bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Export Credit Guarantees and Export Performance: An Empirical Analysis for Germany
Authors: Felbermayr Gabriel J. , Yalcin Erdal 
Published: May 2013

AbstractRecent literature finds that exporters are particularly vulnerable to financial market frictions. As a consequence, exports may be lower than their efficient levels. For this reason, many countries support exporters by underwriting export credit guarantees. The empirical evidence on the effects of those policies is, however, very limited. In this paper, we use sectoral data on export credit guarantees issued by the German government. We investigate whether those guarantees indeed do increase exports and whether they remedy the export‐restricting effect of credit market imperfections both on the sectoral and on the export‐market levels. Exploiting the sectoral structure of a rich three‐way panel data set of German exports, we control for unobserved heterogeneity on the country‐year, sector‐year and country‐sector dimensions. We document a robust export‐increasing effect of guarantees. There is some evidence that the effect is larger for export markets with poor financial institutions and in sectors that rely more on external finance.
Resolution enhancement of lung 4D‐CT data using multiscale interphase iterative nonlocal means
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yap Pew‐Thian , Wu Guorong , Feng Qianjin , Lian Jun , Chen Wufan , Shen Dinggang 
Published: May 2013

Purpose:Four‐dimensional computer tomography (4D‐CT) has been widely used in lung cancer radiotherapy due to its capability in providing important tumor motion information. However, the prolonged scanning duration required by 4D‐CT causes considerable increase in radiation dose. To minimize the radiation‐related health risk, radiation dose is often reduced at the expense of interslice spatial resolution. However, inadequate resolution in 4D‐CT causes artifacts and increases uncertainty in tumor localization, which eventually results in extra damages of healthy tissues during radiotherapy. In this paper, the authors propose a novel postprocessing algorithm to enhance the resolution of lung 4D‐CT data.Methods:The authors' premise is that anatomical information missing in one phase can be recovered from the complementary information embedded in other phases. The authors employ a patch‐based mechanism to propagate information across phases for the reconstruction of intermediate slices in the longitudinal direction, where resolution is normally the lowest. Specifically, the structurally matching and spatially nearby patches are combined for reconstruction of each patch. For greater sensitivity to anatomical details, the authors employ a quad‐tree technique to adaptively partition the image for more fine‐grained refinement. The authors further devise an iterative strategy for significant enhancement of anatomical details.Results:The authors evaluated their algorithm using a publicly available lung data that consist of 10 4D‐CT cases. The authors’ algorithm gives very promising results with significantly enhanced image structures and much less artifacts. Quantitative analysis shows that the authors’ algorithm increases peak signal‐to‐noise ratio by 3–4 dB and the structural similarity index by 3%–5% when compared with the standard interpolation‐based algorithms.Conclusions:The authors have developed a new algorithm to improve the resolution of 4D‐CT. It outperforms the conventional interpolation‐based approaches by producing images with the markedly improved structural clarity and greatly reduced artifacts.
An adaptive planning strategy for station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT): Segmentally boosted VMAT
Authors: Li Ruijiang , Xing Lei 
Published: May 2013

