Pinching dynamics, extensional rheology, and stringiness of saliva substitutes.

Saliva substitutes are human-made formulations extensively used in medicine, food, and pharmaceutical research to emulate human saliva's biochemical, tribological, and rheological properties. Even though extensional flows involving saliva are commonly encountered in situations such as swallowing, coughing, sneezing, licking, drooling, gleeking, and blowing spit bubbles, rheological evaluations of saliva and its substitutes in most studies rely on measured values of shear viscosity. Natural saliva possesses stringiness or spinnbarkeit, governed by extensional rheology response, which cannot be evaluated or anticipated from the knowledge of shear rheology response. In this contribution, we comprehensively examine the rheology of twelve commercially available saliva substitutes using torsional rheometry for rate-dependent shear viscosity and dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) protocols for extensional rheology characterization. Even though most formulations are marketed as having suitable rheology, only three displayed measurable viscoelasticity and strain-hardening. Still, these too, failed to emulate the viscosity reduction with the shear rate observed for saliva or match perceived stringiness. Finally, we explore the challenges in creating saliva-like formulations for dysphagia patients and opportunities for using DoS rheometry for diagnostics and designing biomimetic fluids.

Life outcomes after paediatric kidney transplantation: a qualitative, biographical study in long-term survivors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyse the narrative life stories of children with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and their families to determine how health professionals can effectively support these children to achieve better life outcomes. DESIGN: Qualitative narrative biographic study. SETTING: We invited every long-term survivor of paediatric kidney transplants and their families at the Medical University of Vienna between 2008 and 2013 to participate in this study. PARTICIPANTS: Nineteen patients (women: n=8, 42%) and 34 family members (women: n=22, 65%) were interviewed. The patients had a mean age of 7.6 (SD±5.6) years at the time of transplantation and 22.2 (SD±5.4) at the time of interview. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: A qualitative narrative biographical analysis was combined with computational structured topic models using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation. RESULTS: The overarching finding was the desire for normality in daily life in long-term survivors and their families but with different perceptions of what normality looks like and predominance of this aspect evolving. Different strategies were used by patients (focused on their advancement) and caregivers (normality for all family members). Siblings played a major role in supporting survivors' social inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: The strong desire for normality confirms recent findings of the Standardised Outcomes in Nephrology Group initiative, which proposes survival and life participation as core outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease. Our study should be a starting point for an international effort to identify typologies and stratified interventions for children with ESKD and their families, particularly siblings.

Parents' understanding of medication at discharge and potential harm in children with medical complexity.

OBJECTIVE: Children with medical complexity (CMC) are among the most vulnerable patient groups. This study aimed to evaluate their prevalence and risk factors for medication misunderstanding and potential harm (PH) at discharge. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at a tertiary care centre. STUDY POPULATION: CMC admitted at Medical University of Vienna between May 2018 and January 2019. INTERVENTION: CMC and caregivers underwent a structured interview at discharge; medication understanding and PH for adverse events were assessed by a hybrid approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Medication misunderstanding rate; PH. RESULTS: For 106 included children (median age 9.6 years), a median number of 5.0 (IQR 3.0-8.0) different medications were prescribed. 83 CMC (78.3%) demonstrated at least one misunderstanding, in 33 CMC (31.1%), potential harm was detected, 5 of them severe. Misunderstandings were associated with more medications (r=0.24, p=0.013), new prescriptions (r=0.23, p=0.019), quality of medication-related communication (r=-0.21, p=0.032), low level of education (p=0.013), low language skills (p=0.002) and migratory background (p=0.001). Relative risk of PH was 2.27 times increased (95% CI 1.23 to 4.22) with new medications, 2.14 times increased (95% CI 1.10 to 4.17) with migratory background. CONCLUSION: Despite continuous care at a tertiary care centre and high level of subjective satisfaction, high prevalence of medication misunderstanding with relevant risk for PH was discovered in CMC and their caregivers. This demonstrates the need of interventions to improve patient safety, with stratification of medication-related communication for high-risk groups and a restructured discharge process focusing on detection of misunderstandings ('unknown unknowns').

