bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the genus Bothrophyllum Trautschold, 1879 (Anthozoa, Rugosa)
Authors: Fedorowski Jerzy
Published: April 2016

The rugose coral genus Bothrophyllum Trautschold, 1879 is revised on the basis of data from the literature and the author’s personal investigation of both topotypes of its type species B. conicum and related and/or similar taxa from other areas. The intraspecific variability of the type species, its neotype, the intra-generic framework and a new generic diagnosis are established. Many more than 100 taxa related and/or similar to Bothrophyllum were analyzed and the most important of them are discussed. Detailed analysis of the type species based on the neotype and supported by additional topotype specimens illustrated here, allows restriction of both the type species and the genus, and leads to the proposition that Bothrophyllum -like taxa with a shortened cardinal septum should be considered of subgeneric (not named) status. Detailed analysis of the specimens and species described and illustrated from the type site (Myachkovo Quarry, Moscow Basin) form the basis for further considerations. On the basis of that analysis and characters established for the type species, taxa from all other European, African, Asiatic and North American areas either named Bothrophyllum or bearing characters of that genus were analyzed. The supposed origin and discussion of the relationships conclude the paper. A list of synonyms and exclusions from Bothrophyllum and lists of species included, excluded, or possibly belonging to Bothrophyllum and Bothrophyllum -like corals with a shortened cardinal septum are presented.
Changes in paleo-circulation and the distribution of ammonite faunas at the Coniacian–Santonian transition in central Poland and western Ukraine
Authors: Remin Zbyszek , Gruszczyński Michał , Marshall Jim D.
Published: April 2016

Ammonite distribution patterns and carbon and oxygen stable isotopes from the Lipnik-Kije (Poland) and Dubovcy (Ukraine) sections allow us to propose a model of sea water paleo-circulation in central Europe for the Coniacian- Santonian interval. The tectonic evolution of the south-eastern part of Poland, and expansion of the Krukienic Island areas, appears to have been one of the most important factors affecting paleotemperatures and the distribution of ammonite faunas in the shallow, epicontinental sea in this part of Europe. In the Lipnik-Kije section, low-latitude Tethyan ammonites, especially of the genera Nowakites, Parapuzosia and Saghalinites, are mixed with the cold water loving ammonite genus Kitchinites in the Lower Santonian. In the Dubovcy section (western Ukraine), Tethyan ammonites disappear abruptly in the earliest Santonian, giving place to temperate ammonites of the Kitchinites group in the early Early Santonian and to Boreal belemnites of the genus Gonioteuthis in the Middle and Late Santonian. Despite evidence for the effects of diagenesis in both sections, bulk-rock δ18O records from the limestones support higher seawater paleotemperatures in the Polish sea and cooler conditions in the western Ukraine.

The proposed paleo-circulation model and paleotemperature distribution across Europe is supported independently by changes in faunal and nannoflora evidence (ammonites, foraminifera and nannoplankton), and rather unexpectedly with the bulk δ18O data. These data allow the recognition of the end-Coniacian-Early Santonian cooling event, resulting from cold currents flowing from the north, which is traceable, with different magnitude, in several European sections.

Facies changes in both sections are related to the input of terrigenous material, and linked to Subhercynian tectonic movements which affected the eastern (Ukrainian) and central (Holy Cross) segment of the Mid Polish Trough at different times. Uplift and sediment input moved westwards through time. Clastic input is detectable at the Coniacian-Santonian boundary in the Ukrainian segment. Similar facies changes reached the Holy Cross segment in Poland distinctly later, somewhen in the Middle Santonian. It is likely that tectonics together with paleo-circulation changes markedly restricted or even cut-off the western Ukraine area from Tethyan ocean influences in the Early Santonian.
How polymorphisms of the cytochrome P450 genes affect ibuprofen and diclofenac metabolism and toxicity / Kako polimorfizmi gena citokroma P450 utječu na metabolizam i toksičnost ibuprofena i diklofenaka
Authors: Krasniqi Valon , Dimovski Aleksandar , Domjanović Iva Klarica , Bilić Ivan , Božina Nada
Published: April 2016

Interindividual variability in drug metabolism is an important cause of adverse drug reactions and variability in drug efficiency. Polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 (CYPs) genes have a significant effect on drug metabolism and toxicity. This review brings an update about how genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 enzymes affect the disposition and clinical outcomes of ibuprofen and diclofenac, two of the most common pain relievers. The most common side effects associated with the influence of CYP2C8*3 and CYP2C9*2*3 variants on ibuprofen and diclofenac pharmacokinetics are hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal bleeding. CYP genotyping may therefore identify patients at increased risk of these adverse reactions, and these patients could have their doses adjusted or start receiving another NSAID that does not share the same metabolic pathways with ibuprofen or diclofenac. However, before genotyping is introduced into regular clinical practice, more research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy in improving treatment with ibuprofen and diclofenac.
Assessment of apical extrusion of debris during endodontic retreatment with 3 rotary nickel-titanium retreatment systems and hand files
Authors: Gkampesi S. , Mylona Z. , Zarra T. , Lambrianidis T.
Published: April 2016

