bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovation and Market Structure in Pharmaceuticals: An Econometric Analysis on Simulated Data
Authors: Garavaglia Christian , Malerba Franco , Orsenigo Luigi , Pezzoni Michele
Published: April 2016

The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it presents the results of a “history-friendly” simulation model of evolution of the pharmaceutical industry. Second, it aims at contributing to a more general methodological discussion about agent-based models by proposing an econometric analysis of the results of the simulations. The case of the pharmaceutical industry has been studied extensively by scholars because, despite the high level of R&D intensity, the industry has been characterized by a relatively low levels of concentration. The model is able to reproduce the main stylized facts of the industry in an evolutionary perspective. In this paper we extend the analysis conducted in two previous works (Garavaglia et al. 2012, 2013) by further qualifying the findings with an extensive econometric investigation of the model outputs. The paper focuses the attention on the determinants of market structure, the innovative performance of the industry, the diversification in multiple submarkets and the level of prices. We find that the properties of the technological and demand regimes are key determinants of the patterns of industry evolution and that the main mechanisms driving the model are the random processes of search, the discovery of new submarkets as well as the interactions between patent protection, imitation and price competition. In addition, this paper emphasizes how the emerging leaders in the industry are those innovative early entrants which entered in large submarkets, showing the importance of the first mover advantage and of the size of the “prize” accruing to innovators when they discover a new rich submarket.
Escaping Satiation Dynamics: Some Evidence from British Household Data
Authors: Chai Andreas , Moneta Alessio
Published: April 2016

The tendency of sectoral demand to satiate has long been argued to be a key driver of the structural change in an economy (Pasinetti 1981; Saviotti 2001). This literature raises the question as to what extent cross-sectional patterns of household expenditure can be used to make inferences about how the demand for goods and services will grow over time. Moreover, if indeed satiation does take place, then firms and entrepreneurs could react to this situation by innovating goods and services in order to overcome stagnation in demand growth (Witt 2001). We empirically investigate this ‘satiation-escape’ hypothesis by examining the inter-temporal dynamics of Engel curves and their derivatives, which reflect how household spending on a good changes with income. Taking into account changes in the price level, we investigate whether Engel curves that exhibit cross-section satiation tend to exhibit over time an upwards shift in the satiation level jointly with a shift in position and shape. Evidence suggests that this is actually the case.
Evolutionary Political Economy in Crisis Mode
Authors: Hanappi Hardy
Published: April 2016

This paper sets out to discuss recent economic developments from a twofold perspective. Both spotlights focus on the special role played by the current deep global crisis. The first line of argument centers on the history of economic ideas and shows how evolutionary economics has emerged as a promising alternative to mainstream neoclassical thought as well as to traditional Keynesian macroeconomics. The failure of standard macroeconomics to inform economic policy in the current situation shows that arguments of evolutionary political economists - from Malthus via Schumpeter to contemporary scholars - can and should substitute these inadequate models. The second part of the paper takes the argument for evolutionary political economy to a methodological level: The deep crisis of economic theory is necessarily also a crisis of the methodological apparatus used. Though evolutionary economics does not provide a welldefined alternative set of methods yet, it nevertheless seems to be the best foundation to build such a new combination, a methodological innovation, out of some of the most recent advances in formalization. These latter elements are briefly sketched.
Bribing Behaviour and Sample Selection: Evidence from Post-Socialist Countries and Western Europe
Authors: Ivlevs Artjoms , Hinks Timothy
Published: April 2016

We study the individual-level determinants of bribing public officials. Particular attention is paid to the issue of respondents’ non-random selection into contact with public officials, which may result in biased estimates. Data come from the 2010 Life in Transition Survey, covering 30 post-socialist and five Western European countries. The results suggest that the elderly tend to be less likely to bribe public officials, while people with higher income and, especially, low trust in public institutions are more likely to bribe. Several determinants of bribery - ethnic minority status, the degree of urbanisation, social trust - are context specific, i.e. they change signs or are statistically significant according to the geographical region or the type of public official. The results show that not accounting for sample selection effects may produce a bias in estimated coefficients.
Determinants of Willingness to Bribe: Micro Evidence from the Educational Sector in China
Authors: Liu Qijun , Peng Yaping
Published: April 2016

We use a unique dataset based on reported direct personal bribes paid by arts students in China at examinations and in the college admissions process to study willingness to bribe. We find that individual willingness to bribe depends on personal characteristics rather than on the attributes of the admissions process at different colleges and universities. The perceived level of corruption, personal attitudes towards corruption, academic attainment, and the rank of a college are significant predictors of bribery. Based on self-reporting, students from middle-income families have a higher likelihood of engaging in bribery than students from poor or rich families. There are no significant gender differences in bribing behavior. We acknowledge and seek to account for the possibility of identity-confirming expressive behavior in the survey responses.
Family Culture and Fertility Outcomes – Evidence from American Siblings
Authors: Eschelbach Martina
Published: April 2016

