bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zur Fehlermessung bei nach Größenklassen aufgegliederten Erhebungsergebnissen Der Inkonsistenz-Index / Error Measurement with Survey Results Classified according to Size Classes – The Index of Inconsistency
Authors: Strecker Heinrich
Published: April 2016

Behandelt wird der Inkonsistenz-Index als eine Maßzahl für die Beurteilung der Zuverlässigkeit der Klassifikation bei klassierten Erhebungen. Die Indexwerte bewegen sich zwischen 0 und 1 mit folgenden Aussagen über die Annahme der Grenzen: Wenn die Resultate von zwei Erhebungen - einer Haupterhebung und einer Wiederholungszählung - keine Variabilität der Antworten in der Zuordnung der Einheiten i zu einzelnen Größenklassen aufweisen (Antwortvarianz σR
2= 0), nimmt der Index den Wert 0 an, bei totaler Unzuverlässigkeit („zufällige“ Verschiedenheiten) der Antworten ergibt sich ein Indexwert von 1. An drei instruktiven, simulierten Beispielen werden die Extremwerte 0 und 1 sowie ein mittlerer Wert der Inkonsistenz von 0,5 demonstriert. Für eine Erhebung mit klassierten Daten aus der Agrarstatistik Belgiens werden numerische Werte für den Inkonsistenz-Index mitgeteilt.
Α Model of Debt Deflation and the Phillips Curve: Implications for Business Cycles and the Balance Sheet Channel of Monetary Policy / Schulden-Deflation und die Phillips-Kurve: Implikationen für Konjunkturzyklen und den Bilanzkanal der Geldpolitik
Authors: Arnold Lutz
Published: April 2016

New Keynesian economics stresses the positive link between firms’ net worth, on the one hand, and the equilibrium level of credit granted and aggregate employment, on the other hand. The present paper argues that once money is introduced and adaptive inflation expectations are assumed, an accelerationist Phillips curve emerges: because of debt deflation, an increase in the rate of inflation reduces firms' real debt burden; because of the negative link between real debt and employment, unemployment falls. The natural rate of unemployment is the rate that occurs when inflation is constant. Frisch has proposed modeling business cycles by means of stochastic linear second-order difference equations which display damped oscillations in the absence of stochastic impulses. The New Keynesian model with adaptive expectations expounded here gives rise to business cycles in Frisch’s sense. This can be shown by applying Laidler’s result, derived in a different set-up, that the interaction between an accelerationist Phillips curve and the quantity theory of money yields Frisch-type cycles. Moreover, the model presented sheds some light on the working of the balance sheet channel of monetary policy.
Gesamtwirtschaftliche Transaktionskosten und wirtschaftliches Wachstum / Social Transaction Costs and Economic Growth
Authors: Bischoff Ivo , Bohnet Armin
Published: April 2016

Die Bedeutung von Transaktionskosten für die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung war in den letzten Jahrzehnten Gegenstand zahlreicher ökonomischer Forschungsansätze. Nur ein sehr kleiner Teil davon wählte eine empirische Herangehensweise. Dieser Aufsatz beginnt mit einem kurzen Überblick über diese wenigen empirischen Arbeiten. Dabei sticht insbesondere die Kontroverse um die Frage ins Auge, ob der beobachtete Anstieg des Anteils der Transaktionskosten an der Wertschöpfung in verschiedenen Volkswirtschaften langfristig eine Wachstumsbremse darstellt. Aufbauend auf der Methode von Reichhardt (1995) wird die Entwicklung der Transaktionsaktivitäten in Westdeutschland zwischen 1982 und 1993 untersucht. Ihr relatives Gewicht an den gesamten ökonomischen Aktivitäten hat im gesamten Beobachtungszeitraum kontinuierlich zugenommen. Dieser Anstieg ist das Ergebnis eines Zuwachses ihres Gewichts in allen Branchen sowie eines überproportionalen Wachstum von transaktionsintensiven Branchen. Ein Unterschied in der Produktivitätsentwicklung von Transaktions- und Transformationsaktivitäten konnte nicht beobachtet werden. Somit deutet nichts darauf hin, dass der Anstieg des relativen Gewichts der Transaktionsaktivitäten eine Wachstumsbremse darstellt.
Who is Afraid of Longer Shopping Hours? / Wer hat Angst vor längeren Ladenöffnungszeiten?
Authors: Wolter Stefan C.
Published: April 2016

Attempts to liberalize shopping hours often fail because of the resistance and arguments of retail sector employees who fear that this would cause their working conditions to deteriorate. This paper presents the results of an empirical study that compared the willingness of sales employees (insiders) to work during fringe hours with that of people not employed in the sector but who could imagine doing such work (outsiders). The results show that outsiders are significantly more frequently prepared to work during fringe hours than are insiders. This leads us to assume that the same conflicts of interest that the insider-outsider theory postulates for wage demands also arise regarding working hours, and that this can lead to working time rigidity and involuntary unemployment.
Haftungsregeln und Innovation / Legal Form and Innovation
Authors: Czarnitzki Dirk , Kraft Kornelius
Published: April 2016

