bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The COMPlaints After Stroke (COMPAS) study: protocol for a Dutch cohort study on poststroke subjective cognitive complaints
Authors: van Rijsbergen Marielle W A , Mark Ruth E , de Kort Paul L M , Sitskoorn Margriet M 
Published: September 2013

BackgroundAlthough many studies have assessed poststroke objective cognitive impairment, only a few have evaluated patients’ subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). Although these SCC are found to be common in the early and chronic phases after stroke, knowledge about their risk factors, course over time, differences with healthy controls and their diagnostic relevance is limited. The aim of the COMPlaints After Stroke (COMPAS) study is therefore to determine the possible risk factors, prognosis, time course and predictive value of SCC in the first 2 years after stroke.Methods and designA prospective cohort study is conducted in which patients are compared to non-stroke controls at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after stroke. Approximately 300 patients are recruited from the stroke units of three hospitals in the Netherlands, while 300 controls are sought among the relatives (spouses excluded) and social networks of participants. A wide range of subjective and objective variables is assessed in both groups using interviews, questionnaires and neuropsychological assessment. The primary outcomes include SCC and objective cognitive impairment, whereas secondary outcomes are quality of life, subjective recovery and daily life functioning.Ethics and disseminationThe study is being carried out in agreement with the Declaration of Helsinki and the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act. The protocol has been approved by the medical ethics committees of the participating centres and all participants give written informed consent. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to the medical society and general public.DiscussionThe COMPAS study is the first to systematically evaluate poststroke SCC in a prospective longitudinal design, taking a wide range of subjective and objective variables into account. The results obtained can be used to accurately inform patients and their families, as well as to develop patient-tailored intervention programmes to ultimately improve stroke patient care.
Phase I pilot clinical trial of antenatal maternally administered melatonin to decrease the level of oxidative stress in human pregnancies affected by pre-eclampsia (PAMPR): study protocol
Authors: Hobson Sebastian R , Lim Rebecca , Gardiner Elizabeth E , Alers Nicole O , Wallace Euan M 
Published: September 2013

IntroductionPre-eclampsia is a common pregnancy condition affecting between 3% and 7% of women. Unfortunately, the exact pathophysiology of the disease is unknown and as such there are no effective treatments that exist notwithstanding prompt delivery of the fetus and culprit placenta. As many cases of pre-eclampsia occur in preterm pregnancies, it remains a significant cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Recently, in vitro and animal studies have highlighted the potential role of antioxidants in mitigating the effects of the disease. Melatonin is a naturally occurring antioxidant hormone and provides an excellent safety profile combined with ease of oral administration. We present the protocol for a phase I pilot clinical trial investigating the efficacy and side effects of maternal treatment with oral melatonin in pregnancies affected by preterm pre-eclampsia.Methods and analysisWe propose undertaking a single-arm open label clinical trial recruiting 20 women with preterm pre-eclampsia (24+0–35+6weeks). We will take baseline measurements of maternal and fetal well-being, levels of oxidative stress, ultrasound Doppler studies and other biomarkers of pre-eclampsia. Women will then be given oral melatonin (10 mg) three times daily until delivery. The primary outcome will be time interval between diagnosis and delivery compared to historical controls. Secondary outcomes will compare the baseline measurements previously mentioned with twice-weekly measurements during treatment and then 6 weeks postpartum.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from Monash Health Human Research Ethics Committee B (HREC 13076B). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberACTRN12613000476730 (ANZCTR).
Serologic Autoantibodies as Diagnostic Cancer Biomarkers—A Review
Authors: Zaenker Pauline , Ziman Melanie R. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Current diagnostic techniques used for the early detection of cancers are successful but subject to detection bias. A recent focus lies in the development of more accurate diagnostic tools. An increase in serologic autoantibody levels has been shown to precede the development of cancer disease symptoms. Therefore, autoantibody levels in patient blood serum have been proposed as diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage diagnosis of cancers. Their clinical application has, however, been hindered by low sensitivity, specificity, and low predictive value scores. These scores have been shown to improve when panels of multiple diagnostic autoantibody biomarkers are used. A five-marker biomarker panel has been shown to increase the sensitivity of prostate cancer diagnosis to 95% as compared with 12.2% for prostate-specific antigen alone. New potential biomarker panels were also discovered for lung, colon, and stomach cancer diagnosis with sensitivity of 76%, 65.4%, and 50.8%, respectively. Studies in breast and liver cancer, however, seem to favor single markers, namely α-2-HS-glycoprotein and des-γ-carboxyprothrombin with sensitivities of 79% and 89% for the early detection of the cancers. The aim of this review is to discuss the relevance of autoantibodies in cancer diagnosis and to outline the current methodologies used in the detection of autoantibodies. The review concludes with a discussion of the autoantibodies currently used in the diagnosis of cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, colon, stomach, and liver. A discussion of the potential future use of autoantibodies as diagnostic cancer biomarkers is also included in this review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(12); 2161–81. ©2013 AACR.
Margin-Infiltrating CD20+ B Cells Display an Atypical Memory Phenotype and Correlate with Favorable Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Shi Jie-Yi , Gao Qiang , Wang Zhi-Chao , Zhou Jian , Wang Xiao-Ying , Min Zhi-Hui , Shi Ying-Hong , Shi Guo-Ming , Ding Zhen-Bin , Ke Ai-Wu , Dai Zhi , Qiu Shuang-Jian , Song Kang , Fan Jia 
Published: September 2013

