bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
DNA repair gene excision repair cross complementing‐group 1 (ERCC1) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: analysis of methylation and polymorphism (G19007A), protein expression and association with epidemiological and clinicopathological factors
Authors: Lima Lucianne Maia Costa , de Souza Ludmilla Regina , da Silva Thiago Fonseca , Pereira Camila Santos , Guimarães André Luiz Sena , de Paula Alfredo Maurício Batista , de Andrade Carvalho Heloisa 
Published: December 2011

Lima L M C, de Souza L R, da Silva T F, Pereira C S, Guimarães A L S, de Paula A M B & Carvalho H A  (2012) Histopathology 60, 489–496 DNA repair gene excision repair cross complementing‐group 1 (ERCC1) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: analysis of methylation and polymorphism (G19007A), protein expression and association with epidemiological and clinicopathological factorsAims:  To evaluate the associations of excision repair cross complementing‐group 1 (ERCC1) (DNA repair protein) (G19007A) polymorphism, methylation and immunohistochemical expression with epidemiological and clinicopathological factors and with overall survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.Methods and results:  The study group comprised 84 patients with HNSCC who underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy without chemotherapy. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used. The allele A genotype variant was observed in 79.8% of the samples, GG in 20.2%, GA in 28.6% and AA in 51.2%. Individuals aged more than 45 years had a higher prevalence of the allelic A variant and a high (83.3%) immunohistochemical expression of ERCC1 protein [odds ratio (OR) = 4.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–19.7, P = 0.027], which was also high in patients with advanced stage (OR=5.04, 95% CI: 1.07–23.7, P = 0.041). Methylated status was found in 51.2% of the samples, and was higher in patients who did not present distant metastasis (OR = 6.67, 95% CI: 1.40–33.33, P = 0.019) and in patients with advanced stage (OR = 5.04, 95% CI: 1.07–23.7, P = 0.041). At 2 and 5 years, overall survival was 55% and 36%, respectively (median = 30 months).Conclusion:  Our findings may reflect a high rate of DNA repair due to frequent tissue injury during the lifetime of these individuals, and also more advanced disease presentation in this population with worse prognosis.
Projections of diagnosed HIV infection in children and adolescents in New York State*
Authors: Gordon Daniel E. , Ghazaryan Lusine R. , Maslak Julia , Anderson Bridget J. , Brousseau Kathleen S. , Carrascal Alvaro F. , Smith Lou C. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryGordon DE, Ghazaryan LR, Maslak J, Anderson BJ, Brousseau KS, Carrascal AF, Smith LC. Projections of diagnosed HIV infection in children and adolescents in New York State. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2012; 26: 131–139.Decreasing mother‐to‐child transmission is changing the population of children and adolescents with HIV. This project used recent epidemiological data to develop short‐term projections of children and adolescents living with diagnosed HIV infection in New York State. A population simulation model was created to project prevalence of diagnosed HIV cases aged 0–19 years by age, sex, race/ethnicity and risk for years 2007–2014. Using 2006 data as the baseline population and 2001–2006 diagnosis and death data, annual diagnoses and deaths were calculated for each age/sex/race/risk category and known cases were ‘aged’ into the next year. The model produced annual estimates until 2014. The model predicts a decline in the number of persons aged 0–19 years living with diagnosed HIV in New York from 2810 in 2006 to 1431 in 2014, a net decrease of 49%. Living cases with paediatric risk continue to decrease. Cases aged 13–19 with non‐paediatric risk increase slowly, leading to a shift in the risk composition of the population. The dominant effect seen in the model is the ageing out of perinatally infected children born before measures to prevent mother‐to‐child transmission were broadly implemented in the mid‐ to late 1990s. Changing trends in the young HIV‐infected population should be considered in developing public health programmes for HIV prevention and care in New York State for the coming years.