In dieser Studie werden die Anreize für Innovationsaktivitäten von Firmen mit eingeschränkter und unbeschränkter Haftung untersucht. Innovationen sind mit einem gewissen Risiko behaftet. Firmeneigner können ihr persönliches Risiko jedoch begrenzen, wenn das Unternehmen eine Rechtsform mit Haftungsbeschränkung hat. Andererseits können bei begrenzter Haftung Schwierigkeiten bei der Kapitalbeschaffung auftreten. Die vorliegende Arbeit diskutiert diese Themen zunächst theoretisch und präsentiert anschließend empirische Ergebnisse zu Forschungsund Entwicklungsaktivitäten sowie zu Sachanlageinvestitionen. Es stellt sich heraus, dass Firmen mit beschränkter Haftung mehr Forschung und Entwicklung betreiben als andere Unternehmen. Auf die Investitionen in Sachanlagen hat die Rechtsform keine Auswirkung.
Wohnkosten und Besitzformwahl. Empirische Ergebnisse der Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe / Housing Costs and Tenure Choice. Empirical Results from the Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe
Authors: Bellgardt Egon
Published: April 2016

Es wird der Frage nachgegangen, welchen Einfluß die Kosten der Besitzformen Miete und Eigentum auf die Besitzformwahl der Haushalte haben. Die Werte der meisten relevanten Variablen lassen sich mit der als Datenbasis verwendeten Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe (EVS) des Jahres 1993 haushaltsindividuell ermitteln und müssen nicht durch „übliche“ oder mittlere Werte approximiert werden. Mit Regressionsansätzen werden kalkulatorische Mietkosten und Verkehrswerte (Wert des gebundenen Vermögens) bestimmt. Die Verwendung kalkulatorischer Werte gewährleistet die Vergleichbarkeit von Mieter- und Eigentümerhaushalten und stellt auf beobachtete marktpreisbestimmende Wohnungsmerkmale ab.

Die Gegenüberstellung von Mietkosten und Selbstnutzungskosten (ermittelt als Kapitalkosten des gebundenen Vermögens, Steuervorteil und Erhaltungsaufwand) ergibt eine Kostendifferenz, die sich in verschiedenen Logit-Modellen als die erklärungskräftigste Variable erweist. Das Einkommen und soziodemographische Variablen dienen offenbar bei weniger sorgfältiger, d.h. haushaltsindividueller Operationalisierung der Kostenvariable auch als Proxies für bestimmte Kostenkomponenten.
R&D, Liquidity Constraints, and Corporate Governance / Investitionen in FuE, Finanzierungsrestriktionen und Unternehmenssteuerung
Authors: Haid Alfred , Weigand Jürgen
Published: April 2016

The paper discusses the link between financing R&D and tangible investment, firm size, and corporate governance. Mechanisms of corporate governance, such as the presence of large shareholders or stakeholders, may reduce agency and specificity problems and improve access to external finance. High ownership concentration, cross-shareholdings of industrial firms, and banks as blockholders are main features of the German system of corporate governance. This networkorientation is often seen as alleviating agency problems and providing sufficient finance for risky long-term investment such as R&D. However, no empirical evidence has been presented yet supporting this claim. Therefore, we base our empirical analysis on a panel data set of 106 large and medium-sized German companies, which reported R&D investment throughout the period 1987 to 1993. We find evidence that R&D and tangible investment of owner-controlled firms is constrained by the availability of internal and external funds. No such liquidity constraints are found for manager-controlled firms. Further, for these firms we observe a significant negative impact of firm size and market concentration on R&D investment, rejecting the Neo-Schumpeter hypotheses.
Vertikal verbundene Märkte im Raum / Vertical Integration in Spatial Markets
Authors: Schöler Klaus
Published: April 2016

Gibt es in einem räumlichen Markt einzelwirtschaftliche und/oder gesamtwirtschaftliche, wohlfahrtstheoretische Anreize zur vertikalen Integration zweier Marktstufen in einer organisatorischen Einheit (Konzern)? Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage wird ein Modell vorgestellt, in dem die Standorte der Händler entlang einer kreisförmigen Linie in gleichen Abständen angeordnet sind, und der sie beliefernde monopolistische Produzent im Mittelpunkt des Kreises angesiedelt ist. Zwei Fälle werden nun gegenübergestellt: Im ersten Fall sind Produzent und Händler organisatorisch und rechtlich getrennt; auf jeder Handelsstufe wird der Gewinn isoliert maximiert. Im zweiten Fall sind die Marktstufen vertikal integriert. Es kann gezeigt werden, daß die Gewinne auf allen Marktstufen im ersten Fall geringer sind als im zweiten Fall. Ferner führt der höhere Endverkaufspreis im ersten Fall auch zu geringeren Konsumentenrenten, und damit auch zu geringeren Wohlfahrtseffekten als im zweiten Fall. Im vorgestellten Modell besteht sowohl aus einzelwirtschaftlicher als auch aus gesamtwirtschaftlicher Sicht ein deutlicher Anreiz zur vertikalen Integration der Marktstufen.
An Empirical Investigation of German Firms’ Financial Structure and Ensuing Risks / Finanzierungsstruktur und Risiken im Unternehmenssektor der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Eine empirische Bestandsaufnahme
Authors: Größl Ingrid , Stahlecker Peter , Wohlers Eckhardt
Published: April 2016

This paper focuses on the question whether West German firms have experienced an increase in their financial risk position with due implications for the macroeconomy. The investigation is based on a special evaluation of the balance sheet statistics by the Deutsche Bundesbank broken down into firm size and legal form. Empirical findings suggest that owing to positive trends of various financial ratios, above all small and medium sized firms have been exposed to significantly higher risks in the time period 1987-1996. Further tests reveal that for this firms’ size investment and financial risk are negatively correlated. Considering the macroeconomic significance of small and medium sized enterprises, these empirical findings bear serious risks for growth, employment and the effectiveness of monetary policy.
Structures of Corporate Finance in Germany and France. A Comparative Analysis for West German and French Incorporated Enterprises / Strukturen der Unternehmensfinanzierung in Deutschland und Frankreich. Eine vergleichende Analyse für westdeutsche und französische Kapitalgesellschaften
Authors: Friderichs Hans , Paranque Bernard
Published: April 2016

