bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fault‐tolerant multi‐node coupling triple mode redundancy voltage controlled oscillator for reducing soft error in clock and data recovery
Authors: Yuan Hengzhou , Chen Jianjun , Liang Bin , Guo Yang
Published: January 2019

A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) applied to phase‐locked loop with multi‐node coupling triple mode redundancy is proposed in this Letter. The proposed VCO consists of three independent operating VCOs. These VCOs are coupled through a metal oxide metal capacitor to synchronise the output of the three independent VCOs. The proposed VCO does not introduce loop delay, and the frequency and phase noise do not decline.
Strongly robust approach for temperature monitoring of power cable joint
Authors: Tang Liezheng , Ruan Jiangjun , Qiu Zhibin , Liu Chao , Tang Ke
Published: January 2019

This study aims to monitor the temperature inside power cable joint, with strong robustness to variable thermal environments and uncertain thermal parameters of the joint. The model consists of two sequential steps, radial‐direction temperature inversion in the cable and axial‐direction temperature inversion in the conductor. The former part was improved by coating the cable with a heat insulated layer, whereas the latter one was optimised through a proper parameter selection. Afterwards, an outdoor cable joint temperature‐rise test was carried out and the temperature obtained from the proposed approach agrees well with the measured one. With the great change in ambient temperature and wind speed during the test, the model accuracy remains almost constant, and this is due to the heat insulated layer and low sensitivity coefficient of the algorithm. Besides, if the thermal conductivity and volumetric specific heat of waterproof compound in cable joint are assumed to increase by nearly five times, the maximum changes in temperature monitoring are only 1.4 and 0.4°C, respectively. The results indicate that this approach can effectively overcome the effects of variable thermal environments and thermal parameter dispersion in joint, thus promoting practical applications in temperature monitoring for cable joints.
Maximum power point tracking scheme with partial shading detection for two‐stage grid‐connected photovoltaic inverters
Authors: Huang Lei , Zhang Jiyuan , Cui Qiong , Wang Hao , Shu Jie
Published: January 2019

This paper proposes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method with partial shading (PS) detection based on modified PI incremental conductance (IC) for photovoltaic inverters. To accurately trigger the algorithm, a PS detecting approach based on voltage deviation is derived through the comparison of voltage and current characteristics under uniform and non‐uniform insolation. To track the global maximum power point (GMPP) precisely and fast, a global search scheme considering appropriate voltage reference, search direction and termination criteria is presented. The modified PI‐based IC method is implemented in the local search process. In order to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm, the proposed method is utilised in the two‐stage grid‐connected photovoltaic inverters built in MATLAB/Simulink. The performance of the scheme is compared with the traditional IC method under step‐changing and gradual‐changing insolation and various temperature. In all simulation cases, the proposed approach can identify the PS with multiple local maxima, accurately trigger the global search process and track the GMPP. The search periods are around 0.1–0.2 s, and the efficiencies of PV generation under steady state are normally above 99.5%. The presented method can improve the efficiency of distributed and centralised PV system.
Analysis of influencing factors on sub‐synchronous oscillation of wind‐thermal‐bundled system sent out via AC/DC transmission system
Authors: Wang Yuxiao , Xu Jianyuan , Wu Guannan , Yu Gaole , Zhang Mingli , Gao Jing , Lu Tianqi
Published: January 2019

Sub‐synchronous oscillation may occur when the wind‐thermal‐bundled system sent out via AC/DC transmission (WTBH) is integrated in power grid. Causing large‐scale wind‐turbine tripping, even lead the system to collapse. First, in this study the mechanism of sub‐synchronous oscillation of this system is analysed. Second, the influencing factors such as the ratio of the wind‐thermal‐bundled installed capacity, the series compensation parameters of AC transmission line, the different operating conditions of wind power etc., are analysed, which can cause different degree impact on the sub‐synchronous oscillation. Finally, the system is simulated under the Power Systems Computer Aided Design (PSCAD) environment. The results show that under the same conditions, the higher series compensation, the greater transmission capacity of the AC line, the greater risk of the sub‐synchronous oscillation. Under the condition of full load, the greater proportion of installed capacity of Doubly fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is, the less risk of sub‐synchronous oscillation; Under the lower wind speed condition, reducing the number of wind turbine can eliminate the risk of sub‐synchronous oscillation, and the oscillation frequency vary with the number of wind turbine.
Research on optimal operation of distribution network with electric springs
Authors: Zhao Zhiyu , Wang Keyou , Yang Shihui , Li Guojie , Zhang Yin
Published: January 2019

