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With urbanization people are traveling and settling closer and closer to bigger cities, where all the economical, social and work opportunities are the most. But where are these people coming from? Rural areas in Europe cover around 80% of the land area together, but only 30% of EU’s population lives in rural areas. Mainly people settling in cities are from smaller settlements leaving their original homes empty and in a slowly degrading phase as fewer people live there, shops and schools close, there are less investments and less interest in people to call it a home. Rural settlement idea is to work together and provide the balance of people coverage. Creating sufficient network systems between small settlements can keep the existing functions running, strengthen communities and work towards future goals together. As Baltic states are one of the countries ranking with the biggest decrease in population overall, small 15 settlements were analysed and compared in 1 municipality of each country. Comparison of spatial qualities and arrangements of the villages themselves concluded into a rating, that showed the most popular elements and functions as well as weaknesses between the villages, municipalities and Baltic State villages together. Outdoor design, smart village tools and different scale connections were used to create a pilot project in Estonia’s municipality of Valga around Tsirgullina village. For achieving the goals 3 main target groups were defined, prioritizing existing residents the most, then concentrating on visitors and then on new residents in the future. After rebranding, providing daily features and sustainable solutions it shows how settlements can work sustainably together with 2 other similar scale villages.

[Abstract] This article analyses the processes of rural shrinking/revitalisation in Spain from the perspective of chain mobilities. It attempts to go beyond the vision that focuses on the depopulation approach. The chain migration perspective is a dynamic means, as it considers the articulation between internal/international, historical/recent migrations and shrinking/revitalisation processes. Spatial mobility is also analysed in relation to the articulation of the local and immigrant population’s intergenerational social mobility processes. The research is based on intensive fieldwork (109 semi-structured interviews) conducted in several shrinking regions in Spain (Galicia, Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha). Our research reveals how the internal and international exodus of the second half of the twentieth century in Spain, driven by the ‘Developmentalist’ economic model and implemented by Franco’s regime, is the bases for the territorial imbalances and configuration of shrinking rural areas in this country. It also shows how de-agrarianisation and the lack of intergenerational replacement explains the arrival of immigrant populations in rural areas from the turn of the century onwards, in order to meet the needs of labour markets segmented by ethnic origin and gender. Together with newcomers, the shrinking areas are also benefiting from the arrival of returnees and root migrants (from both external and internal migration), who decide to return to their origins, drawn by emotional ties. These migration patterns (newcomers, returnees and root migrants) are different and complementary in terms of sustaining life in rural areas. The impact of migration on the revitalisation of rural areas is visible in demographic, economic and social terms.

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development., This open access article is licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development., This open access article is licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development., This open access article is licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This paper aims to contribute to practice and research by discussing the potential of place-based policies in public goods provision in areas facing long-term population decline. In the paper, it is argued that local governments in shrinking communities ought to develop explicit and transparent local adaptation policies, but that such policies must be embedded in state goals of territorial equality and cohesion. It is also argued that these policy objectives must be integrated with local policy goals of economic sustainability. Four ideal types of place-based interventions are presented - structural interventions, financial interventions, interventions that enable place-based innovation, and interventions that specifically address human capital needs. In the paper, it is concluded that these interventions need to be designed to be mutually reinforcing, even if they are implemented by different actors at different levels of government and pursuing different policy goals. The paper draws on an extensive reading of the international literature on long-term population decline and on field studies conducted in a Swedish, Nordic, and to some extent Northern European context., Paper resented at Workshop 3: “Avoiding a tragedy of the commons: Public goods provision through place-based policies”, 9 June 2023, Paris The workshop is part of an OECD-EC project titled “Place-based Policies for the Future”. The outcomes of the workshops will stimulate discussions with stakeholders on future directions for place-based policies. The project aims to be relevant for policymakers at all levels of government. It should inform the design and implementation of policies that contribute to equitable and sustainable economic futures.

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development., This open access article is licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Depopulation and shrinkage are a common socio-spatial phenomenon in many Northern localities and are frequently accompanied by a stigmatization of the affected localities and their populations. This editorial introduces the special issue on depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context that takes its point of departure from the Nordic Geographers Meeting 2022 on multiple geographies and its keynote lecture by Josefina Syssner on the question: What can geographers do for shrinking geographies? The special issue displays a range of contributions from Northern context that discuss and evaluate the heterogenous processes of shrinking localities from multiple perspectives within and beyond geography. Through broad, yet empirically detailed and multiscalar focused assessments it stresses that shrinkage as a phenomenon is a fundamental character of Nordic and other societies, which requires a rethinking and should be acknowledged as a ‘natural’ development trajectory in planning and development., This open access article is licensed undera Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recent studies have highlighted how building resilience to ‘shrinking’ episodes, as opposed to increasing growth rates, appears to be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to between-country income convergence. All economies seem to be able to grow, but few countries have been able to drastically improve their shrinking patterns, which has underpinned the divergence often argued in literature. However, whilst growth theory does not take into account the role of shrinking, shrinking has not yet clearly defined itself from growth processes, leaving shrinking research more generally indistinguishable from classic growth economics. This thesis proposes a new theoretical framework that solves these research gaps. Growth and resilience theory argues that building resilience to shrinking is movement through the aggregate production function, whilst growth is a shift of the function itself. Long-run convergence is an economy’s ability to accomplish both of these feats simultaneously by balancing their growth- and resilience-based institutions. Thus, a ‘Goldilocks Area’ of long- term development patterns is proposed that would categorise a successful catch-up experience and highlight how growth and resilience to shrinking are two sides of the same coin.

New research suggests that the key to explaining the development gap might be resilience to shrinking instead of increasing growth rates. Latin America is considered an improving region from the growth rate point of view in development, but not so much from the shrinking perspective. Plus, country case study is needed as the region itself is highly heterogenous. One of the countries that has lagged in comparison to the whole region, the Andean community, and its neighbor countries with highly similar initial conditions is Ecuador. By employing the novel framework centered around five interrelated dimensions of social capabilities (inclusion, transformation, social stability, state autonomy and accountability), this study investigates Ecuador’s progress of social capabilities as a determinant to develop resilience to economic shrinking, reduce poverty, and improve economic performance. Using public data this study builds a database from the 1970s until 2020 proxying the five dimensions for Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Peru and Colombia were chosen for regional comparison purposes, as learning about its neighbors helps to contextualize the country narrative of Ecuador. Their comparison is needed to understand the evolution of the dimensions of social capabilities, especially inclusion and social stability. The results obtained from the qualitative and quantitative analyses (fixed- effects model) reveal that Ecuador has made great improvements in terms of some social capabilities in inclusion and accountability while others stagnated such as transformation, autonomy and social stability have stagnated. Further research is necessary to expand the understanding of the dimensions of transformation and autonomy and to explore the interrelations between all five dimensions in Ecuador.

