Frank Westermann

A novel and universal method for microRNA RT-qPCR data normalization (2009)

Mestdagh, Pieter, Van Vlierberghe, Pieter, De Weer, An, Muth, Daniel, Westermann, Frank, Speleman, Frank, ...

Abstract Gene expression analysis of microRNA molecules is becoming increasingly important. In this study we assess the use of the mean expression value of all expressed microRNAs in a given sample...

Distinct transcriptional MYCN/c-MYC activities are associated with spontaneous regression or malignant progression in neuroblastomas (2008)

Westermann, Frank, Muth, Daniel, Benner, Axel, Bauer, Tobias, Henrich, Kai-Oliver, Oberthuer, André, ...

Abstract Background Amplified MYCN oncogene resulting in deregulated MYCN transcriptional activity is observed in 20% of neuroblastomas and identifies a highly aggressive subtype. In MYCN single-copy...

Anti-neuroblastoma activity of Helminthosporium carbonum (HC)-toxin is superior to that of other differentiating compounds in vitro (2008)

Deubzer, Hedwig E., Ehemann, Volker, Kulozik, Andreas E., Westermann, Frank, Savelyeva, Larissa, Kopp-Schneider, Annette, ...

Treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is difficult. Novel therapeutics improving survival rates are urgently required. We have previously shown that the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI)...

New miRNAs cloned from neuroblastoma (2008)

Afanasyeva, Elena A, Hotz-Wagenblatt, Agnes, Glatting, Karl-Heinz, Westermann, Frank

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of gene expression regulators implicated in cancer biology. Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonal tumour consisting of neural crest-derived...

Cathepsin D protects human neuroblastoma cells from doxorubicin-induced cell death (2008)

Sagulenko, Vitalia, Muth, Daniel, Sagulenko, Evgeny, Paffhausen, Tobias, Schwab, Manfred, Westermann, Frank

High incidence of chemotherapy resistance is the primary cause of treatment failure in a subset of neuroblastomas with amplified MYCN. We have reported previously that ectopic MYCN expression...

Cross-study analysis of gene expression data for intermediate neuroblastoma identifies two biological subtypes (2007)

Warnat, Patrick, Oberthuer, André, Fischer, Matthias, Westermann, Frank, Eils, Roland, Brors, Benedikt

Abstract Background Neuroblastoma patients show heterogeneous clinical courses ranging from life-threatening progression to spontaneous regression. Recently, gene expression profiles of neuroblastoma...

Gene-expression based classification of neuroblastoma patients using a customized oligonucleotide-microarray outperforms current clinical risk stratification (2006)

Oberthuer, André, Berthold, Frank, Warnat, Patrick, Hero, Barbara, Kahlert, Yvonne, Spitz, Rüdiger, ...

PURPOSE: To develop a gene expression–based classifier for neuroblastoma patients that reliably predicts courses of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred fifty-one neuroblastoma specimens...

cDNA array-CGH profiling identifies genomic alterations specific to stage and MYCN-amplification in neuroblastoma (2004)

Chen, Qing-Rong, Bilke, Sven, Wei, Jun S, Whiteford, Craig C, Cenacchi, Nicola, Krasnoselsky, Alexei L, ...

Abstract Background Recurrent non-random genomic alterations are the hallmarks of cancer and the characterization of these imbalances is critical to our understanding of tumorigenesis and cancer...

Crises and Growth: A Re-evaluation (2002)

Rancière, Romain, Tornell, Aaron, Westermann, Frank

We address the question of whether growth and welfare can be higher in crisis prone economies. First, we show that there is a robust empirical link between per-capita GDP growth and negative skewness...

Systemic Crises and Growth (2002)

Rancière, Romain, Tornell, Aaron, Westermann, Frank

In this paper, we document the fact that countries that have experienced occasional financial crises have on average grown faster than countries with stable financial conditions. We measure the...

Equity Price Dynamics Before and After the Introduction of the Euro (2001)

Cheung, Yin-Wong, Westermann, Frank

Daily data from the German and U.S. equity markets before and after the introduction of the Euro are used to study the effect of exchange rate regime choices on equity markets. It is found that,...

Does the Euro affect the dynamic interactions of stock markets in Europe? Evidence from France, Germany and Italy

Frank Westermann

The dynamic links between stock market indices are analyzed in a GARCH-M framework, using daily data from France, Germany, Italy and the USA. It is shown that indices in the periods before and after...

NAFTA and Mexico's Less-Than-Stellar Performance

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

Mexico, a prominent liberalizer, failed to attain stellar gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the 1990s, and since 2001 its GDP and exports have stagnated. In this paper we argue that the lack of...

