Baseball Card Pricing Model: A Demonstration with Well-known Players

A simple hedonic pricing model is developed for baseball cards, of the type often used successfully to model prices for artworks. The model is estimated for a dataset of twelve well-known players observed at eight points in time over a span of twenty years. Dummy variables are used to capture various relevant characteristics of the player or card. This model was estimated separately for two different approaches or assumptions about rates of return. Estimates perform extremely well, explaining most differences among baseball card prices for the cards in the sample. Among extrinsic variables that represent specific players and card characteristics that differentiate cards issued during the same season, race had a significant positive effect on price for black players. Batting average and number of World Series appearances had significant positive impacts on price, but surprisingly, rookie cards tended to be worth relatively less than non-rookie cards. Similarly unexpected findings with respect to players\u27 death and elevation to the Hall of Fame may result from trying to estimate too many characteristics simultaneously on a limited dataset. Results suggest famous players\u27 cards generally are extremely attractive investment instruments

Weight change and 15 year mortality: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) cohort study.

Studies have reported a higher mortality risk associated with weight loss, particularly in middle-aged and older adults, although some of these studies did find that gaining weight was also associated with an increased mortality risk. We examined changes in weight in relation to mortality in a prospective population-based cohort study of men and women, resident in Norfolk, UK. Participants were assessed at baseline (1993-1997) and at a second examination (1998-2000), as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Norfolk) study, and followed up to 2015 for mortality. Participants with a self-reported history of cancer or cardiovascular disease, body mass index  5 kg. Similar associations were observed after excluding deaths in the first 5 years of follow-up. Results for weight gain were inconclusive. We conclude that objectively measured weight loss, but not weight gain, was associated with subsequent higher mortality risk in this population-based study of middle-aged and elderly men and women. However, undiagnosed, pre-existing disease and the inability to account for weight cycling need to be remembered when interpreting these results. Unravelling the causal pathways underlying this association will require more detailed studies, including that of changes in body composition

The effect of endothelial cell overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 on smooth muscle cell migration

AbstractIntroduction: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a known inhibitor of plasminogen activators, may regulate smooth muscle cell migration (SMC) through alteration in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Methods: To study the effect of endothelial cell (EC) PAI-1 overexpression on SMC migration, RT-PCR was used to clone the full length PAI-1 gene, which was ligated into the pCMV/myc/ER expression vector. With electroporation, bovine aortic ECs were transfected with either the PAI-1 construct or the empty vector as control. EC PAI-1 overexpression was shown with a specific PAI-1 activity assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of EC PAI-1 overexpression on SMC migration was measured with a modified Boyden-chamber assay. SMC MMP expression was measured with zymography. Results: Selected clones (EC9, EC21) had a three-fold to five-fold increase in PAI-1 activity compared with untransfected EC and empty vector EC (ECC). Similarly, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed a 3.5-fold to 5.5-fold increase in PAI-1 levels in EC9 and EC21 versus ECC. Untransfected EC and ECC had similar effects on SMC migratory patterns. Migration of SMC exposed to PAI-1 overexpressing EC was inhibited by 35% to 57% compared with ECC. This inhibitory effect was reversed with addition of exogenous urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Zymography showed downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in SMCs exposed to PAI-1 overexpressing EC. Conclusion: PAI-1 overexpression with transfected EC inhibits SMC migration. This effect may be mediated through decreased SMC MMP activity. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:164-71.

Changes in waist circumference and risk of all-cause and CVD mortality: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) cohort study

Abstract: Background: Measures of abdominal adiposity are strongly associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, data are limited and conflicting regarding the consequences of changes in body fat distribution. The main aims of this paper are to investigate the association between changes in waist circumference (WC) and all-cause and CVD mortality and to examine these changes in relation to concurrent changes in weight. Methods: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Norfolk) study recruited 25,639 participants between 1993 and 1997, aged 39–79, a number of whom also attended a second examination (1998–2000), and were followed up to 2016 for mortality. Participants were eligible for inclusion if they had WC, weight and height measurements at both time-points; those with a self-reported history of CVD or cancer, body mass index 5 cm were 1.51 (1.29–1.75) and 1.25 (1.06–1.46) respectively. For CVD mortality in men and women with a WCG > 5 cm, the HRs were 1.84 (1.39–2.43) and 1.15 (0.85–1.55) respectively. In analyses of concurrent changes in WC and weight, the greatest risk (HRs) (95% CIs) in men occurred with weight loss and WCG: 1.80 (1.13–2.86) for all-cause and 2.22 (1.03–4.82) for CVD mortality. In women, the greatest risk for both all-cause (HR 1.50 (1.16–1.95)) and CVD mortality (HR 1.81 (1.15–2.85)) was observed in those with weight loss and maintenance of WC (WCM). Conclusions: Objectively measured WCG > 5 cm, was associated with subsequent higher total mortality risk and higher CVD mortality risk in men. Interventions focusing on preventing increase in central adiposity rather than lowering weight per se in later life may potentially have greater health benefits