Aim: to evaluate the amount of debris extruded apically as well as the time needed for removal of root canal filling material using ProTaper, MTwo, REndo NiTi rotary retreatment systems and handfiles. Materials and methods: 60 freshly extracted human single-rooted teeth were instrumented with Protaper files and obturated with gutta-percha and MTA Fillapex sealer with the cold lateral compaction technique. Teeth were then randomly assigned to 4 groups. ProTaper, MTwo, REndo rotary retreatment systems and Hedstroem hand files were utilized for root canal filling removal. Debris extruded apically was collected into pre-weighed vials. The weight of the dry extruded debris was established by subtracting the pre-retreatment and post-re treatment weight of vials. Time needed for reaching WL, complete removal of gutta-percha and total retreatment time were also recorded with a stopwatch. The data obtained were analyzed using One-way ANOVA (the level of significance was set at P=0.05). Results: Hand instrumentation caused significantly more debris extrusion compared with rotary systems (P<0.001). There was no significant difference among the other groups (P>0.05). Hedstroem hand files needed significantly more time for the completion of the retreatment procedure than rotary systems (P<0.001). Among rotary retreatment files, ProTaper completed the procedure significantly quicker than MTwo and REndo (P<0.001). Conclusion: Rotary retreatment files caused less apical extrusion of debris and needed less time for the completion of the retreatment procedure compared to hand files.
Evaluation of ergonomic risks during dental work
Authors: Petrović V. , Pejčić Nataša , Bulat P. , Đurić-Jovičić M. , Miljković N. , Marković D.
Published: April 2016

Aim: The purpose was to assess ergonomic risk level in dentistry, which may contribute to manifestation of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Methods and Materials: The study included ten dentists, postgraduate students, mean age (33 ± 3.4). Participants were asked to perform typical dental examination in standing and sitting positions. The surface electromyography (EMG) was recorded during dental work from both left and right shoulder muscles: descendent trapezius muscle (T); back muscles: erector spinae muscle (ES); and neck muscles: sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and splenius capitis muscle (SC). Results: High muscles forces, greater than 21% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), which could be indicative of high risk, particularly occurred in muscles SC on both sides of the body in the sitting position. The medium risk level occurred in the same muscles on both sides in standing position. Left and right T muscles were under medium ergonomic risk level in both, sitting and standing working positions. SCM muscles on the left and right side of the body in both working positions were under low risk level, lower than 10% of the MVC. In sitting position, medium risk level occurred in ES muscles on both body sides, while in standing position the risk was low. Conclusion: Dentists are exposed to ergonomic risk. By combining both sitting and standing position the risk can be reduced.
Europeanness: A Path To Unity Within The European Union
Authors: Piasecki Ryszard , Woroniecki Jan
Published: April 2016

The postwar experience has shown that the implanting of European consciousness, or Europeanness, calls for coordinated efforts among the European institutions, national states, and NGOs. Such consciousness, a key pillar of the European integration, is necessary for the EU to effectively function and motivate member states’ – also the EU’s – citizens. And yet European institutions and EU governments show little interest in promoting the formation of this European consciousness. Pro-European social movements are weak, while anti-European ones gain strength. This désintéressement of the EU countries probably results from the conviction that the goal has been reached and that there is no more need for a widespread pro-European education of their societies. However analysis of the problem, and in particular of the interaction between European and national identities, shows that this is not the case. We fear that this lack of proactive measures mobilizing EU citizens to keep on struggling for a common Europe will lead to the erosion of existing achievements of integration within the EU, and undermine European values. It may threaten the future of the EU, which is not an ordinary integration grouping but a great peaceful, civilizational, social and economic project. Our hypothesis – positively verified in this article – is that the promotion of Europeanness in the EU societies is urgently needed to maintain the unity (and even membership) of the Union, and to avert trends unfavorable for all of Europe and therefore for the West as a whole.
Analysis Of Determinants Of Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity In Russia
Authors: Pawęta Elena , Kirillov Yuri
Published: April 2016