A microdevice that offers glucagon supplements in a safe, non-invasive, and glucose-responsive manner is ideal for avoiding fatal hypoglycemia consequences from insulin overdosage during daily diabetes treatment. However, mold-assisted microfabrication of biomedical materials or devices typically needs high-resolution laser ablation to scale down structural design. In addition, the majority of the polymeric drug delivery materials being used to fabricate devices are dissolvable or deformable in aqueous environments, which restricts washing-based cleaning and purification procedures post shape fixation. This study leverages the design flexibility of 3D printing-assisted mold casting and presents a shrinking microfabrication approach that allows subsequent washing procedures to remove toxic monomer residues during polymerization. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by developing a glucose-responsive transdermal glucagon microneedle patch through matrix volume change-mediated release kinetic control. Shown in the type 1 diabetic mouse model, this transdermal patch can reverse the occurrence of hypoglycemia while lowering the risk of monomer residue-induced irritation during treatment. Freeing from the restrain of molding resolution for microstructure design, this shrinking methodology further provides an insight into post-fabrication purifications of biomedical materials.

La despoblació i l'abandó de les zones rurals és un fenomen que es repeteix a escala global i de manera transversal a la majoria dels territoris i cultures. Aquest procés de declivi afecta especialment a l'arquitectura vernacla, per la seva modesta materialitat i per tant els valors culturals que en ella resideixen, tant de caràcter material com immaterial. Aquest treball analitza la situació de l'arquitectura vernacla rural en zones en declivi en tres regions d'escala i plantejament cultural tan diferents com les àrees meridionals de la Xina, el Marroc i Espanya, prenent com a referència elements tipològics propis de cada regió. Aprofundeix en experiències en les quals el patrimoni cultural en perill es transforma en força dinamitzadora del territori sobre el qual s'assenta i obre la porta a solucions tant de conservació i valorització dels seus propis elements com de resolució dels problemes socioculturals de fons. La recerca identifica aspectes genèrics i universals del procés de retracció, així com condicions específiques de cadascun dels diversos territoris d'estudi. El treball va trobar com els casos presos en consideració comparteixen algunes condicions en l'enfrontament de les conseqüències de la contracció, com ara dificultats d'adaptació, distància administrativa, fragilitat patrimonial., The depopulation and abandonment of rural areas is a phenomenon that is repeated on a global scale and is transversal to most territories and cultures. This shrinking process particularly affects vernacular architecture, due to its modest materiality and therefore the cultural values that reside in it, both of a material and immaterial nature. This work analyses the situation of rural vernacular architecture in shrinking areas in three regions of different scales and cultural approaches as the southern areas of China, Morocco and Spain, taking as reference typological elements specific to each region. The research delves into experiences in which the endangered cultural heritage is transformed into a dynamizing force for the territory on which it is based and opens the door to different solutions both for the conservation and valorisation of its own elements and for the resolution of the underlying socio-cultural problems. The research identifies generic and universal aspects of the shrinking process, as well as specific conditions of each of the various study territories. The work found how the cases taken into consideration share some conditions in dealing with the consequences of the shrinkage, such as adaptation difficulties, administrative distance, heritage fragility., La despoblación y el abandono de las zonas rurales es un fenómeno que se repite a escala global y de forma transversal a la mayoría de los territorios y culturas. Este proceso de declive afecta especialmente a la arquitectura vernácula, por su modesta materialidad y por tanto los valores culturales que en ella residen, tanto de carácter material como inmaterial. Este trabajo analiza la situación de la arquitectura vernácula rural en zonas en declive en tres regiones de escala y planteamiento cultural tan distintos como las áreas meridionales de China, Marruecos y España, tomando como referencia elementos tipológicos propios de cada región. Profundiza en experiencias en las que el patrimonio cultural en peligro se transforma en fuerza dinamizadora del territorio sobre el que se asienta y abre la puerta a soluciones tanto de conservación y valorización de sus propios elementos como de resolución de los problemas socioculturales de fondo. La investigación identifica aspectos genéricos y universales del proceso de retracción, así como condiciones específicas de cada uno de los diversos territorios de estudio. El trabajo encontró cómo los casos tomados en consideración comparten algunas condiciones en el enfrentamiento de las consecuencias de la contracción, tales como dificultades de adaptación, distancia administrativa, fragilidad patrimonial., This work has been developed within the framework of the following projects, which contribute to the funding of editing and proofreading costs: The project " Sistema de Innovación para el Patrimonio de la Andalucía Rural (SIN_PAR)", granted through the 2020 call for R+D+i projects of the PAIDI 2020, with code PY20-00298, and the project "Sistema de Innovación Turística para el Patrimonio de la Andalucía Rural (SIT_PAR)", granted through the 2020 call for grants for the implementation of projects of collaborative interest in the field of CEIS, with code PYC20 RE 029 IAPH. Both grants come from the Secretaría General de Universidades, Investigación y Tecnología of the Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades of the Junta de Andalucía and have been co-financed by the FEDER operational programme in Andalusia for the period 2014-2020. This work is also part of CEAACP project UIDB/00281/2020 funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – Portugal., Peer Reviewed

