bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improved outcome at end of treatment in the collaborative Wilms tumour Africa project
Authors: Israels Trijn , Paintsil Vivian , Nyirenda Dalida , Kouya Francine , Mbah Afungchwi Glenn , Hesseling Peter , Tump Clara , Kaspers Gertjan , Burns Liz , Singh Arora Ramandeep , Chagaluka George , Nana Philippa , Renner Lorna , Molyneux Elizabeth 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe Collaborative Wilms Tumour (WT) Africa Project has implemented an adapted WT treatment guideline in sub‐Saharan Africa as a multi‐centre prospective clinical trial. A retrospective, baseline evaluation of end‐of‐treatment outcome was performed for a 2‐year period prior to the introduction of this guideline. The collaborative project aims to reduce both treatment abandonment and death during treatment to less than 10% for improving survival.ProcedureAll participating centres obtained local Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval and implemented the adapted WT treatment guideline. End‐of‐treatment outcome was documented for 2 years. It was divided into alive without evidence of disease, treatment abandonment, death during treatment and persistent disease. The outcome of children enroled in the first 2 years of the prospective clinical trial has been compared to the outcome before the start of the project.ResultsOne hundred twenty‐two patients were included in the baseline evaluation (2011–2012) and 133 in the first 2 years of the collaborative clinical trial (2014–2015). The percentage of patients alive without evidence of disease at the end of treatment increased from 52% (63/122) to 68% (90/133; P = 0.01). Treatment abandonment decreased from 23% (28/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.03). Death during treatment decreased from 21% (26/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.07).ConclusionThis collaboration, using relatively simple and low‐cost interventions, led to a significant decrease in treatment abandonment and increase in survival without evidence of disease at the end of treatment.
Pediatric patients with cutaneous melanoma: A European study
Authors: Brecht Ines B. , De Paoli Angela , Bisogno Gianni , Orbach Daniel , Schneider Dominik T. , Leiter Ulrike , Offenmueller Sonja , Cecchetto Giovanni , Godzinski Jan , Bien Ewa , Stachowicz‐Stencel Teresa , Ben‐Ami Tal , Chiaravalli Stefano , Maurichi Andrea , De Salvo Gian Luca , Sorbara Silvia , Bodemer Christine , Garbe Claus , Reguerre Yves , Ferrari Andrea 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIntroductionCutaneous melanoma is rare in childhood and published studies have mainly been retrospective single‐institution series or small case series. Given the absence of clinical protocols dedicated to pediatric melanoma, the treatment approach is generally extrapolated from the ones applied to adults.MethodsCoordinated by the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT), this study collected patients prospectively registered between 2002 and 2012 under national cooperative projects dedicated to rare pediatric tumors in Italy, Poland, Germany, and France. Additional cases were collected from dermatology registries in Germany and Israel.ResultsA total of 219 patients aged 0–18 years (median 14.4) were included in the analysis. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 112 patients (76% of those with Breslow thickness > 0.75 mm) and was positive in 37.5%. Systemic therapy was used in 33 cases. In stage III cases, survival rates were similar for patients who received (23 cases) or not (21 cases) adjuvant therapy. For the whole series, 3‐year overall and disease‐free survival rates were 91.4% and 84.0%, respectively (median follow‐up 41.8 months). Tumor site, tumor stage, and ulceration influenced survival rates. Patients treated by pediatric oncologists (n = 140) were more likely to have advanced disease than those treated by dermatologists (n = 79).DiscussionThis study would suggest that the clinical history of melanoma in children and adolescents might resemble that of adult counterpart. Cooperative efforts are needed to make new drugs more readily available to pediatric patients to increase the outcome of patient with advanced disease.
