bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Turbocharger Speed Monitoring Based on Vibration Measurements for Diesel Engine Management
Authors: Chiatti Giancarlo , Chiavola Ornella , Palmieri Fulvio
Published: December 2019

Demanding legislation on exhaust emissions and fuel consumption has led great attention to on board control algorithms able to optimize the combustion process in terms of efficiency and pollutants emissions production.

Dealing with turbocharged engines, the thermo and fluid dynamic conditions of the exhaust gas are responsible for the turbine rotation; its speed has demonstrated to be related to the combustion process and can be used for the combustion monitoring.

This work presents a methodology in which the instantaneous turbocharger speed is obtained by the processing of the signal from an accelerometer mounted on the compressor housing.

Experimental tests have been carried out on a small water-cooled, two cylinder, common rail diesel engine installed in the Laboratory of the Engineering Department at ‘ROMA TRE’ University. The methodology has been applied to the signals acquired during steady state and transient tests. The comparison between the estimations provided by the accelerometer and the values obtained by direct measurements highlighted the accuracy of the predictions thus demonstrating the suitability of the accelerometer to be used as feedback signal in algorithms for the engine management in order to maintain the combustion effectiveness in spite of aging and degradation of components, variations of fuel properties.
Innovative Instrumented Sliding Bearings As a New Approach to On-Board Bearing Monitoring
Authors: Breiteneder Thomas , Schubert-Zallinger Claudia , Wimmer Andreas , Vyštejn Jan , Hager Gunther , Schallmeiner Stefan
Published: December 2019

In addition to a further reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, the current focus of internal combustion engine development is on system integration of the engine and its components to ensure perfect engine operation and high engine performance over the entire service life of the engine. Extensive sensor application allows acquisition, storage and intelligent processing of numerous engine parameters in digital engine control systems. Intelligent software platforms are increasingly being used to fully exploit the data generated by sensor systems and ensure optimal engine operation. This paper deals with new concepts for measuring physical quantities that are characteristic of sliding bearings. It describes the development of a flexible and multifunctional sensor technology for real-time measuring of temperature and pressure as well as the signal transfer and data acquisition from moving parts to outside the engine.

The sensor technology required for such a system must meet the challenges of defining a quickly responding method that captures the measured variable as close to the bearing surface as possible in order to detect bearing failures in advance. The system must be able to withstand the high temperatures and mechanical loads inside the engine. In addition, fast wireless data transfer of signals acquired from moving components such as conrod bearings is necessary. A highly flexible sensor package based on thin-film technology was developed to meet these requirements. The sensor is integrated into the bearing shell and has the potential to be employed in series application. A robust telemetry unit able to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature and extremely high centrifugal forces was developed that transfers the measured data to engine ECU or other external devices. At the same time, transmission rate, distances and power demand are subject to stringent requirements.

To create a comparative basis for further verification of bearings with thin film sensor technology and to gain insight into the temperature distribution in the bearing gap, measurements with conventional sensor technology that assesses temperatures directly inside the lubrication gap were undertaken on a bearing test rig as well as on a multicylinder heavy duty diesel truck engine. The results of these investigations also provide a fundamental understanding of the temperature distribution in the bearing gap for crankshaft as well as for conrod bearings. The results of ongoing investigations will include a validation of the new temperature measurement method based on thin film technology under real engine conditions.
A Literature Review of NOx Formation Kinetics and a Prediction Method for Lean-Burn, Two-Stroke Natural Gas Engines
Authors: Linker Taylor F. , Patterson Mark , Beshouri Greg , Bajwa Abdullah U. , Jacobs Timothy J.
Published: December 2019

The increased production of natural gas harvested from unconventional sources, such as shale, has led to fluctuations in the species composition of natural gas moving through pipelines. These variations alter the chemical properties of the bulk gas mixture and, consequently, affect the operation of pipeline compressor engines which use the gas as fuel. Among several possible ramifications of these variations is that of unacceptably high engine-out NOx emissions. Therefore, engine controller enhancements which can account for fuel variability are necessary for maintaining emissions compliance. Having the means to predict NOx emissions from a field engine can inform the development of such control schemes.

There are several types of compressor engines; however, this study considers a large bore, lean-burn, two-stroke, integral compressor engine. This class of engine has unique operating conditions which make the formation of engine-out NOx different from typical automotive spark-ignited engines. For this reason, automotive-based methods for predicting NOx emissions are not sufficiently accurate. In this study, an investigation is performed on the possible NO and NO2 formation pathways which could be contributing to exhaust emissions. Additionally, a modeling method is proposed to predict engine-out NOx emissions using a 0-D/1-D model of a Cooper-Bessemer GMWH-10C compressor engine. Predictions are achieved with GRI-Mech3.0, a natural gas combustion mechanism, which allows for simulated formation of NOx species. The implemented technique is tuned using experimental data from a field engine to better predict emissions over a range of engine operating conditions. Tuning the model led to acceptable agreement across operating points varying in both load and trapped equivalence ratio.
A New Single-Zone Multi-Stage Scavenging Model for Real-Time Emissions Control in Two-Stroke Engines
Authors: Bajwa Abdullah U. , Patterson Mark , Linker Taylor , Jacobs Timothy J.
Published: December 2019