The depopulation and abandonment of rural areas is a phenomenon that is repeated on a global scale and is transversal to most territories and cultures. This shrinking process particularly affects vernacular architecture, due to its modest materiality and therefore the cultural values that reside in it, both of a material and immaterial nature. This work analyses the situation of rural vernacular architecture in shrinking areas in three regions of different scales and cultural approaches as the southern areas of China, Morocco and Spain, taking as reference typological elements specific to each region. The research delves into experiences in which the endangered cultural heritage is transformed into a dynamizing force for the territory on which it is based and opens the door to different solutions both for the conservation and valorisation of its own elements and for the resolution of the underlying socio-cultural problems. The research identifies generic and universal aspects of the shrinking process, as well as specific conditions of each of the various study territories. The work found how the cases taken into consideration share some conditions in dealing with the consequences of the shrinkage, such as adaptation difficulties, administrative distance, heritage fragility., La despoblación y el abandono de las zonas rurales es un fenómeno que se repite a escala global y de forma transversal a la mayoría de los territorios y culturas. Este proceso de declive afecta especialmente a la arquitectura vernácula, por su modesta materialidad y por tanto los valores culturales que en ella residen, tanto de carácter material como inmaterial. Este trabajo analiza la situación de la arquitectura vernácula rural en zonas en declive en tres regiones de escala y planteamiento cultural tan distintos como las áreas meridionales de China, Marruecos y España, tomando como referencia elementos tipológicos propios de cada región. Profundiza en experiencias en las que el patrimonio cultural en peligro se transforma en fuerza dinamizadora del territorio sobre el que se asienta y abre la puerta a soluciones tanto de conservación y valorización de sus propios elementos como de resolución de los problemas socioculturales de fondo. La investigación identifica aspectos genéricos y universales del proceso de retracción, así como condiciones específicas de cada uno de los diversos territorios de estudio. El trabajo encontró cómo los casos tomados en consideración comparten algunas condiciones en el enfrentamiento de las consecuencias de la contracción, tales como dificultades de adaptación, distancia administrativa, fragilidad patrimonial.

The depopulation and abandonment of rural areas is a phenomenon that is repeated on a global scale and is transversal to most territories and cultures. This shrinking process particularly affects vernacular architecture, due to its modest materiality and therefore the cultural values that reside in it, both of a material and immaterial nature. This work analyses the situation of rural vernacular architecture in shrinking areas in three regions of different scales and cultural approaches as the southern areas of China, Morocco and Spain, taking as reference typological elements specific to each region. The research delves into experiences in which the endangered cultural heritage is transformed into a dynamizing force for the territory on which it is based and opens the door to different solutions both for the conservation and valorisation of its own elements and for the resolution of the underlying socio-cultural problems. The research identifies generic and universal aspects of the shrinking process, as well as specific conditions of each of the various study territories. The work found how the cases taken into consideration share some conditions in dealing with the consequences of the shrinkage, such as adaptation difficulties, administrative distance, heritage fragility., La despoblación y el abandono de las zonas rurales es un fenómeno que se repite a escala global y de forma transversal a la mayoría de los territorios y culturas. Este proceso de declive afecta especialmente a la arquitectura vernácula, por su modesta materialidad y por tanto los valores culturales que en ella residen, tanto de carácter material como inmaterial. Este trabajo analiza la situación de la arquitectura vernácula rural en zonas en declive en tres regiones de escala y planteamiento cultural tan distintos como las áreas meridionales de China, Marruecos y España, tomando como referencia elementos tipológicos propios de cada región. Profundiza en experiencias en las que el patrimonio cultural en peligro se transforma en fuerza dinamizadora del territorio sobre el que se asienta y abre la puerta a soluciones tanto de conservación y valorización de sus propios elementos como de resolución de los problemas socioculturales de fondo. La investigación identifica aspectos genéricos y universales del proceso de retracción, así como condiciones específicas de cada uno de los diversos territorios de estudio. El trabajo encontró cómo los casos tomados en consideración comparten algunas condiciones en el enfrentamiento de las consecuencias de la contracción, tales como dificultades de adaptación, distancia administrativa, fragilidad patrimonial.

Recently there has been a revision of longstanding ideas in development economics. Studies have shown that it is not so much increases in growth rates which cause long-term economic development, but rather decreases in shrinking rates, alongside a reduced frequency of shrinking. This paper reviews two theories of economic shrinking, one based on 5 social capabilities and the other based on 4 dimensions which are theorized to affect economic shrinking. Of these proposed categories only ‘state autonomy’, ‘demographic change’ and possibly ‘the inclusion of the population in the market’ are significantly related to economic shrinking. Future research should not only improve the theoretical foundation and operationalization of variables which determine shrinking, but also leverage data-driven methods to identify the dimensions underlying economic shrinking., Recently there has been a revision of longstanding ideas in development economics. Studies have shown that it is not so much increases in growth rates which cause long-term economic development, but rather decreases in shrinking rates, alongside a reduced frequency of shrinking. This paper reviews two theories of economic shrinking, one based on 5 social capabilities and the other based on 4 dimensions which are theorized to affect economic shrinking. Of these proposed categories only ‘state autonomy’, ‘demographic change’ and possibly ‘the inclusion of the population in the market’ are significantly related to economic shrinking. Future research should not only improve the theoretical foundation and operationalization of variables which determine shrinking, but also leverage data-driven methods to identify the dimensions underlying economic shrinking.

New research suggests that the key to explaining the development gap might be resilience to shrinking instead of increasing growth rates. Latin America is considered an improving region from the growth rate point of view in development, but not so much from the shrinking perspective. Plus, country case study is needed as the region itself is highly heterogenous. One of the countries that has lagged in comparison to the whole region, the Andean community, and its neighbor countries with highly similar initial conditions is Ecuador. By employing the novel framework centered around five interrelated dimensions of social capabilities (inclusion, transformation, social stability, state autonomy and accountability), this study investigates Ecuador’s progress of social capabilities as a determinant to develop resilience to economic shrinking, reduce poverty, and improve economic performance. Using public data this study builds a database from the 1970s until 2020 proxying the five dimensions for Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Peru and Colombia were chosen for regional comparison purposes, as learning about its neighbors helps to contextualize the country narrative of Ecuador. Their comparison is needed to understand the evolution of the dimensions of social capabilities, especially inclusion and social stability. The results obtained from the qualitative and quantitative analyses (fixed- effects model) reveal that Ecuador has made great improvements in terms of some social capabilities in inclusion and accountability while others stagnated such as transformation, autonomy and social stability have stagnated. Further research is necessary to expand the understanding of the dimensions of transformation and autonomy and to explore the interrelations between all five dimensions in Ecuador.

Recent studies have highlighted how building resilience to ‘shrinking’ episodes, as opposed to increasing growth rates, appears to be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to between-country income convergence. All economies seem to be able to grow, but few countries have been able to drastically improve their shrinking patterns, which has underpinned the divergence often argued in literature. However, whilst growth theory does not take into account the role of shrinking, shrinking has not yet clearly defined itself from growth processes, leaving shrinking research more generally indistinguishable from classic growth economics. This thesis proposes a new theoretical framework that solves these research gaps. Growth and resilience theory argues that building resilience to shrinking is movement through the aggregate production function, whilst growth is a shift of the function itself. Long-run convergence is an economy’s ability to accomplish both of these feats simultaneously by balancing their growth- and resilience-based institutions. Thus, a ‘Goldilocks Area’ of long- term development patterns is proposed that would categorise a successful catch-up experience and highlight how growth and resilience to shrinking are two sides of the same coin.

