Social Functioning of Children and Their Parents: Are They Related?

This study examined whether parents' social support was related to their children's peer acceptance and likability. The moderating role of the parent's and the child's gender was also examined. Father (N = 146-150) and mother (N = 201) reports of social support and peer reports of peer acceptance were obtained from 107 boys and 96 girls (7.92-16.76 years, M = 11.77). Aspects of fathers' and mothers' social support were observed to be differentially correlated with their children's friendships and likability. While fathers' social support was moderately correlated with their children's friendships, mothers' social support was not. The implications of these findings for the role of fathers in children's social functioning are discussed

A tubular protozoan predator: a burrow selectively filled with tubular agglutinated protozoans (Xenophyophorea, Foraminifera) in the abyssal South China Sea

We report the occurrence of an unusual agglutinated protozoan-filled burrow recovered in a box core collected in 1998 from a depth of 2496 m in the South China Sea. The onion-shaped burrow occurring some 8 cm beneath the sediment surface was packed full with specimens of xenophyophoreans and foraminifera dominated by a single genus (Aschemonella) that had been living on the surface of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo ash layer. This selective scavenging of epibenthic tubular agglutinated protozoans contributes to the patchiness of the benthic fauna on the sea floor. Because the tubular protozoans selectively agglutinate mafic mineral grains from the volcanic ash, two levels of biological scavenging are involved with the redistribution of these volcanic grains

Sediment disturbance caused by a suspension-feeding tubular agglutinated foraminifer

We report the occurrence of in-situ sediment disturbance caused by a specimen of Rhabdammina observed in life position on the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo ash layer in the abyssal South China Sea. The specimen extracts sediment grains from the ash layer to build its agglutinated test, causing a depression, or “moat” to form around the base of the specimen. We suspect that such fine-scale disturbance caused by large, erect tubular foraminifera is a common feature of the fossil record in deep-sea settings

The Difficulty to Behave as a (regulated) Natural Monopolist – The Dynamics of Electricity Network Access Charges in Germany 2002 to 2005

Reviewing the development of network access charges in the German electricity market since 2002 reveals significant variation. While some firms continually increased or decreased their access charges, a variety of firms exhibited discontinuousn behavior with price changes in both directions. From an economic viewpoint this price setting turbulence is astonishing because grid operators are non-contestable natural monopolists, which in this time period were regulated by Negotiated Third Party Access (NTPA). Depending on the eectiveness or ineectiveness of NTPA,expected behavior would be either regulated average cost prices or monopoly prices, but not the observed turbulence. Although in 2005 NTPA scheme was replaced by a Regulated Third Party Access (RTPA) scheme with a regulator, an analysis of the factors influencing the price setting behavior within this period oers valuable information for the new regulator and the still discussed new incentive regulation, which is expected to start in 2009. Using multivariate estimations based on firm data covering the years 2000-2005, we test the hypotheses that asymmetric influence of regulatory threat, dierent cost and price calculation knowledge, strategic use of structural features and the obligation to publish specific access charges have influenced the electricity network access charges in Germany.Keywords: deregulation, natural monopoly, power industry

Testing for Economies of Scope in European Railways: An Efficiency Analysis

In this paper, we conduct a pan-European effciency analysis to investigate the performance of European railways with a particular focus on economies of vertical integration. We test the hypothesis that integrated railways realize economies of scope and, thus, produce railway services with a higher level of effciency. To determine whether joint or separate production is more effcient, we apply a Data Envelopment Analysis super-effciency bootstrapping model which relates the ef- ficiency for integrated production to a reference set consisting of separated firms which use a dierent production technology. We find that for a majority of European railways economies of scope exist.Efficiency, Vertical Integraton, Railway Industry

Economies of Scope in European Railways: An Efficiency Analysis

In the course of railway reforms in the end of the last century, national European governments, as well the EU Commission, decided to open markets and to separate railway networks from train operations. Vertically integrated railway companies – companies owning a network and providing transport services – argue that such a separation of infrastructure and operations would diminish the advantages of vertical integration and would therefore not be suitable to raise economic welfare. In this paper, we conduct a pan-European analysis to investigate the performance of European railways with a particular focus on economies of vertical integration. We test the hypothesis that integrated railways realise economies of joint production and, thus, produce railway services on a higher level of efficiency. To determine whether joint or separate production is more efficient we apply a Data Envelopment Analysis super-efficiency bootstrapping model which relates the efficiency for integrated production to a virtual reference set consisting of the separated production technology. Our findings are that in a majority of European Railway companies exist economies of scope.efficiency, vertical integration, railway industry