bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Maruti Suzuki’s wagonr steer through the repositioning drive?
Authors: Nagar Komal
Published: November 2021

Case overview

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), a joint venture between Maruti Udyog Limited, India and Suzuki Motors, Japan, is considering repositioning its WagonR brand amidst issues of overall decline in sales in the automobile industry. With a market share of more than 53%, MSIL is the market leader in passenger vehicle segment in India, yet it is facing difficulties in driving up sales. The company’s portfolio comprises entry-hatch, mid-hatch, premium-hatch, sedan, SUV/MUV, crossover and van. The case dilemma involves the decision that MSIL’s management should take for the repositioning of WagonR, a compact hatchback, at a time when the automobile industry is showing no signs of recovery. Is it opportune to reposition WagonR, given the current situation of the passenger car market in India? If yes, what can MSIL learn from its past positioning efforts and how can it use insights about consumers’ current perceptions of WagonR’s brand image to arrive at a repositioning decision?

Leaning objectives

Using the case will help address the following objectives: to expose students to the challenges of repositioning an established brand; appreciate the need for and importance of repositioning established brands; evaluate existing positioning and market conditions for making a sound decision; and develop analytical skills that will prepare them to make decisions in real business scenarios.

Complexity academic level

The study is suitable for Masters level students in courses on Marketing Management, but it can also work well in elective courses such as brand management.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.
Understanding the influence of technological capability and exogenous pressure on business model dynamics: insights from a longitudinal case study
Authors: Su Jingqin , Zhang Shuai , Ma Huanhuan
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to explore how technological capability and exogenous pressure interactively influence business model (BM) dynamics over time in new technology-based ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a longitudinal case study of the BM innovations of a Chinese financial technology venture. The structural approach and temporal bracket are used to analyze and theorize the data.

Findings

The findings indicate that distinct contextual changes impel a firm to refine or abandon existing BMs over time. In different stages, the antecedents interactively influence BM dynamics with three successive patterns, namely pressure dominance, parallel influence and hybrid influence. While both antecedents trigger changes during the initiation and implementation of new BMs, they also serve as the filter and the enabler, respectively, during the ideation and integration of BMs.

Research limitations/implications

The study inductively develops three propositions regarding the relationship between BM dynamics and its antecedents, which is based on the data collected from one single firm. Future research should test the propositions in other domains and take more cross-level antecedents into consideration.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the nascent research stream of BM dynamics by offering in-depth insights into the interaction of internal and external antecedents and by linking the differentiated roles of antecedents to the BM innovation process. The research offers some practical implications for new technology-based ventures seeking to develop BMs in a fast-changing environment.
New forms of intellectual activity in globalized society
Authors: Kulikov Sergey B.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the foresight of new forms of intellectual activity in society.

Design/methodology/approach

This research examines the ways of predicting the development of intellectual activity. To reveal the topic, the author uses semiotics and the method of building possible worlds. The author explores intellectual activity in terms of sign systems. From this angle, the logic of the narrative expresses the order of the organization of intellectual activity. This approach reveals the connections between images of possible worlds and decision-making methods.

Findings

The author conceptually outlines the forms of intellectual activity in a globalized society. A globalized society is a complex of political, economic, cultural and scientific ties that spread throughout the world. The foresight of new forms of intellectual activity allows conceptually sketching the practical use of proper decision-making methods. These methods involve the use of artificial machine intelligence, collective intelligence, etc. Forms of intellectual activity are related to the worldbuilding that cause the development of culture through the development of knowledge. The description of forms of intellectual activity shows a promising way of humanitarian research in a globalized society.

Research limitations/implications

The research implies technological metaphors related to the history of culture and the role of intellectual activity in it.

Practical implications

The author examines the practical possibilities of applying traditional humanities for the development of new forms of intellectual activity in a globalized society.

Social implications

In the social space, exposing the effectiveness of traditional humanities helps to assess the consequences of using intellectual activity in practice.

Originality/value

The originality of this research is associated with the identification of links between the conceptual provisions of semiotics and the method for building possible worlds.
Sustainable development: a developmental evaluation of logistics higher education in the Sultanate of Oman based on two innovation approaches (the triple helix of innovation and innovation competencies)
Authors: Nikolaou Panagiotis
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This research seeks to identify evidence of innovation elements in the implementation of a sustainable development ecosystem in the HE environment. For the purposes of this investigation, the use of developmental evaluation has been deemed appropriate to fully explore the depths of the topic.

Design/methodology/approach

The research follows a qualitative approach of inductive reasoning. For the purpose of this developmental evaluation, the collection of information from several stakeholders has been pursued in the study. Both a semi-structured interview and documents analysis were used.