The Positive Link Between Financial Liberalization, Growth and Crises

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

There is no agreement regarding the growth-enhancing effects of financial liberalization, mainly because it is associated with risky international bank flows, lending booms, and crises. In this paper...

Factor Price Equalization? The Cointegration Approach Revisited

Helge Berger, Frank Westermann

Factor price equality across countries is an important implication of the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson model of international trade. Although an influential theoretical result, the model has received...

NAFTA and Mexico's Economic Performance

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

Mexico, a prominent liberalizer, failed to attain stellar gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the 1990s, and since 2001 its GDP and exports have stagnated. In this paper we argue that the lack of...

Crises and Growth: A Re-Evaluation

Romain Ranciere, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

We address the question of whether growth and welfare can be higher in crisis prone economies. First, we show that there is a robust empirical link between per-capita GDP growth and negative skewness...

The Positive Link Between Financial Liberalization, Growth, and Crises

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

There is no agreement regarding the growth-enhancing effects of financial liberalization, mainly because it is associated with risky international bank flows, lending booms, and crises. In this paper...

Systemic Crises and Growth

Romain Ranciere, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper, we document the fact that countries that have experienced occasional financial crises have, on average, grown faster than countries with stable financial conditions. We measure the...

Systemic Crises and Growth

Romain Ranciere, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper, we document the fact that countries that have experienced occasional financial crises have, on average, grown faster than countries with stable financial conditions. We measure the...

Classification and diagnostic prediction of cancers using gene expression profiling and artificial neural networks

Khan, Javed, Wei, Jun S., Ringnér, Markus, Saal, Lao H., Ladanyi, Marc, Westermann, Frank, ...

The purpose of this study was to develop a method of classifying cancers to specific diagnostic categories based on their gene expression signatures using artificial neural networks (ANNs). We...

Prediction of Clinical Outcome Using Gene Expression Profiling and Artificial Neural Networks for Patients with Neuroblastoma

Wei, Jun S., Greer, Braden T., Westermann, Frank, Steinberg, Seth M., Son, Chang-Gue, Chen, Qing-Rong, ...

Currently, patients with neuroblastoma are classified into risk groups (e.g., according to the Children’s Oncology Group risk-stratification) to guide physicians in the choice of the most...

Why Has the Euro Been Falling?

Hans-Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

This paper reconsiders the determinants of the exchange rate by studying the historical episode after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Testing a modified portfolio balance model, we attribute the...

Sectoral Trends and Cycles in Germany

Yin-Wong Cheung, Frank Westermann

We examine the comovements between the output indexes of three German sectors (manufacturing, mining, and agriculture) and the three corresponding sectoral stock market indexes. It is found that data...

Liberalization, Growth, and Financial Crises: Lessons from Mexico and the Developing World

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

Although the case for trade liberalization is now well established, the case for financial liberalization is not, because the latter is associated with lending booms and crises. Some critics invoke...

Liberalization, Growth, and Financial Crises: Lessons from Mexico and the Developing World

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

Although the case for trade liberalization is now well established, the case for financial liberalization is not, because the latter is associated with lending booms and crises. Some critics invoke...

Does Austria Respond to the German or the US Business Cycle?

Cheung, Yin-Wong, Westermann, Frank

This study assesses the claim that the Austrian economy depends mainly on the German business cycle. Controlling for possible influences from the US economy, it is confirmed that the Austrian and...

Optimal Tariffs and Subsidies and Changes in Market Structure

Dominik Egli, Frank Westermann

The paper presents a unified treatment of optimal trade policy for a small country. The well-known results for duopoly and competitive markets emerge as benchmark cases of the authors' model. In...

Liberalization, Growth, and Financial Crises: Lessons from Mexico and the Developing World

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann, Lorenza Martinez

Although the case for trade liberalization is now well established, the case for financial liberalization is not, because the latter is associated with lending booms and crises. Some critics invoke...

Credit Market Imperfections in Middle Income Countries

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper we document three credit market imperfections prevalent in middle income countries that can help to explain boom-bust cycles, as well as other macroeconomic patterns observed at higher...

Two Mezzogiornos

Hans-Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

The analogy between the economic problems of the Mezzogiorno region and East Germany has been initially contested by many authors. This paper argues that there are striking similarities in the two...

Optimal Tariffs and Subsidies And Changes in Markets Structure

Dominik Egli, Frank Westermann

We present a unified treatment of optimal trade policy for a small country. The well-known results for duopoly and competitive markets emerge as benchmark cases of our model. In addition, we show...

