bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in children's toy preferences: A systematic review, meta‐regression, and meta‐analysis
Authors: Todd Brenda K. , Fischer Rico A. , Di Costa Steven , Roestorf Amanda , Harbour Kate , Hardiman Paul , Barry John A. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractFrom an early age, most children choose to play with toys typed to their own gender. In order to identify variables that predict toy preference, we conducted a meta‐analysis of observational studies of the free selection of toys by boys and girls aged between 1 and 8 years. From an initial pool of 1788 papers, 16 studies (787 boys and 813 girls) met our inclusion criteria. We found that boys played with male‐typed toys more than girls did (Cohen's d = 1.03, p < .0001) and girls played with female‐typed toys more than boys did (Cohen's d = −0.91, p < .0001). Meta‐regression showed no significant effect of presence of an adult, study context, geographical location of the study, publication date, child's age, or the inclusion of gender‐neutral toys. However, further analysis of data for boys and girls separately revealed that older boys played more with male‐typed toys relative to female‐typed toys than did younger boys (β = .68, p < .0001). Additionally, an effect of the length of time since study publication was found: girls played more with female‐typed toys in earlier studies than in later studies (β = .70, p < .0001), whereas boys played more with male‐typed toys (β = .46, p < .05) in earlier studies than in more recent studies. Boys also played with male‐typed toys less when observed in the home than in a laboratory (β = −.46, p < .05). Findings are discussed in terms of possible contributions of environmental influences and age‐related changes in boys' and girls' toy preferences.Highlights

Gender differences in toy choice exist and appear to be the product of both innate and social forces.
Despite methodological variation in the choice and number of toys offered, context of testing, and age of child, the consistency in finding sex differences in children's preferences for toys typed to their own gender indicates the strength of this phenomenon and the likelihood that has a biological origin.
The time playing with male‐typed toys increased as boys got older, but the same pattern was not found in girls; this indicates that stereotypical social effects may persist longer for boys or that there is a stronger biological predisposition for certain play styles in boys.
MMP‐3 (–1171 5A/6A; Lys45Glu) variants affect serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐3 and correlate with severity of COPD: A study of MMP‐3, MMP‐7 and MMP‐12 in a Tunisian population
Authors: Bchir Sarra , ben Nasr Hela , Garrouch Abdelhamid , ben Anes Amel , Abbassi Ammar , Tabka Zouhair , Chahed Karim 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe present study aimed to examine the role of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐3 [(–1171) 5A/6A; Lys45Glu (A/G)], MMP‐7 [(–181) A/G] and MMP‐12 [(–82) A/G; Asn357Ser (A/G)] variants in the development and severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Tunisians.MethodsPlethysmography was performed in all participants to measure forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC parameters. Genotyping of MMP‐3, MMP‐7 and MMP‐12 polymorphisms was carried out in 138 patients with COPD and 216 healthy controls using a polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum levels of MMPs and cytokines (interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α) were determined by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsNo significant correlations were observed between genetic variations in MMP‐3, MMP‐7 and MMP‐12 and the risk of development of COPD. Additionally, no impact of MMP‐7 (–181) A/G and MMP‐12 [(–82) A/G; Asn357Ser (A/G)] polymorphisms was observed on the respective protein levels and clinical parameters of the disease. Interestingly, both MMP‐3 (–1171) 5A/6A and Lys45Glu (A/G) variants were associated with respiratory function, as well as with serum levels of MMP‐3 in COPD patients. A relationship was found between the (–1171) 6A and 45Glu (G) alleles of the MMP‐3 gene and enhanced airflow limitation among COPD patients. Additionally, carriers of the 6A6A and 45 GG genotypes present higher MMP‐3 levels than noncarriers.ConclusionsMMP‐3 (–1171) 5A/6A and Lys45Glu (A/G) polymorphisms were associated with the decline of lung function among COPD patients. These results could be linked to the upregulation of MMP‐3 in serum from COPD patients carrying the (–1171) 6A and 45 G homozygous genotypes.
