bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global strategy collections: Multinationality and performance
Authors: Pedersen Torben , Tallman Stephen
Published: March 2023

Research Summary

In this second collection of articles relating to global strategy, we address the well‐established but unresolved issue of the relationship between multinationality and performance among multinational firms. The M‐P relationship has been the topic of many articles in many journals for many years, but its true nature is still not established. Both theory and empirical findings provide different and often opposed views, as can be seen in the articles collected here. We see two main perspectives on this issue. Some scholars suggest that differences in data and analytical tools have prevented consistent empirical results, and that more consistent and carefully chosen empirical modeling can yet establish the true M‐P connection. Others believe that basic problems in theory and in building testable frameworks that are truly consistent with theory have made this an inherently intractable problem. The collection provides important articles that test the M‐P relationship as well as critiques from both perspectives. We see considerable power in the view that individual firms are likely to have their own idiosyncratic optimal level of multinationaliation. We finish by calling for and suggesting new approaches to the issue, such as a micro‐foundations approach, as opposed to simply using more sophisticated tools to test problematic models based on well‐established but ultimately inadequate theory.

Managerial Summary

The relationship between the level of multinational diversification and performance in multinational firms is at the heart of global strategy. If operating at ever increasing levels in ever more countries does not provide reliably superior performance, why do firms continue to expand internationally? One view suggests that since firms continue to increase their international presence, there must be some ultimate benefits—difficult as they may be to establish. The opposing view suggests that since an equal amount of research finds no such benefits, it may be that no level of multinational diversification is generally optimal, but that depending on its particular resources and capabilities, experience, industry, and national portfolio, each multinational must discover its own optimal level of cross‐border investment.
Superficial‐layer versus deep‐layer lateral entorhinal cortex: Coding of allocentric space, egocentric space, speed, boundaries, and corners
Authors: Wang Cheng , Lee Heekyung , Rao Geeta , Doreswamy Yoganarasimha , Savelli Francesco , Knierim James J.
Published: March 2023

Entorhinal cortex is the major gateway between the neocortex and the hippocampus and thus plays an essential role in subserving episodic memory and spatial navigation. It can be divided into the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), which are commonly theorized to be critical for spatial (context) and non‐spatial (content) inputs, respectively. Consistent with this theory, LEC neurons are found to carry little information about allocentric self‐location, even in cue‐rich environments, but they exhibit egocentric spatial information about external items in the environment. The superficial and deep layers of LEC are believed to mediate the input to and output from the hippocampus, respectively. As earlier studies mainly examined the spatial firing properties of superficial‐layer LEC neurons, here we characterized the deep‐layer LEC neurons and made direct comparisons with their superficial counterparts in single unit recordings from behaving rats. Because deep‐layer LEC cells received inputs from hippocampal regions, which have strong selectivity for self‐location, we hypothesized that deep‐layer LEC neurons would be more informative about allocentric position than superficial‐layer LEC neurons. We found that deep‐layer LEC cells showed only slightly more allocentric spatial information and higher spatial consistency than superficial‐layer LEC cells. Egocentric coding properties were comparable between these two subregions. In addition, LEC neurons demonstrated preferential firing at lower speeds, as well as at the boundary or corners of the environment. These results suggest that allocentric spatial outputs from the hippocampus are transformed in deep‐layer LEC into the egocentric coding dimensions of LEC, rather than maintaining the allocentric spatial tuning of the CA1 place fields.
Emergency calls from migrants to an emergency call centre: A retrospective epidemiological study
Authors: Kalanlar Bilge , Öner Mücahide
Published: March 2023

Objective

The study aims to evaluate migrants' inclination to call emergency call centres. Records of calls made to an emergency call centre by migrants of different age groups and nationalities were reviewed retrospectively.

Materials and methods

A total of 4481 emergency call records from migrants of 33 different nationalities was evaluated between 2017 and 2021.

Results

Migrants called the emergency call centres mostly for medical reasons, and most of their calls resulted in referrals to hospitals. Pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting were among the most common medical reasons for emergency calls. The majority of the calls were in the green triage category, and the calls spread over the week.

Conclusion

The results showed that migrants use emergency call services in non‐emergency situations. The study recommended enhancing migrants' knowledge of when and how to utilise emergency call centres and making health planning to meet their specific needs.
Molecular characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma with respect to patient age at diagnosis
Authors: Staaf Johan , Aine Mattias , Nacer Deborah F. , Planck Maria , Arbajian Elsa
Published: March 2023

Lung cancer is primarily a disease of the elderly, with a median age at diagnosis around 70 years. In our study we sought to address the question of whether and how clinical characteristics, molecular alterations and molecular phenotypes differ between patient populations with early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma (AC) with respect to age at diagnosis. Patients were stratified based on age at diagnosis into five systematic age bins (<50, 50‐60, 60‐70, 70‐80 and ≥80 years). To assess clinicopathological variables on a population‐based level, we accessed data from the national quality registry for lung cancer in Sweden. In parallel, we used compiled datasets from public cohorts to investigate focal and genome‐wide DNA alterations, epigenetic alterations, immune composition and transcriptional patterns in relation to age at diagnosis. Gender, stage, WHO performance and likelihood of receiving chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment were linked to age at diagnosis. Associations between younger patient age and likelihood of harboring certain driver mutations (eg, in EGFR and ALK) were confirmed. We also found an association between age at diagnosis and certain mutational signatures. However, age did not seem to drive transcriptional, copy number, or epigenetic variation in the tumors. Based on our findings, age at diagnosis alone does not appear to provide an additional layer of biological complexity above that of proposed genetic and transcriptional phenotypes of AC.
Endometrial cancer risk with menopausal hormone therapy: Health Insurance Database in South Korea‐based cohort study
Authors: Yuk Jin‐Sung
Published: March 2023