Findings

Different awareness levels among logistics faculty members, while the incentives given are minimal. Availability of grants and lack of tenure are some of the reasons raised. Industry is not cooperative in providing placements/internships restricting students of industry experience. Internationalisation is slow and international collaborations limited. Limited freedom in topical discussions and their implications to learning.

Research limitations/implications

The research has considered possible limitations and used other methods for triangulation of the findings.

Practical implications

Low awareness on the implementation of pedagogical approaches for innovation. Not all faculty can be innovative (owing to current practice) neither they are incentivised to be so. Government spending is very low on R&D – 0.136 of the GDP in 2016. The industry is not ready for University-Business Collaborations, therefore achieving a low theory to practice ratio for students.

Originality/value

In the context in which the research has taken place (HE in Oman), there has been no evaluation (and more so developmental evaluation) previously implemented. Additionally, a longitudinal study, integrated as part of an ESD system targeted to innovation could increase the innovation capacity of the country on the international innovation index.
Study on the prediction method and the flow characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns in the suction chamber
Authors: Shao Chunlei , Bao Ning , Wang Sheng , Zhou Jianfeng
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a prediction method of gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns and reveal the flow characteristics in the suction chamber of a centrifugal pump.

Design/methodology/approach

A transparent model pump was experimentally studied, and the gas-liquid two-phase flow in the pump was numerically simulated based on the Eulerian–Eulerian heterogeneous flow model. The numerical simulation method was verified from three aspects: the flow pattern in the suction chamber, the gas spiral length and the external characteristics of the pump. The two-phase flow in the suction chamber was studied in detail by using the numerical simulation method.

Findings

There are up to eight flow patterns in the suction chamber. However, at a certain rotational speed, only six flow patterns are observed at the most. At some rotational speeds, only four flow patterns appear. The gas spiral length has little relationship with the gas flow rate. It decreases with the increase of the liquid flow rate and increases with the increase of the rotational speed. The spiral flow greatly increases the turbulence intensity in the suction chamber.

Originality/value

A method for predicting the flow pattern was proposed. Eight flow patterns in the suction chamber were identified. The mechanism of gas-liquid two-phase flow in the suction chamber was revealed. The research results have reference values for the stable operation of two-phase flow pumps and the optimization of suction chambers.
Ethanol-driven building fungus colonisation: “Whisky Black” in urban built environments
Authors: Craig Nigel , Pilcher Nick , Forster Alan M. , Kennedy Craig
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The spirits industry is a major economic contributor worldwide, often requiring years of maturation in barrels that is associated with significant release of ethanol into the surrounding environment. This provides carbon nutrition for colonisation of black fungal growths, one type being Baudoinia compniacensis, or Whisky Black. Although growth is localised in production areas, numerous sites exist globally, and this paper's purpose is to investigate the extent and implications of colonisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents and discusses the results of a visual survey of the area surrounding a site where whisky is maturing in nearby bonded warehouses. The evaluation considers radial zoning distance from the ethanol source and material substrate types and surface textures. Classical key stages of Building Pathology, namely manifestation, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy, are considered.

Findings

Key findings are that the colonisation of the fungus is non-uniform and dependent on the substrate building material. Additionally, rougher-textured building materials displayed heavier levels of fungal manifestation than smooth materials. Aspects such as distance, wind direction and moisture are considered relative to the extent and level of fungal growth.

Originality/value

This investigation provides the first assessment of the extent and nature of the fungal growth in properties built in surrounding areas to bonded warehouses. Such information can facilitate open dialogue between stakeholders that recognise the aspirations of values of corporate social responsibility, whilst balancing the economic importance of distilling with recognition of the fungus's impact on property values and appropriate recurring remedial treatments.
Land use change and precipitation implication to hydro-meteorological disasters in Central Java: an overview
Authors: Putri Intan Hapsari Surya , Buchori Imam , Handayani Wiwandari
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This study aims to prove that land-use change plays a role in the occurrence of hydro-meteorological disasters in Central Java, especially in relation to its upstream and downstream.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents empirical findings from quantitative research using a spatial analysis and descriptive analysis.

Findings

The upstream and downstream area of Central Java is categorized as a rapid development area that results in changes in land use and land cover. The findings showed that there was an increasing number of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides as the impact of land-use change and rainfall conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Analysis of the relationship between rainfall and disaster events with more technical and specific analysis could be done in the further research.

Originality/value

In this study, more analysis in the context of river basin systems including upstream and downstream in different periods to examine the linkage between them have been considered and incorporated.
Control of project data and team satisfaction as results of PMO effort in new product development projects
Authors: Barbalho Sanderson César Macêdo , Silva Gladston Luiz
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how new product development (NPD)-based project management offices (PMOs) work, their drivers to deliver performance and their project success impact.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a survey of 35 Brazilian and multi-national companies that identified the effort to perform a list of PMO functions, some PMO drivers in the company and five project performance perception indicators. The authors apply a specific set of statistics to uncover the relations between these dimensions of interest.