SARS-CoV-2 trends in Italy, Germany and Portugal and school opening during the period of Omicron variant dominance: A quasi experimental study in the EuCARE project.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of school reopening on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Italy, Germany, and Portugal in autumn 2022 when the Omicron variant was prevalent. METHODS: A prospective international study was conducted using the case reproduction number (Rc) calculated with the time parametrization of Omicron. For Germany and Italy, staggered difference-in-differences analysis was employed to explore the causal relationship between school reopening and Rc changes, accounting for varying reopening dates. In Portugal, interrupted time series analysis was used due to simultaneous school reopenings. Multivariable models were adopted to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: In Italy and Germany, post-reopening Rc estimates were significantly lower compared to those from regions/states that had not yet reopened at the same time points, both in the student population (overall average treatment effect for the treated subpopulation [O-ATT]: -0.80 [95% CI: -0.94;-0.66] for Italy; O-ATT-0.30 [95% CI: -0.36;-0.23] for Germany) and the adult population (O-ATT: -0.04 [95% CI: -0.07;-0.01] for Italy; O-ATT: -0.07 [95% CI: -0.11;-0.03] for Germany). In Portugal, there was a significant decreasing trend in Rc following school reopenings compared to the pre-reopening period (sustained effect: -0.03 [95% CI: -0.04; -0.03] in students; -0.02 [95% CI: -0.03; -0.02] in adults). CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of a causal relationship between school reopenings in autumn 2022 and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Rheology and dispensing of real and vegan mayo: the chickpea or egg problem.

The rheology, stability, texture, and taste of mayonnaise, a dense oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion, are determined by interfacially active egg lipids and proteins. Often mayonnaise is presented as a challenging example of an egg-based food material that is hard to emulate using plant-based or vegan ingredients. In this contribution, we characterize the flow behavior of animal-based and plant-based mayo emulsions, seeking to decipher the signatures that make the real mayonnaise into such an appetizing complex fluid. We find that commercially available vegan mayos can emulate the apparent yield stress and shear thinning of yolk-based mayonnaise by the combined influence of plant-based proteins (like those extracted from chickpeas) and polysaccharide thickeners. However, we show that the dispensing and dipping behavior of egg-based and vegan mayos display striking differences in neck shape, sharpness, and length. The ratio of apparent extensional to shear yield stress value is found to be larger than the theoretically predicted square root of three for all mayo emulsions. The analysis of neck radius evolution of these extension thinning yield stress fluids reveals that even when the power law exponent governing the intermediate pinching dynamics is similar to the exponent obtained from the shear flow curve, the terminal pinching dynamics show strong local effects, possibly influenced by interstitial fluid properties, finite drop size and deformations, and capillarity.

Ultrathin Micellar Foam Films of Sodium Caseinate Protein Solutions.

Sodium caseinates (NaCas), derived from milk proteins called caseins, are often added to food formulations as emulsifiers, foaming agents, and ingredients for producing dairy products. In this contribution, we contrast the drainage behavior of single foam films made with micellar NaCas solutions with well-established features of stratification observed for the micellar sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) foam films. In reflected light microscopy, the stratified SDS foam films display regions with distinct gray colors due to differences in interference intensity from coexisting thick-thin regions. Using IDIOM (interferometry digital imaging optical microscopy) protocols we pioneered for mapping nanotopography of foam films, we showed that drainage via stratification in SDS films proceeds by the expansion of flat domains that are thinner than surrounding by a concentration-dependent step-size, and nonflat features (nanoridges and mesas) form at the moving front. Furthermore, stratifying SDS foam films show stepwise thinning, such that the step-size and terminal film thickness decrease with concentration. Here we visualize the nanotopography in protein films with high spatiotemporal resolution using IDIOM protocols to address two long-standing questions. Do protein foam films formulated with NaCas undergo drainage via stratification? Are thickness transitions and variations in protein foam films determined by intermicellar interactions and supramolecular oscillatory disjoining pressure? In contrast with foam films containing micellar SDS, we find that micellar NaCas foam films display just one step, nonflat and noncircular domains that expand without forming nanoridges and a terminal thickness that increases with NaCas concentration. We infer that the differences in adsorbing and self-assembling unimers triumph over any similarities in the structure and interactions of their micelles.

Flow-induced alignment of protein nanofibril dispersions.