Entrepreneurial activity is very important for the economic development of any country. The question often asked by researchers is: what causes growth in the level of entrepreneurial activity? In this paper we focused on the individual-level determinants of entrepreneurial activity – the attitudes and perceptions of entrepreneurship by individuals in the society. The objective of this research is to define how individual-level variables concerning opinions and beliefs in the society influence the early-stage entrepreneurship level in Russia. The research is based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data, which we employ using the method of least squares in order to find linear relationships between variables. The results show that two out of presented four hypotheses have been proven. The data presented show that the entrepreneurship activity in the country is positively related to individual-level perceptions of entrepreneurship in the society. These findings may be useful for further research on entrepreneurial intentions.
Impact Of The Ban On Uncovered sCDS Trade On The Interdependencies Between The CDS Market And Other Sectors Of Financial Markets. The Case Of Safe And Developed Versus Risky And Developing European Markets
Authors: Kliber Agata
Published: April 2016

The aim of the article is to verify the impact of the ban on uncovered sCDS trade in Europe on the interdependencies between the sCDS market and other sectors of financial markets. We analyse two European markets: the safe and developed Swedish market, and the risky and developing Hungarian one. The study covers the period from October 2008 to October 2013. We analyse changes in the interdependencies between the sCDS market and the bond market, as well as between the sCDS market and the stock exchange. We found out that in the case of the safe Swedish market, the strength of relationships of each sector of financial markets with the sCDS one was much weaker than in the case of Hungary, which may suggest that the Swedish market is less prone to crisis transmission arising from herd behaviour or speculative attacks. In the end we show that in the two economies, the influence of the sCDS market on the other sectors of financial market indeed diminished following introduction of the ban on uncovered sCDS trade.
Standard Of Living In The European Union
Authors: Wawrzyniak Dorota
Published: April 2016

The European Union countries are diversified in terms of the standard of living of the population. The reduction of disparities in the standard of living, along with the elimination of the negative phenomena related to social exclusion form an EU policy priority. In this context, the aim of this article is to compare the standard of living in the various European Union countries and to determine Poland’s position in the ranking. In the study, countries with a similar standard of living of their populations were grouped as well. The analysis was based on 10 variables describing the standard of living in the EU-28 countries and was conducted with the use of the development pattern method proposed by Z. Hellwig. According to the results of the research, the standard of living is the highest in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden, whereas it is the lowest in Spain, Malta, Croatia and Romania. Poland ranks relatively low among the European Union countries (20th place).
Financial Stability In The Eurozone
Authors: Zielińska Klaudia
Published: April 2016

Financial stability inside the European Monetary Union (EMU) is a trendy topic in most developed countries around the world. From the moment the EMU was brought to life, there was much speculation about its imperfections, inadequate management, and vulnerability. Some of them have turned out to be true, while others have been proved invalid. Nevertheless, the debt crisis has demonstrated inadequacies in the EMU’s structure and proved that a higher degree of integration is necessary in order to guarantee the robustness of the common currency and fully utilize its potential. This article summarizes the most serious doubts with respect to the functioning of the monetary union and evaluates their credibility over time. New financial stability-securing solutions are also described and analyzed as to whether they are sufficient to prevent Europe from stumbling from one crisis to another. The subject is analyzed over different periods of time – firstly describing the term “financial stability”, along with the major concerns about the process of introducing the euro at the time of its finalization and implementation. Secondly the article describes how these preceding doubts have been verified during the following fourteen years of the EMU’s functioning. The revealed weaknesses of the EMU are also underlined in order to prove the need of further integration. The final section summarizes the solutions implemented in response to the crises that have hit Europe during the time of the Euro’s functioning.
Frame classification of the reduced labeled blocks
Authors: Kalmykov Georgiy I.
Published: April 2016

We describe a method of partitioning the given set of graphs into non-intersecting subsets each consisting of graphs with common frame. Sets of graphs having such representations are presented. The possibility to apply these representations to the derivation of asymptotic expansions in some problems of statistical mechanics is discussed.
Company Changing Status and Its Linking to Competitiveness
Authors: Radenković-Jocić Dragana , Barun Ivan
Published: April 2016

The authors present the issues and challenges related to the changes in status of a company and its impact on competitiveness. Status changes of companies, mostly mergers and acquisitions of companies, are one of the ways in which capital owners and management direct economic activities with the aim of maximizing profits. In order to make the right and justified decision, in terms of achieving the economic interests of the company, it is essential to know the laws and regulations in this area. This paper should provide answers on various questions which will be presented to decision makers in every company, considering status changes. Bearing in mind that the question of status changes often associated with an international element, the authors will pay special attention on the EU legislation and current legal framework in the Republic of Serbia.
Redefining the Role of Banking Regulation in the Banking Sector of European Union
Authors: Todorović Violeta , Jakšić Milena , Sedlarević Lazar
Published: April 2016

