Constructing the true art market index : a novel 2-step hedonic approach and its application to the german art market

This study develops a novel 2-step hedonic approach, which is used to construct a price index for German paintings. This approach enables the researcher to use every single auction record, instead of only those auction records that belong to a sub-sample of selected artists. This results in a substantially larger sample available for research and it lowers the selection bias that is inherent in the traditional hedonic and repeat sales methodologies. Using a unique sample of 61,135 auction records for German artworks created by 5,115 different artists over the period 1985 to 2007, we find that the geometric annual return on German art is just 3.8 percent, with a standard deviation of 17.87 percent. Although our results indicate that art underperforms the market portfolio and is not proportionally rewarded for downside risk, under some circumstances art should be included in an optimal portfolio for diversification purposes

Modelling the effect of the Ecodesign and Labelling directives – Bottom-up analysis of EU-27 residential electricity use

The Ecodesign and Labelling directives are key policy measures to increase energy efficiency in Europe. In view of the extension of Ecodesign and Labelling to further products as well as the revision of the current implementing directives, it is essential to evaluate the potential energy savings, takin g into account different paths of technological development and diffusion. Our study uses bottom - up modelling to evaluate the long - term saving potentials of Ecodesign and Label ling for residential appliances (including large appliances, cooking and ICT), lighting and air conditioning. The household end - uses that are affected by the legislation are implemented in the model in a disaggregated way. The model is designed as a vintage stock approach and based on the simulation of consumer activities as well as technological trajectories. We model the electricity demand of household end - uses in the EU - 27 by country and compare various scenarios. Our Reference Scenario reflects the electricity demand of household end - uses without any policy measures implemented after 2008. Our current Policy Scenario includes all implementing directives that are currently in force and assumes that the sensitivity of consumers to the total cost of ownership remains at the currently witnessed level. Finally, our LLCC Scenario explores the potential energy savings assuming that consumers choose the economically favourable options considering the total cost of ownership

A bioorthogonal chemistry approach to the study of biomolecules in their ultrastructural cellular context

In this thesis the combinatorial use of bioorthogonal labelling and Electron Microscopy (EM)-based imaging techniques is explored to enable observations of specific molecular targets in their ultrastructural context within the cell.Bio-organic Synthesi

The church and paediatric HIV care in rural South Africa

Religion has substantial – positive and negative – influence on South Africa’s HIV context. This qualitative study explored possibilities for positive church engagement in paediatric HIV care in a rural district in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Opinions, attitudes and experiences of various stakeholders including religious leaders, healthcare workers and people infected/affected with/by HIV were investigated through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. During the research the original focus on paediatric HIV care shifted to HIV care in general in reaction to participant responses. Participants identified three main barriers to positive church engagement in HIV care: (a) stigma and disclosure; (b) sexual associations with HIV and (c) religious beliefs and practices. All participant groups appreciated the opportunity and relevance of strengthening church involvement in HIV care. Opportunities for positive church engagement in HIV care that participants identified included: (a) comprehensive and holistic HIV care when churches and clinics collaborate; (b) the wide social reach of churches and (c) the safety and acceptance in churches. Findings indicate that despite barriers great potential exists for increased positive church engagement in HIV care in rural South Africa. Recommendations include increased medical knowledge and dialogue on HIV/AIDS within church settings, and increased collaboration between churches and the medical sector

The potential of bioorthogonal chemistry for correlative light and electron microscopy: a call to arms

Bio-organic Synthesi

Pressure cooker ownership and food security in Aurangabad, India

Objective: To explore associations between household food security and home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ownership in low-income households affected by HIV/AIDS in Aurangabad, India. Design: Cross-sectional pilot study which assessed household food security using the validated US Department of Agriculture’s food security core-module questionnaire. Questions were added to explore household environment, education, occupation, home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ownership. Households with very low v. low food security were compared using logistic regression analysis, controlling for confounding by socio-economic status. Setting: Aurangabad is an urban setting situated in a primarily agricultural dependent area. The study was carried out in 2008, at the peak of the global food crisis. Subjects: Adult caregivers of children affiliated with the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Aurangabad. Results: All except for one of 133 households were identified as food insecure (99?2 %). Of these households, 35?6% had to cut size or skip a meal in the past 30 d. Households that cut meal size due to cooking fuel shortages were more likely to have very low food security (OR54?67; 95% CI 1?62, 13?44) compared with households having no cooking fuel shortages. Owning a pressure cooker was shown to be protective against very low food security after controlling for confounding by socio-economic status (OR50?27; 95% CI 0?11, 0?64). Conclusions: Only pressure cooker ownership showed a protective association with low household food security. Pressure cookers save household fuel costs. Therefore, future interventions should explore pressure cookers as a sustainable means of improving household food securit

A trimeric Rab7 GEF controls NPC1-dependent lysosomal cholesterol export

Abstract: Cholesterol import in mammalian cells is mediated by the LDL receptor pathway. Here, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen using an endogenous cholesterol reporter and identify >100 genes involved in LDL-cholesterol import. We characterise C18orf8 as a core subunit of the mammalian Mon1-Ccz1 guanidine exchange factor (GEF) for Rab7, required for complex stability and function. C18orf8-deficient cells lack Rab7 activation and show severe defects in late endosome morphology and endosomal LDL trafficking, resulting in cellular cholesterol deficiency. Unexpectedly, free cholesterol accumulates within swollen lysosomes, suggesting a critical defect in lysosomal cholesterol export. We find that active Rab7 interacts with the NPC1 cholesterol transporter and licenses lysosomal cholesterol export. This process is abolished in C18orf8-, Ccz1- and Mon1A/B-deficient cells and restored by a constitutively active Rab7. The trimeric Mon1-Ccz1-C18orf8 (MCC) GEF therefore plays a central role in cellular cholesterol homeostasis coordinating Rab7 activation, endosomal LDL trafficking and NPC1-dependent lysosomal cholesterol export

Quantification of Bioorthogonal Stability in Immune Phagocytes Using Flow Cytometry Reveals Rapid Degradation of Strained Alkynes

Bio-organic Synthesi