Zur Erklärung der Zuwanderungen nach Deutschland: ein Gravitationsmodell

Diese Arbeit untersucht die Wirkung geographischer, sozio-politischer und ökonomi-scher Einflussfaktoren auf die Zuwanderung nach Deutschland. Die komparativ-statische Analyse erfolgt auf Grundlage des Gravitationsmodells für die Jahre 1970, 1981, 1992, 1999 und 2003 mit Hilfe der OLS-Methode. -- This paper examines the influence of geographic, social, political and economic factors on the immigration to Germany. Based on the gravity model of migration we adopt a comparative-static approach and estimate the model for the year 1970, 1981, 1992, 1999 and 2003 with OLS.

COVID-19 and androgenic status: testosterone or dihydrotestosterone have a pivotal role?

The aim of our study is analysis of the androgenic status including testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in men hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and them relationship with the course of the disease. This is a monocentric prospective study performed on 125 male patients hospitalized for COVID-19. We conducted hematological examination, blood biochemical profile, hemostasis analysis and hormonal examination (T and DHT levels) lung and chest computed tomography and also assessed outcomes of hospitalization. Low DHT serum level was found only in 18 patients (14.4%). Subjects with low DHT were significantly older compare to subjects with normal DHT. At the same time in patients with normal DHT white blood cells (WBC) count, neutrophils at admission were higher than in patients with low DHT. No correlation was observed between T and DHT serum blood levels. C-reactive protein (CRP) has a weak positive correlation of DHT serum blood concentration (r = 0.22; p = 0.016). The inverse pattern was obtained for T serum blood concentration (r = −0.285; p = 0.001). After divided all males according to T concentrations we conducted next correlation analysis for DHT and CRP in two different groups: with normal T levels and with low T levels. We found that in males with normal T DHT levels are not correlated with CRP (r = 0.095; p = 0.462). However, in males with low T DHT and CRP had weak positive correlation with r = 0.317 (p = 0.012). Higher DHT concentrations are associated with higher CRP levels, however correlation is weak and in patients with normal T is absent, that may indicate anti-inflammatory effect of T and possible proinflammatory effect of DHT

Tax avoidance and Credit Rating association

In this research, I present the analysis of the relationship between credit rating and tax avoidance. I found out that the lower the cash effective tax rate the stronger the association with credit rating. Sensitivity analysis showed that the probability of falling into more favorable credit rating category is increases and the probability of falling into less favorable category decreases if cash effective tax rate increases at least by 1%. Also, the negative association between book-tax differences and credit rating found

Facebook as alternative public space. Yhe use of Facebook by Ukrainian journalists during the 2012 parliamentary election

As the social media increasingly proliferate and shape media consumption in the present-day world, journalists growingly turn to them in search of direct access to their audiences. Under conditions of restricted media freedom, such access suggests a great asset both to journalists who can engage into an open discussion with a wider public and to the very public. In Ukraine, both trends had been vivid in recent years preceding the Euromaidan: on the one hand, media freedom had been deteriorating, but on the other hand, journalists had been utilizing social media more actively. The article examines how Ukrainian journalists communicated with their audiences via Facebook. In particular, it analyzes patterns of interaction during the 2012 parliamentary election campaign. The results of the study show a substantial level of confusion among Ukrainian journalists regarding the role of public debate on Facebook in 2012–2013. While journalists tended to dismiss users’ comments as mostly irrelevant, they did consider themselves to be providers of important information or viewpoints for the formation of public opinion. Although such interaction between journalists and other users does not satisfy the normative criteria of the public sphere, analysis of content and interviews with journalists showed that Facebook did suggest an evolving alternative public space in Ukraine, in contrast to the ever more controlled space of mainstream media during the presidency of Yanukovych

Facebook as an alternative public space: The use of Facebook by Ukrainian journalists during the 2012 parliamentary election

