Working time accounts and firm performance in Germany

This study investigates whether working time accounts affect the performance of German establishments based on the Establishment Panel from the Institute for Employment Research. The major results are: productivity and investments are positively correlated with working time accounts. No significant effects of working time accounts can be detected on wages and on operating surplus. On average, we find a tendency towards negative effects on profits. This result is less likely in phases of low product demand and for export-oriented, large establishments with a high share of skilled workers. Under strong sales fluctuations, we find positively significant effects on the operating surplus. JEL: C22, D21, J21, J22, J2

Der Bruch der Theorie in der Praxis durch Not

Some Remarks on Lujo Brentano's View of Labor Market Problems Lujo Brentano (1844-1931) aimed for "realism" in economics. Regarding labor market theory, two topics are of particular interest: His investigations on "Hours and Wages in Relation to Production" (Scribner's 1894) and his analysis "On the History and Development of Gilds and the Origins of Trade Unions" (Trubner 1870). The topics of are discussed with a view on recent developments in labor economics.Lujo Brentano (1844-1931) hat sich als "realistischen" Ökonomen verstanden. Im Bereich der Arbeitsmarkttheorie sind zwei Bereiche von besonderem Interesse: Seine Untersuchungen über den Zusammenhang zwischen Lohn, Arbeitszeit und Arbeitsleistung und seine Überlegungen zur Bildung von kollektiven Formen der Lohnsetzung. Diese beiden Themen werden unter Einbeziehung gesamtwirtschaftlicher und methodischer Aspekte und einiger moderner Gesichtspunkte diskutiert

Memory difference control of unknown unstable fixed points: Drifting parameter conditions and delayed measurement

Difference control schemes for controlling unstable fixed points become important if the exact position of the fixed point is unavailable or moving due to drifting parameters. We propose a memory difference control method for stabilization of a priori unknown unstable fixed points by introducing a memory term. If the amplitude of the control applied in the previous time step is added to the present control signal, fixed points with arbitrary Lyapunov numbers can be controlled. This method is also extended to compensate arbitrary time steps of measurement delay. We show that our method stabilizes orbits of the Chua circuit where ordinary difference control fails.Comment: 5 pages, 8 figures. See also chao-dyn/9810029 (Phys. Rev. E 70, 056225) and nlin.CD/0204031 (Phys. Rev. E 70, 046205

Kinder mit Kunstherzunterstützungssystemen im häuslichen Bereich: Ausbildungskonzept und Notfallalgorithmus für Rettungskräfte

Zusammenfassung: Einleitung: Miniaturisierte Herzunterstützungspumpen, sog. Kunstherzsysteme oder "ventricular assist devices" (VADs) bieten die Möglichkeit, diese Systeme im Kindesalter anzuwenden. Durch die lange Wartezeit auf ein geeignetes Spenderorgan sollte bei Kindern, unterstützt mit einem intrakorporealen VAD, die Entlassung nach Hause angestrebt werden. Schwerpunkte vor einem Spitalaustritt sind neben der adäquaten Schulung und Aufklärung des Patienten und deren Familie auch ein Ausbildungs- und Schulungskonzept für die lokalen Rettungskräfte und die Betreuungspersonen vor Ort. Methoden: Es wird ein auf die präklinische Versorgung abgestimmter Notfallalgorithmus für die Erstversorgung von VAD-Patienten vorgestellt sowie das gemeinsam erarbeitete Ausbildungskonzept der lokalen Rettungskräfte und des Kinderspitals Zürich. Schwerpunkte des Schulungsprogramms sind neben der theoretischen Einführung praktische Workshops, "cardiac arrest simulation training" (CAST) sowie die Erstellung eines genau definierten Alarmierungsplans unter Einbezug der lokalen ärztlichen Organisationsstrukturen und der Spezialisten des Kinderspitals. Schlussfolgerung: Die Besonderheiten bei der Versorgung von Kindern am VAD werden vorgestellt und diskutier

