bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shifts in Portfolio Preferences of International Investors: An Application to Sovereign Wealth Funds
Authors: Sá Filipa , Viani Francesca 
Published: October 2013

AbstractWe develop a dynamic general equilibrium model to analyze the macroeconomic effects of a shift in portfolio preferences of foreign investors. The model has two countries and two asset classes (equities and bonds). It is characterized by imperfect substitutability between assets and allows for endogenous adjustment in interest rates and asset prices. To illustrate the mechanics of the model, we calibrate it to analyze a transfer of reserves from central banks to sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). We look separately at two diversification paths: a shift away from dollar assets (path 1), and a shift away from US bonds to US equities (path 2). In path 1, the dollar depreciates and US net debt falls on impact and increases in the long run. In path 2, the dollar depreciates and US net debt increases in the long run.
Structural Change in the External Balances Response to Macroeconomic Policies: Perspective from a Two‐Sector New Open Economy Macroeconomic Model
Authors: Yamamoto Shugo 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe response of the Japanese trade balance against expansionary macroeconomic policy shocks changed from positive to negative in the 1990s. With consideration of intratemporal (between tradable and nontradable goods) and intertemporal elasticity of substitutions, we investigate this cause using two‐sector new open economy macroeconomics (NOEM). Empirical methods, considering structural change, were applied and show that before the break, intratemporal elasticity of substitution dominates, but subsequently the relation inverted and intertemporal elasticity became predominant and hence, the theoretical response of trade balance changed. Finally, we verify this theoretical implication empirically by impulse response analysis of structural vector auto regression.
Volatility Spillovers and Contagion from Mature to Emerging Stock Markets
Authors: Beirne John , Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Schulze‐Ghattas Marianne , Spagnolo Nicola 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThis paper models volatility spillovers from mature to emerging stock markets, tests for changes in the transmission mechanism during turbulences in mature markets, and examines the implications for conditional correlations between mature and emerging market returns. Tri‐variate GARCH–BEKK models of returns in mature, regional emerging, and local emerging markets are estimated for 41 emerging market economies (EMEs). Wald tests suggest that mature market volatility affects conditional variances in many emerging markets. Moreover, spillover parameters change during turbulent episodes. In the majority of the sample EMEs, conditional correlations between local and mature markets increase during these episodes. While conditional variances in local markets rise as well, volatility in mature markets rises more, and this shift is the main factor behind the increase in conditional correlations. With few exceptions, conditional beta coefficients between mature and emerging markets tend to be unchanged or lower during turbulences.
Evaluation of sound fields in a concert hall involving scattered reflections applying the subjective preference theory
Authors: Suzumura Yukio 
Published: October 2013

Convex tilted rear walls in a stage enclosure, an array of circular columns installed in front of walls, and triangular reflectors above the stage were newly adopted as scattering obstacles in an acoustic design of Tsuyama Music Cultural Hall, called “Bell Folêt Tsuyama.” The fundamental shape of the hall was designed using the theory of subjective preference. To calculate the effects of scattered reflections on a sound field in a real concert hall is extremely laborious. For this reason, the evaluation of effects of scattered reflections on the sound field in the hall was made experimentally by use of a 110 acoustical scale. After construction of the hall, therefore, sound fields of the hall, which involves scattered reflections caused by the tilted convex rear, by the array of circular columns, and by the triangular reflectors, were measured using four orthogonal physical factors (LL, Δt1, Tsub, IACC) described in the theory and the acoustical character of these scattering obstacles was clarified. Results clearly showed that these new attempts on scattered reflections substantially improved the quality of the sound field in the hall.
Thesis advisor: Yoichi Ando
Copies of this thesis written in English can be obtained from Yukio Suzumura. E-mail address: ysuzu11@lapis.plala.or.jp
Subjective preference evaluation of sound fields by performing singers
Authors: Noson Dennis 
Published: October 2013