The electric spring (ES) is a kind of electric device used for energy buffering, based on voltage and power management. ES transfers the voltage (or energy) fluctuation in the main bus to the non‐critical load (NCL), stabilises the main voltage for critical load, and actively adjusts the power consumption of the NCL to achieve regulation goals of distribution network with wide voltage operational range of NCL. With lots of intermittent and fluctuating renewable energy resources into the energy Internet, the smart load integrated with the ES will play a greater role in the optimal operation of the distribution network. Here, the power flow optimal model of distribution network with the ES is proposed. Under different load levels, the flexible regulation of ES can reduce the overall voltage drop and optimise the operation of distribution network. The benefits of ES for the optimisation of distribution network are verified based on an improved IEEE 33‐node case. Numerical results show that the ES relieves the voltage drop of the distribution network and improves the reliability of distribution network based on the interaction between the ES and NCL. The overall energy efficiency and reliability of the distribution network system are improved.
Formation of planetary systems by pebble accretion and migration: growth of gas giants
Authors: Bitsch Bertram , Izidoro Andre , Johansen Anders , Raymond Sean N. , Morbidelli Alessandro , Lambrechts Michiel , Jacobson Seth A.
Published: January 2019

Giant planets migrate though the protoplanetary disc as they grow their solid core and attract their gaseous envelope. Previously, we have studied the growth and migration of an isolated planet in an evolving disc. Here, we generalise such models to include the mutual gravitational interaction between a high number of growing planetary bodies. We have investigated how the formation of planetary systems depends on the radial flux of pebbles through the protoplanetary disc and on the planet migration rate. Our N-body simulations confirm previous findings that Jupiter-like planets in orbits outside the water ice line originate from embryos starting out at 20–40 AU when using nominal type-I and type-II migration rates and a pebble flux of approximately 100–200 Earth masses per million years, enough to grow Jupiter within the lifetime of the solar nebula. The planetary embryos placed up to 30 AU migrate into the inner system (rP < 1AU). There they form super-Earths or hot and warm gas giants, producing systems that are inconsistent with the configuration of the solar system, but consistent with some exoplanetary systems. We also explored slower migration rates which allow the formation of gas giants from embryos originating from the 5–10 AU region, which are stranded exterior to 1 AU at the end of the gas-disc phase. These giant planets can also form in discs with lower pebbles fluxes (50–100 Earth masses per Myr). We identify a pebble flux threshold below which migration dominates and moves the planetary core to the inner disc, where the pebble isolation mass is too low for the planet to accrete gas efficiently. In our model, giant planet growth requires a sufficiently high pebble flux to enable growth to out-compete migration. An even higher pebble flux produces systems with multiple gas giants. We show that planetary embryos starting interior to 5 AU do not grow into gas giants, even if migration is slow and the pebble flux is large. These embryos instead grow to just a few Earth masses, the mass regime of super-Earths. This stunted growth is caused by the low pebble isolation mass in the inner disc and is therefore independent of the pebble flux. Additionally, we show that the long-term evolution of our formed planetary systems can naturally produce systems with inner super-Earths and outer gas giants as well as systems of giant planets on very eccentric orbits.
On double-jumping finite automata and their closure properties
Authors: Kocman Radim , Křivka Zbyněk , Meduna Alexander
Published: January 2019

The present paper modifies and studies jumping finite automata so they always perform two simultaneous jumps according to the same rule. For either of the two simultaneous jumps, it considers three natural directions – (1) to the left, (2) to the right, and (3) in either direction. According to this jumping-direction three-part classification, the paper investigates the mutual relation between the language families resulting from jumping finite automata performing the jumps in these ways and the families of regular, linear, context-free, and context-sensitive languages. It demonstrates that most of these language families are pairwise incomparable. In addition, many closure and non-closure properties of the resulting language families are established.
Unknown disturbance estimation for vibration systems using distributed piezoelectric sensors
Authors: Wu Bin-Yi , Qin Xian-Sheng , Zhang Shun-Qi , Bai Jing , Xue Ting , Schmidt Rüdiger
Published: January 2019

Vibration is usually caused by external disturbances, which may lead to structural damage. Vibrations can be significantly suppressed by taking disturbances into account. However, in many cases disturbances are unknown or difficult to be measured directly. In order to estimate external unknown disturbances, this article develops a proportional-integral (PI) disturbance observer with measurement noises for smart structures using multiple distributed piezoelectric sensors. For simulation purpose, a dynamic finite element model of piezoelectric bonded smart structure is presented. This disturbance observation method is validated by estimating various kinds of unknown disturbances using piezoelectric measurements. Furthermore, the measurement numbers and the position of measurements are investigated.
Toward a more critical dialogue for enhancing self-report surveys in sport expertise and deliberate practice research
Authors: Tedesqui Rafael A.B. , McCardle Lindsay , Bartulovic Dora , Young Bradley W.
Published: January 2019

Two hallmark criteria are commonly used to determine whether a variable of interest has an impact on sport expertise development: (a) discrimination of performance or skill levels and (b) association with time spent in deliberate practice activities. Our opinion is that there has been warranted criticism of the deliberate practice framework and greater methodological rigour will invigorate survey research in this area. In this paper, we aimed to provide critical perspectives on self-report methods previously used to assess group discrimination and to measure deliberate practice in survey-based work in the context of sport expertise as well as to illustrate steps that could be taken to improve confidence in the validity and reliability of these measures. First, we focus on challenges discriminating between multiple, progressively skilled groups of athletes and outline two strategies: one aimed at improving the validity of skill grouping using standardized performance measures, and another illustrating how researchers can assess variability within skill levels. Second, we highlight challenges in measuring deliberate practice activities and propose a funnel method of narrowing athletes’ estimates from general sport activity to highly individualized, purposeful practice. We argue more attention is needed on the development of self-report methods and measurements to reliably and validly assess sport expertise development.
Obesity Does not Compromise Ovarian Reserve Markers in Infertile Women
Authors: Gorkem Umit , Kucukler Ferit , Togrul Cihan , Gulen Şebnem
Published: January 2019

Introduction In the literature, conflicting results from studies examining the relationship between obesity and ovarian reserve have been reported. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether obesity adversely affects serum concentrations of ovarian reserve markers in infertile women with different ovarian reserve status.

