Possible implications of the presence of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in The Netherlands

Mogelijke implicaties van de aanwezigheid van de wasbeerhond (Nyctereutes procyoniodes) in Nederland. De soort is tussen 1929 en 1955 geïntroduceerd in Europese delen van de voormalige Sovjet Unie. Uit dit literatuuronderzoek blijkt dat de wasbeerhond sinds 1990 ook in Nederland is waargenomen

The effects of firm relocation on firm performance - A literature review

Approximately 6% of all firms in the Netherlands decide to relocate every year. Furthermore, the number of firms that has relocated increased dramatically over time. Relatively much is known about the (re)location decision itself. However, much less research focuses on the effects of relocation on the performance of firms. This is remarkable since the importance of the geographical and organizational position of a firm for firm performance, and especially innovation, has become more and more profound over time. The notion that no firm may function as an island on itself is accepted by and large and the importance of a firm’s geographical and organizational position is sometimes even described as exaggerated in the literature. It therefore seems logical to study the effects of changes in a firm’s position as a result of a relocation. Given the above this paper asks the question: What is known in the literature about the effects of firm relocation on the performance of firms? In order to answer this question, first an overview of the possible effects of firm relocation is given. Subsequently, a review of the available literature dealing with the effects of firm relocation is presented in order to make an inventory of the effects that have and have not been studied. It is argued that the scarce relocation literature that is available has an extremely narrow focus and largely neglects the importance of the geographical and organizational position of a firm and thereby might ignore important factors influencing the effects of firm relocation on firm performance.

Spatial embeddedness and firm performance: an empirical exploration of the effects of proximity on innovative and economic performance

Recent theoretical developments in organisation science and regional economics have emphasised the importance of networks and geographical proximity for the performance of firms. Empirical evidence on these relationships is scarce, though, especially in regional science. In this paper, we address the following research question: to what extent do firm-specific resources, organisational embeddedness, proximity, and industry factors influence innovative and economic outcomes of innovative firms? We used a theoretical synthesis of regional and organisational science to build a research model that enabled us to derive several hypotheses on the influence of proximity on outcomes, taking other important predictors for performance into account. Our empirical findings confirm the importance of proximity especially for innovative outcomes. Moreover, we found that in particular network relations with buyers and suppliers are conducive for firm performance, whereas other indicators of embeddedness and of internal resources have little impact probably due to substitution effects. Finally, regional as well sectoral R&D spillovers influence outcomes in a positive way.

Glaciers as Indicators of Climatic Change - Background and Tools for Modelling

Glaciers may be used as indicators of climatic change. This paper presents data from six glaciers with records of glacier length greater than 200 years. All show a strong retreat since 1850. The paper discusses past work to model these glaciers based on climatological time series from nearby station. Studies performed until now have not produced good results and have only partially described the retreats of the past 100 years. A new, two-step modelling approach is presented here. The first component relates climate conditions to glacier mass balance followed by a second which calculates ice flow as a response to imposed mass balance. The mass balance approach uses an energy balance on the glacier surface, explicitly accounting for turbulent fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer above the glacier surface and for the changes in albedo in the modelling of radiation. Meteorological data needed to run the mass balance module are temperature and humidity, cloudiness, and precipitation. A one-dimensional flow model based on equations of the continuity and motion is used to compute the dynamics of a glacier along the centerline down the surface slope. It takes into account varying lateral geometry, sliding and deformation of the glacier and changes in ice thickness. The coupled, two-component model system is solved using an explicit scheme for time integration. Various numerical techniques to improve computational efficiency are discussed. Preliminary results of this approach have been promising and will be discussed by a follow-up paper

A quasi-analytical ice-sheet model for climate studies

A simple quasi-analytical model is developed to study the response of ice-sheets to climate change. The model is axisymmetrical and rests on a bed with a constant slope. The mechanics are highly parameterised. The climatic conditions are represented by the altitude of the runoff line. Above the runoff line the accumulation rate is constant (but may depend on, for instance, the ice-sheet size), below the runoff line the balance gradient is constant. The ice-sheet may extend into the sea and can respond to changes in sea level. At the grounding line the ice velocity is assumed to be proportional to the water depth. For this set-up an explicit expression for the total mass budget of the ice-sheet is derived. To illustrate the properties and possibilities of the model, equilibrium states are analysed and the response to periodic forcing is studied as well. The coupling of mass balance and surface elevation of the ice-sheet leads to nonlinear behaviour and branching of the equilibrium solutions. The qualitative behaviour of the system is that of the cusp catastrophe. Nonlinear effects are more pronounced when the slope of the bed is smaller. A case is discussed in which two ice-sheets are coupled by making the altitude of the runoff line dependent on the total area of the two ice-sheets. On two continents, having a slightly different glaciation threshold, periodic forcing of the altitude of the runoff line is imposed. It is shown that in such a situation variations on a long time scale (two to three times the period of the forcing) are introduced. Finally the model is forced by the GISP <font face='Symbol'>d</font>¹⁸O record for the last 120 000 years. For an appropriate choice of parameters the model simulates well the waxing and waning of the Laurentide, Fennoscandian and Barentsz ice-sheets

Representing the Kosmos: The "Lyric Turn" in Whitman

Explores "the changing status of the major modes" of literature--here narrative and lyric--in the context of Whitman\u27s oeuvre, focusing especially on "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" and "As I Ebb\u27d with the Ocean of Life" and defending the lyric against contemporary, pro-narrative arguments that see lyric modes as solipsistic; argues that "lyric reminds us where freedom may be found and why it matters.