FT-NIR spectroscopy to study beef storage in master bag low-oxygen packaging system

In order to face high levels of meat wastage, occurring especially at the distribution and consumption stages, food industry envisions new shelf life extension strategies, together with reliable, non-destructive and fast methodologies for product decay monitoring. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess the reliability of NIR spectroscopy in discriminating storage times of meat packed in low-oxygen systems, recognised as case-ready methods for the shelf life extension of red meat. To the aim, 48 beef meat slices, distributed in 24 trays wrapped in stretched PVC, were individually inserted inside barrier master bags containing O2 scavengers and low-O2 modified atmosphere (MA). Each master bag was stored in darkness at 0\ub11 \ub0C for different times (6, 8, 13 and 15 days). After master bag opening, trays were displayed at 4 \ub1 2\ub0C under light exposure up to 48 h. Wrapped beef slices were analysed by a fibre optic connected to a FT-NIR spectrometer (MPA, Bruker Optics) immediately after master bag opening and during display life. The obtained dataset (288 spectra), after spectral pre-treatments, was subjected to PCA and LDA by means of MatLab 2016a and V-PARVUS. PCA permitted to distinguish fresh meat from samples exposed to low-O2 MA, no matter the time spent in the master bags. Moreover, the explorative approach unearthed differences ascribable to anoxic environment storage. Thus, after variable selection by SELECT algorithm, LDA was applied in order to classify samples according to storage times in master bags. Correct classification rates in prediction higher than 87.5% were obtained when considering two classes (1=6 and 8 days; 2= 13 and 15 days). Concerning meat display under light, LDA classification models were separately calculated for the two considered classes of anoxic storage time, showing global correct classification rates in calibration, cross-validation and prediction higher than 81%, 72% and 68%, respectively. In conclusion, the use of FT-NIR spectroscopy looks promising to estimate simultaneously the anoxic storage time and the deterioration of meat quality attributes throughout display life, thus providing the food industry with an effective packaging system together with a reliable monitoring approach intended for meat wastage reduction

How do cardiologists select patients for dual antiplatelet therapy continuation beyond 1 year after a myocardial infarction? Insights from the EYESHOT Post-MI Study

Background: Current guidelines suggest to consider dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) continuation for longer than 12 months in selected patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: We sought to assess the criteria used by cardiologists in daily practice to select patients with a history of MI eligible for DAPT continuation beyond 1 year. Methods: We analyzed data from the EYESHOT Post-MI, a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the management of patients presenting to cardiologists 1 to 3 years from the last MI event. Results: Out of the 1633 post-MI patients enrolled in the study between March and December 2017, 557 (34.1%) were on DAPT at the time of enrolment, and 450 (27.6%) were prescribed DAPT after cardiologist assessment. At multivariate analyses, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with multiple stents and the presence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) resulted as independent predictors of DAPT continuation, while atrial fibrillation was the only independent predictor of DAPT interruption for patients both at the second and the third year from MI at enrolment and the time of discharge/end of the visit. Conclusions: Risk scores recommended by current guidelines for guiding decisions on DAPT duration are underused and misused in clinical practice. A PCI with multiple stents and a history of PAD resulted as the clinical variables more frequently associated with DAPT continuation beyond 1 year from the index MI

Factors that influence achievment of complete remission and its duration after polychemotherapy in follicular non Hodgikin's lymphoma.

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Factors that predict response and disease free survival in clinically advanced follicular lymphomas.

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Adjuvant chemotherapy in completely resected gastric cancer : a randomized phase III trial conducted by GOIRC

Complete surgical resection of gastric cancer is potentially curative, but long-term survival is poor. METHODS: Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach of stages IB, II, IIIA and B, or IV (T4N2M0) and treated with potentially curative surgery were randomly assigned to follow-up alone or to intravenous treatment with four cycles (repeated every 21 days) of PELF (cisplatin [40 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 5], epirubicin [30 mg/m(2), days 1 and 5], L-leucovorin [100 mg/m(2), days 1-4], and 5-fluorouracil [300 mg/m(2), days 1-4] in a hospital setting. Frequencies and severity of adverse events were determined. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between the treatment arms using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: From January 1995 through September 2000, 258 patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy (n = 130) or surgery alone (n = 128). Patient characteristics were well balanced between the two arms. Among those who received chemotherapy, grade 3 or 4 toxic effects including vomiting, mucositis, and diarrhea were experienced by 21.1%, 8.4%, and 11.8% of patients, respectively. Leucopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 were experienced by 20.3%, 3.3%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 72.8 months, 128 patients (49.6%) experienced recurrence and 139 (53.9%) deaths were observed, one toxicity-related. Relative to treatment with surgery alone, adjuvant chemotherapy did not increase disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] of recurrence = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66 to 1.27) or overall survival (HR of death = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.64 to 1.26). CONCLUSIONS: Our results failed to provide proof of an effect of adjuvant chemotherapy with PELF on overall survival or disease-free survival. The estimated effect of chemotherapy (10% reduction in the hazard of death or relapse) is modest and consistent with the results of meta-analyses of adjuvant chemotherapy without platinum agent

Adjuvant chemotherapy in completely resected gastric cancer: A Randomized phase III trial conducted by GOIRC

Background Complete surgical resection of gastric cancer is potentially curative, but long-term survival is poor. Methods Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinorna of the stomach of stages IB, II, IIIA and B, or IV (T4N2MO) and treated with potentially curative surgery were randomly assigned to follow-up alone or to intravenous treatment with four cycles (repeated every 21 days) of PELF (cisplatin [40 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 5], epirubicin [30 mg/m(2), days 1 and 5], L-leucovorin [100 mg/m(2), days 1-4], and 5-fluorouracil [300 mg/m(2), days 1-41 in a hospital setting. Frequencies and severity of adverse events were determined. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between the treatment arms using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results From January 1995 through September 2000, 258 patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy (n = 130) or surgery alone (n = 128). Patient characteristics were well balanced between the two arms. Among those who received chemotherapy, grade 3 or 4 toxic effects including vomiting, mucositis, and diarrhea were experienced by 21.1%, 8.4%, and 11.8% of patients, respectively. Leucopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 were experienced by 20.3%, 3.3%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 72.8 months, 128 patients (49.6%) experienced recurrence and 139 (53.9%) deaths were observed, one toxicity-related. Relative to treatment with surgery alone, adjuvant chemotherapy did not increase disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] of recurrence = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66 to 1.27) or overall survival (HR of death = 0.90; 95% Cl = 0.64 to 1.26). Conclusions Our results failed to provide proof of an effect of adjuvant chemotherapy with PELF on overall survival or disease-free survival. The estimated effect of chemotherapy (10% reduction in the hazard of death or relapse) is modest and consistent with the results of meta-analyses of adjuvant chemotherapy without platinum agents