bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum Transaminases and Older Adults: Distribution and Associations With All-Cause Mortality
Authors: Clayton-Chubb Daniel , Majeed Ammar , Roberts Stuart K , Schneider Hans G , Commins Isabella , Fitzpatrick Jessica , Woods Robyn L , Ryan Joanne , Hussain Sultana Monira , Tan Natassia , Lubel John S , Tran Cammie , Hodge Alexander D , McNeil John J , Kemp William W 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are commonly ordered tests in general medical practice. However, their distribution and significance in older adults are understudied. As such, we aimed to evaluate sex-stratified distribution of both ALT and AST in older adults (≥70 years) and assess for associations with mortality.

Methods
Post-hoc analysis of the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) randomized, placebo-controlled trial of daily low-dose aspirin for initially relatively healthy older persons. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to explore baseline characteristics. Cox regression and restricted cubic splines were used to examine links between transaminase levels and mortality.

Results
Of the 11 853 participants with ALT and AST levels, 1 054 (8.9%) deaths were recorded over a median of 6.4 (interquartile range [IQR] 5.4–7.6) years. For ALT, the lowest quintiles for males and females were 6–15 and 5–13 U/L, respectively; for AST, the lowest quintiles were 8–18 and 7–17 U/L, respectively. On both univariate and models adjusted for covariates including age, body mass index, frailty, diabetes, and kidney disease, males and females in the lowest quintile of ALT had an increased hazard of mortality (aHR 1.51 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.14–1.99] and aHR 1.39 [95% CI 1.03–1.88], respectively). For the lowest quintile of AST, only males were at increased risk (aHR 1.33 [95% CI 1.04–1.70]). Associations remained significant when removing outliers.

Conclusions
Low ALT levels independently confer an increased hazard of mortality for older males and females; low AST only affected older male survival. Further evaluation of mechanisms would be worthwhile, and re-evaluating the lower limit of normal for ALT in older adults should be considered.
‘It’s far from the norm’: breastfeeding beyond 1 year in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Paul Gillian , Vickers Niamh , Kincaid Regina , McGuinness Denise 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Breastfeeding is the optimal form of nutrition for infants and young children. The World Health Organization recommends that babies are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of life, and up to the age of 2 years or beyond in combination with complementary food. Breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates are suboptimal globally and very low in the Republic of Ireland where health promotion initiatives and healthcare professional support predominantly focus on the important phase of initiation and early months of the breastfeeding journey. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore the experiences of women who chose to breastfeed their children beyond 1 year of age in the Republic of Ireland. Fourteen women participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was conducted. The analysis generated three overarching themes: (1) Influences on breastfeeding beyond 1 year, (2) Sustaining breastfeeding and (3) Benefits of breastfeeding beyond 1 year. Family, friends, peers, culture and commercial milk formula marketing had an influence on breastfeeding journeys. Support, determination, knowledge, bed-sharing and Covid-19 pandemic social restrictions helped to sustain breastfeeding beyond 1 year. Benefits of breastfeeding beyond 1 year such as nutrition, strengthening of emotional bonds, development of a parenting tool, and protection of child and maternal health were identified. Our findings support the need for discussions and further research on the normalization of breastfeeding beyond 1 year in the Republic of Ireland, targeted health promotion initiatives and education programmes for healthcare professionals on supporting the continuation of breastfeeding.
Optimizing dsRNA engineering strategies and production in E. coli HT115 (DE3)
Authors: da Rosa Juliana , Viana Américo José Carvalho , Ferreira Fernando Rafael Alves , Koltun Alessandra , Mertz-Henning Liliane Marcia , Marin Silvana Regina Rockenbach , Rech Elibio Leopoldo , Nepomuceno Alexandre Lima 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Producing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) represents a bottleneck for the adoption of RNA interference technology in agriculture, and the main hurdles are related to increases in dsRNA yield, production efficiency, and purity. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize dsRNA production in E. coli HT115 (DE3) using an in vivo system. To this end, we designed a new vector, pCloneVR_2, which resulted in the efficient production of dsRNA in E. coli HT115 (DE3). We performed optimizations in the culture medium and expression inducer in the fermentation of E. coli HT115 (DE3) for the production of dsRNA. Notably, the variable that had the greatest effect on dsRNA yield was cultivation in TB medium, which resulted in a 118% increase in yield. Furthermore, lactose induction (6 g/L) yielded 10 times more than IPTG. Additionally, our optimized up-scaled protocol of the TRIzol™ extraction method was efficient for obtaining high-quality and pure dsRNA. Finally, our optimized protocol achieved an average yield of 53.3 µg/mL after the production and purification of different dsRNAs, reducing production costs by 72%.