Nitric oxide influences auxin signaling through S‐nitrosylation of the Arabidopsis TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1 auxin receptor
Authors: Terrile María C. , París Ramiro , Calderón‐Villalobos Luz I. A. , Iglesias María J. , Lamattina Lorenzo , Estelle Mark , Casalongué Claudia A. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryPrevious studies have demonstrated that auxin (indole‐3‐acetic acid) and nitric oxide (NO) are plant growth regulators that coordinate several plant physiological responses determining root architecture. Nonetheless, the way in which these factors interact to affect these growth and developmental processes is not well understood. The Arabidopsis thaliana F‐box proteins TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1/AUXIN SIGNALING F‐BOX (TIR1/AFB) are auxin receptors that mediate degradation of AUXIN/INDOLE‐3‐ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) repressors to induce auxin‐regulated responses. A broad spectrum of NO‐mediated protein modifications are known in eukaryotic cells. Here, we provide evidence that NO donors increase auxin‐dependent gene expression while NO depletion blocks Aux/IAA protein degradation. NO also enhances TIR1‐Aux/IAA interaction as evidenced by pull‐down and two‐hybrid assays. In addition, we provide evidence for NO‐mediated modulation of auxin signaling through S‐nitrosylation of the TIR1 auxin receptor. S‐nitrosylation of cysteine is a redox‐based post‐translational modification that contributes to the complexity of the cellular proteome. We show that TIR1 C140 is a critical residue for TIR1–Aux/IAA interaction and TIR1 function. These results suggest that TIR1 S‐nitrosylation enhances TIR1–Aux/IAA interaction, facilitating Aux/IAA degradation and subsequently promoting activation of gene expression. Our findings underline the importance of NO in phytohormone signaling pathways.
Tobacco NtLTP1, a glandular‐specific lipid transfer protein, is required for lipid secretion from glandular trichomes
Authors: Choi Yong Eui , Lim Soon , Kim Hyun‐Jung , Han Jung Yeon , Lee Mi‐Hyun , Yang Yanyan , Kim Ji‐Ah , Kim Yun‐Soo 
Published: December 2011

SummaryGlandular trichomes are the phytochemical factories of plants, and they secrete a wide range of commercially important natural products such as lipids, terpenes and flavonoids. Herein, we report that the Nicotiana tabacum LTP1 (NtLTP1) gene, which is specifically expressed in long glandular trichomes, plays a role in lipid secretion from trichome heads. NtLTP1 mRNA is abundantly transcribed in trichomes, but NtLTP3, NtLTP4 and NtLTP5 are not. In situ hybridization revealed that NtLTP1 mRNAs accumulate specifically in long trichomes and not in short trichomes or epidermal cells. X‐gluc staining of leaves from a transgenic plant expressing the NtLTP1 promoter fused to a GUS gene revealed that NtLTP1 protein accumulated preferentially on the tops of long glandular trichomes. GFP fluorescence from transgenic tobacco plants expressing an NtLTP1‐GFP fusion protein was localized at the periphery of cells and in the excreted liquid droplets from the glandular trichome heads. In vitro assays using a fluorescent 2‐p‐toluidinonaphthalene‐6‐sulfonate probe indicated that recombinant NtLTP1 had lipid‐binding activity. The overexpression of NtLTP1 in transgenic tobacco plants resulted in the increased secretion of trichome exudates, including epicuticular wax. In transgenic NtLTP1‐RNAi lines, liquid secretion from trichomes was strongly reduced, but epicuticular wax secretion was not altered. Moreover, transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing NtLTP1 showed increased protection against aphids. Taken together, these data suggest that NtLTP1 is abundantly expressed in long glandular trichomes, and may play a role in lipid secretion from long glandular trichomes.
Negative predictive value of skin tests to neuromuscular blocking agents
Authors: Ramirez L. F. , Pereira A. , Chiriac A. M. , Bonnet‐Boyer M.‐C. , Demoly P. 
Published: December 2011

To cite this article: Ramirez LF, Pereira A, Chiriac AM, Bonnet‐Boyer M‐C, Demoly P. Negative predictive value of skin tests to neuromuscular blocking agents. Allergy 2012; 67: 439–441.AbstractAllergy to neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) is the most important caue of perioperative anaphylaxis in France. The diagnosis relies on a careful clinical history, the search of serum IgE antibodies, and the realization of skin tests. Although the skin tests are the most important tool and their sensitivity is widely recognized, the lack of information about their negative predictive value represents an important issue in the management of patients who require a new procedure with NMBA injection. We present a series of 49 patients with confirmed allergy to NMBAs, six of whom required a subsequent surgery with neuromuscular blockade. Negative skin tests allowed the selection of an alternative NMBA, which was well tolerated in all 6 cases. We found an excellent negative predictive value of skin tests in our series but larger studies are required to properly address this question.