Materials and Methods A total of 402 women were assigned to three groups according to body mass index (BMI; < 25 kg/m2: normal, n = 198; 25.0 – 29.9 kg/m2: overweight, n = 126; and ≥ 30 kg/m2: obese, n = 78). The women were also divided into two groups according to waist circumference (WC; < 80 cm: normal, n = 103; and ≥ 80 cm: obese, n = 299). Participants were also categorized into three types of ovarian reserve patterns: normal (n = 146), high (n = 112), and poor ovarian reserve (n = 144). The serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), estradiol (E2), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were assayed and compared in all groups.

Results There were no significant differences in BMI and WC in the three ovarian reserve groups. There were significant differences between all ovarian reserve groups for AMH, E2, and FSH (p < 0.001 for all). The comparisons of ovarian reserve parameters (AMH, E2, and FSH) and obesity parameters (BMI and WC) revealed no significant differences in women with all ovarian reserve patterns.

Conclusion The parameters of ovarian reserve do not seem to be affected by increased BMI and WC. Thus, AMH may be considered as a reliable marker of ovarian reserve.
Tako-Tsubo-Kardiomyopathie während einer EKT-Serie: Fallbericht, systematische Literaturrecherche und Diskussion spezifischer Risikofaktoren
Authors: Kudling Ralf , Hartmut Schoels Wolfgang , Kuhn Jens
Published: January 2019

Hintergrund Bei der Tako-Tsubo-Kardiomyopathie (TTK) handelt es sich um eine akute reversible Erkrankung des Herzmuskels. Sie wird ursächlich mit einem Überschuss an Adrenalin, Noradrenalin und Dopamin in Zusammenhang gebracht. Als bekannte Risikofaktoren gelten psychischer und physischer Stress. Es existieren Fallberichte über das Auftreten von TTK nach Krampfanfällen sowie EKT-Behandlungen.

Methoden Es wird der Fall eines 63 Jahre alten Patienten vorgestellt, bei dem es im Verlauf einer zweiten EKT-Serie unter Etomidat-Narkose und laufender antidepressiver Medikation mit Tranylcypromin zu einer TTK kam. Mögliche pathophysiologische Zusammenhänge werden anhand der zur Verfügung stehenden Literatur diskutiert. In Anbetracht eines erhöhten Rezidivrisikos wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob die Wiederaufnahme der EKT-Behandlung nach Abklingen der TTK verantwortbar ist.

Ergebnisse Depressive Störungen, EKT-Behandlungen mit konvulsiven Anfällen, der Einsatz von Etomidat als Narkotikum sowie eine Behandlung mit Tranylcypromin könnten eine theoretische Rolle als Risikofaktoren für die TTK spielen. Die durch Etomidat vermittelten Effekte könnten auf die substanzbedingte Störung der Kortisolsynthese und einer daraus resultierenden sympathomimetischen und pro-inflammatorischen Wirkung zurückgeführt werden. Es konnten 19 publizierte TTK-Fälle im Zusammenhang mit EKT gefunden werden. Einschließlich des hier vorgestellten Patienten wurde in 8 Fällen von einer erfolgreichen und komplikationslosen Wiederaufnahme der EKT-Behandlung berichtet.

Diskussion Das Auftreten der TTK scheint letztlich multifaktoriell begründet zu sein. Die Konstellation unseres Falles sowie die analysierte medizinische Literatur erlauben keinen Rückschluss, dass einer der
genannten Faktoren alleine für die Entstehung der TTK verantwortlich gemacht werden kann. Angesichts der theoretischen Überlegungen und Teilbefunde über die mögliche Rolle eines relativen Kortisol-Defizits für die TTK wären gezielte Untersuchungen wünschenswert. Die Wiederaufnahme der EKT-Behandlung nach einem TTK-Fall ist, unter Risikoabwägung und Berücksichtigung besonderer Vorsichtsmaßnahmen, nicht ausgeschlossen.
Knochenbruchheilung und klinische Belastungsstabilität
Authors: Rußow Gabriele , Heyland Mark , Märdian Sven , Duda Georg
Published: January 2019