Findings

The factorial analysis allows us to find the main functions influencing each other. The project teams’ perception of project management (PM) performance is suggested as a success factor that drives PMOs when working on portfolio management issues, managing project files and promoting PM over the company.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to a contingency approach for designing a project machine involving PMOs to support NPD projects. Managers can set the most suitable PMO functions avoiding mimicry when structuring their NPD efforts.

Originality/value

PMOs have impacted team satisfaction and control of project data but not indicators related to triple constraints.
Mass homeownership policy and economic well-being of the elderly: empirical evidence from the Polish household survey
Authors: Marcinkiewicz Edyta , Chybalski Filip
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The authors’ empirical investigation attempts to identify the nexus between the economic well-being of Polish elderly households and their housing situation, which can be related to the impact of the mass privatization policy implemented in Poland in the early 1990s. The generation who benefited from the process at that time currently includes great majority of people at retirement age who are homeowners.

Design/methodology/approach

In the study, the authors employ micro data from the Polish Social Diagnosis household survey and analyze them in a multinomial logistic regression framework. They explore the nexus between both subjective and objective measures of income and housing circumstances.

Findings

The results imply that housing arrangements do not significantly differentiate Polish households in terms of their economic well-being when controlling for other sociodemographic factors. This may result from two independent, but possibly overlapping, reasons. The first is that housing circumstances are quite evenly distributed across elderly population as compared to income. This may be a direct effect of the “(socialist) state legacy,” as in the socialist era there was a strong focus on diminishing income and wealth inequalities in society. The second explanation is that better housing circumstances are not a sufficient means to improve the welfare of the elderly.

Originality/value

The study’s analysis is associated with little investigated area of the welfare effects of homeownership in the old age at the individual level. It explores this issue on the example of Poland, which is a typical representative of the group of post-socialist countries that share a common feature of “state legacy welfare” that is characterized by extensive mortgage-free homeownership.
Does intellectual property rights protection affect UK and US outward FDI and earnings from FDI? A sectoral analysis
Authors: De Vita Glauco , Alexiou Constantinos , Trachanas Emmanouil , Luo Yun
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Despite decades of research, the relationship between intellectual property rights (IPRs) and foreign direct investment (FDI) remains ambiguous. Using a recently developed patent enforcement index (along with a broader IPR index) and a large sectoral country-to-country FDI dataset, the authors revisit the FDI-IPR relationship by testing the impact of IPRs on UK and US outward FDI (OFDI) flows as well as earnings from outward FDI (EOFDI).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use disaggregated data for up to 9 distinct sectors of economic activity from both the US and UK for OFDI flows and EOFDI, for a panel of up to 42 developed and developing countries over sample periods from 1998 to 2015. The authors employ a panel fixed effects (FE) approach that allows exploiting the longitudinal properties of the data using Driscoll and Kraay's (1998) nonparametric covariance matrix estimator.

Findings

The authors do not find any consistent evidence in support of the hypothesis that countries' strength of IPR protection or enforcement affects inward FDI, or that sector of investment matters. The results prove robust to sensitivity checks that include an alternative broader measure of IPR strength, analyses across sub-samples disaggregated according to the strength of countries' IPRs as well as developing vs developed economies and an extended specification accounting for dynamic effects of the response of FDI to both previous investment levels and IPR (patent) protection.

Originality/value

The authors make use of the largest most granular sectoral country-to-country FDI dataset employed to date in the analysis of the FDI-IPR nexus with disaggregated data for OFDI and EOFDI across up to 9 distinct sectors of economic activity from both the US and UK The authors employ a more sophisticated measure of IPR strength, the patent index proposed by Papageorgiadis et al. (2014), which places emphasis on the effectiveness of enforcement practices as perceived by managers, together with the overall administrative effectiveness and efficiency of the national patent system.
Why and when are silent employees less satisfied with their jobs? A conservation of resources perspective
Authors: Hsieh Hui-Hsien , Huang Jie-Tsuen
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Employee silence is pervasive in the workplace and can be severely detrimental to employees' job satisfaction. However, research on why and when employee silence undermines job satisfaction remains poorly understood. Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, the authors proposed and tested a moderated mediation model wherein employee silence predicted job satisfaction through vigor, with positive affectivity acting as a dispositional moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Two-wave time-lagged data were collected from a sample of 183 employees in Taiwan. A moderated mediation analysis with latent variables was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Results indicated that employees' vigor mediated the negative relationship between employee silence and job satisfaction only for employees with low positive affectivity.