During the last two decades there have been significant changes in the structure of the banking sector at the European level. Factors such as globalization, integration and development of information technologies had a significant impact on these changes. In terms of the economic integration of Europe and structural changes, there is a need to redefine the regulatory infrastructure, due to inadequate institutional arrangements. The problem topics about reform of banking regulation and establishment of a banking union, as a new level of economic integration of Europe, has been put in the focus of interest during the global financial crisis. For this reason, the paper attempts to give a comprehensive analysis of the reasons and ways to reform regulation of the banking sector. Using a critical review of the implemented reforms of banking regulation at the national and supranational level will be reconsidered their applicability in specific problem situations and suggest measures for further improvement.
Fair Value Concept Specifics in Financial Reporting and Auditing
Authors: Rupić Bojan , Bonić Ljiljana
Published: April 2016

Investors have become the most important users of financial statements in modern business conditions, and mixed base of financial reporting has been established in order to meet their information needs and it includes elements of the concept of historical cost and the fair value concept, with an increasing shift towards the fair value concept. The primary task of fair value accounting becomes the expression of the fair value of the net assets at the reporting date, while the financial results represent the change in fair value of net assets between the two reporting periods. In our country the application of the "full IFRS" is mandatory for large enterprises and the application of IFRS for SMEs is mandatory for small and medium-sized entities, thus fair value accounting becomes an integral part of the financial statements of domestic companies. However, fair value accounting is not a suitable concept for our country characterized by shallow and underdeveloped financial market, companies whose owners are the company managers at the same time, and low level of economic and technological development. A financial statement audit in terms of the use of the fair value concept becomes much more demanding and complex than the audit of the financial statements based on historical cost accounting.
Functional Dependence of Pension User Categories in Relation to the Total Number of the Employed
Authors: Birovljev Jelena , Vojinović Željko , Mirović Vera
Published: April 2016

When and how will one country take care of its workers who are left due to their injury, illness, death or old age without ability to care for their existence, and who contributed most of their life as tax payers. The role of the social system is just that. Social systems of intergenerational solidarity operate for decades in all European countries, regardless of their political and economic structure and level of development. Number of employees within a pension system is dependent on many factors, but it is also independent compared to the category of pensioners and possibilities of functioning of the pension system. The total number of beneficiaries directly derived from the number of employees in some earlier period, while the possibility of pension payments vary depending on the current number of workers. Some categories may behave differently in relation to the total number of employed in an economic system, but the functioning of the pension system is depending on this indicator. In Serbia, for years the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, large-scale migration of citizens, the progress of medical science as a factor of increased life expectancy of people, higher rates of unemployment, longer years of service until retirement and some other less significant factors influenced the disproportion in the number of employees in relation to the number of pensioners. This resulted in a very poor state of the pension system and caused the question of its future functioning. A social problem is getting more difficult to resolve, in quality and quantitative terms, because its main source of inflow of funds is in constant decline while expenditures are increased.
Narrow Banking – Banking System Without Private Issuance of Credit Money as a Solution for More Resistant Banks and More Stable Financial System
Authors: Radojičić Jelena , Radovanović Predrag
Published: April 2016

The global financial crisis has revived interest in the introduction of the “narrow banking”, which has become a topical issue in both political and academic circles. There are attitudes that banks have maximized yields by excessive credit expansion, while the losses associated with the excessive risks undertaken in pre-crisis period fell at the expense of taxpayers. Based on the idea that modern financial systems have structural problems whose solution requires fundamental reform, a new wave of regulatory proposals is launched for solving the problems. They are generally aimed to eliminate the banks’ ability to issue credit money that enjoys both implicit and explicit government guarantees. The concept of narrow banking, as one of the variants of full-reserve banking, provides ex-ante a level of bank deposits’ protection which is the same as the level of central bank’s money protection. Motives for the application of this concept are the following: to make banks more resistant to bank runs; to avoid creating a speculative “bubbles”; and to make the financial system more stable. The paper gives an overview of historical and new proposals of narrow banking. In addition, the concept of narrow banking is analyzed from the point of view of its basic characteristics and objectives, followed by a discussion on the problems and possible success of its implementation.
An Analysis of the Labour Productivity of the Agricultural Sector in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Stanojević Jelena , Krstić Bojan , Đekić Snežana
Published: April 2016