This paper contributes to the literature on the relationship between culture and socio-economic outcomes by examining the importance of family specific fertility culture for fertility outcomes. Family specific fertility culture is defined as systematic component in fertility preferences shared among family members. Using data from the NLSY79, we identify family culture by comparing preferences of siblings in early adulthood. Relating these preferences to completed fertility later in life, we find a significant influence of attitudes shared between siblings but almost no influence of preferences unrelated to family background. Our results suggest that fertility decisions are indeed affected by family culture which underlines the importance of family background in forming preferences and affecting socio-economic outcomes.
Why We Should Use High Values for the Smoothing Parameter of the Hodrick-Prescott Filter
Authors: Flaig Gebhard
Published: April 2016

The HP filter is the most popular filter for extracting the unobserved trend and cycle components from a time series. Many researchers consider the smoothing parameter λ = 1600 as something like a universal constant. It is well known that the HP filter is an optimal filter under some restrictive assumptions, especially that the “cycle” is white noise. In this paper we show that we can get a good approximation of the optimal Wiener-Kolmogorov filter for autocorrelated cycle components by using the HP filter with a much higher smoothing parameter than commonly used. In addition, a new method - based on the properties of the differences of the estimated trend - is proposed for the selection of the smoothing parameter.
Spekulation am Terminmarkt und die Preisentwicklung von Agrarrohstoffen am Kassamarkt: Eine Zeitreihenanalyse der CFTC Berichte für Weizen, Mais und Sojabohnen / Speculation in Futures Markets and the Impact on Agricultural Commodity Prices: A Time Series Analysis of the CFTC Reports for Wheat, Corn and Soybeans
Authors: Maul Daniel , Fischer Martin , Schiereck Dirk
Published: April 2016

Over the last few years, rising prices and increasing price volatility of major agricultural food commodities were observed. This caused a debate among various organizations about who is responsible for this development. While many Non-Governmental Organizations proclaim that speculations in future markets cause the rise in food prices, academic research provides ambiguous results on this topic. This controversy is the motivation for this study. In order to offer additional insights, the relationship between the price changes of corn, wheat, and soybeans and the corresponding changes in open interests are analyzed. Commitments of Traders as well as Disaggregated Commitments of Traders reports are investigated to determine whether the activities of speculators adversely affect food prices. First, Johansen cointegration tests are employed to analyze the relationship between price and position data. Second, VAR and VECM are used to analyze short- and long-term dynamics. The results of the empirical analysis demonstrate that in the short-run price changes precede changes in open interest. Additionally, soybeans show a long-run equilibrium relationship between both series, indicating that speculators influenced past prices to some extent. However, the percentage price change is rather low. Therefore, sharp rises in soybean prices cannot be explained by it.
Does the Forward Discount Represent a Long Memory Process or Short Memory Process with Multiple Changes in the Mean?
Authors: Shahrin Aidil Rizal
Published: April 2016

This study aims to determine whether forward discount represents a long memory or short memory process with multiple changes in the mean. Based on the samples of six currencies from November 3, 1986, to March 6, 1998, using Baek and Pipiras’s (2012, 2014) statistical procedures, our findings suggest that forward discount is a short memory process with multiple changes in the mean rather than long memory. These changes in mean are the result of an intervention by monetary authorities in the forex market. Thus, earlier findings of long memory in forward discount, as reported in the extant literature, are questionable.
Career Planning, School Grades, and Transitions: The Last Two Years in a German Lower Track Secondary School
Authors: Fitzenberger Bernd , Licklederer Stefanie
Published: April 2016

In Germany, students in lower track secondary schools (LTSS) typically receive intensive career guidance. Nevertheless, the majority of LTSS student graduates does not start an apprenticeship immediately after graduation. This paper analyzes career planning, school grades, and the first transition after graduation for LTSS students in Freiburg during the late 2000s. Only about 10% of LTSS students start an apprenticeship immediately after graduation. About half, typically those with better grades, participate in additional general teaching (AGT) and rather continue schooling after graduation, expecting that this will improve their future career options. The majority of students with poor school grades, especially male students with a migration background, continue with pre-vocational training, even though career guidance was effective in terms of the career planning activities reported by students. Our results suggest that a focus of career guidance on the immediate start of an apprenticeship after graduation may be misplaced for those students continuing in further schooling. Furthermore, such a focus potentially raises hopes for an immediate start of an apprenticeship among the other students, which may later on be frustrated when a student continues with pre-vocational training.
Coaching Disadvantaged Young People: Evidence from Firm Level Data
Authors: Mohrenweiser Jens , Pfeiffer Friedhelm
Published: April 2016

In Germany, apprenticeship training firms currently face a shrinking number of qualified schoolleavers because of smaller birth cohorts and an increasing proportion of school leavers aiming for higher education. This paper investigates whether a programme that supports firms to train disadvantaged youth can reduce recruiting difficulties in apprentice training firms. Based on unique firm-level data from the metal and electronic industry in Baden-Württemberg from 2010 to 2013, we apply instrumental variable and difference-in-difference estimations and find no significant short-term causal impact of the programme.
Biochemical markers of bone turnover in children with clinical bone fragility
Authors: Bowden Sasigarn A. , Akusoba Chiazor I. , Hayes John R. , Mahan John D.
Published: April 2016

The role of biochemical bone turnover markers (BTMs) in assessing low bone mass and monitoring bisphosphonate treatment in pediatric patients with clinical bone fragility is not well established. The aim of the study was to examine the correlations of BTMs and the bone mineral density (BMD), and evaluate the effects of bisphosphonates therapy on BTMs in children with clinical bone fragility.