Objective

To determine the risk of endometrial cancer according to the types of menopausal hormones used.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study recruited postmenopausal women older than 40 years from 2003 to 2011, utilizing data from the Korean national health insurance system from 2002 to 2019. The menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) group consisted of women who had been prescribed MHT for greater than 6 months between 2003 and 2011. The non‐MHT group consisted of women who had never used menopausal hormones between 2003 and 2011.

Results

A non‐MHT group of 1 000 550 women and a MHT group of 353 025 women were chosen. In comparison to never‐users, the risk of endometrial cancer was not higher in women who reported last using tibolone (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96–1.2), combined estrogen plus progestin by the manufacturer (aHR 0.83, 0.72–0.96), combined estrogen plus progestin by the physician (aHR 0.88, 0.7–1.12), and transdermal estrogen (aHR 1.13, 0.36–3.52).

Conclusions

Tibolone, combined estrogen plus progestin by the physician, and transdermal estrogen do not affect the risk of endometrial cancer. The combination of estrogen plus progestin by the manufacturer decreases the risk of endometrial cancer.
Clinical use of mixed reality for laparoscopic myomectomy
Authors: Ochi Yoshifumi , Yanai Shiori , Yoshino Yasunori , Sawada Mari , Sakate Shintaro , Kanno Kiyoshi , Andou Masaaki
Published: March 2023

Synopsis

Mixed reality is useful for assessing the location of uterine fibroids during laparoscopic myomectomy, potentially reducing recurrence of fibroid remnants and improving quality of life.
Combining the guidelines and multiphoton imaging methods to improve the prognostic value of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer
Authors: He Jiajia , Kang Deyong , Xu Meifang , Han Zhonghua , Guo Wenhui , Fu Fangmeng , Qiu Lida , Zheng Liqin , Xi Gangqin , Wang Wei , Ren Wenjiao , Han Xiahui , Tu Haohua , Li Lianhuang , Wang Chuan , Chen Jianxin
Published: March 2023

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) was introduced to label‐freely obtain tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) images from a total of 611 patients, and the prognostic value of TILs in breast cancer was assessed by the MPM method (TILs‐MPM) and guidelines method proposed by the International Immuno‐Oncology Biomarker Working Group (TILs‐WG), respectively. Moreover, the clinical (CLI) model, TILs‐WG + TILs‐MPM model, and full model (CLI + TILs‐WG + TILs‐MPM) were developed to investigate the prognostic value of TILs. The results show that TILs‐WG performs better in estrogen receptor (ER)‐negative subgroup, and TILs‐MPM is comparable with TILs‐WG in the ER‐negative subgroup, but has the best performance in the ER‐positive subgroup. Furthermore, the TILs‐WG + TILs‐MPM model can significantly improve the prognostic power compared with the TILs‐WG model, and the full model has excellent performance, with high area under the curve (AUC) and hazard ratio (HR) in both ER‐positive, ER‐negative subgroups, and the complete cohort. Our results suggest that the combination of TILs‐WG with TILs‐MPM model can greatly improve the prognostic value of TILs.
Crosslinkable fluorophenoxy‐substituted poly[bis(octafluoropentoxy) phosphazene] biomaterials with improved antimicrobial effect and hemocompatibility
Authors: Alwine Shelby , Chen Chen , Shen Lihui , Allcock Harry R. , Siedlecki Christopher A. , Xu Li‐Chong
Published: March 2023

Biomaterial‐associated microbial infection is one of the most frequent and severe complications associated with the use of biomaterials in medical devices. In previous studies, we developed new fluorinated polyphosphazenes, poly[bis(octafluoropentoxy) phosphazene] (OFP) and crosslinkable OFP (X‐OFP), and demonstrated the inhibition of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, thereby controlling microbial infection. In this study, two additional fluorinated polyphosphazenes (PPs, defined as LS02 and LS03) with fluorophenoxy‐substituted side groups, 4‐fluorophenoxy and 4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy, respectively, based on X‐OFP general structure, were synthesized and applied as coatings on stainless steel. The linkage of fluorophenoxy groups to the P‐N backbone of PPs was found to increase the surface stiffness and significantly reduced Staphylococcus bacterial adhesion and inhibited biofilm formation. It also significantly reduced microbial infection compared to OFP, our prior X‐OFPs or poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy) phosphazene] (TFE). The biofilm experiments show that the newly synthesized PPs LS02 and LS03 are biofilm free up to 28 days. Plasma coagulation and platelet adhesion/activation experiments also demonstrated that new PPs containing fluorophenoxy side groups are hemocompatible. The development of new crosslinkable fluorinated PPs containing fluorophenoxy‐substituted side groups provides a new generation of polyphosphazene materials for medical devices with improved resistance to microbial infections and thrombosis formation.
Grieving in community: Accompanying bereaved parents
Authors: Venema Marnie , Klaassen Derrick , Kwee Janelle , Rossen Larissa
Published: March 2023