Output Dynamics of the G7 Countries - Stochastic Trends and Cyclical Movements

Cheung, Yin-Wong, Westermann, Frank

Using a time series framework, the paper studies the interac tions of the annual real per capita GDP data of the G7 countries. We find evidence of six common nonstationary processes behind the...

The Credit Channel in Middle Income Countries

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

With inflation under control in many in middle income countries (MICs), it is now swings in credit, investment and asset prices that affect these countries the most. In this paper we present a...

Boom-Bust Cycles in Middle Income Countries: Facts and Explanation

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper we characterize empirically the comovements of macro variables typically observed in middle income countries, as well as the 'boom-bust cycle' that has been observed during the last two...

Systemic Crises and Growth

Romain Rancière, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

Countries that have experienced occasional financial crises have, on average, grown faster than countries with stable financial conditions. Because financial crises are realizations of downside risk,...

Equity Price Dynamics Before and After the Introduction of the Euro

Cheung, Yin-Wong, Westermann, Frank

Daily data from the German and U.S. equity markets before and after the introduction of the Euro are used to study the effect of exchange rate regime choices on equity markets. It is found that,...

Equity Price Dynamics Before and After the Introduction of the Euro: A Note

Yin-Wong Cheung, Frank Westermann

Daily data from the German and U.S. equity markets before and after the introduction of the Euro are used to study the effect of exchange rate regime choices on equity markets. It is found that,...

On Assisting Domestic Industries under Bertrand Competition

Dominik Egli, Frank Westermann

In a homogeneous-good duopoly game with a home and a foreign firm, which compete on prices, it has been shown that the optimal way to assist the domestic industry is by a production subsidy. The...

Productivity Convergence in European Manufacturing.

Garcia Pascual, Antonio, Westermann, Frank

The paper empirically investigates international productivity convergence in the manufacturing sector, which was found not converging in earlier studies. The authors analyze subsectors of aggregate...

Output Dynamics of the G7 Countries--Stochastic Trends and Cyclical Movements.

Cheung, Yin-Wong, Westermann, Frank

Using a time series framework, the paper studies the interactions of the annual real per capita GDP data of the G-7 countries. Evidence is found of six common nonstationary processes behind the...

SeptemBear--A Seasonality Puzzle in the German Stock Index DAX.

Reutter, Michael, Von Weizsacker, Jakob, Westermann, Frank

The September performance of the DAX (German stock market index) was found to be below average in the period from 1959-1999. This finding is shown to be robust to several changes in the empirical...

Crises and Growth: A Re-evaluation

Romain Rancière, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

We address the question of whether growth and welfare can be higher in crisis prone economies. First, we show that there is a robust empirical link between per-capita GDP growth and negative skewness...

Systemic Crises and Growth

Romain Rancière, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper, we document the fact that countries that have experienced occasional financial crises have on average grown faster than countries with stable financial conditions. We measure the...

Stochastic Trends and Cycles in National Stock Market Indices: Evidence from the U.S., the U.K. and Switzerland

Frank Westermann

Co-movements of stock market indices in the U.S., the U.K. and Switzerland are analyzed using recent time series procedures. None of the series are found to share common permanent stochastic shocks...

On the Welfare Equivalence of Tariffs and Quotas under Duopoly

Dominik Egli, Frank Westermann

It is shown that the equivalence of tariffs and quotas is not valid if one defines equivalence in terms of welfare. In a duopoly where a home and a foreign firm compete on a domestic market, an...

Sectoral trends and cycles in Germany

Yin-Wong Cheung, Frank Westermann

We examine the comovements between the output indexes of three German sectors (manufacturing, mining, and agriculture) and the three corresponding sectoral stock market indexes. It is found that data...

Two Mezzogiornos

Hans-Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

The analogy between the economic problems of the Mezzogiorno region and East Germany has been initially contested by many authors. This paper argues that there are striking similarities in the two...

Why Has the Euro Been Falling? An Investigation into the Determinants of the Exchange Rate

Hans-Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

This paper reconsiders the determinants of the exchange rate by studying the historical episode after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Testing a modified portfolio balance model, we attribute the...

Boom-Bust Cycles in Middle Income Countries: Facts and Explanation

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper we characterize empirically the comovements of macro variables typically observed in middle income countries, as well as the boom-bust cycle' that has been observed during the last two...

The Credit Channel in Middle Income Countries

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

Credit market conditions play a key role in propagating shocks in middle income countries (MICs). In particular, shocks to the spread between domestic and international interest rates have a strong...

Credit Market Imperfections in Middle Income Countries

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

In this paper we document three credit market imperfections prevalent in middle income countries that can help explain the boom-bust cycles as well as other macroeconomic patterns observed at higher...