HYPOTHESIS: Protein nanofibrils (PNF) resulting from the self-assembly of proteins or peptides can present structural ordering triggered by numerous factors, including the shear flow. We hypothesize that i) depending on the contour length of the PNF and the magnitude of the shear rate applied to the PNF dispersion, they exhibit specific orientation, and ii) it is possible to predict the alignment of PNF by establishing a flow-alignment relationship. Understanding such a relationship is pivotal to improving the fundamental knowledge and application of fibril systems. EXPERIMENTS: We use ß-lactoglobulin PNF aqueous dispersions with different average contour lengths but equal persistence lengths. We employ simple shear-dominated microfluidic devices with state-of-the-art imaging techniques: flow-induced birefringence (FIB) and micro-particle image velocimetry (µ-PIV), to probe the effect of shear flow on PNF alignment. FINDINGS: We provide an empirical relationship connecting the birefringence Δn (quantifying the extent of PNF alignment), and the Péclet number Pe (correlating the shear rate of the flow relative to the rotational diffusion of PNF) to understand the flow-alignment behavior of PNF under shear-dominated flows. Furthermore, we assess the alignment and flow profile of PNF at both high and low flow rates. The length of PNF emerges as a controlling parameter capable of modulating PNF alignment at specific shear rates. Our results shed new insights into the hydrodynamic behavior of PNF, which is highly relevant to various industrial processes involving the fibril systems.

Prospective Evaluation of Kidney Function in Long-Term Survivors of Pediatric CNS Tumors.

Purpose: Numerous acute effects of chemotherapeutics on kidney function are well described. However, data on the long-term effects of chemotherapy in the growing population of childhood central nervous system (CNS) tumor survivors is limited. We aimed to evaluate the kidney function of a cohort of long-term CNS tumor survivors treated with different standard chemotherapeutic regimens. Methods: Patients treated for a CNS tumor were prospectively evaluated up to 12 years after completion of their therapy. Examination of kidney function was performed during routine follow-up visits. Blood pressure and blood and urine parameters were analyzed for kidney function evaluation. Glomerular function was assessed by calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), tubular functions were analyzed by measuring serum electrolytes, bicarbonate and phosphate reabsorption, and proteinuria was assessed by calculating the protein/creatinine ratio and phosphate reabsorption. Results: None of the 65 patients evaluated suffered from clinically relevant kidney impairment (eGFR < 90 mL/min/L, 73 m2). There was no association between chemotherapy dose and eGFR. Only two patients showed mild signs of tubulopathy and 11 patients were diagnosed with elevated blood pressure. Conclusion: With adequate supportive measures, such as sufficient hydration according to chemotherapy protocol guidelines, as well as avoidance or close monitoring of additional nephrotoxic medication, impaired kidney function is rare in CNS tumor survivors treated with standard chemotherapy. Nonetheless, long-term follow-up is essential for early detection of mild impairment of kidney function.

Targeted Training for Subspecialist Care in Children With Medical Complexity.

Background: Children with medical complexity (CMC) are prone to medical errors and longer hospital stays, while residents do not feel prepared to provide adequate medical care for this vulnerable population. No educational guidance for the training of future pediatric tertiary care specialists outside their field of expertise involving the multidisciplinary care of CMC exists. We investigated pediatric residents past educational needs and challenges to identify key learning content for future training involving care for CMC. Methods: This was a prospective mixed-methods study at a single pediatric tertiary care center. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with residents were conducted, submitted to thematic content analysis, linked to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) general pediatrics content outline, and analyzed with importance performance analysis (IPA). Quantitative validation was focused on key themes of pediatric nephrology within the scope of an online survey among pediatric residents and specialists. Results: A total of 16 interviews, median duration 69 min [interquartile range IQR 35], were conducted. The 280 listed themes of the ABP general pediatrics content outline were reduced to 165 themes, with 86% (theoretical) knowledge, 12% practical skills, and 2% soft skills. IPA identified 23 knowledge themes to be of high importance where improvement is necessary and deemed fruitful. Quantitative validation among 84 residents and specialists (response rate 55%) of key themes in nephrology yielded high agreement among specialists in pediatric nephrology but low interrater agreement among trainees and "trained" non-nephrologists. The occurrence of themes in the qualitative interviews and their calculated importance in the quantitative survey were highly correlated (tau = 0.57, p = 0.001). Two clusters of high importance for other pediatric specialties emerged together with a contextual cluster of frequent encounters in both in- and outpatient care. Conclusion: Regarding patient safety, this study revealed the heterogeneous aspects and the importance of training future pediatric tertiary care specialists outside their field of expertise involving the multidisciplinary care of CMC. Our results may lay the groundwork for future detailed analysis and development of training boot camps that might be able to aid the improvement of patient safety by decreasing preventable harm by medical errors, especially for vulnerable patient groups, such as CMC in tertiary care pediatrics.