A model of the auditory process is proposed for performing singers, which incorporates the added signal from bone conduction, as well as the psychological distance for subjective preference of the performer from the acoustic sound field of the stage. The explanatory power of previous scientific studies of vocal stage acoustics has been limited by a lack of an underlying theory of performer preference. Ando’s theory, using the autocorrelation function (ACF) for parametrizing temporal factors, was applied to interpretation of singer sound field preference determined by the pair comparison method. Melisma style singing (no lyrics) was shown to increase the preferred delay time of reflections from a mean of 14 ms with lyrics to 23 ms without (p&lt;0.05). The extent of the shift in preferred time delay was shown to be directly related to minima of the effective duration of the running ACF, (τe)min, calculated from each singer’s voice. Voice matching experiments for singers demonstrated a strong overestimate of the voice outside the head compared with the singer’s own voice (22.4 dB overestimate, p&lt;0.01). Individual singer melisma singing delay preferences were compared for “ah” versus “hum” syllables, and the increased delay preference (41 ms) was shown to be correlated with (τe)min (r2&lt;0.68, p&lt;0.01). When the proposed bone conduction model was applied, using the measured overestimate of sound level of the singer’s own voice for each singer (9.9 dB mean overestimate difference between “ah” and “hum,” p&lt;0.01), the relationship of singer preference to (τe)min was improved (r2=0.97, p&lt;0.01).
Thesis advisor: Yoichi Ando
Copies of this thesis are available from the author by inquiry at BRC Acoustics, 1741 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 USA. E-mail address: dnoson@brcacoustics.com
ARG-ANNOT, a New Bioinformatic Tool To Discover Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Bacterial Genomes
Authors: Gupta Sushim Kumar , Padmanabhan Babu Roshan , Diene Seydina M. , Lopez-Rojas Rafael , Kempf Marie , Landraud Luce , Rolain Jean-Marc 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACT

ARG-ANNOT (Antibiotic Resistance Gene-ANNOTation) is a new bioinformatic tool that was created to detect existing and putative new antibiotic resistance (AR) genes in bacterial genomes. ARG-ANNOT uses a local BLAST program in Bio-Edit software that allows the user to analyze sequences without a Web interface. All AR genetic determinants were collected from published works and online resources; nucleotide and protein sequences were retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database. After building a database that includes 1,689 antibiotic resistance genes, the software was tested in a blind manner using 100 random sequences selected from the database to verify that the sensitivity and specificity were at 100% even when partial sequences were queried. Notably, BLAST analysis results obtained using the
rmtF
gene sequence (a new aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme gene sequence that is not included in the database) as a query revealed that the tool was able to link this sequence to short sequences (17 to 40 bp) found in other genes of the
rmt
family with significant E values. Finally, the analysis of 178
Acinetobacter baumannii
and 20
Staphylococcus aureus
genomes allowed the detection of a significantly higher number of AR genes than the Resfinder gene analyzer and 11 point mutations in target genes known to be associated with AR. The average time for the analysis of a genome was 3.35 ± 0.13 min. We have created a concise database for BLAST using a Bio-Edit interface that can detect AR genetic determinants in bacterial genomes and can rapidly and easily discover putative new AR genetic determinants.
A Novel Model of Dormancy for Bone Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Marlow Rebecca , Honeth Gabriella , Lombardi Sara , Cariati Massimiliano , Hessey Sonya , Pipili Aikaterini , Mariotti Veronica , Buchupalli Bharath , Foster Katie , Bonnet Dominique , Grigoriadis Agamemnon , Rameshwar Pranela , Purushotham Anand , Tutt Andrew , Dontu Gabriela 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Mortality of patients with breast cancer is due overwhelmingly to metastatic spread of the disease. Although dissemination is an early event in breast cancer, extended periods of cancer cell dormancy can result in long latency of metastasis development. Deciphering the mechanisms underlying cancer cell dormancy and subsequent growth at the metastatic site would facilitate development of strategies to interfere with these processes. A challenge in this undertaking has been the lack of models for cancer cell dormancy. We have established novel experimental systems that model the bone microenvironment of the breast cancer metastatic niche. These systems are based on 3D cocultures of breast cancer cells with cell types predominant in bone marrow. We identified conditions in which cancer cells are dormant and conditions in which they proliferate. Dormant cancer cells were able to proliferate upon transfer into supportive microenvironment or upon manipulation of signaling pathways that control dormancy. These experimental systems will be instrumental for metastasis studies, particularly the study of cellular dormancy. Cancer Res; 73(23); 6886–99. ©2013 AACR.
Noncoding RNAs in Prostate Cancer: The Long and the Short of It
Authors: Bolton Eva M. , Tuzova Alexandra V. , Walsh Anna L. , Lynch Thomas , Perry Antoinette S. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
As the leading culprit in cancer incidence for American men, prostate cancer continues to pose significant diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tribulations for clinicians. The vast spectrum of disease behavior warrants better molecular classification to facilitate the development of more robust biomarkers that can identify the more aggressive and clinically significant tumor subtypes that require treatment. The untranslated portion of the human transcriptome, namely noncoding RNAs (ncRNA), is emerging as a key player in cancer initiation and progression and boasts many attractive features for both biomarker and therapeutic research. Genetic linkage studies show that many ncRNAs are located in cancer-associated genomic regions that are frequently deleted or amplified in prostate cancer, whereas aberrant ncRNA expression patterns have well-established links with prostate tumor cell proliferation and survival. The dysregulation of pathways controlled by ncRNAs results in a cascade of multicellular events leading to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. The characterization of RNA species, their functions, and their clinical applicability is a major area of biologic and clinical importance. This review summarizes the growing body of evidence, supporting a pivotal role for ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. We highlight the most promising ncRNA biomarkers for detection and risk stratification and present the state-of-play for RNA-based personalized medicine in treating the “untreatable” prostate tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 20(1); 35–43. ©2013 AACR.
Comparative analysis of resistant and susceptible macrophage gene expression response to Leishmania majorparasite
Authors: Rabhi Imen , Rabhi Sameh , Ben-Othman Rym , Aniba Mohamed Radhouane ,   Sysco Consortium, Trentin Bernadette , Piquemal David , Regnault Béatrice , Guizani-Tabbane Lamia 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background