Clinical data of 115 patients with clinical bone fragility (mean age 9.7±5.8 years), 102 of whom received bisphosphonates, were studied. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OC), urine pyridinoline (PD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD), BMD at baseline and subsequent years were analyzed.

There was a significant negative correlation between urine PD and lumbar BMD (slope=–0.29, p<0.001). There were no correlations between BTMs and lumbar BMD Z-score. There was a significant positive correlation between serum OC and serum ALP, urine PD and DPD (p<0.001). Serum OC, urine PD and DPD index, as expressed as measured value/upper limit of normal value for age, decreased during the first 3 years of bisphosphonate therapy.

In children with clinical bone fragility, BTMs correlated with each other, but not with lumbar BMD Z-score. While they were not reliable predictors of degree of low BMD, the bone markers showed suppression during bisphosphonate therapy and may be helpful in monitoring the response to therapy.
Correlation between markers of DNA and lipid oxidative damage in maternal and fetoplacental compartment in the mid-trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Rejc Barbara , Karas-Kuželički Nataša , Osredkar Joško , Geršak Ksenija
Published: April 2016

Objective:

To determine the levels of 8-isoprostane (8-IP) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in urine and in amniotic fluid (AF) of pregnant women and to assess the correlation between oxidative status in the maternal and fetal compartment in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Methods:

One hundred and forty-six women with singleton pregnancies, undergoing amniocentesis at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, were prospectively enrolled. AF and maternal urine were collected in the second trimester of pregnancy. Paired urinary and AF 8-IP and 8-OHdG were measured and evaluated cross-sectionally.

Results:

8-IP and 8-OHdG concentrations were higher in maternal urine compared to AF and the ratios were 47:1 and 50:1, respectively. AF 8-OHdG was very low and in 74% was below the limit of detection (LOD). We found a positive correlation between 8-IP in maternal and fetal compartment (ρ=0.217, P=0.008), which stayed unchanged also after adjustment for possible confounding factors.

Conclusions:

Oxidative damage to lipids and DNA is also a part of physiologic processes during healthy pregnancy. 8-IP and 8-OHdG are constantly present in urine and AF. A weak positive correlation between maternal and fetal unit suggests a weak reflection of fetal oxidative status in maternal urine in the mid-trimester.
Fluorescence imaging for photodynamic therapy of non-melanoma skin malignancies – A retrospective clinical study
Authors: Gamayunov Sergey , Turchin Ilya , Fiks Ilya , Korchagina Kseniya , Kleshnin Mikhail , Shakhova Natalya
Published: April 2016

Background and objective: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been successfully used in clinical practice for decades; however, clinical outcome data are not always consistent resulting in a great necessity for real-time monitoring to predict the therapy outcome.

Study design and methods: In a retrospective clinical study, 402 patients with non-melanoma skin malignancies were enrolled who underwent PDT treatment and fluorescence real-time imaging. The photosensitizer used was a chlorine e6 derivative (Fotoditazin®); the tumors were irradiated with a 662 nm continuous wave diode laser with fiber delivery system and total fluence of up to 300 J/cm2. The fluorescence imaging was performed using a commercially available system with a camera and bandpass filter in the range of 710–800 nm. Fluorescence contrast (FC) of the tumor (the ratio of the average fluorescence intensities in the tumor and the surrounding tissues) and its change during the PDT treatment (photobleaching, dFC) was measured. Then the correlation between the clinical outcome (tumor response and recurrence rate) and measured fluorescence parameters was evaluated. The follow-up period was 6–53 months (median, 28 months).

Results:
FC or dFC below their median values independently correspond to a significant increase in tumor recurrence rate (p<0.05), and slight increase of partial or no tumor response cases. Tumor response is better correlated with the value of FC, and not correlated with the photobleaching.

Conclusion: Baseline FC and its change after PDT treatment may serve as a predictor of recurrence. This finding is a step towards individualized PDT cancer treatment.
Photodynamic therapy for cancer of the pancreas – The story so far
Authors: Bown Stephen G.
Published: April 2016

Background and objective: Pancreatic cancer has long been a leading cause of cancer death. Few patients are suitable for surgery and for those who are not, the response to treatment is generally poor. No more than about 10% survive for more than a year. Recent research has focused on focal treatment for local disease control. This review covers the development of one of the most promising options, photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Methods: This review covers pre-clinical and clinical studies. Laboratory work was designed to understand the effect of PDT on the normal pancreas and surrounding tissues and on transplanted cancers in the hamster pancreas to ensure safety prior to clinical application. Essentially all clinical studies have been undertaken in University College Hospital, London. Phase-I studies used the photosensitisers mTHPC and verteporfin in patients with localised but inoperable cancers.

Results: Laboratory results showed that normal pancreas, bile duct, liver, stomach and major blood vessels could tolerate PDT without any unacceptable effects on the structure and function of these organs. Necrosis that healed safely was documented in transplanted cancers. The clinical trials showed that focal necrosis could be produced in inoperable cancers with acceptable levels of complications, but considerable refinements of treatment delivery and monitoring are required before the technique will be ready for assessment in controlled clinical trials.

