bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Model‐based design of a starting control system with an LC filter for an aircraft start generator
Authors: Li Hejie , Chen Zhihui , Li Jincai , Zhang Zhuoran 
Published: February 2018

This study presents the design and implementation of a starting control system with an LC filter for an aircraft start generator (SG). Based on the optimal design of the filter, a small‐signal model is built to account for improved stable and dynamic performance. The transfer function is deduced to tune the control parameters of the whole system. The design of the controller aims at a 75 kVA SG drive system and is verified in a digital signal processor. Finally, simulation results are obtained to predict the behaviour of the starting control system during a transient duty and experimental results show characteristics of the starting process.
Etched Al0.32Ga0.68 N/GaN HEMTs with high output current and breakdown voltage (>600 V)
Authors: Duan Baoxing , Xie Shenlong , Guo Haijun , Yang Yintang 
Published: February 2018

By etching the AlGaN layer close to the gate edge of the drain side, the novel AlGaN/GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistor with the etched AlGaN epitaxial layer (etched AlGaN/GaN high‐electron‐mobility transistors, HEMTs) is proposed in this work with the high‐resistance GaN buffer layer. The relationship between the 2D electron gas (2DEG) concentration and the thickness of the AlGaN layer has been explored. The 2DEG density under the etched barrier is reduced to optimise the surface electric field and mobility of 2DEG. The electric field is reshaped by the etched AlGaN layer, featuring an extra electric field peak far away from the gate edge. The electric field peak near the gate is decreased effectively because of the extra electric field peak, which therefore improves the breakdown voltage (BV). The mobility of 2DEG is increased because of the low 2DEG concentration, which improves the output current (IDS). The experimental BV is improved from 152 V for the conventional structure to 620 V for etched AlGaN/GaN HEMTs because of the optimised surface electric field. The maximum output current (Imax) is increased from 381 to 478 mA/mm. The trade‐off between the BV and Ron,sp has been improved to break the silicon limit. It is concluded that the gate‐edge etching technique can significantly increase both BV and IDS for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.
High sensitivity vanadium–vanadium pentoxide–aluminium metal–insulator–metal diode
Authors: Abdel‐Rahman Mohamed , Issa Khaled , Zia Muhammad F. , Alduraibi Mohammad , Siraj Mohammad , Ragheb Amr , Alshebeili Saleh 
Published: February 2018

This work reports on the fabrication of an improved sensitivity metal–insulator–metal (MIM) diode. They devise an asymmetric structure diode that cascades vanadium, vanadium pentoxide, and aluminium (V–V2O5–Al) thin film layers. The MIM diode is fabricated using electron‐beam lithography, sputter deposition and metal liftoff techniques. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis is performed to determine the phase composition of the V2O5 insulating thin film. Electrical characterisation of the fabricated V–V2O5–Al shows a clear high sensitivity at −316 mV that reaches −8.52 V−1 with a dynamic resistance of 5.024 kΩ.
The COSTA Study: Sternal Closure in High-Risk Patients - A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Trial
Authors: Heilmann Claudia , Sorg Stefan , Mueller Matthias , Kueri Sami , Schmoor Claudia , Siepe Matthias , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Leinberger Tetyana 
Published: February 2018

Background Median sternotomy in patients with risk factors for wound healing is associated with high rates of postoperative wound infections and sternum instability.
Methods A total of 338 patients with elective first median sternotomy and at least four predefined risk factors were randomized between Sternal Talon (Gebrüder Martin GmbH & Co. KG—KLS Martin Group, Tuttlingen, Germany) and wire cerclage. The primary end point was mediastinitis and/or sternal instability within 30 ± 5 days, and the secondary end points were mediastinitis and/or sternal instability within 60 ± 5 days; incidence of pneumonia during hospitalization within the first 30 (±5) days and chest pain intensity.
Results The primary end point was reached in 10 Sternal Talon and 7 wire cerclage patients (6.2 vs. 4.7%, odds ratio [OR]: 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5–3.6, p = 0.57) from 338 randomized patients. Sternal Talon group, n = 170 patients versus wire cerclage group, n = 168 patients. The differences between treatment groups with regard to the incidence of mediastinitis/sternum instability within the first 60 (±5) days after the primary sternum closure and the incidence of pneumonia during the hospitalization within the first 30 (±5) days were not statistically significant, either. We observed comparable rates of superficial surgical site infection (SSI) in Sternal Talon and wire cerclage patients (16.1 vs. 12.1%, OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 0.7–2.7, p = 0.31).
Conclusion According to these data, there is no statistically significant difference between Sternal Talon closure and wire cerclage in reducing the incidence of mediastinitis and superficial SSI after primary closure of median sternotomy in high-risk patients.
Stable Rat Model of Mechanical Allodynia in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: The Role of Nerve Compression
Authors: Liao Chenlong , Yang Min , Liu Pengfei , Zhong Wenxiang , Zhang Wenchuan 
Published: February 2018