As the social media increasingly proliferate and shape media consumption in the present-day world, journalists growingly turn to them in search of direct access to their audiences. Under conditions of restricted media freedom, such access suggests a great asset both to journalists who can engage into an open discussion with a wider public and to the very public. In Ukraine, both trends had been vivid in recent years preceding the Euromaidan: on the one hand, media freedom had been deteriorating, but on the other hand, journalists had been utilizing social media more actively. The article examines how Ukrainian journalists communicated with their audiences via Facebook. In particular, it analyzes patterns of interaction during the 2012 parliamentary election campaign. The results of the study show a substantial level of confusion among Ukrainian journalists regarding the role of public debate on Facebook in 2012–2013. While journalists tended to dismiss users’ comments as mostly irrelevant, they did consider themselves to be providers of important information or viewpoints for the formation of public opinion. Although such interaction between journalists and other users does not satisfy the normative criteria of the public sphere, analysis of content and interviews with journalists showed that Facebook did suggest an evolving alternative public space in Ukraine, in contrast to the ever more controlled space of mainstream media during the presidency of Yanukovych.    As the social media increasingly proliferate and shape media consumption in the present-day world, journalists growingly turn to them in search of direct access to their audiences. Under conditions of restricted media freedom, such access suggests a great asset both to journalists who can engage into an open discussion with a wider public and to the very public. In Ukraine, both trends had been vivid in recent years preceding the Euromaidan: on the one hand, media freedom had been deteriorating, but on the other hand, journalists had been utilizing social media more actively. The article examines how Ukrainian journalists communicated with their audiences via Facebook. In particular, it analyzes patterns of interaction during the 2012 parliamentary election campaign. The results of the study show a substantial level of confusion among Ukrainian journalists regarding the role of public debate on Facebook in 2012–2013. While journalists tended to dismiss users’ comments as mostly irrelevant, they did consider themselves to be providers of important information or viewpoints for the formation of public opinion. Although such interaction between journalists and other users does not satisfy the normative criteria of the public sphere, analysis of content and interviews with journalists showed that Facebook did suggest an evolving alternative public space in Ukraine, in contrast to the ever more controlled space of mainstream media during the presidency of Yanukovych. &nbsp

Flexibility and HRM : A study of the application in the e-commerce industry

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att skapa en ökad förståelse för de konsekvenser som interna respektive externa ansatser till bemanningsflexibilitet och därtill hörande HRM-metoder får för verksamheten avseende flexibilitet, kostnad, kvalitet och leverans. Syftet är vidare att pröva teorin om bemanningsflexibilitet, HRM-metoder och dess effekter på verksamheten mot studiens empiriska material. Metod: Uppsatsens undersökning har genomförts med ett kvalitativt angreppssätt och grundar sig på en litteraturstudie samt egna primärkällor. Primärkällorna består av intervjuer med tre företag i e-handelsbranschen, en verksamhet där flexibilitet är av stor vikt. Slutsatser: Extern respektive intern flexibilitet fanns vara kopplade till skilda sätt att hantera personalresursen, vilket ledde till olika konsekvenser. Enligt resultatet av undersökningen påvisas extern flexibilitet vara förknippat med hårdare HRM-metoder och vissa negativa konsekvenser av detta, som t ex lägre motivation och lojalitet samt hög personalomsättning. Trots detta var den externa flexibiliteten i fokus hos samtliga företag i studien. Undersökningen tyder dock inte på att detta inverkade negativt på objektiva prestationsmått som produktivitet och kundnöjdhet.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create a greater understanding of the impact that internal and external approaches to staffing flexibility and associated HRM practices have on organizational performance measures like cost, quality, delivery and flexibility. A further aim is to test the theory of staffing flexibility, HRM practices and its effects on operations on the study's empirical material. Method: The study was conducted with a qualitative approach and is based on a literature review together with primary sources. The primary sources consist of interviews with three companies in the e-commerce industry. Conclusions: External and internal flexibility was linked to different ways of manageing staff resources, leading to different consequences. According to the results of the survey external flexibility is associated with tougher HRM practices and certain negative consequences of this, such as lower motivation and loyalty and high employee turnover. Despite this the focus on external flexibility was prominent in all companies in the study. The study does not indicate tough that this had a negative impact on objective performance measures such as productivity and customer satisfaction

Identification of a Novel de Novo Variant in the CASZ1 Causing a Rare Type of Dilated Cardiomyopathy

A new de novo frameshift variant has been identified in the CASZ1 gene leading to severe dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: The proband was analyzed with WES NGS, post-mortem, using dried blood spots on filters. The variant was verified with Sanger sequencing for the proband and her parents. Results: We reported a proband with a new de novo frameshift mutation, c.3781del (p.(Trp1261GlyfsTer29)), in the CASZ1 gene. The clinical presentation was similar to the severe phenotype described in previous studies. Conclusions: In this study, we described a new case with a frameshift mutation in CASZ1 causing a severe phenotype of dilated cardiomyopathy

Parasitic gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) on Kunashiri Island, with a description of a new species Spinturnix uchikawai sp. nov.

The article presents new data on gamasid mites associated with bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) on Kunashiri Island. Three species (Macronyssus charusnurensis, M. granulosus, M. hosonoi) are described for this area for the first time. A description of a new species Spinturnix uchikawai sp. nov., illustrations, and key to species of the genus Spinturnix for the boreal zone of Eastern Palaearctic region are given

Parasitic gamasid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) associated with bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) on Kunashiri Island, with a description of a new species Spinturnix uchikawai sp. nov.

The article presents new data on gamasid mites associated with bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) on Kunashiri Island. Three species (Macronyssus charusnurensis, M. granulosus, M. hosonoi) are described for this area for the first time. A description of a new species Spinturnix uchikawai sp. nov., illustrations, and key to species of the genus Spinturnix for the boreal zone of Eastern Palaearctic region are given