Gas exchange processes in two-stroke internal combustion engines, i.e. scavenging, remove exhaust gases from the combustion chamber and prepare the fuel-oxidizer mixture that undergoes combustion. A non-negligible fraction of the mixture trapped in the cylinder at the conclusion of scavenging is composed of residual gases from the previous cycle. This can cause significant changes to the combustion characteristics of the mixture by changing its composition and temperature, i.e. its thermodynamic state. Thus, it is vital to have accurate knowledge of the thermodynamic state of the post-scavenging mixture to be able to reliably predict and control engine performance, efficiency and emissions.

Several simple-scavenging models can be found in the literature that — based on a variety of idealized interaction modes between incoming and cylinder gases — calculate the state of the trapped mixture. In this study, boundary conditions extracted from a validated 1-D predictive model of a single-cylinder two-stroke engine are used to gauge the performance of four simple scavenging models. It is discovered that the assumption of thermal homogeneity of the incoming and exiting gases is a major source of inaccuracy. A new non-isothermal multi-stage single-zone scavenging model is thus, proposed to address some of the shortcomings of the four models. The proposed model assumes that gas-exchange in cross-scavenged two-stroke engines takes place in three stages; an isentropic blowdown stage, followed by perfect-displacement and perfect-mixing stages. Significant improvements in the trapped mixture state estimates were observed as a result.
Boiling Heat Transfer Using Spatially-Variant and Uniform Microporous Coatings
Authors: Pham Quang N. , Suh Youngjoon , Shao Bowen , Won Yoonjin
Published: December 2019

Two-phase thermal management offers cooling performance enhancement by an order of magnitude higher than single-phase flow due to the latent heat associated with phase change. Among the modes of phase-change, boiling can effectively remove massive amounts of heat flux from the surface by employing structured or 3D microporous coatings to significantly enlarge the interfacial surface area for improved heat transfer rate as well as increase the number of potential sites for bubble nucleation and departure. The bubble dynamics during pool boiling are often considered to be essential in predicting heat transfer performance, causing it to be a field of significant interest. While prior investigations seek to modulate the bubble dynamics through either active (e.g., surfactants, electricity) or passive means (e.g., surface wettability, microstructures), the utilization of an ordered microporous architecture to instigate desirable liquid and vapor flow field has been limited. Here, we investigate the bubble dynamics using various spatial patterns of inverse opal channels to induce preferential heat and mass flow site in highly-interconnected microporous media. A fully-coated inverse opal surface demonstrates the intrinsic boiling effects of a uniform microporous coating, which exhibits 156% enhancement in heat transfer coefficient in comparison to the polished silicon surface. The boiling heat transfer performances of spatially-variant inverse opal channels significantly differ based on the pitch spacings between the microporous channels, which dictate the bubble coalescent behaviors and bubble departure characteristics. The elucidated boiling heat transfer performances will provide engineering guidance toward designing optimal two-phase thermal management devices.
Thermomechanical Stress and Warpage Augmentation Using Auxetic Features in Electronic Design
Authors: Montazeri Mahsa , Harris John , Huitink David R. , Venkatanarayanan Adithya , Ang Simon S.
Published: December 2019

One of the leading contributors to assembly and reliability issues in electronic packaging arises from warpage and interfacial stresses stemming from coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch of the interfacing components. Trends toward miniaturizing and increasing density of the electronic packages exacerbate the assembly problems, leading to issues such as die cracking and board level assembly yield loss. One potential solution may be found in the inclusion of auxetic structures, which demonstrate negative Poisson’s ratio through re-entrant geometries, which has been investigated for use in augmented structural mechanics for impact energy absorption. Because of the unique structural design, auxetics become thicker perpendicularly under an applied tensile load, unlike typical material loading responses. This interesting behavior has opportunity for integration into electronic packages for stress mitigation under thermal cycling since the structures can disrupt the typical expansion behavior. Here, auxetic trace geometries and structures were evaluated in various packaging implementations (die and substrate level) for warpage and stress reduction under thermal cycling conditions. By replacing standard Manhattan-style layouts and power and ground plane features with re-entrant trace geometries, reductions in thermomechanically induced interfacial stresses were observed, in addition to considering heat spreading properties within a package. Herein, deformation of silicon chip with addition of raised re-entrant Evans auxetics and raised ellipse shape auxetic traces as well as deformation of direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate with and without re-entrant auxetic patterned pads are estimated and compared using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in ANSYS software. To demonstrate the benefits of passive auxetic traces, a planar transformer with re-entrant Evans auxetic patterns on PCB layers has been examined under full-load operating condition and compared with a traditionally patterned transformers. A better thermal distribution and lower maximum temperature in the device are achieved by including auxetic patterned features. FEA simulation results also show stress reduction in windings and lower deformation in PCB layers. Inclusion of auxetic structures in passive metal deposition layers which are not part of the circuit is shown to reduce maximum stress and warp deflection, as well as improve thermal gradient distribution and reduce overall temperature for 2D planar and 3D stacked packages. Consequently, use of auxetic features may extend package reliability significantly.
Quantitative Characterization of Sapphire and Silicon Nitride for Space Applications Circuit Subassemblies Using Cryogenic Cycling
Authors: Lovelace Kirsten , Smith Sonya
Published: December 2019

