bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Positive HBcAb is associated with higher risk of early recurrence and poorer survival after curative resection of HBV‐related HCC
Authors: Li Tao , Wang Shu‐Kang , Zhou Jian , Sun Hui‐Chuan , Qiu Shuang‐Jian , Ye Qing‐Hai , Wang Lu , Fan Jia 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBackground & AimsPrevious studies predicted the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mainly based on tumour‐related factors, whereas the impacts of hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related factors are usually ignored. The objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the prognostic role of hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) on post‐operative survival and recurrence of HCC.MethodsA retrospective analysis of 3388 HBsAg positive (HBV‐related) HCC patients treated by curative resection was performed. Multivariate analysis of independent prognostic factors was performed by Cox proportional hazards regression model.ResultsHBcAb positivity was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence‐free survival (RFS) of HBV‐related patients (P < 0.001, HR: 1.723, 95% CI: 1.278–2.324), and the 1‐, 3‐, 5‐year RFS rates for HBcAb‐negative patients were significantly better than those of HBcAb‐positive patients (92.5%, 72.1% and 65.9% vs 77.9%, 58.6% and 46.9%, P < 0.001). HBcAb‐positive HCC was much bigger (P = 0.006), more often involved with vascular invasion (P = 0.001), elevated AFP (P = 0.001) and ALT (P = 0.046) levels, but less often involved with capsule formation (P = 0.034). Besides vascular invasion, tumour size, interferon‐α treatment, AFP and GGT level, HBcAb positivity was an independent prognostic factor for early intrahepatic recurrence of HBV‐related patients (P = 0.025, HR: 1.766, 95% CI: 1.073–2.907) and the majority of HBcAb‐positive recurrence were early recurrence while most of HBcAb‐negative recurrence were late recurrence (P = 0.004).ConclusionPositive HBcAb may represent a more invasive phenotype of HBV‐related HCC, and is associated with a higher risk of early intrahepatic recurrence and poorer RFS of HBV‐related patients after curative resection.
Acyl acceptor recognition by Enterococcus faeciuml,d‐transpeptidase Ldtfm
Authors: Triboulet Sébastien , Bougault Catherine M. , Laguri Cédric , Hugonnet Jean‐Emmanuel , Arthur Michel , Simorre Jean‐Pierre 
Published: June 2015

SummaryIn Mycobacterium tuberculosis and ampicillin‐resistant mutants of Enterococcus faecium, the classical target of β‐lactam antibiotics is bypassed by l,d‐transpeptidases that form unusual 3 → 3 peptidoglycan cross‐links. β‐lactams of the carbapenem class, such as ertapenem, are mimics of the acyl donor substrate and inactivate l,d‐transpeptidases by acylation of their catalytic cysteine. We have blocked the acyl donor site of E. faecium l,d‐transpeptidase Ldtfm by ertapenem and identified the acyl acceptor site based on analyses of chemical shift perturbations induced by binding of peptidoglycan fragments to the resulting acylenzyme. An nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)‐driven docking structure of the complex revealed key hydrogen interactions between the acyl acceptor and Ldtfm that were evaluated by site‐directed mutagenesis and development of a cross‐linking assay. Three residues are reported as critical for stabilisation of the acceptor in the Ldtfm active site and proper orientation of the nucleophilic nitrogen for the attack of the acylenzyme carbonyl. Identification of the catalytic pocket dedicated to the acceptor substrate opens new perspectives for the design of inhibitors with an original mode of action that could act alone or in synergy with β‐lactams.
Reaching across: institutional barriers to cross‐ethnic parties in post‐conflict societies and the case of Northern Ireland
Authors: Murtagh Cera 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis paper investigates the paradox in post‐conflict societies of continued marginality of cross‐ethnic parties despite significant convergence in public attitudes and identities. In so doing, it examines the argument that parties that attempt to reach across the divide are constrained by consocational institutions designed to accommodate rival identities in such environments. The paper explores this puzzle in the context of Northern Ireland, drawing upon qualitative evidence from elite interviews and focus groups collected in 2012 and 2013. It concludes that cross‐community parties operating in the region do encounter formal institutional barriers, but that such barriers only partially explain the phenomenon and an interplay between formal and informal constraints underlies their position of relatively limited electoral success.