One-Sentence Summary
Improved production of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in E. coli HT115 (DE3) bacteria resulted in significant yield increases and cost reductions through optimized methods.
Academic readiness among young children treated for brain tumors: a multisite, prospective, longitudinal trial
Authors: Somekh Melanie R , Ashford Jason M , Swain Michelle A , Harder Lana L , Carlson-Green Bonnie L , Wallace Joanna , Kaner Ryan J , Billups Catherine A , Onar-Thomas Arzu , Ali Jeanelle S , Harman Jennifer L , Merchant Thomas E , Gajjar Amar , Conklin Heather M 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Young children treated for central nervous system (CNS) malignancies are at high risk for difficulties with academic functioning due to increased vulnerability of the developing brain and missed early developmental opportunities. Extant literature examining academics in this population is limited. We investigated academic readiness, its clinical and demographic predictors, and its relationship with distal academic outcomes among patients treated for CNS tumors during early childhood.

Methods
Seventy patients with newly diagnosed CNS tumors were treated on a prospective, longitudinal, multisite study with chemotherapy, with or without photon or proton irradiation. Patients underwent assessments of academic skills at baseline, 6 months, 1 year, and then annually for 5 years. Assessments measured academic readiness and academic achievement in reading and math.

Results
Mixed linear models revealed slowed development of academic readiness skills over time. Socioeconomic status (SES) was predictive of academic readiness at all time points. Other demographic (eg, age at treatment) and clinical (eg, shunt status, treatment exposure) variables were not predictive of academic readiness. Distal reading difficulties were proportionally greater than normative expectations while math difficulties did not differ. Academic readiness was predictive of distal academic outcomes in reading and math.

Conclusions
Treatment for CNS malignancies in early childhood appears to slow development of academic readiness skills, with SES predictive of risk. Academic readiness skills were predictive of subsequent academic achievement. A disproportionate number of long-term survivors performed below age-based expectations in reading. These findings suggest the need for monitoring and interventions targeting early academic skills in this population.
Intra-ethnic and geographic disparities in stage at diagnosis for non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Liu Qinran , Medina Heidy N , Koru-Sengul Tulay , Rodriguez Estelamari , Lopes Gilberto , Penedo Frank J , Islami Farhad , Pinheiro Paulo S 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Despite the importance of early detection for lung cancer outcomes, staging disparities among the growing US Hispanic population remain underexplored. This population-based study aimed to identify racial/ethnic disparities among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic (including specific subgroups) patients in stage at diagnosis for potentially curable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods
Incident NSCLC cases (2005-2018) were extracted from the Florida cancer registry. Stage was categorized as early (localized/regional) or advanced (distant). Multivariable logistic regression assessed the association between race/ethnicity and stage at diagnosis, adjusting for socioeconomic status, smoking, and clinical factors.

Results
Among 157 034 NSCLC patients, 47.8% were diagnosed at an advanced stage. Multivariable models showed higher odds of advanced-stage diagnosis for non-Hispanic Blacks (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17 to 1.26) and Hispanics (ORadj = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.08) compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Regional differences were stark for Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic Whites: ORadj = 0.96 (95% CI = 0.91 to 1.01) in South Florida vs 1.12 (95% CI = 1.05 to 1.19) in the rest of Florida. In South Florida, Central Americans (ORadj = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.20 to 1.85) were the only Hispanic group showing a staging disadvantage compared with non-Hispanic Whites.

