Rent indices for housing in West Germany 1985 to 1998

In several studies, hedonic methods have been used successfully for the ex post assessment of the accuracy of inflation measurement. Most of those studies relate to high-tech products, with respect to which traditional methods of compiling price indices often fail. We apply hedonic methods to rental housing services, which display less quality progress. However, as German households devote about 10 % of their total expenditure to rented housing services, even a small bias in this field might induce a substantial distortion in overall inflation measurement. On the basis of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we perform a hedonic analysis of housing rents and compile different price indices. Overall, we conclude that there is some evidence of an understatement of rent inflation in the official rent index for West Germany at the beginning of the 1990s. -- Hedonische Methoden wurden in einer Reihe von Studien erfolgreich für die ex post Analyse der Genauigkeit der Inflationsmessung verwendet. Die meisten dieser Studien beziehen sich auf High-tech Produkte, bei denen traditionelle Methoden zur Berechnung von Preisindizes oftmals versagen. Wir wenden hedonische Methoden auf Mieten für Wohnungen an. Dort ist der Qualitätsfortschritt weniger stark. Da aber die privaten Haushalte in Deutschland rund 10 % ihres Budgets für Mieten ausgeben, könnte selbst eine kleine Verzerrung in diesem Bereich die Genauigkeit der Inflationsmessung insgesamt empfindlich stören. Auf Grundlage von Daten des Sozioökonomischen Panels schätzen wir hedonische Gleichungen für Wohnungsmieten und berechnen verschiedene Indizes. Insgesamt kommen wir zu dem Ergebnis, dass es in Westdeutschland Anfang der neunziger Jahre Hinweise auf eine Unterschätzung des Mietenanstiegs durch den offiziellen Mietenindex gab.Consumer Price Index,hedonics,housing,matched models

Rent indices for housing in West Germany 1985 to 1998

In several studies, hedonic methods have been used successfully for the ex post assessment of the accuracy of inflation measurement. Most of those studies relate to high-tech products, with respect to which traditional methods of compiling price indices often fail. We apply hedonic methods to rental housing services, which display less quality progress. However, as German households devote about 10 % of their total expenditure to rented housing services, even a small bias in this field might induce a substantial distortion in overall inflation measurement. On the basis of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we perform a hedonic analysis of housing rents and compile different price indices. Overall, we conclude that there is some evidence of an understatement of rent inflation in the official rent index for West Germany at the beginning of the 1990s

Preface

Preface of the Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Petri Nets and Graph Transformation PNGT 201

A concept for integrated care pathways for atopic dermatitis — a GA2LEN ADCARE initiative

Introduction The integrated care pathways for atopic dermatitis (AD-ICPs) aim to bridge the gap between existing AD treatment evidence-based guidelines and expert opinion based on daily practice by offering a structured multidisciplinary plan for patient management of AD. ICPs have the potential to enhance guideline recommendations by combining interventions and aspects from different guidelines, integrating quality assurance, and describing co-ordination of care. Most importantly, patients can enter the ICPs at any level depending on AD severity, resources available in their country, and economic factors such as differences in insurance reimbursement systems. Methods The GA2LEN ADCARE network and partners as well as all stakeholders, abbreviated as the AD-ICPs working group, were involved in the discussion and preparation of the AD ICPs during a series of subgroup workshops and meetings in years 2020 and 2021, after which the document was circulated within all GAL2EN ADCARE centres. Results The AD-ICPs outline the diagnostic procedures, possible co-morbidities, different available treatment options including differential approaches for the pediatric population, and the role of the pharmacists and other stakeholders, as well as remaining unmet needs in the management of AD. Conclusion The AD-ICPs provide a multidisciplinary plan for improved diagnosis, treatment, and patient feedback in AD management, as well as addressing critical unmet needs, including improved access to care, training specialists, implementation of educational programs, assessment on the impact of climate change, and fostering a personalised treatment approach. By focusing on these key areas, the initiative aims to pave the way for a brighter future in the management of AD

Earth observation for exposome mapping of Germany: analyzing environmental factors relevant to non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases - NCDs - (e.g., asthma, cancer, or diabetes) are a major concern for society and medicine. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs are responsible for > 70 % of global premature deaths. Apart from increasing mortality, these diseases strain one’s immune system which leads to higher susceptibility to transmittable diseases. NCD-susceptibility depends on the genome (genetic predisposition), behavior (lifestyle), and exposome of a person. The exposome is a composition of environmental parameters such as exposure to air pollution, noise, extreme temperatures, or surrounding greenness. Using Earth Observation data, the majority of factors making up the exposome can be monitored over long periods of time at high resolution and with nearly global coverage. Still, exposome maps and products communicating NCD risk are not widely available. In this study, we utilize eight land surface datasets (distance to green spaces, distance to blue spaces, temperature, noise from industry, as well as road, rail, and air traffic, and light pollution) as well as two air pollution datasets (PM2.5 and NO2) to map health-relevant environmental exposure. We use an established cumulative approach and incorporate exposure-response relationships from scientific literature to map environments that impact public health for the complete area of Germany. We present results communicating exposure relevant to myocardial infarction risk. The methodology is transferable to other NCDs and other areas of interest. In the context of the global health burden from NCDs and ongoing global change, this approach supplies findings for communicating health-relevant exposure