Conclusions: PDT is showing promise for the minimally invasive treatment of localised pancreatic cancers, but it is still at an early stage of development. Much more work will be necessary to optimise techniques for applying PDT to these cancers and for combining it with other therapeutic options such as chemotherapy.
Effects of surface grafting of copper nanoparticles on the tensile and bonding properties of flax fibers
Authors: Sherief Zajna , Xian Guijun , Thomas Sabu , Ajith Anu
Published: April 2016

In the present work, functionalized copper nanoparticles (FCuNPs) were grafted onto flax fibers, and the effects on the tensile properties, bonding strength to an epoxy resin, as well as the properties of the flax fiber-epoxy model composites were investigated. The copper nanoparticles were synthesized at ambient temperature by a chemical reduction method. The reduction of solution of copper chloride salt in the polyvinylalcohol medium was done by using sodium borohydrate. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies were used to characterize the size of the synthesized particles. The synthesized copper nanoparticles were applied to saturate the unidirectional flax natural fibers, whose surfaces were previously tailored with the cationic agent triethylammonium chloride. A remarkable improvement in the tensile strength by 75% and modulus by 50% for FCuNPs grafted flax fibers was found. Thermo-mechanical properties of the flax fiber reinforced epoxy composites were studied using DMTA. Finally, the anti-microbial analysis for composites was also conducted against Aspergillus niger spores, and enhanced anti-microbial performance was observed for treated fiber-based composites.
Thermomechanical study of polyethylene porous membrane by coating silicon dioxide nanoparticles
Authors: Xiao Xueliang , Chen Hao , Qian Kun
Published: April 2016

Polyethylene (PE) membrane has been extensively used in microtransport areas due to its high porosity, chemical stability, and easy processability. However, pure PE membrane shows poor thermomechanical properties. In this paper, silicon dioxide (SiO2) was used to composite PE membrane in nanogel format. The morphology of the combination and surface layer was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The SiO2 gel on membrane was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of the SiO2 gel on the thermomechanical properties of PE membrane was investigated in terms of thermal shrinkage, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results showed that the SiO2 gel effectively reduced the thermal shrinkage of PE membrane by 47.25% without increased crystallinity, and the coating layer slowed down the decomposed speed of PE membrane at melting point. Comparison tests showed that SiO2 gel enlarged the storage modulus and Young’s modulus of PE membrane. Tensile test revealed that the maximum load on pure PE and PE composite membranes at the yield point were both decreased with the increased temperature.
A comparative finite element analysis of two types of axial and radial functionally graded dental implants with titanium one around implant-bone interface
Authors: Shirazi Hadi Asgharzadeh , Ayatollahi Majidreza , Karimi Alireza , Navidbakhsh Mahdi
Published: April 2016

Functionally graded biomaterials (FGBMs) have received significant attention in the recent years as potential candidates for the next generation of dental implant improvement. This happened due to their unique advantages and their ability to satisfy the requirements of both biomechanical and biocompatibility properties simultaneously. This study was aimed to analyze the effects of two radial and axial FGBM dental implants on the stress distribution near the dental implant-bone interface under a static load using finite element method (FEM). The model was restrained on a base supporting bone and vertically loaded with a force of 100 N on the top of the abutment. In the FGBM models, the implants are made of a combination of bioceramic and biometal composition, with properties that change gradually and continuously in the radial and axial directions. The numerical results indicated that the use of both radial and axial FGBM dental implants reduced the maximum von Mises stress in the cortical and the cancellous bones in comparison with the common titanium one, which leads to faster bone regeneration and early stabilization of dental implant system. The findings of the present study may have implications not only for understanding the stresses and deformations around the implant-bone interface but also for improving the performance as well as application of FGBMs in dental implant materials.
Ohne dieses und jenes bedürfte der Genitiv keines –s: eine psycholinguistische Perspektive
Authors: Pepouna Soulemanou
Published: April 2016

A few decades ago, some researchers have suggested that the functioning of the human cognitive system should be taken as framework to investigate language structures if the causal relationship between the latter and the way human cognition functions is to be understood. The present work is an attempt to investigate this causal relationship with respect to the –s at the end of masculine and neuter nouns in German when the genitive case is used. Two experiments have been carried out, with experiment 1 involving 109 and experiment 2 184 participants. Through the online assessment tool LimeSurvey, the experiment 1 participants were administered a sentence completion task and the experiment 2 participants a timed self-paced reading comprehension task. The results suggest that the case ambiguity of the determiners dieses, jenes, jedes, welches and so forth and the relative flexibility of the German syntax are the origin of the German masculine and neuter nouns necessitating an –s in the genitive case. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed.
Die Normgenese des Unternehmensstrafrechts. Eine Fallstudie anhand des österreichischen Verbandsverantwortlichkeitsgesetzes (VbVG) / The law-making process of corporate criminal liability. A case study on the basis of the Austrian corporate responsibility act
Authors: Fuchs Walter
Published: April 2016

