bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Export Performance and Access to Intermediate Inputs: The Case of Rules of Origin Liberalisation
Authors: Andersson Anna 
Published: August 2015

AbstractInternationally fragmented production processes have highlighted the need of efficient sourcing from foreign suppliers. This paper aims to investigate how exports of final goods are affected by better access to foreign intermediate inputs. In particular, the paper empirically tests whether expanding the set of available intermediate input suppliers through preferential rules of origin liberalisation affects exports of final goods. We exploit the introduction of the southern Mediterranean countries into the Pan‐Euro‐Med zone of diagonal cumulation which meant that foreign intermediate inputs could be used from more countries than before without jeopardising the preferential access to the EU. Using a fixed effects specification that controls for detailed levels of unobserved heterogeneity and multilateral resistance, we examine the effect of the new diagonal cumulation possibilities on southern Mediterranean exports to EU‐15. We find a positive effect on both export intensity, the value of exports, and export diversification, the number of exported products. Being part of the Pan‐Euro‐Med zone of diagonal cumulation is associated with a 20 per cent increase in export intensity and a 5 per cent increase in export diversification.
Dog erythrocyte antigen 1: mode of inheritance and initial characterization
Authors: Polak Klaudia , Acierno Michelle M. , Raj Karthik , Mizukami Keijiro , Siegel Don L. , Giger Urs 
Published: August 2015

BackgroundThe dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1 blood group system remains poorly defined.ObjectivesThe purpose of the study was to determine theDEA1 mode of inheritance and to characterize theDEA1 antigen and alloantibodies.AnimalsCanine research colony families, clinic canine patients, andDEA1.2+ blood bank dogs were studied.MethodsCanine blood was typed by flow cytometry and immunochromatographic strips using anti‐DEA1 monoclonal antibodies. Gel column experiments with polyclonal and immunoblotting with monoclonal anti‐DEA1 antibodies were performed to analyze select samples. Cross‐reactivity of human typing reagents against canineRBCand one monoclonal anti‐DEA1 antibody against humanRBCpanels was assessed.ResultsTyping of 12 families comprising 144 dogs indicated an autosomal dominant inheritance with ≥ 4 alleles:DEA1− (0) andDEA1+ weak (1+), intermediate (2+), and strong (3+ and 4+). Samples from 6 dogs previously typed asDEA1.2+ were typed asDEA1+ orDEA1− using monoclonal antibodies. Human typing reagents produced varied reactions in tube agglutination experiments againstDEA1+ andDEA1−RBC. Polypeptide bands were not detected on immunoblots using a monoclonal anti‐DEA1 antibody, therefore the anti‐DEA1 antibody may be specific for conformational epitopes lost during processing.ConclusionsThe autosomal dominant inheritance ofDEA1 with ≥ 4 alleles indicates a complex blood group system; the antigenicity of eachDEA1+ type will need to be determined. The biochemical nature of theDEA1 antigen(s) appears different from human blood group systems tested.
Insights from physiology into myometrial function and dysfunction
Authors: Wray Susan 
Published: August 2015

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?
I focus on clinical aspects of uterine physiology, specifically, myometrial contractility. I bring together and contrast findings using physiological approaches and those using newer techniques, ‘omics’.

What advances does it highlight?
Physiological studies have recently shed light on the myometrium in twin pregnancies, but there have been no ‘omic’ approaches. In contrast, studies of preterm delivery using newer approaches are generating new research avenues, whereas traditional approaches have not flourished. Finally, I describe significant advances in understanding of ‘slow‐to‐progress’ labours, achieved using physiological and clinical approaches.

