Vanishing Theorems for constructible Sheaves on Abelian Varieties

We show that the hypercohomology of most character twists of perverse sheaves on a complex abelian variety vanishes in all non-zero degrees. As a consequence we obtain a vanishing theorem for constructible sheaves and a relative vanishing theorem for a homomorphism between abelian varieties. Our proof relies on a Tannakian description for convolution products of perverse sheaves, and with future applications in mind we discuss the basic properties of the arising Tannaka groups

Inhibitory antibodies designed for matrix metalloproteinase modulation

The family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) consists of a set of biological targets that are involved in a multitude of severe pathogenic events such as different forms of cancers or arthritis. Modulation of the target class with small molecule drugs has not led to the anticipated success until present, as all clinical trials failed due to unacceptable side effects or a lack of therapeutic outcome. Monoclonal antibodies offer a tremendous therapeutic potential given their high target selectivity and good pharmacokinetic profiles. For the treatment of a variety of diseases there are already antibody therapies available and the number is increasing. Recently, several antibodies were developed for the selective inhibition of single MMPs that showed high potency and were therefore investigated in in vivo studies with promising results. In this review, we highlight the progress that has been achieved toward the design of inhibitory antibodies that successfully modulate MMP-9 and MMP-14

O Brother, Where Art Thou?: The Effects of Having a Sibling on Geographic Mobility and Labor Market Outcomes

In most industrialized countries, more people than ever are having to cope with the burden of caring for elderly parents. This paper formulates a model to explain how parental care responsibilities and family structure interact in affecting children's mobility characteristics. A key insight we obtain is that the mobility of young adults crucially depends on the presence of a sibling. Our explanation is mainly, but not ex-clusively, based on a sibling power effect. Siblings compete in location and employment decisions so as to direct parental care decisions at later stages towards their preferred outcome. Only children are not exposed to this kind of competition. This causes an equilibrium in which siblings not only exhibit higher mobility than only children, but also have better labor market outcomes. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and from the American National Survey of Families and House- holds (NSFH), we find strong evidence that confirms these patterns. The implications of our results are then discussed in the context of current population trends in Europe and the United States.Geographic Mobility, Intergenerational Relationships, Care of the Elderly, Family Bargaining.

Does Democracy Foster Trust?

The level of trust inherent in a society is important for a wide range of microeconomic and macroeconomic outcomes. This paper investigates how individuals' attitudes toward social and institutional trust are shaped by the political regime in which they live. The German reunification is a unique natural experiment that allows us to conduct such a study. Using data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) and from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), we obtain two sets of results. On one side, we find that, shortly after reunification, East Germans displayed a significantly less trusting attitude than West Germans. This suggests a negative effect of communism in East Germany versus democracy in West Germany on social and institutional trust. However, the experience of democracy by East Germans since reunification did not serve to increase levels of social trust significantly. In fact, we cannot reject the hypothesis that East Germans, after more than a decade of democracy, have the same levels of social distrust as shortly after the collapse of communism. In trying to understand the underlying causes, we show that the persistence of social distrust in the East can be explained by negative economic outcomes that many East Germans experienced in the post-reunification period. Our main conclusion is that democracy can foster trust in post-communist societies only when citizens' economic outcomes are right.Social Trust, Institutional Trust, Political Regimes.

Capital Market Institutions and Venture Capital: Do They Affect Unemployment and Labour Demand?

This paper analyses the influence of the capital market on the labour market. Especially the impact of start-up financing on the structure of unemployment is of interest. We use a cross-country panel data analysis to examine how venture capital investment influences disaggre-gate unemployment. As we expected, venture capital investment has different influences on sectoral-, educational- and occupational-specific unemployment. We suggest, on the basis of the regression results that venture capital investment is a catalyst of structural change and has contributed to the faster growing internet and new economy sector in countries like the U.S. that have a well-developed venture capital market.Labor markets, venture capital, employment, new economy, panel analysis

Family Location and Caregiving Patterns from an International Perspective

This paper conducts a cross-national econometric analysis of intra-family location and caregiving patterns. First, we assess, from an international perspective, the relationship between family structure and the geographic proximity between adult children and their parents. We then examine whether differences in family structure affect the amount of informal care adult children provide to their elderly parents. Lastly, we look for cross-country differences in family location and caregiving patterns, and interpret observed differences in terms of heterogenous institutional solutions to the long-term care problem. Our results not only provide a new empirical perspective on the geography of the family, but also give interesting insights into how family-related and institutional factors shape patterns of time transfers from adult children to elderly parents.geography of the family, child-to-parent time transfers