Background Preclinical studies involving animal models are essential for understanding the underlying mechanisms of diabetic neuropathic pain.
Methods Rats were divided into four groups: two controls and two experimental. Diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) injection in two experimental groups. The first group involved one sham operation. The second group involved one latex tube encircling the sciatic nerve. The vehicle-injection rats were used as two corresponding control groups: sham operation and encircled nerves. By the third week, STZ-injected rats with encircled nerves were further divided into three subgroups: one involving continuing observation and the other two involving decompression (removal of the latex tube) at different time points (third week and fifth week). Weight and blood glucose were monitored, and behavioral analysis, including paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and latency, was performed every week during the experimental period (7 weeks).
Results Hyperglycemia was induced in all STZ-injected rats. A significant increase in weight was observed in the control groups when compared with the experimental groups. By the third week, more STZ-injected rats with encircled nerves developed mechanical allodynia than those without (P < 0.05), while no significant difference was noted (P > 0.05) on the incidence of thermal hyperalgesia. Mechanical allodynia, but not thermal hyperalgesia, could be ameliorated by the removal of the latex tube at an early stage (third week).
Conclusion With the combined use of a latex tube and STZ injection, a stable rat model of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) manifesting both thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia has been established.
Meta-analysis of Timing for Microsurgical Free-Flap Reconstruction for Lower Limb Injury: Evaluation of the Godina Principles
Authors: Roy Mélissa , Patel Ashit , Haykal Siba 
Published: February 2018

Background In 1986, Marko Godina published his seminal work regarding the timing of free-flap reconstruction for traumatic extremity defects. Early reconstruction, compared with delayed and late reconstruction resulted in significant decreases in free-flap failure rate, post-operative infections, hospitalization time, bone healing time, and number of additional anesthesias. The objective of this manuscript was to evaluate whether these principles continue to apply.
Methods A meta-analysis was performed analyzing articles from Medline, Embase, and Pubmed. Four hundred and ninety-two articles were screened, and 134 articles were assessed for eligibility. Following full-text review, 43 articles were included in this study.
Results The exact timing for free-flap reconstruction, free-flap failure rate, infection rate, and follow-up was defined in all 43 articles. Early free-flap reconstruction was found to have significantly lower rates of free-flap failure and infection in comparison to delayed reconstruction (p = 0.008; p = 0.0004). Compared with late reconstruction, early reconstruction was found to have significantly lower infection rates only (p = 0.01) with no difference in free-flap failures rates. Early reconstruction was found to lead to fewer additional procedures (p = 0.03). No statistical significance was found for bone healing time or hospitalization time.
Conclusion Early free-flap reconstruction performed within the first 72 hours resulted in a decreased rate of free-flap failures, infection, and additional procedures with no difference in other parameters. The largest majority of free flaps continue to be performed in a delayed time frame.
Use of Social Media and an Online Survey to Discuss Complex Reconstructive Surgery: A Case of Upper Lip Reconstruction with 402 Responses from International Microsurgeons
Authors: Kwon Soo-Ha , Lee Che-Hsiung , Hsu Angela , Shafarenko Mark , Omar Usama , Tzou Chieh-Han , Roka-Palkovits Julia , Beltrán P Aldo , Liakos Dimitri , Chang Tommy 
Published: February 2018