Advances in molecular, genetic and ‘omic’ technologies are fuelling the thirst for better understanding of the uterus and application of this information to problems in pregnancy and labour. Progress has, however, been limited while we still have an incomplete understanding of some of the basic physiology of uterine smooth muscle (myometrium). In this review and opinion piece, I explore some of the fascinating findings from selected recent studies and see how these may provide new avenues for physiological and clinical research. It is also the case, however, that there is still limited mechanistic understanding about physiological and pathophysiological processes in the myometrium. This lack of understanding limits the usefulness of some findings from genomic and allied studies. By focusing on some key recent findings and relating these to two important clinical problems in childbirth that involve myometrial activity, namely preterm delivery and difficult labours, the interplay between our physiological knowledge and the information provided by newer technologies is explored. My opinion is that physiology has provided much more new mechanistic insight into difficult births and that the newer technologies may lead to breakthroughs in preterm birth research, but that this has not yet happened.
Use of Fin Equation to Calculate Nusselt Numbers for Rotating Disks
Authors: Tang Hui , Shardlow Tony , Michael Owen J. 
Published: August 2015

Conduction in thin disks can be modeled using the fin equation, and there are analytical solutions of this equation for a circular disk with a constant heat-transfer coefficient. However, convection (particularly free convection) in rotating-disk systems is a conjugate problem: the heat transfer in the fluid and the solid are coupled, and the relative effects of conduction and convection are related to the Biot number, Bi, which in turn is related to the Nusselt number. In principle, if the radial distribution of the disk temperature is known then Bi can be determined numerically. But the determination of heat flux from temperature measurements is an example of an inverse problem where small uncertainties in the temperatures can create large uncertainties in the computed heat flux. In this paper, Bayesian statistics are applied to the inverse solution of the circular fin equation to produce reliable estimates of Bi for rotating disks, and numerical experiments using simulated noisy temperature measurements are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Bayesian method. Using published experimental temperature measurements, the method is also applied to the conjugate problem of buoyancy-induced flow in the cavity between corotating compressor disks.
New Technologies for Studying Biofilms
Authors: Franklin Michael J. , Chang Connie , Akiyama Tatsuya , Bothner Brian 
Published: August 2015

ABSTRACT
Bacteria have traditionally been studied as single-cell organisms. In laboratory settings, aerobic bacteria are usually cultured in aerated flasks, where the cells are considered essentially homogenous. However, in many natural environments, bacteria and other microorganisms grow in mixed communities, often associated with surfaces. Biofilms are comprised of surface-associated microorganisms, their extracellular matrix material, and environmental chemicals that have adsorbed to the bacteria or their matrix material. While this definition of a biofilm is fairly simple, biofilms are complex and dynamic. Our understanding of the activities of individual biofilm cells and whole biofilm systems has developed rapidly, due in part to advances in molecular, analytical, and imaging tools and the miniaturization of tools designed to characterize biofilms at the enzyme level, cellular level, and systems level.
Regional health expenditure and health outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Japan: an observational study
Authors: Tsugawa Yusuke , Hasegawa Kohei , Hiraide Atsushi , Jha Ashish K 
Published: August 2015