Rent indices for housing in West Germany 1985 to 1998

In several studies, hedonic methods have been used successfully for the ex post assessment of the accuracy of inflation measurement. Most of those studies relate to high-tech products, with respect to which traditional methods of compiling price indices often fail. We apply hedonic methods to rental housing services, which display less quality progress. However, as German households devote about 10 % of their total expenditure to rented housing services, even a small bias in this field might induce a substantial distortion in overall inflation measurement. On the basis of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we perform a hedonic analysis of housing rents and compile different price indices. Overall, we conclude that there is some evidence of an understatement of rent inflation in the official rent index for West Germany at the beginning of the 1990s. JEL Classification: C21, C43, D12, E31

Dynamics of small unilamellar vesicles

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in J. Chem. Phys. 148, 104901 (2018) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5009424.In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of small unilamellar vesicles with the aid of neutron spin-echo spectroscopy. The purpose of this investigation is twofold. On the one hand, we investigate the influence of solubilised cosurfactant on the dynamics of the vesicle’s surfactant bilayer. On the other hand, the small unilamellar vesicles used here have a size between larger vesicles, with dynamics being well described by the Zilman-Granek model and smaller microemulsion droplets which can be described by the Milner-Safran model. Therefore, we want to elucidate the question, which model is more suitable for the description of the membrane dynamics of small vesicles, where the finite curvature of the bilayer is felt by the contained amphiphilic molecules. This question is of substantial relevance for our understanding of membranes and how their dynamics is affected by curvature, a problem that is also of key importance in a number of biological questions. Our results indicate the even down to vesicle radii of 20 nm the Zilman-Granek model appears to be the more suitable one.BMBF, 05K13KT1, Probenumgebung und paralle Charakterisierung bei hochpräzisen Neutronen Spin-Echo (NSE) Messungen an komplexen Systemen der weichen Materi

Birch pollen induces toll-like receptor 4-dependent dendritic cell activation favoring t cell responses

Seasonal exposure to birch pollen (BP) is a major cause of pollinosis. The specific role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in BP-induced allergic inflammation and the identification of key factors in birch pollen extracts (BPE) initiating this process remain to be explored. This study aimed to examine (i) the importance of TLR4 for dendritic cell (DC) activation by BPE, (ii) the extent of the contribution of BPE-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and other potential TLR4 adjuvant(s) in BPE, and (iii) the relevance of the TLR4-dependent activation of BPE-stimulated DCs in the initiation of an adaptive immune response. In vitro, activation of murine bone marrow-derived DCs (BMDCs) and human monocyte-derived DCs by BPE or the equivalent LPS (nLPS) was analyzed by flow cytometry. Polymyxin B (PMB), a TLR4 antagonist and TLR4-deficient BMDCs were used to investigate the TLR4 signaling in DC activation. The immunostimulatory activity of BPE was compared to protein-/lipid-depleted BPE-fractions. In co-cultures of BPE-pulsed BMDCs and Bet v 1-specific hybridoma T cells, the influence of the TLR4-dependent DC activation on T cell activation was analyzed. In vivo immunization of IL-4 reporter mice was conducted to study BPE-induced Th2 polarization upon PMB pre-treatment. Murine and human DC activation induced by either BPE or nLPS was inhibited by the TLR4 antagonist or by PMB, and abrogated in TLR4-deficient BMDCs compared to wild-type BMDCs. The lipid-free but not the protein-free fraction showed a reduced capacity to activate the TLR4 signaling and murine DCs. In human DCs, nLPS only partially reproduced the BPE-induced activation intensity. BPE-primed BMDCs efficiently stimulated T cell activation, which was repressed by the TLR4 antagonist or PMB, and the addition of nLPS to Bet v 1 did not reproduce the effect of BPE. In vivo, immunization with BPE induced a significant Th2 polarization, whereas administration of BPE pre-incubated with PMB showed a decreased tendency. These findings suggest that TLR4 is a major pathway by which BPE triggers DC activation that is involved in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. Further characterization of these BP-derived TLR4 adjuvants could provide new candidates for therapeutic strategies targeting specific mechanisms in BP-induced allergic inflammation