Risk-attitudes and Socio-economic Characteristics of Economic Migrants: An Empirical Analysis of U.S. Interstate Migration

In order to estimate individuals' risk-attitudes of economic migrants a static one-period decision model is developed and applied to U.S. interstate migration data. Risk-attitudes are estimated by non-linaer optimiziation. It turns out that economic migrants are significantly risk-averse in taking economic migration decisions. A statistically significant relation of risk-attitudes and socio-economic characteristics like gender, age, and education can only be found for certain specifications of the model

Density Forecasts with Quantile Autoregression with an Application to Option Pricing

[EN] This paper presents a method for estimating the conditional and joint probability densities of multiple random variables using quantile regression, established by Koenker and Bassett (1978), for which the statistical inference has been extended to the field of time series analysis by Koenker and Xiao (2006). We provide a simple and robust framework for estimating auto-regressive, conditional densities, allowing for inference not only on the conditional density itself but also on functions of the modeled random variables, such as option prices. In our application, we demonstrate theoretically, via a simulation study and in out-of-the-sample density forecasts the effectiveness of our approach in estimating option prices with confidence bounds implied by the estimation method. Our findings suggest that quantile autoregression is effective in forecasting conditional densities and can be used for option pricing. The flexibility of our method in incorporating conditioning information, such as past returns or volatility, has the potential to further improve forecasting accuracy.Bleher, J.; Dimpfl, T.; Koch, S. (2023). Density Forecasts with Quantile Autoregression with an Application to Option Pricing. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 279-280. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/20170727928

Erinnerung, (Ver-)Schweigen und Leerstellen. Postsozialistische DDR-Geschichte in literarischen Texten

Die Grenzziehungen zwischen Ost und West sind von Grenzen zwischen den Generationen durchzogen, insofern interessieren sich die Autorinnen für das (Ver-)Schweigen und die Leerstellen im Sprechen zwischen den Generationen. Im Rahmen von Erinnerungskultur und Generationenverhältnissen fragen sie danach, woran das Schweigen festgemacht wird, ob es zwischen den Generationen situiert wird, und mit welcher Sprache es beschrieben wird, was unaussprechlich ist und welche Emotionen dabei bedeutsam sind. Anhand literarischer Erinnerungen an die DDR wird im Ergebnis deutlich, dass das Schweigen wesentlicher Bestandteil des Generationenverhältnisses ist, dass Leerstellen, Nichtthematisiertes und Sprachlosigkeit im generationalen Verhältnis hinsichtlich der Grenzziehungen zwischen Ost und West eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Deutlich wird aber auch, dass die Sprachlosigkeit expliziter und dadurch bearbeitbar wird. Eine Aufkündigung des Schweigens durch das Stellen von Fragen scheint wichtig zu sein. Da es keine gemeinsamen generationalen Erfahrungen zwischen Ost- und West gibt, stellt das Erzählen dieser Erinnerungen eine Brücke dar. Auch wenn neue Versuche des Sprechens immer wieder an Grenzen kommen, da sie fragil und riskant sind, so bleiben sie dennoch unerlässlich. (DIPF/Orig.)The demarcations between East and West are permeated by borders between the generations, insofar the autors are interested in the (dis)silence and the voids in speaking between the generations. In the context of memory culture and intergenerational relations, they ask what is used to define silence, whether it is situated between counter-rations, and what language is used to describe it, what is unspeakable, and what emotions are significant. On the basis of literary memories of the GDR, it becomes clear that silence is an essential component of the generational relationship, that voids, non-thematization and speechlessness play an important role in the generational relationship with regard to the demarcation between East and West. It also becomes clear, however, that speechlessness becomes more explicit and thus more workable. Breaking the silence by asking questions seems to be important. Since there are no common generational experiences between East and West, the telling of these memories represents a bridge. Even if new attempts to speak always come up against limits, as they are fragile and risky, they remain indispensable. (DIPF/Orig.

