Reviewer ’s report  
Title : Motility Characteristics in The Transition Zone in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease 
(GORD) patients  
 
Version : 1 Date : 06 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer:  Salvatore Tolone  
 
Reviewer's report:  
I've read this revision provided by A uthors. I appreciated the changes they have made, but there 
are still several issues that impair the quality of the article.  
 A really extensive English editing of the manuscript is needed; also, there are too many typos 
(e.g. Table 2 "sunjet" instead of "subject").  
Methods: Are you sure you are using Sandhill? Manoscan is the suite provided by Medtronics, 
please clarify.  
Using MII -pH you should calculate the total number of reflux to verify if FH patients are really 
all functional patients.  
Results: I sug gest to revise statistical analysis. I'm not sure at all that TZ distance is similar in FH 
and in RE, NERD and HV.  
Finally, I still don't see a clinical role for the TZ study. If there are no difference in TZ in GERD 
patients, what is its role? Then, I th ink that Bolus transit should be investigated in patients with 
non obstructive dysphagia, not in GERD patients.   
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
No 
  
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to  the authors.  
Unable to assess  
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistica l review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language i n the manuscript:  
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no  competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
I declare that I have no competing interests  
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors a nd, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY li cense ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
I agree to the open peer review p olicy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
Title : Motility Characteristics in The Transition Zone in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease 
(GORD) patients  
 
Version : 1 Date : 06 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer:  Salvatore Tolone  
 
Reviewer's report:  
I've read this revision provided by A uthors. I appreciated the changes they have made, but there 
are still several issues that impair the quality of the article.  
 A really extensive English editing of the manuscript is needed; also, there are too many typos 
(e.g. Table 2 "sunjet" instead of "subject").  
Methods: Are you sure you are using Sandhill? Manoscan is the suite provided by Medtronics, 
please clarify.  
Using MII -pH you should calculate the total number of reflux to verify if FH patients are really 
all functional patients.  
Results: I sug gest to revise statistical analysis. I'm not sure at all that TZ distance is similar in FH 
and in RE, NERD and HV.  
Finally, I still don't see a clinical role for the TZ study. If there are no difference in TZ in GERD 
patients, what is its role? Then, I th ink that Bolus transit should be investigated in patients with 
non obstructive dysphagia, not in GERD patients.   
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
No 
  
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to  the authors.  
Unable to assess  
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistica l review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language i n the manuscript:  
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no  competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
I declare that I have no competing interests  
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors a nd, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY li cense ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
I agree to the open peer review p olicy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
Title : Motility Characteristics in The Transition Zone in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease 
(GORD) patients  
 
Version : 1 Date : 06 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer:  Salvatore Tolone  
 
Reviewer's report:  
I've read this revision provided by A uthors. I appreciated the changes they have made, but there 
are still several issues that impair the quality of the article.  
 A really extensive English editing of the manuscript is needed; also, there are too many typos 
(e.g. Table 2 "sunjet" instead of "subject").  
Methods: Are you sure you are using Sandhill? Manoscan is the suite provided by Medtronics, 
please clarify.  
Using MII -pH you should calculate the total number of reflux to verify if FH patients are really 
all functional patients.  
Results: I sug gest to revise statistical analysis. I'm not sure at all that TZ distance is similar in FH 
and in RE, NERD and HV.  
Finally, I still don't see a clinical role for the TZ study. If there are no difference in TZ in GERD 
patients, what is its role? Then, I th ink that Bolus transit should be investigated in patients with 
non obstructive dysphagia, not in GERD patients.   
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
No 
  
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to  the authors.  
Unable to assess  
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
No 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistica l review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language i n the manuscript:  
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no  competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
I declare that I have no competing interests  
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors a nd, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY li cense ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
I agree to the open peer review p olicy of the journal  
assistant