This study explored relational grieving in community by examining how community members grieve with bereaved parents after the death of a child. Three bereaved parent couples and their community members were interviewed together using the qualitative action‐project method to examine their shared grieving actions. Data was analyzed through top‐down and bottom‐up processes to understand the shared intentions of their grieving actions together. The findings of this research elicited thick descriptions of relational grieving at a community level. Four main assertions of how communities grieve with bereaved parents emerged, and include: (a) selflessly offering emotional and practical support, (b) engaging in and honouring vulnerability, (c) holding the complexity of grieving, and (d) fostering remembrance of the deceased child together. The novel descriptions of relational grieving in community contributed to the growing area of relational bereavement research. The theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications of this study are discussed.
Multi‐assembled nanofiltration membranes with excellent separation and catalytic performance
Authors: Ma Mengxu , Yan Hongding , Hou Qian , Zhou Chenkai , Wang Yangyang , Xia Min , Jia Yanrong , Ni Huagang , Ye Peng
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

According to the characteristics of various nanomaterials, assembling these nanomaterials is an effective way to control the structure and properties of nanocomposites.

RESULTS

In this work, nanofiltration membranes (NM) were prepared by assembling several nanomaterials that have excellent separation and catalytic properties. SiO2 nanoparticles were employed to optimize the water nanochannels between graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to fabricate GO/SiO2 NM, whose water flux was 73.2 L m−2 h−1 and the rejection ratio was 99.1%. The combination of high‐conductivity hydroxylated graphene (G‐OH) with flake NiCo‐BDC (BDC refers to deprotonated terephthalic acid) ultra‐thin metal organic framework (UMOF) to obtain UMOF&G‐OH could improve the catalytic performance of the UMOF by about 23.5%. In order to realize the synchronous catalysis and separation performance of nanofiltration membrane, UMOF&G‐OH was reassembled with GO and SiO2. The pure water flux of (UMOF&G‐OH)/GO/SiO2 nanofiltration membrane was 95.8 L m−2 h−1 and the rejection ratio was 99.1%. TiO2 nanoparticles were added to the membrane to regulate the distance between the flake, and the selective permeation of the composite membrane was further improved to 99.9%; the pure water flux reached 92.6 L m−2 h−1.

CONCLUSION

The introduction of G‐OH would be beneficial in improving the migration and separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron holes, and effectively improve the catalytic performance of the semiconductor catalyst. Through the assembly of a variety of nanoparticles and lamellar materials, the water nanochannel could be accurately controlled and the catalytic performance of the membrane could be given, so as to obtain a nanofiltration membrane with high water flux and high rejection ratio. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Liver elastography can predict degree of advanced fibrosis for autoimmune hepatitis in biochemical remission
Authors: Paranaguá‐Vezozzo Denise Cerqueira , Benedita Terrabuio Débora Raquel , Reinoso‐Pereira Gleicy Luz , Moutinho Renata , Kioko Ono Suzane , Walwyn Salas Veronica , Dias França Joao Italo , Alves Venâncio Avancini Ferreira , Cançado Eduardo Luiz Rachid , Carrilho Flair José
Published: March 2023

Background and Aim

The aim was to analyze the concordance of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) either by transient elastography (TE) or ARFI with liver biopsy in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients with biochemical remission and to identify those with histological remission. Liver biopsy is still the golden standard for AIH diagnosis. However, it is an invasive procedure and these patients, most of the time, require many biopsies, so it would be valuable to search for noninvasive method that could select all these patients and keep under observation.

Methods

Thirty‐three patients with AIH were submitted for liver biopsy to evaluate histological remission after at least 18 months of normal aminotransferases. The efficiency of LSM and fibrosis stages was tested by a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (AUROC).

Results

One patient (3%) was F0, 6 (18.2%) were F1, 8 (24.2%) were F2, 10 (30.3%) were F3, and 8 (24.2%) were F4, according to METAVIR. Thirteen of thirty‐three (39.4%) patients did not achieve histological remission. AUROC for F4 stage was 0.83 (IC: 0.76–0.99) for TE and 0.78 (IC: 0.65–0.95) for ARFI. Optimal LSM cutoff values were 12.3 kPa (Se = 87.5%, Sp = 88%) for TE and 1.65 m/s (Se = 87.5%, Sp = 76%) for ARFI. The tests were unable to differentiate patients with histological activity from those in histological remission (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

TE and ARFI accurately identify liver fibrosis by METAVIR score in AIH patients with biochemical remission. No cutoff value was detected to indicate whether the patient achieved histological remission.
Deep Learning With an Attention Mechanism for Differentiating the Origin of Brain Metastasis Using MR images
Authors: Jiao Tianyu , Li Fuyan , Cui Yi , Wang Xiao , Li Butuo , Shi Feng , Xia Yuwei , Zhou Qing , Zeng Qingshi
Published: March 2023

Background

Brain metastasis (BM) is a serious neurological complication of cancer of different origins. The value of deep learning (DL) to identify multiple types of primary origins remains unclear.

