Hedonic Price Indices for the Paris Housing Market

In this paper, we calculate a transaction-based price index for apartments in Paris (France). The heterogeneous character of real estate is taken into account using an hedonic model. The functional form is specified using a general Box-Cox function. The data basis covers 84 686 transactions of the housing market in 1990:01-1999:12, which is one of the largest samples ever used in comparable studies. Low correlations of the price index with stock and bond indices (first differences) indicate diversification benefits from the inclusion of real estate in a mixed asset portfolio

In vivo manipulation of interleukin-2 expression by a retroviral tetracycline (tet)-regulated system

We have used the tetracycline (tet)-regulated system as described previously to evaluate the applicability of controlled gene expression in cancer gene therapy. As a model gene, we used the human interleukin-2 (IL-2) gene, which has been placed under the transcriptional control of the tetO/promoter. Human melanoma cells were transduced by two modified retroviral tet vectors containing the transactivator regulatory unit and the IL-2 gene driven by the tetO/promoter, respectively. In the absence of tet, IL-2 expression in the target cells was stable over several months. IL-2 production was in the range of 40 U/106 cells/24 hours. A fine tuning of IL-2 expression could be achieved by culturing the transduced cells with increasing doses of tet, whereby a concentration of 500 ng/mL tet in the culture medium abrogated IL-2 expression. Most importantly for clinical application, IL-2 expression by the transduced melanoma cells could also be regulated in vivo. When nu/nu mice were inoculated with the transduced tumor cells, they failed to develop tumors. Instead, the inhibition of IL-2 expression in the transduced tumor cells by oral administration of tet led to subcutaneous tumor growth; this growth rate was comparable with the growth rate of subcutaneously inoculated untransduced parental cells. The finding demonstrates the applicability of the tet-regulated system in cancer gene therapy

A Guide to the Identification of Burins in Prehistoric Chipped Stone Assemblages

A guidebook published by the Center for Archaeological Research to assist with the identification of burins, especially in relation to the contexts in which they are found in the New World

The Original Boatload of Knowledge Down the Ohio River: William Maclure's and Robert Owen's Transfer of Science and Education to the Midwest, 1825-1826

Author Institution: Department of History, University of Southern Indiana... more learning than ever was before contained in a boat was Robert Owen's description of the Boatload of Knowledge that descended the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to his projected Utopia at New Harmony, Indiana, in the winter of 1825-26. Among the scientists and Pestalozzian educators aboard the keelboat christened Philanthropist were key figures from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. William Maclure was its president and the father of American geology. Thomas Say was the Academy's librarian, a conchologist later called the father of American descriptive entomology. Charles Alexandre Lesueur was the Academy's curator known as a naturalist, zoologist, ichthyologist, artist and teacher who made 127 sketches during the voyage. The research, publications, schools, libraries and reforms of those on the Boatload of Knowledge impacted scientifically, culturally, socially and economically to benefit the Midwest and the nation

Konstruktion transaktionsbasierter Immobilienindizes : theoretische Grundlagen und empirische Umsetzung für den Wohnungsmarkt in Paris

Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt auf, wie hedonische Preisindizes für Immobilien auf der Basis von Transaktionen berechnet werden können. Der Heterogenität der Immobilien wird dabei durch ein ökonometrisches Modell Rechnung getragen, wobei dieser Arbeit das Problem der Wahl einer geeigneten Funktionsform durch eine Transformation nach dem Ansatz von Box/Cox (1964) explizit berücksichtigt wird. Die Datenbasis deckt etwa 65% der Transaktionen des Wohnungsmarktes im Zeitraum 1990 - 1999 ab. Die Korrektur aufgrund unvollständiger Angaben führt zu einem Datensatz von 84686 Transaktionen. Dieser Datensatz ist ein Vielfaches dessen, was bisher vergleichbaren Studien zugrunde lag und stellt damit eine international einmalige Datengrundlage dar

Epidemic dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus in current and future climates.

A key question for infectious disease dynamics is the impact of the climate on future burden. Here, we evaluate the climate drivers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an important determinant of disease in young children. We combine a dataset of county-level observations from the US with state-level observations from Mexico, spanning much of the global range of climatological conditions. Using a combination of nonlinear epidemic models with statistical techniques, we find consistent patterns of climate drivers at a continental scale explaining latitudinal differences in the dynamics and timing of local epidemics. Strikingly, estimated effects of precipitation and humidity on transmission mirror prior results for influenza. We couple our model with projections for future climate, to show that temperature-driven increases to humidity may lead to a northward shift in the dynamic patterns observed and that the likelihood of severe outbreaks of RSV hinges on projections for extreme rainfall

Construction of a transaction based real estate index for the Paris housing market

Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt auf, wie hedonische Preisindizes für Immobilien auf der Basis von Transaktionen berechnet werden können. Der Heterogenität der Immobilien wird dabei durch ein ökonometrisches Modell Rechnung getragen, wobei in dieser Arbeit das Problem der Wahl einer geeigneten Funktionsform durch eine Transformation nach dem Ansatz von Box/Cox (1964) explizit berücksichtigt wird. Die Datenbasis deckt etwa 65% der Transaktionen des Wohnungsmarktes im Zeitraum 1990-1999 ab. Die Korrektur aufgrund unvollständiger Angaben führt zu einem Datensatz von 84 686 Transaktionen. Dieser Datensatz ist ein Vielfaches dessen, was bisher vergleichbaren Studien zugrunde lag und stellt damit eine international einmalige Datengrundlage dar.In this Paper, we calculate a transaction based price index for apartments in Paris (France). The heterogeneous character of real estate is taken into account by using an econometric model. The functional form is specified by using a general Box/Cox-function. The data base Covers about 65% of the housing market in 1990-1999. Correction for incomplete data leads to a sample of 84 686 transactions. This sample is by far the largest ever used in comparable studies, and is therefore internationally an unique data coverage for housing markets

The I_CARRE Methodology: An Organized Approach to Selecting Web Design Software for Nonprofits

Choosing Web content management software from the myriad of choices available can be a critical decision any organization. However, this decision becomes an even greater concern for nonprofit organizations with limited IT resources, technical skills, and financial resources. In this paper, a methodology is introduced that describes a step-by-step approach to selecting Web design software for organizations with extremely limited resources. The proposed I_CARRE methodology was developed using an action research approach and introduces several fundamental project management concepts, as well as some widely available tools. The objective of the I_CARRE methodology is to provide a non- technical, common sense approach that requires only a basic understanding of the Internet and familiarity with personal computing terminology in order to be applied successfully. Moreover, a case study of a nonprofit organization provides an in-depth look at how the methodology was used to provide organizational value