The role of vitamin D in the immunopathogenesis of allergic skin diseases
Authors: Benson A. A. , Toh J. A. , Vernon N. , Jariwala S. P. 
Published: December 2011

To cite this article: Benson AA, Toh JA, Vernon N, Jariwala SP. The role of vitamin D in the immunopathogenesis of allergic skin diseases. Allergy 2012; 67: 296–301.AbstractVitamin D plays key roles in innate and adaptive immunity through the stimulation of Toll‐like receptors, increasing pro‐inflammatory cytokine production, and possibly enhancing T helper type 2 responses. These mechanisms may explain the growing body of evidence connecting vitamin D to allergic diseases, including asthma, food allergies, and allergic rhinitis. The data relating vitamin D to allergic skin diseases are equivocal with studies linking both high and low vitamin D levels to an increased risk of developing atopic dermatitis. In this paper, we describe the role of vitamin D in the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and other allergic skin diseases.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy for renal angiomyolipoma (AML): an alternative to angio‐embolization and nephron‐sparing surgery
Authors: Castle Scott M. , Gorbatiy Vladislav , Ekwenna Obi , Young Ezekiel , Leveillee Raymond J. 
Published: December 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)Level of Evidence 4What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?The natural history of renal angiomyolipomas (AML) shows increasing size and increasing risk of haemorrhage. For those patients undergoing treatment, extirpative surgery or renal angio‐embolization has increased morbidity. Due to its haemostatic effect, radio‐frequency ablation (RFA) may be used safely and effectively for the treatment of small (<4 cm), symptomatic renal AML.This study represents the largest case series reporting on RFA for renal AML.OBJECTIVES• To show that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is safe and effective treatment for renal angiomyolipoma (AML).• Current treatments to reduce the risk of haemorrhage include tumour extirpation, angio‐embolization, or ablative therapy.PATIENTS AND METHODS• Review of our prospective database revealed 15 patients with intraoperative biopsy confirmed renal AML undergoing RFA from February 2002 to March 2010.• Patients underwent either laparoscopic or computed tomography (CT)‐guided percutaneous RFA using either the Cool‐tip™ (Covidien, Inc. Boulder, CO, USA) or RITA™ (Angiodynamics®, Latham, NY, USA) RFA probe.• CT at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter.RESULTS• In all, two male and 13 female patients with seven left‐sided and eight right‐sided tumours with a mean (range) size of 2.6 (1.0–3.7) cm underwent laparoscopic (five) or CT‐guided (10) RFA.• No intraoperative complications occurred. Minor complications included transient haematuria and intercostals nerve transection. Surgical complications included pneumonia and myocardial infarction.• There was no radiographic evidence of persistent AML (CT enhancement) at a mean follow‐up of 21 months.CONCLUSIONS• The haemostatic effect of RFA allows renal lesions suspicious for AML to be treated without bleeding complications.• Avoids surgical risk of extirpation or embolization.• RFA for renal AML is safe and effective.