The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS)

OBJECTIVES: A second paediatric report has been generated from the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS). The purpose of EUROMACS, which is operated by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, is to gather data related to durable mechanical circulatory support for scientific purposes and to publish reports with respect to the course of mechanical circulatory support therapy. Since the first report issued, efforts to increase compliance and participation have been extended. Additionally, the data provided the opportunity to analyse patients of younger age and lower weight. METHODS: Participating hospitals contributed pre-, peri- and long-term postoperative data on mechanical circulatory support implants to the registry. Data for all implants in paediatric patients (≤19 years of age) performed from 1 January 2000 to 1 July 2019 were analysed. This report includes updates of patient characteristics, implant frequency, outcome (including mortality rates, transplants and recovery rates) as well as adverse events including neurological dysfunction, device malfunction, major infection and bleeding. RESULTS: Twenty-nine hospitals contributed 398 registered implants in 353 patients (150 female, 203 male) to the registry. The most frequent aetiology of heart failure was any form of cardiomyopathy (61%), followed by congenital heart disease and myocarditis (16.4% and 16.1%, respectively). Competing outcomes analysis revealed that a total of 80% survived to transplant or recovery or are ongoing; at the 2-year follow-up examination, 20% died while on support. At 12 months, 46.7% received transplants, 8.7% were weaned from their device and 18.5% died. The 3-month adverse events rate was 1.69 per patient-year for device malfunction including pump exchange, 0.48 for major bleeding, 0.64 for major infection and 0.78 for neurological events. CONCLUSIONS: The overall survival rate was 81.5% at 12 months following ventricular assist device implant. The comparison of survival rates of the early and later eras shows no significant difference. A focus on specific subgroups showed that survival was less in patients of younger age (<1 year of age) (P = 0.01) and lower weight (<20 kg) (P = 0.015). Transplant rates at 6 months contin

Chemical composition of air masses transported from Asia to the U.S. West coast during ITCT 2K2: Fossil fuel combustion versus biomass-burning signatures

As part of the Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation experiment in 2002 (ITCT 2K2), a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D research aircraft was used to study the long-range transport of Asian air masses toward the west coast of North America. During research flights on 5 and 17 May, strong enhancements of carbon monoxide (CO) and other species were observed in air masses that had been transported from Asia. The hydrocarbon composition of the air masses indicated that the highest CO levels were related to fossil fuel use. During the flights on 5 and 17 May and other days, the levels of several biomass-buming indicators increased with altitude. This was true for acetonitrile (CH3CN), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), the ratio of acetylene (C2H2) to propane (C3H8), and, on May 5, the percentage of particles measured by the particle analysis by laser mass spectrometry (PALMS) instrument that were attributed to biomass burning based on their carbon and potassium content. An ensemble of back-trajectories, calculated from the U.S. west coast over a range of latitudes and altitudes for the entire ITCT 2K2 period, showed that air masses from Southeast Asia and China were generally observed at higher altitudes than air from Japan and Korea. Emission inventories estimate the contribution of biomass burning to the total emissions to be low for Japan and Korea, higher for China, and the highest for Southeast Asia. Combined with the origin of the air masses versus altitude, this qualitatively explains the increase with altitude, averaged over the whole ITCT 2K2 period, of the different biomass-burning indicators. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union

Gas-phase chemical characteristics of Asian emission plumes observed during ITCT 2K2 over the eastern North Pacific Ocean

