bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antigenic mimicry of ubiquitin by the gut bacteriumBacteroides fragilis: a potential link with autoimmune disease
Authors: Stewart L , Edgar J D M , Blakely G , Patrick S 
Published: August 2018

SummaryUbiquitin is highly conserved across eukaryotes and is essential for normal eukaryotic cell function. The bacterium Bacteroides fragilis is a member of the normal human gut microbiota, and the only bacterium known to encode a homologue of eukaryotic ubiquitin. The B. fragilis gene sequence indicates a past horizontal gene transfer event from a eukaryotic source. It encodes a protein (BfUbb) with 63% identity to human ubiquitin which is exported from the bacterial cell. The aim of this study was (i) to determine if there was antigenic cross-reactivity between B. fragilis ubiquitin and human ubiquitin and (ii) to determine if humans produced antibodies to BfUbb. Molecular model comparisons of BfUbb and human ubiquitin predicted a high level (99·8% confidence) of structural similarity. Linear epitope mapping identified epitopes in BfUbb and human ubiquitin that cross-react. BfUbb also has epitope(s) that do not cross-react with human ubiquitin. The reaction of human serum (n = 474) to BfUbb and human ubiquitin from the following four groups of subjects was compared by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): (1) newly autoantibody-positive patients, (2) allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E-negative patients, (3) ulcerative colitis patients and (4) healthy volunteers. We show that the immune system of some individuals has been exposed to BfUbb which has resulted in the generation of IgG antibodies. Serum from patients referred for first-time testing to an immunology laboratory for autoimmune disease are more likely to have a high level of antibodies to BfUbb than healthy volunteers. Molecular mimicry of human ubiquitin by BfUbb could be a trigger for autoimmune disease.
On Visualizing Continuous Turbulence Scales
Authors: Liu Xiaopei , Mishra Maneesh , Skote Martin , Fu Chi‐Wing 
Published: August 2018

AbstractTurbulent flows are multi‐scale with vortices spanning a wide range of scales continuously. Due to such complexities, turbulence scales are particularly difficult to analyse and visualize. In this work, we present a novel and efficient optimization‐based method for continuous‐scale turbulence structure visualization with scale decomposition directly in the Kolmogorov energy spectrum. To achieve this, we first derive a new analytical objective function based on integration approximation. Using this new formulation, we can significantly improve the efficiency of the underlying optimization process and obtain the desired filter in the Kolmogorov energy spectrum for scale decomposition. More importantly, such a decomposition allows a ‘continuous‐scale visualization’ that enables us to efficiently explore the decomposed turbulence scales and further analyse the turbulence structures in a continuous manner. With our approach, we can present scale visualizations of direct numerical simulation data sets continuously over the scale domain for both isotropic and boundary layer turbulent flows. Compared with previous works on multi‐scale turbulence analysis and visualization, our method is highly flexible and efficient in generating scale decomposition and visualization results. The application of the proposed technique to both isotropic and boundary layer turbulence data sets verifies the capability of our technique to produce desirable scale visualization results.
Antenatal maternal medication administration in preventing respiratory distress syndrome of premature infants: A network meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Haoyang , Liu Jing , Liu Tianhao , Wang Yu , Dai Weidan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIntroductionHigh incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was revealed in preterm infants, which acted as one of the main factors that led to infant death.ObjectivesThis network meta‐analysis (NMA) was performed to rank the efficacy of different therapies in preventing for premature infants.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and CNKI were searched. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA statistical software (Version 12.0). Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% credible intervals (95%CrIs) were applied to evaluate relative efficacy of various treatments. Ranking of probabilities of each treatment was illustrated by surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Consistency between direct and indirect evidence was assessed using the node‐splitting plots and heat plots.Results and conclusionA total of 48 trials were eligible to evaluate the efficacy of 3 interventions including ambroxol (AMB), betamethasone (BET), and dexamethasone (DEX). Three outcomes including the incidence of RDS, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and neonatal death were assessed. Compared with placebo, BET, DEX, and AMB all demonstrated better efficacy in terms of preventing RDS and neonatal death. No significant difference among treatments was found in the assessment of the incidence of BPD. According to SUCRA, AMB was the optimal treatment in preventing RDS and neonatal death. Besides, no significant inconsistency was detected between direct and indirect evidence. To conclude, no significant difference was found among these three medications. AMB seems to have the potential to be the most effective treatment for reducing the incidence of RDS and neonatal death.
Parent‐report instruments for assessing feeding difficulties in children with neurological impairments: a systematic review
Authors: Jaafar Nurul Hazirah , Othman Azizah , Majid Noorizan A , Harith Sakinah , Zabidi‐Hussin Zamh 
Published: August 2018

