Astringency assessment of persimmon by hyperspectral imaging

[EN] One of the current challenges of persimmon postharvest research is the development of non-destructive methods that allow determination of the internal properties of the fruit, such as maturity, flesh firmness and astringency. This study evaluates the usefulness of hyperspectral imaging in the 460 1020 nm range as a non-destructive tool to achieve these aims in Persimmon cv. Rojo Brillante which is an astringent cultivar. Fruit were harvested at three different stages of commercial maturity and exposed to different treatments of CO2 (95% CO2 20 ºC from 0 to 24 h) in order to obtain fruit with different levels of astringency. Partial Least Square (PLS) based methods were used to classify persimmon fruits by maturity and to predict flesh firmness from the average spectrum of each fruit. The results showed a 97.9% rate of correct maturity classification and an R2P of 0.80 for firmness prediction with only five selected wavelengths. For astringency assessment, as our results showed that the soluble tannins that remain after CO2 treatments are distributed irregularly inside the flesh, a model based on PLS was built using the spectrum of every pixel in the fruit. The model obtained an R2P of 0.91 which allowed the creation of the predicted distribution maps of the tannins in the flesh of the fruit, thereby pointing to hyperspectral systems as a promising technology to assess the effectiveness of the deastringency treatments that are usually applied before commercialising persimmons from astringent cultivars.This work has been partially funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria de Espana (INIA) through projects RTA2012-00062-C04-01, RTA2012-00062-C04-03 and RTA2013-00043-C02 with the support of FEDER funds and by the Conselleria d' Educacio, Investigacio, Cultura i Esport, Generalitat Valenciana, through the project AICO/2015/122. Sandra Munera thanks INIA for the grant FPI-INIA #43 (CPR2014-0082) partially supported by FSE funds.S354112

Non-destructive assessment of the internal quality of intact persimmon using colour and VIS/NIR hyperspectral imaging

The internal quality of intact persimmon cv. Rojo Brillante was assessed trough visible and near infrared hyperspectral imaging. Fruits at three stages of commercial maturity were exposed to different treatments with CO2 to obtain fruit with different ripeness and level of astringency (soluble tannin content). Spectral and spatial information were used for building classification models to predict ripeness and astringency trough multivariate analysis techniques like linear and quadratic discriminant analysis (LDA and QDA) and support vector machine (SVM). Additionally, flesh firmness was predicted by partial least square regression (PLSR). The full spectrum was used to determine the internal properties and later principal component analysis (PCA) was used to select optimal wavelengths (580, 680 and 1050 nm). The correct classification was above 92% for the three classifiers in the case of ripeness and 95% for QDA in the case of astringency. A value of R2 = 0.80 and a ratio of prediction deviation (RPD) of 1.86 were obtained with the selected wavelengths for the prediction of firmness which demonstrated the potential of hyperspectral imaging as a non-destructive tool in the assessment of the firmness, ripeness state and astringency level of Rojo Brillante persimmon.This work has been partially funded by the INIA and FEDER through projects RTA2012-00062-C04-01, RTA2012-00062-C04-03 and RTA2013-00043-C02, GVA through the project AICO/2015/122, the International S&T Cooperation Programs of China (2015DFA71150), and the International S&T Cooperation Program of Guangdong Province, China (2013B051000010). Sandra Munera thanks INIA for the grant FPI-INIA #43 (CPR2014-0082) partially supported by FSE funds.Munera-Picazo, S.; Besada Ferreiro, CM.; Aleixos Borrás, MN.; Talens Oliag, P.; Salvador, A.; Sun, D.; Cubero-García, S.... (2017). Non-destructive assessment of the internal quality of intact persimmon using colour and VIS/NIR hyperspectral imaging. Food Science and Technology. 77:241-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2016.11.063S2412487

Prediction of the level of astringency in persimmon using visible and near-infrared spectroscopy