AbstractPurpose: The role of infiltrating B cells in hepatocellular carcinoma has been overlooked for many years. This study is aimed to delineate the distribution, prognostic value, and functional status of B cells in human hepatocellular carcinoma.Experimental design: Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the distribution and clinical significance of infiltrating CD20+ B cells in a series of 120 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The results were further tested in an independent series of 200 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The functional status of CD20+ B cells was determined by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and in vitro coculture assay.Results: Infiltrating CD20+ B cells were predominantly concentrated in the tumor invasive margin, compared with the peri- and intratumor areas. High density of margin-infiltrating B lymphocytes (MIL-B) positively correlated with small tumor size, absence of vascular invasion, and increased density of CD8+ T cells (P &lt; 0.05). Survival analyses revealed that increased number of MIL-Bs and their penetration through the tumor capsule were significantly associated with improved overall and recurrence-free survival, and were identified as independent prognosticators for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (P &lt; 0.05). Importantly, the results were further validated in another independent hepatocellular carcinoma cohort. Moreover, we found that MIL-Bs featured an atypical memory phenotype (IgD−IgG+CD27−CD38−), expressed surface markers characteristic of antigen-presenting cells, possessed tumor-killing potential by producing IFN-γ, interleukin 12p40 (IL-12p40), granzyme B, and TRAIL, and acted in cooperation with CD8+ T cells.Conclusions: The profile of CD20+ B cells in situ is a new predictor of prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and provides a novel target for an optimal immunotherapy against this fatal malignancy. Clin Cancer Res; 19(21); 5994–6005. ©2013 AACR.
mTOR Inhibition Improves Antitumor Effects of Vaccination with Antigen-Encoding RNA
Authors: Diken Mustafa , Kreiter Sebastian , Vascotto Fulvia , Selmi Abderraouf , Attig Sebastian , Diekmann Jan , Huber Christoph , Türeci Özlem , Sahin Ugur 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Vaccination with in vitro transcribed RNA encoding tumor antigens is an emerging approach in cancer immunotherapy. Attempting to further improve RNA vaccine efficacy, we have explored combining RNA with immunomodulators such as rapamycin. Rapamycin, the inhibitor of mTOR, was used originally for immunosuppression. Recent reports in mouse systems, however, suggest that mTOR inhibition may enhance the formation and differentiation of the memory CD8+ T-cell pool. Because memory T-cell formation is critical to the outcome of vaccination aproaches, we studied the impact of rapamycin on the in vivo primed RNA vaccine-induced immune response using the chicken ovalbumin-expressing B16 melanoma model in C57BL/6 mice. Our data show that treatment with rapamycin at the effector-to-memory transition phase skews the vaccine-induced immune response toward the formation of a quantitatively and qualitatively superior memory pool and results in a better recall response. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells from these mice display a favorable ratio of effector versus suppressor cell populations. Survival of mice treated with the combined regimen of RNA vaccination with rapamycin is significantly longer (91.5 days) than that in the control groups receiving only one of these compounds (32 and 46 days, respectively). Our findings indicate that rapamycin enhances therapeutic efficacy of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells induced by RNA vaccination, and we propose further clinical exploration of rapamycin as a component of immunotherapeutic regimens. Cancer Immunol Res; 1(6); 386–92. ©2013 AACR.
Assessment and Prognostic Relevance of Right Ventricular Contractile Reserve in Patients With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Grünig Ekkehard , Tiede Henning , Enyimayew Esi Otuwa , Ehlken Nicola , Seyfarth Hans-Jürgen , Bossone Eduardo , D’Andrea Antonello , Naeije Robert , Olschewski Horst , Ulrich Silvia , Nagel Christian , Halank Michael , Fischer Christine 
Published: September 2013