One of the main objectives pursued in agriculture as the primary sector in the economy is to increase the labour productivity. In order for this objective to be achieved, it is necessary to increase agricultural production, while at the same time preserve natural resources and the environment. If the creators of development policies are to formulate effective policies and strategies, adequate information relating to all vital determinants of productivity of agriculture is required. Therefore, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia annually prepares and publishes, among others, information on the value of agricultural production and the number of employees in agriculture. The aim of this paper is to examine the changes in the level of productivity of agriculture in the Republic of Serbia in the period from 2007 to 2013. It also analyses the impact of labour productivity in agriculture in the share of GDP that is realized in this sector of the national economy. Agricultural population, as one of the factors that affect productivity in agriculture is analysed in terms of education and employment. The aim is to quantify the level of productivity in agriculture, as well as to examine the interdependence between labour productivity and GDP in agriculture, in order to point to the critical determinants of productivity that require improvement. The methods used in this paper are: analysis method, synthesis method, comparison method, descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. Research results show that Serbia has achieved an unenviable level of labour productivity in agriculture within the analysed period of time. Research in this study is useful for the creators and holders of the development policy for the future guidance of development policies and strategies of the agricultural sector in Serbia.
Small-scale human-biometeorological impacts of shading by a large tree
Authors: Kántor Noémi , Kovács Attila , Takács Ágnes
Published: April 2016

This study provides evidences on the beneficial small-scale human-biometeorological effects of a large shade tree during the daytime in summer. We carried out detailed measurement from 10 am to 6 pm with two human-biometeorological stations on a popular square in Szeged, Hungary. One of the stations stood under a great
Grafting polyethylene glycol dicrylate (PEGDA) to cell walls of poplar wood in two steps for improving dimensional stability and durability of the wood polymer composite
Authors: Dong Youming , Wang Kaili , Yan Yutao , Zhang Shifeng , Li Jianzhang
Published: April 2016

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment is an effective approach to endow wood with higher dimensional stability (DS), which is still a concern under humid conditions. In this study, poplar wood was first treated with methacryloyl chloride to introduce methacryl groups in the cell wall. Then functional PEG served as modifier, and copolymerization was conducted in the second step to prepare PEG-diacrylate (PEGDA) modified samples. The resultant wood polymer composites (WPCs) were characterized by solid state NMR, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The physical and mechanical properties of the WPCs were also evaluated, such as anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), water uptake, dynamic hydrophilicity (contact angles), and thermal stability. The results show that the copolymerized WPC achieved 51.4% ASE with leaching <3.0%. Moreover, the surface hardness and water resistance of the wood are also greatly improved.
Adipose derived stem cells for regenerative therapy in osteoarticular diseases
Authors: Pers Yves-Marie , Jorgensen Christian
Published: April 2016

In the recent years, adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) led to significant findings in the field of regenerative therapy. ASCs have various biological properties and capacity as differentiation in three lineages (chondrocytes, osteocytes and adipocytes) or immunomodulation by releasing paracrine factors. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent osteoarticular disease characterized by none curative treatment. We reviewed all current data on the proof of concept of ASCs in OA pathophysiology as well as an inventory of ASC promising cell therapy in OA.
À propos de la fonction des disques légers en verre à inscriptions arabes d’époques fāṭimide et post-fāṭimide: ṣanaǧāt ou jetons fiduciaires?
Authors: Fenina Abdelhamid
Published: April 2016

The function of small glass discs, some with inscriptions some without, made in Egypt between the Fāṭimid and Mamlūk period, have been the topic of a debate between two prominent numismatists. Michael-L.
Stinging plants: as future bio-weapon
Authors: Gupta Sanjay Mohan , Kumar Kamal
Published: April 2016

In the present opinion paper, we have been introducing for the first time the stinging plants and/or their biological toxins as novel bio-threat agents that may be used for the development of bio-weapons for self-defence purpose. The selected studied stinging plants are having dual role as nutraceutical and ethno-pharmacological uses apart from their less explored stinging property. However, future detailed work is required for identification and characterization of the precise stinging chemical components that will be used for the formulation of novel bio-warfare agents for self-defence purpose.
Multi-Level Refinement Algorithm of Weighted Hypergraph Partitioning Problem
Authors: Leng Ming , Sun Ling-yu , Guo Kai-qiang
Published: April 2016

The formal description of weighted hypergraph partitioning problem is presented. We describe the solution of the weighted hypergraph partitioning problem based on the multi-level method. We propose the multi-level discrete particle swarm optimization refinement algorithm, whose each particle’s position in |V|-dimensional can be considered as the corresponded partitioning. During the refinement process of the uncoarsening phase, the algorithm projects successively each particle’s corresponded partitioning back to the next-level finer hypergraph, and the degree of particle’s freedom increases with the increase in solution space’s dimension. The algorithm also regards the gain of vertex as particle information for the heuristic search and successfully searches the solution space based on the intelligent behavior between individuals’ collaboration. Furthermore, the improved compressed storage format of weighted hypergraph is presented and the two-dimensional auxiliary array is designed for counting the vertices of each hypergraph in different partitions. The rapid method of calculating the vertex’s gain and the cut’s size are proposed to avoid traversing each vertex of hyperedge and reduce the algorithm’s time complexity and space complexity. Experimental results show that the algorithm not only can find the better partitioning of weighted hypergraph than the move-based method but also can improve the search capability of the refinement algorithm.
First report of Fusarium solani causing stem rot of Dracaena in Iran
Authors: Abedi-Tizaki Mostafa , Zafari Doustmorad , Sadeghi Jamal
Published: April 2016

