The Regional Economic Value of Entrepreneurship: A Schumpeterian Approach to the Linkage between Entrepreneurship and Regional Development

Abstract: This paper develops a regional-level total factor productivity (TFP)-based proxy measure of the economic value of the functions entrepreneurs perform in the economy. In providing the theoretical support for linking the economic value of entrepreneurship (EVE) and TFP, this paper integrates Schumpeter's definition of entrepreneurship within the neoclassical production function framework. The measure of EVE developed here builds upon Harberger's (1998) real cost reduction approach to industry-level and quality-adjusted TFP. The paper uses the European Union NUTS 2 regions as a case study and concludes that this innovative proxy measure of EVE opens promising avenues for a better understanding of the linkages between entrepreneurship and regional economic development

Using an escape room activity to enhance the motivation of undergraduate life science students in mathematics classes: A case study

Mathematics is one of the school subjects where demotivation, dislike and failure are frequent concerns. To address this, it is important to actively engage students in the classroom and employ resources that make math classes more appealing and captivating, leading to meaningful learning experiences. Active, cooperative, and participative learning methods should be prioritized over traditional didactic teaching and the mere transmission of knowledge. Active learning methods offer alternative approaches to the conventional lecture format, actively involving students in the learning process. The concept of an escape room, a gaming experience where participants must solve challenges to escape from a locked room, has gained popularity in educational contexts. The educational escape room is an extension of this concept, aiming to promote real-time problem-solving, teamwork, and discovery of clues and mysteries to facilitate active learning. By engaging in various tasks within a room, students work together in teams, fostering an active learning environment. The educational escape room offers several benefits, including the enhancement of problem-solving skills, student performance, and motivation. By incorporating gamification strategies into teaching and learning processes, this approach proves to be an effective way of promoting active learning in mathematics. In this paper, we present a case study that explores the use of an educational escape room with first-year undergraduate students from a Portuguese higher education institution, with the goal of improving their mathematical problem-solving skills. The study aims to evaluate how escape rooms can contribute to increased student motivation. To assess the perception of students regarding this escape room methodology, a quantitative survey was conducted. The findings indicate that using the escape room as an educational approach effectively increased student interest and improved learning outcomes in mathematics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

User Interface Design for AI-Based Clinical Decision-Support System

This paper presents a case study about the initial phases of the interface design for an artificial intelligence-based decision-support system for clinical diagnosis. The study presents challenges and opportunities in implementing a human-centered design (HCD) approach during the early stages of the software development of a complex system. These methods are commonly adopted to ensure that the systems are designed based on users' needs. For this project, they are also used to investigate the users' potential trust issues and ensure the creation of a trustworthy platform. However, the project stage and heterogeneity of the teams can pose obstacles to their implementation. The results of the implementation of HCD methods have shown to be effective and informed the creation of low fidelity prototypes. The outcomes of this process can assist other designers, developers, and researchers in creating trustworthy AI solutions

Measuring Trust in Technology: A Survey Tool to Assess Users’ Trust Experiences

This work reports a survey mechanism to empower non-experts to measure technology trustworthiness. It uses a validated Human-Computer Trust Scale (HCTS) with nine items and aims to answer if (RQ1) Can this survey system build from the HCTS be a valuable tool for mapping user’s Trust in a system? (RQ2) Can the HCTS be used to support trustworthy design practices? Overall results indicate that the system can be a helpful tool and can be an effective tool to map trust behaviours towards technology. The majority of the inquired (designers) considered simple, valuable and easy to use the tool. However, it was challenging to understand and interpret the results. Highlighted points are the fact of being not technical, practical, and simple to apply. Results also indicate that it can be an effective tool to map trust behaviours across cultures when analyzed with complementary indicators, like differences, privacy perception

The classroom as a research field: approximations and the use of digital equipment

Este artigo apresenta considerações de ordem metodológica sobre pesquisas de observação de sala de aula realizadas na cidade de São Paulo, em 2002 e 2005, e em duas cidades francesas, no ano letivo 2006-2007. Com base na metodologia utilizada nessas pesquisas e no diálogo com a bibliografia sobre pesquisas de campo, inclusive de outras áreas, os autores analisam as dificuldades enfrentadas nesse contexto e propõem a utilização de equipamentos digitais em campo como contribuição ao rigor e à validade desse tipo de pesquisa. Na primeira parte do artigo, são discutidos problemas fundamentais da pesquisa de observação de sala de aula, como o estranhamento do familiar, a conquista da " solidariedade" e da " camaradagem" dos atores de campo e o estabelecimento de certa diferença entre observação e interpretação. Na segunda parte, são apresentados equipamentos digitais utilizados nas pesquisas citadas que não apenas agilizam ou facilitam o ofício do pesquisador. O uso desses equipamentos, orientado por uma metodologia que lhes dê sentido, pode auxiliar os pesquisadores de sala de aula a ampliar significativamente o rigor e a validade de seu trabalho ao multiplicar as possibilidades de criação de tipos de fonte de dados. Nessa parte do artigo, é discutido o uso de palmtops, gravadores de áudio e câmeras fotográficas digitais, smartphones, microcâmeras sem fio, notebooks e editores de áudio e vídeo em pesquisas de observação de sala de aula.This article offers considerations of a methodological order about classroom observation studies carried out in 2002 and 2005 in the city of São Paulo and in the 2006/2007 academic year in two French cities. Based on the methodology employed in these studies, and on a dialogue with the literature on fieldworks, including those from other areas, the authors analyze the difficulties faced within this context and propose the use of digital equipment in the field as a contribution to the rigor and validity of this kind of research. In the first part of the article, fundamental problems of the research involving classroom observation are discussed, such as the perplexity with the familiar, the conquest of the " solidarity" and " camaraderie" of the field agents, and the establishment of a difference between observation and interpretation. The second part of the text describes digital equipment used in the above-mentioned studies which do more than just speed up or facilitate the task of the researcher. The use of these equipments, guided by a methodology that gives them meaning, can help researchers in the classrooms to expand significantly the rigor and validity of their work by multiplying the possibilities of creating types of data sources. This part of the article discusses the use of palmtops, audio recorders and digital cameras, smartphones, wireless micro-cameras, notebooks, and audio and video editors in researches involving classroom observation