ObjectivesJapan is considering policies to set the target health expenditure level for each region, a policy approach that has been considered in many other countries. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between regional health expenditure and health outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), which incorporates the qualities of prehospital, in-hospital and posthospital care systems.DesignWe examined the association between prefecture-level per capita health expenditure and patients’ health outcomes after OHCA.SettingWe used a nationwide, population-based registry system of OHCAs that captured all cases with OHCA resuscitated by emergency responders in Japan from 2005 to 2011.ParticipantsAll patients with OHCA aged 1–100 years were analysed.Outcome measuresThe patients’ 1-month survival rate, and favourable neurological outcome (defined as cerebral performance category 1–2) at 1-month.ResultsAmong 618 154 cases with OHCA, the risk-adjusted 1-month survival rate varied from 3.3% (95% CI 2.9% to 3.7%) to 8.4% (95% CI 7.7% to 9.1%) across prefectures. The risk-adjusted probabilities of favourable neurological outcome ranged from 1.6% (95% CI 1.4% to 1.9%) to 3.7% (95% CI 3.4% to 3.9%). Compared with prefectures with lowest tertile health expenditure, 1-month survival rate was significantly higher in medium-spending (adjusted OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.66, p=0.03) and high-spending prefectures (adjusted OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.64, p=0.02), after adjusting for patient characteristics. There was no difference in the survival between medium-spending and high-spending regions. We observed similar patterns for favourable neurological outcome. Additional adjustment for regional per capita income did not affect our overall findings.ConclusionsWe observed a wide variation in the health outcomes after OHCA across regions. Low-spending regions had significantly worse health outcomes compared with medium-spending or high-spending regions, but no difference was observed between medium-spending and high-spending regions. Our findings suggest that focusing on the median spending may be the optimum that allows for saving money without compromising patient outcomes.
Expression and prognostic value of putative cancer stem cell markers CD117 and CD15 in choroidal and ciliary body melanoma
Authors: Lukenda Adrian , Dotlic Snjezana , Vukojevic Nenad , Saric Borna , Vranic Semir , Zarkovic Kamelija 
Published: August 2015

AimsThe aim of the present study was to immunohistochemically investigate the expression and prognostic significance of putative cancer stem cell markers CD117 (c-kit), CD34, CD20 and CD15 in a cohort of patients with primary choroidal and ciliary body melanoma.MethodsThe immunohistochemical expression of these markers was evaluated using 3,3′-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (DAB) and 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC) chromogens on paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 40 patients who underwent enucleation in the period from 1985 through 2000. Thirty-one patients had adequate tissue specimens for the analysis.ResultsCD117 overexpression was observed in 12 of the 31 samples (39%) when AEC chromogen was used and in 14 of 26 (54%) samples when DAB was used. CD15 positivity was seen in three out of 30 (10%) samples with AEC and in six out of 26 (23%) samples with DAB. CD20 and CD34 exhibited no positivity in the tested samples. During the average follow-up time of 8.7 years (range 0.5–22 years), 17 patients (55%) died due to metastatic disease. The Kaplan–Meier plots showed a significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival in CD117-positive patients when the AEC chromogen was used. CD15 expression was not associated with patients’ survival. In multivariate analysis, patients expressing the CD117 AEC had 4.13 times higher risk of lethal outcome in comparison with CD117 AEC negative patients.ConclusionsOur retrospective cohort study has for the first time demonstrated a small proportion of CD15-positive uveal melanomas. CD117 AEC overexpression was associated with a worse outcome in patients with choroidal and ciliary body melanoma. Further studies should confirm the validity of these observations and their potential for targeted treatment modalities.
Association of hepatic oxidative stress and iron dysregulation with HCC development after interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Nanba Shintaro , Ikeda Fusao , Baba Nobuyuki , Takaguchi Koichi , Senoh Tomonori , Nagano Takuya , Seki Hiroyuki , Takeuchi Yasuto , Moritou Yuki , Yasunaka Tetsuya , Ohnishi Hideki , Miyake Yasuhiro , Takaki Akinobu , Nouso Kazuhiro , Iwasaki Yoshiaki , Yamamoto Kazuhide 
Published: August 2015