Originality/value

By identifying vigor as a psychological mechanism explaining the negative effect of silence on job satisfaction and positive affectivity as a buffer against the detrimental effect of silence on vigor and, indirectly, job satisfaction, the results provide a more nuanced understanding of why and when silent employees are less satisfied with their jobs.
Fire resistance of stainless steel slender elliptical hollow section beam-columns
Authors: Alexandre Matias Arrais Flávio , Lopes Nuno , Vila Real Paulo
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Stainless steel has different advantages when compared to conventional carbon steel. The corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance are the most known; however, its better behaviour under elevated temperatures can also be important in buildings design. In spite of the initial cost, stainless-steel application as a structural material has been increasing. Elliptical hollow sections integrate the architectural attributes of the circular hollow sections and the structural advantages of the rectangular hollow sections (RHSs). Hence, the application of stainless-steel material combined with elliptical hollow profiles stands as an interesting design option. The purpose of the paper is to better understand the resistance of stainless-steel-beam columns in case of fire

Design/methodology/approach

The research presents a numerical study on the behaviour of stainless-steel members with slender elliptical hollow section (EHS) subjected to axial compression and bending about the strong axis at elevated temperatures. A parametric numerical study is presented here considering with and without out-of-plane buckling different stainless-steel grades, cross-section and member slenderness, bending moment diagrams and elevated temperatures.

Findings

The tested design methodologies proved to be inadequate for the EHS members being in some situations too conservative.

Originality/value

The safety and accuracy of Eurocode 3 (EC3) design methodology and of a recent design proposal developed for I-sections and cold-formed RHSs are analysed applying material and geometric non-linear analysis considering imperfections with the finite element software SAFIR.
The effects of donation amount and ad orientation of cause-related marketing on consumers’ response
Authors: Zhang Anran , Xu Zhengliang , Yu Xin
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Cause-related marketing (CRM) is an increasing popular marketing strategy in which a firm donates a specific amount to a designed cause when customers engage in revenue-providing exchanges. Based on balance and attribution theory, this paper aims to explore the interaction effect of donation amount and ad orientation, two important factors of formulation and communication of CRM, respectively, on consumer response and the mediating effect of consumers’ perceived company motives.

Design/methodology/approach

Two 2 (donation amount: small vs large) × 2 (ad orientation: product- vs cause-oriented) between-subjects experimental studies were conducted in marketing course with 284 and 157 Chinese undergraduate students participating in Studies 1 and 2, respectively. ANOVA and regression were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Study 1 shows the significant interaction effects of donation amount and ad orientation on consumers’ response. When CRM has a large donation amount, cause-oriented (vs product-oriented) ad leads to consumers’ more positive company attitude and higher purchase intention. The opposite is true for the small donation amount condition. Study 2 shows that the above interaction effect is mediated by consumer-attributed company motives. The attributed motive of sincerely caring about social cause has significant positive effect on consumer response, whereas the attributed motive of increasing sales or improving corporate image does not.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by empirically examining the interaction effect of donation amount and ad orientation on consumer-inferred motives and behavioral response. The findings are valuable because they indicate the importance of matching between factors at formulation and communication stage. In addition, this paper found that consumers are “tolerant” of companies using CRM to promote product sales and improve brand image.
Application of topology optimization method for the gothic greenhouse design
Authors: Javadi Moghaddam Jalal , Momeni Davood , Zarei Ghasem
Published: November 2021

Purpose

This research presents a design method for designing greenhouse structures based on topology optimization. Moreover, the structural design of a gothic greenhouse is proposed in which its structural strength has been improved by using this proposed method. In this method, the design of the structure is done mathematically; therefore, in the design process, more attention can be focused on the constraint space and boundary conditions. It was also shown how the static reliability and fatigue coefficients will change as a result of the design of the greenhouse structure with this method. Another purpose of this study is to find the weakest part of the greenhouse structure against lateral winds and other general loads on the greenhouse structure.

Design/methodology/approach

In the proposed method, the outer surface and the allowable volume as a constraint domain were considered. The desired loads can be located on the constraint domain. The topology optimization was used to minimize the mass and structural compliance as the objective function. The obtained volume was modified for simplifying the construction. The changes in the shape of the greenhouse structure were investigated by choosing three different penalty numbers for the topology optimization algorithm. The final design of the proposed structure was performed based on the total simultaneous critical loads on the structure. The results of the proposed method were compared in the order of different volume fractions. This showed that the volume fraction approach can significantly reduce the weight of the structure while maintaining its strength and stability.