AimThis study aimed to review the psychometric properties and clinical application of parent‐report instruments that assess feeding difficulties in children with neurological impairments.MethodPapers were identified through five electronic databases based on 15 keywords and were included if they met the following criteria: published in English, described the implementation of parent‐report instruments, and included children with neurological impairments (either in the report or a related study population).ResultsIn total, 1220 relevant abstracts were screened and 22 full‐text articles were evaluated. The following six parent‐report instruments met the inclusion criteria: (1) Screening Tool of Feeding Problems applied to children, (2) Paediatric Eating Assessment Tool, (3) Paediatric Assessment Scale for Severe Feeding Problems, (4) Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale, (5) Children's Eating Behaviour Inventory, and (6) Behavioural Paediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS). Based on comprehensive psychometric testing and consistently good results, the BPFAS was considered the most valid and reliable instrument. The BPFAS also showed good clinical applicability because it was readily available, required a short administration time, and used a simple scoring system.InterpretationWe reviewed the available parent‐report instruments for assessing feeding difficulties in children with neurological impairments. The BPFAS had the best psychometric properties and clinical applicability.What this paper adds

Six parent‐report instruments were suitable for assessing feeding in children with neurological impairments.
The Behavioural Paediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) has the strongest psychometric properties.
The BPFAS also has good clinical applicability.
Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphisms and intraventricular haemorrhage in infants born preterm: a large prospective multicentre cohort study
Authors: Dzietko Mark , Schulz Soeren , Preuss Michael , Haertel Christoph , Stein Anja , Felderhoff‐Mueser Ursula , Goepel Wolfgang 
Published: August 2018

AimInfants born preterm are at risk of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) but individual susceptibility related to genes is not well defined in this vulnerable population. Apolipoprotein genotypes APOE2 and APOE4 increase the hazard of cerebral haemorrhages in adults. We investigated whether APOE is associated with prevalence of IVH and is likely to have a particular genotype.MethodIn this prospective study, 5075 infants born preterm with genotype APOE3 were compared to 965 (APOE2) and 1912 (APOE4) individuals, to analyse the association between APOE genotype and grade III and IV IVH. We used a logistic regression model including gestational age, antenatal steroid treatment, 5‐minute Apgar scores less than 3, intubation, pneumothorax, small for gestational age, multiple birth, sex, and maternal descent as independent factors.ResultsThe APOE2 (20.1%) and APOE4 (19.8%) genotypes were significantly more prevalent in infants with IVH than in those with the APOE3 haplotype (17.4%) (APOE2: odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.76; APOE4: OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12–1.74). Infants with two polymorphisms had the highest risk of IVH (8.7%; OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.09–2.45).InterpretationAPOE2 and APOE4 genotypes are relevant risk factors for IVH in infants born preterm. Our findings improve our understanding of the genetic contributions to IVH.
A capability approach to children's well‐being, agency and participatory rights in education
Authors: Hart Caroline Sarojini , Brando Nicolás 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis article applies a capability approach to examine how children's agency, well‐being and participation rights can be developed and supported in educational settings. We introduce Amartya Sen's concepts of agency and well‐being freedoms and achievements to highlight the tensions and trade‐offs between risks to children's agency and well‐being in and through educational processes. We draw upon selected empirical examples to illustrate this relationship further. By positioning the development of children's agency as an explicit and important goal of education, alongside well‐being achievement, we aim to broaden the evaluative space for assessing what constitutes quality in children's education. We conclude with some reflections on implications for policy and practice going forward.
Local official turnover, ownership, and firm cash holdings: Insights from an emerging market
Authors: Ni Xiaoran 
Published: August 2018

AbstractUsing a hand‐collected dataset of city‐level local official turnover in China, I find that average cash holdings of listed firms decrease significantly upon turnover of city heads, and this effect concentrates in privately owned enterprises. Such effects are more pronounced in firms located in cities with lower government quality. I also find that local official turnover leads to decreases in equity issuance for privately owned enterprises but not for state‐owned enterprises, which largely explains our primary findings. Overall, this paper reveals that the cash policy of privately owned enterprises is sensitive to local official turnover in an emerging market.
Prevalence of owner‐reported ocular problems and veterinary ocular findings in a population of horses aged ≥15 years
Authors: Malalana F. , McGowan T. W. , Ireland J. L. , Pinchbeck G. L. , McGowan C. M. 
Published: August 2018