Eine Kriminalisierung kollektiver Akteure ist für das Strafrechtsverständnis in deutschsprachigen Ländern immer noch ein ungewöhnliches Instrument. Dennoch gibt es mittlerweile eine supranationale Verpflichtung der Mitgliedsstaaten der Europäischen Union, juristische Personen unter Androhung punitiver Sanktionen für bestimmte Straftaten verantwortlich machen zu können. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Entstehungsgeschichte des öster­reichischen Unternehmensstrafrechts mit Hilfe eines heuristischen Rahmens, der von der Feld- und Habitustheorie Bourdieus inspiriert ist, sich aber auch diskurs- und systemtheoretischen Einsichten verdankt. Er versteht sich damit als Beitrag zu einem wenig erschlossenen Gebiet der sozialwissenschaftlichen Rechtsforschung nämlich der Normgenese im Be­reich des Wirtschaftsstrafrechts.
Who Writes Criminal Laws? Actors, Values, and Institutions in Criminal Law-Making / Wer schreibt das Strafrecht? Akteure, Werte und Institutionen der Strafrechts-gesetzbegung
Authors: Hammel Andrew
Published: April 2016

The responses of the U.S. and Europe to increased crime from the 1960s to the 1990s differed starkly: the U.S. enacted a punitive agenda, while penal polity and incarceration rates in Western (and Eastern) Europe remained gener­ally stable. To explain this divergence, many commentators invoke cultural or historical factors such as America’s ‘frontier mentality” or Calvinist religious heritage. This article proposes another focus: differing cultures of criminal law-making. During the Enlightenment, a pattern of expert control over penal law emerged in most European nation-states. The pattern still holds - even today, major changes to penal polity are still entrusted to groups of elite professors, jurists and senior civil servants, who create coherent codes covering the entire national territory. In the United States, no tradition of expert control took hold. Criminal law is made at the state level, there is little emphasis on logical code-drafting and shifting local majorities can pass new criminal laws almost at will This structural difference in who writes criminal laws has far-reaching effects not only on the how crime is defined, but on other factors such as public expectations of the criminal justice system and the values penal legislation is thought to express.
The End of Impunity? Global Law-Making and Atrocity Crimes / Den Kreislauf der Straflosigkeit durchbrechen: Internationales Strafrecht und Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit
Authors: Karstedt Susanne
Published: April 2016

There was nothing inevitable about the amazing development of international criminal law and justice institutions since the 1990s, and neither about the proliferation of international and domestic procedures to end im­punity for gross human rights violations and international crimes, in particular atrocity crimes. As socio-legal researchers engaged with the processes of global lawmaking in the arena of international criminal justice, thy found “recursive” cycles of lawmaking (Halliday 2009), which involved transnational and domestic politics and actors, and were driven by mechanisms resulting from structural characteristics of the global sphere, and the very nature of interna­tional law itself The article explores this development through the lens of three “constitutional moments ” and the diagnostic struggles and contestation of the legal and political concept of genocide. Finally it analyses the emerging power of international criminal law through the processes of commitment and compliance, deterrence and expressivism. In a surprising analogy to E.P. Thompson’s study of lawmaking in 18th centuy Britain, the self-binding power of law emerges as a decisive factor in international criminal lawmaking.
Die Reichsstrafprozessordnung (1879) zwischen Wahrheitsanspruch und Bürgerrechten - oder: was ändert ein Gesetz an der Rechtspraxis? / The Code of Criminal Procedure (RStPO, 1879) between the rule of law and the search for truth - or: What difference does a bill really make in the courtroom?
Authors: Ortmann Alexandra
Published: April 2016

Der vorliegende Text leg die rechtspolitische Kompromissfindung im Rahmen der Kodifikation der Reichsstrafprozessordnung von 1879 dar. Die Reichsstrafprozessordnung bildete den Abschluss eines Reformjahrhunderts und den Beginn des modernen Strafprozesses in Deutschland. Traditionellglt sie als Kongromiss zwischen dem „Inquisitions-“ und dem ,Anklageprinzip “. Der Text argumentiert jedoch, dass sich hier gesellschaftspolitisch ein Konflikt um die Ralle der Bürgerrechte bzw. die Machtverteilung im Staat manifestierte, der sich im Zielkonflikt fischen der materiellen Wahrheitssuche und der Wahrung der Tom ausdrückte. Am Beispiel der Voruntersuchung wird dabei aufgezeigt, dass die Kodifikation diesen Zielkonflikt faktisch nicht entschied, sondern durch eine zeitgleich sich entwickelnde neue methodische Freiheit bei der Gesetzesauslegung in die Macht der Juristen verlagerte: Selbst wenn eine Rechtspraxis dezidiert gegen den Willen des Gesetzgebers war, konnte sie nun gesetzeskonform sein. Den rechtspolitischen Differenzen aus der Kodifikationsphase kam daher auch nach 1879 eine immense Bedeutung zu. Die Auslegung der Norm war faktisch durch rechtspolitische Zielkonflikte bestimmt. Damit sank jedoch der Einfluss, den die Norm selbst auf die Veränderungen im Gerichtssaal hatte.
From Taboo to Illegality: The Ritual Rehab of Child Sex Molesters in Berlin / Vom Tabu zur Illegalität: Die rituelle Rehabilitation von Kindesmissbrauchern in Berlin
Authors: Borneman John W.
Published: April 2016