Purpose

To distinguish primary site of BM and identify the best DL models.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

A total of 449 BM derived from 214 patients (49.5% for female, mean age 58 years) (100 from small cell lung cancer [SCLC], 125 from non‐small cell lung cancer [NSCLC], 116 from breast cancer [BC], and 108 from gastrointestinal cancer [GIC]) were included.

Field Strength/Sequence

A 3‐T, T1 turbo spin echo (T1‐TSE), T2‐TSE, T2FLAIR‐TSE, DWI echo‐planar imaging (DWI‐EPI) and contrast‐enhanced T1‐TSE (CE T1‐TSE).

Assessment

Lesions were divided into training (n = 285, 153 patients), testing (n = 122, 93 patients), and independent testing cohorts (n = 42, 34 patients). Three‐dimensional residual network (3D‐ResNet), named 3D ResNet6 and 3D ResNet 18, was proposed for identifying the four origins based on single MRI and combined MRI (T1WI + T2‐FLAIR + DWI, CE‐T1WI + DWI, CE‐T1WI + T2WI + DWI). DL model was used to distinguish lung cancer from non‐lung cancer; then SCLC vs. NSCLC for lung cancer classification and BC vs. GIC for non‐lung cancer classification was performed. A subjective visual analysis was implemented and compared with DL models. Gradient‐weighted class activation mapping (Grad‐CAM) was used to visualize the model by heatmaps.

Statistical Tests

The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) assess each classification performance.

Results

3D ResNet18 with Grad‐CAM and AIC showed better performance than 3DResNet6, 3DResNet18 and the radiologist for distinguishing lung cancer from non‐lung cancer, SCLC from NSCLC, and BC from GIC. For single MRI sequence, T1WI, DWI, and CE‐T1WI performed best for lung cancer vs. non‐lung cancer, SCLC vs. NSCLC, and BC vs. GIC classifications. The AUC ranged from 0.675 to 0.876 and from 0.684 to 0.800 regarding the testing and independent testing datasets, respectively. For combined MRI sequences, the combination of CE‐T1WI + T2WI + DWI performed better for BC vs. GIC (AUCs of 0.788 and 0.848 on testing and independent testing datasets, respectively), while the combined MRI approach (T1WI + T2‐FLAIR + DWI, CE‐T1WI + DWI) could not achieve higher AUCs for lung cancer vs. non‐lung cancer, SCLC vs. NSCLC. Grad‐CAM helped for model visualization by heatmaps that focused on tumor regions.

Data Conclusion

DL models may help to distinguish the origins of BM based on MRI data.

Evidence Level

3

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2.
MRI Assessment of Renal Lipid Deposition and Abnormal Oxygen Metabolism of Type 2 diabetes Mellitus Based on mDixon‐Quant
Authors: Yang Chun , Wang Zhe , Zhang Jinliang , Wang Yuxin , Wang Zunsong , Wang HuanJun , Wang Yishi , Li Wei
Published: March 2023

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the main cause of end‐stage renal failure. Multiecho Dixon‐based imaging utilizes chemical shift for water–fat separation that may be valuable in detecting changes both fat and oxygen content of the kidney from a single dataset.

Purpose

To investigate whether multiecho Dixon‐based imaging can assess fat and oxygen metabolism of the kidney in a single breath‐hold acquisition for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects

A total of 40 DM patients with laboratory examination of biochemical parameters and 20 age‐ and body mass index (BMI)‐matched healthy volunteers (controls).

Field Strength/Sequence

3D multiecho Dixon gradient‐echo sequence at 3.0 T.

Assessment

The DM patients were divided into two groups based on urine albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio (ACR): type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM, 20 patients, ACR < 30 mg/g) and diabetic nephropathy (DN, 20 patients, ACR ≥ 30 mg/g). In all subjects, fat fraction (FF) and relaxation rate (R2*) maps were derived from the Dixon‐based imaging dataset, and mean values in manually drawn regions of interest in the cortex and medulla compared among groups. Associations between MRI and biochemical parameters, including β2‐microglobulin, were investigated.

Statistical Tests

Kruskal–Wallis tests, Spearman correlation analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

FF and R2* values of the renal cortex and medulla were significantly different among the three groups with control group < DM < DN (FF: control, 1.11± 0.30, 1.10 ± 0.39; DM, 1.52 ± 0.32, 1.57 ± 0.35; DN, 1.99 ± 0.66, 2.21 ± 0.59. R2*: Control, 16.88 ± 0.77, 20.70 ± 0.86; DM, 17.94 ± 0.75, 22.10 ± 1.12; DN, 19.20 ± 1.24, 23.63 ± 1.33). The highest correlation between MRI and biochemical parameters was that between cortex R2* and β2‐microglobulin (r = 0.674). A medulla R2* cutoff of 21.41 seconds−1 resulted in a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 85% and achieved the largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.83 for discriminating DM from the controls. A cortex FF of 1.81% resulted in a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 100% and achieved the largest AUC of 0.83 for discriminating DM from DN.

Data Conclusion

Multiecho Dixon‐based imaging is feasible for noninvasively distinguishing DN, DM and healthy controls by measuring FF and R2* values.