SummaryBackgroundPrevious studies suggest that ocular disease is common among aged horses but owners may fail to identify or underestimate their clinical relevance.ObjectivesTo document the prevalence of owner‐reported ocular disease in horses aged ≥15 years. In a subset of these horses, to document ophthalmic findings from veterinary examination and compare with owner‐reported ocular disease, and to determine risk factors for veterinary ophthalmic findings.Study designCross‐sectional study.MethodsOwners of aged horses completed a survey on management, clinical signs and medical history. Risk factors for the presence of ocular disease as reported by the owner were determined. A subset of these horses underwent an ophthalmological examination. Risk factors for the presence of ocular disease detected during this examination were determined. Agreement between owner‐reported data and veterinary ophthalmic findings was assessed.ResultsAbnormal ocular findings were detected in 287/327 horses aged ≥15 years that underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, whereas the presence of ocular disease as reported by the horse‐owners was only 3.3%. Agreement between owner‐reported ocular disease and results of the veterinary examination was low for all categories analysed. An owner‐reported history of ocular discharge was associated with increased odds of veterinary‐reported diminished vision. Increasing age was associated with increased odds of the presence of an eye abnormality (any) and cataracts. Appaloosa horses had increased odds of cataract compared with other breeds. Horses in work were less likely to have an eye abnormality.Main limitationsVolunteer bias may have influenced our results with owners of sick horses or those more concerned about their horses more likely to volunteer at the initial recruitment phase.ConclusionsThis study showed a high prevalence of ocular lesions in aged horses which was not reflected in owner‐reported disease. This has highlighted problems in obtaining information on ocular conditions from horse‐owners.
Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) induces mouse precartilaginous stem cell differentiation through TGFRII‐CK1ε‐β‐catenin signalling
Authors: Qiong Wang , Xiaofeng Gu , Junfang Wang 
Published: August 2018

SummaryPrecartilaginous stem cells (PSCs) are adult stem cells which could self‐renew or differentiate into chondrocytes to promote bone growth. In this study, we aimed to understand the role of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) in precartilaginous stem cell (PSC) differentiation and to study the mechanisms that underlie this role. We purified PSCs from the neonatal murine perichondrial mesenchyme using immunomagnetic beads, and primary cultured them. Their phenotype was confirmed by the PSC marker fibroblast growth factor receptor‐3 (FGFR‐3) overexpression. TGF‐β1 was added to induce PSCs differentiation. TGF‐β1 increased mRNA expression of chondrogenesis‐related genes (collagen type II, Sox 9 and aggrecan) in the cultured PSCs. This was abolished by TGF‐β receptor II (TGFRII) and Casein kinase 1 epsilon (CK1ε) lentiviral shRNA depletion. Meanwhile, we found that TGF‐β1 induced CK1ε activation, glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK3β) phosphorylation and β‐catenin nuclear translocation in the mouse PSCs, which was almost completely blocked by TGFRII and CK1ε shRNA knockdown. Based on these results, we suggest that TGF‐β1 induces CK1ε activation to promote β‐catenin nuclear accumulation, which then regulates chondrogenesis‐related gene transcription to eventually promote mouse PSC differentiation.
Erythema elevatum diutinum: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Doktor Vladyslava , Hadi Ahmed , Hadi Ali , Phelps Robert , Goodheart Herbert 
Published: August 2018