Findings

Topology optimization results showed different strut and chords composition because of the changes in maximum mass limit and volume fraction. The results showed that the fatigue was more hazardous, and it decreased the strength of structure nearly three times more than a static analysis. Further, it was noticed that how the penalty numbers can affect topology optimization results. An optimal design based on topology optimization results was presented to improve the proposed greenhouse design against destruction and demolition. Furthermore, this study shows the most sensitive part of the greenhouse against the standard loads of wind, snow, and crop.

Originality/value

The obtained designs were compared with a conventional arch greenhouse, and then the structural performances were shown based on standard loads. The results showed that in designing the proposed structure, the optimized changes increased the structure strength against the standard loads compared to a simple arch greenhouse. Moreover, the stress safety factor and fatigue safety factor because of different designs of this structure were also compared with each other.
In the Flesh: John Singleton Copley's Royall Portraits and Whiteness
Authors: Elder Nika
Published: November 2021

Between 1758 and 1769, Anglo‐American artist John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) produced three paintings of members of the Royall family, who had more people in bondage than any other family in colonial Massachusetts. Placing these works at the crux of period discourses about the body in the Anglophone world, this essay explores the function and popularity of portraiture in mid‐eighteenth‐century New England. Specifically, it analyses Copley’s techniques for depicting flesh and reads them in relation to nascent formulations of race, arguing that the artist's portraits helped construct whiteness as a perspicacious state and a biological inheritance. They located sensorial capacity in the white body; visualized its transmission across generations; and, thereby, attempted to mitigate the sitters' anxieties about their tenuous place in the racial imaginary. Long understood to mediate the ambivalent relationship between Britain and its American colonies, Copley's portraits emerge here as actors in the distinctly circum‐Atlantic networks that united these regions.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with Budd–Chiari syndrome or portal vein thrombosis: a multicentre retrospective cohort study
Authors: Chung YY , Heneghan MA
Published: November 2021

Linked article: This is a mini commentary on HMG Wiegers et al., pp. 608–617 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.16915
Who won the election? Explaining news coverage of election results in multi‐party systems
Authors: GATTERMANN KATJANA , MEYER THOMAS M. , WURZER KATHARINA
Published: November 2021

When reporting on election results, the media declare parties as election ‘winners’ or ‘losers’, which has important consequences for voter perceptions and government formation. This article investigates news coverage of parties’ electoral performance in proportional representation systems, in which election results are often less clear‐cut compared to majoritarian systems. It tests the extent to which news coverage of parties’ electoral performance is based on objective measures or on party ideology. Its focus on the aftermath of the 2019 European Parliament election allows holding the electoral context constant across the 16 countries under study. Results from a Heckman selection model show that alongside a party's status as plurality winner and changes in electoral support, parties with radical socio‐cultural policy positions are both more likely to be covered and declared election winners in the news. These results have important implications for citizens’ attitudes and perceived party legitimacy in democratic societies.
Mapping the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire Parent Form onto the Short‐Form Six‐Dimensions version 2
Authors: Watts Yan , Dufresne Élise , Samaan Kathryn , Graham François , Labrosse Roxane , Paradis Louis , Des Roches Anne , Poder Thomas G. , Bégin Philippe
Published: November 2021

Background

The Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire Parent Form (FAQLQ‐PF) is the most widely used quality of life questionnaire in food allergy. The objective of this study was to develop a mapping algorithm to convert FAQLQ‐PF scores into health state utilities.

Methods

The Short‐Form Six‐Dimensions version 2 (SF‐6Dv2) and FAQLQ‐PF questionnaires were collected from an academic center oral immunotherapy referral cohort. Utility estimates were derived from the SF‐6Dv2 using the food allergy preference set. Candidate mapping algorithm models were developed using seven regression methods starting from either the total average score, the average scores of each of the three domains or the individual item scores of FAQLQ‐PF. The process was repeated twice, including only section A, common to all age groups, or including all age‐applicable sections of the FAQLQ‐PF. The mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) were used to select the best fitting model. An independent cohort from a previous national online survey was used for external validation.

Results

In the index cohort, 1000 of 1257 respondents had completed both questionnaires. The lowest MAE (0.0791) and RMSE (0.1020) were recorded when entering individual item scores in a categorical regression model. The model including only FAQLQ‐PF section A was found to be most consistent when tested in the external validation cohort (n = 248) (MAE of 0.0898).

Conclusion

The FAQLQ‐PF was mapped onto SF‐6Dv2 utilities with good predictive accuracy in two independent cohorts. This will enable calculation of health utility for cost‐effectiveness analyses in food allergy.
Targeting arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients using extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal
Authors: Leypoldt John K. , Kurz Jörg , Echeverri Jorge , Storr Markus , Harenski Kai
Published: November 2021

Background

A retrospective analysis of SUPERNOVA trial data showed that reductions in tidal volume to ultraprotective levels without significant increases in arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) for critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) depends on the rate of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R).