Conclusion
Pronounced disparities in NSCLC staging among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations, with notable regional variations within Florida’s Hispanic communities, indicate that targeted interventions could significantly enhance early detection. The relative advantage observed in nearly all minority groups in multicultural South Florida compared with the rest of Florida underscores the need for future research exploring how specific Hispanic and multiracial sociocultural contexts can positively influence the landscape of cancer early detection across the United States.
Trademarks and Related Rights in China
Authors: Zhu Dong , Lin Xiuqin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter illustrates that the use of trade mark is an outcome of commodity economy. There was no trade mark law that originated within ancient China. The modern trade mark registration regime in China was introduced in 1904, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, to meet the requirements imposed by foreign countries. The current Trade Mark Law (TML) in China was passed in 1982 and went into force in 1983 under the background of the reform and opening policy. The latest amendment of TML was made in 2013 to cater for the enforcement of the National Intellectual Property Strategy, and the new law had come into force on 1 April 2014. It was deemed as an initiative update of the current rules compared to the former amendments.
Institutional Actors, Design, and History of the EU and UK Competition Law Systems
Authors: Lianos Ioannis , Korah Valentine , Siciliani Paolo 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the institutional actors, design and history of the competition law systems in the European Union and the UK. It begins with a discussion of the legal framework, focusing on the main competition law provisions in the EU and UK. The role of EU competition law provisions within the EU treaties is considered, along with provisions applying to all undertakings such as antitrust and merger control, application of Articles 101-102 TFEU to state conduct, the INNO doctrine, and UK laws such as Competition Act 1998. The chapter also looks at the main actors in the EU competition law process, including the European Commission and national competition authorities, and the main actors in the UK competition law process such as the Competition and Markets Authority. Finally, the history of competition law as well as the interaction between EU competition law and UK competition law are analysed.
Introductory Material
Authors: Vogenauer Stefan 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This introduction provides an overview of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts (PICC) 2010, which are designed to be an ‘elaboration of an international restatement of general principles of contract law’. The PICC seek to meet the perceived need for a harmonization of the law of international commercial contracts while avoiding some of the problems that have beset more traditional tools of harmonization. This introduction explains how the idea of a restatement of international commercial contract law came about and discusses the structure, presentation, and style of the PICC as well as their scope and reception. It also considers the outlook for the PICC in terms of substantive changes and promotion of the use of the PICC in legal practice.
Special Jurisdiction
Authors: Lehmann Matthias , Lein Eva , Rogerson Pippa , Ancel Marie-Elodie 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses Art 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments (Recast), which contains seven grounds of special jurisdiction. These grounds are ‘special’ in so far as they are exceptions to the principle of sequitur forum rei established by Art 4 as the general principle of the Regulation in allowing claims to be brought in a forum different from the domicile of the defendant. The chapter covers provisions on jurisdiction for contractual matters; jurisdiction in matters relating to tort, delict, or quasi-delict; jurisdiction linked to criminal proceedings; jurisdiction for the retrieval of cultural objects; jurisdiction over establishments; and jurisdiction relating to trusts.
Lis Pendens and Related Actions
Authors: Rogerson Pippa , Lehmann Matthias , Garcimartín Francisco 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses the new Arts 29-34 (Section 9 of Chapter II) of the Recast Regulation, which are centrally important to the operation of the Regulation. It covers provisions on lis pendens and related actions in another Member State, lis pendens and exclusive jurisdiction, autonomous determination of the time at which the court was seized, and lis pendens and related actions in non-Member States.
France
Authors: Gaillard Emmanuel , Darrigade Coralie 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses the arbitration system of France. It first provides a historical background on France’s arbitration law and an overview of the current status of the law before explaining the distinction between national and international arbitration as well as the practice of arbitration in the country. It then considers the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal, with particular emphasis on the arbitration agreement itself, the issue of arbitrability in the context of international arbitration, and the constitution of the arbitral tribunal (eg, number and qualification of arbitrators, appointment of arbitrators). The arbitral procedure is also examined, along with the process of rendering the arbitral award, costs of the arbitration, and the question of liability of arbitrators. The chapter concludes with an analysis of enforcement rules for national awards versus foreign awards in France.
Governing Financial Institutions
Authors: Busch Danny , Ferrarini Guido , van Solinge Gerard 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This introductory chapter provides an overview of the governance of financial institutions. After the numerous bank failures resulting from the 2008 financial crisis, regulation and supervision have been enhanced both as a complement to the governance of financial institutions and as a substitute for the same in areas where governance failures appear more evident. Indeed, the financial crisis has led to a restatement of the global principles concerning the corporate governance of financial institutions in the belief that governance failures contributed to these institutions' failures in the crisis. Given that corporate governance is a complement to regulation in assuring the stability of financial institutions, an important question for policy research is to what extent and under what conditions regulation should work either as a complement or a substitute for corporate governance.
Evaluation of BEPS Transfer Pricing Measures
Authors: Collier Richard S , Andrus Joseph L 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter evaluates the changes described in the previous chapter, and considers whether they provide a solid foundation for future transfer pricing determinations. The BEPS transfer pricing outputs are prodigious. They reflect a serious effort to come to grips with issues that have bedeviled transfer pricing practice for many years. In some respects they do so relatively successfully. In other respects, however, improvement has been hard to come by and in some instances the BEPS changes create new concerns, which this chapter considers in more depth. It also looks at some of the collateral consequences that may flow from the BEPS work.