Abstract Many ectotherms have shown a reduction in maximum body size in the past decades in parallel with climate warming. Indeed, some models forecast a maximum body size decline of 14%–24% by 2050 for numerous fish species. The gill-oxygen limitation (GOL) hypothesis is perhaps the most prominent concept regarding the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed trends, implicating oxygen uptake limitations in driving the decline in fish body size with warming. Current scientific debates, however, demonstrate a clear need for a synthesis of existing empirical evidence to test the fundamental assumptions of the GOL hypothesis. Here, we perform a systematic literature review of the intraspecific allometry of gill surface area (GSA) and metabolic rate. Additionally, we introduce a new parameter, the ratio S, which provides a measure of GSA in relation to the metabolic requirements for maintenance (SSMR) and maximum activity (SAMR). Support for the GOL hypothesis would be evidenced by a universal decline in S with increasing body mass within each species, such that gills become less equipped to supply metabolic requirements as fish grow. In contrast to the predictions of the GOL hypothesis, we show that the scaling exponents for SSMR and SAMR are consistently close to zero, with only a few exceptions where S either increased or decreased. These findings suggest that the GSA of each species is sufficient to meet its oxygen requirements throughout life, and that growth is not universally restricted by oxygen uptake limitations across the gills. We identify the need to investigate hypotheses other than the GOL hypothesis to help explain the observed declines in maximum fish body sizes concurrent with climate warming, in order to facilitate accurate predictions of fish community structure and manage fisheries in the face of climate change.

This thesis assesses the role of social capabilities in the development of Iceland’s economy in 1870-2019. Throughout the period, economic shrinking gradually decreased in the country. The paper argues that a lower frequency of shrinking resulted in better economic performance and that these changes are due to increased resilience to shrinking, provided by the build-up of social capability. By analysing four interrelated aspects of social capability; transformation, inclusion, autonomy, and accountability, the paper argues that each one saw significant advancements in the period. However, the paper is concerned with a long period and, as such, gives a general overview of the development, leaving ample room for research into specific periods that can further the understanding of each social capability process and their respective roles in Icelandic development. The findings are that a rapid structural transformation aided by strong inclusionary policies around the turn of the 20th century may have contributed to less shrinking. The indicators used to measure autonomy and accountability do not show meaningful improvements until post-WWII, highlighting that these processes can develop as an outcome of sustained growth.

Recent research suggests that it is the decline in the frequency of ‘shrinking’ episodes, and not higher growth rates, that are more important for long-term development. A growing body of literature also focuses on how income inequality and poverty affect economic growth rates, with a consensus emerging about their negative impacts. By employing a framework centred around social capabilities, this study investigates the effects of income inequality and poverty on economic shrinking frequency, as opposed to previous literature that has exclusively had a growth focus. For such, this study builds a longitudinal dataset including 21 developing countries throughout a 33-year period to demonstrate that while income inequality does not appear to be correlated with economic shrinking frequency, poverty is highly correlated with it. This thesis concludes with the observation that fighting poverty could be of greater importance for economies trying to build resilience to economic shrinking episodes, thus potentially vital for long-term development to take place.

This paper provides insights into understanding the physical and chemical changes that take place during re-heating process of Poplar fluff bio-char derived by carbonization at high operating temperature (850 °C). Bio-char re-heating experiments were performed by simultaneous TGA-DTG-DSC techniques in N2 atmosphere at 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C min−1. Kinetic modeling of the process was done through implementation of model-free and model-based approaches. It was identified that re-heating process contains two stages. The first was described by single consecutive reaction step (up to 200 °C) which is attributed to removal of physisorbed moisture at surface and in pores of carbonized material, while second was described by multiple reactions, including one consecutive step and two competitive steps. In the last, consecutive pathway includes reduction of PAH compounds (400–600 °C) into smaller ones, changing degree of condensation of carbon structure continuously. Competitive steps encompass competition between C10H8 (naphthalene) (700–780 °C) and C9H8 (indene) (700–750 °C) molecules decomposition. It was found that used heating rates have great influence on regulating the amount of gaseous (combustible) products from these reactions. It was established that internal heat and mass transfer processes control the release of products. Changing the pyrolysis mechanism with temperature of carbonized bio-char is the main factor for occurrence of true kinetic compensation effect, which is also discussed by applied isothermal life-time analysis. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

This paper provides insights into understanding the physical and chemical changes that take place during reheating process of Poplar fluff bio-char derived by carbonization at high operating temperature (850 ?C). Biochar re-heating experiments were performed by simultaneous TGA-DTG-DSC techniques in N2 atmosphere at 5, 10, 15 and 20 ?C min- 1. Kinetic modeling of the process was done through implementation of model-free and model-based approaches. It was identified that re-heating process contains two stages. The first was described by single consecutive reaction step (up to 200 ?C) which is attributed to removal of physisorbed moisture at surface and in pores of carbonized material, while second was described by multiple reactions, including one consecutive step and two competitive steps. In the last, consecutive pathway includes reduction of PAH compounds (400?600 ?C) into smaller ones, changing degree of condensation of carbon structure continuously. Competitive steps encompass competition between C10H8 (naphthalene) (700?780 ?C) and C9H8 (indene) (700?750 ?C) molecules decomposition. It was found that used heating rates have great influence on regulating the amount of gaseous (combustible) products from these reactions. It was established that internal heat and mass transfer processes control the release of products. Changing the pyrolysis mechanism with temperature of carbonized biochar is the main factor for occurrence of true kinetic compensation effect, which is also discussed by applied isothermal life-time analysis.

