The effect of broadband infrastructure on entrepreneurial activities: The case of Germany

This paper investigates whether the local infrastructure favours entrepreneurial activities. Besides the physical and knowledge infrastructure we take into account a county's broadband availability by building an index which accounts for county-related specificities. We find that broadband availability fosters entrepreneurial activities particularly in high-tech sectors for which efficient ways of knowledge transfer is crucial. --broadband provision,physical and knowledge infrastructure,local entrepreneurial activities

The Effect of Broadband Infrastructure on Entrepreneurial Activities: The Case of Germany

This paper investigates whether the local infrastructure favours entrepreneurial activities. Besides the physical and knowledge infrastructure we take into account a county’s broadband availability by building an index which accounts for county-related specificities. We find that broadband availability fosters entrepreneurial activities particularly in high-tech sectors for which efficient ways of knowledge transfer is crucial

Occupational Specificity: A new Measurement Based on Training Curricula and its Effect on Labor Market Outcomes

This paper proposes a new measurement for the specificity of occupations based on a content analysis of training curricula that we link to labor market demands. We apply Lazear’s (2009) skill weights approach and test predictions on labor market outcomes derived from his theory. We find clear evidence of a trade-off between earning higher returns with more specific training and higher occupational mobility with less specific training. Our measure improves the micro-foundation of human capital specificity and provides an evidence-based approach to evaluate the specificity of training curricula

Wages and employment: The role of occupational skills

How skills acquired in vocational education and training (VET) affect wages and employment is not clear. We develop and estimate a search and matching model for workers with a VET degree. Workers differ in interpersonal, cognitive and manual skills, while firms require and value different combinations of these skills. Assuming that match productivity exhibits worker-job complementarity, we estimate how interpersonal, cognitive and manual skills map into job offers, unemployment and wages. We find that firms value cognitive skills on average almost twice as much as interpersonal and manual skills, and they prize complementarity in cognitive and interpersonal skills. The average return to VET skills in hourly wages is 9%, similar to the returns to schooling. Furthermore, VET appears to improve labour market opportunities through higher job arrival rate and lower job destruction. Workers thus have large benefits from acquiring a VET degree

Outcomes Following Pouch Formation in Paediatric Ulcerative Colitis : A Study From the Porto Group of ESPGHAN

Introduction: Contemporary pediatric data on pouch outcomes are sparse, especially in the era of laparoscopic surgeries. We aimed to assess outcomes and predictors in children with ulcerative colitis/inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-unclassified who underwent colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study from 17 IBD centers affiliated with the pediatric IBD Porto group of ESPGHAN. An electronic REDcap system was used to collate baseline characteristics, demographic, clinical, management and surgical data, short- and long-term outcomes, and to identify potential predictors of pouch outcome. Results: Of the 129 patients included, 86 (67%) developed pouchitis during follow-up of median 40 months (interquartile range 26-72), of whom 33 (26%) with chronic pouchitis. Patients operated on by surgeons performingPeer reviewe

The Arab Minority in Israel - Implications for the Middle East Conflict. Middle East & Euro-Med Working Paper No. 8, June 2003

The Arab minority in Israel are in a unique position to contribute to the resolution of the Middle East conflict and stabilise relations between the different nations and countries in the region. This paper reviews the history of the Arab minority in Israel and reports on their legal, socio-economic and political status. It examines relations between the Arab minority and the Jewish majority, the Israeli government and the rest of the Palestinian people. On the basis of the review, this paper makes recommendations that aim to improve the situation of the Arab minority, strengthen the dialogue between the Arab minority and Jewish majority in Israel, and enable the Arab minority to act as a mediator in the Middle East peace process

Regional Innovation Effects of Applied Research Institutions

We analyze the effect of applied research institutions on regional innovation activity. Exploiting a policy reform that creates tertiary education institutions conducting applied research, the Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs) in Switzerland, we apply difference-in-differences estimations to investigate the effect on innovation quantity and quality. Findings show a 7.7 to 13 percent increase in regional patenting activity (i.e., quantity), and a 1.3 to 11 percent increase in patent family size, and the number of granted patents, claims, and citations per patent (i.e., quality). Findings are robust to various model specifications, suggesting that applied research taught in UASs boosts regional innovation