Biblical beliefs in the shaping of modern nations
Authors: Smith Anthony D. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe ideology and culture of modern nations and nationalism have been profoundly influenced by two traditions that reach back into the ancient world, the biblical and the classical. Here, the focus is on the particular contribution of theHebrewBible to the political ideals of modern nationhood. ModernWestern nations, unlike non‐Western and ancient nations, are distinguished by their quest for territorial integrity and sovereignty, citizenship, legal standardisation, cultural homogeneity and secular education, while modern nationalismis a pro‐active, ideological movement that seeks to ‘build’ autonomous, unified, distinctive and ‘authentic’ nations out of ethnic populations deemed by some members to constitute actual or potential ‘nations’. While modernEuropean nations emerged out of the matrix ofChristianity, asAdrianHastings argued, it was the political model and ideals of community found in theHebrewBible, whichChristianity adopted (while rejecting theJews) and which theNewTestament lacked, that so often provided the dynamic of modern nationalism and the values of modernWestern nations. Chief among these were thePentateuchal and prophetic narratives ofExodus,Covenant,Community ofLaw (Torah), the holiness of a ‘chosen people’, the messianic role of sacred kingship and the dream of fulfilment in thePromisedLand. These ideals did not fully come into their own until theReformation. In this period, state elites expressed growing national sentiments and biblical texts were being rendered into the vernacular, while a more rigorous biblical form of ‘covenantal nationalism’ emerged in early modernNetherlands,Scotland andEngland, taking the narrative of the deliverance of theIsraelites as its starting point. In the eighteenth‐centuryEnlightenment, the novel cults of ‘Nature’, ‘Authenticity’ and ‘HumanPerfectibility’ secured an opening for neo‐classical political ideas in the formation of nations. But it was the biblical ideals of liberation, Covenant, election and promised land that provided the basic model of the modern nation and nationalism inEurope, from theFrenchRevolution, andGerman andEastEuropean nationalisms to theHebraicProtestant nationalism ofVictorianBritain. To a large extent, the modern age owes to theJewishBible its fundamental vision of a world divided into distinctive and sovereign territorial nations.
The Experience Sampling Method ‐ a new digital tool for momentary symptom assessment in IBS: an exploratory study
Authors: Mujagic Z. , Leue C. , Vork L. , Lousberg R. , Jonkers D. M. A. E. , Keszthelyi D. , Hesselink M. A. , van Schagen T. J. C. , van Os J. , Masclee A. A. M. , Kruimel J. W. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractBackgroundRetrospective questionnaires are frequently used for symptom assessment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, but are influenced by recall bias and circumstantial and psychological factors. These limitations may be overcome by random, repeated, momentary assessment during the day, using electronic Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM). Therefore, we compared symptom assessment by ESM to retrospective paper questionnaires in IBS patients.MethodsTwenty‐six IBS patients (Rome III) were included, of which 16 were diagnosed with panic disorder (DSM‐IV‐TR). Patients scored symptoms using end‐of‐day diaries during 14 days and the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) once. ESM was used on seven consecutive days during the same time period.Key ResultsEnd‐of‐day diary abdominal pain scores were 0.4 (SE 0.1, p < 0.001) point higher (on a 1‐to‐5‐point scale) compared to corresponding ESM mean‐scores in IBS patients. The difference was even more pronounced for upper abdominal pain scores assessed by the GSRS (4.77 ± 1.50) compared to ESM mean‐scores (2.44 ± 1.30, p < 0.001), both on 1‐to‐7‐point scale. For flatulence, comparable results were found. Nausea and belching scores showed small, but significant differences between end‐of‐day diary and ESM. All tested symptoms were scored higher on GSRS compared to ESM mean‐scores (p < 0.01). Affective comorbidity did not influence differences in pain reporting between methods.Conclusions & InferencesIBS patients report higher scores for abdominal pain in retrospective questionnaires compared to ESM, with a tendency to report peak rather than average pain scores. ESM can provide more insight in symptom course and potential triggers, and may lead to a better understanding of IBS symptomatology.