Purpose:Conventional volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) discretizes the angular space into equally spaced control points during planning and then optimizes the apertures and weights of the control points. The aperture at an angle in between two control points is obtained through interpolation. This approach tacitly ignores the differential need for intensity modulation of different angles. As such, multiple arcs are often required, which may oversample some angle(s) and undersample others. The purpose of this work is to develop a segmentally boosted VMAT scheme to eliminate the need for multiple arcs in VMAT treatment with improved dose distribution and/or delivery efficiency.Methods:The essence of the new treatment scheme is how to identify the need of individual angles for intensity modulation and to provide the necessary beam intensity modulation for those beam angles that need it. We introduce a “demand metric” at each control point to decide which station or control points need intensity modulation. To boost the modulation at selected stations, additional segments are added in the vicinity of the selected stations. The added segments are then optimized together with the original set of station or control points as a whole. The authors apply the segmentally boosted planning technique to four previously treated clinical cases: two head and neck (HN) cases, one prostate case, and one liver case. The proposed planning technique is compared with conventional one‐arc and two‐arc VMAT.Results:The proposed segmentally boosted VMAT technique achieves better critical structure sparing than one‐arc VMAT with similar or better target coverage in all four clinical cases. The segmentally boosted VMAT also outperforms two‐arc VMAT for the two complicated HN cases, yet with ∼30% reduction in the machine monitor units (MUs) relative to two‐arc VMAT, which leads to less leakage/scatter dose to the patient and can potentially translate into faster dose delivery. For the less challenging prostate and liver cases, similar critical structure sparing as the two‐arc VMAT plans was obtained using the segmentally boosted VMAT. The benefit for the two simpler cases is the reduction of MUs and improvement of treatment delivery efficiency.Conclusions:Segmentally boosted VMAT achieves better dose conformality and/or reduced MUs through effective consideration of the need of individual beam angles for intensity modulation. Elimination of the need for multiple arcs in rotational arc therapy while improving the dose distribution should lead to improved workflow and treatment efficacy, thus may have significant implication to radiation oncology practice.
Draft Genome Sequence of Meiothermus ruber H328, Which Degrades Chicken Feathers, and Identification of Proteases and Peptidases Responsible for Degradation
Authors: Inada Shuhei , Watanabe Kunihiko 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Meiothermus ruber
H328 was isolated from Arima Hot Springs, Kobe, Japan, as a moderate thermophile. It has a strong ability to degrade intact chicken feathers. The enzymatic mechanism of the strain for feather degradation is unclear. The draft genome suggests potent enzyme candidates for degradation of keratin, a hard-to-degrade protein found in feathers.
Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Strain AU12-09, Isolated from an Intravascular Catheter
Authors: Zhang Li , Morrison Mark , Ó Cuív Páraic , Evans Paul , Rickard Claire M. 
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen that is characterized by its high-level intrinsic resistance to a variety of antibiotics and its ability to form biofilms. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
AU12-09, isolated from an intravascular catheter tip.
Combination of Protein Coding and Noncoding Gene Expression as a Robust Prognostic Classifier in Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Akagi Ichiro , Okayama Hirokazu , Schetter Aaron J. , Robles Ana I. , Kohno Takashi , Bowman Elise D. , Kazandjian Dickran , Welsh Judith A. , Oue Naohide , Saito Motonobu , Miyashita Masao , Uchida Eiji , Takizawa Toshihiro , Takenoshita Seiichi , Skaug Vidar , Mollerup Steen , Haugen Aage , Yokota Jun , Harris Curtis C. 
Published: May 2013

Abstract
Prognostic tests for patients with early-stage lung cancer may provide needed guidance on postoperative surveillance and therapeutic decisions. We used a novel strategy to develop and validate a prognostic classifier for early-stage lung cancer. Specifically, we focused on 42 genes with roles in lung cancer or cancer prognosis. Expression of these biologically relevant genes and their association with relapse-free survival (RFS) were evaluated using microarray data from 148 patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Seven genes associated with RFS were further examined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR in 291 lung adenocarcinoma tissues from Japan, the United States, and Norway. Only BRCA1, HIF1A, DLC1, and XPO1 were each significantly associated with prognosis in the Japan and US/Norway cohorts. A Cox regression-based classifier was developed using these four genes on the Japan cohort and validated in stage I lung adenocarcinoma from the US/Norway cohort and three publicly available lung adenocarcinoma expression profiling datasets. The results suggest that the classifier is robust across ethnically and geographically diverse populations regardless of the technology used to measure gene expression. We evaluated the combination of the four-gene classifier with miRNA miR-21 (MIR21) expression and found that the combination improved associations with prognosis, which were significant in stratified analyses on stage IA and stage IB patients. Thus, the four coding gene classifier, alone or with miR-21 expression, may provide a clinically useful tool to identify high-risk patients and guide recommendations regarding adjuvant therapy and postoperative surveillance of patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res; 73(13); 3821–32. ©2013 AACR.
Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Genes Encoding for CC Chemokines were Not Associated with the Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Chen Qiong , Zheng Tongzhang , Lan Qing , Lerro Catherine , Zhao Nan , Qin Qin , Hu Xiaobin , Huang Huang , Liang Jiaxin , Holford Theodore , Leaderer Brian , Boyle Peter , Chanock Stephen J. , Rothman Nathaniel , Zhang Yawei 
Published: May 2013