In July 2013, symptoms of stem rot were observed in the Dracaena sanderiana cuttings in greenhouses of Mahallat County, Markazi Province, Iran. The symptoms first appeared as severe wilting. Later, leaves became brown and necrotic. Symptoms on the cuttings were observed as rotted areas on the middle of the stems. The cortical tissues of the plants showed a distinct brown discoloration. Eventually, the infected plants died. The pathogen was isolated from Dracaena stems and identified as F. solani by a fragment of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene. Fusarium solani was confirmed by a pathogenicity test, and the causal agent was re-isolated from infected D. sanderiana plants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of stem rot caused by F. solani on the cuttings of D. sanderiana.
A simple method for extracting DNA from rhododendron plants infected with Phytophthora spp. for use in PCR
Authors: Trzewik Aleksandra , Nowak Katarzyna J. , Orlikowska Teresa
Published: April 2016

Among the numerous protocols that describe the extraction of DNA, those relating to the isolation of DNA from infected plants, are rare. This study describes a rapid and reliable method of extracting a high quality and quantity of DNA from rhododendron leaves artificially infected with Phytophthora cactorum, P. cambivora, P. cinnamomi, P. citrophthora, and P. plurivora. The use of the modified Doyle and Doyle protocol (1987) allowed us to obtain high quantity and quality DNA (18.26 μg from 100 mg of the fresh weight of infected leaves at the ratios of A260/280and A260/230- 1.83 and 1.72, respectively), suitable for conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR amplifications.
Reformoptionen der Familienbesteuerung
Authors: Bergs Christian , Fuest Clemens , Peichl Andreas , Schaefer Thilo
Published: April 2016

The aging of the population in Germany has led to growing concerns among politicians about the economic situation of households with children. This is also reflected in the recent tax policy debate on reforming the taxation of families and married couples. The purpose of this paper is threefold. We use a micro­simulation approach to analyse how various reforms of family taxation would affect the incomes of families compared to singles and married couples without children. Moreover, we address the distributional effects across different income deciles. Finally, we quantify tax revenue effects as well as possible consequences for labour supply. We focus on limited real income splitting systems.

The simulation results show that limited real income splitting produces rather moderate vertical distributional effects, compared e.g. with the joint family income splitting of the French type. Furthermore real income splitting would lower the marginal tax rate on the second earner’s income, creating incentives to take up employment. It would also generate additional tax revenue.
Steht auf, wenn ihr Deutsche seid!
Authors: Strulik Holger
Published: April 2016

During the World Cup 2006 Germany experienced a surge of revealed patriotism unseen so far after World War II. How can this unexpected and spontaneous change of social behavior be explained given that preferences (for patriotism) are stable over time? This essay introduces and discusses three possible explanations: (i) patriotism as assurance game, (ii) patriotism as informational cascade, and (iii) patriotism as equilibrium in the threshold model of collective behavior.
Inflationsbegriff und Inflationsmessung
Authors: Gischer Horst , Weiß Mirko
Published: April 2016

Our paper addresses the economic concept of inflation, and how to measure inflation properly in practise. First of all we present and discuss comprehensively various definitions of inflation proposed and used in the literature. What follows, is a detailed investigation of empirical proxies or indices to cover inflation quantitatively. We focus on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in general and for Germany in particular, the Harmonized Consumer Price Index (HCPI), the Core Inflation and the GDP-Deflator. The paper concludes with an analysis of the method of measuring inflation applied within the scope of the ECB Governing Council’s monetary strategy.
Korruption, Institutionen und das Einkommensniveau
Authors: El-Shagi Makram
Published: April 2016

This paper analyses the interdependency between political corruption, institutions and growth. The central thesis is that a high level of income will promote corruption in the short run, due to the incentive effect of income on potentially corrupt politicians. Only in the long run income is reducing corruption, because income bolsters institutions which hinder corruption. The retroactive effect of corruption on institutions, paired with high income and untypically badly developed institutions, might in turn cause a problem of henceforth self enforcing corruption. The result can be long lasting obstacles to development. This can − under extreme circumstances − cause growth problems, which are so severe, that initially poorer countries, with initially equally insufficient institutions take over leadership in terms of income. Some empirical evidence on the general existence of the outlined interdependencies is shown in the present paper. The practical relevance of the consequences is illustrated with some examples, especially by comparing several transition processes.
Schuldenbremse oder Schuldenschranke für die deutschen Bundesländer?
Authors: Groneck Max , Plachta Robert C.
Published: April 2016

