Firms formation and growth in the model with heterogeneous agents and monitoring

In this article we extend the agent-based model of firms’ formation and growth proposed in [4]. In [4] the firms‘ creation, expansion or contraction results from the interaction of heterogeneous utility maximizers. While the original model was able to replicate the power law distribution in the firms’ sizes agents in the model set their utility maximizing effort levels completely freely and undetected. This led to the emergence of free riding and influenced the overall dynamics of the model. Therefore we decided to extend the original model by introducing the monitoring which is seen in the economic literature, besides for example the proper incentive scheme ([18]), as a possible way how to make employees work harder. Our motivation is to compare the extended model with both to the original case without monitoring and empirical data about firms‘ sizes distribution.monitoring, firms‘ size, power law, agent-based model, simulation,heterogeneous agents

Do Fiscal Transfers Alleviate Business Tax Competition? Evidence from Germany

The paper empirically analyzes the incentive effects of equalizing transfers on business tax policy by exploiting a natural experiment in the state of Lower Saxony which changed its equalization formula as of 1999. We resort to within-state and across-state difference-in-difference estimates to identify the reform effect on municipalities' business tax rates. Confirming the theoretical prediction, the reform had a significant impact on the municipalities’ tax policy in the four years after the reform with a “phasing out” of the effect starting in the fourth to fifth year. The finding is robust to various alternative specifications.equalization grants, tax competition, local public finance, fiscal capacity equalization

Polarization in Monte Carlo radiative transfer and dust scattering polarization signatures of spiral galaxies

Polarization is an important tool to further the understanding of interstellar dust and the sources behind it. In this paper we describe our implementation of polarization that is due to scattering of light by spherical grains and electrons in the dust Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SKIRT. In contrast to the implementations of other Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes, ours uses co-moving reference frames that rely solely on the scattering processes. It fully supports the peel-off mechanism that is crucial for the efficient calculation of images in 3D Monte Carlo codes. We develop reproducible test cases that push the limits of our code. The results of our program are validated by comparison with analytically calculated solutions. Additionally, we compare results of our code to previously published results. We apply our method to models of dusty spiral galaxies at near-infrared and optical wavelengths. We calculate polarization degree maps and show them to contain signatures that trace characteristics of the dust arms independent of the inclination or rotation of the galaxy

Genetic Analysis of Larval Dispersal, Gene Flow, and Connectivity

Genetic data can be used to characterize the scale or magnitude of connectivity via larval dispersal in the plankton as the per capita migration rate (m), the rate of gene flow (Nm), or counts of immigrant individuals. Population-based methods infer average effective rates of connectivity on long time scales (hundreds to thousands of generations), and those estimates will influenced by many processes (including larval dispersal). Individual-based methods based on clustering or assignment of individual genotypes to populations or families are suitable for estimating connectivity on short timescales. The typical or characteristic larval dispersal distance for any one system of populations may best be characterized by isolation-by-distance patterns (using population model methods) or by the dispersal kernel (using parentage-based methods). Migration rates estimated from individual-based methods may be more relevant to ecological studies of demographic connectivity (e.g., among demes in a network of marine prote ted areas) compared to rates of gene flow estimated from population-based methods