The study examines the balance sheet structures of both French and west German incorporated firms in manufacturing and their evolution during the last business cycle in the late eighties and early nineties. The point of departure is to focus op the relative importance of the different financing sources used by the incorporated enterprises in the two countries. A deeper examination of the observed differences suggests that country-specific legal and institutional factors seem to play an important role in determining corporate finance structures. Finally this evidence is considered in the context of capital structure theory with particular reference to the architecture and functioning mechanisms of the corporate financing systems in Germany and France.
Wachstumstheoretische Perspektiven der Wirtschaftsintegration: Neuere Ansätze / New Theories on the Growth Effects of Economic Integration
Authors: Bretschger Lucas
Published: April 2016

Die wirtschaftliche Integration verändert den Wachstumspfad der beteiligten Länder durch Skalen-, Faktorreallokations- und Faktorhandelseffekte. Während die oft stark betonten Skaleneffekte das Wachstum eindeutig fördern, können durch Handel ausgelöste Verschiebungen der sektoralen Faktoreinsätze sowie internationale Faktorwanderungen die Dynamik unter ungünstigen Bedingungen beeinträchtigen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird anhand eines einheitlichen Modell- Ansatzes untersucht, welche Mechanismen im Integrationsprozess unter welchen Bedingungen das Wachstum beschleunigen bzw. verlangsamen. Damit wird die neuere Literatur zu den dynamischen Wirkungen der Integration in einem Überblick zusammengefasst.
Die Auswirkungen öffentlicher Gründungsförderung auf das Überleben und Wachstum junger Unternehmen / The Impact of Public Start-up Promotion on Survival and Growth of New Firms
Authors: Almus Matthias , Prantl Susanne
Published: April 2016

In diesem Papier werden kausale Effekte öffentlicher Förderprogramme für Unternehmensgründungen untersucht, welche die Deutsche Ausgleichsbank (DtA) verwaltet. Die Analysen basieren auf einem Datensatz, der durch die Verknüpfung des Datenbestands der DtA zu allen Förderzusagen zwischen 1990 und 1999 und der am Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW) durchgeführten ZEW-Gründerstudie entstand. Im Mittelpunkt der Untersuchung stehen mittelfristige Fördereffekte auf die Uberlebenschancen und das Beschäftigungswachstum der geförderten Unternehmen. Um diese Effekte schätzen zu können, wird mit Hilfe eines nicht-parametrischen Matching-Verfahrens aus der Gesamtheit nicht-geförderter Unternehmen eine adäquate Kontrollgruppe zum Vergleich mit der Untersuchungsgruppe geförderter Unternehmen ausgewählt. Die empirischen Analysen zeigen, dass Gründungsförderung der DtA signifikante positive Effekte auf die Uberlebenswahrscheinlichkeit und das Beschäftigungswachstum junger deutscher Unternehmen ausübt.
What Drives the Vacancy Rate for Information Technology Workers? / Was bestimmt den Mangel an IKT-Fachkräften?
Authors: Falk Martin
Published: April 2016

This paper provides empirical evidence on both the magnitude and determinants of unfilled positions for information technology workers using cross-sectional data on 4150 German firms. Vacancies are defined as unfilled positions excluding those created by replacement needs during the first half of the year 2000. The share of vacancies created by replacement needs is only about 20 percent, indicating that high turnover rates are not the main reason for high vacancy rates. The adjusted job vacancy rate for ICT workers varies between 5.7 percent in the ICT sector and 6.7 percent in the non-ICT sector. The results of a generalized tobit model show that the adjusted vacancy rate mainly depends on the firm size, the share of ICT workers and actions taken in the past to solve the ICT worker shortage, but not on the diffusion of ICT. In the ICT sector, the decision made in the past to train apprentices in the new ICT occupations seems to have reduced the current vacancy rate. In the non-ICT sector, a successful strategy to solve the ICT worker shortage appears to be increased internal training. Finally, in the non-ICT sector, the common practice of completely outsourcing software programming significantly reduces the probability of vacancies.
Asset Price Channel and Financial Markets / Vermögenstheoretischer Transmissionsmechanismus und Finanzmärkte
Authors: Kosfeld Reinhold
Published: April 2016

The asset price channel focuses on the relative prices of a wide range of assets in the transmission of monetary impulses on the financial and real capital markets. If monetary impulses are already fading on the financial markets, then their effectiveness in terms of economic policy targets has to be questioned. A missing tendency towards a long-run equilibrium relationship in the observable yield rates on the financial markets is often attributed to non-stationary risk premiums underlying the financial assets. In this paper a cointegration model for the risk-adjusted yields of the money market, market for bank credit and the bonds market is developed for the monetary policy regime of a money supply target in the Federal Republic of Germany for the period 1980-1998. Furthermore, it is also shown that on the basis of the transmission model we consider, the stock market does not integrate consistently into the cointegration system of the other of the financial markets.
Was fehlt in der EVS?. Eine Verteilungsanalyse hoher Einkommen mit der verknüpften Einkommensteuerstatistik für Selbständige und abhängig Beschäftigte / What is Missing in the EVS?. A Distributional Analysis of High Income With the Merged Income Tax Statistic for Self-Employed and Employees
Authors: Merz Joachim
Published: April 2016