Leishmania are obligated intracellular pathogens that replicate almost exclusively in macrophages. The outcome of infection depends largely on parasite pathogenicity and virulence but also on the activation status and genetic background of macrophages. Animal models are essential for a better understanding of pathogenesis of different microbes including Leishmania.

Results
Here we compared the transcriptional signatures of resistant (C57BL/6) and susceptible (BALB/c) mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages in response to Leishmania major (L. major) promastigotes infection.
Microarray results were first analyzed for significant pathways using the Kyoto Encylopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The analysis revealed that a large set of the shared genes is involved in the immune response and that difference in the expression level of some chemokines and chemokine receptors could partially explain differences in resistance. We next focused on up-regulated genes unique to either BALB/c or C57BL/6 derived macrophages and identified, using KEGG database, signal transduction pathways among the most relevant pathways unique to both susceptible and resistant derived macrophages. Indeed, genes unique to C57BL/6 BMdMs were associated with target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway while a range of genes unique to BALB/c BMdMs, belong to p53 signaling pathway. We next investigated whether, in a given mice strain derived macrophages, the different up-regulated unique genes could be coordinately regulated. Using GeneMapp Cytoscape, we showed that the induced genes unique to BALB/c or C57BL/6 BMdMs are interconnected. Finally, we examined whether the induced pathways unique to BALB/c derived macrophages interfere with the ones unique to C57BL/6 derived macrophages. Protein-protein interaction analysis using String database highlights the existence of a cross-talk between p53 and mTOR signaling pathways respectively specific to susceptible and resistant BMdMs.