Background—
This study sought to analyze a new approach to assess exercise-induced pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) increase by means of stress Doppler echocardiography as a possible measure of right ventricular contractile reserve in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure.

Methods and Results—

In this prospective study, patients with invasively diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension or inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and impaired right ventricular pump function despite a stable targeted pulmonary arterial hypertension medication underwent a broad panel of noninvasive assessments, including stress echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. On the basis of the assumption that exercise-induced PASP is a measure of right ventricular contractile reserve, patients were classified into 2 groups according to an exercise-induced PASP increase above or below the median. Patients were followed up for 3.0±1.8 years. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used for factors predicting survival. Of 124 patients, 66 were below the median exercise-induced PASP increase of 30 mm Hg (low PASP), and 58 patients were above the median (high PASP). These groups were not significantly different in terms of medication and resting hemodynamics. Low PASP was associated with a significantly lower 6-minute walking distance, peak

o
2
per kilogram, and 1-, 3-, and 4-year survival rates (92%, 69%, and 48%, respectively, versus 96%, 92%, and 89%). In the multivariate Cox model analysis adjusted for age and sex, PASP increase during exercise and peak

o
2
per kilogram remained independent prognostic markers (hazard ratio, 2.56 for peak

o
2
per kilogram and 2.84 for PASP increase).

Conclusions—
Exercise-induced PASP increase is of high clinical and prognostic relevance in pulmonary hypertension patients and may indicate right ventricular contractile reserve. Stress Doppler echocardiography may be a useful tool for prognostic assessment in pulmonary hypertension patients.
Right Ventricular Diastolic Impairment in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Rain Silvia , Handoko M. Louis , Trip Pia , Gan C. Tji-Joong , Westerhof Nico , Stienen Ger J. , Paulus Walter J. , Ottenheijm Coen A.C. , Marcus J. Tim , Dorfmüller Peter , Guignabert Christophe , Humbert Marc , MacDonald Peter , dos Remedios Cris , Postmus Piet E. , Saripalli Chandra , Hidalgo Carlos G. , Granzier Henk L. , Vonk-Noordegraaf Anton , van der Velden Jolanda , de Man Frances S. 
Published: September 2013

Background—
The role of right ventricular (RV) diastolic stiffness in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is not well established. Therefore, we investigated the presence and possible underlying mechanisms of RV diastolic stiffness in PAH patients.