The effects of traumatic experiences on academic relationships and expectations in justice‐involved children
Authors: Johnson Micah E. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractPositive school experiences are an important predictor of long‐term health and well‐being. Developing positive relationships with school personnel and positive academic expectations set the foundation for success. Positive relationships and expectations can be a powerful protective factor or intervention to redirect troubled children toward a more positive path. Unfortunately, children who experience trauma are more prone to academic underachievement and negative school experiences. This link is especially evident and troubling for children—also called justice‐involved children (JIC)—in the juvenile justice system. JIC are exposed to more traumatic experiences and have a higher prevalence of academic failure than other children. Despite evidence showing that (1) trauma is harmful to achievement in the general population, (2) JIC have a higher prevalence of trauma, and (3) JIC have a higher prevalence of academic underachievement and failure, only a few studies have examined traumatic experiences and achievement in JIC. The Childhood Trauma Model (CTM) submits that childhood trauma is central to understanding adolescent outcomes. CTM hypothesizes that (H‐1) JIC who experience trauma will have more academic risk factors than those who do not, and (H‐2) JIC who experience multiple types of trauma will have higher academic risks than those who experience a single type of trauma. The current study tests (1) whether 10 different types of traumatic experiences are individually associated with increased risks for fewer positive adult relationships and lower expectations of graduating from high school among JIC, and (2) whether experiencing multiple types of trauma has a larger impact than experiencing a single type of trauma.
Proteomics Analysis of Skeletal Muscle from Leptin‐Deficient ob/ob Mice Reveals Adaptive Remodeling of Metabolic Characteristics and Fiber Type Composition
Authors: Schönke Milena , Björnholm Marie , Chibalin Alexander V. , Zierath Juleen R. , Deshmukh Atul S. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractSkeletal muscle insulin resistance, an early metabolic defect in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), may be a cause or consequence of altered protein expression profiles. Proteomics technology offers enormous promise to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying pathologies, however, the analysis of skeletal muscle is challenging. Using state‐of‐the‐art multienzyme digestion and filter‐aided sample preparation (MED‐FASP) and a mass spectrometry (MS)‐based workflow, we performed a global proteomics analysis of skeletal muscle from leptin‐deficient, obese, insulin resistant (ob/ob) and lean mice in mere two fractions in a short time (8 h per sample). We identified more than 6000 proteins with 118 proteins differentially regulated in obesity. This included protein kinases, phosphatases, and secreted and fiber type associated proteins. Enzymes involved in lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle from ob/ob mice were increased, providing evidence against reduced fatty acid oxidation in lipid‐induced insulin resistance. Mitochondrial and peroxisomal proteins, as well as components of pyruvate and lactate metabolism, were increased. Finally, the skeletal muscle proteome from ob/ob mice displayed a shift toward the “slow fiber type.” This detailed characterization of an obese rodent model of T2D demonstrates an efficient workflow for skeletal muscle proteomics, which may easily be adapted to other complex tissues.
Accurate understanding of infertility risk among families of adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer
Authors: Lehmann Vicky , Flynn Jessica S. , Foster Rebecca H. , Russell Kathryn M. , Klosky James L. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo examine patient and parent understanding of infertility risk (relative to oncologists' risk ratings) among adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer, and to identify background factors related to inaccurate reporting/estimating.MethodsMale patients (N = 137; aged 13‐21) and their parents completed self‐report questionnaires. Those who reported a fertility‐related conversation with their provider (N = 102 adolescents, N = 74 parents) reported their infertility risk (ie, what oncologist had communicated) and all participants' estimated risk (ie, personal belief). Reports/estimates were compared with oncologists' ratings to assess relative accuracy, and regression analyses assessed potentially related background factors.ResultsParticipants' agreement of their risk reports with the oncologist was poor (κ = .079/.122 for adolescents/parents), resulting in most adolescents (59.8%) and parents (58.7%) inaccurately reporting risk. Older adolescents were less likely to overreport risk (OR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.97) and parents of sons with the highest Tanner stage were less likely to underreport (OR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.08‐0.92). Risk estimates were also in poor agreement with oncologists' ratings among adolescents (κ = .040) and parents (κ = .088). Accordingly, incongruent estimates occurred in most adolescents (63.7%) and parents (62.2%), although all reported fertility‐related conversations with their providers.ConclusionsMost adolescents and parents inaccurately reported infertility risk, and more poorly estimated risk. Research is needed to identify additional factors associated with accurate understanding of cancer‐related infertility risk. Providers should be supported with user‐friendly educational tools to promote awareness of infertility risk.
