bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Impact of State and Local Tax and Expenditure Limitations on State Economic Growth
Authors: DELLER STEVEN , STALLMANN JUDITH I. , AMIEL LINDSAY 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTEmploying a unique index of Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) restrictiveness, we estimate a family of economic growth models using a panel of the 50 U.S. states for the period 1969 to 2005. Our central goal is to assess the relationship between TEL restrictiveness and economic growth. Results suggest that stronger TELs imposed on state governments have a dampening effect on state economic growth and TELs imposed on local governments have a weak negative impact on growth. The results do not support the argument that legislatures can use tax and expenditure limits as a mechanism to promote economic growth.
New Business Survival in Georgia: Exploring the Determinants of Survival Using Regional Level Data
Authors: CHRISTIE TAMOYA , SJOQUIST DAVID L. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTNew business formation is an important stimulant to economic activity. However, some 20 percent of new firms die within their first year of operation. Policy makers designing programs to engineer regional economic development need to know what specific factors affect new firm survival. This paper conducts an analysis of the determinants of survival for new enterprises in the state of Georgia. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of local factors. Duration analysis is applied to four cohorts of new enterprises starting during the period 2001 to 2004. The results show that firms located in urban areas are at a higher risk of failure. However, firms situated in counties that have achieved a high level of economic development stand a better chance of surviving. Other factors such as firm size, ownership structure, industry entry rates, and business cycle fluctuations are also influential.
The Source of Metropolitan Growth: The Role of Commuting
Authors: CHIANG SHU‐HEN 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTOver the past few years, a large number of studies have focused on whether population or employment is critical to the source of metropolitan growth. However, only few attempts have so far been made to additionally consider the suburbanization stage and pattern of commuting, which may both enable us to explore this “chicken–egg” issue a little further. The purpose of this paper is to compare dwelling‐based (housing) with job‐based (job) employment to evaluate the net commuting. The Taipei metropolitan area, for example, now lies at the initial suburbanization stage with only population decentralization and massive in‐commuting to the central city. The estimation results based on a co‐integration system reveal that the central‐city employment can be regarded as an engine of this metropolitan economy. Besides, we also find that dwelling‐based employment distorts the causality between population and employment, especially from the variance‐decomposition accounts. Therefore, the importance of commuting to investigating the evolution of metropolitan economy should not be overlooked.
In vivo measurement of the surface energy of human fingernail plates
Authors: Murdan S. , Poojary C. , Patel D. R. , Fernandes J. , Haman A. , Saundh P. S. , Sheikh Z. 
Published: February 2012

SynopsisThe surface energy of the human nail plate is expected to influence the adhesion of microorganisms (and subsequent colonization and infections) as well as that of medicines (and subsequent drug permeation) and of cosmetics. The aim of the study was therefore to measure the surface energy of nail plates in vivo. The surface energy of healthy human fingernails (untreated, hydrated and abraded) and of hoof membranes (often used as a model for the nail plate) was estimated from contact angle measurements of liquids (water, formamide, diiodomethane and glycerol) on the nail plate and subsequent computation using the Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid–base (LW‐AB) approach. The surface energy of untreated fingernail plates was found to be 34 mJ m−2. Most of this total energy was from the apolar Lifshitz–van der Waals component. When the polar component of the surface energy was analysed, the electron donor component was considerably larger than the electron acceptor one. Hydrating the nail plate had no significant influence on the surface energy. In contrast, abrasion caused a small, but statistically significant increase in the apolar surface energy component. The surface energy of bovine hoof membrane was similar to that of the fingernail plate. We conclude that the human fingernail plate is a low‐energy surface and that bovine hoof membranes may be used as a substitute for the nail plate in certain experiments.