Prominente Mikrodatenbasis für die Analyse von Einkommen und ihrer Verteilung ist die Einkommens- und Verbrauchsstichprobe (EVS). Allerdings sind hohe Einkommen über der „Abschneidegrenze" von 35 000 DM Haushaltsnettoeinkommen pro Monat nicht vorhanden. In dieser Studie wird erstmals der Frage nachgegangen, welche Konsequenzen für eine Verteilungsanalyse eine Verknüpfung der EVS- mit der Einkommensteuerstatistik auf der Mikroebene besonders hinsichtlich hoher Einkommen hat. Dazu werden wir zunächst die Lohn- und Einkommensteuerstatistik (EStS) als eine besondere geeignete Mikrodatenbasis für die Einkommensanalyse generell und insbesondere für hohe Einkommen darstellen. Unsere Verknüpfungsstrategie verwendet Steuerzahlbetragsklassen, die nach Haushaltstypen weiter untergliedert sind. Nach kurzer Darstellung der Verknüpfungsergebnisse in bezug auf die Haushaltsstruktur und Einkommensklassen untersuchen wir vertieft die hohen Einkommen mit Verteilungs- und Dekompositionsanalysen für Selbständige und abhängig Beschäftigte. Weitere Strukturanalysen beschreiben dann reiche und nicht reiche Haushalte nach verschiedenen sozioökonomischen Merkmalen. Schließlich wird das ganze Einkommensspektrum betrachtet: Mit allen Einkommen aus der verküpften Einkommensteuerstatistik EStS/ EVS 1995 und der EVS 1993 werden abschließend vergleichende Verteilungsanalysen auf der Haushaltsebene sowie unter Berücksichtigung der Haushaltsstruktur über Aquivalenzeinkommen vorgenommen. Die Schlußbemerkungen betonen die Notwendigkeit eines integrierten Mikrodatenfiles für eine zielgenaue Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik.
Internationale Verrechnungspreismethoden, Neutralität und die Gewinne multinationaler Unternehmen / Transfer Pricing, Neutrality, and the Profits of Multinational Firms
Authors: Wellisch Dietmar
Published: April 2016

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht, wie sich multinationale Unternehmen in Abhängigkeit der von den Finanzbehörden angewandten Grundsätze zur Bestimmung internationaler Verrechnungspreise verhalten. Ausgehend von diesem Verhalten werden die Verrechnungspreismethoden beurteilt. Zunächst wird mit der Forderung nach Neutralität von Verrechnungspreismethoden ein Beurteilungskriterium entwickelt. Anschließend wird untersucht, ob die Standardmethoden der direkten Preisregulierung oder einkommensbasierte Methoden zur Bestimmung internationaler Verrechnungspreise neutral sind und wie die Gewinne multinationaler Unternehmen von diesen Verrechnungspreismethoden beeinflusst werden. Die Untersuchung enthüllt, dass eine indirekte Bestimmung der angemessenen Verrechnungspreise über eine Aufteilung des globalen Gewinns von multinationalen Unternehmen neutral ist, wenn die Aufteilung nicht von unternehmensinternen Entscheidungen beeinflusst werden kann. Die direkte Preisregulierung (die Standardmethoden) lässt dagegen nur unter engen Bedingungen unternehmerische Entscheidungen unbeeinflusst. Allerdings wird die Neutralität der globalen Gewinnaufteilung von einem sehr umfassenden Informationsbedarf seitens der Finanzbehörden erkauft. Auch ist die Akzeptanz dieser Methode bei den praktischen Anwendern nicht sehr hoch. Allerdings scheint ihre Ablehnung (auch) auf einem mangelnden Verständnis der Wirkungen dieser Methode zu beruhen.
Borders Matter! - Regional Integration in North America / Grenzen sind bedeutsam! - Regionale Integration Nordamerika
Authors: Blum Ulrich
Published: April 2016

We analyze the spatial interaction among regions in North America and in Western Europe. We use a gravity model extended by a spatial correlation structure where data allows to evaluate the spatial interaction in two dimensions: level of impact and the length of the spatial tail. This allows us to address to effects external to the gravity model: importance of neighboring regions on the respective region and size of the cluster of regions. We find that the methodology employed improves the statistical quality of results and their economic interpretation. We conclude that national borders matter and that the North American regional structure, i.e. its cluster structure, is more polarized in terms of firm and spatial network structure than that of Europe. We argue that this relates to different types of institutional arrangements with effects on the spatial division of labor.
Clinically Anxious Individuals Show Disrupted Feedback between Inferior Frontal Gyrus and Prefrontal-Limbic Control Circuit
Authors: Cha Jiook , DeDora Daniel , Nedic Sanja , Ide Jaime , Greenberg Tsafrir , Hajcak Greg , Mujica-Parodi Lilianne Rivka
Published: April 2016