This research investigates the effects of thermal cycling from room to cryogenic temperatures (300K–4K) on the thermal expansion coefficient of two ceramic substrates of Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) and alpha-Alumina/Sapphire (α-Al2O3). Due to the shortage of available data, a comparative study with reference materials, Copper, AISI Carbon Steel 1008 and Molybdenum, are compared to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) property data as a proof of concept. Accurate thermal contraction data of materials at low temperatures are important in material selection and thermal design of engineered systems, such as, space electronic devices. Thermal expansion mismatch causes substantial problems in space electronic device reliability because of the various stresses imposed on the joint materials undergoing extreme thermal cycles. Theory supports the advantage of utilizing Sapphire (Al2O3) and Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) within microchip configuration. However, there is limited data available that confidently supports this assertion beyond theory. An electro-mechanical method for in-situ strain measurements is presented as a tool to characterize thermomechanical behavior of Sapphire and Silicon Nitride at temperatures below 50 K. The calculated coefficient of thermal expansion for silicon nitride is 1.35 · 10−6 1/K and 0.994 · 10−6 1/K for sapphire at 5.7 K. The results from this validation have a mean error percentage of less than 6 %.
Fabrication Steps and Thermal Modeling of Three-Dimensional Asynchronous Field Programmable Gate Array (3D-AFPGA)
Authors: Carroll Robert , Gutierrez Carlos , Choobineh Leila , Geer Robert
Published: December 2019

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) are integrated circuits (ICs) which can implement virtually any digital function and can be configured by a designer after manufacturing. This is beneficial when dedicated application-specific runs are not time or cost-effective; however, this flexibility comes at the cost of a substantially higher interconnect overhead. Three-dimensional (3D) integration can offer significant improvements in the FPGA architecture by stacking multiple device layers and interconnecting them in the third or vertical dimension, through a substrate, where path lengths are greatly reduced. This will allow for a higher density of devices and improvements in power consumption, signal integrity, and delay. Further, it facilities heterogeneous integration where additional functionalities can be incorporated into the same package as the FPGA, such as sensors, memories, and RF/analog or photonic chips, etc. Traditionally, devices have always been laid out in a planar format. 3D integration is an architecture wherein multiple layers of planar devices are stacked and interconnected using through silicon vias (TSVs) in the vertical direction.

This work will specifically detail the development of a processing and fabrication route for a three-dimensional asynchronous field programmable gate array (3D-AFPGA) design based on an extension of preexisting 2D-FPGA tile designs. Since thermal management of 3D-AFPGA is important, numerical simulations performed to predict the temperature distribution and avoid the maximum junction temperature. The numerical thermal modeling for predicting the equivalent thermal conductivity in every layer and three-dimensional temperature fields in the 3D-AFPGA are developed and discussed.
Effect of Drop Angle Variation and Restraint Mechanisms on Surface Mount Electronics Under High G Shock
Authors: Lall Pradeep , Pandurangan Aathi Raja Ram , Dornala Venkata Kalyan Reddy , Suhling Jeff , Deep John , Lowe Ryan
Published: December 2019

Defense and Aerospace applications increasingly rely on commercial off-the shelf electronics. Electronics in defense applications may be exposed to harsh environments including high-g acceleration loads. The horizontal board configuration is most frequently tested. However, other shock orientations may be more damaging depending on technology and design. The out-of-plane displacement and strain values highly depend on the angle of shock on the electronic components in the printed circuit board. The effect of variation in drop angle under high G conditions, and efficacy of supplemental restraint mechanisms on the reliability have not been studied at high-g acceleration loads in the range of 10,000g–50,000g. In this study the reliability of fine-pitch electronics and large 3640 capacitors with C0G dielectric has been studied in presence of potting compounds, different shock orientations. A circular printed circuit board has been designed with daisy-chained packages. The drop angle has been varied from zero-degree to 30-degree. A drop-tower with dual mass shock amplifier has been used to achieve the desired acceleration pulse. Transient dynamic deformation has been measured using high-speed imaging in conjunction with digital image correlation.
Effects of 2 Different External Loads on Joint Position Sense and the Relationship Between Muscle Strength and Force Sense
Authors: Altun Muammer
Published: December 2019