Two serine residues in Pseudomonas syringae effector HopZ1a are required for acetyltransferase activity and association with the host co‐factor
Authors: Ma Ka‐Wai , Jiang Shushu , Hawara Eva , Lee DongHyuk , Pan Songqin , Coaker Gitta , Song Jikui , Ma Wenbo 
Published: June 2015

Summary

Gram‐negative bacteria inject type III secreted effectors (T3SEs) into host cells to manipulate the immune response. The YopJ family effector HopZ1a produced by the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae possesses acetyltransferase activity and acetylates plant proteins to facilitate infection.

Using mass spectrometry, we identified a threonine residue, T346, as the main autoacetylation site of HopZ1a. Two neighboring serine residues, S349 and S351, are required for the acetyltransferase activity of HopZ1a in vitro and are indispensable for the virulence function of HopZ1a in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we observed a conformational change of HopZ1a in the presence of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), which acts as a eukaryotic co‐factor and significantly enhances the acetyltransferase activity of several YopJ family effectors. S349 and S351 are required for IP6‐binding‐mediated conformational change of HopZ1a.

S349 and S351 are located in a conserved region in the C‐terminal domain of YopJ family effectors. Mutations of the corresponding serine(s) in two other effectors, HopZ3 of P. syringae and PopP2 of Ralstonia solanacerum, also abolished their acetyltransferase activity. These results suggest that, in addition to the highly conserved catalytic residues, YopJ family effectors also require conserved serine(s) in the C‐terminal domain for their enzymatic activity.
ECONOMICALLY OPTIMAL MARINE RESERVES WITHOUT SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY IN A SIMPLE TWO‐PATCH MODEL
Authors: MOELLER HOLLY V. , NEUBERT MICHAEL G. 
Published: June 2015

ABSTRACTBioeconomic analyses of spatial fishery models have established that marine reserves can be economically optimal (i.e., maximize sustainable profit) when there is some type of spatial heterogeneity in the system. Analyses of spatially continuous models and models with more than two discrete patches have also demonstrated that marine reserves can be economically optimal even when the system is spatially homogeneous. In this note we analyze a spatially homogeneous two‐patch model and show that marine reserves can be economically optimal in this case as well. The model we study includes the possibility that fishing can damage habitat. In this model, marine reserves are necessary to maximize sustainable profit when dispersal between the patches is sufficiently high and habitat is especially vulnerable to damage.
Can electricity consumption be useful in predicting Nigerian economic growth? Evidence from error correction model
Authors: Adedokun Adebayo 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis paper investigatesGranger causality between electricity consumption andNigerian realGDP, usingVectorErrorCorrection (VEC)GrangerCausality/BlockExogeneityWaldTest. The empirical result supports long run bidirectional relationship, which means that electricity consumption predicts economic growth and vice versa in the country, though causality from electricity consumption to economic growth is stronger. This finding is evidence in support of the country's electricity deregulation and reform programme, which is a core component of various projects towards the realisation ofTransformationAgenda (TA) andVision 20: 2020, in whichNigeria aims to become one of the 20 largest economies by the year 2020.