Distal amyloid β‐protein fragments template amyloid assembly
Authors: Do Thanh D. , Sangwan Smriti , de Almeida Natália E. C. , Ilitchev Alexandre I. , Giammona Maxwell , Sawaya Michael R. , Buratto Steven K. , Eisenberg David S. , Bowers Michael T. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractAmyloid formation is associated with devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type‐2 diabetes. The large amyloid deposits found in patients suffering from these diseases have remained difficult to probe by structural means. Recent NMR models also predict heterotypic interactions from distinct peptide fragments but limited evidence of heterotypic packed sheets is observed in solution. Here we characterize two segments of the protein amyloid β (Aβ) known to form fibrils in Alzheimer's disease patients. We designed two variants of Aβ(19–24) and Aβ(27–32), IFAEDV (I6V) and NKGAIF (N6F) to lower the aggregation propensity of individual peptides while maintaining the similar interactions between the two segments in their native forms. We found that the variants do not form significant amyloid fibrils individually but a 1:1 mixture forms abundant fibrils. Using ion mobility‐mass spectrometry (IM‐MS), hetero‐oligomers up to decamers were found in the mixture while the individual peptides formed primarily dimers and some tetramers consistent with a strong heterotypic interaction between the two segments. We showed by X‐ray crystallography that I6V formed a Class 7 zipper with a weakly packed pair of β‐sheets and no segregated dry interface, while N6F formed a more stable Class 1 zipper. In a mixture of equimolar N6F:I6V, I6V forms a more stable zipper than in I6V alone while no N6F or hetero‐typic zippers are observed. These data are consistent with a mechanism where N6F catalyzes assembly of I6V into a stable zipper and perhaps into stable, pure I6V fibrils that are observed in AFM measurements.
Assessment of the potential of temporin peptides from the frog Rana temporaria (Ranidae) as anti‐diabetic agents
Authors: Musale Vishal , Casciaro Bruno , Mangoni Maria Luisa , Abdel‐Wahab Yasser H.A. , Flatt Peter R. , Conlon J. Michael 
Published: January 2018

Temporin A (FLPLIGRVLSGIL‐NH2), temporin F (FLPLIGKVLSGIL‐NH2), and temporin G (FFPVIGRILNGIL‐NH2), first identified in skin secretions of the frog Rana temporaria, produced concentration‐dependent stimulation of insulin release from BRIN‐BD11 rat clonal β‐cells at concentrations ≥1 nM, without cytotoxicity at concentrations up to 3 μM. Temporin A was the most effective. The mechanism of insulinotropic action did not involve an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Temporins B, C, E, H, and K were either inactive or only weakly active. Temporins A, F, and G also produced a concentration‐dependent stimulation of insulin release from 1.1B4 human‐derived pancreatic β‐cells, with temporin G being the most potent and effective, and from isolated mouse islets. The data indicate that cationicity, hydrophobicity, and the angle subtended by the charged residues in the temporin molecule are important determinants for in vitro insulinotropic activity. Temporin A and F (1 μM), but not temporin G, protected BRIN‐BD11 cells against cytokine‐induced apoptosis (P < 0.001) and augmented (P < 0.001) proliferation of the cells to a similar extent as glucagon‐like peptide‐1. Intraperitoneal injection of temporin G (75 nmol/kg body weight) together with a glucose load (18 mmol/kg body weight) in C57BL6 mice improved glucose tolerance with a concomitant increase in insulin secretion whereas temporin A and F administration was without significant effect on plasma glucose levels. The study suggests that combination therapy involving agents developed from the temporin A and G sequences may find application in Type 2 diabetes treatment.