Spectrum of Atazanavir-Selected Protease Inhibitor-Resistance Mutations.

Ritonavir-boosted atazanavir is an option for second-line therapy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We analyzed publicly available HIV-1 protease sequences from previously PI-naïve patients with virological failure (VF) following treatment with atazanavir. Overall, 1497 patient sequences were identified, including 740 reported in 27 published studies and 757 from datasets assembled for this analysis. A total of 63% of patients received boosted atazanavir. A total of 38% had non-subtype B viruses. A total of 264 (18%) sequences had a PI drug-resistance mutation (DRM) defined as having a Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database mutation penalty score. Among sequences with a DRM, nine major DRMs had a prevalence >5%: I50L (34%), M46I (33%), V82A (22%), L90M (19%), I54V (16%), N88S (10%), M46L (8%), V32I (6%), and I84V (6%). Common accessory DRMs were L33F (21%), Q58E (16%), K20T (14%), G73S (12%), L10F (10%), F53L (10%), K43T (9%), and L24I (6%). A novel nonpolymorphic mutation, L89T occurred in 8.4% of non-subtype B, but in only 0.4% of subtype B sequences. The 264 sequences included 3 (1.1%) interpreted as causing high-level, 14 (5.3%) as causing intermediate, and 27 (10.2%) as causing low-level darunavir resistance. Atazanavir selects for nine major and eight accessory DRMs, and one novel nonpolymorphic mutation occurring primarily in non-B sequences. Atazanavir-selected mutations confer low-levels of darunavir cross resistance. Clinical studies, however, are required to determine the optimal boosted PI to use for second-line and potentially later line therapy in LMICs.

Vascular access for lipid apheresis: a challenge in young children with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hoFH) is a rare genetic disorder leading to extremely increased LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), resulting in high cardiovascular risk in early childhood. Lipid apheresis (LA) is an effective treatment and should be started as early as possible to prevent premature cardiovascular events. As peripheral punctures in children can be challenging due to small vessels and anxiety, this study aimed to evaluate feasibility and safety of central venous catheters (CVCs) as vascular access for LA in young children with hoFH. METHODS: Retrospective analysis (2016-2019) on four children with hoFH aged 3-5 years, performing weekly or biweekly LA with a CVC. RESULTS: LDL-C decreased by> 60%. In three children, the use of a permanent CVC for 698, 595, and 411 days, respectively, avoided difficult peripheral access, without the occurrence of occlusion or thrombosis. Unfortunately, one child had recurrent CVC-related infections and needed an arteriovenous fistula from the age of 5. Although the mean dwell time per catheter was 212 days, there were, as expected, severe side effects of early catheter infections with sepsis and accidental self-removal. Starting LA at an early age improved or stabilized carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in three children. However, IMT did increase in one child caused by intolerance to peripheral punctures and LA interruption. CONCLUSIONS: Permanent CVCs are a viable temporary access choice for LA in young children with hoFH until peripheral venipuncture is practicable. The risk of CVC-related infections needs to be taken into account.

Kidney Transplantation in Small Children: Association Between Body Weight and Outcome-A Report From the ESPN/ERA-EDTA Registry.

BACKGROUND: Many centers accept a minimum body weight of 10 kg as threshold for kidney transplantation (Tx) in children. As solid evidence for clinical outcomes in multinational studies is lacking, we evaluated practices and outcomes in European children weighing below 10 kg at Tx. METHODS: Data were obtained from the European Society of Paediatric Nephrology/European Renal Association and European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry on all children who started kidney replacement therapy at <2.5 y of age and received a Tx between 2000 and 2016. Weight at Tx was categorized (<10 versus ≥10 kg) and Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate its association with graft survival. RESULTS: One hundred of the 601 children received a Tx below a weight of 10 kg during the study period. Primary renal disease groups were equal, but Tx <10 kg patients had lower pre-Tx weight gain per year (0.2 versus 2.1 kg; P < 0.001) and had a higher preemptive Tx rate (23% versus 7%; P < 0.001). No differences were found for posttransplant estimated glomerular filtration rates trajectories (P = 0.23). The graft failure risk was higher in Tx <10 kg patients at 1 y (graft survival: 90% versus 95%; hazard ratio, 3.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-11.84), but not at 5 y (hazard ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-4.30). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a lower 1-y graft survival rate, graft function, and survival at 5 y were identical in Tx <10 kg patients when compared with Tx ≥10 kg patients. Our results suggest that early transplantation should be offered to a carefully selected group of patients weighing <10 kg.