Methods and Results—

Single-beat RV pressure-volume analyses were performed in 21 PAH patients and 7 control subjects to study RV diastolic stiffness. Data are presented as mean±SEM. RV diastolic stiffness (β) was significantly increased in PAH patients (PAH, 0.050±0.005 versus control, 0.029±0.003;
P
<0.05) and was closely associated with disease severity. Subsequently, we searched for possible underlying mechanisms using RV tissue of PAH patients undergoing heart/lung transplantation and nonfailing donors. Histological analyses revealed increased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional areas (PAH, 453±31 μm
2
versus control, 218±21 μm
2
;
P
<0.001), indicating RV hypertrophy. In addition, the amount of RV fibrosis was enhanced in PAH tissue (PAH, 9.6±0.7% versus control, 7.2±0.6%;
P
<0.01). To investigate the contribution of stiffening of the sarcomere (the contractile apparatus of RV cardiomyocytes) to RV diastolic stiffness, we isolated and membrane-permeabilized single RV cardiomyocytes. Passive tension at different sarcomere lengths was significantly higher in PAH patients compared with control subjects (>200%;
P
interaction
<0.001), indicating stiffening of RV sarcomeres. An important regulator of sarcomeric stiffening is the sarcomeric protein titin. Therefore, we investigated titin isoform composition and phosphorylation. No alterations were observed in titin isoform composition (N2BA/N2B ratio: PAH, 0.78±0.07 versus control, 0.91±0.08), but titin phosphorylation in RV tissue of PAH patients was significantly reduced (PAH, 0.16±0.01 arbitrary units versus control, 0.20±0.01 arbitrary units;
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—
RV diastolic stiffness is significantly increased in PAH patients, with important contributions from increased collagen and intrinsic stiffening of the RV cardiomyocyte sarcomeres.
Sultan, Scholar, and Sufi: Authority and Power Relations in al-Suyūṭī’s Fatwā on Waqf
Authors: Skreslet Hernandez Rebecca 
Published: September 2013

This essay examines a legal opinion (fatwā) by the accomplished fifteenth-century polymath, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 911/1505). In his treatise, the author investigates the issue of whose stipend should be given priority in endowed institutions that receive funding from the state Treasury in times of financial crisis. He argues that the scholar should have priority in deference to his learning, even if he does not fulfill the obligations stipulated in the endowment. I argue that al-Suyūṭī’s fatwā, viewed within the context of personal conflicts in his own life, reveals much about the jurist’s efforts to assert moral and persuasive authority, as well as about larger struggles between different sectors of late Mamluk society. Both in his writing and in practice, al-Suyūṭī defends the role of the righteous scholar against the worldly power of the state and against the corruption of the Sufi students under his supervision.
Authoritarian Party Systems: Patterns of Emergence, Sustainability and Survival
Authors: Golosov Grigorii V. 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
This article compares competitive authoritarian, one-party authoritarian, and democratic party systems on three parameters: likelihood to emerge, sustainability and durability. By applying a variety of statistical techniques to a comprehensive dataset on post-World War II elections, this study shows that under competitive authoritarianism, elections are less likely to be party-structured than in democracies, and that competitive authoritarian party systems are markedly less sustainable and durable than systems in the other categories, especially in democracies. These findings are in accordance with the theory according to which competitive authoritarian institutions are epiphenomena, reflecting the distribution of power in the polity but not shaping it. Their emergence and survival are consequences rather than causes of the stability and success of contemporary autocracies.
Economic Openness and Domestic Demand for Social Protection: A Multi-Level Analysis of Social Security Preferences between 1990 and 2006
Authors: Dallinger Ursula 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
Comparative research revealed that social programs did not suffer significant decline despite globalisation and stiffer international competition. Instead, a striking stability of social expenditure is observed which is explained by voters’ demands for social protection because of new uncertainties connected to economic openness. The domestic demand approach conceives the welfare state as a means to compensate for the risks a globalised economy puts on citizens’ job security, and as a means to foster the acceptance of an open economy. Given the prominence of these assumptions little research has been conducted to test them. Does economic openness actually increase unemployment and feelings of job insecurity? Does this in turn lead to a higher voter demand for social security? This paper analyses the propositions of domestic demand approaches based on a data set comprised of waves of the module “Role of Government” from the International Social Survey Programme (1990, 1996 and 2006) and additional country-level features. The results show that economic openness has a negative effect when other insecurity-causing trends are controlled. Also subjective job insecurity instead of the projected positive effect rather shows a negative relation. Social security demand decreases the more job insecurity people perceive. This is interpreted as a consequence of the fear of those still employed that voting for more expenditures would endanger existing jobs. Moreover, the hypothesis that economic openness now spreads economic risks and feelings of insecurity over a broader social strata rather than remaining mired at the low end of the social spectrum is not confirmed.
Cross-National Variation in Socioeconomic Status and Delinquency: A Comparative Study of Adolescents from 26 European Countries
Authors: Savolainen Jukka , Savolainen Jukka , Hughes Lorine A. , Savolainen Jukka , Hughes Lorine A. , Bjarnason Thoroddur 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
This research examined cross-national differences in the association between social class and delinquency. The poverty hypothesis expects socioeconomic disadvantage to exert a causal influence on delinquent behavior. This expectation implies that the individual-level association between family SES and delinquent offending will be attenuated at increased levels of collective social protection. The social selection perspective also assumes a negative relationship between SES and delinquency but explains it away as a spurious consequence of intergenerational transmission of antisocial propensity. In light of comparative research on social stratification, the selection perspective suggests that the association between low parental SES and offspring criminality may be stronger in advanced welfare states due to reduced influence of ascribed characteristics on socioeconomic attainment in these countries. Survey data from 26 European countries (n=78,703) were used to evaluate the validity of these conflicting hypotheses. In support of the selection perspective, results showed that class differences in delinquent offending are larger in more advanced welfare states.
Beyond Anti-Corruptionism: Sociological Imagination and Comparative Study of Corruption
Authors: Zaloznaya Marina 
Published: September 2013

