Segmentation and Segregation Patterns of Women-Owned High-Tech Firms in Four Metropolitan Regions in the United States

Mayer H. Segmentation and segregation patterns of women-owned high-tech firms in four metropolitan regions in the United States, Regional Studies. The number of women starting and owning a business has increased dramatically and female entrepreneurs are entering non-traditional sectors such as high technology, construction and manufacturing. This paper investigates the trends in high-tech entrepreneurship by women in four US metropolitan regions (Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; and Portland, Oregon). The research examines the sectoral and spatial segmentation patterns of women-owned high-tech firms. Although women are entering non-traditional sectors, the research finds that women entrepreneurs tend to own businesses in female-typed high-tech sectors. In established high-tech regions like Silicon Valley and Boston, male-typed and female-typed women-owned high-tech firms differ significantly in terms of sectoral and spatial segmentation regardless of firm age. While differences between male-typed and female-typed firms are not significant at the regional level for Washington, DC, the analysis shows significant intra-metropolitan differences for the female-typed high-tech firms. The paper concludes that sectoral and spatial segmentation are powerful dynamics that shape business ownership by women in high technology.

Hierarchical spatial segregation of two Mediterranean vole species: the role of patch‑network structure and matrix composition

According to ecological theory, the coexistence of competitors in patchy environments may be facilitated by hierarchical spatial segregation along axes of environmental variation, but empirical evidence is limited. Cabrera and water voles show a metapopulation-like structure in Mediterranean farmland, where they are known to segregate along space, habitat, and time axes within habitat patches. Here, we assess whether segregation also occurs among and within landscapes, and how this is influenced by patch-network and matrix composition. We surveyed 75 landscapes, each covering 78 ha, where we mapped all habitat patches potentially suitable for Cabrera and water voles, and the area effectively occupied by each species (extent of occupancy). The relatively large water vole tended to be the sole occupant of landscapes with high habitat amount but relatively low patch density (i.e., with a few large patches), and with a predominantly agricultural matrix, whereas landscapes with high patch density (i.e.,many small patches) and low agricultural cover, tended to be occupied exclusively by the small Cabrera vole. The two species tended to co-occur in landscapes with intermediate patch-network and matrix characteristics, though their extents of occurrence were negatively correlated after controlling for environmental effects. In combination with our previous studies on the Cabrera-water vole system, these findings illustrated empirically the occurrence of hierarchical spatial segregation, ranging from withinpatches to among-landscapes. Overall, our study suggests that recognizing the hierarchical nature of spatial segregation patterns and their major environmental drivers should enhance our understanding of species coexistence in patchy environments.

Optimized harvest scheduling in eucalyptus plantations under operational, spatial and climatic constraints

The representation of sustainability concerns in industrial forests management plans, in relation to environmental, social and economic aspects, involve a great amount of details when analyzing and understanding the interaction among these aspects to reduce possible future impacts. At the tactical and operational planning levels, methods based on generic assumptions usually provide non-realistic solutions, impairing the decision making process. This study is aimed at improving current operational harvesting planning techniques, through the development of a mixed integer goal programming model. This allows the evaluation of different scenarios, subject to environmental and supply constraints, increase of operational capacity, and the spatial consequences of dispatching harvest crews to certain distances over the evaluation period. As a result, a set of performance indicators was selected to evaluate all optimal solutions provided to different possible scenarios and combinations of these scenarios, and to compare these outcomes with the real results observed by the mill in the study case area. Results showed that it is possible to elaborate a linear programming model that adequately represents harvesting limitations, production aspects and environmental and supply constraints. The comparison involving the evaluated scenarios and the real observed results showed the advantage of using more holistic approaches and that it is possible to improve the quality of the planning recommendations using linear programming techniques.

Which “place and non-place” do women occupy in social economy organisations?