Der umgangssprachlich oft verwendete Begriff „Stabilität“ wird im Zusammenhang mit Osteosynthesen und Frakturheilung genutzt, um den mechanischen Begriff der Steifigkeit zu umschreiben. Die Steifigkeit einer Osteosynthese hat neben Frakturmorphologie und biologischen Voraussetzungen erheblichen Einfluss auf die Heilungrate und -geschwindigkeit der Fraktur, sowie die biomechanischen Eigenschaften des Frakturkallus. Durch die unterschiedlichen verfügbaren Osteosyntheseverfahren ist in Hinblick auf Fraktur und physiologische Beanspruchung und Belastung des betroffenen Knochens eine Osteosynthese anzustreben, welche die Frakturheilung durch ihre biomechanischem Eigenschaften unterstützt. Dieser Artikel gibt eine Einführung in mechanische einflüsse auf die Frakturheilung sowie Eigenschaften der häufigsten Osteosyntheseverfahren.
Risikofaktoren für Rückfall nach Elektrokonvulsionstherapie bei depressiven Erkrankungen
Authors: Grüter Jonas , Grözinger Michael
Published: January 2019

Ziel der Studie Eine wesentliche Herausforderung der Elektrokonvulsionstherapie (EKT) ist die Vermeidung von Rückfällen nach erfolgreicher Akutbehandlung. Hierfür wird zunehmend das Konzept der langsam ausschleichenden Erhaltungs-EKT propagiert. Das Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es, Risikofaktoren für Rückfälle nach EKT bei depressiven Erkrankungen zu identifizieren.

Methodik Nach erfolgreicher Akutbehandlung einer depressiven Episode mit EKT wurde allen Patienten Erhaltungs-EKT nach einem festen Schema angeboten. Tatsächlich variierte die Anzahl der E-EKTs aufgrund unterschiedlicher Compliance im naturalistischen Setting. Alle Patienten mit einer Verlaufskontrolle von mindestens 6 Monaten wurden in der retrospektiven Analyse berücksichtigt (n = 82). Überlebensanalysen mit der Zeit bis zum Rückfall als abhängige Variable wurden benutzt, um den Einfluss der Risikofaktoren auf das Rückfallrisiko einzuschätzen.

Ergebnisse 34,1 % der Patienten erlitten innerhalb von 6 Monaten einen Rückfall. Mit einem verminderten Rückfallrisiko assoziiert waren 1. Erhaltungs-EKT, besonders innerhalb der ersten 3 Monate, 2. erhöhte durchschnittliche Ladung während der Indexserie, 3. Wechsel der Elektrodenposition von unilateral auf bilateral während der Indexserie und 4. männliches Geschlecht. Die Sensitivitätsanalyse weist darauf hin, dass das geringere Rückfallrisiko von Männern gegenüber Frauen insbesondere in den ersten 3 Monaten besteht.

Schlussfolgerung Erwartungsgemäß war Erhaltungs-EKT mit einer reduzierten Rückfallrate assoziiert, insbesondere die frühen Behandlungen nach der Indexserie. Daneben wurde ein Zusammenhang eines verminderten Rückfallrisikos mit einer höheren Ladung sowie dem Wechsel zu einer bilateralen Elektrodenposition während der Indexserie gefunden. Bei Frauen traten frühe Rückfälle vermehrt auf.
The utility of a novel colonoscope with retroflexion for colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Tanaka Hidenori , Oka Shiro , Tanaka Shinji , Inagaki Katsuaki , Okamoto Yuki , Matsumoto Kenta , Boda Kazuki , Yamashita Ken , Sumimoto Kyoku , Ninomiya Yuki , Hayashi Nana , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: January 2019

Background and study aims The PCF-H290TI/L produced by Olympus is a novel colonoscope equipped with some advantageous features for endoscopic treatment. It is expected to improve the potential for retroflexion and overall endoscope operability, which can reduce the difficulty of performing colorectal ESD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the novel colonoscope in colorectal ESD.

Methods Three hundred and forty-eight consecutive colorectal lesions resected via ESD between June 2014 and January 2017 at Hiroshima University Hospital were included in the retroflexion ability analysis. We compared the retroflexion potential of PCF-H290TI to that of a conventional endoscope. Two hundred and twenty-seven colorectal lesions located in the left-sided colon and resected with ESD between April 2009 and February 2018 were enrolled in the treatment outcome analysis. Treatment outcomes using PCF-H290TI compared to those of the conventional colonoscope, and outcomes of the PCF-H290TI with retroflexion compared to those of the conventional colonoscope without retroflexion were evaluated by propensity score matching.

Results The retroflexion rate with the PCF-H290TI was 76 %, which was significantly higher than the 44 % rate with the conventional scope. Endoscope operability was better and dissection speed was faster when using the PCF-H290TI with retroflexion compared to the conventional colonoscope without retroflexion. There were no significant differences between the groups in en bloc resection rate and adverse events.