Evidence Level

2.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2.
Response and duration of serum anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies induced by the third dose of an inactivated vaccine: A prospective longitudinal cohort study at 21 serial time points over 641 days
Authors: Zheng Xin‐Qi , Xu Qiu‐Yan , Xie Lin , He Yun , Wang Yong‐Jing , Liu Li‐Li , Lin Li‐Rong , Yang Tian‐Ci
Published: March 2023

Given the prevalence of low‐pathogenic but highly infectious Omicron variants, a cohort study was conducted to assess the response and duration of novel coronavirus‐inactivated vaccine‐induced antibodies 1 year after the third dose (Day 641). Blood samples were collected and anti‐spike neutralizing antibodies (neutralizing antibody), total antibodies against the receptor‐binding domain of the spike protein (total antibody), and immunoglobulin G antibodies against the spike protein (IgG antibody) were determined. Antibody kinetics and attenuation were evaluated. The results showed that the levels of neutralizing, total, and IgG antibodies on Day 641 were 98.05 IU/mL, 152.8 AU/mL, and 7.68 S/CO, respectively. Levels of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies were higher in the younger subgroup than in the older subgroup at several time points after the second and third doses. The seropositive rate of neutralizing antibodies providing protection from infection or severe infection was 46.87% and 87.5%, and the seropositive rates of total antibody and IgG antibody were maintained at 100% and 90.63%, respectively. The half‐lives of neutralizing, total, and IgG antibodies were 186.89, 363.04, and 417.50 days, respectively. Collectively, anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies may provide a certain degree of protection from infection 1 year after the third dose and high protection from severe infection.
Echinocandin use in an Australian tertiary hospital: implications for antifungal stewardship
Authors: Ierano Courtney , Percival Mia , Poole Susan , Mackie Kathryn , Rashidzada Zohal , Corallo Carmela , Mcmahon James. H. , Morrissey Catherine Orla , Duncan Alison
Published: March 2023

Background

Invasive candidiasis (IC) surveillance demonstrates an increasing incidence of resistance to azole‐based therapy. Consequently, echinocandins are often considered first‐line treatment for IC in critically ill patients. To better understand the complexities of decision‐making around echinocandin initiation, an evidence‐based audit tool was developed.

Aim

To describe echinocandin initiation and compliance with current guidelines.

Method

A retrospective audit of echinocandin initiation was conducted between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 at a quaternary referral hospital. An audit tool was developed by infectious diseases physicians and antimicrobial stewardship pharmacists, capturing patient demographics, microbiological results, indication for therapy, and risk factors for invasive fungal disease (IFD). Local guideline compliance was determined. This project was determined to be a quality improvement project and was not required to undergo ethical review according to the Alfred Hospital Ethics Committee procedures.

Results

One hundred sixty‐seven patients were initiated on 214 courses of echinocandin therapy. Caspofungin was most commonly prescribed (n = 172, 80%). Of the 167 patients, most (n = 119, 71%) were in the intensive care unit at the time of initiation. Empiric therapy for sepsis or infection of unclear source was the most commonly documented indication (n = 117, 55%); 71% (n = 153) of all courses were deemed empiric therapy, followed by directed therapy (n = 55, 26%). The most common risk factors for IFD were recent exposure to broad‐spectrum antimicrobial therapy (n = 165, 99%) and the presence of a urinary catheter (n = 141, 84%). Most first doses were compliant with local guidelines (n = 144, 67%).

Conclusions

Echinocandin therapy was commonly prescribed in critically ill patients with risk factors for IFD. Although the majority of prescriptions were empiric and compliant with local guidelines, improved guidelines incorporating additional patient factors should be included in future antifungal stewardship initiatives.
Influence of fat reduction and flavor addition on the temporal sensory profile in potato chips using a multiple‐intake approach
Authors: Olegario Lary Souza , González‐Mohino Alberto , Estevéz Mario , Madruga Marta Suely , Ventanas Sonia
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Reducing the fat content of potato chips can negatively affect the overall perception of taste and texture. However, incorporating flavor can help mitigate negative effects. To measure and understand these changes, a technique describing the consumption experience must be used. The impact of low fat content and the presence of ham flavor in the formulation of potato chips was studied in relation to the dynamics of sensations perceived during consumption and, additionally, related to the hedonic aspects of these products.

RESULTS

Three different varieties of commercially available potato chips, classical salted potato chips (PC‐C), light (low fat content) potato chips (PC‐L), and ham‐flavored potato chips (PC‐H), were analyzed by multiple‐intake temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) sessions, showing the differences among PC‐C, PC‐L, and PC‐H. Moreover, acceptability and purchase intention were also considered. The results showed that the lower fat content in the potato chips had a great impact on temporal dominance of texture attributes, whereas the presence of ham flavor in the formulation greatly modified the temporal dominance of flavor sensations during consumption with no effect on acceptability.

CONCLUSION

Multiple intake TDS is a suitable method for revealing how modifications of formulation and composition of potato chips to achieve healthier or different versions affects consumers dynamic sensory perception and how it is related to preferences. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Ferulic and coumaric acid in corn and soybean meal‐based diets and in feces from pigs fed these diets
Authors: Lancheros Jeimmy Paola , Espinosa Charmaine D , Hilgers Roelant , Kabel Mirjam A , Stein Hans H
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Arabinoxylan is the main fiber component in corn and corn co‐products that are commonly included in pig diets. However, this fiber fraction is resistant to enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. Ferulic acid and p‐coumaric acid are covalently linked to arabinoxylan, so it is likely that the majority of these hydroxycinnamic acids are excreted in feces. However, data to confirm this have not been reported. The objective of this research was therefore to quantify the ferulic and p‐coumaric acids in a diet based on corn and soybean meal (SBM) and in a diet based on corn, SBM, and distillers’ dried grains with solubles, as well as in feces from pigs fed these diets.