In jeder Kultur werden Intimbeziehungen zwischen Erwachsenen und Kindern reguliert, meist bilden sie ein Tabu. Im Westen sind diese Tabus im letzten halben Jahrhundert Gegenstand ausdrücklicher Gesetzgebung geworden. Der strafrechtliche Schwerpunkt zielt auf zwei männliche Figuren, die Kinder missbrauchen: den Inzest-Täter und den Pädophilen. Im Rechtsjargon erscheint der Täter als nicht korrigierbarer Rezidivist, im psychiatrischen Jargon als unter einer ,Paraphilie’ leidend und daher als psychisch krank zu behandeln. In weiten Teilen der westlichen Welt hat sich eine Verschiebung ergeben: von Strafe und Heilung zur Rehabilitation‘ durch Therapie. Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit der Therapiepraxis in Deutschland für des Kindesmissbrauchs schuldige Täter. Rehabilitation erscheint ah ritueller Prozess mit Anzeige und Arrest, Therapie, Bestrafung und Reintegration in die Gesellschaft. Durch eine Darlegung dieses modernen säkularen Rehabilitationsrituals wird die komplexe Beziehung verdeutlicht, die zwischen einem Rechtssystem besteht, das eine Änderung des Selbst verlang, eine Transformation der inneren Person, und einer Öffentlichkeit, die extrem skeptisch ist gegenüber dem Erfolg des Rehabilitationsrituals.
Lex Transitus: Zur Emergenz eines globalen Rechtsregimes von Transitional Justice in der Weltgesellschaft / Lex transitus: On the emergence of a global legal regime of transitional justice in world society
Authors: Kastner Fatima
Published: April 2016

Seit Mitte der 1980er Jahre rekurrieren weltweit Gesellschaften, die sich mit ihrer blutigen Vergangenheit konfrontiert sehen, auf das Konftiktlösungskonzept von Transitional Justice, etwa indem sie internationale oder hybride Ad-hoc Tribunale, oder Wahrheits- und Versöhnungskommissionen einsetzten. Dieses neuartige Phänomen der Glo­balisierung von Transitional Justice untersucht der Beitrag indem er der Frage nachgeht, wie sich diese transkulturelle Ausbreitung vergangenheitspolitischer Normen, Standards und Institutionen der Übergangsgerechtigkeit erklären lässt. Im Anschluss an Überlegungen des soziologischen Neoinstitutionalismus zu einer Theorie der Weltgesellschaft und Weltkultur wird die lokale Wirkweise wie auch die weltgesellschaftliche Funktion herausgearbeitet, die zur Ausdifferenzierung und Konstitutionalisierung von Transitional Justice zu einem globalen Rechtsregime in der Weltgesellschaft geführt haben.
Über die Kraft im Recht / On the force of law
Authors: Krasmann Susanne
Published: April 2016

Die Soziologie, die das Recht analysieren will, muss sich ihm Gegenstands vergewissern. Dabei zeigt sich nicht nur, dass das Recht sich ihr immer nieder entgeht, vielmehr auch, dass das Recht stets von etwas anderem ab es selbst inspiriert ist. Das Konzept einer „Kraft im Recht“erweist sich ab eine Denkfigur, mit der sich zwei Momente einer Affizierung einfangen lassen: eine dem Recht anscheinend äußere Kräfte, die es ülxrhaupt erst in Bewegung setft und wirksam werden lässt und die dem Recht als solche zugleich innewohnt und es konstituiert. Kräfte, die zunächst nicht-sprachlich in Erscheinung treten, können gleichwohl Recht schreiben. Der Beitrag lotet die methodischen und theoretischen Implikationen eines Verständnisses des Rechts aus, das sich vielleicht als zerbrechlicher, instabiler und zugleich als kraftvoller erweist, als gemeinhin gedacht.
Diskurspraxis in Recht und Politik. Trans-Sequentialität und die Analyse rechtsförmiger Verfahren / Discourse praxis in lawjand politics. Trans-sequentiality and the analysis of legal procedures
Authors: Scheffer Thomas
Published: April 2016

Der Beitrag spezifiziert eine Methode, die trans-sequentielle Analyse, am Gegenstand institutioneller, rechtsförmiger Verfahren. Bei der TSA handelt es sich um den Versuch, situierte Episoden in ihrer Ei­genmächtigkeit und in ihrer Verkettung zu akkumulativen Prozessen nachzuvollziehen. Derart erschließt sie Verfahren in ihrem besonderen Vermögen der Entfaltung und der Ermöglichung gesellschaftlicher Relevanz- Der Beitrag offeriert (1) eine methodische Schrittfolge und (2) ein begriffliches Instrumentarium, das er (3) gegenüber anderen Ansätzen von Rechtspraxis abgrenzt- Die TSA fokussiert die Diskursarbeit der Teilnehmenden, deren Ausstattung sowie die Objekte ihrer Bemühungen. Sie untersucht die praktischen Anforderungen, die Diskurse an eine Teilnehmerschaft stellen - und erlangt so ein fundiertes Verständnis von der Macht und Zurichtung durch Verfahren.
Par condicio creditorum: Bedeutung des insolvenzrechtlichen Gleichbehandlungsgrundsatzes aus systemtheoretischer Perspektive. Vom Nutzen soziologischer Theorie für die Rechtsdogmatik / Par condicio creditorum: A systems theory approach to assessing the importance of equal treatment before the law in insolvency proceedings. The benefits of using sociological theory to analyse legal doctrine
Authors: Gleichenstein Hans von
Published: April 2016