This paper studies two alternative budget rules to overcome the shortcomings of the current laws for the German Länder: The Swiss debt brake as well as a version incorporating a golden rule presented by the German Council of Economic Experts. A simulation analysis reveals the necessary consolidation path, the loss of benefits, and the recursive development of public debt. Extending the standard simulation method we present a politico-economic approach considering the budget rules in their full complexity. The Swiss debt brake yields stronger restrictions on public debt than the version incorporating the golden rule. Yet applying the simulation to both Länder and their municipalities leads to contrasting results.
Zwischen Marktabgrenzung und Wettbewerbsanalyse
Authors: Briglauer Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

The European Commission introduced the so-called „three criteria test” which was designed to serve as an analytical filtering tool when considering whether electronic communications markets should be regulated by competition law alone, or whether the markets are susceptible to ex ante regulation. This paper gives a critical appraisal on the theoretical justification of the three criteria test in conjunction with the market analyses carried out periodically by national regulators. From a conceptual point of view our analysis finds that the three criteria test is already part of a proper and in-depth market analysis. In other words, the three criteria test appears to be a rather reduced form and redundant with regard to a full scale analysis. Apart from that, the test gives rise to misunderstandings and factually creates a built-in bias for national regulators to adopt the Commissions definition on relevant communications markets (susceptible to ex ante regulation). But, seen pragmatically and interpreted in positive terms, the three criteria test might be also regarded as an effective harmonization strategy at the European level.
Verschärfen multinationale Unternehmen den Steuerwettbewerb?
Authors: Becker Johannes , Riedel Nadine
Published: April 2016

In diesem Beitrag werden anhand eines einfachen Modells des Steuerwettbewerbs aktuelle empirische Studien zu Steuerwirkungen auf unternehmerische Entscheidungen diskutiert. Insbesondere die Rolle multinationaler Unternehmen steht dabei im Fokus der Untersuchung, sowie die Frage, ob und inwiefern multinationale Unternehmen den Steuerwettbewerb zwischen Staaten verschärfen. Neuere empirische Analysen zeigen, dass sich der Steuerwettbewerb mit der Zunahme international tätiger Firmen eher abschwächen als verschärfen könnte.
Der Bestattungsmarkt in Deutschland
Authors: Daumann Frank , Breuer Markus
Published: April 2016

Despite its market volume of more than four billion EUR p. a. (in Germany) the market for funerals has been disregarded by economists so far. Nevertheless a burial is a high complex product involving not only an undertaker and a cemetery but also several other market actors like stone cutters, crematories and public authorities. Indeed, the providers find themselves in different market forms like a wide oligopoly in the case of funeral homes or a regional monopoly in the case of cemeteries. The abolition of legal conditions, changes in the individual way of life (e. g. a minor concentration on afterlife) and the consequences of the global financial crisis led to several changes and innovations in the market within the last years: E. g. caskets made of paper, an increasing market share of cremation in Germany and discount-funerals can be noticed. For the future we estimate a different role of the mortician. As the central protagonist he might become some kind of ‘manager’ being responsible for the complete funeral and acting as a grief counsellor for the surviving members of the family.
Die Handelskosten von Deutschland
Authors: Broll Udo , Förster Andreas , Rudolph Stephan
Published: April 2016

The gravity equation for international trade is probably the most important tool in international economics to explain and estimate trade ﬂows. In its simplest form, it states that the exports between any two given countries are a multiplicative function of these countries’ economic size, as measured by GDP, and their bilateral trade costs. The idea and the name is going back from the similarity to Isaac Newton’s law of gravity where the attraction force between two physical bodies equals the product of their masses divided by the squared distance between the bodies. The gravity equation in international economics becomes estimable after log-linearizing and parameterizing it. Export and GDP data are broadly available in several databases. Trade costs are not directly measurable and are therefore usually proxied by geographic distance and a set of further proxy variables like: access to the sea, common border, common language, membership in a certain group of countries, membership in a country union, and others. Trade costs proxies can be subdivided into geographical and political variables. Geographical properties of a country can hardly be changed by policy. However policymakers can influence trade costs through tariff rates, currency unions, free trade agreements, membership in certain country groups and many other measures. Since trade costs are not directly measureable, we will use a novel index of comprehensive trade costs to estimate a simultaneous system, first of a gravity equation and second of a trade cost equation for Germany. In our study, we demonstrate a new way to solve the complex equation system of multilateral resistances and compute them for a set of OECD countries.
Inter-Firm Labor Mobility and Wages
Authors: Schneck Stefan
Published: April 2016

