determining structural, kinematic, and astrophysical parameters. Results. In total we discovered 782 density enhancements, 524 of which were classified as real objects. Among them 139 are new open clusters with ages 8.3 < log (t [yr]) < 9.7, distances d< 3 kpc, and distances from the Galactic plane 0.3 <Z< 1 kpc. This new sample has increased the total number of known high latitude open clusters by about 150%. Nevertheless, we still observe a lack of older nearby clusters up to 1 kpc from the Sun. This volume is expected to still contain about 60 unknown clusters that probably escaped our detection algorithm, which fails to detect sparse overdensities with large angular size