Methods

We used a whole‐body mathematical model of acid‐base balance to quantify the effect of altering carbon dioxide (CO2) removal rates using different ECCO2R devices to achieve target PaCO2 levels in ARDS patients. Specifically, we predicted the effect of using a new, larger surface area PrismaLung+ device instead of the original PrismaLung device on the results from two multicenter clinical studies in critically ill, mechanically ventilated ARDS patients.

Results

After calibrating model parameters to the clinical study data using the PrismaLung device, model predictions determined optimal extracorporeal blood flow rates for the PrismaLung+ and mechanical ventilation frequencies to obtain target PaCO2 levels of 45 and 50 mm Hg in mild and moderate ARDS patients treated at a tidal volume of 3.98 ml/kg predicted body weight (PW). Comparable model predictions showed that reductions in tidal volumes below 6 ml/kg PBW may be difficult for acidotic highly severe ARDS patients with acute kidney injury and high CO2 production rates using a PrismaLung+ device in‐series with a continuous venovenous hemofiltration device.

Conclusions

The described model provides guidance on achieving target PaCO2 levels in mechanically ventilated ARDS patients using protective and ultraprotective tidal volumes when increasing CO2 removal rates from ECCO2R devices.
Immature brain structures were associated with poorer eye movement performance at 8 years of age in preterm born children
Authors: Bucci Maria Pia , Caldani Simona , Boutillier Béatrice , Frérot Alice , Farnoux Caroline , Virlouvet Anne‐Laure , Rideau‐Batista‐Novais Aline , Trousson Clémence , Biran Valerie
Published: November 2021

Aim

Eye movements have rarely been explored in preterm born children. The aim of this study was to compare horizontal eye movements in children born preterm and full term when they reached 8 years of age.

Methods

Eye movements were recorded in 24 preterm born children (18 boys) and 26 matched controls (19 boys), recruited by a French hospital, using an eye tracker. This identified different types of visually guided saccades, namely step, gap, overlap and antisaccades and pursuit eye movements. The saccades task measured the latency and the percentage of anticipatory and express saccades and errors. The pursuit task measured the gain and percentage of intrusive saccades.

Results

This study confirmed that children born at 24–28 weeks of gestation demonstrated a global deficit in inhibitory processes compared to children born full term. The saccades were less precise in the preterm group, anticipatory and express saccades were elevated and there was a high occurrence of intrusive saccades during pursuit movements.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that preterm born children have immature brain structures, particularly the parietal and frontal cortexes that are responsible for both saccade and pursuit performance. These could have been the cause of the abnormal inhibitory control measured in this study.
Cortistatin regulates fibrosis and myofibroblast activation in experimental hepatotoxic‐ and cholestatic‐induced liver injury
Authors: Benitez Raquel , Caro Marta , Andres‐Leon Eduardo , O'Valle Francisco , Delgado Mario
Published: November 2021

Background and Purpose

Liver fibrosis induced by chronic hepatic injury remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Identification of susceptibility/prognosis factors and new therapeutic tools for treating hepatic fibrotic disorders are urgent medical needs. Cortistatin is a neuropeptide with potent anti‐inflammatory and anti‐fibrotic activities in lung that binds to receptors that are expressed in liver fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells. We evaluated the capacity of cortistatin to regulate liver fibrosis.

Experimental Approach

We experimentally induced liver fibrosis in mice by chronic CCl4 exposure and bile duct ligation and evaluated the histopathological signs and fibrotic markers.

Key Results

Hepatic expression of cortistatin inversely correlated with liver fibrosis grade in mice and humans with hepatic disorders. Cortistatin‐deficient mice showed exacerbated signs of liver damage and fibrosis and increased mortality rates when challenged by hepatotoxic and cholestatic injury. Compared with wild‐type mice, non‐parenchymal liver cells isolated from cortistatin‐deficient mice showed increased presence of cells with activated myofibroblast phenotypes and a differential genetic signature that is indicative of activated hepatic stellate cells and periportal fibroblasts and of myofibroblasts with active contractile apparatus. Cortistatin treatment reversed in vivo and in vitro these exaggerated fibrogenic phenotypes and protected from progression to severe liver fibrosis in response to hepatic injury.