Genome Resources for Seven Fungal Isolates That Cause Dollar Spot Disease in Turfgrass, Including Clarireedia jacksonii and C. monteithiana.

Fungi in the genus Clarireedia are widespread and destructive pathogens of grasses worldwide, and are best known as the causal agents of dollar spot disease in turfgrass. Here, we report genome assemblies of seven Clarireedia isolates, including ex-types of the two most widespread species, Clarireedia jacksonii and C. monteithiana. These datasets provide a valuable resource for ongoing studies of the dollar spot pathogens that include population diversity, host-pathogen interactions, marker development, and disease control.

World Heart Federation Briefing on Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Low-Income Countries.

In December 2019, the novel coronavirus Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak started in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China. Since then it has spread to many other regions, including low-income countries.

The role of saliva in oral processing: Reconsidering the breakdown path paradigm.

We discuss food oral processing research over the last two decades and consider strategies for quantifying the food breakdown model, originally conceptualized by Hutchings and Lillford. The key innovation in their seminal 1988 paper was shifting the focus from intact food properties, measured in the lab, toward strategies to capture the dynamic nature of eating. This has stimulated great progress in the field, but a key aspect missing in oral processing research is the conversion of the Hutchings and Lillford breakdown path conceptual model into quantifiable parameters considered in the context of physiological factors such as saliva and oral movements. To address these shortcomings, we propose the following analysis: Hutchings's and Lillford's definitions of "Structure" and "Lubrication" are incomplete and they comprise many and varied physicochemical properties. We offer, here, a deeper analysis of each parameter, and propose strategies for researchers to consider in their quantification as an update of the Hutchings and Lillford Breakdown path.

Authorship: From credit to accountability - Reflections from the Editors' network.

The Editors' Network of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) provides a dynamic forum for editorial discussions and endorses the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to improve the scientific quality of biomedical journals. Authorship confers credit and important academic rewards. Recently, however, the ICMJE emphasized that authorship also requires responsibility and accountability. These issues are now covered by the new -(fourth) criterion for authorship. Authors should agree to be accountable and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy and integrity of the entire work will be appropriately addressed. This review discusses the implications of this paradigm shift on authorship requirements with the aim of increasing awareness on good scientific and editorial practices.

La Red de Editores de la Sociedad Europea de Cardiología (SEC) proporciona un foro dinámico para debates editoriales y respalda las recomendaciones del Comité Internacional de Editores de Revistas Médicas (ICMJE) para mejorar la calidad científica de las revistas biomédicas. La autoría confiere crédito e importantes recompensas académicas. Recientemente, sin embargo, el ICMJE enfatizó que la autoría también requiere responsabilidad y compromiso. Estos problemas ahora están cubiertos por el nuevo (cuarto) criterio de autoría. Los autores deben aceptar ser responsables y garantizar que las preguntas sobre la precisión y la integridad de todo el trabajo será abordado adecuadamente. Esta revisión discute las implicaciones de este cambio de paradigma en requisitos de autoría con el objetivo de aumentar la conciencia sobre las buenas prácticas científicas y editoriales.

Authorship: From credit to accountability. Reflections from the Editors' Network.

The Editors' Network of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) provides a dynamic forum for editorial discussions and endorses the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to improve the scientific quality of biomedical journals. Authorship confers credit and important academic rewards. Recently, however, the ICMJE emphasized that authorship also requires responsibility and accountability. These issues are now covered by the new (fourth) criterion for authorship. Authors should agree to be accountable and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy and integrity of the entire work will be appropriately addressed. This review discusses the implications of this paradigm shift on authorship requirements with the aim of increasing awareness on good scientific and editorial practices.