Context:Joint position sense (JPS) tests of proprioception lack ecological validity because the testing conditions are so different from the normal function that they can contribute little to understanding the role proprioception plays in daily and sporting activities.Objective:To evaluate the effect of low and high external load on the knee JPS and to investigate the relationship between maximum voluntary isometric contraction and force sense (FS).Design:Experimental study.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:A total of 47 volunteers with no history of knee pathology.Interventions:Three active JPS tests performed with no load, low load, and high load were compared at the 45° target angle. For isometric FS test, 50% load was used. For isotonic low load and high load JPS tests, 30% and 70% loads were applied, respectively.Main Outcome Measures:To analyze obtained data set 2-way multiple analysis of variance, repeated measures of analysis of variance, paired samplettest, and the Pearson correlation coefficient were used.Results:JPS was not affected by gender (male and female) and activity levels (sedentary, recreational, and trained). Results of the repeated measure of analysis of variance demonstrated the significant main effect of loads (P = .001). Significant differences were found between no load, low load, and high load JPS (P = .001). A positive and significant correlation was found between maximum voluntary isometric contraction and FS error values (r = .41,P = .001).Conclusions:The results suggest that as the load level increases, the knee JPS improves. Knee JPS assessed under external load may be a more appropriate alternative to the nature of the sport. Those with higher muscle strength have a worse FS.
Polymer gel with a flexible and highly ordered three-dimensional network synthesized via bond percolation
Authors: Li X. , Nakagawa S. , Tsuji Y. , Watanabe N. , Shibayama M.
Published: December 2019

Geometric constraint in pregel solution enables construction of a highly ordered three-dimensional polymer network.
Expedient synthesis of
E
-hydrazone esters and 1
H
-indazole scaffolds through heterogeneous single-atom platinum catalysis
Authors: Liu Cuibo , Chen Zhongxin , Yan Huan , Xi Shibo , Yam Kah Meng , Gao Jiajian , Du Yonghua , Li Jing , Zhao Xiaoxu , Xie Keyu , Xu Haisen , Li Xing , Leng Kai , Pennycook Stephen J. , Liu Bin , Zhang Chun , Koh Ming Joo , Loh Kian Ping
Published: December 2019

A heterogeneous Pt single-atom catalyst promotes E-selective synthesis of hydrazones en route to bioactive 1
H
-indazoles.
T cell–derived interferon-γ programs stem cell death in immune-mediated intestinal damage
Authors: Takashima S. , Martin M. L. , Jansen S. A. , Fu Y. , Bos J. , Chandra D. , O’Connor M. H. , Mertelsmann A. M. , Vinci P. , Kuttiyara J. , Devlin S. M. , Middendorp S. , Calafiore M. , Egorova A. , Kleppe M. , Lo Y. , Shroyer N. F. , Cheng E. H. , Levine R. L. , Liu C. , Kolesnick R. , Lindemans C. A. , Hanash A. M.
Published: December 2019

T cell–derived interferon-γ can directly target intestinal stem cells to induce their apoptosis in a JAK/STAT-dependent manner (see the related Focus by
Kretzschmar and Clevers
).
Environmental Chemical Diethylhexyl Phthalate Alters Intestinal Microbiota Community Structure and Metabolite Profile in Mice
Authors: Lei Ming , Menon Rani , Manteiga Sara , Alden Nicholas , Hunt Carrie , Alaniz Robert C. , Lee Kyongbum , Jayaraman Arul
Published: December 2019

Several previous studies have pointed to environmental chemical exposure during windows of development as a contributing factor in neurodevelopmental disorders and correlated these disorders with microbiota dysbiosis; however, little is known about how the chemicals specifically alter the microbiota to interfere with development. The findings reported in this paper unambiguously establish that a pollutant linked with neurodevelopmental disorders can directly modify the microbiota to promote the production of a potentially toxic metabolite (
p
-cresol) that has also been correlated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, we used a novel modeling strategy to identify the responsible enzymes and bacterial sources of this metabolite. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to characterize the functional consequence of phthalate exposure on a developed microbiota. Our results suggest that specific bacterial pathways could be developed as diagnostic and therapeutic targets against health risks posed by ingestion of environmental chemicals.
Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of text messages targeting adherence to cardiovascular medications in secondary prevention: the txt2heart Colombia randomised controlled trial protocol
Authors: Bermon Anderson , Uribe-Rodríguez Ana Fernanda , Pérez-Rivero Paula Fernanda , Prieto-Merino David , Cáceres Rivera Diana Isabel , Guio Elizabeth , Atkins Louise , Horne Robert , Murray Elizabeth , Serrano Díaz Norma Cecilia , Free Caroline , Perel Pablo , Casas Juan P
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Anti-platelet therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta-blockers and statins are cost-effective in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) for reducing the risk of ASCVD events. Unfortunately, there is abundant evidence that adherence to these cardiovascular medications is far from ideal. A recent Cochrane review showed a potential beneficial effect of Short Message Service (SMS) interventions on adherence to medication in ASCVD patients.