Clinical anxiety is associated with generalization of conditioned fear, in which innocuous stimuli elicit alarm. Using Pavlovian fear conditioning (electric shock), we quantify generalization as the degree to which subjects' neurobiological responses track perceptual similarity gradients to a conditioned stimulus. Previous studies show that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) inversely and ventral tegmental area directly track the gradient of perceptual similarity to the conditioned stimulus in healthy individuals, whereas clinically anxious individuals fail to discriminate. Here, we extend this work by identifying specific functional roles within the prefrontal-limbic circuit. We analyzed fMRI time-series acquired from 57 human subjects during a fear generalization task using entropic measures of circuit-wide regulation and feedback (power spectrum scale invariance/autocorrelation), in combination with structural (diffusion MRI-probabilistic tractography) and functional (stochastic dynamic causal modeling) measures of prefrontal-limbic connectivity within the circuit. Group comparison and correlations with anxiety severity across 57 subjects revealed dysregulatory dynamic signatures within the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), which our prior work has linked to impaired feedback within the circuit. Bayesian model selection then identified a fully connected prefrontal-limbic model comprising the IFG, vmPFC, and amygdala. Dysregulatory IFG dynamics were associated with weaker reciprocal excitatory connectivity between the IFG and the vmPFC. The vmPFC exhibited inhibitory influence on the amygdala. Our current results, combined with our previous work across a threat-perception spectrum of 137 subjects and a meta-analysis of 366 fMRI studies, dissociate distinct roles for three prefrontal-limbic regions, wherein the IFG provides evaluation of stimulus meaning, which then informs the vmPFC in inhibiting the amygdala.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAffective neuroscience has generally treated prefrontal regions (orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) equivalently as inhibitory components of the prefrontal-limbic system. Yet research across the anxiety spectrum suggests that the inferior frontal gyrus may have a more complex role in emotion regulation, as this region shows abnormal function in disorders of both hyperarousal and hypoarousal. Using entropic measures of circuit-wide regulation and feedback, in combination with measures of structural and functional connectivity, we dissociate distinct roles for three prefrontal-limbic regions, wherein the inferior frontal gyrus provides evaluation of stimulus meaning, which then informs the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in inhibiting the amygdala. This reconfiguration coheres with studies of conceptual disambiguation also implicating the inferior frontal gyrus.
Motor Nerve Arborization Requires Proteolytic Domain of Damage-Induced Neuronal Endopeptidase (DINE) during Development
Authors: Matsumoto Sakiko , Kiryu-Seo Sumiko , Kiyama Hiroshi
Published: April 2016

Damage-induced neuronal endopeptidase (DINE)/endothelin-converting enzyme-like 1 (ECEL1) is a membrane-bound metalloprotease, which we originally identified as a nerve regeneration-associated molecule. Abundant expression of DINE is observed in regenerating neurons, as well as in developing spinal motor neurons. In line with this,DINE-deficient (DINEKO) embryos fail to arborize phrenic motor nerves in the diaphragm and to form proper neuromuscular junctions (NMJ), which lead to death shortly after birth. However, it is unclear whether protease activity of DINE is involved in motor nerve terminal arborization and how DINE participates in the process. To address these issues, we performed anin vivorescue experiment in which three types of motor-neuron specificDINEtransgenic mice were crossed withDINEKO mice. TheDINEKO mice, which overexpressed wild-type DINE in motor neurons, succeeded in rescuing the aberrant nerve terminal arborization and lethality after birth, while those overexpressing two types of protease domain-mutated DINE failed. Further histochemical analysis showed abnormal behavior of immature Schwann cells along the DINE-deficient axons. Coculture experiments of motor neurons and Schwann cells ensured that the protease domain of neuronal DINE was required for proper alignment of immature Schwann cells along the axon. These findings suggest that protease activity of DINE is crucial for intramuscular innervation of motor nerves and subsequent NMJ formation, as well as proper control of interactions between axons and immature Schwann cells.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTDamage-induced neuronal endopeptidase (DINE) is a membrane-bound metalloprotease; expression is abundant in developing spinal motor neurons, as well as in nerve-injured neurons.DINE-deficient (KO) embryos fail to arborize phrenic motor nerves in the diaphragm and to form a neuromuscular junction, leading to death immediately after birth. To address whether proteolytic activity of DINE is involved in this process, we performedin vivorescue experiments withDINEKO mice. Transgenic rescue ofDINEKO mice was accomplished by overexpression of wild-type DINE, but not by protease domain-mutated DINE. Immature Schwann cells were abnormally aligned along the DINE protease-deficient axons. Thus, the protease activity of DINE is crucial for motor axon arborization, as well as the interaction between axons and immature Schwann cells.
Cohesion and Joint Speech: Right Hemisphere Contributions to Synchronized Vocal Production
Authors: Jasmin Kyle M. , McGettigan Carolyn , Agnew Zarinah K. , Lavan Nadine , Josephs Oliver , Cummins Fred , Scott Sophie K.
Published: April 2016

