European Consumer Price Indices since 1870

This paper presents a database with the probably most up-to date and reliable consumer price indices for a large sample of European countries since 1870. The database is a compilation but a contribution by going back to original or ignored works. For some Eastern European countries, where CPIs have been missing, new provisional indices are constructed. It critically examines historical CPIs in oft-used online databases and uncover some alarming inaccuracies and even fallacies. Despite the importance of accurate CPIs in long-term analyses, previously little effort has been put in assessing the quality and comparability of data between countries. Realism of the CPIs is examined within a framework of economic integration, that qualifies received views. Lack of integration of Mediterranean countries before mid-twentieth century is validated, and contradictory patterns of integration in interwar and post-war Europe uncovered

About the role of education in Swedish economic growth, 1867-1995

Führt Bildung zu Wirtschaftswachstum oder ist Wirtschaftswachstum die Vorbedingung von Bildung? Sicher haben wir es hier mit einem kumulativen Prozess zu tun; ob aber eine der beiden Größen als dominant betrachtet werden kann, ist umstritten. Der Verfasser setzt sich mit dieser Frage am Beispiel der Entwicklung Schwedens seit der Industrialisierung auseinander. Er stellt die Entwicklung der Schulpflicht sowie der weiterführenden und höheren Bildung dar. Im Gegensatz zu früheren Forschungsergebnissen ergeben sich hier keine Belege dafür, dass demographische Faktoren für eine Veränderung der Bildungsbeteiligung verantwortlich sind. Gestützt auf eine Längsschnittanalyse vertritt der Verfasser die These, dass die Expansion der höheren Bildung in Schweden seit Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts die Ursache für die Entwicklung der Arbeitsproduktivität im produzierenden Gewerbe und damit für das wirtschaftliche Wachstum war. (ICEÜbers)'Does education cause economic growth, or is it the other way around that economic growth causes education? Certainly the process is cumulative, yet whether it is possible the determine one of the sizes as dominant, is a debated issue. This paper explores that relationship for Sweden from the early days of industrialization until recently. It sketches the expansion of compulsory, secondary and higher education. Contrary to previous research concerning education in Sweden, no support is found for the hypotheses that demography, variations in cohort sizes, can explain changes of enrolment in voluntary education. On the basis of an analysis of time series, the paper argues that enrolment in higher education has been a causal factor for labour productivity in manufacturing, and thereby for economic growth, in Sweden since the late nineteenth century.' (author's abstract

Asymmetric trends and European monetary policy in t he Post-Bretton Woods Era

In public debate the crisis of the eurozone has been laid on the footstep of imprudent government finance. This paper argues that the depth and longevity of the crisis instead is due to ‘asymmetric trends’ that are inherent in the eurozone. We show this, first, by a test of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ ECB monetary policy. The results provide an estimate of how ECB at the same time fuelled some ‘bubble economies’ and put on a deflationary pressure in other economies. Second, we measure how the higher inflation rate in the periphery eroded its international competitiveness under the restriction of the ‘irrevocably fixed exchange rates’. This is compared with the development during the preceding half century and periods with more flexible exchange rates. Before the EMS crisis of the early 1990s, the EMS had its ‘soft’ and its ‘hard’ phase. During the ‘soft’ phase, so called realignments of exchange rates adjusted for diverging trends in inflation and competitiveness. The ‘hard’ phase ended with the relaxation of the narrow band for the exchange rates. Again, a ‘soft’ phase followed until the ‘irrevocably’ fixing of the exchange rates that launched the euro. The catch-up and convergence of incomes within Western Europe have been largely enhanced by exchange rate adjustments. A pendulum between ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ phases have characterized European monetary policy and significantly conditioned European economic growth. A bottom line is that, ironically, the Maastricht aim of further integration actually is counteracted by the economic mechanisms of the monetary unification

De plantis venenatis ...

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The Notch and TGF-β Signaling Pathways Contribute to the Aggressiveness of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Despite recent progress, therapy for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) is still inadequate. Dysregulated Notch signaling in CCRCC contributes to tumor growth, but the full spectrum of downstream processes regulated by Notch in this tumor form is unknown