Disease severity and therapy as predictors of cardiovascular risk in psoriasis: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Maradit‐Kremers H. , Icen M. , Ernste F.C. , Dierkhising R.A. , McEvoy M.T. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBackground  Previous studies suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in psoriasis, but the relative contributions of traditional risk factors and markers of disease severity are unclear. We examined the effect of psoriasis disease characteristics on cardiovascular risk after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.Methods  Study populations included (a) case–cohort sample of 771 patients nested within a population‐based psoriasis incidence cohort, and (b) cohort of 1905 patients with incident and prevalent psoriasis patients. Both cohorts were followed‐up to ascertain disease and treatment characteristics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify predictors of cardiovascular outcomes.Results  After adjusting for traditional risk factors, increasing number of psoriasis‐affected body sites at disease onset (HR: 1.53 per additional site, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.95) was significantly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes. Phototherapy (HR: 3.76, 95% CI: 2.45, 5.77) and systemic therapy (HR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.50, 3.13) were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular outcomes in univariate analyses, but these relatively strong associations disappeared after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.Conclusions  Increasing number of psoriasis‐affected body sites may be a severity indicator in psoriasis and is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Due to low number of patients exposed to systemic therapy, this study had limited power to examine the effect of treatment on cardiovascular risk. Strong associations with phototherapy and systemic therapy suggest that the cardiovascular risk in psoriasis is confined to patients with severe disease.
Relevance of SOX17 Variants for Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophies and Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT)
Authors: Combes Patricia , Planche Vincent , Eymard‐Pierre Eléonore , Sarret Catherine , Rodriguez Diana , Boespflug‐Tanguy Odile , Vaurs‐Barriere Catherine 
Published: February 2012

SummaryThe SRY‐BOX17 gene (SOX17) encodes a transcription factor playing a key role in different developmental processes including endoderm formation, cardiac myogenesis, kidney/urinary development and differentiation of oligodendrocytes, the brain myelinating cells. In a candidate gene approach, we analyzed the SOX17 gene in hypomyelinating leukodystrophies (HL) characterized by a permanent deficit in the amount of central nervous system myelin. Five genes are involved in the aetiology of HL but 40% of HL remains without known genetic origin (UHL). New sequence variations in SOX17 were identified but all correspond to nonpathogenic variants, suggesting that SOX17 is not involved in UHL phenotype. In one patient, we identified the c.775T>A (p.Tyr259Asn) variation already reported as causative of congenital kidney and urinary tract abnormalities (CAKUT). Nevertheless, since our patient did not present such a phenotype, we propose that this variant may alternatively represent an “at‐risk” allele for CAKUT rather than a causative allele. This observation strengthens the idea that caution must be taken when linking genetic variation to disease, especially in discrete phenotypes such as CAKUT.
Angiotensin‐(1–7) inhibits allergic inflammation, via the MAS1 receptor, through suppression of ERK1/2‐ and NF‐κB‐dependent pathways
Authors: El‐Hashim Ahmed Z , Renno Waleed M , Raghupathy Raj , Abduo Heba T , Akhtar Saghir , Benter Ibrahim F 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Angiotensin‐(1–7) [Ang‐(1–7)] has anti‐inflammatory effects in models of cardiovascular disease and arthritis, but its effects in asthma are unknown. We investigated whether Ang‐(1–7) has anti‐inflammatory actions in a murine model of asthma.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of Ang‐(1–7) alone or in combination with the MAS1 receptor antagonist, A779, were evaluated over a 4 day period in an ovalbumin‐challenged mouse model of allergic asthma. On day 5, bronchoalveolar lavage was performed, and lungs were sectioned and assessed histologically for quantification of goblet cells, perivascular and peribronchial inflammation and fibrosis. Biochemical analysis of the pro‐inflammatory ERK1/2 and IκB‐α was assessed. In addition, the effect of Ang‐(1–7) on proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) was investigated.KEY RESULTS Ang‐(1–7) attenuated ovalbumin‐induced increases in total cell counts, eosinophils, lymphocytes and neutrophils. Ang‐(1–7) also decreased the ovalbumin‐induced perivascular and peribronchial inflammation, fibrosis and goblet cell hyper/metaplasia. Additionally, Ang‐(1–7) reduced the ovalbumin‐induced increase in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and IκB‐α. These effects of Ang‐(1–7) were reversed by the MAS1 receptor antagonist A779. Furthermore, Ang‐(1–7) inhibited phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)‐induced HPBMC proliferation.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Ang‐(1–7), via its MAS1 receptor, acts as an anti‐inflammatory pathway in allergic asthma, implying that activation of the MAS1 receptor may represent a novel approach to asthma therapy.