Is it possible to make a diagnosis of raw, heated, and baked egg allergy in children using cutoffs? A systematic review
Authors: Calvani Mauro , Arasi Stefania , Bianchi Annamaria , Caimmi Davide , Cuomo Barbara , Dondi Arianna , Indirli Giovanni Cosimo , La Grutta Stefania , Panetta Valentina , Verga Maria Carmen 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe diagnosis of IgE‐mediated egg allergy lies both on a compatible clinical history and on the results of skin prick tests (SPTs) and IgEs levels. Both tests have good sensitivity but low specificity. For this reason, oral food challenge (OFC) is the ultimate gold standard for the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature in order to identify, analyze, and synthesize the predictive value of SPT and specific IgEs both to egg white and to main egg allergens and to review the cutoffs suggested in the literature. A total of 37 articles were included in this systematic review. Studies were grouped according to the degree of cooking of the egg used for OFC, age, and type of allergen used to perform the allergy workup. In children <2 years, raw egg allergy seems very likely when SPTs with egg white extract are ≥4 mm or specific IgEs are ≥1.7 kUA/l. In children ≥2 years, OFC could be avoided when SPTs with egg white extract are ≥10 mm or prick by prick with egg white is ≥14 mm or specific IgE is ≥7.3 kUA/l. Likewise, heated egg allergy can be diagnosed if SPTs with egg white extract are >5 and >11 mm in children <2 and ≥2 years, respectively. Further and better‐designed studies are needed to determine the remaining diagnostic cutoff of specific IgE and SPT for heated and baked egg allergy.
Sexually transmitted infections in pediatric renal transplant recipients: Time to take notice!
Authors: Ashoor Isa , Aviles Diego , Pasternak Ryan , Vehaskari Vesa M. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWe sought to assess the prevalence of STIs, contraception use, and unintentional pregnancy in our pediatric renal transplant recipients. We performed a retrospective chart review. Forty‐nine of 65 patients in our program are currently in the high‐risk age window of 13 yr or older (34 men, 15 women; mean age 17 yr old, range 13–23 yr old). There was a disproportionate difference in sexual behavior among the men and women, such that while only 15% of the men reported being sexually active, 53% of the women were sexually active. Among high‐risk age‐group women, 40% were on hormonal contraception. This increased to 75% in sexually active women. There were no cases of unintentional pregnancy. Thirty percent of sexually active recipients had at least one STI. This was higher among sexually active women (37.5%) compared to men (20%). STIs identified included gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis/cervicitis, Trichomonas vaginitis, HSV‐2 genital sores, pelvic inflammatory disease, and HIV. In conclusion, STIs are a realistic public health concern in our pediatric renal transplant recipients. Consensus guidelines on STI screening and reproductive health counseling are needed to address this understudied problem.
Clinical Role of Human Leukocyte Antigen in Health and Disease
Authors: Mosaad Y. M. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractMost of the genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region express high polymorphism that is fundamental for their function. The most important function of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecule is in the induction, regulation of immune responses and the selection of the T cell repertoire. A clinician's attention is normally drawn to a system only when it malfunctions. The HLA system is no exception in this regard, but in contrast to other systems, it also arouses interest when it functions well – too well, in fact. Population studies carried out over the last several decades have identified a long list of human diseases that are significantly more common among individuals that carry particular HLA alleles including inflammatory, autoimmune and malignant disorders. HLA‐disease association is the name of this phenomenon, and the mechanism underlying is still a subject of hot debate. Social behaviours are affected by HLA genes and preference for HLA disparate mates may provide ‘good genes’ for an individual's offspring. Also, certain HLA genes may be associated with shorter life and others with longer lifespan, but the effects depend both on the genetic background and on the environmental conditions. The following is a general overview of the important functional aspects of HLA in health and diseases.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – A Disease with A Dysregulated Type I Interferon System
Authors: Hagberg N. , Rönnblom L. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the loss of tolerance to nuclear antigens, immune complex formation and inflammation in multiple organs. The disease is very heterogeneous, and most clinicians consider SLE as a group of diseases with similar features where the pathogenesis is driven by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. One of the most prominent features, shared by the majority of patients with SLE, is a continuous activation of the type I interferon (IFN) system, which manifests as increased serum levels of IFNα and/or an increased expression of type I IFN‐induced genes, a so‐called type I IFN signature. The mechanisms behind this IFN signature have partly been clarified during recent years, although the exact function of the IFN‐regulated genes in the disease process is unclear. In this review, we will describe the type I IFN system and its regulation and summarize the numerous findings implicating an important ethiopathogenic role of a dysregulated type I IFN system in SLE. Furthermore, strategies to therapeutically target the type I IFN system that are currently evaluated preclinically and in clinical trials will be mentioned.