Abstract
This article outlines and illustrates a theoretical blueprint for comparative sociology of corruption. The author argues that existing cross-national studies of corruption, influenced by the global political movement for transparency, undermine fundamental sociological principles. At the same time, truly sociological studies of corruption are unfavorable to comparisons due to their emphasis on the singularity of exchange economies in non-Western societies. The author argues that there are three analytical foci that can help researchers resolve the tension between ‘insensitive’ large-N and ‘overly-sensitive’ small-N studies of corruption: the principle of social embeddedness, multiplicity of rationality, and localized power implications. A comparative study of university corruption in Post-Soviet Ukraine and Belarus is used to illustrate the strengths of the proposed analytical framework.
Delta insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (ΔIGFBP-1): a marker of hepatic insulin resistance?
Authors: Borai Anwar , Livingstone Callum , Heald Adrian H , Oyindamola Yusuf , Ferns Gordon 
Published: September 2013

Background Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is a hepatically synthesised protein which can be used as a marker of insulin resistance. We hypothesised that the fall in serum IGFBP-1 at 2 h following a glucose load ( ΔIGFBP-10–2h) would be a more robust measure of hepatic insulin resistance than a fasting level alone. Methods All subjects had a standard 75 g oral GTT including IGFBP-1 and insulin measurement to enable calculation of ΔIGFBP-10–2h, ΔInsulin0–2h, and insulin sensitivity indices. At a second visit, subjects had a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT) in order to determine the insulin sensitivity index, Si. Results Twenty-two individuals had normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 9 impaired fasting glucose (IFG). ΔIGFBP-10–2h correlated with Si in total subjects ( r = 0.49, p = 0.005) and NGT subjects ( r = 0.50, p = 0.02) but not in IFG subjects ( r = 0.43, p = 0.24). ΔInsulin0–2h/ ΔIGFBP-10–2h correlated significantly with Si in total subjects ( r = −0.68, p < 0.001) and in NGT subjects ( r = −0.57, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis was fitted using different models while keeping other explanatory variables constant. The fasting IGFBP-1 model was a better predictor of Si ( β = 0.431, p < 0.0001) than the ΔInsulin0–2h/ ΔIGFBP10–2h model ( β = −0.185, p = 0.004). Conclusions The dynamic indices ΔIGFBP-10–2h and ΔInsulin0–2h/ ΔIGFBP-10–2h appear suitable markers of (hepatic) insulin resistance with potential clinical utility.