Chikungunya virus and the safety of plasma products
Authors: Leydold Sandra M. , Farcet Maria R. , Kindermann Johanna , Modrof Jens , Pölsler Gerhard , Berting Andreas , Howard M. Keith , Barrett P. Noel , Kreil Thomas R. 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) outbreaks were previously restricted to parts of Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In 2007, however, the first autochthonous CHIKV transmission was reported in Europe. High‐level viremia, a mosquito vector that is also present in large urban areas of Europe and America, and uncertainty around the resistance of this Alphavirus toward physiochemical inactivation processes raised concerns about the safety of plasma derivatives. To verify the safety margins of plasma products with respect to CHIKV, commonly used virus inactivation steps were investigated for their effectiveness to inactivate this newly emerging virus.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Pasteurization for human serum albumin (HSA), vapor heating for Factor VIII inhibitor bypassing activity, solvent/detergent (S/D) treatment for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and incubation at low pH for IVIG were investigated for their capacity to inactivate CHIKV and the closely related Sindbis virus (SINV). The obtained results were compared to previous studies with West Nile virus and the commonly used model virus bovine viral diarrhea virus.RESULTS: The data generated demonstrate the effective inactivation of CHIKV as well as SINV by the inactivation steps investigated and thereby support results from earlier validation studies in which model viruses were used.CONCLUSION: High inactivation capacities with respect to CHIKV were demonstrated. This provides solid reassurance for the safety of plasma products and the results verify that the use of model viruses is appropriate to predict the inactivation characteristics of newly emerging viruses when their physicochemical properties are well characterized.
Dengue viremia in blood donors identified by RNA and detection of dengue transfusion transmission during the 2007 dengue outbreak in Puerto Rico
Authors: Stramer Susan L. , Linnen Jeffrey M. , Carrick James M. , Foster Gregory A. , Krysztof David E. , Zou Shimian , Dodd Roger Y. , Tirado‐Marrero Lourdes M. , Hunsperger Elizabeth , Santiago Gilberto A. , Muñoz‐Jordan Jorge L. , Tomashek Kay M. 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: In 2007, a total of 10,508 suspected dengue cases were reported in Puerto Rico. Blood donations were tested for dengue virus (DENV) RNA and recipients of RNA‐positive donations traced to assess transfusion transmission.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood donation samples from 2007 were maintained in a repository and tested individually for DENV RNA by transcription‐mediated amplification (TMA); a subset was further tested by an enhanced TMA (eTMA) assay. TMA‐reactive samples were considered confirmed if TMA (including eTMA) was repeat reactive (RR). All TMA‐RR samples were tested by quantitative, DENV type–specific reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and for anti‐DENV immunoglobulin (Ig)M by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Samples positive by RT‐PCR were further tested for infectivity in mosquito cell culture. Patients receiving components from TMA‐RR donations were followed.RESULTS: Of 15,350 donation samples tested, 29 were TMA‐RR for a prevalence of 1 per 529 (0.19%). DENV Types 1, 2, and 3 with viral titers of 105 to 109 copies/mL were detected by RT‐PCR in 12 samples of which all were infectious in mosquito culture. Six TMA‐RR samples were IgM positive. Three of the 29 recipients receiving TMA‐RR donations were tested. One recipient in Puerto Rico transfused with red blood cells containing 108 copies/mL DENV‐2 became febrile 3 days posttransfusion and developed dengue hemorrhagic fever. The recipient was DENV‐2 RNA positive by RT‐PCR; both the donor and the recipient viruses had identical envelope sequences.CONCLUSIONS: High rates of viremia were detected in blood donors in Puerto Rico coupled with the first documented transfusion transmission of severe dengue disease, suggesting that further research on interventions is needed.
