The Home Bias in Equities and Distribution Costs

We show that including distribution costs into a general equilibrium model of inter- national portfolio choice contributes to explaining the "home bias" in international equity investment. Our model is able to replicate observed investment positions for a wide range of parameter values, even if agents have an incentive to hedge labor income risk by purchasing foreign equity. This is because the existence of a retail sector affects both the correlation of domestic returns with the domestic price level and the correlation between financial and nonfinancial income.

Ab in den Mainstream!

AB IN DEN MAINSTREAM! Ab in den Mainstream! / Harms, Carlotta (Rights reserved) ( -

Open science skills in Danish research libraries

Open Science is gaining more and more ground among academics. This has consequences for research libraries and their staff tasked with services supporting the entire research life cycle, from providing access to relevant databases, to research data management, to scholarly publishing. To stay relevant, research library services have to be developed and adapted to support Open Science research activities. Therefore, it is important to investigate what competencies and skills are needed to provide a given library service, both in terms of continuing education and training of existing library staff and of curriculum development in library and information science education. There are several international initiatives that either facilitate the upskilling of researchers and research staff within Open Science (e.g. the EC’s “Open Science Skills Working Group report” [1] and FOSTER’s materials and online courses [2]) or provide a framework for research libraries of how to engage in Open Science support (e.g. LIBER’s “Open Science Roadmap” [3]). These initiatives lay out general lines of action that can serve as starting points for more locally focused activities. Furthermore, the EDISON project has provided competency profiles for data professionals that can be used for curriculum design within higher and continuing education [4]. In our poster, we present a project, currently funded by Denmark’s Electronic Research Library (DEFF), that investigates, models, and deploys Open Science skills for Danish research librarians. The project comprises three subprojects that focus on 1) a general model of Open Science competencies and skills for research librarians, 2) an overview of Danish digital collections, with a focus on openness and applicability, 3) the identification of current and future RDM services and tools at Danish research libraries and a model of RDM competencies and skills for research librarians. The project started in March 2018 and will run until March 2020. We present initial considerations and the research design of the subprojects 1) and 3). We provide insights into the challenges encountered when introducing general international frameworks into a national context.</p

Outcome of Pediatric Cataract Surgeries in a Tertiary Center in Switzerland

Purpose. To determine and to analyze the outcome of pediatric cataract surgery. Methods. A retrospective chart review of individuals aged up to 10 years who underwent cataract surgery between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2014, at the UniversityHospital Zurich, Switzerland. Results. 63 children (94 affected eyes) with bilateral (68/94) or unilateral (26/94) cataract were identified. Surgery was performed at a median age of 1.5 months (IQR: 1.3–2.6 months) for the aphakic group (45/94) and of 50.7 months (IQR: 38.0–78.4 months) for the IOL group (49/94). At the last follow-up visit (median 31.1 months, IQR: 18.4–50.2 months), visual acuity was better in bilateral than in unilateral cataract cases. Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) was diagnosed in 30.9% of eyes without a significant difference in the IOL and aphakic groups (p=0.12). Aphakic glaucoma was diagnosed in 12/45 eyes at a median of 6.8 months (IQR 2.1–13.3 months) after surgery. Microcornea (5/12) and anterior segment anomalies (8/12) were associated with glaucoma development (p<0.05). Conclusion. Laterality and timing of surgery influence the outcome of pediatric cataract surgery. PCO was the most frequent postoperative complication. Aphakic glaucoma is often associated with ocular developmental abnormalities and a poor visual outcome

Sensitivity of human pluripotent stem cells to insulin precipitation induced by peristaltic pump-based medium circulation: Considerations on process development

Controlled large-scale production of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is indispensable for their envisioned clinical translation. Aiming at advanced process development in suspension culture, the sensitivity of hPSC media to continuous peristaltic pump-based circulation, a well-established technology extensively used in hydraulically-driven bioreactors, was investigated. Unexpectedly, conditioning of low protein media (i.e. E8 and TeSR-E8) in a peristaltic pump circuit induced severe viability loss of hPSCs cultured as aggregates in suspension. Optical, biochemical, and cytological analyses of the media revealed that the applied circulation mode resulted in the reduction of the growth hormone insulin by precipitation of micro-sized particles. Notably, in contrast to insulin depletion, individual withdrawal of other medium protein components (i.e. bFGF, TGFβ1 or transferrin) provoked minor reduction of hPSC viability, if any. Supplementation of the surfactant glycerol or the use of the insulin analogue Aspart did not overcome the issue of insulin precipitation. In contrast, the presence of bovine or human serum albumin (BSA or HSA, respectively) stabilized insulin rescuing its content, possibly by acting as molecular chaperone-like protein, ultimately supporting hPSC maintenance. This study highlights the potential and the requirement of media optimization for automated hPSC processing and has broad implications on media development and bioreactor-based technologies. © 2017 The Author(s).Horizon 2020/Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship POSEIDONDFG/EXC/REBIRTHDFG/EXC62/3DFG/ZW64/4-1BMBF/13N12606BMBF/13N14086StemBANCCH2020/TECHNOBEATHannover Medical School internal program (HiLF)Joachim Herz Stiftun

Perspectives on gender bias in recruitment

No abstract available.publishe

Spinal involvement in mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (Morquio-Brailsford or Morquio A syndrome): presentation, diagnosis and management.

Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA), also known as Morquio-Brailsford or Morquio A syndrome, is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetyl-galactosamine-6-sulphate sulphatase (GALNS). MPS IVA is multisystemic but manifests primarily as a progressive skeletal dysplasia. Spinal involvement is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in MPS IVA. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of problems involving the spine are critical in preventing or arresting neurological deterioration and loss of function. This review details the spinal manifestations of MPS IVA and describes the tools used to diagnose and monitor spinal involvement. The relative utility of radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of cervical spine instability, stenosis, and cord compression is discussed. Surgical interventions, anaesthetic considerations, and the use of neurophysiological monitoring during procedures performed under general anaesthesia are reviewed. Recommendations for regular radiological imaging and neurologic assessments are presented, and the need for a more standardized approach for evaluating and managing spinal involvement in MPS IVA is addressed