What do we learn from recall consumption data?

In this paper we use two complementary Italian data sources (the 1995 Istat and Bank of Italy household surveys) to generate household-specific non-durable expenditure in the Bank of Italy sample that contains relatively high-quality income data. We show that food expenditure data are of comparable quality and informational content across the two surveys, once heaping, rounding and time averaging are properly accounted for. We therefore depart from standard practice and rely on the estimation of an inverse Engel curve on Istat data to impute non-durable expenditure to Bank of Italy observations, and show how these estimates can be used to analyse consumption age profiles conditional on demographics. Our key result is that predictions based on a standard set of demographic and socioeconomic indicators are quite different from predictions that also condition on simulated food consumption, in the sense that their age profile is less in line with the implications of the standard consumer intertemporal optimization problem.recall errors, heaping and rounding, multiple imputations and consumption

What do we learn from recall consumption data?

In this paper a rich and innovative dataset, the International Adult Literacy Survey, is used to examine the impact of functional literacy on earnings. The IALS surveys 12 OECD countries and sub-regions via a consistent questionnaire and includes a number of tests of numeracy and literacy, as well as basic labour market information. This paper examines the effect of these skills on labour market earnings for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and for Great Britain. The estimates suggest that while ability has a role in determining earnings the dominant factor remains formal education. It is shown that, particularly for Great Britain, there is a positive interaction between the test score and education in determining earnings.

Fire Behaviour of Tropical and European Wood and Fire Resistance of Fire Doors Made of this Wood

In the building industry, there is currently a significant lack of information on fire resistance properties of room separation elements made of tropical wood species. The objective of the present study is to fill this gap by investigating the fire behaviour of tropical wood species and subsequently assessing the fire resistance of elements made of this material. In particular, the prime target was to find easy to measure parameters which correlate with both the charring rate and the deflection, the latter caused by fire induced rapid dehumidification. Further, the so found parameters have been investigated for suitability as reliable predictors for fire resistance of fire doors when tropical wood is used as substitute for European native wood. A series of measurements were carried out for tropical and European wood species. Beam deflection and charring rate as well as the fire resistance of doors were measured in standard fire (ISO 834-1). In addition, the oxygen permeability index (OPI) of wood, which appears to have a strong correlation with the charring rate, was measured. It is shown that in consideration of fire resistance both the charring rate and the deflection have to be addressed when tropical wood is used as substitute for European native wood. Finally, it is clearly confirmed that a single parameter such as wood density is not reliable to assess the substitution of an alternative wood species for a species on which fire resistance test results are availabl

Framing effects, selective information and market behavior : an experimental analysis

The results of an asset market experiment, in which 64 subjects trade two assets on eight markets in a computerized continuous double auction, indicate that objectively irrelevant information influences trading behavior. Moreover, positively and negatively framed information leads to a particular trading pattern, but leaves trading prices and trading volume unaffected. In addition, we provide support for the disposition effect. Participants who experience a gain sell their assets more rapidly than participants who experience a loss, and positively framed subjects generally sell their assets later than negatively framed subjects

Genome-wide association studies for the identification of resistance mediating mutations in Staphylococcus aureus - chances and limitations of a powerful tool

Staphylococcus aureus ist ein fakultativ pathogenes Bakterium, das weltweit für eine Vielzahl sowohl ambulanter als auch nosokomialer Infektionen verantwortlich ist. Insbesondere die Entstehung und Verbreitung Methicillin-resistenter S. aureus (MRSA) Stämme gelten als ernst zu nehmende Bedrohung für die öffentliche Gesundheit. Mit der Entwicklung neuer Substanzen wie Daptomycin (DAP) und Ceftarolin (CPT) wurde versucht, dieser Bedrohung entgegenzuwirken. Doch bereits kurze Zeit nach der Zulassung dieser Substanzen wurden erste Resistenzentwicklungen beobachtet, deren molekulare Grundlagen bisher nur unvollständig geklärt werden konnten. Zur Identifikation von Einzelnukleotid Polymorphismen (engl. single nucleotide polymorphisms; SNPs), die signifikant mit einer DAP- bzw. CPT-Resistenz in S. aureus assoziiert sind, etablierten wir repräsentative Stammsammlungen von resistenten und sensiblen klinischen S. aureus Isolaten. In der anschließenden Assoziationstestung nutzten wir die Softwaretools PLINK und SEER, um sowohl referenzbasierte als auch Alignment-freie Algorithmen auf ihre Eignung zur Detektion potentieller Assoziationen zu untersuchen. In der DAP-GWAS identifizierten wir genetische Varianten, die signifikant mit dem DAP-R Phänotyp assoziiert wurden und bereits in vorhergehenden Untersuchungen als ursächlich für die Ausbildung einer DAP-Resistenz in S. aureus beschrieben wurden. Zusätzlich konnten mittels vergleichender Genomanalysen weitere, bisher unbeschriebene Mutationen in mprF und bekannten Kandidatengenen detektiert werden. Im Gegensatz dazu konnten wir in der CPT-GWAS keine Mutationen detektieren, die signifikant mit dem CPT-R Phänotyp in S. aureus assoziiert wurden. Mittels manueller Analysen konnten wir Mutationen in mecA detektieren, die zum Teil bereits als kausal für die Etablierung einer CPT-Resistenz in S. aureus beschrieben wurden. Die in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Assoziationsstudien verdeutlichen das Potential von GWAS, kausale Mutationen mit einem Phänotyp von Interesse zu assoziieren. Dabei konnten wir Chancen aber auch Limitationen der angewandten Tools identifizieren, die dazu beitragen sollen, die Erfolge der Methodik in zukünftigen Studien zu maximieren.Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a facultative pathogen that is responsible for a large number of outpatient and nosocomial infections worldwide. In particular, the development and spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains are considered a serious public health threat. With the development of new MRSA-active substances such as daptomycin (DAP) and ceftarolin (CPT) attempts were made to counteract this threat. However, shortly after the approval of these substances, first resistances could be observed. To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are significantly associated with DAP- and CPT-resistance in S. aureus, we used representative strain collections of resistant and susceptible clinical S. aureus isolates. Subsequently, we used the software tools PLINK and SEER to examine both, reference-based and alignment-free algorithms for their applicability to detect resistance associated mutations. By performing GWAS we found distinct genetic variants to be associated with the DAP-R phenotype that had already been described to be causative for the development of DAP-resistance in S. aureus. In addition, by using comparative genome analyses we detected yet undescribed mutations in mprF and candidate genes whose impacts on DAP-resistance still have to be determined. In contrast, no statistically significant variants could be detected in CPT-GWAS. Since it is known that mutations within mecA may be responsible for the development of CPT-resistance in S. aureus, we manually examined mecA and its surrounding SCCmec elements. In fact, we were able to detect mutations within mecA, some of which have already been described as causative for the development of CPT-resistance. The GWAS performed in this thesis demonstrate the potential of this method to associate causal mutations with a phenotype of interest. Additionally, we were able to describe chances and limitations of the applied tools, that may contribute to the success of upcoming studies

