Tracing the income-fertility nexus: Nonparametric Estimates for a Panel of Countries

We apply the a nonparametric method of kernel regression on a dataset for 109 countries to estimate the income fertility nexus in demo-economic transition. The results suggest the existence of a critical level of per capita income above which fertility decreases exponentially with rising income. For income levels below fertility stays on a high level and its relation to income is of minor significance. The critical income threshold changes over time and is lower for more recent periods, which gives evidence of major structural shifts in the relationship under investigation.

Earnings and employment situation of East German men, 1990-93: an empirical investigation using panel data

"This paper deals with the development of the earnings and employment situation of East German men in the sequel of the German unification. The economic transition led to massive job losses, while the wages of those still employed were gradually raised to a level which is meanwhile close to the one prevailing in the West. The paper is organized as follows: Chapter 2 describes the econometric approach on wich the empirical investigation is based upon. Chapter 3 contains a summary description of the data used for estimation, and the empirical results are collected and commented upon in chapter 4. A short summary (chapter 5) concludes the artic1e."Die Transformation der ostdeutschen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft nach der Wiedervereinigung hat zu einer massiven strukturellen Arbeitslosigkeit geführt, während sich die Löhne der Beschäftigten kontinuierlich dem Westniveau angenähert haben. Die Studie analysiert anhand der Daten des Sozioökonomischen Panels die Faktoren, die die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines männlichen Arbeitnehmers, in den neuen Bundesländern beschäftigt bzw. arbeitlos zu sein, beeinflussen. Hauptziel der Studie ist die Überprüfung der Zusammenhänge zwischen den sogenannten "human capital" Variablen (Schulbildung, allgemeine Qualifikation und Arbeitserfahrungen) und der Entwicklung des individuellen Einkommens und dem Arbeitsmarktstatus. Als modifizierende Variablen werden das Alter der Probanden und ihr Gesundheitsstatus berücksichtigt. (pre

Landuse and Community-based Assessment of 2014 Flood Damages in Tehsil Phalia, Punjab

In this study the response and feedback from the flood-hit community of Phalia (Mandi Bahauddin) obtained through local interviews and filling of questionnaires have been analyzed. Secondary data were obtained from Pakistan meteorological and local revenue departments were also statistically analyzed. Several types of damages including houses, crops, diseases, economic loss, and livestock have been considered. Pre- and Post-flood changes in the landuse, by high resolution satellite data (Landsat 8 OLI) delineated coverage of inundation of 186.85 km2 area. It has been demonstrated that Phalia tehsil was severely damaged in 2014 rainfall induced flood in Chenab river which left lasting impacts on the socio-economic lives of local communities. The major damages experienced by the people of the study area included; house damages, crop damages, diseases, economic losses and livestock damages. It is necessary that government revises the flood prevention policies based on the community response to mitigate the disaste

Drug resistance profile and biofilm forming potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from contact lenses in Karachi-Pakistan

BACKGROUND: The contaminated contact lens provides Pseudomonas aeruginosa an ideal site for attachment and biofilm production. Continuous contact of the eye to the biofilm-infested lens can lead to serious ocular diseases, such as keratitis (corneal ulcers). The biofilms also prevent effective penetration of the antibiotics, which increase the chances of antibiotic resistance. METHODS: For this study, 22 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were obtained from 36 contact lenses and 14 contact lens protective fluid samples. These isolates were tested against eight commonly used antibiotics using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. The biofilm forming potential of these isolates was also evaluated using various qualitative and quantitative techniques. Finally, a relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance was also examined. RESULTS: The isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa tested were found resistant to most of the antibiotics tested. Qualitative and quantitative biofilm analysis revealed that most of the isolates exhibited strong biofilm production. The biofilm production was significantly higher in isolates that were multi-drug resistant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that multi-drug resistant, biofilm forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates are mainly involved in contact lens associated infections. This appears to be the first report from Pakistan, which analyzes both antibiotic resistance profile and biofilm forming potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from contact lens of the patients with contact lens associated infections

Achieving sustained competitive advantage in retail and consumer service firms: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage.

The vital role of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage in creating sustained competitive advantage in retail and consumer service firms is increasingly acknowledged in modern markets. Using data from 246 retail and consumer service firms (hereafter R&CSFs) in Japan, this paper develops and empirically tests a framework delineating how entrepreneurial-oriented R&CSFs strategically combine existing resources while managing risks to differentiate their service portfolios to be competitive. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage influence differentiation advantage and risk management, which, in turn, is associated with creating a sustained competitive advantage (hereafter SCA). This paper adds novel insights to the dynamic capabilities view and retail and service marketing literature by identifying entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial bricolage, and risk management as dynamic capabilities, which allows R&CSFs to create service innovations in resource-constrained environments

Yield Curve and Momentum Effects in Monthly U.S. Equity Returns: Some Nonparametric Evidence

In this paper, two largely familiar stock market anomalies – the yield curve and the momentum effects - are re-examined for the S&amp;P 500 index by using nonparametric regression. The results essentially confirm the existence of both of these phenomena, but also indicate that the stochastic linkages between the explanatory variables and future index returns are nonlinear and mutually dependent. It hence turns out that the greater flexibility offered by nonparametric regression enables the detection and characterisation of some features of the underlying relationship that would have been gone unnoticed under the linearity and additivity assumptions underlying simpler regression approaches

Early Retirement in West Germany: A Sequential Model of Discrete Choice

In this paper, I describe a structural model of retirement behaviour, which accounts for the multiplicity of alternative retirement ages, the possibility of unobserved heterogeneity and the „absorbing state" property of the retirement decision. The results of its implementation for a panel dataset of West Geman males reveal that a person's health status plays a key role in determining the timing of retirement, and that the relative intensity of the individual preference for leisure among public sector employees is, ceteris paribus, below average. A policy-related simulation experiment demonstrates the relevance of pension benefits for the freqency distribution of retirement ages

Labour supply disincentive effects of old age public pensions: a case study for West Germany combining panel data and aggregate information

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel W 752 (28) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

The pension incentive to retire: Empirical evidence for West Germany

In this paper, the impact of the West German pension system on the retirement decisions of elderly citizens is analyzed within the framework of a discrete-time hazard rate model deduced from a micro-economic decision rule. The model is estimated using a panel dataset of elderly West German citizens. In order to improve the precision of the estimates obtained, the data from the sample are combined with aggregate-level information on the labour force participation behaviour of the elderly. Policy simulations based on the estimates reveal that the probability of early retirement can be reduced significantly by appropriate changes in the pension system. JEL classification: C32, C41, J26Retirement · pensions · hazard rates