Epidemiologic and laboratory findings from 3 years of testing United States blood donors for Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Custer Brian , Agapova Maria , Bruhn Roberta , Cusick Robin , Kamel Hany , Tomasulo Peter , Biswas Hope , Tobler Leslie , Lee Tzong‐Hae , Caglioti Sally , Busch Michael 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: At most blood centers in the United States routine testing of donations for Trypanosoma cruzi using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is followed by supplemental testing by radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA). The objective of this study was to report the results of routine testing and risk factor data from allogeneic blood donors.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: T. cruzi testing data from January 2007 through December 2009 were analyzed, and risk factor interviews and follow‐up studies were conducted on seroreactive donors. Prevalences of confirmed infection and risk factors associated with infection were assessed using logistic and multivariable logistic regression.RESULTS: Of 2,940,491 allogeneic donations from 1,183,076 donors, 305 (0.01% per donation tested and 0.026% per blood donor) were repeat reactive (RR) and 89 of those were confirmed positive by RIPA, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 1 per 33,039 donations and 1 per 13,292 donors. Country of birth and US blood center location differences in the seroprevalence of T. cruzi were evident. The odds of confirmed infection were highest if the donor reported having been bitten by the reduviid (kissing) bug (odds ratio [OR], 76.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.1‐3173) followed by having lived in a rural area of Latin America (OR, 38.6; 95% CI, 15.1‐102.5). In multivariable analyses, having spent 3 months or more in Mexico or Central and/or South America was associated with the highest odds of RIPA‐confirmed infection (OR, 8.5; 95% CI, 2.7‐26.5). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of ELISA RR donors exhibited low sensitivity (1/22 [4%] RIPA‐confirmed donors was PCR positive).CONCLUSION: Risk factors for confirmed infection in US blood donors are consistent with the known epidemiology of Chagas disease. Blood donors or transfusions do not substantially contribute to the burden of T. cruzi infection in the United States.
ABO antibody titers are not predictive of hemolytic reactions due to plasma‐incompatible platelet transfusions
Authors: Karafin Matthew S. , Blagg Lorraine , Tobian Aaron A.R. , King Karen E. , Ness Paul M. , Savage William J. 
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: The overall risk of hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTRs) from plasma (minor)‐incompatible platelet (PLT) transfusions and the role of a critical anti‐A or anti‐B titer in predicting and preventing these reactions has not been clearly established.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated all apheresis PLT (AP) transfusions for 3 months. Using the gel titer method, we determined the anti‐A and/or the anti‐B immunoglobulin (Ig)G titer for all incompatible APs. Reported febrile transfusion reactions and HTRs were recorded; transfusions were not prospectively evaluated by the study team. A posttransfusion direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and eluate were performed after a reported febrile or hemolytic reaction for patients who received plasma‐incompatible APs.RESULTS: A total of 647 of 4288 AP transfusions (15.1%) were plasma incompatible. Group O APs (n = 278) had significantly higher anti‐A and anti‐B titers than group A or B APs (p < 0.0001). No group A or B APs had a titer of more than 128 (0/342). For group O APs, 73 had titers of 256 or greater (26.3%), and 27 had titers of 512 or greater (9.7%). No HTRs were reported to any plasma‐incompatible AP transfusion during the study period. Two plasma‐incompatible AP transfusions were associated with fever and chills and positive DATs, of which one had a positive eluate. The incidence of a DAT and eluate‐positive febrile transfusion reaction in the plasma‐incompatible AP population is 0.15% (95% confidence interval, 0.0%‐0.86%).CONCLUSION: A critical anti‐A or ‐B titer is not sufficient to predict the risk of hemolysis in patients receiving plasma‐incompatible APs, although underreporting of reactions to the blood bank may limit the generalizability of this study.
Factors Affecting Codon Bias in the Mitochondrial Genomes of the Streptophyte Mesostigma viride and the Chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Hua Jimeng , Lee Robert W. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractMitochondrial genomes typically show genome‐wide patterns of synonymous codon usage bias. In animals and land plants, mutation appears more dominant than selection in shaping this bias, while in green algae the relative importance of these factors is not well studied. Based on our analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence from the green algae Mesostigma viride (NIES‐296) and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CC‐277) and a closely related relative of each, we conclude that both mutation and selection are important in shaping synonymous codon usage bias in their mitochondrial genomes, with selection being more dominant. The possible confounding influence of mutational context dependence on our analyses is discussed.