Scientific literature has strengthened the perpetuation of inequality factors in the labour market based on gender, despite the on-going endeavour of various political bodies and legal norms against the vertical and horizontal segregation of women. National and European statistical data shows the relevance and timeless features of theories of market segmentation associated with the labour market dating back to the 70’s of the 20th century. Hence, the European Community considers as a priority in the Europe 2020 strategy, the definition of “policies to promote gender equality […] to increase labour force participation thus adding to growth and social cohesion”. If we consider that on the one hand, social economy is fairly recognised to be equated with market actors and the State for its economic and social role in tackling the current crisis, and on the other hand, that the ideals of the sector, systematised in the “Framework Law of Social Economy” (Law no. 30/2013 8th of May), particularly in article 5 proposing “the respect for the values […] of equality and non-discrimination […], justice and equity […]”, we aim to reflect on indicators that uncover a vertical and horizontal segregation in the labour market. Departing from a mixed methodological approach (extensive and intensive), subject to the topic of "Social Entrepreneurship in Portugal" in social economy organisations, we detect very high rates of employment feminisation, with a ratio of 1 man (23%) for every 3 women (77%). Women are mainly earmarked for technical and operational activities, arising from the privileged intervention areas, namely education, training, health, elderly, families, poverty, ultimately being underrepresented in statutory boards and, as such, far removed from deliberations and strategic resolutions. This is particularly visible in the existing hierarchy of functions and management practices of the responsibility of male members. Thus, it seems easily verified that the sector is travelling away from the ideals of justice and social equity, which can crystallise the "non-place" of women in the definition of a strategic direction of social economy and in the most invisible/private “place” of the organisational setting.

Analysis and simulation of social unrest in Europe: towards understanding social unrest in Europe

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies

Habitat preferences, diet, feeding strategy and social organization of the black spider monkey [Ateles paniscus paniscus Linnaeus 1758] in Surinam

A Socioecological Field Study.This monograph reports on a 26 month socioecological study of black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus paniscus)in the Raleigh-vallen — Voltzberg Nature Reserve, Surinam. It recognizes the fundamental importance of food to the behavior and the regulation of population density fox this primate. It clarifies the complex temporal and spatial effects of tropical rain forest food sources on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys, concentrating on food category, food plant identity and phenology, and quantity, density and dispersion of the most important food sources. In addition, the present study describes habitat choice, optimal feeding strategy and sexual behavior of the spider monkey, and discusses implications of diet for social behavior. This study is also fundamental to conservation. Specialized in eating mature fruits, the spider monkey is a very important dispersal agent for many trees and lianes, particularly canopy species. However, the spider monkey is probably the most vulnerable monkey species in Surinam and it is disappearing rapidly throughout the remainder of its range. Unfortunately, it is large and noisy and can be easily tracked and hunted. It is largely restricted to undisturbed high forest, and consequently habitat destruction has more effect on it than on most other species. Together with its slow reproductive rate (a female gives birth only once every four or five years), this means that the species is poorly adapted to recover from exploitation. In order to implement proper measures for conservation, data on forest type preferences, diet and social behavior of the species, or on closely related species, in undisturbed areas, such as the one described in this monograph, are essential tools for assessing the potential of proposed protected areas.

Understanding Interactions in Social Networks and Committees

While much of the literature on cross section dependence has focused mainly on estimation of the regression coefficients in the underlying model, estimation and inferences on the magnitude and strength of spill-overs and interactions has been largely ignored. At the same time, such inferences are important in many applications, not least because they have structural interpretations and provide useful interpretation and structural explanation for the strength of any interactions. In this paper we propose GMM methods designed to uncover underlying (hidden) interactions in social networks and committees. Special attention is paid to the interval censored regression model. Our methods are applied to a study of committee decision making within the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee.

Social capital formation across space: proximity and trust in European regions

An extensive economics and regional science literature has discussed the importance of social capital for economic growth and development. Yet, what social capital is and how it is formed are elusive issues, which require further investigation. Here, we refer to social capital in terms of civic capital and good culture , as rephrased by Guiso, Sapienza and Zingales (2010) and Tabellini (2010). The accumulation of this kind of capital allows the emerging of regional informal institutions, which may help explaining diff erences in regional development. In this paper, we take a regional perspective and use exploratory space and space-time methods to assess whether geography, via proximity, contributes to the formation of social capital across European regions. In particular, we ask whether generalized trust, a fundamental constituent of social capital and an ingredient of economic development, tends to be clustered across space and over time. From the policy standpoint, the spatial hysteresis of regional trust may contribute to the formation of spatial traps of social capital and act as a further barrier to regional economic development and convergence.