RESULTS

The concentration of bound ferulic and coumaric acids in diets was greater in the corn‐SBM‐DDGS diet and in feces from pigs fed this diet than in the corn‐SBM diet and feces from pigs fed that diet. The disappearance of free coumaric acids was greater (>85%) than that of bound phenolic acids (<50%) in both diets. The disappearance of free coumaric acid and bound ferulic acid in the intestinal tract of pigs was not different between the two diets. In contrast, disappearance of bound coumaric acid was greater (P < 0.05) in the corn‐SBM diet than in the corn‐SBM‐DDGS diet.

CONCLUSION

A diet based on corn and SBM contains less hydroxycinnamic acid than a corn‐SBM‐DDGS diet but bound phenolic acids are more resistant to digestion by pigs than free phenolic acids. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Βisphenol A and its analogs migrated from contact materials into food and beverages: An updated review in sample preparation approaches
Authors: Priovolos Ioannis , Samanidou Victoria
Published: March 2023

Bisphenols are used as monomers in the production of plastic materials, and they are likely to be detected in food contact materials. Due to their migration from these plastic packaging materials into food and beverages, the organoleptic properties of the products are changing and plenty of harmful effects on human health are caused, especially if consumers are exposed to higher levels of bisphenols than those established by legislation. However, because of their trace‐level presence, their determination into food and beverage matrices is rather difficult. For this reason, sensitive, simple, rapid, and green methods are required to extract and preconcentrate the analytes of interest. Effective and representative tests are required as well, to evaluate the migration of bisphenols from plastic materials under realistic usage conditions. This review provides a detailed background of bisphenol A chemistry and legislation. Furthermore, it refers to bisphenol A migration test procedures and the recent advances of the last decade in the extraction of bisphenols from various matrices by using different sample preparation techniques prior to their chromatographic determination.
Preliminary Experience in Transducer Preparation for Intraoral Imaging
Authors: Kripfgans Oliver D. , Chan Hsun‐Liang
Published: March 2023

Intraoral scanning must meet a stringent infection control standard because of contact with the oral mucosa. A preparation protocol is thus presented for increased inquiries about intraoral scanning requirements. Materials required for such a preparation include: a single‐use bubble‐free gel packet, a gel standoff pad, and a transducer probe cover. Postscan reprocessing of the ultrasound transducer requires high‐level disinfection. Examples for proper and improper use are provided as well as limitations of this preparation protocol and recommendations for future development. This guidance meets the current infection control standard and may guide the user to obtain consistent ultrasound image quality.
The genetic basis of pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Vodo Dan , Sprecher Eli
Published: March 2023

The severe autoimmune blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is most probably mainly due to autoantibodies directed against desmosomal components of the epithelium, disrupting cell‐cell adhesion. The precise mechanisms underlying the development of the disease are still unknown, and immunosuppressive medications such as corticosteroids, which are linked to potentially serious adverse effects, are still the mainstay of treatment. Ethnic susceptibility and familial incidence hint to a genetic component to the pathophysiology of PV, which, if identified, could further improve our understanding of PV pathogenesis and lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets for this potentially fatal condition. In this article, we review the evidence supporting a genetic component in PV and discuss the clinical and therapeutic implications of these discoveries.
Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis induced by duloxetine
Authors: Deydier Numa , Jantzem Hélène , Alavi Zarrin , Le Flahec Glen , Robert Marine , Roguedas‐Contios Anne‐Marie , Brenaut Emilie , Misery Laurent , Gourier Greta
Published: March 2023

Duloxetine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Some rare duloxetine‐induced hypersensitivity skin reactions have been reported. We report a case of acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis potentially induced by duloxetine. Skin pustules appeared 8 days after the introduction of duloxetine. Treatment with topical clobetasol propionate led to gradual remission of the lesions. As there are no cases of duloxetine‐induced acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis(AGEP) in the literature, we did a research in the World Health Organization (WHO) pharmacovigilance database (21 March 2022) and found three cases of duloxetine‐induced AGEP. The French causality assessment score for our case of duloxetine‐induced AGEP was 15 (C2S3). The Naranjo score was 7, indicating a possible correlation between AGEP and the use of duloxetine. This was consistent with the WHO causality score. We inform clinicians of the possibility of AGEP following therapy with duloxetine.
T cells in the heterogeneous tumour immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma: Implications for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy
Authors: Barsch Maryam , Salié Henrike , Mesesan Andreea , Bengsch Bertram
Published: March 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Recently, patient care was revolutionized by the introduction of immunotherapy combining anti‐programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) checkpoint inhibition with anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy as first‐line treatment for advanced unresectable HCC. Additional promising studies with mono‐ or combination immunotherapy are in advanced phases of clinical testing. Currently, however, our understanding of which patients profit from immunotherapy and how therapy response may be related to the composition of the tumour immune microenvironment remains incomplete. Inhibitory receptors as targets of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies are strongly expressed by T cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, the HCC microenvironment is highly heterogeneous as illustrated by distinct molecular subtypes and subclassifications with an immune‐rich microenvironment representing only a small proportion of HCCs. A better understanding of the tumour immune microenvironment is expected to provide insights for clinically applicable biomarkers to optimize immunotherapies. Recent studies identified subtypes of PD‐1 expressing CD8+ T cells with divergent function in the HCC TME associated with different outcomes, suggesting that specific PD‐1 expressing CD8+ tissue‐resident memory T cells (TRM), but not exhausted CD8+ T cells (TEX), govern positive therapy outcomes. This review discusses the T‐cell response in the HCC TME in the context of its heterogeneity, molecular and immune classifications and implications for ICI therapy and biomarker discovery.
Fabrication of 3D‐Printed Contact Lenses and Their Potential as Color Blindness Ocular Aids
Authors: Hittini Saba , Salih Ahmed E. , Alam Fahad , Shanti Aya , Lee Sungmun , Polychronopoulou Kyriaki , AlSafar Habiba , Almaskari Fahad , Butt Haider
Published: March 2023

Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is a congenital ocular deficiency that hampers patients’ daily life activities. CVD patients rely mostly on using wearable visual aids that enhance color distinction by blocking problematic wavelengths of light. Contributing to that, this study examines the fabrication of 3D‐printed colored contact lens for color blindness management. A vat photopolymerization based 3D printing technology is utilized to fabricate the contact lenses for CVD patients. An in‐house prepared resin is mixed with a low‐cost colored ink to attain the desired blocking range (520–580 nm). The fabricated lens blocks more than 50% of light at the problematic wavelengths, along with exhibiting minimal leakage when stored and examined in water and contact lens storage solution. Average contact angle and water content values are 48° and 56%, respectively. Mechanical properties demonstrate the physical adequacy of the contact lens. The CVD filtering efficacy of the tinted contact lens and its potential as a CVD wearable is evaluated by comparing its optical performance with that of commercial products. Finally, cytotoxicity analysis of the lens to dermal fibroblast cells reveals the biocompatibility of the lens as the cell viability remains greater than 75% after 24 h.
PEGylation Effects on the Interaction of Sphingomyelin Nanoemulsions with Serum Albumin: A Thermodynamic Investigation
Authors: Gheorghe Daniela , Díez‐Villares Sandra , Sandu Romica , Neacsu Ana , Neacsu Dana‐Andreea , Serban Adriana , Botea‐Petcu Alina , Popa Vlad Tudor , Garcia‐Fernandez Jenifer , López Rafael López , de la Fuente Freire Maria , Teodorescu Florina , Tanasescu Speranta
Published: March 2023

The recent focus in the development of novel nanosystems for biomedical applications lays firmly on their interactions with biomolecules. Thermodynamic parameters driving the interaction between nanoparticles and proteins provide insights into complex processes at bio/nanointerface. The present work aims to investigate the binding mechanisms and the dominant contributions that determine the adsorption processes during the interactions of a model protein, that is, bovine serum albumin, with a new type of drug delivery systems, Vitamin E/sphingomyelin nanoemulsions, plain and coated with polyethylene glycol, and d‐ɑ‐tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate. The binding parameters (binding constant, binding stoichiometry, enthalpy, Gibbs energy, and entropy changes of binding) are evaluated by the isothermal titration calorimetry with a MicroCaliTC200 equipment. The effect of nanoemulsions on the protein stability is examined by measuring the thermodynamic parameters for the protein's unfolding (heat capacity; enthalpy, entropy, and free energy changes) with a NanoDSC (TA Instrument) apparatus. The thermodynamic profile shows for all compositions an entropy‐driven interaction dominated by hydrophobic forces due to the rearrangements/displacement of the surrounding water molecules, while maintaining the native conformation of the protein. All the information acquired by thermodynamic approach may significantly enhance the knowledge with special focus on PEGylated nanoemulsions used for biomedical applications.
A Novel Azo‐Linked Polymer Bearing Trifluoromethyl Groups for I2 Capture
Authors: Li Long , Sun Ze‐Bang , Yang Ai‐Ai , Zhang Xiao‐Sa , Zhu Xiao‐Yu , Li Wen‐Ze , Liu Yu , Luan Jian
Published: March 2023

In this work, a novel three nitro‐group‐bearing monomer 3,6‐dinitro‐9‐(2‐trifluoromethyl‐4‐nitrophenyl)‐carbazole (Car‐3NO2‐CF3) via a CN coupling reaction between 3,6‐dinitro‐9H‐carbazole (Car‐2NO2) and 2‐chloro‐5‐nitrobenzotrifluoride is synthesized, and obtained single crystal and single crystal analysis data for this compound. The crystal system of Car‐3NO2‐CF3 is monoclinic and it has a P 21/c space group. This new monomer (Car‐3NO2‐CF3) is also utilized to synthesize a novel azo‐linked polymer (Azo‐Car‐CF3). The trifluoromethyl group has polar CF bonds, and thus it is an effective functional group for the capture of iodine. Azo‐Car‐CF3 has great thermal stability with a mass loss of only 10% at 414 °C, as well as good chemical stability as is demonstrated by its low solubility in common organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), acetone, methanol, ethanol, and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). The specific surface area of Azo‐Car‐CF3 can reach as high as 335 m2 g−1. Azo‐Car‐CF3 exhibits an excellent capacity for iodine adsorption and can reach up to 1198 mg g−1 in cyclohexane solution, and its adsorption capacity for iodine vapor can get to 2100 mg g−1. In addition, ethanol can be used to trigger the release of the captured iodine to be easily released from Azo‐Car‐CF3.
Grafting of Porous Conductive Fiber Mats with an Antifouling Polymer Brush by Means of Filtration‐Based Surface Initiated ATRP
Authors: Li Sheung‐Yin , Schon Benjamin S. , Travas‐Sejdic Jadranka
Published: March 2023