Conclusion and Implications

We identify cortistatin as an endogenous molecular brake on liver fibrosis and its deficiency as a potential poor‐prognosis marker for chronic hepatic disorders that link with fibrosis. Cortistatin‐based therapies emerge as attractive strategies for ameliorating severe hepatic fibrosis of various aetiologies.
Cost‐effectiveness of carbon‐ion radiotherapy versus stereotactic body radiotherapy for non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Okazaki Shohei , Shibuya Kei , Takura Tomoyuki , Miyasaka Yuhei , Kawamura Hidemasa , Ohno Tatsuya
Published: November 2021

Carbon‐ion radiotherapy (CIRT) for clinical stage I non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is used as an advanced medical treatment regimen in Japan. Carbon‐ion radiotherapy reportedly aids in achieving excellent treatment outcomes, despite its high medical cost. We aimed to compare CIRT with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in terms of cost‐effectiveness for treating clinical stage I NSCLC. Data of patients with clinical stage I NSCLC treated with CIRT or SBRT at Gunma University between 2010 and 2015 were analyzed. The CIRT and SBRT groups included 62 and 27 patients, respectively. After propensity‐score matching, both groups comprised 15 patients. Life year (LY) was used as an indicator of outcome. The CIRT technical fee was 3 140 000 JPY. There was no technical fee for the second CIRT carried out on the same organ within 2 years. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated by dividing the incremental cost by the incremental LY for 5 years after treatment. Sensitivity analysis was applied to evaluate the impact of LY or costs of each group on ICER. The ICERs were 7 491 017 JPY/LY and 3 708 330 JPY/LY for all patients and matched patients, respectively. Hospitalization and examination costs were significantly higher in the CIRT group, and the impact of the CIRT technical costs was smaller than other costs and LY. Carbon‐ion radiotherapy is a cost‐effective treatment approach. However, our findings suggest that reducing excessive costs by considering the validity and necessity of examinations and hospitalizations would make CIRT a more cost‐effective approach.
The Asian wasp Vespa velutina nigrithorax: Entomological and allergological characteristics
Authors: Vidal Carmen
Published: November 2021

The yellow‐legged or Asian wasp (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) has spread rapidly across Europe since its first introduction in France, in 2004. Originally from South‐East Asia, it is considered an invasive species outside its native region. Apart from the ecological and economic implications of its presence, it may cause health problems to humans due to the toxic and allergenic components of its venom. Vespa velutina nigrithorax has become the most prevalent cause of anaphylaxis due to Hymenoptera venom in some regions of Spain. Although sIgE against both antigen 5 (Vesp v 5) and A1‐phospholipase (Vesp v 1) has been detected in these patients, only Vesp v 5 may be considered a dominant allergen. Interestingly, Vesp v 1 appears to be a glycosylated allergen different from A1‐phospholipases from other species. Inhibition studies suggest that Vespula spp venom could behave as primary sensitizer. Besides, changes in sIgE and sIgG4 during Vespula venom immunotherapy in patients with anaphylaxis due to V. velutina support the use of Vespula venom extracts to treat these patients. The purpose of this review is to explore the biological behaviour of V. velutina and to summarize the current knowledge of the allergic reactions provoked by this wasp.
The Polysorbate containing AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine is tolerated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) allergic patients
Authors: Sellaturay Priya , Gurugama Padmalal , Harper Verah , Dymond Tom , Ewan Pamela , Nasser Shuaib
Published: November 2021

Background

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the excipient found in the mRNA COVID‐19 vaccines. We previously demonstrated PEG allergy was a cause of severe anaphylaxis to the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID‐19 vaccine. PEG is widely used in many household products, cosmetics and medicines. However PEG allergy is rare, there have been few confirmed cases of PEG allergy. The excipient of potential concern in the AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine is polysorbate 80 (PS80). Cross‐reactivity between PEG and polysorbate has been suggested, based on their composition and skin‐test data. The aim of this study was to determine whether PEG‐allergic patients could be vaccinated with the PS80 containing AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine.

Method

Eight patients with PEG allergy were identified by the allergy clinic at Cambridge University Hospital. Patients underwent skin prick testing to PS80 (20%) and to the AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine prior to vaccination.

Results

All eight patients allergic to PEG tolerated the AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine, even in 2 patients where the PS80 skin prick test was positive and 1 with a positive skin prick test to the AstraZeneca COVID‐19 vaccine.