Conclusion Compared to the conventional colonoscope, the PCF-H290TI/L made it easier to perform ESD via a retrograde approach regardless of tumor location, and thus may be useful for performing colorectal ESD.
Synthesis of Novel Diaziridinyl Quinone Isoxazole Hybrids and Evaluation of Their Anti-Cancer Activity as Potential Tubulin-Targeting Agents
Authors: Kumar P. Ravi , Yennam Satyanarayana , Raghavulu K. , Velatooru Loka Reddy , Kotla Siva Reddy , Penugurti Vasudevarao , Hota Prasanta K , Behera Manoranjan , Shree A. Jaya
Published: January 2019

Two series of diaziridinyl quinone isoxazole derivatives were prepared and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against MCF7, HeLa, BT549, A549 and HEK293 cell lines and interaction with tubulin. Compounds (6a–m ) showed promising activity against all the 5 human cancer cell lines. Compounds 6a, 6e and 6 m were potent [IC50 ranging between 2.21 µg to 2.87 µg] on ER-positive MCF7 cell line similar to the commercially available drug molecule Doxorubicin. The results from docking models are in consistent with the experimental values which demonstrated the favourable binding modes of compounds 6a–m to the interface of α- and β-tubulin dimer.
The Influence of an Active Glove Arm in Softball Pitching: A Biomechanical Evaluation
Authors: Barfield Jeff , Anz Adam , Osterman Catherine , Andrews James , Oliver Gretchen
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to determine whether glove arm kinematics during a windmill softball pitch impact pelvic and trunk kinematics as well as pitching arm shoulder kinetics. Thirty-Nine college softball pitchers (20.0±1.4 yrs.; 174.7±6.1 cm; 82.0±13.0 kg; 10.7±2.7 yrs. of experience) threw 3 pitches to a catcher while kinematic and kinetic data were collected. Pearson product moment correlations were run, and significant correlations found with glove arm kinematics, occurring before pelvis kinematics, trunk kinematics, and shoulder kinetics, were then put through a linear regression to identify whether there was any potential cause and effect. Results revealed that glove arm elbow flexion during phase 1 significantly predicted normalized shoulder rotation moment during phase 4 (t=2.60, p=0.013). Additionally, glove arm shoulder horizontal abduction during phase 1 significantly predicted normalized shoulder moment in phase 3 (t=− 2.40, p=0.021) and pelvic angular velocity during phase 3 (t=−  3.20, p=0.003). In conclusion, an active glove arm was predictive of a more efficient kinetic chain later in the windmill pitching motion and could possibly play a role in preventing injury by lessening pitching shoulder joint loads.
Peroral endoscopic myotomy and fundoplication: a novel NOTES procedure
Authors: Inoue Haruhiro , Ueno Akiko , Shimamura Yuto , Manolakis Anastassios , Sharma Ashish , Kono Shin , Nishimoto Masayuki , Sumi Kazuya , Ikeda Haruo , Goda Kenichi , Onimaru Manabu , Yamaguchi Noriko , Itoh Hiroaki
Published: January 2019

Background Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has become the minimally invasive endoscopic treatment for achalasia; however, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) post-POEM has been reported. A pilot study was conducted in which an endoscopic fundoplication was added to the standard POEM (POEM + F) procedure to overcome this issue. We report the technical details of POEM + F and short-term safety results.

Methods POEM + F was performed in 21 patients. After completing myotomy, the endoscope was advanced from the submucosal tunnel into the peritoneal cavity. A partial mechanical barrier was created by retracting the anterior gastric wall at the esophagogastric junction with the use of endoclips and an endoloop.

Results POEM + F was technically feasible in all cases and created a visually recognizable fundoplication. The clinical course after POEM + F was uneventful. No immediate or delayed complications occurred.

Conclusion POEM + F may help mitigate the post-POEM incidence of GER and serve as a minimally invasive endoscopic alternative to a laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure. This is the largest case series of peroral natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery without laparoscopic assistance in the human foregut.
Updated S3-Guideline Ulcerative Colitis. German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
Authors:   Authors,   Collaborators:
Published: January 2019

This guideline provides evidence-based key recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis and upgrades the 2011 version. The guideline was developed by an interdisciplinary team of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists, nutrition experts, and patient support groups under the auspice of the German Society for Gastroenterology and Metabolic Diseases. The guideline used structural S3 consensus-based methodology and includes statements on clinical practice, prevention, infectiological problems, surgery and nutrition.
Surgery for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Liver Metastases
Authors: Etherington Mark , Roses Robert
Published: January 2019

Gastroenteropancreatic-neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) arise from endocrine cell types along the luminal gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Stage and grade are dominant predictors of outcome. Optimal management of localized, lower-grade GEP-NETs involves surgical resection, which is associated with excellent long-term survival. While high-grade disease is almost always associated with rapid disseminated progression, metastatic, well-differentiated GEP-NETs can progress slowly and are compatible with prolonged survival. Management of patients with an advanced spectrum of lower grade disease can include a range of systemic and local therapies and requires multidisciplinary collaboration. While controversy persists regarding the optimal scope and sequencing of therapy, surgical management can have a substantial impact alone or in combination with other therapies.
Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: El-Haddad Ghassan
Published: January 2019