Methods and analysis

The txt2heart study is a pragmatic randomised single-blind controlled trial. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intervention with SMS messages delivered by mobile phones to improve adherence to cardiovascular medications in patients with ASCVD. The intervention consists of behavioural techniques delivered via SMS. The primary outcome is change in blood serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as an indicator of adherence to statins. Secondary outcomes will include systolic blood pressure as an indicator of adherence to blood-lowering therapies and heart rate as an indicator of adherence to beta-blockers, urine levels of11-dehydrothromboxane B2, self-reported adherence to cardiovascular medications and rates of cardiovascular death or hospitalisation due to cardiovascular disease.

Ethics and dissemination

The study will be performed in compliance with the protocol, regulatory requirements, Good Clinical Practice and ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Ethics Committee of Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia evaluated and approved the trial. The txt2heart Colombia trial aims to provide robust evidence to evaluate whether SMS messages delivered through mobile telephones change the behaviour of Colombian patients who have suffered a cardiovascular event. Trial results will be presented to the local health authorities, and if the intervention is effective and safe, we hope this strategy will be implemented quickly because of its low cost and wide-reaching impact on the population.

Trial registration number

NCT03098186.
Use of smartphones for detecting diabetic retinopathy: a protocol for a scoping review of diagnostic test accuracy studies
Authors: Tan Choon Han , Quah Willie-Henri , Tan Colin S H , Smith Helen , Tudor Car Lorainne
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of impaired vision in adults worldwide. Early detection and treatment for DR could improve patient outcomes. Traditional methods of detecting DR include the gold standard Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study seven standard fields fundus photography, ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp biomicroscopy. These modalities can be expensive, difficult to access and require involvement of specialised healthcare professionals. With the development of mobile phone technology, there is a growing interest in their use for DR identification as this approach is potentially more affordable, accessible and easier to use. Smartphones can be employed in a variety of ways for ophthalmoscopy including the use of smartphone camera, various attachments and artificial intelligence for obtaining and grading of retinal images. The aim of this scoping review is to determine the diagnostic test accuracy of various smartphone ophthalmoscopy approaches for detecting DR in diabetic patients.

Methods and analysis

We will perform an electronic search of MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library for literature published from 2000 onwards. Two reviewers will independently analyse studies for eligibility and assess study quality using the QUADAS-2 tool. Data for a 2⨉2 contingency table will be extracted. If possible, we will pool sensitivity and specificity data using the random-effects model and construct a summary receiver operating characteristic curve. In case of high heterogeneity, we will present the findings narratively. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis will be performed where appropriate.

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review aims to provide an overview of smartphone ophthalmoscopy in DR identification. It will present findings on the accuracy of smartphone ophthalmoscopy in detecting DR, identify gaps in the literature and provide recommendations for future research. This review does not require ethical approval as we will not collect primary data.
Efficacy of a web-based self-help tool to reduce problem gambling in Switzerland: study protocol of a two-armed randomised controlled trial
Authors: Baumgartner Christian , Bilevicius Elena , Khazaal Yasser , Achab Sophia , Schaaf Susanne , Wenger Andreas , Haug Severin , Keough Matthew , Hodgins David , Schaub Michael P
Published: December 2019

Introduction

The past-year prevalence of problem gambling worldwide averages 2.3%. Switzerland exhibits a slightly lower past-year prevalence rate, of 1.1%, among adults. Only a minority of these adults attend outpatient treatment. Surveyed problem gamblers have explained that they wanted to handle the problem on their own. The option of a web-based self-help programme could potentially reach those users who hesitate to approach treatment centres and help them to reduce or stop their problem gambling. The effectiveness of such web-based interventions has been shown in other countries.

Methods and analysis

This two-armed randomised controlled trial (RCT) will examine the efficacy of a web-based self-help intervention, relative to an active control condition with a self-help manual, at reducing problem gambling. The active intervention programme, spanning 8 weeks, consists of nine modules developed to reduce gambling and attenuate psychopathological comorbidity, including depression, anxiety and stress-related disorder symptoms, relying on motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy. With a target sample size of 352, questionnaire data will be collected at baseline, and at 8 and 24 weeks after baseline. Primary outcomes will be the number of days one has gambled in the last 30 days. Secondary outcomes will include money and time spent on gambling activities, changes in gambling-related problems (Problem Gambling Severity Index, Gambling Symptom Assessment Scale), use of alcohol and cigarettes, and psychopathological comorbidity. All data analysis will comply with the intention-to-treat principle.

Ethics and dissemination

The RCT will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki; the consort eHealth Guidelines for studies on medical devices; the European Directive on medical devices 93/42/EEC, Swiss Law and Swiss Regulatory Authority requirements. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Canton of Zurich. Results will be published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. Participants will be informed via e-mail about study results via a lay-person-friendly summary of trial findings.