Corporate Governance, Principal‐Principal Agency Conflicts, and Firm Value in European Listed Companies
Authors: Renders Annelies , Gaeremynck Ann 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue: Using the conceptual framework of Aguilera, Filatotchev, Gospel, and Jackson, this study examines the impact of principal‐principal agency problems on the quality and effectiveness of corporate governance structures in listed companies from 14 European countries between 1999 and 2003. Specifically, we develop an index on the severity of the agency conflict and investigate whether this index explains the quality of governance structures. We also examine whether, given certain environmental complementarities, this index influences the effectiveness of good governance structures.Research Findings/Insights: Using a simultaneous equations model, we find that the conflict index affects the quality and effectiveness of corporate governance. When agency conflicts are severe, the costs of installing good governance are high for the majority shareholders and the quality is low. Once installed, however, good governance structures complemented with a high‐quality disclosure environment leads to higher firm value, especially in companies with a severe agency conflict.Theoretical/Academic Implications: Our study adds to the governance literature by focusing on the costs of installing good governance. Further, it contributes to principal‐principal agency studies by examining a number of developed countries and by developing a measure for the severity of the principal‐principal conflict. Finally, our study adds to institutional theory by showing how companies' corporate governance choices are affected by the severity of agency conflicts and the way corporate governance is regulated.Practitioner/Policy Implications: Our analyses suggest that regulatory approaches to corporate governance issues should move away from a “one‐size‐fits‐all” policy toward one that takes into account the organizational and environmental context. By demonstrating that the severity of principal‐principal agency conflicts results in significant differences in the existence and effectiveness of corporate governance, our empirical evidence can guide regulators in developing new regulations or laws intended to reduce private benefits of control or improve the disclosure environment.
Activation and ‘coercion’ among Swedish social assistance claimants with different work barriers and socio‐demographic characteristics: What is the logic?
Authors: Nybom Jenny 
Published: December 2011

Nybom J. Activation and ‘coercion’ among Swedish social assistance claimants with different work barriers and socio‐demographic characteristics: What is the logic?The study analysed how the work barriers and socio‐demographic characteristics of both activated and non‐activated social assistance claimants influence their participation in activation and exposure to coercion, measured as two opposite indicators – sanctions and exemptions. The study covered 372 social assistance claimants in four municipalities during a period of 1 year. The results suggest that resource activation, which entails education and/or work practice in regular workplaces, often targets claimants who lack work motivation, whereas job activation, which aims at quick entry into the labour market, targets young claimants and claimants who lack formal skills (education and/or work experience). Swedish men older than 25 years appear to run the highest risk of facing sanctions irrespective of participation in activation. Exemptions vary more than sanctions between activated and non‐activated claimants. The results are discussed in terms of five logics operating in social work.
Magnetic brain activity phase‐locked to the envelope, the syllable onsets, and the fundamental frequency of a perceived speech signal
Authors: Hertrich Ingo , Dietrich Susanne , Trouvain Jürgen , Moos Anja , Ackermann Hermann 
Published: December 2011

AbstractDuring speech perception, acoustic correlates of syllable structure and pitch periodicity are directly reflected in electrophysiological brain activity. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were made while 10 participants listened to natural or formant‐synthesized speech at moderately fast or ultrafast rate. Cross‐correlation analysis was applied to show brain activity time‐locked to the speech envelope, to an acoustic marker of syllable onsets, and to pitch periodicity. The envelope yielded a right‐lateralized M100‐like response, syllable onsets gave rise to M50/M100‐like fields with an additional anterior M50 component, and pitch (ca. 100 Hz) elicited a neural resonance bound to a central auditory source at a latency of 30 ms. The strength of these MEG components showed differential effects of syllable rate and natural versus synthetic speech. Presumingly, such phase‐locking mechanisms serve as neuronal triggers for the extraction of information‐bearing elements.
Statistical testing in electrophysiological studies
Authors: Maris Eric 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThis article describes the mechanics and rationale of four different approaches to the statistical testing of electrophysiological data: (1) the Neyman‐Pearson approach, (2) the permutation‐based approach, (3), the bootstrap‐based approach, and (4) the Bayesian approach. These approaches are evaluated from the perspective of electrophysiological studies, which involve multivariate (i.e., spatiotemporal) observations in which source‐level signals are picked up to a certain extent by all sensors. Besides formal statistical techniques, there are also techniques that do not involve probability calculations but are very useful in dealing with multivariate data (i.e., verification of data‐based predictions, cross‐validation, and localizers). Moreover, data‐based decision making can also be informed by mechanistic evidence that is provided by the structure in the data.