Cod liver oil supplement consumption and health: cross-sectional results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort study.

Supplement users (SU) make healthy lifestyle choices; on the other hand, SU report more medical conditions. We hypothesised that cod liver oil (CLO) consumers are similar to non-supplement users, since CLO use might originate from historical motives, i.e., rickets prevention, and not health consciousness. CLO consumers were studied in order to identify possible confounders, such as confounding by indication. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) investigates causes of chronic disease. The participants were 25,639 men and women, aged 40-79 years, recruited from general practices in Norfolk, East-Anglia (UK). Participants completed questionnaires and a health examination between 1993 and 1998. Supplement use was measured using 7-day diet diaries. CLO was the most common supplement used, more prevalent among women and associated with not smoking, higher physical activity level and more favourable eating habits. SU had a higher occurrence of benign growths and bone-related diseases, but CLO was negatively associated with cardiovascular-related conditions. Although the results of SU characteristics in EPIC-Norfolk are comparable with studies worldwide, the CLO group is different from SU in general. Confounding by indication takes place and will need to be taken into account when analysing prospective associations of CLO use with fracture risk and cardiovascular diseases.The EPIC-Norfolk study received grants from the Medical Research Council (G9502233) and Cancer Research UK (SP2024-0201 and SP2024-0204).This is the final published version. It's also available from MDPI at http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/10/4320

De novo design of bioactive protein switches.

Allosteric regulation of protein function is widespread in biology, but is challenging for de novo protein design as it requires the explicit design of multiple states with comparable free energies. Here we explore the possibility of designing switchable protein systems de novo, through the modulation of competing inter- and intramolecular interactions. We design a static, five-helix 'cage' with a single interface that can interact either intramolecularly with a terminal 'latch' helix or intermolecularly with a peptide 'key'. Encoded on the latch are functional motifs for binding, degradation or nuclear export that function only when the key displaces the latch from the cage. We describe orthogonal cage-key systems that function in vitro, in yeast and in mammalian cells with up to 40-fold activation of function by key. The ability to design switchable protein functions that are controlled by induced conformational change is a milestone for de novo protein design, and opens up new avenues for synthetic biology and cell engineering

Ideal cardiovascular health and risk of cardiovascular events in the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study.

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association has prioritised seven cardiovascular health metrics to reduce the cardiovascular burden, including: body mass index, healthy diet, physical activity, smoking status, blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin A1c and total cholesterol. The aim of the current study was to assess the association between the American Heart Association-defined health metrics and the risk of cardiovascular events in the EPIC-Norfolk prospective study. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: An overall cardiovascular health score was calculated based on the number of health metrics including ideal, intermediate or poor. Cox proportional hazards models were used to describe the association of the seven metrics separately and the overall health score with risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease. A total of 10,043 participants was included in the analysis (follow-up 1993-2008). For all individual health metrics a more ideal status was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: As for the overall cardiovascular health score, those in the highest (i.e. healthiest) category (score 12-14) had an adjusted hazard ratio for coronary heart disease of 0.07 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.29, P < 0.001), for stroke of 0.16 (95% CI 0.02-1.37, P = 0.09) and for cardiovascular disease of 0.07 (95% CI 0.02-0.23, P < 0.001), compared to people in the lowest (i.e. unhealthiest) category (score 0-2). The overall cardiovascular health score was strongly and inversely associated with risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Our data suggest that even small improvements in modifiable risk factors may lead to substantial reductions in the risks of cardiovascular events.The EPIC-Norfolk Study is funded by Cancer Research UK grant number 14136 and the Medical Research Council grant number G1000143, SL is supported by a studentship from Unilever Corporate Research, UK.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/204748731560201