AbstractBackground: Chemokines play a pivotal role in immune regulation and response, and previous studies suggest an association between immune deficiency and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).Methods: We evaluated the association between NHL and polymorphisms in 18 genes (CCL1, CCL2, CCL5, CCL7, CCL8, CCL11, CCL13, CCL18, CCL20, CCL24, CCL26, CCR1, CCR3, CCR4, CCR6, CCR7, CCR8, and CCR9) encoding for the CC chemokines using data from a population-based case–control study of NHL conducted in Connecticut women.Results:CCR8 was associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; P = 0.012), and CCL13 was associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL; P = 0.003) at gene level. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, none of the genes or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were associated with risk of overall NHL or NHL subtypes.Conclusions: Our results suggest that the genes encoding for CC chemokines are not significantly associated with the risk of NHL, and further studies are needed to verify these findings.Impact: Our data indicate that CC chemokine genes were not associated with NHL risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(7); 1332–5. ©2013 AACR.
Multiple Inflammatory Biomarkers in Relation to Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in the Community
Authors: Schnabel Renate B. , Yin Xiaoyan , Larson Martin G. , Yamamoto Jennifer F. , Fontes João D. , Kathiresan Sekar , Rong Jian , Levy Daniel , Keaney John F. , Wang Thomas J. , Murabito Joanne M. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Benjamin Emelia J. 
Published: May 2013

Objective—
Evidence suggests that chronic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality.

Approach and Results—

We examined 11 established and novel biomarkers representing inflammation and oxidative stress (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 [mass and activity], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, myeloperoxidase, CD40 ligand, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor receptor II [TNFRII]) in relation to incident major CVD and mortality in the community. We studied 3035 participants (mean age, 61±9 years; 53% women). During follow-up (median, 8.9 years), 253 participants experienced a CVD event and 343 died. C-reactive protein (hazard ratio [HR] reported per SD ln-transformed biomarker, 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.35; nominal
P
=0.02) and TNFRII (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01–1.32; nominal
P
=0.04) were retained in multivariable-adjusted models for major CVD, but were not significant after adjustment for multiple testing. The biomarkers related to mortality were TNFRII (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.19–1.49;
P
<0.0001), ICAM-1 (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.12–1.37;
P
<0.0001), and interleukin-6 (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.12–1.39;
P
<0.0001). The addition of these markers to the model, including traditional risk factors, increased discrimination and reclassification for risk of death (
P
<0.0001), but not for CVD.

Conclusions—
Of 11 inflammatory biomarkers tumor necrosis factor receptor II was related to cardiovascular disease and mortality in the Framingham Heart Study. The combination of TNFRII with C-reactive protein in relation to CVD and with interleukin-6 to mortality increased the predictive ability in addition to CVD risk factors for total mortality but not for incident CVD.
Molecular Basis of Antiangiogenic Thrombospondin-1 Type 1 Repeat Domain Interactions With CD36
Authors: Klenotic Philip A. , Page Richard C. , Li Wei , Amick Joseph , Misra Saurav , Silverstein Roy L. 
Published: May 2013

Objective—
Antiangiogenic activity of thrombospondin-1 and related proteins is mediated by interactions between thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSR) domains and the CD36, LIMP-2, Emp sequence homology (CLESH) domain of the endothelial cell receptor CD36. We sought to characterize key molecular determinants of the interaction between thrombospondin-1 TSR domains and the CD36 CLESH domain.

Approach and Results—
Recombinant thrombospondin-1 TSR2 and TSR(2,3) constructs inhibited microvascular endothelial cell migration, microvascular endothelial cell tube formation, and vessel sprouting in aortic ring assays. Interaction with CD36 CLESH decoy peptides negated these effects. Mutational analyses identified a cluster of residues that confer positive charge to the TSR2 surface and mediate interaction with CD36 CLESH. Antiangiogenic activity was significantly reduced by charge-neutralizing mutations of the Arg-Trp ladder in TSR2, but not TSR3. Additionally, I438 and K464 of TSR2 were shown to be required for CD36 CLESH binding to TSR2. A complementary acidic cluster within CD36 CLESH is also required for antiangiogenic activity.