The gas-phase chemical characteristics of emission plumes transported from Asia across the Pacific Ocean observed during the Intercontinental Transport and Chemical Transformation experiment in 2002 (ITCT 2K2) are described. Plumes measured in the troposphere from an aircraft were separated from the background air in data analysis using 1-s measurements of carbon monoxide (CO), total reactive nitrogen (NOy), and other gasphase species along with back trajectory analysis. On the basis of these measurements, Asian transport plumes with CO mixing ratios greater than 150 ppbv were observed on seven flights. Correlations between 1-s observations of CO, ozone (O3), and NOy are used to characterize the plumes. The NOy/CO ratios were similar in each plume and significantly lower than those derived from estimated Asian emission ratios, indicating substantial removal of soluble NOy species during transport. Observations of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) nitric acid (HNO3) peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN), and alkyl nitrates are used with the NOy measurements to further distinguish the transport plumes by their NOy partitioning. NOy was primarily in the form of PAN in plumes that were transported in cold high-latitude and high-altitude regions, whereas in plumes transported in warmer, lower latitude and altitude regions, NOy was mainly HNO3. Additional gas-phase species enhanced in these plumes include sulfuric acid, methanol, acetone, propane, and ethane. The O3/CO ratio varied among the plumes and was affected by the mixing of anthropogenic and stratospheric influences. The complexity of this mixing prevents the determination of the relative contribution of anthropogenic and stratospheric influences to the observed O3 levels. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union

Differential Spatial Expression and Subcellular Localization of CtBP Family Members in Rodent Brain

C-terminal binding proteins (CtBPs) are well-characterized nuclear transcriptional co-regulators. In addition, cytoplasmic functions were discovered for these ubiquitously expressed proteins. These include the involvement of the isoform CtBP1-S/BARS50 in cellular membrane-trafficking processes and a role of the isoform RIBEYE as molecular scaffolds in ribbons, the presynaptic specializations of sensory synapses. CtBPs were suggested to regulate neuronal differentiation and they were implied in the control of gene expression during epileptogenesis. However, the expression patterns of CtBP family members in specific brain areas and their subcellular localizations in neurons in situ are largely unknown. Here, we performed comprehensive assessment of the expression of CtBP1 and CtBP2 in mouse brain at the microscopic and the ultra-structural levels using specific antibodies. We quantified and compared expression levels of both CtBPs in biochemically isolated brain fractions containing cellular nuclei or synaptic compartment. Our study demonstrates differential regional and subcellular expression patterns for the two CtBP family members in brain and reveals a previously unknown synaptic localization for CtBP2 in particular brain regions. Finally, we propose a mechanism of differential synapto-nuclear targeting of its splice variants CtBP2-S and CtBP2-L in neurons

Effect of petrochemical industrial emissions of reactive alkenes and NO\u3csub\u3ex\u3c/sub\u3e on tropospheric ozone formation in Houston, Texas

Petrochemical industrial facilities can emit large amounts of highly reactive hydrocarbons and NOx to the atmosphere; in the summertime, such colocated emissions are shown to consistently result in rapid and efficient ozone (O3) formation downwind. Airborne measurements show initial hydrocarbon reactivity in petrochemical source plumes in the Houston, TX, metropolitan area is primarily due to routine emissions of the alkenes propene and ethene. Reported emissions of these highly reactive compounds are substantially lower than emissions inferred from measurements in the plumes from these sources. Net O3 formation rates and yields per NOx molecule oxidized in these petrochemical industrial source plumes are substantially higher than rates and yields observed in urban or rural power plant plumes. These observations suggest that reductions in reactive alkene emissions from petrochemical industrial sources are required to effectively address the most extreme O3 exceedences in the Houston metropolitan area

How to increase technology transfers to developing countries: a synthesis of the evidence

The existing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has failed to deliver the rate of low-carbon technology transfer (TT) required to curb GHG emissions in developing countries. This failure has exposed the limitations of universalism and renewed interest in bilateral approaches to TT. Gaps are identified in the UNFCCC approach to climate change TT: missing links between international institutions and the national enabling environments that encourage private investment; a non-differentiated approach for (developing) country and technology characteristics; and a lack of clear measurements of the volume and effectiveness of TTs. Evidence from econometric literature and business experience on climate change TT is reviewed, so as to address the identified pitfalls of the UNFCCC process. Strengths and weaknesses of different methodological approaches are highlighted. International policy recommendations are offered aimed at improving the level of emission reductions achieved through TT