The Concept of Expropriation in Investment Treaty Arbitration
Authors: Cox Johanne M 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter examines the concepts of direct and indirect expropriation as well as the conditions for lawfulness of expropriation in investment treaty law and customary international law. It first explains the distinction between two broad catagories of expropriation, namely direct and indirect takings, and the different manifestations of direct expropriation (nationalisation, specific takings, requisition, and confiscation). It then describes the four common forms of indirect expropriation: creeping expropriation, regulatory expropriation, contractual expropriation, and judicial expropriation. It also considers efforts at codification of expropriation of customary international law and how investment treaty tribunals recognise the distinction between direct and indirect expropriation. Finally, it explores lawful expropriation vs. illegal, wrongful or unlawful expropriation, taking into account the conditions of legality under customary international law, bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and international investment treaties. A number of cases are given to illustrate whether the State has breached the treaty conditions of legality.
International Sale Contracts and Their Performance
Authors: Goldby Miriam 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter examines international sale contracts and their performance. In a contract for the sale of goods, the seller and the buyer both take on obligations: the seller, to deliver the goods in accordance with the contract terms; and the buyer, to accept compliant goods and to pay for them. The international sale of goods is characterized by the ubiquitous use of standard contractual terms, prepared by representative bodies including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), whose international commercial terms are used for all types of international sale, as well as trade associations. Two types of standard contract that are in widespread use in maritime trade and which have been commented on extensively by the courts are contracts on cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) terms and contracts on free on board (FOB) terms. The chapter then considers the performance of the payment obligation and supply chain finance.
Origins
Authors: Clarry Daniel 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter talks about the origins of the supervisory jurisdiction over trust administration. The foundations of this jurisdiction began to take shape in the mid- to late 16th century, brought upon by two key enactments relating to uses and wills, after which time the Court oversaw the administration of active trusts. The ground was laid for supervisory powers to develop in the Court to overcome practical difficulties arising in trust administration even as trusts became increasingly complex and were deployed to fulfil a range of purposes. The chapter shows how the evolution of judicial supervision of trust administration was spurred on by the broader use of trusts for private and public endeavours that needed to be performed by trustees over a plane of time, as opposed to trusts being used for simple conveyancing.
Regulating the Office of Trustee
Authors: Clarry Daniel 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter explores how the office of trustee is the central administrative cog that exists above and beyond any person who assumes that office for the time being until such time as the trust is performed. Given its centrality to trust administration, the Court’s power to regulate the office of trustee is an important part of the supervisory jurisdiction over trust administration. This process can be dissected into three main aspects: appointment of trustees; removal and retirement of trustees; and fixing the remuneration of trustees. As administrative and protective functions that regulate the office of trustee to facilitate the performance of trusts, these functions are key aspects of the supervisory jurisdiction over trust administration.
Overview and Glossary
Authors: van Setten Lodewijk 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This book examines the legal and regulatory principles that govern investment in financial assets such as stocks, bonds and derivatives. The focus is on the roles of investment firms and banks during the investment cycle. The book also considers the level of protection — in terms of risk mitigation — against conduct and default risks that the operative legal and regulatory principles offer at the various stages of the investment cycle. This chapter describes the structure of the investment cycle, with emphasis on the professional character of the services and activities of investment firms, as well as the inherent risks of the investment cycle and the risk mitigating impact of the regulatory governance requirements. Furthermore, it explains the use of agency authority by investment firms to perform contracts for investment services. Finally, it provides a glossary of terms used throughout the book.
Client Agreements and Compensatory Damages
Authors: van Setten Lodewijk 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses the regulatory framework for the agreement between the investment firm and the client. The terms of the client agreement are the primary source for the investment firm’s private law duties to the investor. To arrive at a set of contractual duties, the client agreement needs to be construed. ‘Construction’, as a concept, may be divided into the process of interpretation of the express terms and the process of implication of terms into an agreement by law, by fact, or based on custom and usage. The chapter first considers the applicable standard of skill and care for client agreements before explaining the regulatory expectations around governance and control of risks arising from the appointment of sub-contractors (outsourcing). It also examines the investment firm’s liability to provide compensation to the investor for losses caused by breach of duty relating to a contract, tort, or equity.
The Seller’s Duty and Power to Transfer Title
Authors: Bridge M G 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
This chapter is divided into two parts. First, it deals with the contractual relations of seller and buyer and the scope of the title to the goods that under section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act the seller is obliged to invest in the buyer. Second, it deals with the various circumstances in which a seller of goods, lacking the right to sell them to the buyer, has yet the power to override the superior title of a third party by the act of transferring the goods to the buyer. The disparate circumstances in which a seller can achieve this amount to a substantial inroad into the rule of nemo dat quod non habet that no one can transfer a better title than the one that he himself has.