Disambiguating the Effects of Social Instability Stress in Adolescence on Learning and Memory Tasks that Involve the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus

Exposure to chronic stress can alter the structure and function of brain regions involved in learning and memory, and these effects are typically long-lasting if the stress occurs during sensitive periods of development. Until recently, adolescence has received relatively little attention as a sensitive period of development, despite marked changes in behaviour, heightened reactivity to stressors, and cognitive and neural maturation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of chronic stress in adolescence on two spatial learning and memory tasks (Morris water maze and Spatial Object Location test) and on a working memory task (Delayed Alternation task). Male rats were randomly assigned to chronic social instability stress (SS; daily 1 hour isolation and subsequent change of cage partner between postnatal days 30 and 45) or to a no-stress control group (CTL). During acquisition learning in the Morris water maze task, SS rats demonstrated impaired long-term memory for the location of the hidden escape platform compared to CTL rats, although the impairment was only seen after the first day of training. Similarly, SS rats had impaired long-term memory in the Spatial Object Location test after a long delay (240 minutes), but not after shorter delays (15 or 60 minutes) compared to CTL rats. On the Delayed Alternation task, which assessed working memory across delays ranging from 5 to 90 seconds, no group differences were observed. These results are partially in line with previous research that revealed adult impairment on spatial learning and memory tasks after exposure to chronic social instability stress in adolescence. The observed deficits, however, appear to be limited to long-term memory as no group differences were observed during brief periods of retention.

Segregation unter Stagnationsbedingungen

Anlass der Untersuchung sind Verstärkungen von strukturwandel- und globalisierungsbedingten Wandlungen unter Schrumpfungs- und Stagnationsbedingungen. Denn Stagnations- und Schrumpfungstendenzen in einer Region sind selektiv, sie begünstigen über verschiedene Mechanismen Polarisierungen und Marginalisierungen: Die allgemeine Entspannung am Wohnungsmarkt hat erhöhte Mobilität und damit sozialräumliche Segregierungen und Polarisierungen der Wohnungsversorgung zur Folge. Leerstände und ausbleibende Investitionen begünstigen Polarisierungen von baulich-räumlichen Qualitäten. Diese beiden Entwicklungen überlagern sich im Stadtraum und verstärken sich gegenseitig. Dabei verbessert sich die Wohnungsversorgung in den benachteiligten Quartieren kaum, so die Ausgangshypothesen. Die Untersuchung fragt nach den Wirkungen des Nebeneinanders von Wachstums-, Stagnations- und Schrumpfungserscheinungen auf unterschiedlichen Maßstabsebenen, dem Zusammenspiel von sozialstrukturellen und qualitativen Veränderungen der baulich-räumlichen Gegebenheiten in den Quartieren sowie in innerstädtischer Differenzierung. Dabei interessieren besonders die Einflüsse eines regional entspannten Wohnungsmarktes und dessen Folgen für die Verwertungsstrategien im Wohnungsbestand auf Segregationsprozesse und die Wohnungsversorgung. Als Fallbeispiel der Untersuchung dient die Stadt Kassel. Der sozialräumliche Fokus liegt auf drei Typen benachteiligter Quartiere: Neben den in der aktuellen Diskussion zumeist betrachteten gründerzeitlichen Arbeiterquartieren und den Großsiedlungen der 1960/70er Jahre wurden auch die peripheren Geschosswohnungsbausiedlungen der 1950er/60er Jahre in die Untersuchung einbezogen, um den unterschiedlichen Rahmenbedingungen und Wirkungen in den Quartierstypen auf die Spur zu kommen und damit letztlich Grundlagen für stadtentwicklungspolitische Strategien zu erarbeiten. Die kleinräumigen Analysen von sozialräumlicher und baulich-räumlicher Struktur sowie zur Wohnungsversorgung deckten Parallelen und gegenläufige Entwicklungen zwischen den unterschiedlichen Quartierstypen auf; es ergaben sich verschiedene Anhaltspunkte zur Erhärtung der Ausgangsthesen. So wurde z.B. deutlich, dass sich unter den Marktbedingungen stagnierender Städte die Wohnflächenversorgung in den benachteiligten Quartieren kaum verbessert. Hierin zeigt sich ein entscheidender Unterschied zu stark schrumpfenden Städten, in denen sich die Versorgungslage (fast) durchgängig verbessert. Wohnungsmarktbarrieren wirken offensichtlich unter Stagnationsbedingungen für bestimmte Bevölkerungsgruppen weiter. Da sich ihre Wirkung aber für weitere Kreise der Bevölkerung abschwächt, verschärfen sich sozialräumliche Konzentrationen. Vor allem aber wurden Überlagerung und gegenseitige Verstärkung dieser sozialräumlichen mit baulich-räumlichen Polarisierungen deutlich, die vor allem aus stadträumlich konzentrierten Investitionen in den Gebäude- und Wohnungsbestand resultieren. Letztlich zeigt sich damit, dass regulierende Eingriffe nicht nur im Rahmen des Umbaus und der Erneuerung der Quartiere erforderlich sind, sondern insbesondere auch in den Wohnungsmarkt und dies auch bei entspannter regionaler Marktlage. Andernfalls ist weder eine angemessene Wohnungsversorgung aller Bevölkerungsgruppen noch der Zusammenhalt der Stadt(Gesellschaft) zu gewährleisten. Dabei ist die Stadtpolitik permanent mit der Gleichzeitigkeit von (wirtschaftlicher) Standortpolitik und sozialer Stadtentwicklung konfrontiert, die sie im Sinne einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung gegeneinander und miteinander abwägen muss.