Interannual variability of winter precipitation linked to upper ocean heat content off the east coast of Korea
Authors: Park JongJin , Nam SungHyun 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTWe present a link between highly variable winter precipitation (e.g. occasional heavy snow) in the mountainous cities along the east coast of Korea and upper ocean heat content (OHC) in the western part of the East Sea (Japan Sea). After removing annual climatological cycle, OHC (as well as sea surface temperature, SST) variability coherent with the winter sea surface wind (SSW) is extracted using maximum covariance analysis (MCA). The first‐mode MCA pattern, explaining 68% of the total covariance, indicates that the stronger westerly (easterly) winter SSW links to larger (smaller) OHC in the upper 400 m or higher (lower) SST of the western part of the sea. Time series of the first‐mode MCA are comparable to winter precipitation variability at three local cities along the coast (Gangneung, Donghae, and Uljin) with significantly high correlation coefficients (0.84, 0.68, and 0.56, respectively). The links between OHC and SSW and between SSW and precipitation are discussed because zonal contrast of OHC drives zonal tilt of northerly monsoonal wind in winter by canonical turbulent momentum exchange within the marine planetary boundary layer (MPBL). The momentum exchange within the MPBL yields the interannual variability of SSW and thus, winter precipitation in the coastal cities.
Synovial sarcoma of the shoulder: A series of 14 cases
Authors: Verbeek Bianca M. , Kaiser Courtney L. , Larque Ana B. , Hornicek Francis J. , Raskin Kevin A. , Schwab Joseph H. , Chen Yen‐Lin , Lozano Calderón Santiago A. 
Published: November 2017

Background and ObjectivesSynovial sarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma with poor long‐term prognosis due to late recurrence and metastasis. Synovial sarcoma arises in less than 6% from the shoulder. As a result, there is limited information in the literature about synovial sarcoma of the shoulder (SSS).MethodsWe included all patients treated for SSS at our institution between 1985 and 2013. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed to collect demographics, information about the clinical course, and outcome. This subgroup was compared to our institution's entire synovial sarcoma patient cohort and the data in the published literature.ResultsSSS Patients presented most commonly with pain and a growing mass; the majority of tumors were grade 2 and measured greater than 5 cm. 43% (7) of SSS patients developed metastatic disease and 36% (5) had died at a median follow‐up of 64 months (36‐127); SSS 5‐year survival (83.3%) was higher in our series than in the general literature (57‐75%).ConclusionsWe found better prognosis in patients with synovial sarcoma of the shoulder than expected based on the current literature. The clinical behavior of synovial sarcoma in the shoulder is closer to that of synovial sarcoma in the extremities than the trunk.Level of EvidenceLevel IV, Case Series.
Delaminated CoAl‐Layered Double Hydroxide@TiO2 Heterojunction Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Durndell Lee J. , Manayil Jinesh C. , Isaacs Mark A. , Parlett Christopher M. A. , Karthikeyan Sekar , Douthwaite Richard E. , Coulson Ben , Wilson Karen , Lee Adam F. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractPhotocatalytic reduction offers an attractive route for CO2 utilization as a chemical feedstock for solar fuels production but remains challenging due to the poor efficiency, instability, and/or toxicity of current catalyst systems. Delaminated CoAl‐layered double hydroxide nanosheets (LDH‐DS) combined with TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) or nanoparticles (NPs) are promising nanocomposite photocatalysts for CO2 reduction. Heterojunction formation between visible light absorbing delaminated CoAl nanosheets and UV light absorbing TiO2 nanotubes greatly enhances interfacial contact between both high aspect ratio components relative to their bulk counterparts. The resulting synergic interaction confers a significant improvement in photoinduced charge carrier separation, and concomitant aqueous phase CO2 photocatalytic reduction, in the absence of a sacrificial hole acceptor. CO productivity for a 3 wt% LDH‐DS@TiO2‐NT nanocomposite of 4.57 µmol gcat‐1 h‐1 exhibits a tenfold and fivefold increase over that obtained for individual TiO2 NT and delaminated CoAl‐LDH components respectively and is double that obtained for 3 wt% bulk‐LDH@TiO2‐NT and 3 wt% LDH‐DS@TiO2‐NP catalysts. Synthesis of delaminated LDH and metal oxide nanocomposites represents a cost‐effective strategy for aqueous phase CO2 reduction.