This paper provides insights into understanding the physical and chemical changes that take place during re-heating process of Poplar fluff bio-char derived by carbonization at high operating temperature (850 °C). Bio-char re-heating experiments were performed by simultaneous TGA-DTG-DSC techniques in N2 atmosphere at 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C min−1. Kinetic modeling of the process was done through implementation of model-free and model-based approaches. It was identified that re-heating process contains two stages. The first was described by single consecutive reaction step (up to 200 °C) which is attributed to removal of physisorbed moisture at surface and in pores of carbonized material, while second was described by multiple reactions, including one consecutive step and two competitive steps. In the last, consecutive pathway includes reduction of PAH compounds (400–600 °C) into smaller ones, changing degree of condensation of carbon structure continuously. Competitive steps encompass competition between C10H8 (naphthalene) (700–780 °C) and C9H8 (indene) (700–750 °C) molecules decomposition. It was found that used heating rates have great influence on regulating the amount of gaseous (combustible) products from these reactions. It was established that internal heat and mass transfer processes control the release of products. Changing the pyrolysis mechanism with temperature of carbonized bio-char is the main factor for occurrence of true kinetic compensation effect, which is also discussed by applied isothermal life-time analysis. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Recent research suggests that it is the decline in the frequency of ‘shrinking’ episodes, and not higher growth rates, that are more important for long-term development. A growing body of literature also focuses on how income inequality and poverty affect economic growth rates, with a consensus emerging about their negative impacts. By employing a framework centred around social capabilities, this study investigates the effects of income inequality and poverty on economic shrinking frequency, as opposed to previous literature that has exclusively had a growth focus. For such, this study builds a longitudinal dataset including 21 developing countries throughout a 33-year period to demonstrate that while income inequality does not appear to be correlated with economic shrinking frequency, poverty is highly correlated with it. This thesis concludes with the observation that fighting poverty could be of greater importance for economies trying to build resilience to economic shrinking episodes, thus potentially vital for long-term development to take place.

This thesis assesses the role of social capabilities in the development of Iceland’s economy in 1870-2019. Throughout the period, economic shrinking gradually decreased in the country. The paper argues that a lower frequency of shrinking resulted in better economic performance and that these changes are due to increased resilience to shrinking, provided by the build-up of social capability. By analysing four interrelated aspects of social capability; transformation, inclusion, autonomy, and accountability, the paper argues that each one saw significant advancements in the period. However, the paper is concerned with a long period and, as such, gives a general overview of the development, leaving ample room for research into specific periods that can further the understanding of each social capability process and their respective roles in Icelandic development. The findings are that a rapid structural transformation aided by strong inclusionary policies around the turn of the 20th century may have contributed to less shrinking. The indicators used to measure autonomy and accountability do not show meaningful improvements until post-WWII, highlighting that these processes can develop as an outcome of sustained growth.

In this paper, we extend techniques developed in the context of the Travelling Salesperson Problem for cycle problems. Particularly, we study the shrinking of support graphs and the exact algorithms for subcycle elimination separation problems. The efficient application of the considered techniques has proved to be essential in the Travelling Salesperson Problem when solving large size problems by Branch-and-Cut, and this has been the motivation behind this work. Regarding the shrinking of support graphs, we prove the validity of the Padberg-Rinaldi general shrinking rules and the Crowder-Padberg subcycle-safe shrinking rules. Concerning the subcycle separation problems, we extend two exact separation algorithms, the Dynamic Hong and the Extended Padberg-Grötschel algorithms, which are shown to be superior to the ones used so far in the literature of cycle problems. The proposed techniques are empirically tested in 24 subcycle elimination problem instances generated by solving the Orienteering Problem (involving up to 15112 vertices) with Branch-and-Cut. The experiments suggest the relevance of the proposed techniques for cycle problems. The obtained average speedup for the subcycle separation problems in the Orienteering Problem when the proposed techniques are used together is around 50 times in medium-sized instances and around 250 times in large-sized instances.

特集：尊厳ある縮退とコミュニティ

特集：尊厳ある縮退とコミュニティ

特集：尊厳ある縮退とコミュニティ

For many people, mobile apps have already become an indispensable part of modern life. Apps entertain, educate, assist us in our daily routines and help us connect with others. However, the advanced capabilities of modern devices running the apps and sensitive user data make mobile devices also an attractive attack target. To get access to sensitive data, adversaries tend to conceal malicious functionality in freely distributed legitimately-looking apps. The problem of low-quality and malicious apps, spreading at an enormous scale, is especially relevant for one of the biggest software repositories – Google Play. The Android apps distributed through this platform undergo a validation process by Google. However, that is insufficient to confirm their good nature. To identify dangerous apps, novel frameworks for testing and app analysis are being developed by the Android community. Code coverage is one of the most common metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of these frameworks, and it is used as an internal metric to guide code exploration in some of them. However, when analyzing apps without source code, the Android community relies mostly on method coverage since there are no reliable tools for measuring finer-grained code coverage in 3rd-party Android app testing. Another stumbling block for testing frameworks is the inability to test an app exhaustively. While code coverage measurement can indicate an improvement in testing, it is neither possible to reach 100% coverage nor to identify the maximum reachable coverage value for the app. Despite testing, the app still contains high amounts of not executed code, which makes it impossible to confirm the absence of potentially malicious code in the part of the app that has not been tested. The existing static debloating approaches aim at app size minimization rather than security and simply debloat not reachable code. However, there is currently no approach to debloat apps based on dynamic analysis information, i.e.

For many people, mobile apps have already become an indispensable part of modern life. Apps entertain, educate, assist us in our daily routines and help us connect with others. However, the advanced capabilities of modern devices running the apps and sensitive user data make mobile devices also an attractive attack target. To get access to sensitive data, adversaries tend to conceal malicious functionality in freely distributed legitimately-looking apps. The problem of low-quality and malicious apps, spreading at an enormous scale, is especially relevant for one of the biggest software repositories – Google Play. The Android apps distributed through this platform undergo a validation process by Google. However, that is insufficient to confirm their good nature. To identify dangerous apps, novel frameworks for testing and app analysis are being developed by the Android community. Code coverage is one of the most common metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of these frameworks, and it is used as an internal metric to guide code exploration in some of them. However, when analyzing apps without source code, the Android community relies mostly on method coverage since there are no reliable tools for measuring finer-grained code coverage in 3rd-party Android app testing. Another stumbling block for testing frameworks is the inability to test an app exhaustively. While code coverage measurement can indicate an improvement in testing, it is neither possible to reach 100% coverage nor to identify the maximum reachable coverage value for the app. Despite testing, the app still contains high amounts of not executed code, which makes it impossible to confirm the absence of potentially malicious code in the part of the app that has not been tested. The existing static debloating approaches aim at app size minimization rather than security and simply debloat not reachable code. However, there is currently no approach to debloat apps based on dynamic analysis information, i.e.