Women, rights and the city: notes for the construction of a state of art from the feminist thought and theory

The modern citieshave been born of the processes of industrialization, urbanization, which have been characterized by violence, resulting in social inequality, spatial segregation, the struggle for survival, the authoritarianism of the government and the establishment of exclusive orders genre, which has  prevented the enjoyment of the rights differential. In order to understand these complexities and  transform power relations that develop and reproduce it, this article analyzes the main theoretical  contributions and methodological approaches that feminist and gender studies have been conducted on the city, urban space and the right to city, which are valuable contributions to the definition of  the right to the city of women as a collective right to universal construction

Occupational therapy and its relevance in social projects. relationships, learning and opportunities: collection of experiences of University of Alberta Mscot students in Bogotá, Colombia

Occupational therapists are equipped to promote wellbeing through occupation and to enable participation and meaningful engagement of people in their social and physical environments (WFOT, 2012). As such, the role of the occupational therapists is profoundly linked to the social, cultural and environmental characteristics of the contexts in which occupations take place. The central role that context plays in occupational performance creates an interesting dichotomy for the occupational therapist: on one hand, a profound understanding of cultural and social factors is required from the Occupational Therapy (OT) in order to develop a meaningful and successful collaboration with the person; on the other hand, the ability of the occupational therapists to recognize and explore the contextual factor of an occupation-person dyad transcends cultural and spatial barriers. As a result, occupational therapists are equipped to engage in international collaboration and practice, and as such face unique and enriching challenges. International fieldwork experiences have become a tool through which occupational therapists in training can develop the critical skills for understanding the impact of cultural and social factors on occupation. An OT student in an international fieldwork experience faces numerous challenges in leading a process that is both relevant and respectful to the characteristics of the local context: language, cultural perceptions of occupation and personhood, religious backgrounds, health care access, etc. These challenges stand out as ethical considerations that must be considered when navigating an international fieldwork experience (AOTA, 2009). For more than five years now, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FRM) of the University of Alberta (UoFA) and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario (UR), Bogota, Colombia, have sustained a productive and meaningful international collaboration. This collaboration includes a visit by Dr. Albert Cook, professor of the FRM and former dean, to the UR as the main guest speaker in the International Congress of Technologies for Disability Support (IBERDISCAP) in 2008. Furthermore, Dr. Cook was a speaker in the research seminar of the Assistive Technology Research Group of the Universidad del Rosario. Following Dr. Cook’s visit, Professors Liliana Álvarez and Adriana Ríos travelled to Edmonton and initiated collaboration with the FRM, resulting in the signing of an agreement between the FRM and the UR in 2009, agreement that has been maintained to this day. The main goal of this agreement is to increase academic and cultural cooperation between the UR and the UofA. Other activities have included the cooperation between Dr. Kim Adams (who has largely maintained interest and effort in supporting the capacity building of the UR rehabilitation programs in coordinating the provision of research placement opportunities for UR students at the UofA), an Assistive Technology course for clinicians and students led by Dr. Adams, and a research project that researched the use of basic cell phones to provide social interaction and health information access for people with disabilities in a low-income community in Colombia (led by Tim Barlott, OT, MSc, under the supervision of Dr. Adams). Since the beginning, the occupational therapy programs of the Universidad del Rosario and the University of Alberta have promoted this collaboration and have strived to engage in interactions that provide further development opportunities for students and staff. As part of this process, the international placement experience of UofA OT students was born under the leadership of: Claudia Rozo, OT program director at UR, placement and academic leadership of Elvis Castro and Angélica Monsalve, professors of the occupational therapy program at UR; and Dr. Lili Liu, OT department director at UofA, Cori Schmitz, Academic coordinator of clinical education at the UofA; and Tim Barlott and Liliana Álvarez leading the international and cross-cultural aspect of this collaboration.This publication summarizes and illustrates the process of international placement in community settings in Colombia, undertaken by occupational therapy students of the University of Alberta. It is our hope that this document can provide and document the ethical considerations of international fieldwork experience, the special characteristics of communities and the ways in which cultural and social competences are developed and help international students navigate the international setting. We also hope that this document will stimulate discussion among professional and academic communities about the importance and richness of international placement experiences and encourage staff and students to articulate their daily efforts with the global occupational therapy agenda.

