Hong Kong Polytechnic University

About: Hong Kong Polytechnic University is a education organization based out in Hong Kong, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Tourism. The organization has 29633 authors who have published 72136 publications receiving 1956312 citations. The organization is also known as: HKPU & PolyU.

RNAi-based treatment of chronically infected patients and chimpanzees reveals that integrated hepatitis B virus DNA is a source of HBsAg

Abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health concern worldwide, frequently leading to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma Evidence suggests that high viral antigen load may play a role in chronicity Production of viral proteins is thought to depend on transcription of viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) In a human clinical trial with an RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutic targeting HBV transcripts, ARC-520, HBV S antigen (HBsAg) was strongly reduced in treatment-naive patients positive for HBV e antigen (HBeAg) but was reduced significantly less in patients who were HBeAg-negative or had received long-term therapy with nucleos(t)ide viral replication inhibitors (NUCs) HBeAg positivity is associated with greater disease risk that may be moderately reduced upon HBeAg loss The molecular basis for this unexpected differential response was investigated in chimpanzees chronically infected with HBV Several lines of evidence demonstrated that HBsAg was expressed not only from the episomal cccDNA minichromosome but also from transcripts arising from HBV DNA integrated into the host genome, which was the dominant source in HBeAg-negative chimpanzees Many of the integrants detected in chimpanzees lacked target sites for the small interfering RNAs in ARC-520, explaining the reduced response in HBeAg-negative chimpanzees and, by extension, in HBeAg-negative patients Our results uncover a heretofore underrecognized source of HBsAg that may represent a strategy adopted by HBV to maintain chronicity in the presence of host immunosurveillance These results could alter trial design and endpoint expectations of new therapies for chronic HBV

Social factors influencing export initiation in small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract: The authors examine the influence of antecedent social ties on export behavior in an exploratory cross-case investigation of a sample of small and medium-sized exporters drawn from different industries. Data pertaining to 31 export market entries support the view that decision makers’ cosmopolitanism has a significant influence on the initiation of exports.