Tillstånd och trender för arter och deras livsmiljöer

2015 års upplaga av den svenska rödlistan är den fjärde i ordningen. Den är baserad på IUCN:s rödlistningskriterier och revideras vart femte år. I rödlistan bedöms risken som enskilda arter av djur, växter och svampar löper att försvinna från Sverige. Bedömningen utförs av ArtDatabankens medarbetare i samverkan med över 100 externa experter, indelade i 14 expertkommittéer för olika organismgrupper. Under arbetet med 2015 års rödlista har tillstånd och trender bedömts för 21 600 arter och 1 318 lägre taxa (apomiktiska arter, underarter och varieteter), sammanlagt ca 22 900 taxa. Av de bedömda arterna klassificerades 2 029 som hotade (kategorierna CR, EN och VU) och 4 273 som rödlistade (inkluderar även kategorierna NT, RE och DD). Förhållandet mellan antalet rödlistade och antalet bedömda arter ar 19,8 %, vilket är ungefär samma värde som 2010 och 2005. I denna rapport jämförs antalet och andelen rödlistade arter mellan olika organismgrupper, biotoper, substrat och påverkansfaktorer. Texten ar indelad i en allmän del och åtta kapitel inriktade på olika landskapstyper. Landskapstyperna utgör en grov indelning av landets miljöer enligt följande kategorier: Skog, Jordbrukslandskap, Urbana miljöer, Fjäll, Våtmarker, Sötvatten, Havsstränder och Havsmiljöer. Skogen och jordbrukslandskapet är de artrikaste landskapstyperna med 1 800 respektive 1 400 arter som har en stark anknytning dit, och ytterligare flera hundra arter som förekommer där mer sporadiskt. De faktorer som påverkar flest rödlistade arter i Sverige är skogsavverkning och igenväxning, som båda utgör ett hot mot vardera ca 30 % av de rödlistade arterna. Avverkning minskar arealen av skog där naturliga strukturer och naturlig dynamik upprätthålls, och den orsakar därmed förlust av livsmiljöer. Igenväxning orsakas av ett antal faktorer, bland annat upphörande hävd (bete och slåtter), gödsling, trädplantering och brist på naturliga störningsregimer som t.ex. regelbundna översvämningar kring vattendrag och sjöar. Andra viktiga påverkansfaktorer är fiske, torrläggning av våtmarker, tillbakagång hos värdarter (främst alm och ask som drabbats av invasiva svampsjukdomar), klimatförändringar och konkurrens från invasiva arter. IUCN:s rödlisteindex beräknas för ett urval av de bedömda organismgrupperna. Rödlisteindex visar att skillnaderna mellan rödlistorna från 2000, 2005, 2010 och 2015 är små. Ett par undantag finns dock. Groddjur och stora däggdjur har fått en något förbättrad situation sedan 2000. Totalt förefaller det ändå som att trycket mot Sveriges artstock har förblivit relativt konstant under de senaste 15 åren

Reproductive and hormonal factors and risk of renal cell carcinoma among women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

PurposeThe incidence of small intestinal cancer (SIC) is increasing, however, its aetiology remains unclear due to a lack of data from large-scale prospective cohorts. We examined modifiable risk factors in relation to SIC overall and by histological subtype.MethodsWe analysed 450,107 participants enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate univariable and multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsDuring an average of 14.1 years of follow-up, 160 incident SICs (62 carcinoids, 51 adenocarcinomas) were identified. Whilst univariable models revealed a positive association for current versus never smokers and SIC (HR, 95% CI: 1.77, 1.21-2.60), this association attenuated in multivariable models. In energy-adjusted models, there was an inverse association across vegetable intake tertiles for SIC overall (HRT3vsT1, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.32-0.71, p-trend: < 0.001) and for carcinoids (HRT3vsT1, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.24-0.82, p-trend: 0.01); however, these attenuated in multivariable models. Total fat was also inversely associated with total SIC and both subtypes but only in the second tertile (SIC univariable HRT2vsT1, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.38-0.84; SIC multivariable HRT2vsT1, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.37-0.81). Physical activity, intake of alcohol, red or processed meat, dairy products, or fibre were not associated with SIC.ConclusionThese exploratory analyses found limited evidence for a role of modifiable risk factors in SIC aetiology. However, sample size was limited, particularly for histologic subtypes; therefore, larger studies are needed to delineate these associations and robustly identify risk factors for SIC

Reproductive and hormonal factors and risk of renal cell carcinoma among women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Background - Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is twice as common among men compared with women, and hormonal factors have been suggested to partially explain this difference. There is currently little evidence on the roles of reproductive and hormonal risk factors in RCC aetiology. Materials & Methods - We investigated associations of age at menarche and age at menopause, pregnancy-related factors, hysterectomy and ovariectomy and exogenous hormone use with RCC risk among 298,042 women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Results - During 15 years of follow-up, 438 RCC cases were identified. Parous women had higher rates of RCC compared with nulliparous women (HR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.18, 2.46), and women who were older at age of first pregnancy had lower rates of RCC (30 years + vs. Conclusion - Our results suggest that parity and reproductive organ surgeries may play a role in RCC aetiology