Agglomeration economies and entrepreneurship: testing for spatial externalities in the Dutch ICT industry

Although there is growing evidence on the role of agglomeration economies in the formation and growth of firms, both the concepts of agglomeration economies and entrepreneurship tend to be ambiguously defined and measured in the literature. In this study, we aim to improve the conceptualisations and measures of agglomeration economies and entrepreneurship. Indicators of agglomeration economies are analysed in clearly defined urban regimes on three spatial scales in the Netherlands – national zoning, labour market connectedness, and urban size. This is done in order to uncover their effect on two entrepreneurial phases in the firm life cycle - new firm formation and the growth of incumbent firms in the relatively new ICT industry in the Netherlands. In comparison with new firm formation, the growth of incumbent firms is not so much related to spatial clustering of the ICT industry and other localized sources of knowledge economies associated with urban density. Instead, knowledge as an input for growth of incumbent firms is associated with more endogenous (firm internal) learning aspects, reflected by a significant correlate with R&D-investments. Also the effect of local ICT firm competition differs between the two types of firms: a positive effect on new firm formation, but a negative effect on incumbent firm growth. In general, agglomeration economies have stronger effects on the formation of ICT firms than on the growth of ICT firms.agglomeration economics, spatial externalities, entrepreneurship, location, urban regimes, ICT industry

Martian impact basins: Morphology differences and tectonic provinces

Detailed geomorphic and structural mapping of five Martian basins and preliminary study of eleven other basins reveal four characteristic styles of modification that relate to the degree and age of past tectonic activity. Within regions that exhibit no evidence for tectonic activity, the modification style can be used to distinguish areas dominated by different exogenic processes. A framework for understanding these different styles of basin modification is provided

Volumes of Restricted Minkowski Sums and the Free Analogue of the Entropy Power Inequality

In noncommutative probability theory independence can be based on free products instead of tensor products. This yields a highly noncommutative theory: free probability . Here we show that the classical Shannon's entropy power inequality has a counterpart for the free analogue of entropy . The free entropy (introduced recently by the second named author), consistently with Boltzmann's formula $S=k\log W$, was defined via volumes of matricial microstates. Proving the free entropy power inequality naturally becomes a geometric question. Restricting the Minkowski sum of two sets means to specify the set of pairs of points which will be added. The relevant inequality, which holds when the set of "addable" points is sufficiently large, differs from the Brunn-Minkowski inequality by having the exponent $1/n$ replaced by $2/n$. Its proof uses the rearrangement inequality of Brascamp-Lieb-L\"uttinger

From the 'cinematic' to the 'anime-ic': Issues of movement in anime

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below.This article explores the way that movement is formally depicted in anime. Drawing on Thomas Lamarre's concepts of the `cinematic' and the `anime-ic', the article interrogates further the differences in movement and action in anime from traditional filmic form. While often considered in terms of `flatness', anime offers spectacle, character development and, ironically, depth through the very form of movement put to use in such texts.The article questions whether the modes of address at work in anime are unique to this form of animation.Taking into account how the terms `cinematic' and `anime-ic' can be understood (and by extension the cinematic and animatic apparatus), the article also begins to explore how viewers might identify with such images

Covid-19 and Post Intensive Care Syndrome: A Call for Action

Although we are currently overwhelmed by the astonishing speed of infection of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the daily onslaught of new, and ever-worsening predictions, it is vital that we begin to prepare for the aftershocks of the pandemic. Prominent among this will be the cohort of post-intensive case survivors who have been mechanically ventilated and will like experience short- and medium-term consequences of the experience. The notion that patients surviving intensive care and mechanical ventilation for several weeks can be discharged home without further medical attention is a dangerous illusion. Post Intensive Care Syndrome and other severe conditions will require not only adequate screening but early rehabilitation and other interventions. Action must be taken now to prepare for this inevitable shock to the healthcare system

Cross-linguistic views of gesture usage

People have stereotypes about gesture usage. For instance, speakers in East Asia are not supposed to gesticulate, and it is believed that Italians gesticulate more than the British. Despite the prevalence of such views, studies that investigate these stereotypes are scarce. The present study examined peopleÕs views on spontaneous gestures by collecting data from five different countries. A total of 363 undergraduate students from five countries (France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and USA) participated in this study. Data were collected through a two-part questionnaire. Part 1 asked participants to rate two characteristics of gesture: frequency and size of gesture for 13 different languages. Part 2 asked them about their views on factors that might affect the production of gestures. The results showed that most participants in this study believe that Italian, Spanish, and American English speakers produce larger gestures more frequently than other language speakers. They also showed that each culture group, even within Europe, put weight on a slightly different aspect of gestures

"Playstation eyetoy games" improve upper extremity-related motor functioning in subacute stroke:a randomized controlled clinical trial

Aim. To evaluate the effects of "Playstation EyeToy Games" on upper extremity motor recovery and upper extremity-related motor functioning of patients with subacute stroke. Methods. The authors designed a randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, 4-week trial, with follow-up at 3 months. A total of 20 hemiparetic inpatients (mean age 61.1 years), all within 12 months post-stroke, received 30 minutes of treatment with "Playstation EyeToy Games" per day, consisting of flexion and extension of the paretic shoulder, elbow and wrist as well as abduction of the paretic shoulder or placebo therapy (watching the games for the same duration without physical involvement into the games) in addition to conventional program, 5 days a week, 2-5 hours/day for 4 weeks. Brunnstrom's staging and self-care subitems of the functional independence measure (FIM) were performed at 0 month (baseline), 4 weeks (post-treatment), and 3 months (follow-up) after the treatment. Results. The mean change score (95% confidence interval) of the FIM self-care score (5.5 [2.9-8.0] vs 1.8 [0.1-3.7], P=0.018) showed significantly more improvement in the EyeToy group compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between the groups for the Brunnstrom stages for hand and upper extremity. Conclusion. "Playstation EyeToy Games" combined with a conventional stroke rehabilitation program have a potential to enhance upper extremity-related motor functioning in subacute stroke patients.</div