BackgroundOxidative stress may play pathogenic roles in the mechanisms underlying chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The impact of excessive oxidative stress and iron dysregulation on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after interferon therapy has not been established.MethodsWe investigated the impact of oxidative stress and iron deposition on HCC development after therapy with pegylated interferon (PegIFN)+ribavirin in CHC patients. Systemic and intracellular iron homeostasis was evaluated in liver tissues, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and sera.ResultsOf 203 patients enrolled, 13 developed HCC during the 5.6-year follow-up. High hepatic 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were significantly associated with HCC development in multivariate analysis (p=0.0012) which was also significantly correlated with severity of hepatic iron deposition before therapy (p<0.0001). Systemic and intracellular iron regulators of hepcidin and F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 5 (FBXL5) expression levels were significantly suppressed in CHC patients (p=0.0032 and p=0.016, respectively) despite their significantly higher levels of serum iron and ferritin compared with controls. However, intracellular iron regulators of FBXL5 and iron regulatory proteins were regulated in balance with hepatic iron deposition. Significant correlations were observed among IL-6, bone morphogenetic protein 6, hepcidin and ferroportin, as regards systemic iron regulation.ConclusionsMeasurement of hepatic oxidative stress before antiviral therapy is useful for the prediction of HCC development after interferon therapy. Low baseline levels of the intracellular iron regulators of FBXL5 in addition to a suppressed hepcidin level might be associated with severe hepatic iron deposition in CHC patients.Trial registration numberUMIN 000001031.
The Growing Burden of Endometrial Cancer: A Major Racial Disparity Affecting Black Women
Authors: Cote Michele L. , Ruterbusch Julie J. , Olson Sara H. , Lu Karen , Ali-Fehmi Rouba 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
Background: In contrast with the decreasing incidence seen for most cancers, endometrial cancer has been increasing in the United States. We examined whether the increasing incidence and mortality from endometrial cancer are equally distributed by race/ethnicity and tumor histologic subtype.
Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) endometrial cancer incidence and mortality data were obtained from 2000 to 2011. Age-adjusted incidence and incidence-based mortality rates, 95% confidence intervals, and annual percent changes (APC) were calculated. Rate ratios were calculated to compare racial/ethnic groups. Five-year relative survival rates were presented to explore survival by stage at diagnosis.
Results: Incidence rates for endometrial cancers are rising across all racial/ethnic groups, with the greatest APC seen among non-Hispanic black (NHB) and Asian women (APC, 2.5 for both). NHB women have significantly higher incidence rates of aggressive endometrial cancers (clear cell, serous, high-grade endometrioid, and malignant mixed Mullerian tumors) compared with non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Hispanic and Asian women have incidence rates equal to or lower than NHW women for all tumor subtypes. For nearly every stage and subtype, the 5-year relative survival for NHB women is significantly less than NHW women, whereas Hispanic and Asian women have the same or better survival.
Conclusions: Endometrial cancer incidence is increasing for all women, particularly the aggressive subtypes. The disparity associated with excess incidence for these aggressive histologic subtypes and poorer survival is limited to NHB women.
Impact: Increasing rates of aggressive endometrial cancers may widen the survival disparity between NHW and NHB women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(9); 1407–15. ©2015 AACR.
Targeted DNA Methylation Screen in the Mouse Mammary Genome Reveals a Parity-Induced Hypermethylation of Igf1r That Persists Long after Parturition
Authors: Katz Tiffany A. , Liao Serena G. , Palmieri Vincent J. , Dearth Robert K. , Pathiraja Thushangi N. , Huo Zhiguang , Shaw Patricia , Small Sarah , Davidson Nancy E. , Peters David G. , Tseng George C. , Oesterreich Steffi , Lee Adrian V. 
Published: August 2015

Abstract
The most effective natural prevention against breast cancer is an early first full-term pregnancy. Understanding how the protective effect is elicited will inform the development of new prevention strategies. To better understand the role of epigenetics in long-term protection, we investigated parity-induced DNA methylation in the mammary gland. FVB mice were bred or remained nulliparous and mammary glands harvested immediately after involution (early) or 6.5 months following involution (late), allowing identification of both transient and persistent changes. Targeted DNA methylation (109 Mb of Ensemble regulatory features) analysis was performed using the SureSelectXT Mouse Methyl-seq assay and massively parallel sequencing. Two hundred sixty-nine genes were hypermethylated and 128 hypomethylated persistently at both the early and late time points. Pathway analysis of the persistently differentially methylated genes revealed Igf1r to be central to one of the top identified signaling networks, and Igf1r itself was one of the most significantly hypermethylated genes. Hypermethylation of Igf1r in the parous mammary gland was associated with a reduction of Igf1r mRNA expression. These data suggest that the IGF pathway is regulated at multiple levels during pregnancy and that its modification might be critical in the protective role of pregnancy. This supports the approach of lowering IGF action for prevention of breast cancer, a concept that is currently being tested clinically. Cancer Prev Res; 8(10); 1000–9. ©2015 AACR.
Clinical significance of circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 to white matter disintegrity in Alzheimer’s dementia
Authors: Huang Chi-Wei , Tsai Meng-Han , Chen Nai-Ching , Chen Wei-Hsi , Lu Yan-Ting , Lui Chun-Chung , Chang Ya-Ting , Chang Wen-Neng , Chang Alice Y. W. , Chang Chiung-Chih 
Published: August 2015