Synchronized behavior (chanting, singing, praying, dancing) is found in all human cultures and is central to religious, military, and political activities, which require people to act collaboratively and cohesively; however, we know little about the neural underpinnings of many kinds of synchronous behavior (e.g., vocal behavior) or its role in establishing and maintaining group cohesion. In the present study, we measured neural activity using fMRI while participants spoke simultaneously with another person. We manipulated whether the couple spoke the same sentence (allowing synchrony) or different sentences (preventing synchrony), and also whether the voice the participant heard was “live” (allowing rich reciprocal interaction) or prerecorded (with no such mutual influence). Synchronous speech was associated with increased activity in posterior and anterior auditory fields. When, and only when, participants spoke with a partner who was both synchronous and “live,” we observed a lack of the suppression of auditory cortex, which is commonly seen as a neural correlate of speech production. Instead, auditory cortex responded as though it were processing another talker's speech. Our results suggest that detecting synchrony leads to a change in the perceptual consequences of one's own actions: they are processed as though they were other-, rather than self-produced. This may contribute to our understanding of synchronized behavior as a group-bonding tool.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSynchronized human behavior, such as chanting, dancing, and singing, are cultural universals with functional significance: these activities increase group cohesion and cause participants to like each other and behave more prosocially toward each other. Here we use fMRI brain imaging to investigate the neural basis of one common form of cohesive synchronized behavior: joint speaking (e.g., the synchronous speech seen in chants, prayers, pledges). Results showed that joint speech recruits additional right hemisphere regions outside the classic speech production network. Additionally, we found that a neural marker of self-produced speech, suppression of sensory cortices, did not occur during joint synchronized speech, suggesting that joint synchronized behavior may alter self-other distinctions in sensory processing.
Oligodendrogliopathy in Multiple Sclerosis: Low Glycolytic Metabolic Rate Promotes Oligodendrocyte Survival
Authors: Rone Malena B. , Cui Qiao-Ling , Fang Jun , Wang Li-Chun , Zhang Ji , Khan Damla , Bedard Melissa , Almazan Guillermina , Ludwin Samuel K. , Jones Russel , Kennedy Timothy E. , Antel Jack P.
Published: April 2016

Multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions feature demyelination with limited remyelination. A distinct injury phenotype of MS lesions features dying back of oligodendrocyte (OL) terminal processes, a response that destabilizes myelin/axon interactions. This oligodendrogliopathy has been linked with local metabolic stress, similar to the penumbra of ischemic/hypoxic states. Here, we developed anin vitrooligodendrogliopathy model using human CNS-derived OLs and related this injury response to their distinct bioenergetic properties. We determined the energy utilization properties of adult human surgically derived OLs cultured under either optimal or metabolic stress conditions, deprivation of growth factors, and glucose and/or hypoxia using a Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer. Baseline studies were also performed on OL progenitor cells derived from the same tissue and postnatal rat-derived cells. Under basal conditions, adult human OLs were less metabolically active than their progenitors and both were less active than the rat cells. Human OLs and progenitors both used aerobic glycolysis for the majority of ATP production, a process that contributes to protein and lipid production necessary for myelin biosynthesis. Under stress conditions that induce significant process retraction with only marginal cell death, human OLs exhibited a significant reduction in overall energy utilization, particularly in glycolytic ATP production. The stress-induced reduction of glycolytic ATP production by the human OLs would exacerbate myelin process withdrawal while favoring cell survival, providing a potential basis for the oligodendrogliopathy observed in MS. The glycolytic pathway is a potential therapeutic target to promote myelin maintenance and enhance repair in MS.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe neurologic deficits that characterize multiple sclerosis (MS) reflect disruption of myelin (demyelination) within the CNS and failure of repair (remyelination). We define distinct energy utilization properties of human adult brain-derived oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells under conditions of metabolic stress that model the initial relapsing and subsequent progressive phases of MS. The observed changes in energy utilization affect both cell survival and myelination capacity. These processes may be amenable to therapeutic interventions to limit the extent of cumulative tissue injury and to promote repair in MS.
Sensing a revolution
Authors: Steinmetz Lars M , Jones Allan
Published: April 2016

New fully integrated biosensors that monitor molecular and physiological parameters throughout our bodies are set to revolutionize medicine and personalized healthcare.
Pioneer Axon Navigation Is Controlled by AEX-3, a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor for RAB-3 in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Bhat Jaffar M , Hutter Harald
Published: April 2016

Precise and accurate axon tract formation is an essential aspect of brain development. This is achieved by the migration of early outgrowing axons (pioneers) allowing later outgrowing axons (followers) to extend toward their targets in the embryo. In Caenorhabditis elegans the AVG neuron pioneers the right axon tract of the ventral nerve cord, the major longitudinal axon tract. AVG is essential for the guidance of follower axons and hence organization of the ventral nerve cord. In an enhancer screen for AVG axon guidance defects in a nid-1/Nidogen mutant background, we isolated an allele of aex-3. aex-3 mutant animals show highly penetrant AVG axon navigation defects. These defects are dependent on a mutation in nid-1/Nidogen, a basement membrane component. Our data suggest that AEX-3 activates RAB-3 in the context of AVG axon navigation. aex-3 genetically acts together with known players of vesicular exocytosis: unc-64/Syntaxin, unc-31/CAPS, and ida-1/IA-2. Furthermore our genetic interaction data suggest that AEX-3 and the UNC-6/Netrin receptor UNC-5 act in the same pathway, suggesting AEX-3 might regulate the trafficking and/or insertion of UNC-5 at the growth cone to mediate the proper guidance of the AVG axon.
Transanalinė totalinė mezorektalinė ekscizija (taTME): pirmoji mūsų patirtis
Authors: Mikalauskas Saulius , Kryžauskas Marius , Jurkevičiūtė Dignė , Pečiulytė Vytautė , Danys Donatas , Poškus Tomas , Jotautas Valdemaras , Poškus Eligijus , Beiša Virgilijus , Strupas Kęstutis
Published: April 2016

Transanalinė totalinė mezorektalinė ekscizija (taTME) yra naujas endoskopinis natūralių angų chirurgijos būdas, susidedantis iš trijų tiesiosios žarnos chirurginių metodų. Šiame straipsnyje detaliai aprašoma taTME chirurginė technika bei pristatomos pirmosios trys taTME procedūros, kurios buvo atliktos Vilniaus universiteto ligoninėje Santariškių klinikose.
Atsinaujinusio šlapimo nelaikymo gydymas minimaliai invaziniu būdu: klinikinis atvejis
Authors: Černiauskienė Aušra , Dulko Justyna
Published: April 2016