Die rechtspolitische Auseinandersetzung für oder gegen eine Privilegierung insbesondere der öffentlich-rechtlichen Insolvenzgläubiger, Z-B. bei der Insolvenzanfechtung wurde und wird gleichermaßen unter der Fahne der par condicio creditorum geführt. In jüngster Zeit wird dabei der insolvenzrechtliche Gleichbehandlungsgrundsatz auf eine untergeordnete und subsidiäre Regel bloßer Verteilungsgerechtigkeit herabgestuft, die insbesondere für die Insolvenzanfechtung keiner­lei Bedeutung habe. Unter Berufung auf verfassungsrechtliche Grundsätze und Rechtstaatlichkeit wird für eine Privilegierung plädiert. Der folgende Beitrag konzipiert in Fortsetzung früherer dogmatischer Überlegungen die par condicio creditorum und ihr Verhältnis zum allgemeinen vefassungsrechtlichen Gleichheitssatz im Rahmen eines systemtheoretischen Ansatzes und ver­sucht zu zeigen dass das Insolvenzrecht bei der rechtsimmanenten Rekonstruktion der sozialen Wirklichkeit, die es steuern will, deren Abstraktionsebenen übernehmen muss und deswegen zwischen verschiedenen Gläubigergruppen nicht differenzieren darf. Die systemtheoretische Konzeption erlaubt, den Gerechtigkeitsgehalt des insolvenzrechtlichen Gleichbehandlungsgrundsatzes auf Gläubigerseite zu gewichten, und die ihr nur scheinbar widersprechende insolvenzrechtliche Privilegierung von Insolvenzschuldnern, die natürliche Personen sind, im deutschen Insolvenzrecht und in anderen Rechtsordnungen zu erklären. Mit diesem Ergebnis verstehen sich die folgenden Überlegungen ab Beispiel dafür, wie sich Rechtsdogmatik soziologische Theorie für die Beantwortung konkreter Einzelfragen zum Thema Gleich-/Ungleichbehandlung nutzbar machen kann.
Gewerbesteuerreform 2008 – Belastungswirkungen bei Unternehmen und Gemeinden
Authors: Broer Michael
Published: April 2016

The draft of a 2008 Corporate Tax Reform Law adopted in March 2007 also reforms the trade tax. This applies both to the rate and to the tax base. In future, not only the interest on permanent debt will be included in the tax base, but also all interest paid as well as the financing share of rents, leases and leasing instalments, though only at 25 % instead of 50 %. Since the interest barrier will also affect the trade tax base, it is still unclear how all the measures will affect the receipts of the municipalities and what tax burdens they will place on the various forms of business entity. Using the trade tax statistics from the year 2001, the changes in burdens resulting from the trade tax reform have been simulated. Taking account of the interest barrier, the result for municipalities is a drop in trade tax revenue. Incorporated businesses will have to pay less due to the reform and unincorporated companies will have to pay more.
Numerische Gleichgewichtsmodelle zur Analyse von Politikreformen
Authors: Bergs Christian , Peichl Andreas
Published: April 2016

General Equilibrium Models have become a powerful tool of policy analysis in recent years. We provide an overview of the theoretical concept of Applied General Equilibrium Framework by reviewing the standard theory of producer and consumer behaviour. Moreover we discuss several popular extensions of the basic model, such as international trade, different forms of dynamics and fiscal activities. We bridge the gap from theoretical analysis to practical economic issues by surveying important fields of applied research such as public finance. Finally, we analyse the effects of a current tax reform proposal on the German economy with respect to economic growth, tax revenue and the labour market.
Die Höhe der sozialen Mindestsicherung – Eine Neuberechnung “bottom up” –
Authors: Thießen Friedrich , Fischer Christian
Published: April 2016

The question how much money society should pay to persons without own income (i. e. the social minimum; in Germany called “Regelsatz”) has been debated extensively in Germany. A complicated procedure has been developed to derive the social minimum from the typical consumption of average lower income persons. Although the procedure as a whole is not unreasonable, it includes several standardised components which have been the cause of severe criticism and the reason for demands to raise the Regelsatz. The goal of this article is to determine the degree of consistency of the Regelsatz with the aims of the German social security system.

We do not use the criticized “official” calculation procedure. Instead we start with the goals society has set to specify the social minimum. As these goals are formulated in an imprecise way we defined a “maximum case” and a “minimum case”. Then we deduce two baskets of goods consistent with those goals, respectively the two cases. Finally we determine the prices of all goods in the baskets using the actual cost of products in Germany. We find that the German Regelsatz is about 16 % above the amount consistent with the maximum case and is twice as high as the amount consistent with the minimum case.
Die Bestimmungsgründe der Agrarförderung in Industrie- und Schwellenländern
Authors: Harsche Johannes
Published: April 2016

The main topic of the paper is an explanation of the level of agricultural protection in industrialized countries and middle income countries. Concerning this, empirical regression models are presented in order to identify political and economic determinants of the level of agricultural protection in a country. These models are based on a cross-section of several OECD-countries. In this context, the theory of the political economy of agricultural policy is also considered. Apparently, several exogenous variables have an impact on the amount of support transfers to the agricultural sector, such as structure of exports, level of urbanisation and proportion of agricultural employees in total number of employees
Umverteilungspolitik am Anfang?
Authors: Otremba Walther
Published: April 2016

