WTP vs.WTA: Christmas Presents and the Endowment Effect

Using data on the valuation of Christmas gifts received by students in different fields at a German university, we investigate whether the endowment effect differs between students of economics and other respondents and whether it varies with the market price of the object under consideration.Our estimation results suggest that economics students have both, a significant lower WTP andWTA, indicating that existing studies on the efficiency loss of holiday gifts and experimental studies on the endowment effect that rely on data from economics students may be biased. The result further indicate that the endowment effect is independent of the market price of the object.Loss aversion, endowment effect, Christmas presents, deadweight loss

Detection of laser-UV microirradiation-induced DNA photolesions by immunofluorescent staining

A low-power laser-UV microbeam of wave-length 257 nm was used for microirradiation of a small part of the nucleus of Chinese hamster cells. Following fixation in interphase or in the subsequent metaphase indirect immunofluorescent staining was performed with antiserum to photoproducts of DNA treated with far UV light. The results show that antibodies specific for UV-irradiated DNA can be used for a direct detection of laser-UV microirradiation-induced DNA photolesions. The potential usefulness of this method for investigation of the spatial arrangement of chromosomes in the interphase nucleus is discussed

Fiscal Effects of Minimum Wages – An Analysis for Germany

Against the background of the current discussion on the introduction of statutory minimum wages in Germany, this paper analyzes the potential employment and fiscal effects of such a policy. Based on estimated labor demand elasticities obtained from a structural labor demand model, the empirical results imply that the introduction of minimum wages in Germany will be associated with significant employment losses that are concentrated among marginal and low- and semi-skilled full-time workers. Even though minimum wages will lead to increased public revenues from income taxes and social security benefits, they will result in a significant fiscal burden, due to increased expenditures for unemployment benefits and decreased revenues from corporate taxes.Minimum wages, employment, public budget, fiscal effects

Brother Sun, Sister Moon: The Lunar Cycle, Sunspots and the Frequency of Births

Based on multivariate linear regression models, we analyze the effect of the lunar cycle and the number of sunspots occurring on a particular day on the number of births using social security data and controlling for a number of other potential confounders. The daily number of births between 1920 and 1989 have been calculated from the full sample of individuals who have been registered at least once in the German social security system. While the lunar cycle does not affect the number of births, the number of sunspots has a positive, albeit small eff ect on the number of births which is decreasing over time. The empirical results may be explained by medical technological progress making natural influences on births less important over time. This interpretation is supported by the results on the intertemporal influence of weekends and holidays on the frequency of daily births.Daily frequency of births; lunar cycle; sunspots

Do Guns Displace Books? – The Impact of Compulsory Military Service on Educational Attainment

Compulsory military service typically drafts young men when they are at the height of their learning ability. Thus, it can be expected to depress the demand for higher education since skill atrophy and the delayed entry into the civilian labor market reduce the returns to human-capital investments. Attending university, however, might open the possibility to avoid the draft, leading to an increase in the demand for tertiary education. To estimate the causal eff ect of conscription on the probability to obtain a university degree, we use a regression-discontinuity design that employs special regulations associated with the introduction of conscription in Germany in 1956. We estimate conscription to increase the probability of having a university degree.Regression discontinuity; conscription; career interruption; skill atrophy;TS2SLS

Wake-mediated propulsion of an upstream particle in two-dimensional plasma crystals

The wake-mediated propulsion of an "extra" particle in a channel of two neighboring rows of a two-dimensional plasma crystal, observed experimentally by Du et al. [Phys. Rev. E 89, 021101(R) (2014)], is explained in simulations and theory. We use the simple model of a pointlike ion wake charge to reproduce this intriguing effect in simulations, allowing for a detailed investigation and a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics. We show that the nonreciprocity of the particle interaction, owing to the wake charges, is responsible for a broken symmetry of the channel that enables a persistent self-propelled motion of the extra particle. We find good agreement of the terminal extra-particle velocity with our theoretical considerations and with experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, PRL (https://journals.aps.org/prl/), updated version with correct author affiliation

Mindestlöhne und das Entsendungsgesetz

In der Regierungskoalition streitet man sich derzeit darüber, ob gesetzliche Mindestlöhne eingeführt und das Entsendegesetz auf weitere Branchen ausgeweitet werden sollten. Welchen Einfluss hat die intensivere internationale Arbeitsteilung auf den Arbeitsmarkt? Welche Wirkungen haben Mindestlöhne und das Entsendegesetz in der Theorie und Empirie? Brauchen wir einen Mindestlohn? --