Conclusions—
Thrombospondin-1 interacts with CD36 CLESH through electrostatic interactions mediated by a positively charged TSR2 surface and multiple negatively charged CD36 CLESH residues. Two key residues serve as specificity determinants that identify other TSR domains that interact with CD36 CLESH.
Impaired Lipoprotein Processing in HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Gillard Baiba K. , Raya Joe L. , Ruiz-Esponda Raul , Iyer Dinakar , Coraza Ivonne , Balasubramanyam Ashok , Pownall Henry J. 
Published: May 2013

Objective—
HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (HIV/ART) exhibit a unique atherogenic dyslipidemic profile with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and low plasma concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In the Heart Positive Study of HIV/ART patients, a hypolipidemic therapy of fenofibrate, niacin, diet, and exercise reduced HTG and plasma non–HDL cholesterol concentrations and raised plasma HDL cholesterol and adiponectin concentrations. We tested the hypothesis that HIV/ART HDL have abnormal structures and properties and are dysfunctional.

Approach and Results—

Hypolipidemic therapy reduced the TG contents of low-density lipoprotein and HDL. At baseline, HIV/ART low-density lipoproteins were more triglyceride (TG)-rich and HDL were more TG- and cholesteryl ester-rich than the corresponding lipoproteins from normolipidemic (NL) subjects. Very-low-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoprotein, and HDL were larger than the corresponding lipoproteins from NL subjects; HIV/ART HDL were less stable than NL HDL. HDL-[
3
H]cholesteryl ester uptake by Huh7 hepatocytes was used to assess HDL functionality. HIV/ART plasma were found to contain significantly less competitive inhibition activity for hepatocyte HDL-cholesteryl ester uptake than NL plasma were found to contain (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—
Compared with NL subjects, lipoproteins from HIV/ART patients are larger and more neutral lipid-rich, and their HDL are less stable and less receptor-competent. On the basis of this work and previous studies of lipase activity in HIV, we present a model in which plasma lipolytic activities or hepatic cholesteryl ester uptake are impaired in HIV/ART patients. These findings provide a rationale to determine whether the distinctive lipoprotein structure, properties, and function of HIV/ART HDL predict atherosclerosis as assessed by carotid artery intimal medial thickness.
Overexpression of Angiopoietin-Like Protein 4 Protects Against Atherosclerosis Development
Authors: Georgiadi Anastasia , Wang Yanan , Stienstra Rinke , Tjeerdema Nathanja , Janssen Aafke , Stalenhoef Anton , van der Vliet J. Adam , de Roos Albert , Tamsma Jouke T. , Smit Johannes W.A. , Tan Nguan Soon , Müller Michael , Rensen Patrick C.N. , Kersten Sander 
Published: May 2013

Objective—
Macrophage foam cells play a crucial role in several pathologies including multiple sclerosis, glomerulosclerosis, and atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (Angptl4) was previously shown to inhibit chyle-induced foam cell formation in mesenteric lymph nodes. Here we characterized the regulation of Angptl4 expression in macrophages and examined the impact of Angptl4 on atherosclerosis development.

Approach and Results—

Macrophage activation elicited by pathogen-recognition receptor agonists decreased Angptl4 expression, whereas lipid loading by intralipid and oxidized low-density lipoprotein increased Angptl4 expression. Consistent with an antilipotoxic role of Angptl4, recombinant Angptl4 significantly decreased uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein by macrophages, via lipolysis-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Angptl4 protein was detectable in human atherosclerotic lesions and localized to macrophages. Transgenic overexpression of Angptl4 in atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E*3-Leiden mice did not significantly alter plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Nevertheless, Angptl4 overexpression reduced lesion area by 34% (
P
<0.05). In addition, Angptl4 overexpression decreased macrophage content (−41%;
P
<0.05) and numbers of monocytes adhering to the endothelium wall (−37%;
P
<0.01). Finally, plasma Angptl4 was independently and negatively associated with carotid artery sclerosis measured by 3-T MRI in subjects with metabolic syndrome and low-grade systemic inflammation.