Ein Beitrag zur Darstellung von Nitrit Durch Elektrolytische Reduktion Wässeriger Nitratlösungen

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The Arg389Gly Beta1-Adrenoceptor Polymorphism and Catecholamine Effects on Plasma-Renin Activity

ObjectivesThe purpose of this research was to find out whether, in humans, dobutamine-induced hemodynamic effects and increase in plasma-renin activity (PRA) might be beta1-adrenoceptor (β1AR) genotype-dependent.BackgroundIn vitro Arg389Gly-β1AR polymorphism exhibits decreased receptor signaling.MethodsWe studied 10 male homozygous Arg389-β1AR subjects and 8 male homozygous Gly389β1AR subjects; to avoid influences of codon 49 polymorphism, all were homozygous Ser49-β1AR. Subjects were infused with dobutamine (1 to 6 μg/kg/min) with or without bisoprolol (10 mg orally) pretreatment, and PRA, heart rate, contractility, and blood pressure were assessed.ResultsWith regard to PRA, dobutamine increased PRA more potently in Arg389-β1AR versus Gly389-β1AR subjects. Bisoprolol markedly suppressed the dobutamine-induced PRA increase in Arg389- but only marginally in Gly389-β1AR subjects. With regard to hemodynamics, dobutamine caused larger heart rate and contractility increases and diastolic blood pressure decreases in Arg389- versus Gly389-β1AR subjects. Bisoprolol reduced dobutamine-induced heart rate and contractility increases and diastolic blood pressure decreases more potently in Arg389- versus Gly389-β1AR subjects.ConclusionsCodon 389 β1AR polymorphism is a determinant not only of hemodynamic effects but also of PRA. Thus, β1AR polymorphisms may be useful for predicting therapeutic responses to βAR-blocker treatment

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses against melanocytes and melanoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vitiligo is a common toxicity associated with immunotherapy for melanoma. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) against melanoma commonly target melanoma-associated antigens (MAAs) which are also expressed by melanocytes. To uncouple vitiligo from melanoma destruction, it is important to understand if CTLs can respond against melanoma and melanocytes at different levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To understand the dichotomous role of MAA-specific CTL, we characterized the functional reactivities of established CTL clones directed to MAAs against melanoma and melanocyte cell lines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CTL clones generated from melanoma patients were capable of eliciting MHC-restricted, MAA-specific lysis against melanocyte cell lines as well as melanoma cells. Among the tested HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL clones, melanocytes evoked equal to slightly higher degranulation and cytolytic responses as compared to melanoma cells. Moreover, MAA-specific T cells from vaccinated patients responded directly ex vivo to melanoma and melanocytes. Melanoma cells express slightly higher levels of MART-1 and gp100 than melanocytes as measured by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data suggest that CTLs respond to melanoma and melanocytes equally in vitro and directly ex vivo.</p

The metrology system of the VLTI instrument GRAVITY

The VLTI instrument GRAVITY combines the beams from four telescopes and provides phase-referenced imaging as well as precision-astrometry of order 10 microarcseconds by observing two celestial objects in dual-field mode. Their angular separation can be determined from their differential OPD (dOPD) when the internal dOPDs in the interferometer are known. Here, we present the general overview of the novel metrology system which performs these measurements. The metrology consists of a three-beam laser system and a homodyne detection scheme for three-beam interference using phase-shifting interferometry in combination with lock-in amplifiers. Via this approach the metrology system measures dOPDs on a nanometer-level.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure