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Background In patients undergoing major liver resection, portal vein embolization (PVE) has been widely used to induce hypertrophy of the non-embolized liver in order to prevent post-hepatectomy liver failure. PVE is a safe and effective procedure, but does not always lead to sufficient hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR). Hepatic vein(s) embolization has been proposed to improve FLR regeneration when insufficient after PVE. The sequential right hepatic vein embolization (HVE) after right PVE demonstrated an incremental effect on the FLR but it implies two different procedures with no time gain as compared to PVE alone. We have developed the so-called liver venous deprivation (LVD), a combination of PVE and HVE during the same intervention, to optimize the phase of liver preparation before surgery. The main objective of this randomized phase II trial is to compare the percentage of change in FLR volume at 3 weeks after LVD or PVE. Methods Patients eligible to this multicenter prospective randomized phase II study are subjects aged from 18 years old suffering from colo-rectal liver metastases considered as resectable and with non-cirrhotic liver parenchyma. The primary objective is the percentage of change in FLR volume at 3 weeks after LVD or PVE using MRI or CT-Scan. Secondary objectives are assessment of tolerance, post-operative morbidity and mortality, post-hepatectomy liver failure, rate of non-respectability due to insufficient FLR or tumor progression, per-operative difficulties, blood loss, R0 resection rate, post-operative liver volume and overall survival. Objectives of translational research studies are evaluation of pre- and post-operative liver function and determination of biomarkers predictive of liver hypertrophy . Sixty-four patients will be included (randomization ratio 1:1) to detect a difference of 12% at 21 days in FLR volumes between PVE and LVD. Discussion Adding HVE to PVE during the same procedure is an innovative and promising approach that may lead to a rapid and major increase in volume and function of the FLR, thereby increasing the rate of resectable patients and limiting the risk of patient’s drop-out. Trial registration This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov on 15th February 2019 ( NCT03841305 ).

Purpose – Based on generational theory, this research studies the preferences of French young graduates from Generation Y for job and organizational attributes of a future employer. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the inter- vs intragenerational differences and discusses the common stereotype of an intragroup homogeneity within the Generation Y. Design/methodology/approach – Reviewing generation and job search literature, the paper update graduates’ preferences for job and organizational attributes in their initial job search by using conjoint analysis, a rarely used methodology in human resource management (HRM). To test the intragroup homogeneity and to overcome methodological difficulties inherent in examining differences within a generational cohort, the paper operationalized a homogeneous sample (n=592) composed of people of the same age, career stage, cohort and nationality. Findings – The authors demonstrate that, even if on the whole young graduates from Generation Y prefer job security and a relaxed work atmosphere, their preferences are heterogeneous. Research limitations/implications – This research leads to discuss the relevance of the concept of Generation Y for recruitment. Additional research is needed to improve the external validity of this study which must be reproduced in other contexts and with different populations. Practical implications – The results provide useful information to assist HR managers and recruitment specialists in improving the efficiency of the recruitment process and in considering the relevant segmentation criteria for recruitment. Originality/value – Using an original methodology, conjoint analysis, this paper focusses on the heterogeneity of Generation Y and its consequences in terms of HRM.

Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic performance of liver surface nodularity (LSN) for the assessment of advanced fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods We retrospectively analysed patients with pathologically proven NAFLD who underwent liver MRI. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data (including FIB-4 scores) were gathered. The SAF score was used to assess NAFLD. MRI-proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and LSN were determined on pre-contrast MR sequences. ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of MRI-LSN for the diagnosis of advanced (F3-F4) liver fibrosis. Results The final population included 142 patients. Sixty-seven (47%) patients had non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 52 (37%) had advanced fibrosis. The median MRI-PDFF increased with the grades of steatosis: 8.1%, 18.1%, and 31% in S1, S2, and S3 patients, respectively ( p  < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MRI-LSN ≥ 2.50 was 0.838 (95%CI 0.767–0.894, sensitivity 67.3%, specificity 88.9%, positive and negative predictive values 77.8% and 82.5%, respectively) for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis. Combining FIB-4 and MRI-LSN correctly classified 103/142 (73%) patients. This was validated in an external cohort of 75 patients. Conclusions MRI-LSN has good diagnostic performance in diagnosis of advanced fibrosis in NAFLD patients. A combination of FIB-4 and MRI-LSN derived from pre-contrast MRI could be helpful to detect advanced fibrosis. Key Points • MRI-LSN  ≥  2.5 was accurate for the diagnosis of advanced hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD patients. • The combination of FIB-4 and MRI-LSN improved the detection of advanced fibrosis. • MRI-LSN can be easily derived by unenhanced MRI sequences that are routinely acquired.

A prospective survey was performed daily at Edouard Herriot University Hospital (Lyon, France) for 11 months in 2015. The relationship between clinical and environmental isolates was found by the presence of identical genotypes, suggesting a hospital acquisition of Aspergillus fumigatus. Abstract Background Genotyping is needed to explore the link between clinical cases from colonization of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and major building construction. Attempts to correlate Aspergillus fumigatus strains from clinical infection or colonization with those found in the environment remain controversial due to the lack of a large prospective study. Our aim in this study was to compare the genetic diversity of clinical and environmental A. fumigatus isolates during a demolition period. Methods Fungal contamination was monitored daily for 11 months in 2015. Environmental surveillance was undertaken indoors and outdoors at 8 locations with automatic agar samplers. IA infection cases were investigated according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group criteria. Isolates were identified by amplification and sequencing of the β- tubulin gene. They were genotyped by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The phylogenetic relationships between isolates were assessed by generating a minimum spanning tree. Results Based on 3885 samples, 394 A. fumigatus isolates (383 environmental and 11 clinical) were identified and genotyped using MLVA. Clinical isolates were collected from patients diagnosed as having probable IA (n = 2), possible IA (n = 1), or bronchial colonization (n = 6). MLVA generated 234 genotypes. Seven clinical isolates shared genotypes identical to environmental isolates. Conclusions Among the diversity of genotypes described, similar genotypes were found in clinical and environmental isolates, indicating that A. fumigatus infection and colonization may originate from hospital environments.

Background: To identify the predictive factors of recurrence and survival in an unselected population of Western patients who underwent multimodal percutaneous thermal ablation (PTA) for small Hepatocellular Carcinomas (HCCs). Methods: January 2015–June 2019: data on multimodal PTA for <3 cm HCC were extracted from a prospective database. Local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), time-to-LTP, time-to-IDR, recurrence-free (RFS) and overall (OS) survival were evaluated. Results: 238 patients underwent 317 PTA sessions to treat 412 HCCs. During follow-up (median: 27.1 months), 47.1% patients had IDR and 18.5% died. LTP occurred after 13.3% of PTA. Tumor size (OR = 1.108, p < 0.001; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.075, p = 0.002) and ultrasound guidance (OR = 0.294, p = 0.017; HR = 0.429, p = 0.009) independently predicted LTP and time-to-LTP, respectively. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) > 100 ng/mL (OR = 3.027, p = 0.037) and tumor size (OR = 1.06, p = 0.001) independently predicted IDR. Multinodular HCC (HR = 2.67, p < 0.001), treatment-naïve patient (HR = 0.507, p = 0.002) and AFP > 100 ng/mL (HR = 2.767, p = 0.014) independently predicted time-to-IDR. RFS was independently predicted by multinodular HCC (HR = 2.144, p = 0.001), treatment naivety (HR = 0.546, p = 0.004) and AFP > 100 ng/mL (HR = 2.437, p = 0.013). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score > 2 (HR = 4.273, p = 0.011), AFP (HR = 1.002, p < 0.001), multinodular HCC (HR = 3.939, p = 0.003) and steatotic HCC (HR = 1.81 × 10-16, p < 0.001) independently predicted OS. Conclusions: IDR was associated with tumor aggressiveness, suggesting a metastatic mechanism. Besides AFP association with LTP, IDR, RFS and OS, treatment-naïve patients had longer RFS, and multi-nodularity was associated with shorter RFS and OS. Steatotic HCC, identified on pre-treatment MRI, independently predicted longer OS, and needs to be further explored.

Background: The functional changes that occur over time in the liver following 90Y-radioembolization (RE) using personalized dosimetry (PD) remain to be investigated. Methods: November 2016–October 2019: we retrospectively included hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated by 90Y-glass RE using PD, who underwent hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) at baseline and at 15 days, 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after RE. Results: There were 16 patients with unilobar disease (100%) included, and 64 HBS were performed. Whole liver function significantly decreased over time. The loss was maximal at 2 weeks: −32% (p = 0.002) and remained below baseline at 1 (−15%; p = 0.002), 2 (−25%; p < 0.001), and 3 months (−16%; p = 0.027). No radioembolization-induced liver disease was observed. Treated liver function strongly decreased to reach −64% (p < 0.001) at 2 months. Nontreated liver function decreased at 2 weeks (−21%; p = 0.027) and remained below baseline before reaching +20% (p = 0.002) and +59% (p < 0.001) at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Volumetric and functional changes exhibited parallel evolutions in the treated livers (p = 0.01) but independent evolutions in the nontreated livers (p = 0.08). Conclusion: RE using PD induces significant regional changes in liver function over time. As early as 15 days following RE, both the treated and nontreated livers showed a decreased function. Nontreated liver function recovered after 3 months and greatly increased afterwards.

Percutaneous thermal ablation is a validated treatment option for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Steatotic HCC can be reliably detected by magnetic resonance imaging. To determine the clinical relevance of this radiological variant, we included 235 patients (cirrhosis in 92.3%, classified Child‐Pugh A in 97%) from a prospective database on percutaneous thermal ablation for <3 cm HCC. Among these patients, 52 (22.1%) had at least one steatotic HCC nodule. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was more frequent in patients with than without steatotic HCC (P = 0.057), whereas body mass index, diabetes mellitus, liver steatosis, and liver fat content did not differ between groups. Liver disease was less advanced in patients with than without steatotic HCC: lower total bilirubin (‐2.1 µmol/L; P = 0.035), higher albumin (+0.8 g/L; P = 0.035), and lower Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease score (‐0.8; P = 0.014). Tumor phenotype was less aggressive in patients with steatotic HCC: lower alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) concentration (P = 0.019), less frequent AFP > 100 ng/mL (P = 0.045), and multifocality (P = 0.015). During the follow‐up (median: 28.3 months), overall mortality (3.8% vs. 23.5%; P = 0.001) and HCC‐specific mortality (0.0% vs. 14.2%; P = 0.002) rates were lower in patients with steatotic HCC. Early (<2 years) recurrence was also less frequent (32.7% vs. 49.2%; P = 0.041). The mean time to intrahepatic distant recurrence (16.4 vs. 9 months, P = 0.006) and the median time to recurrence and recurrence‐free survival (32.4 vs. 18.6 months, P = 0.024 and 30.4 vs. 16.4 months, P = 0.018) were longer in patients with steatotic versus nonsteatotic HCC. The 3‐year overall survival was 94.4% and 70.9% in steatotic and nonsteatotic HCC (P = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, steatotic HCC (hazard ratio = 0.12; P = 0.039) and AFP (HR=1.002; P < 0.001) independently predicted overall survival. Conclusion: Small steatotic HCC detected by magnetic resonance imaging is associated with a less aggressive tumor phenotype. In patients with such radiological variant, percutaneous thermal ablation results in improved outcome. Small steatotic HCC is reliably detected by MRI and is associated with slightly less advanced liver disease and a less aggressive tumor phenotype. PTA of such radiological HCC variant results in low rate of early recurrence and HCC‐related deaths, longer time‐to‐recurrence, longer recurrence‐free and overall survivals.