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), a targeted form of systemic radiotherapy allowing the delivery of radionuclides directly to tumor cells, has been used for more than three decades in the treatment of advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) exhibiting high levels of somatostatin receptors. Recently, 177Lu-DOTATATE, a radiolabeled somatostatin analog, was approved by the US Food and Drug administration for the treatment of somatostatin receptor-positive gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) in adults. Early phase I and II studies have shown the benefits of PRRT, but it was the NETTER-1 trial (a large-scale randomized multicenter trial for progressive well-differentiated advanced or metastatic somatostatin receptor-positive midgut carcinoid tumors) that provided high-level evidence of improved overall response rate, and progression-free survival compared with long-acting octreotide. In this article, we will discuss the evolution, clinical applications, and implementation of PRRT, as well as potential future strategies to enhance its clinical efficacy in the treatment of GEP-NETs.
Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Hyponatremia in Pediatric Intensive Care
Authors: Al-Sofyani Khouloud A.
Published: January 2019

A retrospective chart review was conducted to estimate the prevalence and severity level of hyponatremia on admission at the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a Saudi tertiary hospital. Hyponatremia was highly prevalent (67.2%) and severe hyponatremia was frequent among patients with Pediatric Risk of Mortality score > 10%. Severe hyponatremia was also associated with increased length of stay (p = 0.04) and a trend of increased mortality (p = 0.054). However, disease severity was not an independent risk factor of mortality in PICU, but might confound other risk factors that render the children requiring prolonged hospital stay, mechanical ventilation, and increased health costs.
NASH in Lean Individuals
Authors: Younes Ramy , Bugianesi Elisabetta
Published: January 2019

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is generally associated with obesity and the related comorbidities but it can also develop in subjects with a body mass index (BMI) within the ethnic-specific cutoff of 25 kg/m2 BMI in Caucasian and 23 kg/m2 in Asian subjects, the so-called “lean” NAFLD. This sub-phenotype of NAFLD patients has been described across populations of different ethnicity, particularly in Asia, but it can be diagnosed in 10 to 20% of nonobese Americans and Caucasians. Pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning the “lean” phenotype are not completely understood, but they may include a more dysfunctional fat (visceral obesity, differences in adipocyte differentiation and altered lipid turnover), altered body composition (decreased muscle mass), a genetic background, not limited to patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) C > G polymorphisms, epigenetic changes occurring early in life and a different pattern of gut microbiota. Lean subjects with NAFLD have milder features of the metabolic syndrome when compared with obese patients. Nonetheless they have a higher prevalence of metabolic alterations (e.g., dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes) compared with healthy controls. Data on histological severity are controversial, but they can develop the full spectrum of liver disease associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis NASH. Since lean NAFLD usually present with less obesity-related comorbidities, it is commonly believed that this group would follow a relatively benign clinical course but recent data challenge this concept. Here, the authors describe the current knowledge about NAFLD in lean individuals and highlight the unanswered questions and gaps in the field.
Instability onset for submerged cylinders
Authors: González-Gutierrez Leo M. , Gimenez Juan M. , Ferrer Esteban
Published: January 2019

This paper describes how the global stability of a circular cylinder is affected when submerged in a two-phase gravitational flow. The flow behavior is governed by both the Reynolds and the Froude number, while the depth of the cylinder has been varied to create different scenarios for the stability analysis. The baseflow obtained by the numerical solution of the 2D Navier-Stokes equations has been analyzed, and the first bifurcation (i.e., Hopf type) has been explored for different depths, Reynolds numbers, and Froude numbers. In addition to the typical vortex shedding instabilities associated with the isolated cylinders, the presence of an interface between fluids creates new instabilities associated with the free surface which present more complex and deformed structures. According to the region of the parameter space studied here, two main causes of instabilities have been found: the ones provoked by vortex shedding on the cylinder wake (wake instabilities) at low Froude numbers and the ones produced by the free surface deformation (free surface instabilities) at high Froude numbers. When instabilities are related to vortex shedding, the critical Reynolds number and the frequency of the most unstable mode are comparable to the classical solution without free surface and gravity effects. In all cases, the shape of the most unstable mode is deformed and distorted according to the free surface location, while the critical Reynolds numbers and the frequency associated with the perturbation are both affected by the gravity and the free surface presence.
Jet formation during the gas penetration through a thin liquid layer
Authors: Li Mingbo , Hu Liang , Xu Hanghang , Chen Wenyu , Xie Haibo , Fu Xin
Published: January 2019

A free bubble reaching the liquid surface usually bursts and then forms a liquid jet with drops ejected. While bubble-mediated jetting is a topic widely studied, few investigations deal with the jet produced by a growing bubble. Here, we report and characterize a novel phenomenon, named periodic bubbling-bursting, that can develop when a continuous stream of gas penetrates through a thin liquid layer. This behavior is complex with a characteristic frequency and can be divided into three stages from bubbling to cavity collapse and jetting. We show that increasing the liquid layer thickness and gas velocity leads to a larger bubble. However, the effect is strongly coupled with the orifice diameter and a scaling law of the bubble rupture radius is derived. Subsequently, we demonstrate that the collapsing cavities exhibit shape similarity and deduce the dependence of pinch-off height and opening angle of the conical cavity on the bubble rupture radius and liquid layer thickness. This enables us to disentangle three different neck-pinching mechanisms at play in pinch-off. Accordingly, gravity shapes the cavity and participates in the capillary wave selection that strongly modulates the jet formation. With increasing layer thickness, the jet first becomes fat and small and then ends up thinner and higher, detaching more and smaller droplets. We present a simple scaling law for the jet velocity which involves the liquid layer thickness to the power 1/2. Finally, a phase diagram for jet breakup and no breakup is built with respect to the initial Weber and Bond numbers.
The evolution of word prosody in the Papuan languages of Eastern Timor
Authors: Heston Tyler M.
Published: January 2019