A new tool for converting food frequency questionnaire data into nutrient and food group values: FETA research methods and availability.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the research methods for the development of a new open source, cross-platform tool which processes data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Norfolk Food Frequency Questionnaire (EPIC-Norfolk FFQ). A further aim was to compare nutrient and food group values derived from the current tool (FETA, FFQ EPIC Tool for Analysis) with the previously validated but less accessible tool, CAFÉ (Compositional Analyses from Frequency Estimates). The effect of text matching on intake data was also investigated. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study-EPIC-Norfolk. SETTING: East England population (city of Norwich and its surrounding small towns and rural areas). PARTICIPANTS: Complete FFQ data from 11 250 men and 13 602 women (mean age 59 years; range 40-79 years). OUTCOME MEASURES: Nutrient and food group intakes derived from FETA and CAFÉ analyses of EPIC-Norfolk FFQ data. RESULTS: Nutrient outputs from FETA and CAFÉ were similar; mean (SD) energy intake from FETA was 9222 kJ (2633) in men, 8113 kJ (2296) in women, compared with CAFÉ intakes of 9175 kJ (2630) in men, 8091 kJ (2298) in women. The majority of differences resulted in one or less quintile change (98.7%). Only mean daily fruit and vegetable food group intakes were higher in women than in men (278 vs 212 and 284 vs 255 g, respectively). Quintile changes were evident for all nutrients, with the exception of alcohol, when text matching was not executed; however, only the cereals food group was affected. CONCLUSIONS: FETA produces similar nutrient and food group values to the previously validated CAFÉ but has the advantages of being open source, cross-platform and complete with a data-entry form directly compatible with the software. The tool will facilitate research using the EPIC-Norfolk FFQ, and can be customised for different study populations.This study was supported by programme grants from the MRC Population Health Sciences Research Network (PHSRN), Cancer Research UK(C864/A8257) and the Medical Research Council (G0401527 and G1000143). NGF was supported by the Medical Research Council (MC_UP_A100_1003); APK is funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellowshi

The Grizzly, February 18, 1983

Rally at Bomberger: Students Protest Criticism • Rushes, Administration Meet Before Pledging • Editorial: Staff Members Defend Grizzly • USGA Notes • Letters to the Editor: Letter to the Editor Receives Support; Constructive Criticism Appreciated; Student Interest Sparked; Irresponsible Groups Cause Anger • Is Reaganomics a Reality? • Admissions Standards at Ursinus • President\u27s Corner • Happy Birthday to U • Talent Show Tonight • Occupational Hazards • Fighting Ursini Head to MACs Optimistically • Inconsistency Still Haunting Women\u27s Basketball • Gymnastics Ranked 13th • Badminton Team Tops Rosemont and Moravian • Lady Swimmers Boast 9-1 Record • Werley\u27s Record Speaks for Itselfhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1094/thumbnail.jp

Association between dietary phyto-oestrogens and bone density in men and postmenopausal women

Phyto-oestrogens have been associated with a decreased risk for osteoporosis, but results from intervention and observational studies in Western countries have been inconsistent. In the present study, we investigated the association between habitual phyto-oestrogen intake and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the calcanaeum as a marker of bone density. We collected 7 d records of diet, medical history and demographic and anthropometric data from participants (aged 45–75 years) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer-Norfolk study. Phyto-oestrogen (biochanin A, daidzein, formononetin; genistein, glycitein; matairesinol; secoisolariciresinol; enterolactone; equol) intake was determined using a newly developed food composition database. Bone density was assessed using BUA of the calcanaeum. Associations between bone density and phyto-oestrogen intake were investigated in 2580 postmenopausal women who were not on hormone replacement therapy and 4973 men. Median intake of total phyto-oestrogens was 876 (interquartile range 412) μg/d in postmenopausal women and 1212 (interquartile range 604) μg/d in men. The non-soya isoflavones formononetin and biochanin A were marginally significant or significantly associated with BUA in postmenopausal women (β = 1·2; P < 0·1) and men (β = 1·2; P < 0·05), respectively; enterolignans and equol were positively associated with bone density in postmenopausal women, but this association became non-significant when dietary Ca was added to the model. In the lowest quintile of Ca intake, soya isoflavones were positively associated with bone density in postmenopausal women (β = 1·4; P < 0·1). The present results therefore suggest that non-soya isoflavones are associated with bone density independent of Ca, whereas the association with soya or soya isoflavones is affected by dietary Ca