Denna studie tas fram i samband med ett mindre modeföretag inom damkonfektion. Företaget har haft återkommande problem med passformen av deras viskosklänning. Syftet med studien är att undersöka viskosmaterialets påverkan efter tvätt på passform så som balans, rörelsevidd, längd och plaggs mått. Viskos är ett av de finaste textilmaterialet för sömnad av klänningar på grund av sin fina glans, snyggt fall och höga absorberande egenskaper. Däremot har viskosmaterial tendensen att förlora styrkan när det är vått, vilket händer att plagget krymper efter tvätt. Studien utförs genom att jämföra tre framtagningsprocessen av en klänning för att få den bästa passformen och önskade plaggmått. För prototyperna A och B används samma mönsterkonstruktion, förutom för prototyp B tvättas viskos tyget i förhand. Medans för prototyp C tvättades med tygprov och krympningen beräknades i cm, mönsterkonstruktioner justerades med att addera resultatet av krympningen. Klänningarna syddes av samma viskostyg, provades på en person i storlek Medium och tog mått på klänningarna både före och efter tvättning. Prototyp C resultatet visades att klänningen har krympt till den bästa passformen och uppfyller önskade plaggmåtten i jämförelse med prototyperna A och B. I Studien visades att plagg som är sytt i viskosmaterial förändas både i passform och mått efter tvätt. Före tvätt av viskosmaterial innan tillskärning kommer inte att garantera att det uppsydda plagget inte krympa eller att plaggen behåller sitt mått efter tvättning. Ändringen i mönsterkonstruktion ger bättre resultat., This study is developed in collaboration with a small company that works with women's clothing. The company has had recurring problems with the fit of their viscose dress. The purpose of the study is to analyze the effect of the viscose material shrinkage after laundering on the fit of the garment such as balance, ease, length and the garment dimension. Viscose is one of the finest textile materials for dresses sewing because of its properties such as it’s fine shine, drapes well and it have high absorbent. In contrast, viscose material tends to lose strength when wet, which affects garment fit due to viscoses shrinkage after laundering. The study is performed through comparing of three production processes of a dress to get the best fit and dimensions. For sample A and B, the same pattern construction is used, except for sample B, the viscose fabric was pre-washed in advance. While for sample C fabric samples was washed and the number of shrinkage is calculated . Pattern construction was adjusted by adding the results of shrinkage . The three sample dresses were sewn with the same viscose fabric, and the fit were tasted by one person in size Medium .The dress samples were measured both before and after laundering. The result of prototype C showed that the dress has shrunk to the best fit and meets the desired garment sizes in comparison with prototypes A and B. The study showed that garments that are sewn in viscose material change both in fit and size after washing. Washing viscose material before cutting will not ensure that the sewn garment will not shrink or that the garments will retain its dimension after washing. The change in pattern design gives better results.

This thesis has two main subject areas: 1) Peripheries/rural areas, more specifically those that have been in decline for a long time. Their problems have recently gained another level of urgency with the territorially-bound emergence of populism in European democracies. The specific expression this typology takes within the region state of Brandenburg, Germany forms the background in front of which the main project of this work unfolds. 2) The food system, and particularly agriculture. Under the current paradigm, it is regarded as fundamentally unsustainable. The main goal of the thesis is to understand how to transform this system, regionally and locally to begin with, into something that strongly reduces its negative externalities on all scale levels, while also providing means of re-development for the aforementioned rural peripheries. The thesis is based on the idea that a regionalised food system, built on an ecologically responsible agriculture, can provide such a project. Given the scale of Brandenburg and the scope of a MSc thesis, it cannot aim to provide a design for the region. Rather, its main goal is to develop a working method for the development of such a system, thought from the side of Brandenburg: a) in a spatial manner from local to regional level; b) related to governance, by exploring necessary changes to higher level policy and co-creation possibilities on local to regional level., Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Urbanism

The present research aims at finding the underlying factors that contributed to the recently observed disappearance of economic shrinking in Ethiopia, defined as negative rates of GDP per capita growth. Within the framework of the Theory of Shrinking (Broadberry & Wallis, 2017) it sheds light on structural, technological and demographic change, the occurrence of warfare as well as institutional change over the course of four decades. The results indicate that stable growth of agricultural output, the pacification of the Ethiopian-Eritrean war and more space for civil society, opposition parties and the private sector correlate with the economy’s improved resilience towards shrinking. Still, the country remains a limited access society that is largely based on small scale agriculture, facing reoccurring ethnic tensions and a starting demographic transition. Furthermore, the legislative period following the 2020 elections ought to prove whether the widening of the space of opposition parties, civil society groups and the private sector can sustain and expand further.

The incompleteness of 3rd-party app testing is an accepted fact in Software Engineering. This issue makes it impossible to verify the app functionality and to confirm its safety to the end-user. To solve this problem, enterprises developed strict policies. A company, willing to use modern apps, may perform an expensive security analysis, rely on trust or forbid the app. These strategies may lead companies to high direct and indirect spending with no guarantee of safety. In this work, we present a novel approach, called Dynamic Binary Shrinking, that allows a user to review app functionality and leave only tested code. The shrunk app produces 100% instruction coverage on observed behaviors and in this way guarantees the absence of unexplored, and therefore, potentially malicious code. On our running examples, we demonstrate that apps use less than 20% of the codebase. We developed an approach and the ACVCut tool to shrink Android apps towards the executed code. Repository — http://github.com/pilgun/acvcut.

ACVCut shrinks Android apps towards executed code. The tool is based on ACVTool instruction coverage.

The incompleteness of 3rd-party app testing is an accepted fact in Software Engineering. This issue makes it impossible to verify the app functionality and to confirm its safety to the end-user. To solve this problem, enterprises developed strict policies. A company, willing to use modern apps, may perform an expensive security analysis, rely on trust or forbid the app. These strategies may lead companies to high direct and indirect spending with no guarantee of safety. In this work, we present a novel approach, called Dynamic Binary Shrinking, that allows a user to review app functionality and leave only tested code. The shrunk app produces 100% instruction coverage on observed behaviors and in this way guarantees the absence of unexplored, and therefore, potentially malicious code. On our running examples, we demonstrate that apps use less than 20% of the codebase. We developed an approach and the ACVCut tool to shrink Android apps towards the executed code. Repository — http://github.com/pilgun/acvcut.

ACVCut shrinks Android apps towards executed code. The tool is based on ACVTool instruction coverage.