Word prosody and sentence-level intonation undergo complex interactions through time. In this study, I focus on
the effects of intonation on the development of word prosody in two closely related Papuan languages, Makalero and Fataluku.
Though both are very similar segmentally, Makalero’s prosodic system is based on trochaic stress, while Fataluku is
characterized primarily by phrase-level intonational contours. On the basis of internal comparative evidence, I demonstrate that
the trochaic stress system of Makalero is older, and that a series of well-motivated sound changes has led to a dissociation of
stress and intonation in Fataluku. A disassociation between stress and intonation is typologically unexpected, and analysis of the
historical development of Fataluku’s system sheds light on how such a dissociation may have taken place.
Associative learning of flowers by generalist bumble bees can be mediated by microbes on the petals
Authors: Russell Avery L , Ashman Tia-Lynn
Published: January 2019

Communication is often vital to the maintenance of mutualisms. In plant-pollinator mutualisms, plants signal pollinators via floral displays, composed of olfactory, visual, and other plant-derived cues. While plants are understood to be associated with microbes, only recently has the role of microbial (yeast and bacteria) inhabitants of flowers as intermediaries of plant-pollinator communication been recognized. Animals frequently use microbial cues to find resources, yet no study has examined whether microbes directly mediate learned and innate pollinator responses. Here, we asked whether microbes on the flower surface, independent of their modification of floral rewards, can mediate these key components of pollinator preference. In the field, we characterized flower and bumble bee microbial abundance, and in laboratory assays we tested whether bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) discriminated flowers on the basis of an experimental floral microbial community on the petals and whether microbe-derived chemicals were effective cues. Learning of microbial community cues was associative and reward context-dependent and mediated by microbial chemicals. Deconstructing the experimental microbial community showed bees innately avoided flowers with bacteria, but were undeterred by yeast. Microbial cues thus potentially facilitate dynamic communication between plants and pollinators such as bumble bees, especially as pollinator visitation can change flower microbiota. We suggest that the study of communication in mutualism generally would benefit by considering not only the multicellular eukaryote partners, but their microbial associates.
InterMineR: an R package for InterMine databases
Authors: Kyritsis Konstantinos A , Wang Bing , Sullivan Julie , Lyne Rachel , Micklem Gos
Published: January 2019

InterMineR is a package designed to provide a flexible interface between the R programming environment and biological databases built using the InterMine platform. The package offers access to the flexible query builder and the library of term enrichment tools of the InterMine framework, as well as interoperability with other Bioconductor packages. This facilitates automation of data retrieval tasks as well as downstream analysis with existing statistical tools in the R environment.

Availability and implementation

InterMineR is free and open source, released under the LGPL licence and available from the Bioconductor project and Github (https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/InterMineR.html, https://github.com/intermine/interMineR).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
SVIM: structural variant identification using mapped long reads
Authors: Heller David , Vingron Martin
Published: January 2019

Motivation

Structural variants are defined as genomic variants larger than 50 bp. They have been shown to affect more bases in any given genome than single-nucleotide polymorphisms or small insertions and deletions. Additionally, they have great impact on human phenotype and diversity and have been linked to numerous diseases. Due to their size and association with repeats, they are difficult to detect by shotgun sequencing, especially when based on short reads. Long read, single-molecule sequencing technologies like those offered by Pacific Biosciences or Oxford Nanopore Technologies produce reads with a length of several thousand base pairs. Despite the higher error rate and sequencing cost, long-read sequencing offers many advantages for the detection of structural variants. Yet, available software tools still do not fully exploit the possibilities.

Results

We present SVIM, a tool for the sensitive detection and precise characterization of structural variants from long-read data. SVIM consists of three components for the collection, clustering and combination of structural variant signatures from read alignments. It discriminates five different variant classes including similar types, such as tandem and interspersed duplications and novel element insertions. SVIM is unique in its capability of extracting both the genomic origin and destination of duplications. It compares favorably with existing tools in evaluations on simulated data and real datasets from Pacific Biosciences and Nanopore sequencing machines.

Availability and implementation

The source code and executables of SVIM are available on Github: github.com/eldariont/svim. SVIM has been implemented in Python 3 and published on bioconda and the Python Package Index.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The ReproGenomics Viewer: a multi-omics and cross-species resource compatible with single-cell studies for the reproductive science community
Authors: Darde Thomas A , Lecluze Estelle , Lardenois Aurélie , Stévant Isabelle , Alary Nathan , Tüttelmann Frank , Collin Olivier , Nef Serge , Jégou Bernard , Rolland Antoine D , Chalmel Frédéric
Published: January 2019

Motivation

Recent advances in transcriptomics have enabled unprecedented insight into gene expression analysis at a single-cell resolution. While it is anticipated that the number of publications based on such technologies will increase in the next decade, there is currently no public resource to centralize and enable scientists to explore single-cell datasets published in the field of reproductive biology.