Įtampos šlapimo nelaikymas – dažniausiai pasitaikantis šlapimo nelaikymo tipas, kai šlapimas nevalingai išteka fizinio krūvio metu, kosint ar čiaudint. Dėl šios priežasties blogėja žmogaus gyvenimo kokybė, atsiranda fizinių, psichologinių, seksualinių, socialinių ar ekonominių problemų. Gydymo galimybių yra daug, tačiau norimas rezultatas ne visada pasiekiamas, todėl atsinaujinęs šlapimo nelaikymas – dažnai klinikinėje praktikoje pasitaikanti problema. Literatūros duomenimis, šlapimo nelaikymo chirurginis gydymas būna neveiksmingas iki 20 % atvejų. Sintetinių pošlaplinių raiščių implantavimo operacijos minimaliai invaziniu būdu – pirmo pasirinkimo metodas gydant atsinaujinusį šlapimo nelaikymą. Aprašome ir aptariame atvejį moters, kuri buvo tris kartus operuota dėl šlapimo nelaikymo. 2012 metais, diagnozavus vezikocelę ir įsisenėjusį tarpvietės plyšimą, atlikta priekinė kolporafija ir kolpoperineoplastika. Po operacijos šlapimo nelaikymas fizinio krūvio metu išliko. 2014 metais pacientė buvo operuota pakartotinai ir atlikta pošlaplinio raiščio implantavimo operacija per užtvarinę angą, tačiau norimo rezultato nepasiekta, šlapimo nelaikymas išliko. 2015 metais pacientei diagnozuotas III laipsnio atsinaujinęs šlapimo nelaikymas. Atlikus pošlapininio raiščio implantavimo operaciją užgaktiniu būdu, moteris gerai sulaiko šlapimą, liekamojo šlapimo nėra. Pošlaplinio raiščio implantavimas užgaktiniu būdu – efektyvi operacija gydant atsinaujinusį šlapimo nelaikymą.
Socioeconomic Disparities in the Economic Impact of Childhood Food Allergy
Authors: Bilaver Lucy A. , Kester Kristen M. , Smith Bridget M. , Gupta Ruchi S.
Published: April 2016

OBJECTIVES:

We compared direct medical costs borne by the health care system and out-of-pocket costs borne by families for children with food allergy by socioeconomic characteristics.

METHODS:

We analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected between November 2011 and January 2012 from 1643 US caregivers with a food-allergic child. We used a 2-part regression model to estimate mean costs and identified differences by levels of household income and race or ethnicity.

RESULTS:

Children in the lowest income stratum incurred 2.5 times the amount of emergency department and hospitalization costs as a result of their food allergy than higher-income children ($1021, SE ±$209, vs $416, SE ±$94; P < .05). Costs incurred for specialist visits were lower in the lowest income group ($228, SE ±$21) compared with the highest income group ($311, SE ±$18; P < .01) as was spending on out-of-pocket medication costs ($117, SE ± $26, lowest income; $366, SE ±$44, highest income; P < .001). African American caregivers incurred the lowest amount of direct medical costs and spent the least on out-of-pocket costs, with average adjusted costs of $493 (SE ±$109) and $395 (SE ±$452), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Disparities exist in the economic impact of food allergy based on socioeconomic status. Affordable access to specialty care, medications, and allergen-free foods are critical to keep all food-allergic children safe, regardless of income and race.
Effectiveness of health tourism application as the basis of health related recreational technology in primary school pupils’ physical education
Authors: Kashuba V.O. , Goncharova N.N. , Butenko H.O.
Published: April 2016

Purpose: to search effective methods of health tourism application in physical education of primary school age pupils. Матеріал: in the research 40 children participated, who were divided into control (9 boys and 11 girls) and experimental (10 boys and 10 girls) groups. We registered physical fitness, physical health, adaptation-reserve potentials and psychological state of primary school pupils. Results: specificities of health tourism means’ application as the basis of health-related recreational technology were determined. We found improvement of children’s health by 10%. Besides, we observed prevailing improvement of organism’s resistance to environmental unfavorable factors and indicators of psycho-emotional state. Conclusions: application of health tourism means increases organism’s functional potentials, physical health and psycho-emotional state of schoolchildren.
Optimization of treaining process in pre-start fencing training on the base of out-of-training means’ of mobilization orientation application
Authors: Lopatenko G.O.
Published: April 2016

Purpose: to show effectiveness of out-of- training means of mobilization orientation in pre-start preparation of elite fencers. Material: in the research 12 elite sportsmen-fencers participated. Results: it was found that under influence of the worked out pre-start complex (during 15-18 minutes), comparing with traditional warming up (40 minutes) more expressed mobilization effect was registered. This effect also lasted longer time. Higher stimulating effects of pre-start complex are proved by confident differences in sportsmen’s special workability (p -0.05). Conclusions: the achieved stimulating effects reduced duration of general warming up to twenty minutes. It permits to more rationally organize pre-start training of fencers in comparison with application of traditional means.
The methodical approach to determining the heterogeneity of cognitive function in preschool children requiring correction of speech impediments
Authors: Petrenko N.B.
Published: April 2016