There has been a shift in the public debate in Germany: following years of structural reform, aspects of redistribution of wealth and equality of income have become more important. However, this focus on social justice ignores the facts about the development of incomes in Germany. It also underestimates the negative effects of redistribution on incentives for economic activity. Instead of engaging in debates about redistribution of wealth, we should be reducing the pressures, particularly on the middle classes and on top performers. A policy for growth is essential. German economic policy should not be deflected from its course.
Die Schuldenbremse im Finanzausgleich – Eine alternative Budgetregel für die Bundesländer
Authors: Groneck Max , Plachta Robert C.
Published: April 2016

Existing rules of debt limitation in the German fiscal federalism are insufficient. The minimal condition to a new national fiscal rule requires adherence to the Maastricht criteria. This paper analyses existing reform proposals discussed in the Föderalismuskommission II and proposes a new rule. The natural debt brake in the fiscal equalization simply considers new indebtedness in the fiscal power of the Lander. Two goals are achieved: The substitution of missing tax revenue by new debt will be moderated and at the same time a reduction of debt will be awarded.
Die Hoffnung auf eine schnelle Reformdividende – direkte Erwartungseffekte institutioneller Reformen
Authors: Heinemann Friedrich , Westerheide Peter , Rotfuß Waldemar
Published: April 2016

Immediate effects of institutional reforms on growth and employment are highly important for political agents who frequently have short time horizons. Positive effects of expectations are a suitable transmission channel for a fast success of economic reforms. We analyse whether economic reforms have such an immediate impact on consumer confidence and business climate. We evaluate three case studies, which are supplemented by an additional econometric country panel analysis. Although we find some evidence for positive effects of reforms on business climate, we also detect that consumers tend to react with higher caution and growing insecurity. Our contribution discusses how policy makers should react on these findings.
Energieeffizienz – eine neue Aufgabe staatlicher Regulierung?
Authors: Sturm Bodo , Mennel Tim
Published: April 2016

In the political debate, calls for regulation of energy efficiency are usually based on environmental or resource economic arguments. This paper analyses the case for energy efficiency regulation as a policy to curb excessive resource consumption, to protect the climate and to achieve energy security. The economic rationale for regulation on these grounds is market failure due to externalities and asymmetric information as well as intergenerational distributive justice. We show, however, that most instruments used in energy efficiency regulation, such as standards, subsidies and white certificates, do not meet the criterion of cost efficiency. Tradable emission permits and specific energy taxes are more effective in achieving the policy goals and less costly. Energy efficiency is shown to be a result, not a means of sound environmental and resource policy.
Diskretionäre rentenpolitische Maßnahmen und die Entwicklung des Rentenwerts in Deutschland von 2003–2008
Authors: Krieger Tim , Stöwhase Sven
Published: April 2016

Within the last years, the development of the pension value (Rentenwert), which determines the size of public pension benefits in the German public pension system, was strongly affected by discretional changes in the method of its calculation. The aim of the present study is to shed light on the influence of these changes. To do so, we calculate the pension value for a number of hypothetical scenarios on an ex-post basis and compare results with each other. The key issue of our analysis is to quantify the isolated effects of the components included in the 2004 Pension Reform Act. We provide results for both East and West Germany.
Wirkung einer Feiertagsbereinigung des Länderfinanzausgleichs – eine empirische Analyse des deutschen Finanzausgleichs
Authors: Broer Michael
Published: April 2016

In the German system of fiscal equalization Länder (States) with tax revenue below the average get payments from the Lander above the average. The difference between the average and the own tax revenue per capita will be compensated up to 75 %. To prevent Länder from getting payments form other Länder by lowering their own tax rates and to get the right information about their ability to pay, the revenue of taxes with taxing autonomy is standardized. But Länder could also influence their tax revenues by the number of holidays, each Land decides on its own. A Land with many own holidays will get lower tax revenues and higher payments in the fiscal equalization system than the same Land with no extra holidays. To collect the real ability to pay of the Lander in the fiscal equalization system, it is necessary to eliminate the effect of the different number of holidays. This paper shows an approach to neutralize this effect and calculates its impact to the payments of each Land in the fiscal equalization system.
Investitionszuschüsse nur bei Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen? Schlussfolgerungen aus der Förderung eines Investitionsprojektes über die Gemeinschaftsaufgabe im Land Brandenburg
Authors: Titze Mirko
Published: April 2016

The Joint Task “For the Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure” is one of the most important instruments of the German regional policy. This instrument is applied in regions with strong structural problems and aims to reduce unemployment. The instruments institutional framework demands the creation of additional permanent posts. This paper explores that these requirements can provoke inefficient combinations of production factors. The reasons for that problem can be seen in market failures as well as political disappointments. The government of each federal state has an incentive to demand permanent posts as much as possible because public revenue can equal the government expenditures after a relative short time period due to employment and production effects. The institutional framework of the German financial equalization scheme between the federal states contributes to that problem too - the expenditures for subsidization can be balanced by perequations paid by the other federal states.