Results

Here, we present a major update of the ReproGenomics Viewer, a cross-species and cross-technology web-based resource of manually-curated sequencing datasets related to reproduction. The redesign of the ReproGenomics Viewer's architecture is accompanied by significant growth of the database content including several landmark single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets. The implementation of additional tools enables users to visualize and browse the complex, high-dimensional data now being generated in the reproductive field.

Availability and implementation

The ReproGenomics Viewer resource is freely accessible at http://rgv.genouest.org. The website is implemented in Python, JavaScript and MongoDB, and is compatible with all major browsers. Source codes can be downloaded from https://github.com/fchalmel/RGV.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Other People’s Dirty Money: Professional Intermediaries, Market Dynamics and the Finances of White-collar, Corporate and Organized Crimes
Authors: Lord Nicholas J , Campbell Liz J , Van Wingerde Karin
Published: January 2019

This article analyses the market dynamics of the misuse of ‘corporate vehicles’ in the management of finances generated from, and for, organized, white-collar and corporate crimes. The term ‘corporate vehicles’ is a policy construct used to refer to legitimate, legal structures, like trusts and companies, that facilitate a range of commercial activities. Such vehicles also provide opportunities for those involved in serious crimes for gain to control, convert and conceal their illicit finances, usually with the assistance of professional intermediaries, such as lawyers or financial advisors. This article empirically investigates key market features (actors/providers, commodities/products, services) and conditions (supply, demand, regulation, competition), with particular focus on professional intermediaries and how they facilitate the control of other people’s dirty money.
The Poles of Igusa Zeta Integrals and the Unextendability of Semi-invariant Distributions
Authors: Hong Jiuzu
Published: January 2019

We investigate the relationship between the poles of Igusa zeta integrals and the unextendability of semi-invariant distributions. Under some algebraic conditions, we obtain an upper bound for the order of the poles of Igusa zeta integral, and by using the order of the poles we give a criterion on the unextendability of semi-invariant distributions. A key ingredient of our method is the idea of generalized semi-invariant distributions.
The Influence of Health Motivation and Calorie Ending on Preferences for Indulgent Foods
Authors: Choi Jungsil , Jessica Li Yexin , Samper Adriana
Published: January 2019

Food and beverage manufacturers now regularly display “just below” calorie amounts (e.g., 99, 199, 299) in advertisements, presumably to appeal to health-motivated consumers. “Just below” values are those that fall one or more digits below a round number, most commonly seen as nine-ending numbers. However, although nine-ending prices are known to stimulate purchase intent, it is unclear whether or when nine-ending calorie labeling shapes food preferences. The present research shows that when consumers view indulgent foods with just-below (vs. round-ending) calorie amounts, they exhibit higher consumption intentions, purchase intent, and consumption behavior, yet only if they are high in health motivation. This is due to a tendency for health-motivated consumers to overweigh the leftmost digit in multidigit numbers—a cognitive bias known as the “level effect.” This bias results in the perception that just-below (vs. round) -ending indulgent foods have relatively fewer calories, decreasing anticipated guilt and increasing consumption intentions and behavior. The superiority of just-below calorie presentation under health motivation is attenuated with the addition of reference intake labeling (i.e., % daily calorie intake values), which equalizes the magnitude of nine- and round-ending calorie indulgent foods.
Linguistic analysis of datasets for semantic textual similarity
Authors: Wang Chunlin , Castellón Irene , Comelles Elisabet
Published: January 2019

Semantic Textual Similarity (STS), which measures the equivalence of meanings between two textual segments, is an important and useful task in Natural Language Processing. In this article, we have analyzed the datasets provided by the Semantic Evaluation (SemEval) 2012–2014 campaigns for this task in order to find out appropriate linguistic features for each dataset, taking into account the influence that linguistic features at different levels (e.g. syntactic constituents and lexical semantics) might have on the sentence similarity. Results indicate that a linguistic feature may have a different effect on different corpus due to the great difference in sentence structure and vocabulary between datasets. Thus, we conclude that the selection of linguistic features according to the genre of the text might be a good strategy for obtaining better results in the STS task. This analysis could be a useful reference for measuring system building and linguistic feature tuning.
Assessment and Diagnosis of Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Hustak Erik C.
Published: January 2019

The assessment and diagnosis of neuropathic pain are essential in understanding the complex mechanisms responsible for this syndrome. Furthermore, there is a tremendous need for more effective, targeted strategies for delivering pain medicine. Unfortunately, the diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain can be challenging. A standardized approach leading to an accurate diagnosis must be consistently communicated among clinicians and researchers, and the diagnostician needs to differentiate neuropathic pain from other pain phenotypes. Several validated tools and questionnaires have been designed specifically for this purpose and are discussed in depth in this chapter. The clinician must utilize the history and physical exam and consider ordering pertinent confirmatory tests to support the neuropathic pain diagnosis. A critical understanding of this work is needed in order to promote progress in our ability to define potential treatment targets to alleviate suffering in our patients.