Trial registration number

Current Controlled Trials registry (ISRCTN16339434).
Concomitant intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy for extensive peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin: protocol of the multicentre, open-label, phase I, dose-escalation INTERACT trial
Authors: de Boer Nadine Leonie , Brandt-Kerkhof Alexandra R M , Madsen Eva V E , Diepeveen Marjolein , van Meerten Esther , van Eerden Ruben A G , de Man Femke M , Bouamar Rachida , Koolen Stijn L W , de Hingh Ignace H J T , Bakkers Checca , Rovers Koen P , Creemers Geert-Jan M , Deenen Maarten J , Kranenburg Onno W , Constantinides Alexander , Mathijssen Ron H J , Verhoef Cornelis , Burger Jacobus W A ,   Dutch Peritoneal Oncology Group (DPOG)
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) has become standard of care for patients with peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin with a low/moderate abdominal disease load. In case of a peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score >20, CRS-HIPEC is not considered to be beneficial. Patients with a PCI >20 are currently offered palliative systemic chemotherapy. Previous studies have shown that systemic chemotherapy is less effective against peritoneal metastases than it is against haematogenous spread of colorectal cancer. It is suggested that patients with peritoneal metastases may benefit from the addition of intraperitoneal chemotherapy to systemic chemotherapy. Aim of this study is to establish the maximum tolerated dose of intraperitoneal irinotecan, added to standard of care systemic therapy for colorectal cancer. Secondary endpoints are to determine the safety and feasibility of this treatment and to establish the pharmacokinetic profile of intraperitoneally administered irinotecan.

Methods and analysis

This phase I, ‘3+3’ dose-escalation, study is performed in two Dutch tertiary referral centres. The study population consists of adult patients with extensive peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin who have a good performance status and no extra-abdominal metastases. According to standard work-up for CRS-HIPEC, patients will undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy to score the PCI. In case of a PCI >20, a peritoneal access port will be placed in the abdomen of the patient. Through this port we will administer intraperitoneal irinotecan, in combination with standard systemic treatment consisting of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin with oxaliplatin and the targeted agent bevacizumab. Therapy consists of a maximum of 12 cycles 2-weekly.

Ethics and dissemination

This study protocol is approved by a research medical ethics committee (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and the Dutch Competent Authority (CCMO, The Hague, Netherlands). The results of this trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Trail registration number

NL6988 and NL2018-000479-33; Pre-results.
Glycerol kinase enhances hepatic lipid metabolism by repressing nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A1 in the nucleus
Authors: Miao Lili , Su Fei , Yang Yongsheng , Liu Yue , Wang Lei , Zhan Yiqun , Yin Ronghua , Yu Miao , Li Changyan , Yang Xiaoming , Ge Changhui
Published: December 2019

Glycerol kinase (GYK) plays a critical role in hepatic metabolism by converting glycerol to glycerol 3-phosphate in an ATP-dependent reaction. GYK isoform b is the only glycerol kinase present in whole cells, and has a non-enzymatic moonlighting function in the nucleus. GYK isoform b acts as a co-regulator of nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A1 (NR4A1) and participates in the regulation of hepatic glucose metabolism by protein–protein interaction with NR4A1. Herein, GYK expression was found to upregulate the expression of NR4A1-mediated lipid metabolism-related genes (SREBP1C, FASN, ACACA, and GPAM) in HEK293T and L02 cells, and in mouse in vivo studies. GYK expression increased blood levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but not low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It enhanced the transcriptional activity of Nr4a1 target genes by negatively cooperating with NR4A1 and its enzymatic activity or by other undefined moonlighting functions. This enhancement was observed in both normal and diabetic mice. We also found a feed-forward regulation loop between GYK and NR4A1, serving as part of a GYK-NR4A1 regulatory mechanism in hepatic metabolism. Thus, GYK regulates the effect of NR4A1 on hepatic lipid metabolism in normal and diabetic mice, partially through the cooperation of GYK and NR4A1.
Effect of gluon condensate on light quark energy loss
Authors: Zhang Zi-qiang
Published: December 2019

Applying the AdS/CFT correspondence, we study the jet quenching of light quarks traversing in a deformed AdS background with backreaction due to the gluon condensate. We perform the analysis using the falling string and shooting string cases, respectively. It is found that the two methods lead to a unanimous conclusion: the inclusion of the gluon condensate enhances the energy loss. In particular, the energy loss decreases as the value of the gluon condensate decreases in the deconfined phase, and at high temperature, it is nearly not modified by the gluon condensate, in agreement with the findings of the jet quenching parameter and drag force.
Analogue Hawking radiation and quantum soliton evaporation in a superconducting circuit
Authors: Tian Zehua , Du Jiangfeng
Published: December 2019