Robust adaptive fixed‐time tracking control of 6‐DOF spacecraft fly‐around mission for noncooperative target
Authors: Huang Yi , Jia Yingmin 
Published: January 2018

SummaryThe fixed‐time relative position tracking and attitude synchronization control problem of a spacecraft fly‐around mission for a noncooperative target in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances is investigated. Firstly, a novel and coupled relative position and attitude motion model for a noncooperative fly‐around mission is established. Subsequently, a novel nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) surface is developed, and the explicit estimation of the convergence time independent of initial states is provided. Fair and systematic comparisons among several typical terminal sliding modes show that the designed NFTSM has faster convergence performance than the fast terminal sliding mode. Then, a robust integrated adaptive fixed‐time NFTSM control law with no precise knowledge of the mass and inertia matrix and disturbances by combining the nonsingular terminal sliding mode technique with an adaptive methodology is proposed, which can eliminate the chattering phenomenon and guarantee that the relative position and attitude tracking errors can converge into the small regions containing the origin in fixed time. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.
Nature‐like fishways as compensatory lotic habitats
Authors: Tamario C. , Degerman E. , Donadi S. , Spjut D. , Sandin L. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractDamming of rivers disrupts migration of fish and results in lotic habitats being both scarcer and spaced further apart, ultimately affecting riverine fish communities. Nature‐like fishways are often designed as bypass channels, constructed with natural materials that reroute part of the water around weirs and dams, restoring longitudinal connectivity as well as forming nature‐mimicking habitats. We evaluated the potential of such bypasses to function as compensatory lotic habitats by comparing fish fauna in 23 bypasses to adjacent lotic stream habitats in a same‐river pairwise design. Bypasses were narrower, shallower, and less shaded than adjacent stream habitats, but very few significant differences could be detected in the fish communities, indicating the potential of such nature‐like fishways to constitute compensatory lotic habitats for fish. Analyses also indicated how bypass design may be altered to favour or disfavour certain target species. Generally, narrower and shallower bypasses with high gradient favoured brown trout (Salmo trutta), whereas European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were more abundant at sites with lower gradient. Finally, to increase the impact of these compensatory habitats on running water ecosystems, we suggest that the size of bypasses should be maximized in areas where natural stream habitats have been lost.
Low-energy effective field theory below the electroweak scale: anomalous dimensions
Authors: Jenkins Elizabeth E. , Manohar Aneesh V. , Stoffer Peter 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
We compute the one-loop anomalous dimensions of the low-energy effective Lagrangian below the electroweak scale, up to terms of dimension six. The theory has 70 dimension-five and 3631 dimension-six Hermitian operators that preserve baryon and lepton number, as well as additional operators that violate baryon number and lepton number. The renormalization group equations for the quark and lepton masses and the QCD and QED gauge couplings are modified by dimension-five and dimension-six operator contributions. We compute the renormalization group equations from one insertion of dimension-five and dimension-six operators, as well as two insertions of dimension-five operators, to all terms of dimension less than or equal to six. The use of the equations of motion to eliminate operators can be ambiguous, and we show how to resolve this ambiguity by a careful use of field redefinitions.