Conclusions
Taken together our results suggest that strains specific pathogenesis may be due to a difference in the magnitude of the same pathways and/or to differentially expressed pathways in the two mouse strains derived macrophages. We identify signal transduction pathways among the most relevant pathways modulated by L. major infection, unique to BALB/c and C57BL/6 BMdM and postulate that the interplay between these potentially interconnected pathways could direct the macrophage response toward a given phenotype.
Impact of a population-based HPV vaccination program on cervical abnormalities: a data linkage study
Authors: Gertig Dorota M , Brotherton Julia ML , Budd Alison C , Drennan Kelly , Chappell Genevieve , Saville A Marion 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Australia was one of the first countries to introduce a publicly funded national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program that commenced in April 2007, using the quadrivalent HPV vaccine targeting 12- to 13-year-old girls on an ongoing basis. Two-year catch-up programs were offered to 14- to 17- year-old girls in schools and 18- to 26-year-old women in community-based settings. We present data from the school-based program on population-level vaccine effectiveness against cervical abnormalities in Victoria, Australia.

Methods
Data for women age-eligible for the HPV vaccination program were linked between the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry and the National HPV Vaccination Program Register to create a cohort of screening women who were either vaccinated or unvaccinated. Entry into the cohort was 1 April 2007 or at first Pap test for women not already screening. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) and hazard ratios (HR) for cervical abnormalities by vaccination status between 1 April 2007 and 31 December 2011 were calculated using proportional hazards regression.

Results
The study included 14,085 unvaccinated and 24,871 vaccinated women attending screening who were eligible for vaccination at school, 85.0% of whom had received three doses. Detection rates of histologically confirmed high-grade (HG) cervical abnormalities and high-grade cytology (HGC) were significantly lower for vaccinated women (any dose) (HG 4.8 per 1,000 person-years, HGC 11.9 per 1,000 person-years) compared with unvaccinated women (HG 6.4 per 1,000 person-years, HGC 15.3 per 1,000 person-years) HR 0.72 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.91) and HR 0.75 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.87), respectively. The HR for low-grade (LG) cytological abnormalities was 0.76 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.80). VE adjusted a priori for age at first screening, socioeconomic status and remoteness index, for women who were completely vaccinated, was greatest for CIN3+/AIS at 47.5% (95% CI 22.7 to 64.4) and 36.4% (95% CI 9.8 to 55.1) for women who received any dose of vaccine, and was negatively associated with age. For women who received only one or two doses of vaccine, HRs for HG histology were not significantly different from 1.0, although the number of outcomes was small.

Conclusion
A population-based HPV vaccination program in schools significantly reduced cervical abnormalities for vaccinated women within five years of implementation, with the greatest vaccine effectiveness observed for the youngest women.
Inherited common variants in mitochondrial DNA and invasive serous epithelial ovarian cancer risk
Authors: Earp Madalene A , Brooks-Wilson Angela , Cook Linda , Le Nhu 
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Background
Mitochondria are the site of oxidative phosphorylation, a process which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). Elevated ROS levels can lead to oxidative stress, a cellular state implicated in carcinogenesis. It is hypothesized that alternations in mitochondrial (MT) DNA, including heritable MT single nucleotide polymorphisms (MT-SNPs), have the potential to change the capacity of MT function, leading to increased oxidative stress and cancer risk. We investigated if common MT-SNPs and/or haplogroups and are associated with invasive serous ovarian cancer (OvCa) risk.

Methods
A panel of 64 MT-SNPs designed to tag all common variation in the European MT genome (minor allele frequency (MAF) >1%, r^2 >0.8) was genotyped in study participants of European descent using the Sequenom MassARRAY iPlex Gold® system (Sequenom Inc, CA, USA). Invasive serous OvCa cases (n = 405) and frequency age-matched controls (n = 445) were drawn from a population-based case-control study of OvCa in western Canada. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (C.I.) for carriage of the minor versus major allele by case-control status. MitoTool was used to test the relationship between European haplogroup status and case-control status using Fisher’s exact test.

Results
The most significant disease-SNP association was for rs2857285, a synonymous MT-SNP in ND4 (OR = 4.84, 95% CI: 1.03–22.68, P = 0.045). After adjustment for multiple testing using a Bonferroni correction of the Type 1 error this MT-SNP was not significant. No other MT-SNP had a P-value < 0.05. European haplogroup status was not associated with case status. Most MT-SNPs (73%) genotyped had a MAF <5%.