Background The best reconstructive strategy for upper lip defects is still in debate. The purpose of this study was to analyze the decisions made by international microsurgeons, who were participated through online questionnaire, distributed by email and social media network.
Materials and Methods A case of a two-thirds upper lip oncologic defect was presented via an online questionnaire and 402 microsurgeons replied their treatment options. The data were then analyzed according to the geographic area, microsurgical fellowship, seniority, and subspecialty. All the data were analyzed using SPSS 22.
Results A total of 27.7% of microsurgeons chose a free flap, while 72.3% chose a local/pedicle flap as their preferred method for reconstruction. The most common choice of free and local/pedicle flaps was radial forearm (73.6%) and Abbé (36.2%), respectively. The microsurgeons in Europe preferred local/pedicle flaps than free flap when compared with Middle/South America, Asia-Pacific, Africa and South Asia/Middle East (11.6% versus 50%, 43.4%, 29.3% and 27.3%, respectively, multivariant p < 0.05). The microsurgeons with microsurgical fellowships preferred to use free flaps (32.9% versus 17.5%, multivariant p = 0.021). There was no difference for the seniority and specialty of the microsurgeons.
Conclusions The online questionnaire is valuable and feasible for obtaining experts' opinions. This study provides a current global overview of surgical preferences for this common complicated clinical scenario.
Thoracic Endovascular Repair for Acute Traumatic Transection of the Descending Thoracic Aorta and Postendovascular Remodeling Change
Authors: Kim Young , Yoon Yong , Shin Helen , Park Keun , Baek Wan , Kim Joung 
Published: February 2018

Background The recently developed thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) technique seems to offer a good alternative for treating acute traumatic transection of the thoracic aorta (TTA). We reviewed our experience of TEVAR in cases of acute traumatic transection and analyzed the subsequent remodeling changes.
Methods The medical records of 17 patients who underwent TEVAR for TTA were reviewed. The trauma mechanisms, anatomical characteristics of the transected aortas, technical details of TEVAR, and postprocedural results were reviewed.
Results The overall mean injury severity score was 53 ± 12. On three-dimensional computed tomography (CT), the mean distance of transection from the left subclavian artery was 14 ± 9 (0–31) mm. Fifteen patients presented an aortic pseudoaneurysm and two patients had impending rupture. TEVAR was performed emergently under general endotracheal induction. Technical success was achieved and complete pseudoaneurysm sealing was confirmed with aortography in all 17 patients. Two patients (12%) died of hypovolemic shock and hyperkalemia; however, no late death or stent-related complication occurred during the 45 ± 32 (6–102) months of follow-up. During a mean CT follow-up of 35 months, the mean aortic diameter increased by 2 (0–5) mm and pseudoaneurysm lesions completely disappeared in all patients.
Conclusions TEVAR resulted in good early survival in patients with TTA. No late or stent graft-related event was encountered up to a maximum of 9 years after surgery. We recommend that patients with grade III or higher TTA should undergo emergency surgery. Moreover, we consider that long-term follow-up and blood pressure management are essential when the proximal aortic diameter is found to increase slightly after TEVAR on follow-up CT.
Impact of type 2 Diabetes and Metformin use on Vitamin B12 Associated Biomarkers - an Observational Study
Authors: Metaxas Corina , Zurwerra Chantal , Rudofsky Gottfried , Hersberger Kurt , Walter Philipp 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Aims Assessment of the impact of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and metformin use on vitamin B12 (VB12) associated biomarkers and their suitability to represent VB12 supply.
Methods Differences of VB12, holotranscobalamine (HoloTc), the biologically active fraction  (%AB12)=HoloTc/VB12*100 and homocystein (Hcy) were analysed i) among diabetic outpatients with (DMMet+ ) and without metformin use (DMMet-) and ii) in comparison to an external non-diabetic reference group with low VB12 (<200 pmol/L).
Results VB12 associated biomarkers were distributed equally between DMMet+  (n=29, 58%) and DMMet- (n=21, 42%). Significant differences in %AB12 in diabetic patients with low VB12 (n=19) compared to the non-diabetic reference group (n=31) were found. Higher %AB12 was associated with diabetes. Hcy levels were significantly associated with age, folic acid level, renal function and HoloTc but not with VB12.
Conclusions In T2DM patients with low VB12, %AB12 was confirmed as being higher in comparison to nondiabetic patients. The effect was not clearly attributable to metformin use. HoloTc was unaffected by the lowering of VB12 and significantly associated with the functional marker Hcy. Both findings support the use of HoloTc for the assessment of VB12 supply in diabetic patients.
Search for Pharmacoepigenetic Correlations in Type 2 Diabetes Under Sulfonylurea Treatment
Authors: Karaglani Makrina , Ragia Georgia , Panagopoulou Maria , Balgkouranidou Ioanna , Nena Evangelia , Kolios George , Papanas Nikolaos , Manolopoulos Vangelis , Chatzaki Ekaterini 
Published: February 2018