Autoría: desde el crédito a la responsabilidad. Reflexiones de la Red de Editores / Authorship: from credit to accountability. Reflections from the Editors´ Network / Autoria: do crédito à responsabilidade. Reflexões da Rede de Editores

Resumen: La Red de Editores de la Sociedad Europea de Cardiología (ESC, por su sigla en inglés) constituye un foro dinámico dedicado a discusiones editoriales y respalda las recomendaciones del Comité Internacional de Editores de Revistas Médicas (ICMJE, por su sigla en inglés) destinadas a mejorar la calidad científica de las revistas biomédicas. La paternidad literaria confiere crédito, además de importantes recompensas académicas. Recientemente, sin embargo, el ICMJE ha destacado que la autoría también exige que los autores sean responsables y se hagan cargo de lo que publican. Estas cuestiones ahora están cubiertas por el nuevo (cuarto) criterio para la autoría. Los autores deben aceptar hacerse responsables de lo que escriben y garantizar un adecuado enfoque de las cuestiones concernientes a la precisión e integridad de todo el trabajo. Esta revisión analiza las implicancias de este cambio de paradigma en los requisitos de autoría con el objetivo de aumentar la conciencia sobre las buenas prácticas científicas y editoriales.

Summary: The Editors´ Network of the European Society of Cardiology provides a dynamic forum for editorial discussions and endorses the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors to improve the scientific quality of biomedical journals. Authorship confers credit and important academic rewards. Recently, however, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors emphasized that authorship also requires responsibility and accountability. These issues are now covered by the new (fourth) criterion for authorship. Authors should agree to be accountable and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy and integrity of the entire work will be appropriately addressed. This review discusses the implications of this paradigm shift on authorship requirements with the aim of increasing awareness on good scientific and editorial practices.

Resumo: A Rede de Editores da Sociedade Europeia de Cardiologia é um fórum dinâmico para discussões editoriais e apoia as recomendações do Comitê Internacional de Editores de Revistas Médicas, visando melhorar a qualidade científica das revistas biomédicas. A autoria confere crédito, além de importantes recompensas acadêmicas. Recentemente, no entanto, o Comitê Internacional de Editores de Revistas Médicas enfatizou que a autoria também requer que os autores sejam responsáveis do que escrevem e se encarreguem do que publicam. Essas questões agora estão cobertas pelo novo (quarto) critério de autoria. Os autores devem concordar em ser responsáveis e garantir que as questões relativas à precisão e integridade de todo o trabalho sejam abordadas de maneira apropriada. Esta revisão discute as implicações dessa mudança de paradigma nos requisitos de autoria, com o objetivo de aumentar a conscientização sobre as boas práticas científicas e editoriais.

Authorship: From credit to accountability - Reflections from the Editors' network.

The Editors' Network of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) provides a dynamic forum for editorial discussions and endorses the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) to improve the scientific quality of biomedical journals. Authorship confers credit and important academic rewards. Recently, however, the ICMJE emphasized that authorship also requires responsibility and accountability. These issues are now covered by the new -(fourth) criterion for authorship. Authors should agree to be accountable and ensure that questions regarding the accuracy and integrity of the entire work will be appropriately addressed. This review discusses the implications of this paradigm shift on authorship requirements with the aim of increasing awareness on good scientific and editorial practices.

Ring Shear Tester as an in-vitro testing tool to study oral processing of comminuted potato chips.

Oral processing of solid foods is an extremely dynamic and complicated activity that involves multiple processes in tandem such as comminution, mixing, dilution, hydration and enzymatic breakdown that gradually transform the food from a morsel or a bite to a bolus that is ready for swallowing. It is hypothesised that just after "first bite" and initial particle reduction and hydration of solid brittle foods, the response to deformation of food particles is analogous to studies on the flowability and cohesion of wetted powders, which are effectively characterised using a Ring Shear Tester (RST). We examine this hypothesis and determine whether the RST measures properties of solid snack foods (potato chips or crisps, PCs) that are relevant to their dynamic sensory response, which includes capturing the effect of hydration on comminuted PCs. The RST is found to differentiate PCs obtained from different manufacturing sources (e.g. baked versus fried), and its measurements of cohesion and friction can be considered in context of the structure and composition of the PCs as well as oral processing. Remarkably, RST measurements for this small set of PC samples correlate with several sensory attributes that arise during mastication, which includes Sharpness and Ease of Clearance. This study highlights the potential of the RST as a new tool for oral processing research.