xylA and xylB overexpression as a successful strategy for improving xylose utilization and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production in Burkholderia sacchari
Authors: Guamán Linda P , Oliveira-Filho Edmar R , Barba-Ostria Carlos , Gomez José G C , Taciro Marilda K , da Silva Luiziana Ferreira 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Despite the versatility and many advantages of polyhydroxyalkanoates as petroleum-based plastic substitutes, their higher production cost compared to petroleum-based polymers has historically limited their large-scale production. One appealing approach to reducing production costs is to employ less expensive, renewable feedstocks. Xylose, for example is an abundant and inexpensive carbon source derived from hemicellulosic residues abundant in agro-industrial waste (sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysates). In this work, the production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB) from xylose was studied to develop technologies for conversion of agro-industrial waste into high-value chemicals and biopolymers. Specifically, this work elucidates the organization of the xylose assimilation operon of Burkholderia sacchari, a non-model bacterium with high capacity for P(3HB) accumulation. Overexpression of endogenous xylose isomerase and xylulokinase genes was successfully assessed, improving both specific growth rate and P(3HB) production. Compared to control strain (harboring pBBR1MCS-2), xylose utilization in the engineered strain was substantially improved with 25% increase in specific growth rate, 34% increase in P(3HB) production, and the highest P(3HB) yield from xylose reported to date for B. sacchari (Y P3HB/Xil = 0.35 g/g). This study highlights that xylA and xylB overexpression is an effective strategy to improve xylose utilization and P(3HB) production in B. sacchari.
The Importance of the Left Occipitotemporal Cortex in Developmental Dyslexia
Authors: Kronbichler Lisa , Kronbichler Martin 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
Purpose of Review
Developmental dyslexia is characterized by an impaired acquisition of fluent and skilled reading ability. Numerous studies have explored the neural correlates of this neurodevelopmental disorder, with most classic accounts strongly focussing on left temporoparietal regions. We will review recent findings from structural and functional MRI studies that suggest a more important role of occipitotemporal cortex abnormalities in dyslexia.

Recent Findings
Recent findings highlight the role of the occipitotemporal cortex which exhibits functional as well as structural abnormalities in dyslexic readers and in children at risk for dyslexia and suggest a more central role for the occipitotemporal cortex in the pathophysiology of dyslexia.

Summary
We demonstrate the importance of the occipitotemporal cortex in for understanding impaired reading acquisition and point out how future research might enhance our understanding of functional and structural impairments in the reading network via large-scale data analysis approaches.
STOCHASTIC DIFFERENTIAL GAMES BETWEEN TWO INSURERS WITH GENERALIZED MEAN-VARIANCE PREMIUM PRINCIPLE
Authors: Chen Shumin , Yang Hailiang , Zeng Yan 
Published: January 2018

AbstractWe study a stochastic differential game problem between two insurers, who invest in a financial market and adopt reinsurance to manage their claim risks. Supposing that their reinsurance premium rates are calculated according to the generalized mean-variance principle, we consider the competition between the two insurers as a non-zero sum stochastic differential game. Using dynamic programming technique, we derive a system of coupled Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations and show the existence of equilibrium strategies. For an exponential utility maximizing game and a probability maximizing game, we obtain semi-explicit solutions for the equilibrium strategies and the equilibrium value functions, respectively. Finally, we provide some detailed comparative-static analyses on the equilibrium strategies and illustrate some economic insights.
Formal and Informal Long-Term Care in the Community: Interlocking or Incoherent Systems?
Authors: BURCHARDT TANIA , JONES EMILY , OBOLENSKAYA POLINA 
Published: January 2018

AbstractHelp with activities of daily living for people in the community is provided through formal services (public and private) and informal (often unpaid) care. This paper investigates how these systems interlock and who is at risk of unmet need. It begins by mapping differences between OECD countries in the balance between formal and informal care, before giving a detailed breakdown for the UK. New analysis of UK Family Resources Survey data for 2012/13 and 2013/14 suggests high levels of unmet need. We investigate who receives formal and informal care, and who receives neither, among the working-age and older populations. We find that while informal care fills some gaps left by the lack of availability of formal services (and vice versa), not all older or working-age disabled people are protected in these ways. Adults living alone and those with high but not the highest levels of difficulty are most likely to have unmet need. Means-tested public entitlements ameliorate but do not remove the increased risk among people in low-income households. The paper concludes that public policy needs to integrate its support for formal and informal modes of care, with particular attention to those groups most at risk of unmet need.