AbstractSulfonylureas are insulin secretagogues which act in pancreatic β cells by blocking the KATP channels encoded by KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes. In the present study, a pharmacoepigenetic approach was applied for the first time, investigating the correlation of KCNJ11 and ABCC8 gene promoter methylation with sulfonylureas-induced mild hypoglycemic events as well as the KCNJ11 E23K genotype. Sodium bisulfite-treated genomic DNA of 171 sulfonylureas treated T2DM patients previously genotyped for KCNJ11 E23K, including 88 that had experienced drug-associated hypoglycemia and 83 that had never experienced hypoglycemia, were analyzed for DNA methylation of KCNJ11 and ABCC8 gene promoters via quantitative Methylation-Specific PCR. KCNJ11 methylation was detected in 19/88 (21.6%) of hypoglycemic and in 23/83 (27.7%) of non-hypoglycemic patients (p=0.353), while ABCC8 methylation in 6/83 (7.2%) of non-hypoglycemic and none (0/88) of the hypoglycemic patients (p=0.012). Methylation in at least one promoter (KCNJ11 or ABCC8) was significantly associated with non-hypoglycemic patients who are carriers of KCNJ11 EK allele (p=0.030). Our data suggest that ABCC8 but not KCNJ11 methylation is associated to hypoglycemic events in sulfonylureas-treated T2DM patients. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the KCNJ11 E23K polymorphism in association to either of the two genes’ DNA methylation may have protective role against sulfonylurea-induced hypoglycemia.
Elevated Levels of Estrogen Suppress Hepcidin Synthesis and Enhance Serum Iron Availability in Premenopausal Women
Authors: Bajbouj Khuloud , Shafarin Jasmin , Allam Hilda , Madkour Mohamed , Awadallah Samir , El-Serafy Ahmed , Sandeep Divyasree , Hamad Mawieh 
Published: February 2018

AbstractClinical and experimental observations have long suggested that elevated levels of estrogen associate with increased serum iron availability. Additionally, recent work has shown that estrogen can downregulate hepcidin synthesis in vitro. This study aims at assessing whether the ability of estrogen to downregulate hepcidin synthesis translates into changes in serum iron status. Hepcidin synthesis was evaluated in MCF-7, Hep-G2 and SKOV-3 cells treated with increasing concentrations of estrogen and cultured for up to 24 h post treatment. The correlation between levels of serum estrogen, hepcidin and iron was assessed using serum samples collected from 153 premenopausal women at random and samples collected from 6 women at days 1, 5, 10, 16, 21 and 28 of the monthly cycle. Estrogen-treated MCF-7 cells showed a significant reduction in hepcidin synthesis, especially at 20 nM/24 h E2 treatment. Hepcidin synthesis was also significantly reduced in Hep-G2 and SKOV-3 cells at 20 nM/24 h E2 treatment. In serum samples collected at random, estrogen (P=0.022; R=−0.213) and iron (P=0.028; R=−0.316) correlated negatively with hepcidin and positively with each other (P=0.033; R=0.319). An overall similar pattern was also observed in monthly cycle-timed samples. These findings suggest that elevated levels of estrogen reduce hepcidin synthesis as means of enhancing serum iron content in menstruating women.
High-intensity Interval Training Frequency: Cardiometabolic Effects and Quality of Life
Authors: Stavrinou Pinelopi , Bogdanis Gregory , Giannaki Christoforos , Terzis Gerasimos , Hadjicharalambous Marios 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe effects of high intensity interval training (HIIT) frequency on cardiometabolic health and quality of life were examined in 35 healthy inactive adults (age: 31.7±2.6 yrs, VO2peak: 32.7±7.4 ml·kg−1
·min−1). Participants were randomly assigned to a control (CON) and two training groups, which performed 10×60-s cycling at ~83% of peak power, two (HIIT-2) or three times per week (HIIT-3) for eight weeks. Compared with CON, both training regimes resulted in similar improvements in VO2peak (HIIT-2: 10.8%, p=0.048, HIIT-3: 13.6%, p=0.017), waist circumference (HIIT-2: -1.4 cm, p=0.048, HIIT-3: -2.4 cm, p=0.028), thigh cross-sectional area (HIIT-2: 11.4 cm2, p=0.001, HIIT-3: 9.3 cm2, p=0.001) and the physical health component of quality of life (HIIT-2: 8.4, p=0.001, HIIT-3: 12.2, p=0.001). However, HIIT-3 conferred additional health-related benefits by reducing total body and trunk fat percentage (p<0.05, compared with CON), total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p<0.02, compared with CON) and by improving the mental component of quality of life (p=0.045, compared with CON). In conclusion, performing HIIT only twice per week is effective in promoting cardiometabolic health-related adaptations and quality of life in inactive adults. However, higher HIIT frequency is required for an effect on fat deposits, cholesterol and mental component of well-being.
scEpath: energy landscape-based inference of transition probabilities and cellular trajectories from single-cell transcriptomic data
Authors: Jin Suoqin , MacLean Adam L , Peng Tao , Nie Qing 
Published: February 2018