Hawking radiation is one of the most intriguing and elusive predictions of quantum field theory in curved spacetime. Previous works simulating Hawking radiation have been mostly based on Unruh’s scenario, where the propagation of quantum field in classical gravitational background is mimicked. Here, guided by the duality between black holes in Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) dilaton gravity and solitons in sine-Gordon (SG) field theory, we propose the use of a superconducting circuit for investigating analogue Hawking radiation. $$1+1$$1+1 dimensional black holes can be realized as solitons of the SG equation of superconducting phase. It is found despite the absence of field theoretic dynamical modes, the analogue Hawking radiation is emitted in terms of the quantum soliton evaporation as a result of quantum perturbation of the black hole metric. Our theoretical proposal could not only facilitate the observation of relativistic quantum effects in lab, but also contribute to experimentally exploring the quantum mechanics of solitons, especially to the deep relationship between such mechanics and black hole physics.
New five-dimensional Bianchi type magnetically charged hairy topological black hole solutions in string theory
Authors: Naderi F. , Rezaei-Aghdam A.
Published: December 2019

We construct black hole solutions to the leading order of string effective action in five dimensions with the source given by dilaton and magnetically charged antisymmetric gauge B-field. Presence of the considered B-field leads to the unusual asymptotic behavior of the solutions which are neither asymptotically flat nor asymptotically (A)dS. We consider the three-dimensional space part to correspond to the Bianchi classes and so the horizons of these topological black hole solutions are modeled by seven homogeneous Thurston’s geometries of $$E^3$$E3, $$S^3$$S3, $$H^3$$H3, $$ H^2 \times E^1$$H2×E1, $$\widetilde{{SL_2R}}$$SL2R~, nilgeometry, and solvegeometry. Calculating the quasi-local mass, temperature, entropy, dilaton charge, and magnetic potential, we show that the first law of black hole thermodynamics is satisfied by these quantities and the dilaton charge is not independent of mass and magnetic charge. Furthermore, for Bianchi type V, the T-dual black hole solution is obtained which carries no charge associated with B-field and the entropy turns to be invariant under the T-duality.
A hint towards mass dimension one Flag-dipole spinors
Authors: Rogerio R. J. Bueno , Villalobos C. H. Coronado , Aguirre A. R.
Published: December 2019

In this report we advance in exploring further details concerning the formal aspects of the construction of a Flag-dipole spinor. We report a (re-)definition of the dual structure which provide a Lorentz invariant and non-null norm, ensuring a local theory. With the new dual structure at hands, we look towards define relevant physical amounts, e.g., spin sums and quantum field operator. As we will see, the Flag-dipole and the Elko’s theory are quite familiar. In this vein, it is possible, via a matrix transformation, to write Flag-dipole spinors in terms of Elko spinor, evincing that both spinors are physically related and some physical amounts may be stated as equivalent.
Superalgebras with superinvolution or graded involution with colengths sequence bounded by 3
Authors: Ioppolo Antonio
Published: December 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a superalgebra with superinvolution or graded involution over a field of characteristic zero and let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], be the [Formula: see text]-cocharacter of [Formula: see text]. The ∗-colengths sequence, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], is the sum of the multiplicities in the decomposition of the [Formula: see text]-cocharacter [Formula: see text], for all [Formula: see text]. The main purpose of this paper is to classify the superalgebras with superinvolution with ∗-colengths sequence bounded by three. Moreover, we shall extend to the general case, the analogous result proved by do Nascimento and Vieira in [Superalgebras with graded involution and star-graded colength bounded by 3, Linear Multilinear Algebra 67(10) (2019) 1999–2020] for finite-dimensional superalgebras with graded involution.
The intersection of ethics and AI
Authors: Zhou Annie
Published: December 2019

Artificial intelligence is a rapidly advancing field with the potential to revolutionize health care, transportation, and national security. Although the technology has been ubiquitous in every day society for a while, the advent of self-driving cars and smart home devices have propelled a discussion of the associated ethical risks and responsibilities. Since the usage of AI can have significant impacts on people, it is essential to establish a set of ethical values to follow when developing and deploying AI.
Soundness of a Dataflow Analysis for Memory Monitoring
Authors: Ly Dara , Kosmatov Nikolai , Signoles Julien , Loulergue Frédéric
Published: December 2019

An important concern addressed by runtime verification tools for C code is related to detecting memory errors. It requires to monitor some properties of memory locations (e.g., their validity and initialization) along the whole program execution. Static analysis based optimizations have been shown to significantly improve the performances of such tools by reducing the monitoring of irrelevant locations. However, soundness of the verdict of the whole tool strongly depends on the soundness of the underlying static analysis technique. This paper tackles this issue for the dataflow analysis used to optimize the E-ACSL runtime assertion checking tool.We formally define the core dataflow analysis used by E-ACSL and prove its soundness.
Numerical Calculations on the Unsteady Aerodynamic Force of the Tilt-Rotor Aircraft in Conversion Mode
Authors: Chen Hao
Published: December 2019