Low-resource finetuning of foundation models beats state-of-the-art in histopathology

To handle the large scale of whole slide images in computational pathology, most approaches first tessellate the images into smaller patches, extract features from these patches, and finally aggregate the feature vectors with weakly-supervised learning. The performance of this workflow strongly depends on the quality of the extracted features. Recently, foundation models in computer vision showed that leveraging huge amounts of data through supervised or self-supervised learning improves feature quality and generalizability for a variety of tasks. In this study, we benchmark the most popular vision foundation models as feature extractors for histopathology data. We evaluate the models in two settings: slide-level classification and patch-level classification. We show that foundation models are a strong baseline. Our experiments demonstrate that by finetuning a foundation model on a single GPU for only two hours or three days depending on the dataset, we can match or outperform state-of-the-art feature extractors for computational pathology. These findings imply that even with little resources one can finetune a feature extractor tailored towards a specific downstream task and dataset. This is a considerable shift from the current state, where only few institutions with large amounts of resources and datasets are able to train a feature extractor. We publish all code used for training and evaluation as well as the finetuned models

Yield reduction caused by elevated temperatures and high nitrogen fertilization is mitigated by SP6A overexpression in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

SUMMARYPotatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are a fundamental staple for millions of people worldwide. They provide essential amino acids, vitamins, and starch – a vital component of the human diet, providing energy and serving as a source of fiber. Unfortunately, global warming is posing a severe threat to this crop, leading to significant yield losses, and thereby endangering global food security. Industrial agriculture traditionally relies on excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization to boost yields. However, it remains uncertain whether this is effective in combating heat‐related yield losses of potato. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the combinatory effects of heat stress and N fertilization on potato tuber formation. We demonstrate that N levels and heat significantly impact tuber development. The combination of high N and heat delays tuberization, while N deficiency initiates early tuberization, likely through starvation‐induced signals, independent of SELF‐PRUNING 6A (SP6A), a critical regulator of tuberization. We also found that high N levels in combination with heat reduce tuber yield rather than improve it. However, our study revealed that SP6A overexpression can promote tuberization under these inhibiting conditions. By utilizing the excess of N for accumulating tuber biomass, SP6A overexpressing plants exhibit a shift in biomass distribution towards the tubers. This results in an increased yield compared to wild‐type plants. Our results highlight the role of SP6A overexpression as a viable strategy for ensuring stable potato yields in the face of global warming. As such, our findings provide insights into the complex factors impacting potato crop productivity.Significance StatementPotato plants display diminished yield in response to heat stress, with traditional fertilization methods failing to negate this decrease. However, by overexpression of the tuberigen SP6A, we show improved nitrogen utilization, enabling these plants to maintain stable yields even under elevated temperature. These findings indicate SP6A as a viable candidate for enhancing potato yield under conditions of climate change. image </p

Face validity of a synthetic papilla designed for biliary sphincterotomy training

Background and study aims Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is considered one of the most technically demanding endoscopic procedures. Still, limited data are available on simulators in ERCP training. Recently, the Boškoski-Costamagna ERCP Trainer was validated as a realistic training model by our study group. As an extension to this model, a novel synthetic papilla has been designed allowing to train biliary sphincterotomy. We aimed to determine the face validity of this synthetic papilla and its didactic value for training sphincterotomy. Methods Expert participants, each with more a than 2500 ERCPs lifetime experience, were invited to perform a biliary sphincterotomy and fill out a questionnaire on the realism of the procedure and the didactic value. Results A total of 40 ERCP experts were included, originating from 16 different countries. Experts’ opinion on realism of performing a biliary sphincterotomy was rated with a median of 7 on a 10-point Likert scale, resemblance of the performed maneuvers 8 and tactile feedback 7. When asked if the cutting was perceived as realistic, experts rated a 6 and the cutting result was rated 8. Th

Endoscopic resection of advanced ampullary adenomas: a single-center 14-year retrospective cohort study