Improving failures prediction by exploring weighted shape‐based time‐series clustering
Authors: Wang Xin , Wu Ji , Liu Chao , Wang Senzhang , Wang Tingshu , Niu Wensheng 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBecause of the significant industrial demands towards quality and safety of system, reliability prediction with historical failures data has generated broad interest. Particularly, for system‐oriented failures time‐series data, although the hybridization strategy has been exploited to separately predict the feature components extracted from the original data and achieved noteworthy performance, a convictive method for effectively extracting these feature components has not been explored. In this paper, we introduce weighted shape‐based time‐series clustering to improve the hybrid modeling and prediction, in which a novel distance metric named as w_SBD (ie, weighted shape‐based distance) is devised by fully considering the shapes of time series and the characteristics of failures prediction. Moreover, we further develop a flexible framework to extract and validate the feature components (named as FF_EVFC). In the framework, besides w_SBD, 3 kinds of validations for the extracted feature components are also involved. To demonstrate the robustness of w_SBD and FF_EVFC, we perform extensive experimental evaluations with different clustering and prediction methods. The results show a competitive performance of w_SBD against other common distance metrics and verify the effectiveness of FF_EVFC on the improvement of failures prediction.
Identification of pyridoxal phosphate‐modified proteins using mass spectrometry
Authors: Wu Yue , Chen Jin , Liu Zheyi , Wang Fangjun 
Published: November 2017

RationalePyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (PLP) cooperates with a variety of enzymes in all organisms for many important biological processes. The development of mass spectrometry‐based methodology for high‐throughput modification analyses could provide an alternative way for PLP identification. The present study aims to identify PLP modification.MethodsMore PLP site‐determining information was obtained by introducing multistage activation (MSA)‐assisted collision‐induced dissociation (CID). We then utilized immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) with Ti4+ to enrich the PLP peptides. In addition, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was used to remove the phosphoryl group and further confirm the PLP modification site.ResultsMSA was able to greatly enhance the identification and localization of PLP modification. We applied this strategy to analyze PLP‐modified proteins in Escherichia coli samples and accurately determine PLP site K270 in tryptophanase.ConclusionsMSA‐assisted CID was used to provide better identification of PLP‐modified peptides. Furthermore, tryptophanase with PLP modification at K270 in E. coli was identified with Ti4+‐IMAC enrichment followed by ALP treatment. This method provides a promising alternative for investigating biological functions of PLP‐modified proteins.
Adaptive decentralized finite‐time output tracking control for MIMO interconnected nonlinear systems with output constraints and actuator faults
Authors: Jin Xu 
Published: November 2017

SummaryIn this work, we present a novel adaptive decentralized finite‐time fault‐tolerant control algorithm for a class of multi‐input–multi‐output interconnected nonlinear systems with output constraint requirements for each vertex. The actuator for each system can be subject to unknown multiplicative and additive faults. Parametric system uncertainties that model the system dynamics for each vertex can be effectively dealt with by the proposed control scheme. The control input gain functions of the nonlinear systems can be not fully known and state dependent. Backstepping design with a tan‐type barrier Lyapunov function and a new structure of stabilizing function is presented. We show that under the proposed control scheme, with the use of graph theory, finite‐time convergence of the system output tracking error into a small set around zero is guaranteed for each vertex, while the time‐varying constraint requirement on the system output tracking error for each vertex will not be violated during operation. An illustrative example on 2 interacting 2‐degree‐of‐freedom robot manipulators is presented in the end to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
On the max‐cut of sparse random graphs
Authors: Gamarnik David , Li Quan 
Published: November 2017