Using learning networks to understand complex systems: a case study of biological, geophysical and social research in the Amazon

Developing high-quality scientific research will be most effective if research communities with diverse skills and interests are able to share information and knowledge, are aware of the major challenges across disciplines, and can exploit economies of scale to provide robust answers and better inform policy. We evaluate opportunities and challenges facing the development of a more interactive research environment by developing an interdisciplinary synthesis of research on a single geographic region. We focus on the Amazon as it is of enormous regional and global environmental importance and faces a highly uncertain future. To take stock of existing knowledge and provide a framework for analysis we present a set of mini-reviews from fourteen different areas of research, encompassing taxonomy, biodiversity, biogeography, vegetation dynamics, landscape ecology, earth-atmosphere interactions, ecosystem processes, fire, deforestation dynamics, hydrology, hunting, conservation planning, livelihoods, and payments for ecosystem services. Each review highlights the current state of knowledge and identifies research priorities, including major challenges and opportunities. We show that while substantial progress is being made across many areas of scientific research, our understanding of specific issues is often dependent on knowledge from other disciplines. Accelerating the acquisition of reliable and contextualized knowledge about the fate of complex pristine and modified ecosystems is partly dependent on our ability to exploit economies of scale in shared resources and technical expertise, recognise and make explicit interconnections and feedbacks among sub-disciplines, increase the temporal and spatial scale of existing studies, and improve the dissemination of scientific findings to policy makers and society at large. Enhancing interaction among research efforts is vital if we are to make the most of limited funds and overcome the challenges posed by addressing large-scale interdisciplinary questions. Bringing together a diverse scientific community with a single geographic focus can help increase awareness of research questions both within and among disciplines, and reveal the opportunities that may exist for advancing acquisition of reliable knowledge. This approach could be useful for a variety of globally important scientific questions.

Exclusão social e projetos habitacionais. Um estudo sobre conjuntos habitacionais, segregação e exclusão social em Natal/RN

In Natal s urban growth process it is given that the performance period of the National Housing Bank (BNH, 1964-1986) was marked by the intense expansion of the urban grid and configuration of outskirts, through the construction of social housing developments. Implanted in segregated areas of the existing formal city, the population installed in these complexes was also excluded from their rights, considering that the housing defines itself not only by the physical dwelling, but also by its access to urban infrastructure, facilities, services, and others. From this reality and the verification of the city s exclusion and sociospatial segregation processes, we aimed to quantitatively demonstrate levels of social exclusion in Natal, based on the methodology developed by Sposati (2000) and adapted by Genovez (2002), which relates IBGE s (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) database underlying variables such as income, schooling and dwelling s quality. The research unveiled some spatial patterns promoted by the social housings: in these areas islands were developed with higher indicators than surrounding areas, revealing internal hierarchies in the city s outskirts

Habitat use, reproductive traits and social interactions in a stream-dweller treefrog endemic to the Brazilian Cerrado

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)