Background: Endoscopic ampullectomy has been recognized as a safe and reliable means to resect selective tumors of the ampulla of Vater and is associated with lower morbidity and mortality rates compared to surgical resection. Success rates range from 42 to 92%, with recurrences reported in up to 33%. Studies on endoscopic resection of advanced lesions such as those with intraductal extension of adenoma (IEA) and lateral spreading adenomas (LSA) are limited. We aimed to evaluate the technical success, complications, and recurrence of endoscopic resection of ampullary adenomas, including advanced lesions. Methods: All patients referred to the Erasmus Medical Center for endoscopic resection of an ampullary lesion were retrospectively identified between 2002 and 2016. Endoscopic success was defined as complete excision of the adenoma, irrespective of the number of attempts, in the absence of recurrence. Results: We included 87 patients with a median age of 65 years. Of these, 56 patients (64%) had an adenoma confined to the ampulla (ACA), 20 patients (23%) had an LSA, and 11 patients (13%) were treated for an IEA. The median lesion sizes were 24.6 mm, 41.4 mm, and 16.3 mm, respectively (P < 0.001). Complications occurred in 22 patients (25.3%), of which hemorrhage was most prevalent (12.6%), followed by perforation (8.1%). Complications were equally divided (P = 0.874). The median follow-up duration was 21.1 months (12–45.9) for ACA, 14.7 months (4.2–34.5) for LSA, and 5.8 months (3.7–22.0) for IEA (P = 0.051). Endoscopic resection was curative in 87.5% of patients with an ACA, 85% in patients with an LSA, and in only one patient with an IEA (P < 0.001). Recurrence occurred in 10 patients (11.5%) (P = 0.733). Conclusion: Endoscopic ampullectomy is safe and highly successful in selected patients with an adenoma with or without lateral spreading. Outcomes of endoscopic treatment adenomas with an intraductal extension are less favorable and in these cases surgery should be considered

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in a preclinical autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa knock-in model with a RhoD190N mutation

D190N, a missense mutation in rhodopsin, causes photoreceptor degeneration in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP). Two competing hypotheses have been developed to explain why D190N rod photoreceptors degenerate: (a) defective rhodopsin trafficking prevents proteins from correctly exiting the endoplasmic reticulum, leading to their accumulation, with deleterious effects or (b) elevated mutant rhodopsin expression and unabated signaling causes excitotoxicity. A knock-in D190N mouse model was engineered to delineate the mechanism of pathogenesis. Wild type (wt) and mutant rhodopsin appeared correctly localized in rod outer segments of D190N heterozygotes. Moreover, the rhodopsin glycosylation state in the mutants appeared similar to that in wt mice. Thus, it seems plausible that the injurious effect of the heterozygous mutation is not related to mistrafficking of the protein, but rather from constitutive rhodopsin activity and a greater propensity for chromophore isomerization even in the absence of light.We greatly appreciate the assistance of the members of the Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma laboratory, especially to Chun-Wei Hsu for technical support. SHT is a Burroughs-Wellcome Program in Biomedical Sciences Fellow, and is also supported by the Charles E. Culpeper-Partnership for Cures 07-CS3, Crowley Research Fund, Schneeweiss Stem Cell Fund, New York State N09G-302, Foundation Fighting Blindness [TA-NMT-0116-0692- COLU] (Owings Mills, MD), TS080017 from US Department of Defense, NIH Grants [P30EY019007, R01EY018213, R01EY024698, R01EY026682, R21AG050437], Research to Prevent Blindness (New York, NY), and Joel Hoffmann Scholarship. CSL is the Homer McK. Rees Scholar. JSP is a BEST2016 awardee (BEST/ 2016/030, Conselleria de Educación, Investigación, Cultura y Deporte; Generalitat Valenciana) and his research is supported by a Prometeo Grant (PROMETEO/2016/094; Conselleria de Educación, Investigación, Cultura y Deporte; Generalitat Valenciana) and by internal funds from Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir (2018-128-001). VBM is supported by NIH Grants K08EY020530, R01EY016822, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Grant #2013103, and Research to Prevent Blindness (New York, NY); GV is supported by NIH Grants [F30EYE027986 and T32GM007337].Author manuscriptMedicin

Correction to: Bioaerosol sampling of patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis: a study protocol

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original articl