Introduction. It has been confirmed that children who suffer from speech impediments may experience difficulties in their cognitive activity, limitations in communication, asociality and sense detachment. It is also clear that these children require not only logopedic treatment, but also assistance in developing functions of their cognitive and mental activities. Aims. To identify the case of uniformity lack of cognitive and somatomental functions of 5-6 year old children with speech impediments in a group; to evaluate the method used for this research. Methods. Use estimates of major mental and cognitive activities by means of tests increases the difficulty. Scores from 1 to 10 were given. Such factors as movement coordination, musicality and body plasticity were taken into consideration too. StatSoft STATISTICA10.0. programme was used to run the statistical analysis. Results. The changes of the group with uniformity of physical, cognitive, somatomental and dance abilities were analysed and estimated at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. The results of the claster analysis have shown that the children managed to develop their cognitive and somatomental abilities. Also it was estimated that the level of uniformity has increased in the group. Conclusions. Having done the research we can state that with the help of cluster analysis children with speech impediments can be grouped according to their physical, cognitive, somatomental and dance abilities. With the help of the results of the claster analysis that notifies that the children managed to develop their cognitive and somatomental abilities, we can observe the positivie effects of the suggested dance-cognitive teaching elements in an educational programme.
Peculiar features of men physical condition in planning highly intensive physical loads in winter period
Authors: Pryshva O.B.
Published: April 2016

Physical functioning of average and high intensity is an important component of mature men’s health and longevity. For highly intensive physical functioning organism’s physical fitness is required. Human physical condition can change under influence of season factors. Purpose: to determine specific features of men’s physical condition before their highly intensive physical trainings in winter period and test them. Material: 25 men of 35-48 years’ age without chronic diseases were chosen for experiment. All they observe healthy life style. Body mass index, physical condition by methodic of Bayevskie were tested. The research was conducted in the following way: in the morning and in the evening of every day. Physical functioning was tested by methodic IPAQ. Results: we registered confident (p-0.05) distinctions in men’s physical condition before and in the day of their highly intensive physical functioning. We noticed changes in the following: body weight, heart beats rate, adaptation potential of Bayevskiy. The most significant indicator was the marker. For testing of its effectiveness we offered for men to plan highly intensive physical functioning in compliance with this marker during one month. Result was confident (p-0.05) increase of duration and quantity of highly intensive physical trainings, improvement of physical condition by 3.13% in complex test of Bayevskiy. Conclusions: Consideration of men’s physical condition plays important role in planning their highly intensive physical functioning. Increment of Bayevskiy’s adaptation potential by 5.25% can be informative marker in winter period. It is a factor for highly intensive physical functioning planning for definite day.
Analysis of possibility of competition distances’ combinations, realized by elite swimmers on the base of individual indicators of technical-tactic actions
Authors: Skyriene V.V.
Published: April 2016

Purpose: to find out possibility of competition, different by length distances’ but with same structure of fulfilled movements combinations, realized by elite swimmers. Material: the tested group consisted of participants of European, 2014 championship final starts. We analyzed performances of men and women at distances 50, 100 and 200 meters (in total 12 distances for every swimmer). Results: we determined time and space characteristics of swimmers’ technical-tactic actions. Correlation of indicators of final starts participants’ competition functioning and indicators of sportsmen, who won medals at these distances was determined. We found elements of competition functioning, in fulfillment of which sportsmen’s individual features are manifested most of all. Conclusions: the fulfilled analysis of competition functioning of European championship final starts’ participants permits to say that elite swimmers (breaststroke style) are able to achieve high results at competition distances of different length, with definite level of technical-tactic fitness. Conclusions: individual potentials of elite swimmers permit to use different technical-tactic variants of distance covering. That is why the sportsmen are able to demonstrate high results at competition distances of different length with equal structure of fulfilled movements.
Comparative analysis of foot support-spring indicators of primary school age children with weak eyesight in physical education process
Authors: Juha Habіb , Yurchenko A.A. , Sergіenko K.N.
Published: April 2016

Purpose: to fulfill comparative analysis of foot support-spring indicators of schoolchildren with weak eyesight. Material: in the research 7-10 years’ age children (n=76) with weak eyesight participated. The children learn in specialized boarding school. Results: we found statistically confident differences between some foot support-spring indicators of primary school children with weak eyesight and their practically healthy children. It was registered that primary school children had weaker muscles and ligaments of lower limbs. The reason can be insufficient motor functioning and muscles’ stiffening in moving in space as well as the absence of exercises for prophylaxis of foot functional disorders. Conclusions: we determined that there is demand in working out and implementation of practical recommendations in physical education process of schoolchildren with weak eyesight. Physical education process shall be oriented on educational aims, on application of health related correcting and compensatory-prophylaxis physical exercises. Such approach will positively influence on correction of foot support-spring disorders.
Modern approach to implementation of health related technology for primary school children
Authors: Shuba L.V.
Published: April 2016

Purpose: to work out and experimentally prove health related technology, which would facilitate formation of pupils’ healthy life style. Material: In the research pupils of 8-9 years’ age participated. From four tested forms we composed four groups. Control groups consisted of 19 boys and 17 girls; experimental groups - of 20 boys and 16 girls, who were practically healthy. Results: the highest absolute increment of physical fitness indicators in experimental group was found in such motor abilities as flexibility, strength of hands’ and torso muscles, speed-power qualities. It was noted that for effective development of pupils’ physical qualities decisive factor was consideration of sensitive periods and complex approach at physical culture classes. Conclusions: the received results witness about effectiveness of the worked out by us technology. It consists of two blocks with prevailing usage of health related exercises.