The Financing of Diverse Enterprises : Evidence from the SME Finance Monitor

This paper contributes to our understanding of the finance issues currently facing diverse SMEs by presenting a new analysis of the SME Finance Monitor. While prior studies have contributed substantial evidence regarding the effects of either gender or ethnicity on finance outcomes, these analyses have typically focused on either women-owned or ethnic minority owned enterprises. This study considers the experiences and outcomes of both women-owned and ethnic minority-owned enterprises, including the interaction effects of ethnicity and gender

Transitions between symmetrical and asymmetrical gaits: a biomechanical analysis

INTRODUCTION: Gallop is a skipping gait in which one leg (the leading leg) is continuously kept in front of the other (3). This type of locomotion occurs spontaneously in the development of locomotion in children (1) and occurs sometimes in adults when descending stairs or a slope at high speed (2). Although gallop is a naturally occurring human locomotion pattern, research on human gallop is limited. METHODS: Fifteen female subjects with homogeneous stature were selected. They were asked to walk, run and gallop at preferred speed and to perform multiple transitions from walking to running (WRT), galloping to running (GRT) and walking to galloping (WGT). Subjects were equipped with 59 reflective markers and performed the trials on an overground walkway with 6 built‐in forceplates and 12 infrared cameras (Pro Reflex, Qualisys). Kinematics and kinetics were calculated using commercial software (Visual 3D, C‐motion). RESULTS: Subjects consistently used the same leading leg during gallop. Joint kinematics and kinetics showed differences between the leading and trailing leg in gallop. Transition speed of GRT (3.83±0.34ms‐1) was significantly higher than transition speed of WGT (2.66±0.24ms‐1)(p<0.01) and WRT (2.82±0.26ms‐1)(p<0.01) but no statistical difference was found between WGT and WRT (p=0.410)(fig.1). A clear transition step was seen in the WRT and the GRT based on joint kinematics, kinetics, and patterns of mechanical energy. In the WRT, GRT and WGT the swing phase prior to the transition step showed greater (dorsi)flexion in the ankle, knee and hip in comparison with previous walking/galloping steps. In the WGT (2.66±0.24 ms‐1) also the stance phase in the step before transition showed more (dorsi)flexion in the ankle, knee and hip. When subjects initiated the WGT when the leading leg was not in front, they showed some inconsistent intermediate running/skipping steps before they started galloping. Fig.1: transition speed for WGT, WRT and GRT. *and* are significant differences between transitions (p<0,01) CONCLUSIONS: Gallop is appropriately called an asymmetrical gait pattern as the leading and trailing leg execute a different movement. Adults seldom switch spontaneously from walking to galloping so the WGT is supposed to be planned. Still the initiation of transition seems to occur spontaneously because transition sometimes initiated when the leading leg was not in front. If the transition would occur intentionally, one would expect that transition only initiates when the leading leg is in front. Transition speed is very similar for WGT and WRT so it could be that a similar mechanism (arising in the acceleration from walking) determines when the transition occurs. Transition is prepared in the same way in the WRT and the GRT. There is a limited preparation in the swing phase preceding the actual transition step. In the WGT two transition steps were seen. As both legs carry out a different movement in gallop, it seems like each leg needs a transition step to alter the new gait configuration. The transition from an asymmetrical gait pattern to a symmetrical gait pattern (GRT) seems easier to perform than a transition from a symmetrical gait pattern to an asymmetrical gait pattern (WGT) as at least two steps were necessary to make the transition in the WGT in comparison with one step in the GRT. The gait pattern before the transitions, seems to determine the instant of transition initiation (similarity between WGT and WRT). The gait pattern after transition seems to be important in the way the transition is prepared (similarity between WRT and GRT). REFERENCES 1.Clark JE, Whitall J. Changing patterns of locomotion: from walking to skipping. In: Woollacott M, Shumway‐Cook A, editors. Development of posture and gait across the life span. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press; 1989.p. 128‐51. 2.Getchell N, Whitall J. Transitions to and from asymmetrical gait patterns. Journal of Motor Behaviour. 2004; 36 (1):13‐27. 3.Minetti AE. The biomechanics of skipping gaits: a third locomotion paradigm? Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 1998;265:1227‐35

Digitally Deprived Children in Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the need for internet connectivity and technological devices across the population, but especially among school-aged children. For a large proportion of pupils, access to a connected computer nowadays makes the difference between being able to keep up with their educational development and falling badly behind. This paper provides a detailed account of the digitally deprived children in Europe, according to the latest available wave of the European Union - Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). We find that 5.4% of school-aged children in Europe are digitally deprived and that differences are large across countries. Children that cohabit with low-educated parents, in poverty or in severe material deprivation are those most affected

Geometric Blow-up for Folded Limit Cycle Manifolds in Three Time-Scale Systems

$\textit{Geometric singular perturbation theory}$ provides a powerful mathematical framework for the analysis of 'stationary' multiple time-scale systems which possess a $\textit{critical manifold}$, i.e. a smooth manifold of steady states for the limiting fast subsystem, particularly when combined with a method of desingularization known as $\textit{blow-up}$. The theory for 'oscillatory' multiple time-scale systems which possess a limit cycle manifold instead of (or in addition to) a critical manifold is less developed, particularly in the non-normally hyperbolic regime. We show that the blow-up method can be applied to analyse the global oscillatory transition near a regular folded limit cycle manifold in a class of three time-scale systems with two small parameters. The systems considered behave like oscillatory systems as the smallest perturbation parameter tends to zero, and stationary systems as both perturbation parameters tend to zero. The additional time-scale structure is crucial for the applicability of the blow-up method, which cannot be applied directly to the two time-scale counterpart of the problem. Our methods allow us to describe the asymptotics and strong contractivity of all solutions which traverse a neighbourhood of the global singularity. Our results cover a range of different cases with respect to the relative time-scale of the angular dynamics and the parameter drift

Semantic priming effects can be modulated by crosslinguistic interactions during second-language auditory word recognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 February 2020The current study investigates how second language auditory word recognition, in early and highly proficient Spanish–Basque (L1-L2) bilinguals, is influenced by crosslinguistic phonological-lexical interactions and semantic priming. Phonological overlap between a word and its translation equivalent (phonological cognate status), and semantic relatedness of a preceding prime were manipulated. Experiment 1 examined word recognition performance in noisy listening conditions that introduce a high degree of uncertainty, whereas Experiment 2 employed clear listening conditions, with low uncertainty. Under noisy listening conditions, semantic priming effects interacted with phonological cognate status: for word recognition accuracy, a related prime overcame inhibitory effects of phonological overlap between target words and their translations. These findings are consistent with models of bilingual word recognition that incorporate crosslinguistic phonological-lexical-semantic interactions. Moreover, they suggest an interplay between L2-L1 interactions and the integration of information across acoustic and semantic levels of processing in flexibly mapping the speech signal onto the spoken words, under adverse listening conditions.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant PSI2017-82563-P, awarded to A.G.S.), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific research (NWO Veni grant 275-89-027, awarded to M.B.), the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program, and the Spanish State Agency Severo Ochoa excellence accreditation SEV-2015-0490; Programme for Centres/Units of Excellence (awarded to the BCBL), and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 799554