Conclusions—
Angptl4 suppresses foam cell formation to reduce atherosclerosis development. Stimulation of Angptl4 in macrophages by oxidized low-density lipoprotein may protect against lipid overload.
Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Cognitive Function in Young, Middle-Aged, and Elderly Subjects
Authors: Joosten Hanneke , van Eersel Marlise E.A. , Gansevoort Ron T. , Bilo Henk J.G. , Slaets Joris P.J. , Izaks Gerbrand J. 
Published: May 2013

Background and Purpose—
Cognitive decline occurs earlier than previously realized and is already evident at the age of 45. Because cardiovascular risk factors are established risk factors for cognitive decline in old age, we investigated whether cardiovascular risk factors are also associated with cognitive decline in young and middle-aged groups.

Methods—
The cross-sectional study included 3778 participants aged 35 to 82 years (mean age, 54 years) and free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Cognitive function was measured with the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT; worst score, 0; best score, 175 points) and the Visual Association Test (VAT; worst score, 0; best score, 12 points). Overall cardiovascular risk was assessed with the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) for general cardiovascular disease (best score, −5; worst score, 33 points).

Results—

Mean RFFT score (SD) was 70 (26) points, median VAT score (interquartile range) was 10 (9–11) points, and mean FRS (SD) was 10 (6) points. Using linear regression analysis adjusting for educational level, RFFT was negatively associated with FRS. RFFT score decreased by 1.54 points (95% confidence interval, −1.66 to −1.44;
P
<0.001) per point increase in FRS. This negative association was not only limited to older age groups, but also found in the young (35–44 years). The main influencing components of the FRS were age (
P
<0.001), diabetes mellitus (
P
=0.001), and smoking (
P
<0.001). Similar results were found for VAT score as outcome measure.

Conclusions—
In this large population–based cohort, a worse overall cardiovascular risk profile was associated with poorer cognitive function. This association was already present in young adults aged 35 to 44 years.
White-Coat and Masked Hypertension Are Associated With Carotid Atherosclerosis in a General Population
Authors: Fukuhara Masayo , Arima Hisatomi , Ninomiya Toshiharu , Hata Jun , Hirakawa Yoichiro , Doi Yasufumi , Yonemoto Koji , Mukai Naoko , Nagata Masaharu , Ikeda Fumie , Matsumura Kiyoshi , Kitazono Takanari , Kiyohara Yutaka 
Published: May 2013

Background and Purpose—
On the basis of combined measurements of clinic blood pressure (CBP) and home blood pressure (HBP), blood pressure status can be divided into normotension, white-coat hypertension (WCHT), masked hypertension (MHT), and sustained hypertension (SHT). Despite the clear impact of MHT and SHT on clinical and subclinical arterial disease, uncertainty about the influence of WCHT remains. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations of WCHT, MHT, and SHT with carotid atherosclerosis in a general population.

Methods—
This is a cross-sectional survey of 2915 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥40 years. Normotension was defined as CBP<140/90 and HBP<135/85 mm Hg; WCHT, CBP≥140/90 and HBP<135/85 mm Hg; MHT, CBP<140/90 and HBP≥135/85 mm Hg; and SHT, CBP≥140/90 and HBP≥135/85 mm Hg. Mean intima-media thickness of carotid arteries was measured using a computer-automated system, and carotid stenosis was defined as diameter stenosis ≥30%.

Results—

There were 1374 subjects (47.1%) with normotension, 200 (6.9%) with WCHT, 639 (21.9%) with MHT, and 702 (24.1%) with SHT. The geometric average of mean intima-media thickness was significantly higher among subjects with WCHT (0.73 mm), MHT (0.77 mm), and SHT (0.77 mm) than those with normotension (0.67 mm; all
P
<0.001 versus normotension). Compared with normotension, all types of hypertension were also associated with increased likelihood of carotid stenosis (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio, 2.36 [95% confidence interval, 1.27–4.37] for WCHT, 1.95 [1.25–3.03] for MHT, and 3.02 [2.01–4.54] for SHT). These associations remained significant even after adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions—
WCHT, as well as MHT, and SHT were associated with carotid atherosclerosis in a general Japanese population.