A computational method is developed in order to predict the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of the tilt-rotor aircraft in conversion mode. In this approach, the rotor is modeled as an actuator disk so that the effect of individual blades can be ignored. A novel predictor-corrector-based dynamic mesh method is presented for dealing with extremely large mesh deformation during a conversion process. The dual time-stepping approach and the finite volume scheme are applied to solve the unsteady N-S equation. A parallel algorithm is utilized in this work to improve the computational efficiency. By using the present method, quantitative and qualitative comparisons are made between the aerodynamic coefficients obtained in the quasi-steady fixed conversion mode and the time-accurate continuous transition flight condition. Both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computations are carried out. The influence of the tilt modes and the tilt period time on the unsteady aerodynamic forces are also studied. Numerical results demonstrate that the developed method is effective in simulating the aerodynamic characteristics of the tilt-rotor aircraft in conversion mode.
Fine Particulate Matter Leads to Unfolded Protein Response and Shortened Lifespan by Inducing Oxidative Stress in C. elegans
Authors: Zhao Yunli , Jin Ling , Chi Yuxin , Yang Jing , Zhen Quan , Wu Huazhang
Published: December 2019

Oxidative stress has been proven as one of the most critical regulatory mechanisms involved in fine Particulate Matter- (PM2.5-) mediated toxicity. For a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that enable oxidative stress to participate in PM2.5-induced toxic effects, the current study explored the effects of oxidative stress induced by PM2.5 on UPR and lifespan in C. elegans. The results implicated that PM2.5 exposure induced oxidative stress response, enhanced metabolic enzyme activity, activated UPR, and shortened the lifespan of C. elegans. Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could suppress the UPR through reducing the oxidative stress; both the antioxidant NAC and UPR inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) could rescue the lifespan attenuation caused by PM2.5, indicating that the antioxidant and moderate proteostasis contribute to the homeostasis and adaptation to oxidative stress induced by PM2.5.
Deciphering Immune-Associated Genes to Predict Survival in Clear Cell Renal Cell Cancer
Authors: Hu Daixing , Zhou Mi , Zhu Xin
Published: December 2019

Background. To elucidate the correlations between tumor microenvironment and clinical characteristics as well as prognosis in clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC) and investigate the immune-associated genes by a comprehensive analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Methods. We collected mRNA expression profiles of 537 ccRCC samples from the TCGA database. Immune scores and stromal scores were calculated by applying the ESTIMATE algorithm. We evaluated the correlation between immune/stromal scores and clinical characteristics as well as prognosis. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between high immune/stromal score and low immune/stromal score groups by the cutoff of |log (fold change)| > 1, P value <0.05 by using package “limma” in R. Functional enrichment analysis was performed by DAVID, and the protein-protein interaction network of intersected DEGs between stromal score and immune score groups was conducted using the STRING database. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to explore DEGs with predictive values in overall survival, and the prognostic DEGs were further validated in a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE29609. Results. A higher immune score was associated with T3/4 (vs. T1/2, P<0.001), N1 (vs. N0, P=0.05), M1 (vs. M0, P=0.004), G3/4 (vs. G1/2, P<0.001), advanced AJCC stage (P<0.001), and shorter overall survival (P=0.04). Intersected DEGs between immune and stromal score groups were 48 upregulated and 47 downregulated genes, with 43 DEGs associated with overall survival in ccRCC. After validation by a cohort of 39 ccRCC cases with detailed follow-up information from GSE29609, six immune-associated DEGs including CASP5, HSD11B1, VSIG4, HMGCS2, HSD11B2, and OGDHL were demonstrated to be predictive of prognosis in ccRCC. Conclusions. Our study elucidated tight associations between immune score and clinical characteristics as well as prognosis in ccRCC. Moreover, six DEGs were explored and validated to exert predictive values in overall survival of ccRCC.
A Meta-Analysis on the Seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 among Patients with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Obeid Mohamed Sagad Omer , Osman Mohamed Esraa Mohamed , Ahmed Osman Afnan Abugundul , Abdellatif MohamedElmugadam Fatima Abdelhakam , Abdalla Ibrahim Gehad Abdelmonem
Published: December 2019

Background. Parvovirus B19 (B19 V) infection had been reported to be more frequent with serious clinical outcomes in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) than in the general population. There is a wide variation in data among the existing literature regarding the seroprevalence of B19 V in patients with SCD. These data require further summary and analyses for better accuracy. This systematic review and meta-analysis was done to estimate the seroprevalence of B19 V in patients with SCD. Methods. This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The databases of MEDLINE/PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and OpenGrey were used for the systematic search. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using OpenMeta Analyst software. Publication bias was estimated based on Begg’s test, Egger’s test, and examination of the funnel plot. Subgroup analyses and metaregression were used to explore the moderators of heterogeneity between studies. Results. A total of 18 studies including 2890 patients were analyzed. The overall IgG seroprevalence of B19 V infection among patients with SCD was found to be 48.8% (95% CI 39.5%–58.0%). Evidence of publication bias was not detected. Evidence of acute viral infection detected by positive IgM antibodies among the screened SCD patients was found in 8.30% (95% CI 5.20%–11.4%) of them. There was a statistically signiﬁcant association between seroprevalence of B19 V and geographical areas. Conclusion. There was a high prevalence of B19 V in patients with SCD. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the magnitude of B19 V infection in patients with SCD to ensure effective management. This review could provide a comprehensive view of B19 V prevalence in this susceptible population.