Transparent Nanocrystalline Pure and Ca‐Doped MgO by Spark Plasma Sintering of Anhydrous Nanoparticles
Authors: Tran Tien B. , Hayun Shmuel , Navrotsky Alexandra , Castro Ricardo H. R. 
Published: February 2012

Fully dense nanocrystalline MgO‐based ceramics were consolidated by field and pressure assisted sintering (also known as Spark Plasma Sintering) using anhydrous nanosized powders (~5 nm) prepared by laser ablation and handled in a controlled, water‐free environment prior to sintering. The high reactivity of the powders promoted excellent sinterability at relatively low temperatures. Highly transparent specimens were produced by sintering at 0.23–0.28Tm (650°C–800°C) for 15–30 min with good control over the final nanometric grain size. To preserve the nanocrystalline nature of the samples, the high temperature exposure time during sintering was reduced by the application of 300 MPa uniaxial pressure; higher pressure or two‐step procedures did not provide extra benefits to densification or microstructural control.
Oral self‐injury. An update
Authors: Limeres Jacobo , Feijoo Javier F , Baluja Fernando , Seoane Juan Manuel , Diniz Marcio , Diz Pedro 
Published: February 2012

Abstract –  Background: Self‐inflicted oral injuries of organic origin are particularly common in certain diseases, syndromes, and systemic disorders. In this article, we discuss the characteristics of these oral lesions and their treatment. Literature Search: The authors have reviewed the most relevant literature relating to oral self‐injury through a search in textbooks and published articles included in the Medline database for the years 1970–2010, and selected published cases from the last two decades. Results: The majority of the literature on oral self‐injury is in the form of case reports. Self‐injury is particularly prevalent in patients with Lesch–Nyhan syndrome, a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, and mental retardation. It is most common in males in the early years of life, and the sites most frequently involved are the lower lip and the tongue. Therapeutic approaches in these patients have included psychological and pharmacological treatment, intraoral devices, and surgical procedures. Clinical Implications: Intraoral devices are the best therapeutic option for self‐injury of organic origin, although this approach is not free of complications. The current lack of standardized treatment protocols for oral self‐injury means that therapy must be individualized.
Novel CRLF1 gene mutation in a newborn infant diagnosed with Crisponi syndrome
Authors: Hakan Nilay , Eminoglu Fatma Tuba , Aydin Mustafa , Zenciroglu Aysegul , Karadag Nazmiye Nilgun , Dursun Arzu , Okumus Nurullah , Ceylaner Serdar 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTCrisponi syndrome is an infrequently described disorder with autosomal recessive trait. It is characterized by extensive muscular contractions in the face after even minimal stimuli or crying, hypertonia, opisthotonus, camptodactyly, and typical facial features. Muscle contractions attenuate during rest or when the infant calms down. As a recently described new disease, Crisponi syndrome may be confused with epileptic manifestations. Most of the patients die in the first months of life due to hyperthermia and feeding problems. Recently, it has been demonstrated that mutations of the CRLF1 gene ‘cytokine receptor‐like factor 1’ are associated with Crisponi syndrome. Here, we present a newborn diagnosed with Crisponi syndrome and report a novel homozygous CFRL1 gene mutation.
Gastric hairballs in rabbits: Significance in developmental toxicity study
Authors: Fukumura Kanako , Haneda Ryo , Endoh Takako , Takano Masao , Mizoguchi Yasumoto , Matsuoka Tetsuya , Asano Yuzo 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTWe surveyed 1053 pregnant rabbits of the Kbl:NZW strain collected from 27 developmental toxicity studies to reveal the prevalence and significance of gastric hairballs. The incidence of hairballs was 2/525 (0.4%) in the control group and 17/528 (3.2%) in the high dose group. In the high dose group, 16 dams resulted in abortion or death. In addition, decreases in body weight and food consumption were more severe in dams with hairballs than in their group‐mates without hairballs.