Salivary cortisol concentrations changes in horses during daily routine

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-20 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.1-4AbstractThe aim of the study was to observe the salivary concentrations of cortisol in horses during daily routine over the course of four weeks lasting experiment in three different stages of day to monitor the changing values of cortisol in horse saliva during the day. Saliva was obtained from 12 Slovak warmblood horses – 1 stallion, 6 mares and 5 geldings. In the experiment we focused purely on changes of salivary cortisol concentrations over the course of the daily routine.The results shown us multiple significant changes between individual sample collections and thus, we can state that according to our results the highest concentration of cortisol in horse saliva is in the morning and it decreases throughout the day with lowest measured concentrations being in the final sample collection of the day (at 22:00). These changes had no visible effect on horses´ organism throughout entirety of the experiment and were caused due to horses daily rhythm.Keywords: horse, cortisol, saliva, rest, daily routineReferencesBohák, Zs, Szabó, F, Beckers, J-F, Melo de Sousa, N, Kutasi, O., Nagy, K, Szenci, O. 2013. Monitoring the circadian rhythm of serum and salivary cortisol concentrations in the horse. Domest. Anim. Endocrinol. 45:38-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2013.04.001Contreras-Aguilar, MD, Lamy, E, Escribano, D, Cerón, JJ, Tecles, F, Quiles, AJ, Hevia, ML. 2020. Changes in salivary analytes of horses due to circadian rhythm and season: A Pilot Study. Animals. 10(9):1486. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10091486Halo, M, Hollý, A, Mlyneková, E, Polyaková, L, Horný, M, Kovalčík, E. 2009. Influence feeding and training on the metabolic profil sport horses. J Cent. Eur. Agric. 10(4):411-416.Halo, M, Strapák, P, Mlyneková, E, Kovalčík, E, Horný, M. 2008. Influence stres on the training process of the horses. J. Cent. Eur. Agric. 9(1):217-224.Ille, N, von Lewinski, M, Erber, M, Wulf, M, Aurich, J, Mostl, E, Aurich, C. 2013. Effects of the level of experience of horses and their riders on cortisol release, heart rate and heart rate variability during a jumping course. Anim. Welf. 22:457-465. 10.7120/09627286.22.4.457Irvine, CHG, Alexander, SL. 1994. Factors affecting the circadian rhythm in plasma cortisol concentrations in the horse. Domest. Anim. Endocrinol. 11(2):227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/0739-7240(94)90030-2Kang, O-D, Lee W-S. 2016. Changes in salivary cortisol concentration in horses during different types of exercise. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 29(5):747-752. 10.5713/ajas.16.0009Kang, O-D, Yun Y-M. 2016. Influence of Horse and Rider on Stress during Horse-riding Lesson Program. Asian Australas J Anim Sci. 29(6):895-900. 10.5713/ajas.15.1068Leal, BB, Alves, GES, Douglas, RH, Bringel, B, Young, RJ, Haddad, JPA, Viana, WS, Faleiros, RR. 2011. Cortisol circadian rhythm ratio: A simple method to detect stressed horses at higher risk of colic? Equine Vet. J. 31:188-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2011.02.005Massányi, P, Stawarz, R, Halo, M, Formicki, G, Lukac, N, Cupka, P, Schwarcz, P, Kovacik, A, Tusimova, E, Kovacik, J. 2014. Blood concentration of copper, cadmium, zinc and lead in the horses and its relation to hematological and biochemical parameters. J. Environ. Sci. Health A. 49:973-979. 10.1080/10934529.2014.894322 Peeters, M, Sulon J, Beckers J-F, Ledoux D, Vandenheede M. 2011. Comparison between blood serum and salivary cortisol concentrations in horses using an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge. Equine Vet J. 43(4):487-493. 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00294.x Schmidt, A, Mostl, E, Wehnert, Ch, Aurich, J, Muller, J, Aurich, Ch. 2010. Corisol release and heart rate variability in horses during road transport. Hormones Behaviour. 57: 209-215. 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.11.003Strzelec, K, Kankofer, M, Piertzak, S. 2011. Cortisol concentration in the saliva of horses subjected to different kinds of exercise. Act Vet. Brno. 80:101-105. 10.2754/avb201180010101Stull, CL, Morrow, J, Aldridge, BA, Stott, JL, McGlone, JJ. 2008. Immunophysiological responses of horses to 12-hour rest during 24 hours of road transport. Vet. Rec. 162:609-614. 10.1136/vr.162.19.609Van der Kolk, JH, Nachreiner, RF, Schott HC, Refsal KR, Zanella AJ. 2001. Salivary and plasma concentration of cortisol in normal horses and horses with Cushing´s disease. Equine Vet J. 33(2):211-213. 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2001.tb00604.

Kivimiehen ammattitutkintoon valmistavan koulutuksen toteutus verkko-oppimisympäristöä hyödyntäen

Kehittämishankkeessa kuvataan Sastamalan koulutuskuntayhtymän aikuisosaston kivialan koulutuksen rakentamista moodle-verkko-opetusympäristöön. Kivimiehen ammattitutkinto on tarkoitettu osoittamaan pätevyyttä, jonka kivialan osaaja voi saavuttaa. Tutkinnon vaativuustaso vastaa 3-4 vuoden kokemusta työelämässä, yrittäjänä tai toisen palveluksessa sisältäen alakohtaista koulutusta. Ennen tutkinnon suorit-tamista tutkintoon osallistuville tarjotaan valmistavaa koulutusta, jonka laajuus on 40 opintoviikkoa. Verkko-opetuksen ottaminen mukaan jo tutkinnon suunnitteluvaiheessa helpottaa verkkopedagogiikan integroimisessa alusta lähtien ettei siita tule toisaalta itsetarkoitus tai toisaalta tyhjä käytäntö. Tarkoituksena on saada verkko-opetus ja verkko-oppiminen sisällyksekkäiksi ja opetukseen lisäarvoa tuoviksi didaktisiksi elementeiksi. Verkko-opetus parhaimmillaan korostaa tutkivaa oppimista, vapauttaa aika- ja paikkasidonnaisuudesta ja tasa-arvoistaa viestintää ja mahdollistaa monipuolisemman ja syvemmän arvioinnin. Itsenäisyyden ja omatoimisuuden lisäämistä ei saa unohtaa, kuten ei verkon tuomaa huvia ja vaihteluakaan. Kehityshanke osoitti, että menestyäkseen aikuiskoulutuksen kurssivastaavan on oltava samaan aikaan koulutussuunnittelija, aineistontuottaja, ryhmänohjaaja, valmentaja, tuutori, projektijohtaja ja terapeutti. Pahitteeksi ei olisi olla myös se taitava asiansa osaava hyvä opettaja