Nanoscale alterations of corneocytes indicate skin disease
Authors: Franz J. , Beutel M. , Gevers K. , Kramer A. , Thyssen J. P. , Kezic S. , Riethmüller C. 
Published: June 2015

BackgroundThe skin barrier protects the organism against exogenous stressors and simultaneously prevents excessive water loss. While the delicate regulation of skin barrier is not completely understood, morphological and histological evaluation remain key features of clinical investigations. Here, we extended the phenotypic perspective down to the nanoscale.MethodsCorneocyte samples were obtained non‐invasively by a standard tape stripping procedure from 21 indviduals. Scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microcopy (AFM) were used to record nanoscale topography. Circular nano‐objects were identified and these were quantitated through computer vision.ResultsTypical dimensions of 273 nm height and 305 nm width. We showed that their density does not correlate to age or pigmentation in healthy subjects, but that they were clearly elevated in corneocytes from patients with atopic dermatitis, a common inflammatory skin condition.ConclusionThe presence of these corneocyte‐nanostructures might be used as a diagnostic parameter for skin disorders ‐ even in cases below a clinical threshold.
The Impact of Exporting and Importing Goods and Services on Productivity in the UK
Authors: Harris Richard , Moffat John 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of exporting and importing on productivity for UK plants using a combination of regression and propensity score matching. Unlike earlier papers, the data allows us to distinguish the effects of trade in goods and services. In confirmation of the results from other countries, we find that plants that both export and import have higher productivity than plants that only do one of these activities. In manufacturing, this is the case regardless of whether the trade is in goods or services (which suggests that servitisation of manufacturing is beneficial).In services, the results are more mixed and the benefits from involvement in international goods networks that are seen in manufacturing do not occur to the same extent (however, for the wholesale and retail sectors, trade in both goods and services is generally productivity enhancing).
Internal respiratory surrogate in multislice 4D CT using a combination of Fourier transform and anatomical features
Authors: Hui Cheukkai , Suh Yelin , Robertson Daniel , Pan Tinsu , Das Prajnan , Crane Christopher H. , Beddar Sam 
Published: June 2015

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to develop a novel algorithm to create a robust internal respiratory signal (IRS) for retrospective sorting of four‐dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) images.Methods:The proposed algorithm combines information from the Fourier transform of the CT images and from internal anatomical features to form the IRS. The algorithm first extracts potential respiratory signals from low‐frequency components in the Fourier space and selected anatomical features in the image space. A clustering algorithm then constructs groups of potential respiratory signals with similar temporal oscillation patterns. The clustered group with the largest number of similar signals is chosen to form the final IRS. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, the IRS was computed and compared with the external respiratory signal from the real‐time position management (RPM) system on 80 patients.Results:In 72 (90%) of the 4D CT data sets tested, the IRS computed by the authors’ proposed algorithm matched with the RPM signal based on their normalized cross correlation. For these data sets with matching respiratory signals, the average difference between the end inspiration times (Δtins) in the IRS and RPM signal was 0.11 s, and only 2.1% of Δtins were more than 0.5 s apart. In the eight (10%) 4D CT data sets in which the IRS and the RPM signal did not match, the average Δtins was 0.73 s in the nonmatching couch positions, and 35.4% of them had a Δtins greater than 0.5 s. At couch positions in which IRS did not match the RPM signal, a correlation‐based metric indicated poorer matching of neighboring couch positions in the RPM‐sorted images. This implied that, when IRS did not match the RPM signal, the images sorted using the IRS showed fewer artifacts than the clinical images sorted using the RPM signal.Conclusions:The authors’ proposed algorithm can generate robust IRSs that can be used for retrospective sorting of 4D CT data. The algorithm is completely automatic and requires very little processing time. The algorithm is cost efficient and can be easily adopted for everyday clinical use.