Crises and Growth: A Re-Evaluation

Romaine Ranciere, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

We address the question of whether growth and welfare can be higher in crisis prone economies. First, we show that there is a robust empirical link between per-capita GDP growth and negative skewness...

Decomposing the Effects of Financial Liberalization: Crises vs. Growth

Romain Ranciere, Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

We present a new empirical decomposition of the effects of financial liberalization on economic growth and on the incidence of crises. Our empirical estimates show that the direct effect of financial...

Common Trends and Common Cycles among Interest Rates of the G7-Countries

Nannette Lindenberg, Frank Westermann

In this paper we re-investigate the comovements of interest rates in the G7-countries. We propose a structured modus operandi to analyze the time series characteristics of interest rates and to test...

Japan's Great Stagnation: Financial and Monetary Policy Lessons for Advanced Economies

Michael M. Hutchison, Frank Westermann

After experiencing spectacular economic growth and industrial development for much of the postwar era, Japan plunged abruptly into recession in the early 1990s and since then has suffered a prolonged...

Boom-Bust Cycles and Financial Liberalization

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

The volatility that has hit many middle-income countries (MICs) after liberalizimg their financial markets has prompted critics to call for new policies to stabilize these boom-bust cycles. But, as...

Boom-Bust Cycles and Financial Liberalization

Aaron Tornell, Frank Westermann

The volatility that has hit many middle-income countries (MICs) after liberalizing their financial markets has prompted critics to call for new policies to stabilize these boom-bust cycles. But, as...

Globalización, crecimiento y crisis financieras. Lecciones de México y del mundo en desarrollo

Martínez, Lorenza, Tornell, Aarón, Westermann, Frank

Is liberalization in developing countries good for growth even if it leads to crises? The answer is a clear yes. But then, how can we explain the less-than-stellar growth performance of Mexico, a...

Wie groß ist der Keynesianische Multiplikator in Deutschland?

Frank Westermann

Staatsausgaben und Steuereinnahmen verursachen nicht nur einen direkten Impuls, sondern lösen auch eine Multiplikatorwirkung aus. Die Erhöhung des Einkommens führt zu einer Ausweitung des privaten...

Eine ökonomische Nachbetrachtung der Münchner Hochhausabstimmung

Christoph Eichhorn, Marco Sahm, Frank Westermann

Am 21. November 2004 haben sich die Münchner in einem Bürgerentscheid mit knapper Mehrheit dafür ausgesprochen, die Maximalhöhe für neue Hochhäuser auf 100 Meter zu begrenzen. Stark verkürzt...

Konjunkturelle Auswirkungen des Vorziehens der Steuerreform

Tobias Seidel, Frank Westermann

Am 19. Dezember 2003 wurde im Vermittlungsausschuss ein teilweises Vorziehen der dritten Stufe der Steuerreform von 2005 auf 2004 und damit eine Entlastung der Steuerzahler von 9 Mrd. €...

Zur Kreditklemme: Ein Vergleich zwischen Japan und Deutschland

Frank Westermann

Eine Kreditklemme der privaten Firmen trägt nach Meinung von Frank Westermann, Ph.D., Universität München, zu der derzeitigen Verlangsamung des Wirtschaftswachstums in Deutschland bei....

A novel and universal method for microRNA RT-qPCR data normalization

Mestdagh, Pieter, Van Vlierberghe, Pieter, De Weer, An, Muth, Daniel, Westermann, Frank, Speleman, Frank, ...

The mean expression value: a new method for accurate and reliable normalization of microRNA expression data from RT-qPCR experiments.

The Deutschmark in Eastern Europe, Black Money and the Euro: On the Size of the Effect

Hans-Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

D-Mark, Euro, Geldumlauf, Schattenwirtschaft, Osteuropa, German Mark, Monetary circulation, Hidden economy, Eastern Europe

Die D-Mark in Osteuropa, das Schwarzgeld und der Euro: Zur Größe des Effektes

Hans Werner Sinn, Frank Westermann

Flüchtendes Schwarzgeld sowie aus Osteuropa und der Türkei zurückdrängende DM-Bestände können den Kursverfall des Euro maßgeblich erklären: Das von Hans-Werner Sinn und Frank Westermann...

How Strong is the Case for Dollarization in Costa Rica? A Note on the Business Cycle Comovements with the United States

Nannette Lindenberg, Frank Westermann

We evaluate the proposal for official dollarization in Costa Rica by applying a new approach to measure the business cycle comovements with the United States. While the literature often focuses on...