Denna studie tas fram i samband med ett mindre modeföretag inom damkonfektion. Företaget har haft återkommande problem med passformen av deras viskosklänning. Syftet med studien är att undersöka viskosmaterialets påverkan efter tvätt på passform så som balans, rörelsevidd, längd och plaggs mått. Viskos är ett av de finaste textilmaterialet för sömnad av klänningar på grund av sin fina glans, snyggt fall och höga absorberande egenskaper. Däremot har viskosmaterial tendensen att förlora styrkan när det är vått, vilket händer att plagget krymper efter tvätt. Studien utförs genom att jämföra tre framtagningsprocessen av en klänning för att få den bästa passformen och önskade plaggmått. För prototyperna A och B används samma mönsterkonstruktion, förutom för prototyp B tvättas viskos tyget i förhand. Medans för prototyp C tvättades med tygprov och krympningen beräknades i cm, mönsterkonstruktioner justerades med att addera resultatet av krympningen. Klänningarna syddes av samma viskostyg, provades på en person i storlek Medium och tog mått på klänningarna både före och efter tvättning. Prototyp C resultatet visades att klänningen har krympt till den bästa passformen och uppfyller önskade plaggmåtten i jämförelse med prototyperna A och B. I Studien visades att plagg som är sytt i viskosmaterial förändas både i passform och mått efter tvätt. Före tvätt av viskosmaterial innan tillskärning kommer inte att garantera att det uppsydda plagget inte krympa eller att plaggen behåller sitt mått efter tvättning. Ändringen i mönsterkonstruktion ger bättre resultat., This study is developed in collaboration with a small company that works with women's clothing. The company has had recurring problems with the fit of their viscose dress. The purpose of the study is to analyze the effect of the viscose material shrinkage after laundering on the fit of the garment such as balance, ease, length and the garment dimension. Viscose is one of the finest textile materials for dresses sewing because of its properties such as it’s fine shine, drapes well and it have high absorbent. In contrast, viscose material tends to lose strength when wet, which affects garment fit due to viscoses shrinkage after laundering. The study is performed through comparing of three production processes of a dress to get the best fit and dimensions. For sample A and B, the same pattern construction is used, except for sample B, the viscose fabric was pre-washed in advance. While for sample C fabric samples was washed and the number of shrinkage is calculated . Pattern construction was adjusted by adding the results of shrinkage . The three sample dresses were sewn with the same viscose fabric, and the fit were tasted by one person in size Medium .The dress samples were measured both before and after laundering. The result of prototype C showed that the dress has shrunk to the best fit and meets the desired garment sizes in comparison with prototypes A and B. The study showed that garments that are sewn in viscose material change both in fit and size after washing. Washing viscose material before cutting will not ensure that the sewn garment will not shrink or that the garments will retain its dimension after washing. The change in pattern design gives better results.

The present research aims at finding the underlying factors that contributed to the recently observed disappearance of economic shrinking in Ethiopia, defined as negative rates of GDP per capita growth. Within the framework of the Theory of Shrinking (Broadberry & Wallis, 2017) it sheds light on structural, technological and demographic change, the occurrence of warfare as well as institutional change over the course of four decades. The results indicate that stable growth of agricultural output, the pacification of the Ethiopian-Eritrean war and more space for civil society, opposition parties and the private sector correlate with the economy’s improved resilience towards shrinking. Still, the country remains a limited access society that is largely based on small scale agriculture, facing reoccurring ethnic tensions and a starting demographic transition. Furthermore, the legislative period following the 2020 elections ought to prove whether the widening of the space of opposition parties, civil society groups and the private sector can sustain and expand further.

This thesis has two main subject areas: 1) Peripheries/rural areas, more specifically those that have been in decline for a long time. Their problems have recently gained another level of urgency with the territorially-bound emergence of populism in European democracies. The specific expression this typology takes within the region state of Brandenburg, Germany forms the background in front of which the main project of this work unfolds. 2) The food system, and particularly agriculture. Under the current paradigm, it is regarded as fundamentally unsustainable. The main goal of the thesis is to understand how to transform this system, regionally and locally to begin with, into something that strongly reduces its negative externalities on all scale levels, while also providing means of re-development for the aforementioned rural peripheries. The thesis is based on the idea that a regionalised food system, built on an ecologically responsible agriculture, can provide such a project. Given the scale of Brandenburg and the scope of a MSc thesis, it cannot aim to provide a design for the region. Rather, its main goal is to develop a working method for the development of such a system, thought from the side of Brandenburg: a) in a spatial manner from local to regional level; b) related to governance, by exploring necessary changes to higher level policy and co-creation possibilities on local to regional level., Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Urbanism

Long term economic growth leading to development is as much about growing as avoiding spells of considerable negative growth, or shrinking. However, much more attention has been given to understand what makes countries achieve high growth rates than to avoid shrinking. Here we explore empirically a novel approach which proposes that five interrelated dimensions of social capability (inclusion, transformation, social stability, and state autonomy and accountability) could help understand resilience to economic shrinking. Making use of public data and a variety of empirical methods we delve into this relation for the Latin American context since 1970. In particular we look at the duration of periods of economic crisis and the performance under international stress. We find mixed evidence for our theoretical framework. While we are able to support State autonomy and accountability, and social stability having a positive relation with shrinking resilience, the same cannot be said about inclusion and transformation. Further research is clearly required to extend the research beyond the region, and to explore the interrelation between the different dimensions of social capability.

Long term economic growth leading to development is as much about growing as avoiding spells of considerable negative growth, or shrinking. However, much more attention has been given to understand what makes countries achieve high growth rates than to avoid shrinking. Here we explore empirically a novel approach which proposes that five interrelated dimensions of social capability (inclusion, transformation, social stability, and state autonomy and accountability) could help understand resilience to economic shrinking. Making use of public data and a variety of empirical methods we delve into this relation for the Latin American context since 1970. In particular we look at the duration of periods of economic crisis and the performance under international stress. We find mixed evidence for our theoretical framework. While we are able to support State autonomy and accountability, and social stability having a positive relation with shrinking resilience, the same cannot be said about inclusion and transformation. Further research is clearly required to extend the research beyond the region, and to explore the interrelation between the different dimensions of social capability.