SummaryEndothelial dysfunction leads to worse cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). While both cerebrovascular risk factors and endothelial dysfunction lead to activation of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin, it is not known whether these biomarkers extend the diagnostic repertoire in reflecting intracerebral structural damage or cognitive performance. A total of 110 AD patients and 50 age-matched controls were enrolled. Plasma levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin were measured and correlated with the cognitive performance, white matter macro-structural changes, and major tract-specific fractional anisotropy quantification. The AD patients were further stratified by clinical dementia rating score (mild dementia, n=60; moderate-to-severe dementia, n=50). Compared with the controls, plasma levels of VCAM-1 (p< 0.001), ICAM-1 (p=0.028) and E-selectin (p=0.016) were significantly higher in the patients, but only VCAM-1 levels significantly reflected the severity of dementia (p< 0.001). In addition, only VCAM-1 levels showed an association with macro- and micro- white matter changes especially in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (p< 0.001), posterior thalamic radiation (p=0.002), stria terminalis (p=0.002) and corpus callosum (p=0.009), and were independent of, age and cortical volume. These tracts show significant association with MMSE, short term memory and visuospatial function. Meanwhile, while VCAM-1 level correlated significantly with short-term memory (p=0.026) and drawing (p=0.025) scores in the AD patients after adjusting for age and education, the significance disappeared after adjusting for global FA. Endothelial activation, especially VCAM-1, was of clinical significance in AD that reflects macro- and micro-structural changes and poor short term memory and visuospatial function.
Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in women under combined oral contraceptive
Authors: Henneuse Agathe , Ibrahim Manal , Brunet Dominique , Barthet Marie-Christine , Aillaud Marie-Françoise , Venton Geoffroy , Alessi Marie-Christine , Trégouët David-Alexandre , Suchon Pierre , Frouh Fadi Al , Morange Pierre-Emmanuel 
Published: August 2015

SummaryIdentifying women at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major public health issue. The objective of this study was to identify environmental and genetic determinants of VTE risk in a large sample of women under combined oral contraceptives (COC). A total of 968 women who had had one event of VTE during COC use were compared to 874 women under COC but with no personal history of VTE. Clinical data were collected and a systematic thrombophilia screening was performed together with ABO blood group assessment. After adjusting for age, family history, and type and duration of COC use, main environmental determinants of VTE were smoking (odds ratio [OR] =1.65, 95 % confidence interval [1.30–2.10]) and a body mass index higher than 35 kg.m-2 (OR=3.46 [1.81–7.03]). In addition, severe inherited thrombophilia (OR=2.13 [1.32–3.51]) and non-O blood groups (OR=1.98 [1.57–2.49]) were strong genetic risk factors for VTE. Family history poorly predicted thrombophilia as its prevalence was similar in patients with or without first degree family history of VTE (29.3 % vs 23.9 %, p=0.09). In conclusion, this study confirms the influence of smoking and obesity and shows for the first time the impact of ABO blood group on the risk of VTE in women under COC. It also confirms the inaccuracy of the family history of VTE to detect inherited thrombophilia.