Conclusion

Patients allergic to PEG, previously denied COVID vaccination, may now be safely vaccinated with the PS80 containing AstraZeneca vaccine and need only avoid the PEG‐containing mRNA COVID‐19 vaccines. This opens up the possibility that these patients will also tolerate other vaccines containing PS80 such as the Janssen/Johnson and Johnson COVID‐19 vaccine. Clinical cross‐reactivity between PEG and PS80 did not occur in this vaccine setting.
Human prion disease
Authors: Satoh Katsuya , Nakamura Tatsufumi
Published: November 2021

Human prion diseases (HPDs) are progressive and fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by abnormal prion protein (PrPSc). They can be sporadic, genetic or acquired. Sporadic HPDs include sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and sporadic fatal insomnia. Genetic HPDs include genetic CJD, Gerstman–Sträussler–Scheinker disease and fatal familial insomnia. Acquired HPDs include Kuru, variant CJD and iatrogenic CJD. The World Health Organization clinical diagnostic criteria for HPDs include clinical findings, cerebrospinal fluid protein markers and electroencephalography, and the UK and European clinical diagnostic criteria include a combination of clinical findings, 14‐3‐3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid, magnetic resonance imaging diffusion‐weighted imaging and electroencephalography. Recently, the development and clinical application of real‐time quaking‐induced conversion has allowed pre‐mortem diagnosis of sporadic CJD. The real‐time quaking‐induced conversion assay allows detection of >1 fg of PrPSc in diluted CJD brain homogenate, as well as a variety of biological tissues and cerebrospinal fluid. However, the real‐time quaking‐induced conversion assay does not provide prognostic data and has lower diagnostic accuracy for some rarer, atypical prion diseases. Furthermore, recent advancements in laboratory testing and magnetic resonance imaging diffusion‐weighted imaging have shown improved diagnostic accuracy for prion diseases. Clinical trials of prion disease treatments have recently begun in many countries. The therapeutic window consists mainly of the early stage of disease, and few clinical studies have examined the role of biomarkers at this stage. Therefore, biomarkers, imaging and clinical symptoms might be extremely important for the diagnosis of prion diseases.

Clinical trials of prion disease treatments have recently begun in many countries. The therapeutic window mainly consists of the early stage of disease, and few clinical studies have examined the role of biomarkers at this stage. Therefore, biomarkers, imaging and clinical symptoms might be extremely important for the diagnosis of prion diseases.
Are colorectal surgery patients willing to accept an increased risk of surgical site infection to avoid mechanical bowel preparation? Implications for future trial design
Authors: Gu Steven , Brar Mantaj , Schmocker Selina , Kennedy Erin
Published: November 2021

Aim

Recent evidence has shown no difference in the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) with oral antibiotics alone (OA) and oral antibiotics in combination with mechanical bowel preparation (OA + MBP), suggesting that the use of MBP may be safely avoided. The aim of this work was to determine the absolute risk of SSI that patients would accept with OA relative to OA + MBP.

Method

Standardized, in‐person interviews were conducted using the threshold task with patients attending colorectal surgery clinics who had previously had MBP. Participants were asked which option they preferred when the absolute risk of SSI was 7% for both options. Next, their switch point was determined by increasing the risk of SSI with OA by 1% intervals until their preference changed from OA to OA + MBP. Median switch point scores were reported and represented the absolute increased risk of SSI that patients would accept with OA relative to OA + MBP.

Results

Fifty patients completed the interview. All participants chose OA over OA + MBP when the risk of SSI was 7% for both options. Switch points ranged from 8% to 25%, with a median of 10%, indicating that participants were willing to accept up to a 3% increase in absolute risk of developing a SSI with OA to avoid MBP.

Conclusions

The results showed that patients are willing to accept an increased risk of up to 3% for SSI with OA relative to OA + MBP. Incorporating patient preferences into the planning of future trials has the potential to improve the uptake of trial results into clinical practice.
Positive emotion enhances conflict processing in preschoolers
Authors: Berger Philipp , Grosse Wiesmann Charlotte
Published: November 2021

The rapid detection and resolution of conflict between opposing action tendencies is crucial for our ability to engage in goal‐directed behavior. Research in adults suggests that emotions can serve as a “relevance detector” that alarms attentional and sensory systems, thereby leading to more efficient conflict processing. In contrast, previous research in children has almost exclusively stressed the impeding influence of emotion on the attentional system, as suggested by the protracted development of performance in “hot” executive function tasks. Do preschool children show a facilitative effect of emotion on conflict processing? We addressed this question applying a modified version of a color flanker task that either involved or did not involve positive emotional stimuli in preschool children (N = 43, with preregistered Bayesian sequential design, aged 2.8–7.0 years). Our results show a robust conflict effect with higher error rates in incongruent compared to congruent trials. Crucially, conflict resolution was faster in emotional compared to neutral conditions. Furthermore, while efficient conflict processing increases with age, we find evidence against an age‐related change in the influence of positive emotion on conflict processing. Taken together, these findings provide indication that positive emotion can trigger efficient control processes already from early on in life. In contrast to the predominant view in developmental psychology, this indicates that, depending on the role that emotion has in conflict processing, emotion may show a facilitative or impeding effect already in the preschool period.