Accuracy of double-curvature ribbed panels obtained by multipoint local deformation using the proposed procedure of distribution of local actions was studied. As equipment for local action, an innovative die was used enabling the rib portion to be bent together with the adjacent sheet in both directions and perform shrinking (shortening) or stretching (extension) of this section along the rib axis. Features of making double-curvature panels with an irregular internal structure using local shaping by bending and shrinking (stretching) were considered. A procedure was described for calculating the number of local actions necessary to obtain panels of the required shape and size. The results obtained in testing the procedure for distributing local actions on samples and the full-scale panel of an aircraft fuselage of a transport category were presented. An experimental study of accuracy of the obtained dimensions by comparison of measurements of height of the points in the shaped panel with calculated values of the panel coordinates was carried out. Experimental studies of accuracy of the panel face shape showed that the maximum deviation after applying the calculated actions was 1.48 mm for longitudinal sections and 1.67 mm for transverse ones. Individual deviations of the shape, for example deviations of the free edges and curvature near the ends of the ribs required refinement works after which the shape deviations did not exceed 0.3 mm. Basic recommendations were elaborated for making double-curvature (biconvex, biconcave, convexo-concave and concavo-convex) panels., Розглянуто особливості отримання панелей подвійної кривизни з нерегулярною внутрішньою структурою з використанням перспективного технологічного процесу формоутворення місцевим згинанням з посадкою (розведенням). Наведено опис обладнання і методика розрахунку необхідної кількості місцевих впливів для отримання панелей необхідних форми і розмірів. Проведено експериментальне дослідження точності одержуваних розмірів шляхом порівняння вимірів висот точок формованої панелі з розрахунковими значеннями координат панелі, Рассмотрены особенности получения панелей двойной кривизны с нерегулярной внутренней структурой с использованием перспективного технологического процесса формообразования местной гибкой с посадкой (разводкой). Приведены описание применяемого оборудования и методика расчета необходимого количества местных воздействий для получения панелей требуемых формы и размеров. Проведено экспериментальное исследование точности получаемых размеров путем сравнения замеров высот точек формованной панели с расчетными значениями координат панели

While the income per capita in the developing world since the turn of the Millennium has grown faster than that of the developed world, the question whether there is an ongoing process of catching up between countries remains. The notion of income convergence has provided many insights into the sources for long-run growth but has largely neglected the role of social capabilities in economic development. By social capabilities we mean the qualification of the ‘theory of convergence’ which asserts that productivity growth rates between countries tend to vary inversely with regard to productivity levels. The social capabilities approach holds that a country’s potential for rapid growth is strong when “it is technologically backward but socially advanced” (see Abramovitz, 1986:388). This means that the potential to catch up under globalization is strongest for countries in which social capabilities are developed to allow successful use of technologies and where institutional arrangements are conducive to economic progress. Yet there is no clear agreement in the literature on the main components of social capabilities or how to measure them. Our framework argues that the role of capabilities in catching up needs to understand them in terms of structural transformation, economic and social inclusion, state´s autonomy and accountability. Without progress in these dimensions within-country inequality may increase and might in turn lead to stagnating growth and slim prospects for global income convergence., Desde el cambio del milenio, el pib per cápita de los países en desarrollo ha crecido más rápido que el de los países desarrollados. Sin embargo, la pregunta acerca de si estos países en desarrollo han comenzado un proceso de convergencia con los países más ricos del globo se mantiene. La hipótesis de convergencia de ingresos cuestiona las fuentes de crecimiento a largo plazo, pero ha descuidado en gran medida el rol de las capacidades sociales en el desarrollo económico. El enfoque de las capacidades sociales sostiene que el potencial de crecimiento económico es mayor para los paí- ses que desarrollan las capacidades sociales que permiten la adopción de nuevas tecnologías y honran a su vez los arreglos institucionales favorables al progreso económico de toda la población. Sin embargo, no hay un consenso claro en la literatura sobre los principales componentes de las capacidades sociales o cómo medirlas. Este ensayo sostiene que los procesos de crecimiento que diversifican la estructura económica apoyan la inclusión, la autonomía del Estado y la rendición de cuentas del mismo frente a la sociedad generan mejoras sostenidas en los niveles de ingreso per cápita. Sin el desarrollo de estas capacidades, la desigualdad económica puede aumentar, situación que podría, a su vez, conducir a un estancamiento del crecimiento y, por tanto, a reducir las perspectivas de convergencia global de los ingresos de los países en desarrollo.

Since 1968, Indonesia has been among the few developing countries able to sustain per capita income growth over 5%. However, poverty and surplus labor are still main features of the economy. We ask to what extent the dual nature of growth has stimulated structural change, or just rewarded a particular sector or region. We find that the emblematic State support to agriculture has not untapped the potential growth in labour reallocation. Despite the income diversification within and outside agriculture, the linkages between sectors and regions remain weak. For catching up, the integration of the outer regions into the economy must still go through agriculture, investment in human capital, infrastructure, social policies and local capabilities.

We show that expanding Kähler–Ricci solitons which have positive holomorphic bisectional curvature and are (Formula presented.)-asymptotic to a conical Kähler manifold at infinity must be the U(n)-rotationally symmetric expanding solitons constructed by Cao. © 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

We show that expanding Kähler–Ricci solitons which have positive holomorphic bisectional curvature and are (Formula presented.)-asymptotic to a conical Kähler manifold at infinity must be the U(n)-rotationally symmetric expanding solitons constructed by Cao. © 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Ever since its introduction in 1952, the Mean-Variance (MV) portfolio selection theory has remained a centerpiece within the realm of e_cient asset allocation. However, in scienti_c circles, the theory has stirred controversy. A strand of criticism has emerged that points to the phenomenon that Mean-Variance Optimization su_ers from the severe drawback of estimation errors contained in the expected return vector and the covariance matrix, resulting in portfolios that may signi_cantly deviate from the true optimal portfolio. While a substantial amount of e_ort has been devoted to estimating the expected return vector in this context, much less is written about the covariance matrix input. In recent times, however, research that points to the importance of the covariance matrix in MV optimization has emerged. As a result, there has been a growing interest whether MV optimization can be enhanced by improving the estimate of the covariance matrix. Hence, this thesis was set forth by the purpose to investigate whether nancial practitioners and institutions can allocate portfolios consisting of assets in a more e_cient manner by changing the covariance matrix input in mean-variance optimization. In the quest of chieving this purpose, an out-of-sample analysis of MV optimized portfolios was performed, where the performance of ve prominent covariance matrix estimators were compared, holding all other things equal in the MV optimization. The optimization was performed under realistic investment constraints, taking incurred transaction costs into account, and for an investment asset universe ranging from equity to bonds. The empirical _ndings in this study suggest one dominant estimator: the covariance matrix estimator implied by the Gerber Statistic (GS). Speci_cally, by using this covariance matrix estimator in lieu of the traditional sample covariance matrix, the MV optimization rendered more e_cient portfolios in terms of higher Sharpe ratios, higher risk-adjusted returns