Conclusion
Common European MT-SNPs (MAF > 5%) and haplogroups were not associated with invasive serous OvCa risk in this study; however, most European MT-SNPs have a low MAF (<5%), which we were underpowered to adequately assess. Larger studies are needed to clarify the role of low MAF MT-SNPs (MAF < 5%) in invasive serous OvCa risk.
Reflections on current methods for evaluating skills during joint replacement surgery
Authors: Sonnadara R. , McQueen S. , Mironova P. , Safir O. , Nousiainen M. , Ferguson P. , Alman B. , Kraemer W. , Reznick R. 
Published: October 2013

Valid and reliable techniques for assessing performance are essential to surgical education, especially with the emergence of competency-based frameworks. Despite this, there is a paucity of adequate tools for the evaluation of skills required during joint replacement surgery. In this scoping review, we examine current methods for assessing surgeons’ competency in joint replacement procedures in both simulated and clinical environments. The ability of many of the tools currently in use to make valid, reliable and comprehensive assessments of performance is unclear. Furthermore, many simulation-based assessments have been criticised for a lack of transferability to the clinical setting. It is imperative that more effective methods of assessment are developed and implemented in order to improve our ability to evaluate the performance of skills relating to total joint replacement. This will enable educators to provide formative feedback to learners throughout the training process to ensure that they have attained core competencies upon completion of their training. This should help ensure positive patient outcomes as the surgical trainees enter independent practice. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1445–9.
A prediction model for length of stay after total and unicompartmental knee replacement
Authors: Ong P-H. , Pua Y-H. 
Published: October 2013

Early and accurate prediction of hospital length-of-stay (LOS) in patients undergoing knee replacement is important for economic and operational reasons. Few studies have systematically developed a multivariable model to predict LOS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1609 patients aged ≥ 50 years who underwent elective, primary total or unicompartmental knee replacements. Pre-operative candidate predictors included patient demographics, knee function, self-reported measures, surgical factors and discharge plans. In order to develop the model, multivariable regression with bootstrap internal validation was used. The median LOS for the sample was four days (interquartile range 4 to 5). Statistically significant predictors of longer stay included older age, greater number of comorbidities, less knee flexion range of movement, frequent feelings of being down and depressed, greater walking aid support required, total (versus unicompartmental) knee replacement, bilateral surgery, low-volume surgeon, absence of carer at home, and expectation to receive step-down care. For ease of use, these ten variables were used to construct a nomogram-based prediction model which showed adequate predictive accuracy (optimism-corrected R2= 0.32) and calibration. If externally validated, a prediction model using easily and routinely obtained pre-operative measures may be used to predict absolute LOS in patients following knee replacement and help to better manage these patients.Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1490–6.
Meeting increased demand for total knee replacement and follow-up
Authors: Meding J. B. , Ritter M. A. , Davis K. E. , Farris A. 
Published: October 2013

The strain on clinic and surgeon resources resulting from a rise in demand for total knee replacement (TKR) requires reconsideration of when and how often patients need to be seen for follow-up. Surgeons will otherwise require increased paramedical staff or need to limit the number of TKRs they undertake. We reviewed the outcome data of 16 414 primary TKRs undertaken at our centre to determine the time to re-operation for any reason and for specific failure mechanisms. Peak risk years for failure were determined by comparing the conditional probability of failure, the number of failures divided by the total number of TKRs cases, for each year. The median times to failure for the most common failure mechanisms were 4.9 years (interquartile range (IQR) 1.7 to 10.7) for femoral and tibial loosening, 1.9 years (IQR 0.8 to 3.9) for infection, 3.1 years (IQR 1.6 to 5.5) for tibial collapse and 5.6 years (IQR 3.4 to 9.3) for instability. The median time to failure for all revisions was 3.3 years (IQR 1.2 to 8.5), with an overall revision rate of 1.7% (n = 282). Results from our patient population suggest that patients be seen for follow-up at six months, one year, three years, eight years, 12 years, and every five years thereafter. Patients with higher pain in the early post-operative period or high body mass index (≥ 41 kg/m2) should be monitored more closely.Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1484–9.