This work addresses the challenge of surface modification of porous, electrospun fiber mats containing an insoluble conducting polymer coating. Herein, a novel methodology of grafting a polymer brush onto conducting polymer fiber mats is developed that employs filtering of the polymerization solution through the fiber mat. An electrospun sulfonated polystyrene‐poly(ethylene‐ran‐butylene)‐polystyrene (sSEBS) fiber mat is first coated with a layer of conducting copolymer bearing an Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) initiating functionality (PEDOT‐Br). The surface‐initiated ATRP from the fibers’ surface is then carried out to graft a hydrophilic polymer brush (poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) by means of filtering the polymerization solution through the fiber mat. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal a progressive change in the morphology of the fiber mat surface with the increasing volume of the filtrated polymerization solution, while energy dispersive X‐ray spectrosdcopy (EDX) spectra show a change in the atomic oxygen to sulfur (O/S) ratio, therefore confirming the successful grafting from the fibers’ surface. The conductive fiber mat grafted with hydrophilic brushes shows a 20% reduction in the non‐specific adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) compared to a pristine fiber mat. This study is a proof‐of‐concept for this novel, filtration‐based, surface‐initiated polymerization methodology.
Explaining process innovation in developing countries: The role of a firm's status, formal or informal
Authors: Kouakou Dorgyles C.M.
Published: March 2023

Process innovation has been shown to influence positively firms' productivity. This has led to a fruitful literature on its determinants. However, in the context of developing countries, the potential role of firms' formal versus informal status as a determinant has been overlooked. The objective of this paper is to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing the effect of firms' formal versus informal status on the introduction of process innovation using data from Côte d'Ivoire. Econometric estimations show that formality status positively influences the introduction of process innovation. This result remains unchanged when the industrial, services, and trade sectors are considered separately. Policy implications are discussed.
Recent advances of Transformers in medical image analysis: A comprehensive review
Authors: Xia Kun , Wang Jinzhuo
Published: March 2023

Recent works have shown that Transformer's excellent performances on natural language processing tasks can be maintained on natural image analysis tasks. However, the complicated clinical settings in medical image analysis and varied disease properties bring new challenges for the use of Transformer. The computer vision and medical engineering communities have devoted significant effort to medical image analysis research based on Transformer with especial focus on scenario‐specific architectural variations. In this paper, we comprehensively review this rapidly developing area by covering the latest advances of Transformer‐based methods in medical image analysis of different settings. We first give introduction of basic mechanisms of Transformer including implementations of selfattention and typical architectures. The important research problems in various medical image data modalities, clinical visual tasks, organs and diseases are then reviewed systemically. We carefully collect 276 very recent works and 76 public medical image analysis datasets in an organized structure. Finally, discussions on open problems and future research directions are also provided. We expect this review to be an up‐to‐date roadmap and serve as a reference source in pursuit of boosting the development of medical image analysis field.
Beam angle optimization for proton therapy via group‐sparsity based angle generation method
Authors: Shen Haozheng , Zhang Gezhi , Lin Yuting , Rotondo Ronny L. , Long Yong , Gao Hao
Published: March 2023

Background

In treatment planning, beam angle optimization (BAO) refers to the selection of a subset with a given number of beam angles from all available angles that provides the best plan quality. BAO is a NP‐hard combinatorial problem. Although exhaustive search (ES) can exactly solve BAO by exploring all possible combinations, ES is very time‐consuming and practically infeasible.

Purpose

To the best of our knowledge, (1) no optimization method has been demonstrated that can provide the exact solution to BAO, and (2) no study has validated an optimization method for solving BAO by benchmarking with the optimal BAO solution (e.g., via ES), both of which will be addressed by this work.

Methods

This work considers BAO for proton therapy, for example, the selection of 2–4 beam angles for IMPT. The optimal BAO solution is obtained via ES and serves as the ground truth. A new BAO algorithm, namely angle generation (AG) method, is proposed, and demonstrated to provide nearly‐exact solutions for BAO in reference to the ES solution. AG iteratively optimizes the angular set via group‐sparsity (GS) regularization, until the planning objective does not decrease further.

Results

Since GS alone can also solve BAO, AG was validated and compared with GS for 2‐angle brain, 3‐angle lung, and 4‐angle brain cases, in reference to the optimal BAO solutions obtained by ES: the AG solution had the rank (1/276, 1/2024, 4/10 626), while the GS solution had the rank (42/276, 279/2024, 4328/10 626).

Conclusions

A new BAO algorithm called AG is proposed and shown to provide substantially improved accuracy for BAO from current methods with nearly‐exact solutions to BAO, in reference to the ground truth of optimal BAO solution via ES.