AbstractWe consider the problem of estimating the size of a maximum cut (Max‐Cut problem) in a random Erdős‐Rényi graph on n nodes and edges. It is shown in Coppersmith et al. that the size of the maximum cut in this graph normalized by the number of nodes belongs to the asymptotic region with high probability (w.h.p.) as n increases, for all sufficiently large c. The upper bound was obtained by application of the first moment method, and the lower bound was obtained by constructing algorithmically a cut which achieves the stated lower bound. In this paper, we improve both upper and lower bounds by introducing a novel bounding technique. Specifically, we establish that the size of the maximum cut normalized by the number of nodes belongs to the interval w.h.p. as n increases, for all sufficiently large c. Instead of considering the expected number of cuts achieving a particular value as is done in the application of the first moment method, we observe that every maximum size cut satisfies a certain local optimality property, and we compute the expected number of cuts with a given value satisfying this local optimality property. Estimating this expectation amounts to solving a rather involved two dimensional large deviations problem. We solve this underlying large deviation problem asymptotically as c increases and use it to obtain an improved upper bound on the Max‐Cut value. The lower bound is obtained by application of the second moment method, coupled with the same local optimality constraint, and is shown to work up to the stated lower bound value . It is worth noting that both bounds are stronger than the ones obtained by standard first and second moment methods. Finally, we also obtain an improved lower bound of on the Max‐Cut for the random cubic graph or any cubic graph with large girth, improving the previous best bound of .
Recent Advances in Flexible/Stretchable Supercapacitors for Wearable Electronics
Authors: Li La , Lou Zheng , Chen Di , Jiang Kai , Han Wei , Shen Guozhen 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThe popularization of personalized wearable devices has accelerated the development of flexible/stretchable supercapacitors (SCs) that possess remarkable features of miniaturization, high security, and easy integration to build an all‐in‐one integrated system, and realize the functions of comfortable, noninvasive and continuous health monitoring, motion records, and information acquisition, etc. This Review presents a brief phylogeny of flexible/stretchable SCs, represented by planar micro‐supercapacitors (MSCs) and 1D fibrous SCs. The latest progress and advantages of different flexible/stretchable/self‐healing substrate, solid‐state electrolyte and electrode materials for the fabrication of wearable SCs devices are summarized. The various configurations used in planar MSCs and 1D fibrous SCs aiming at the improvement of performance are also discussed. In addition, from the viewpoint of practical value and large‐scale production, a survey of integrated systems, from different types of SC powered wearable sensing (gas, pressure, tactile…) systems, wearable all‐in‐one systems (including energy harvest, storage, and functional groups), to device packaging is presented. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of wearable SCs are also considered.
Congenital heart defects in IVF/ICSI pregnancy: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Giorgione V. , Parazzini F. , Fesslova V. , Cipriani S. , Candiani M. , Inversetti A. , Sigismondi C. , Tiberio F. , Cavoretto P. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTObjectiveThere is no consensus in current practice guidelines on whether conception by in-vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) techniques is an indication for performing a fetal echocardiogram. The aim of the study was to assess whether congenital heart defects (CHD) occur more often in pregnancies conceived after IVF/ICSI as compared with those conceived spontaneously.MethodsA systematic search for studies was conducted of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus from inception to September 2017. The search included the following medical subject heading (MeSH) terms alone or in different combinations: ‘IVF’, ‘IVF/ICSI’, ‘ART pregnancy’, ‘assisted conception’, ‘birth defect’, ‘congenital heart defects’ and ‘congenital malformation or abnormalities’. Studies comparing neonatal incidence of CHD in pregnancies conceived after IVF/ICSI and those conceived spontaneously were included. Studies reporting on other types of assisted reproductive technology (ART) or lacking information concerning termination of pregnancy were excluded. Chromosomal abnormalities were excluded in all analyzed studies. A meta‐analysis of selected cohort studies was conducted to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI using a random‐effects model. Statistical heterogeneity among the studies was evaluated with the I2 statistic and Q‐test.ResultsForty‐one studies were identified for review including six case–control and 35 cohort studies. Data of eight selected cohort studies were used for meta‐analysis. A total of 25 856 children conceived from IVF/ICSI techniques and 287 995 children conceived spontaneously, involving both singleton and multiple