AbstractErythema elevatum diutinum (EED) is a rare cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis thought to be related to increased levels of circulating antibodies. It has been shown to be associated with HIV infection, tuberculosis, as well as various autoimmune diseases. A retrospective review of all cases of EED indexed in PubMed between 1990 and 2014 was performed. Inclusion criteria for articles was availability of full text in English and a biopsy‐confirmed diagnosis of EED. All other articles were excluded. Cases were stratified by age and anatomic location of the lesions. Treatment response was coded as “complete,” “partial,” and “none.” A total of 133 cases of EED with 381 lesions detailed in case reports and case series were included. Twenty‐one cases were associated with HIV. Of 47 patients with reported paraproteinemias, IgA paraproteinemia was found in 57.45%, IgG paraproteinemia in 29.8%, IgM paraproteinemia in 10.6%, and IgD paraproteinemia in 2.1% of cases. Of 40 (30.1%) patients with reported comorbid autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis was associated with 10 cases. Cancer was found to be associated with 9.77% of cases. Seventy‐five patients were treated with dapsone, with 36 (48%) achieving complete treatment response, 24 (32%) achieving partial response, and seven (9.3%) achieving no response. Keeping the clinical associations of EED in mind, especially malignancy, is critical in management of the disease. More structured studies need to take place in order to fully define the mechanisms and strength of these associations.
How does labour share respond to risk? Theory and evidence from the Chinese industrial sector
Authors: ZOU Jingxian , SHEN Guangjun , JIA Shen 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis study discusses the role of firm risk in the declining labour share in China. Based on the model developed by Holmström and Milgrom (1987), the authors demonstrate that lower firm risk can motivate workers to work harder, leading to higher output per worker and average wage. However, increased output will lower the labour share. Using data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database for the period 1998–2007 and the World Bank's Investment Climate Survey 2005, empirical evidence supports this hypothesis and performs robustly across various model specifications and proxies for firm risk, indicating a positive correlation between labour share and firm risk.
A computational search for the zeta phase in the tantalum carbides
Authors: Weinberger Christopher R. , Thompson Gregory B. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractA systematic electronic structure density functional theory search for the zeta phase in the tantalum carbon system has been conducted, demonstrating that the zeta phase does indeed lie on the convex hull, establishing low‐temperature thermodynamic stability, and is structurally stable. Even though the zeta phase is most oft reported as a ζ‐Ta4C3‐x structure, these new computational results reveal that the perfectly ordered zeta phase occurs at the Ta3C2 composition and belongs to the C2/m space group. Furthermore, these results suggest that the space group may be a result of an order‐disorder transition and potential deviations from ideal stoichiometry at higher temperatures. The structure of this Ta3C2 compound can be described as ordered strings of carbon vacancies on a single carbon plane, which is also the preferred plane where additional carbon vacancies or interstitials form. These defects have modest formation energies, which provides further explanation for the small homogeneity range in zeta phase.
Social comparison processes in the experience of personal relative deprivation
Authors: Kim Hyunji , Callan Mitchell J. , Gheorghiu Ana I. , Skylark William J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDrawing on social comparison and equity theories, we investigated the role that perceived similarity of a comparison target plays in how resentful people feel about their relative financial status. In Study 1, participants tended to choose a comparison target who was better off, and they selected a target they perceived to be more similar than dissimilar along dimensions that surrounded their financial outcomes. In Study 1, perceived relative disadvantage was positively associated with resentment regardless of the perceived similarity of the comparison target. The results of Studies 2 to 5b clarified these findings by showing that being both similar and dissimilar to a target can cause resentment depending on the context. Using hypothetical and real social comparisons, we found that people are more dissatisfied with their financial outcomes when their comparative targets have the same background qualifications (i.e., are similar) but are financially better off (Studies 2, 3b, 4, and 5b). However, we also found that when the comparative financial contexts were similar (i.e., equal affluence), participants were more dissatisfied when their target for comparison had lower qualifications (i.e., was dissimilar; Studies 2, 3a, 4, and 5a). In all cases, perceptions of unfairness mediated the effects of social comparison on financial dissatisfaction. Taken together, these studies address some of the ambiguities around what it means to be similar to a target in the context of social comparisons of affluence, and they underscore the importance of perceived unfairness in the link between social comparison and resentment with one's financial status.
Weapons of peace: Providing alternative means for social change reduces political violence
Authors: Schumpe Birga M. , Bélanger Jocelyn J. , Giacomantonio Mauro , Nisa Claudia F. , Brizi Ambra 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe present research demonstrates how support for political violence can be reduced by providing peaceful alternatives to produce social change. In Study 1, participants watched a video documenting the activities of a violent activist group, and then either watched a video of a peaceful activist group supporting the same cause or a control video. Participants that watched the peaceful activist group reported less support for the violent activist group than participants in the control condition. Study 2 replicated and extended Study 1 by testing the underlying psychological mechanism. In line with goal systems theory, providing participants with a peaceful alternative to produce social change (vs. no alternative) reduced the perceived instrumentality of the violent group to further the ideological cause, leading to lower support for the violent group. Implications for anti‐violence campaigns are discussed.
Parthenolide and DMAPT induce cell death in primitive CML cells through reactive oxygen species
Authors: Flores‐Lopez Gabriela , Moreno‐Lorenzana Dafne , Ayala‐Sanchez Manuel , Aviles‐Vazquez Socrates , Torres‐Martinez Hector , Crooks Peter A. , Guzman Monica L. , Mayani Hector , Chávez‐González Antonieta 
Published: August 2018

AbstractTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have become a first‐line treatment for chronic myeloid leuakemia (CML). TKIs efficiently target bulk CML cells; however, they are unable to eliminate the leukaemic stem cell (LSC) population that causes resistance and relapse in CML patients. In this study, we assessed the effects of parthenolide (PTL) and dimethyl amino parthenolide (DMAPT), two potent inhibitors of LSCs in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), on CML bulk and CML primitive (CD34+lin−) cells. We found that both agents induced cell death in CML, while having little effect on the equivalent normal hematopoietic cells. PTL and DMAPT caused an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inhibited NF‐κB activation. PTL and DMAPT inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in G0 and G2 phases. Furthermore, we found cell cycle inhibition to correlate with down‐regulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin A. In summary, our study shows that PTL and DMAPT have a strong inhibitory effect on CML cells. Given that cell cycle arrest was not dependent on ROS induction, we speculate that this effect could be a direct consequence of NF‐κB inhibition and if this mechanism was to be evaded, PTL and DMAPT induced cell death would be potentiated.