AbstractMotivationSingle-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) offers unprecedented resolution for studying cellular decision-making processes. Robust inference of cell state transition paths and probabilities is an important yet challenging step in the analysis of these data.ResultsHere we present scEpath, an algorithm that calculates energy landscapes and probabilistic directed graphs in order to reconstruct developmental trajectories. We quantify the energy landscape using ‘single-cell energy’ and distance-based measures, and find that the combination of these enables robust inference of the transition probabilities and lineage relationships between cell states. We also identify marker genes and gene expression patterns associated with cell state transitions. Our approach produces pseudotemporal orderings that are—in combination—more robust and accurate than current methods, and offers higher resolution dynamics of the cell state transitions, leading to new insight into key transition events during differentiation and development. Moreover, scEpath is robust to variation in the size of the input gene set, and is broadly unsupervised, requiring few parameters to be set by the user. Applications of scEpath led to the identification of a cell-cell communication network implicated in early human embryo development, and novel transcription factors important for myoblast differentiation. scEpath allows us to identify common and specific temporal dynamics and transcriptional factor programs along branched lineages, as well as the transition probabilities that control cell fates.Availability and implementationA MATLAB package of scEpath is available at https://github.com/sqjin/scEpath.Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Optimal extraction methods for the simultaneous analysis of DNA from diverse organisms and sample types
Authors: Hermans Syrie M. , Buckley Hannah L. , Lear Gavin 
Published: February 2018

AbstractUsing environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess the distribution of micro‐ and macroorganisms is becoming increasingly popular. However, the comparability and reliability of these studies is not well understood as we lack evidence on how different DNA extraction methods affect the detection of different organisms, and how this varies among sample types. Our aim was to quantify biases associated with six DNA extraction methods and identify one which is optimal for eDNA research targeting multiple organisms and sample types. We assessed each methods’ ability to simultaneously extract bacterial, fungal, plant, animal and fish DNA from soil, leaf litter, stream water, stream sediment, stream biofilm and kick‐net samples, as well as from mock communities. Method choice affected alpha‐diversity for several combinations of taxon and sample type, with the majority of the differences occurring in the bacterial communities. While a single method performed optimally for the extraction of DNA from bacterial, fungal and plant mock communities, different methods performed best for invertebrate and fish mock communities. The consistency of methods, as measured by the similarity of community compositions resulting from replicate extractions, varied and was lowest for the animal communities. Collectively, these data provide the first comprehensive assessment of the biases associated with DNA extraction for both different sample types and taxa types, allowing us to identify DNeasy PowerSoil as a universal DNA extraction method. The adoption of standardized approaches for eDNA extraction will ensure that results can be more reliably compared, and biases quantified, thereby advancing eDNA as an ecological research tool.