Insights into wolf presence in human‐dominated landscapes: the relative role of food availability, humans and landscape attributes
Authors: Llaneza Luis , López‐Bao José V. , Sazatornil Víctor 
Published: December 2011

AbstractAim Understanding which human or environmental factors interact to enable or to limit the occurrence and persistence of large carnivores in human‐dominated landscapes is an important issue for their effective conservation, especially under the current scenario of global change where most of their former habitat is being transformed by humans.Location NW Iberian Peninsula.Methods We combine data on the distribution of Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) living in a human‐dominated landscape in NW Spain and variation and partitioning methods to investigate the relative importance of three groups of predictors: food availability, humans and landscape attributes – each group expected to have unequal effects on wolf reproduction and survival – and their interactions on the occurrence of this species.Results We found that the group of predictors related with landscape attributes (altitude, roughness and refuge) strongly determined wolf occurrence, followed by humans and food availability. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that the three most important components determining wolf occurrence were related with landscape attributes: (1) the joint effects of the three predictor groups, (2) the joint effect of humans and landscape attributes and (3) the pure effect of landscape attributes. Altitude had the main independent contribution to explain the probability of wolf occurrence.Main conclusions In human‐dominated landscapes, the occurrence of wolves is the result of a complex interaction among several environmental and human factors. Our results suggest that the characteristics of the landscape (spatial context) – factors associated with the security of wolves facilitating that animals go unnoticed by humans, wolf movements, dispersal events and short‐time colonization – become more important in human‐dominated landscapes and may have played a key role in the occurrence and persistence of this species throughout decades modulating the relationship between humans and wolf distribution.
Regeneration of human extrahepatic biliary epithelium: the peribiliary glands as progenitor cell compartment
Authors: Sutton Michael E. , op den Dries Sanna , Koster Mirjam H. , Lisman Ton , Gouw Annette S.H. , Porte Robert J. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBackground & AimsAlthough regeneration of intrahepatic bile ducts has been extensively studied and intrahepatic progenitor cells have been identified, few studies have focussed on the extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD). We hypothesized that local progenitor cells are present within the EHBD of humans. Human EHBD specimens (n = 17) were included in this study.MethodsSpecimens of normal EHBD tissue were obtained from healthy donor livers (n = 6), mildly injured EHBD from patients with cholangitis (n = 6) and severely injured EHBD from patients with ischaemic type biliary lesions (n = 5). Double immunostaining for K19 and the proliferation marker Ki‐67 was performed to identify and localize proliferating cells. In addition, immunofluorescent doublestaining using antibodies against K19 and c‐Kit was performed to identify and localize cholangiocytes co‐expressing putative progenitor cell markers.ResultsIn normal EHBD, few Ki‐67+ cells were detected, whereas large numbers of Ki‐67+ were found in the diseased EHBD. In EHBD affected by cholangitis, Ki‐67+ cells were mainly located in the basal layer of the lumen. EHBD specimens from patients with ischaemic type biliary lesions displayed histological signs of epithelial cell loss and large numbers of Ki‐67+ cells were observed in the peribiliary glands. C‐Kit expression was localized throughout the EHBD wall and immunofluorescent doublestaining identified a few K19+/c‐Kit+ cells in the luminal epithelium of the EHBD as well as in the peribiliary glands.ConclusionsThese findings support the hypothesis that progenitor cells exist in the EHBD and that the peribiliary glands can be considered a local progenitor cell niche in the human EHBD.
The Health Belief Model Can Guide Modern Contraceptive Behavior Research and Practice
Authors: Hall Kelli Stidham 
Published: December 2011

Introduction: Theory‐based research is needed to understand poor contraceptive behavior and related reproductive health sequelae. The purpose of this review was to examine the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a comprehensive, well‐tested social‐cognitive framework suitable for explaining and predicting contraceptive behavior.Methods: Existing literature, including editorials and research reports, describing HBM‐guided contraceptive research between January 1966 and February 2011 was retrieved from established electronic databases. After consideration of inclusion/exclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in the review.Results: Issues in original family planning applications of HBM included inconsistent conceptualizations of contraceptive behavior and limited use of all HBM constructs in research surveys, interventions, and analyses. Knowledge of contraceptive behavior has evolved, warranting more comprehensive use of the HBM for pertinent reproductive health contexts, behaviors, and methods.Discussion: With more rigorous applications, the HBM can help us understand modern contraceptive behavior determinants and facilitate strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy and promote positive family planning outcomes.