Individuals who want to leave their employer usually raise the question whether mobility to a new employer pays off in the future. The paper contributes to this question by examining the consequences of labor market mobility in the medium term. Conclusions regarding whether an individual’s wage trajectory at the new employer exceeds the one of the previous employer are drawn by application of an innovative procedure which involves the simultaneous investigation of wage trajectories at different employers. The main finding is that a considerable number of workers experience wage cuts which are of permanent nature. Only few of the transitions to lower wages pay off because of the steeper wage growth in the new job.
Politische Kartelle
Authors: Schäfer Wolf
Published: April 2016

The article focuses on political cartels with special reference to the EU. It is argued that political cartels are harmful principally not less than are economic cartels of private companies because both impede or do away with competition. It is often argued that political cartels - contrary to economic cartels - are beneficial because political agents principally act benevolently. But, as is known, Public Choice and empiricism evidently tell the opposite: Politicians - like private agents - are self-interested agents. This is the reason for arguing that political cartels, by analogy to economic cartels, need a supervisory authority for sanctioning strategies against political competition in the EU. These strategies are manifold of which this article focuses on two: the late “rescue screen” for Greece (and the Euro) of May 2010 and the creeping tendency towards harmonization and centralization in the EU-governance.

It is argued that the rescue package is pure political cartelizing at the disadvantage of the European tax payer to whom - off from the creditor banks - the risk of ultimately paying the bill for insolvent countries is transferred. This has been done by neglecting especially article 125 of the Lisbon-Treaty which strictly outlaws to bail out encumbered countries. Contrary to the political agents’ official announcements that there was “no alternative” to their rescue package, in this article some incentivecompatible non-cartel alternatives are presented.

The political cartelization implied in the creeping tendency towards harmonization and centralization in the EU is controversial to the application and enforcement of the basic principle of subsidiarity in the Lisbon-Treaty. It is argued that a supervisory authority (“Senate for Political Competition”) should be established to control political cartelization in the EU as regards their doing away with political competition by neglecting the essential subsidiarity principle.
Ökonomische Wirkungen der Fußball-WM 2010
Authors: Plessis Stan du , Maennig Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

Without a doubt, the 2010 World Cup of soccer in South Africa was a great experience for both soccer fans, who enjoyed a safe and efficiently-run tournament, and their South African hosts. The sporting and social spectacle was broadcast around the world and focused unprecedented media attention on South Africa. Despite the manifest success of the tournament, its short-term effects on international tourism, which are the nucleus of all other short-term positive effects on economic variables such as employment, income and taxes, have turned out to be of a much smaller magnitude than expected or even as reported during the tournament. This may be attributable to self-defeating prophecy effects. This study is a warning against the abuse of economic impact studies, especially those pertaining to major sporting events. It is also a call to use the “correct” arguments of measurable awareness effects and potential long-term development effects in discussing major sporting events. Methodologically, this study is innovative in its economic analysis of major sporting events because it (i) uses data from social networks and (ii) uses high-frequency daily data on tourism.
Capital inflows, Current Accounts, and Exchange Rate Regimes in Central East Europe during and after the Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Brezinski Horst , Stephan Johannes
Published: April 2016

This contribution is concerned with the real economy effects of the current global crisis in Central East Europe. It analyses the way that the global financial crisis has transmitted into Central East Europe (contagion) by focussing on the drying up of capital inflows (in particular foreign direct investment), the worsening of current account imbalances, the role of the exchange rate regimes, and of increasing foreign currency borrowing during the years before the crisis. The analysis shows that the growth and development model of the region, which featured current account deficits financed by capital inflows, served as an accelerator for the adverse effects of contagion in Central East Europe. Countries with a fixed exchange rate to the euro proved to be the countries in the region hit hardest, whereas a flexible exchange rate appears to have acted as a shield against contagion. This casts doubts on the preferability of the planned rapid adoption of the euro in some of the countries in Central East Europe.
Bankenrettung, „constructive ambiguity“ und moralisches Risiko
Authors: Vollmer Uwe , Diemer Michael
Published: April 2016

Based on the model of Cordella and Yeyati (2003) this paper compares the effect of several bailout strategies of a „lender of last resort“ (LoLR) on a bank’s risk behaviour. We show that both „constructed ambiguity“, defined as a properly mixed strategy, and a pure strategy where a LoLR rescues always or never are not the optimal strategies. The LoLR should rather apply a contingent rule which means that he should announce and commit ex ante to a bailout policy depending on a verifiable state of nature. For this reason the optimal bailout policy should not be case by case, but follow an ex ante defined rule. Consequently, there is no contradiction between incentive efficiency and transparency of an efficient LoLR-policy.