Employment, Careers and Productivity: Lessons from Three E.U. Countries

This thesis is composed of four empirical studies which use data from Portugal, the United Kingdom and Germany to examine four topical aspects of employment, careers and productivity in these countries' labour markets. The second chapter studies the impact that a 49.3% change in the legal minimum wage for workers aged 18 and 19 in Portugal had on the wages and employment of this age group of workers. It uses firm-level micro data to compare the employment growth of 18-19 year old workers with employment growth of older workers. It also looks separately at firms more and less likely to be affected by the minimum wage shock. The third chapter studies the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the productivity of domestic firms in the UK. It uses a plant-level panel covering UK manufacturing to find evidence of FDI spillovers. It does so by investigating the correlation between a domestic plant's TFP and the foreign-affiliate share of employment in that plant's industry and, independently, in that plant's region. A number of different specifications are estimated in order to minimise potential endogeneity bias. The fourth chapter estimates returns to job tenure and labour market experience in the United Kingdom and Germany using various methods to correct for heterogeneity and endogeneity biases. It also estimates the returns to tenure and experience by qualification group. Results are interpreted in light of the differences between the two labour market's institutions. The fifth chapter compares returns to tenure and experience in union and non-union jobs in the United Kingdom in the 80s and 90s. It uses longitudinal data and instrumental variables methods to correct for potential individual and job match heterogeneity biases. Returns are also calculated separately for jobs with and without seniority wage scales

Kinetics versus Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics must be favorable for the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene to take place, but a kinetic study is required to find the operating mechanism. In fact, thermodynamics indicates whether a reaction is possible; however, the route prevailing is not necessarily the most thermodynamically favorable, but the fastest one. Detailed kinetic studies state that there are three alternative routes operating under different temperature and pressure rates. The modes and rates of diffusion of carbon (C) atoms and noble metals have been known since the 1930s, but proof of C bulk diffusion operating in CNT growth came from detailed kinetic studies performed in the early 1970s, when reversible versus irreversible C formation was discussed with examples. The reason for interstitial C bulk diffusion in transition metals is evidenced based on the values of covalent radius. The reason for operating under steady-state conditions (linearity of the weight versus time) when searching for the operating mechanism is discussed herein. The steady-state C formation process operates sometimes with two different solid phases at each side of the catalyst particle (e.g., Ni and Ni3C), with thicknesses proportional to 1/D of the respective C bulk diffusivities when the carbon bulk diffusion step is the rate-determining one.publishersversionpublishe

Public Value Capture, Climate Change, and the ‘Infrastructure Gap’ in Coastal Development: Examining Evidence from France and Greece

This paper examines the role that two Public Value Capture (PVC) mechanisms could play in providing a source of funding for urban infrastructure in the case of two coastal areas in France and Greece. High development pressures in those areas have been exacerbated in recent times by the growing ‘informality of desire’. Therefore, in a context of climate change the two case study areas face the dual challenge of an increasing ‘investment gap’ and increasing vulnerability. Although the estimated costs are still based on approximate calculations, they are substantive. Using primary and secondary data, as well as analysis of the legal and policy framework, the paper shows that ‘informality of desire’ is not only tolerated but actually incentivised in both countries. This leads to substantial short-term financial benefits for private developers and property owners but also some gains for local authorities and central governments. However, the value captured via the legalisation fees and property taxation is not adequately ringfenced and in any case it is not enough to cover the infrastructure gap and the potential compensation in case of natural disasters

Online distance learning : Exploring the interaction between trust and performance.

The research reported in this thesis makes a contribution towards a comprehensive understanding of the online distance learning process. This research specifically addresses the effects of learners' trust in relation to particular trust factors in their academic performance when studying at a distance. An initial theoretical framework is outlined, which encompasses investigated areas such as distance education, online distance learning, trust, performance, as-sessment, online communities, co-operation and collaboration. Subsequently, a two stage empirical research process is described. Firstly, a survey is outlined to enable the construction of a set of trust factors characterising learners' beliefs in relation to online distance learning issues as well as to provide the student group profile. Secondly, a study which accounts for both a quantitative and qualitative data collec-tion is presented. Quantitative data was used to test an hypothesis which explored the relation between trust and performance under different conditions. Qualitative data was gathered to better understand and explain the results from the first stage. Results identified the importance of fostering trust in a distance learning community and in providing trustful online distance learning environments and reflects on the understanding of the concept of trust and possible implications for the online distance learning design and it pedagogy. Implications for online distance learners' needs and support are also identified.Results also confirmed the interaction between trust and performance although some results were unexpected. For instance, under certain conditions a negative correlation between trust and academic performance was identified. These results might, somehow, be related to Cape Verde's specific characteristics such as limited broadband access to the Internet and access to ICT facilities, serious water and electricity shortages, limited agricultural possibilities and shortage of higher education opportunities. Within this context, this work's major contributions are at the intersection of areas such as trust, online distance learning and learners' academic performance. Which offers an. increased understanding of the effects of learners' trust beliefs over their academic performance in online distance learning processes.An additional contribution was the development of an Information and Communication Technologies Online distance learning module for every initial year of the Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde undergraduate programme, thus contributing to reducing the existing gap between developed and developing countries.A complementary contribution is the identification of a number of consequent research questions which pave the way for future research work