gestations, were included in the analysis. Total CHD events were 337/25 856 (1.30%) and 1952/287 995 (0.68%) in the IVF/ICSI and spontaneous conception groups, respectively. The risk of CHD was significantly increased in the IVF/ICSI group as compared with the spontaneous conception group (pooled OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.20–1.76; P = 0.0001; I2 = 44%; P = 0.08). In the subgroup of singleton IVF pregnancies, a significant difference was also obtained (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21–1.99; P = 0.0005; I2 = 36%; P = 0.18) and also multiple confounding factors adjusted ORs showed statistical significance (pooled OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03–1.60; P = 0.02; I2 = 0%; P = 0.43).ConclusionFetuses conceived with IVF/ICSI methods are at an increased risk of developing CHD compared with those conceived spontaneously. However, this finding deserves further investigation due to heterogeneity of both ART procedures and cardiac defects. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Early life stress, FK506 binding protein 5 gene (FKBP5) methylation, and inhibition-related prefrontal function: A prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Harms Madeline B. , Birn Rasmus , Provencal Nadine , Wiechmann Tobias , Binder Elisabeth B. , Giakas Sebastian W. , Roeber Barbara J. , Pollak Seth D. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIndividuals who have experienced high levels of childhood stress are at increased risk for a wide range of behavioral problems that persist into adulthood, yet the neurobiological and molecular mechanisms underlying these associations remain poorly understood. Many of the difficulties observed in stress-exposed children involve problems with learning and inhibitory control. This experiment was designed to test individuals' ability to learn to inhibit responding during a laboratory task. To do so, we measured stress exposure among a community sample of school-aged children, and then followed these children for a decade. Those from the highest and lowest quintiles of childhood stress exposure were invited to return to our laboratory as young adults. At that time, we reassessed their life stress exposure, acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data during an inhibitory control task, and assayed these individuals' levels of methylation in the FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene. We found that individuals who experienced high levels of stress in childhood showed less differentiation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex between error and correct trials during inhibition. This effect was associated only with childhood stress exposure and not by current levels of stress in adulthood. In addition, FKBP5 methylation mediated the association between early life stress and inhibition-related prefrontal activity. These findings are discussed in terms of using multiple levels of analyses to understand the ways in which adversity in early development may affect adult behavioral adaptation.
Preventive Trichuris suis ova (TSO) treatment protects immunocompetent rabbits from DSS colitis but may be detrimental under conditions of immunosuppression
Authors: Leonardi Irina , Gerstgrasser Alexandra , Schmidt Thomas S. B. , Nicholls Flora , Tewes Bernhard , Greinwald Roland , von Mering Christian , Rogler Gerhard , Frey-Wagner Isabelle 
Published: November 2017

AbstractTrichuris suis ova (TSO) have been tested for therapeutic application in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) yet understanding of the underlying mechanisms and safety in an immunocompromised host is limited due to lack of a suitable animal model. We used a recently established rabbit model of dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) induced colitis to study the efficacy, mechanisms and safety of TSO therapy in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed animals. TSO treatment prevented the DSS induced weight loss, delayed the onset of DSS induced symptoms by 2 days and significantly reduced the disease activity (DAI). TSO treatment protected caecal histology and prevented the colitis-associated loss in faecal microbiota diversity. Mainly the transcriptome of lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) was affected by TSO treatment, showing dampened innate and adaptive inflammatory responses. The protective effect of TSO was lost in immunosuppressed rabbits, where TSO exacerbated colitis. Our data show that preventive TSO treatment ameliorates colitis severity in immunocompetent rabbits, modulates LPMC immune responses and reduces faecal dysbiosis. In contrast, the same TSO treatment exacerbates colitis in immunosuppressed animals. Our data provide further evidence for a therapeutic effect of TSO in IBD, yet caution is required with regard to TSO treatment in immunosuppressed patients.