Multifocality is usually reported as a pejorative factor after percutaneous thermal ablation (PTA) of HCC but little is known in Western series. Recurrence and survival were extracted from a prospective database of all patients who underwent PTA for ≤3 cm HCC. From January 2015 to April 2020, we analyzed 281 patients with unifocal (n = 216), bifocal (n = 46) and trifocal (n = 16) HCC. PTA of bi- and trifocal HCC resulted in a high risk of very early (<6 months) distant recurrence (38.8% and 50%, respectively). Median RFS was 23.3 months (95% CI:18.6–30.4), 7.7 months (95% CI:5.1–11.43, p = 0.002) and 5.2 months (95% CI:3–12.3, p = 0.015), respectively, for uni-, bi- and trifocal HCC groups. In a multivariate analysis, both bifocal (HR = 2.46, p < 0.001) and trifocal (HR = 2.70, p = 0.021) vs. unifocal HCC independently predicted shorter RFS. Median OS in trifocal HCC group was 30.3 months (95 CI:19.3-not reached). Trifocal vs. unifocal HCC independently predicted shorter OS (HR = 3.30, p = 0.008), whereas bifocal vs. unifocal HCC did not (p = 0.27). Naïve patient (HR = 0.42, p = 0.007), AFP > 100 ng/mL (HR = 3.03, p = 0.008), MELD > 9 (HR = 2.84, p = 0.001) and steatotic HCC (HR = 0.12, p = 0.038) were also independent predictors of OS. In conclusion, multifocal HCCs in a Western population have a dramatically increased risk of distant recurrence. OS after PTA of trifocal HCC is significantly below what was expected after a curative treatment.

Percutaneous thermal ablation (PTA), resection, and liver transplantation are the standard curative options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver transplantation yields the best long‐term outcomes but is limited by graft shortage. Thus, patients with ≤3‐cm HCC are primarily treated by PTA even though recurrence is frequent and may occur outside transplant criteria. Data on non‐transplantable recurrence (NTR) following PTA are lacking, however. We therefore investigated the incidence and predictors of NTR among 213 potentially transplantable patients (cirrhosis, 93%; Child‐Pugh A, 98.6%; alcohol‐related disease, 62%) with ≤3‐cm HCC(s) treated by PTA, to stratify them according to their NTR risk and to improve treatment allocation. During follow‐up (median: 41.2 months), NTR occurred in 18.3% (alpha‐fetoprotein [AFP] model) and 23% (Milan) patients. NTR prediction with competing‐risk analysis and internal validation revealed AFP > 100 ng/ml (subdistribution hazard ratio: 7.28; p < 0.001) and prior HCC (subdistribution hazard ratio: 3.77; p = 0.002) as independent predictors (Harrell's C: 0.76). Based on this model using the AFP score (equally predictive within Milan criteria), patients were stratified into three NTR risk categories: HCC‐naïve with AFP < 100 ng/ml (low risk, n = 108 of 213), non‐HCC naïve with AFP < 100 ng/ml (intermediate risk, n = 92 of 213), AFP ≥ 100 ng/ml (high risk, n = 13 of 213), among whom 9.3% (3.7% [Milan]), 22.8% (25% [Milan]), and 61.5% (38/5% [Milan]) presented NTR (p < 0.001). Median recurrence‐free survival was 4.6, 14.5, and 43.4 months, respectively, in high‐risk, intermediate‐risk, and low‐risk categories (p < 0.001). Median overall survival, which was 19.1 months in high‐risk patients, was not reached otherwise (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Overall, PTA of ≤3‐cm HCC incurs a low NTR risk. Simple and noninvasive predictors (HCC naivety, AFP) accurately stratified patients' risk of NTR, and should help to improve treatment allocation. Patients with AFP ≥ 100 ng/ml have a high risk of NTR, poor recurrence‐free survival, and overall survival. Further studies evaluating preemptive transplantation or adjuvant/neoadjuvant strategies are highly needed in this small patient subset. Most patients who are eligible for primary PTA remained eligible for salvage LT. Simple and noninvasive covariates (HCC naivety, AFP) obtained before PTA of 3‐cm HCC(s) accurately stratified patients' risk of NTR, ranging from 9.3% to 61.5% (AFP model) and 12% to 53.8% (Milan).