Economic development and industrial concentration: An inverted U-curve

This paper sets up an economic geography model to show the endogenous forces that determine the degree of industry concentration in the course of economic development. The model includes centrifugal forces, such as home market effects and access to intermediate suppliers, and centripetal forces, such as demand pull of dispersed resources and congestion effects. Economic development increases the size of the industrial sector in terms of employment relative to the size of the agricultural sector. The relative strength of centripetal and centrifugal forces depends on the initial industry distribution, transport costs, and the level of economic development. These parameters lead to an inverted U-curve pattern of industry concentration, which is first increasing and then decreasing with per capita GDP. The model shows why the curve is more pronounced in newly industrializing economies than in industrialized countries, thereby explaining exceptionally high primacy ratios in today's developing countries.Economic Geography,Agglomeration,Industrialization,Development

The determinants of urban concentration

Urban concentration differs across countries. One determinant of these differences is economic development, which first increases and subsequently decreases urban concentration. I condition the degree of urban concentration on the potential of countries to develop a balanced urban system. These conditions are approximated by the land area, population density and density of the transportation system, which all decrease urban concentration. It is also found that countries with a long independent urban history have lower degrees of urban concentration than countries with a recent colonial past. Furthermore, I assess the impact of some historic variables and historic patterns of urban concentration on current patterns of concentration.Industrialization,Urban Concentration,Economic Development

How do teachers characterise their teaching for conceptual understanding and procedural fluency?: a case study of two teachers

Over many years the practice or art of teaching Mathematics posed itself as, not only being different from the practice of teaching any other subject, but to have many challenges and opportunities that ask for exploration and understanding. Just after independence in 1990, Namibia has embarked upon a reform process for the entire education system. Many changes were brought about to create a uniform, equal system for all. However, many challenges still remain to be addressed. Mathematics education remains one of the key areas where Namibian teachers can contribute towards the improvement of the subject. Unsatisfactory results, under-qualified teachers, and a negative disposition towards Mathematics are some of the challenges. These challenges are not unique to Namibia. Across the globe psychologists, philosophers and educators continue to engage in debates and research projects in search of answers and solutions for the improvement of Mathematics education. Despite encountering numerous obstacles, many teachers are dedicated and achieve outstanding results with their learners. This thesis reports on a research project that focused on the Mathematics teaching practice of two teachers whose experiences can make a positive contribution to the improvement of Mathematics teaching in Namibia. Furthermore, this case study investigated and attempted to understand the Mathematics teaching practices of two proficient teachers who each claimed to have a specific and unique approach to teaching Mathematics. The one claimed to be mainly procedural in her Mathematics teaching, while the other one claimed to teach mainly in a conceptual manner. Both achieve very good results with their classes and attribute their own teaching orientations to a process of several experiences they went through as students and in their careers. The study revealed that both claims are substantiated and that each teacher was consistent in her claimed approach. Many challenges and constraints were encountered by both teachers, but in their unique and specific ways each teacher’s chosen teaching approach supported them to overcome these. It was evident from the findings that each teacher’s practice came about as an evolutionary process over an extended period of time. As many challenges and limitations are universal, it is believed that in sharing experiences, teachers can benefit from each other by improving their practice. It was clearly stated by both participants that the re-thinking of and reflecting on their own practices provided them with new insights and motivation. Peer support and sharing of practices contribute positively towards the improvement of the teachers’ classroom practices

A feeble window on leptophilic dark matter

In this paper we study a leptophilic dark matter scenario involving feeble dark matter coupling to the Standard Model (SM) and compressed dark matter-mediator mass spectrum. We consider a simplified model where the SM is extended with one Majorana fermion, the dark matter, and one charged scalar, the mediator, coupling to the SM leptons through a Yukawa interaction. We first discuss the dependence of the dark matter relic abundance on the Yukawa coupling going continuously from freeze-in to freeze-out with an intermediate stage of conversion driven freeze-out. Focusing on the latter, we then exploit the macroscopic decay length of the charged scalar to study the resulting long-lived-particle signatures at collider and to explore the experimental reach on the viable portion of the parameter space.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figure

Granite State Poll for New Hampshire Estuaries Project

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center included a question on its July 2004 Granite State Poll for the New Hampshire Estuaries Project. The major purposes of these questions were to assess the knowledge of New Hampshire residents concerning the meaning of an estuary. Five hundred and nine (509) New Hampshire adults were interviewed by telephone between July 6 and July 20, 2004

The determinants of urban concentration

Urban concentration differs across countries. One determinant of these differences is economic development, which first increases and subsequently decreases urban concentration. I condition the degree of urban concentration on the potential of countries to develop a balanced urban system. These conditions are approximated by the land area, population density and density of the transportation system, which all decrease urban concentration. It is also found that countries with a long independent urban history have lower degrees of urban concentration than countries with a recent colonial past. Furthermore, I assess the impact of some historic variables and historic patterns of urban concentration on current patterns of concentration

Economic development and industrial concentration: An inverted U-curve

This paper sets up an economic geography model to show the endogenous forces that determine the degree of industry concentration in the course of economic development. The model includes centrifugal forces, such as home market effects and access to intermediate suppliers, and centripetal forces, such as demand pull of dispersed resources and congestion effects. Economic development increases the size of the industrial sector in terms of employment relative to the size of the agricultural sector. The relative strength of centripetal and centrifugal forces depends on the initial industry distribution, transport costs, and the level of economic development. These parameters lead to an inverted U-curve pattern of industry concentration, which is first increasing and then decreasing with per capita GDP. The model shows why the curve is more pronounced in newly industrializing economies than in industrialized countries, thereby explaining exceptionally high primacy ratios in today's developing countries

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Compliance Issues From A German And European Perspective

Corruption has become a major topic of almost daily attention within the media. It has been of varying degrees of concern in different countries. Historic and cultural differences play a role. In some Asian or Arab cultures, for instance, the bakshish mentality is a way of life and is socially accepted