[EN] Early control of fruit quality requires reliable and rapid determination techniques. Therefore, the food industry has a growing interest in non-destructive methods such as spectroscopy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, in combination with multivariate analysis techniques, to predict the level and changes of astringency in intact and in the flesh of half cut persimmon fruits. The fruits were harvested and exposed to different treatments with 95 % CO2 at 20 ºC for 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h to obtain samples with different levels of astringency. A set of 98 fruits was used to develop the predictive models based on their spectral data and another external set of 42 fruit samples was used to validate the models. The models were created using the partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector machine (SVM) and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM). In general, the models with the best performance were those which included standard normal variate (SNV) in the pre-processing. The best model was the PLSR developed with SNV along with the first derivative (1-Der) pre-processing, created using the data obtained at six measurement points of the intact fruits and all wavelengths (R2=0.904 and RPD=3.26). Later, a successive projection algorithm (SPA) was applied to select the most effective wavelengths (EWs). Using the six points of measurement of the intact fruit and SNV together with the direct orthogonal signal correction (DOSC) pre-processing in the NIR spectra, 41 EWs were selected, achieving an R2 of 0.915 and an RPD of 3.46 for the PLSR model. These results suggest that this technology has potential for use as a feasible and cost-effective method for the non-destructive determination of astringency in persimmon fruits.This work has been partially funded by the Institute Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria de Espana (INIA) through research projects RTA2012-00062-004-01/03, RTA2013-00043-C02, and RTA2015-00078-00-00 with the support of European FEDER funds, and by the Conselleria d' Educacio, Investigacio, Cultura i Esport, Generalitat Valenciana, through the project AICO/2015/122. V. Cortes thanks the Spanish MEC for the FPU grant (FPU13/04202).Cortés López, V.; Rodríguez Ortega, A.; Blasco Ivars, J.; Rey Solaz, B.; Besada, C.; Cubero García, S.; Salvador, A.... (2017). Prediction of the level of astringency in persimmon using visible and near-infrared spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF FOOD ENGINEERING. 204:27-37. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2017.02.017S273720

Differences in coping strategies among young adults and the elderly with cancer

Background: Coping with cancer and the oncologist-patient relationship can vary depending on the patient's age. Our aim is to examine and compare young and elderly adults with non‐metastatic, resected cancer. Methods: Two groups of patients were selected, young ( 70) with a diagnosis of non‐metastatic, resected cancer requiring adjuvant chemotherapy from a pre‐exiting, national database (NEOCOPING Study). Epidemiological variables were collected and subjects' emotional responses, perceptions of the physician-patient relationship, support network, fears, and regret about the decision to receive chemotherapy were assessed with questionnaires validated in previous studies: Mini‐Mental Adjustment to Cancer, Brief Summary Inventory (18 items), European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire‐C30, Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire‐Physician's version, Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire‐Patient's version, and Informed Risk (physician and patient versions). Results: Data from 46 young and 46 elderly participants were collected. The most common neoplasms in both groups were breast (50%) and colorectal (22%). The younger adults had a higher level of education and were actively employed (72% vs. 7%). The leading coping strategy in the younger cohort was hope, and resignation among the elderly. Young adults sought more social support and the impact of diagnosis was more negative for them than for older individuals. No significant differences were detected in quality of life; both age groups demanded more time at their first visit with the doctor, while the older group exhibited greater satisfaction with shared decision‐making. At the end of adjuvant chemotherapy, neither age group regretted their decision to receive said treatment. Conclusion: Higher levels of education, greater demands of the labour market, and the advent of the age of information have entailed drastic changes in the physician-patient relationship paradigm. This is especially true in the younger cancer patient population, who require more information and active participation in decision‐making, can display more anxiety about their diagnosis, but also greater capacity to fight

Prediction of quality of life in early breast cancer upon completion of adjuvant chemotherapy

Quality of life (QoL) is a complex, ordinal endpoint with multiple conditioning factors. A predictive model of QoL after adjuvant chemotherapy can support decision making or the communication of information about the range of treatment options available. Patients with localized breast cancer (n = 219) were prospectively recruited at 17 centers. Participants completed the EORTC QLQC30 questionnaire. The primary aim was to predict health status upon completion of adjuvant chemotherapy adjusted for multiple covariates. We developed a Bayesian model with six covariates (chemotherapy regimen, TNM stage, axillary lymph node dissection, perceived risk of recurrence, age, type of surgery, and baseline EORTC scores). This model allows both prediction and causal inference. The patients with mastectomy reported a discrete decline on all QoL scores. The effect of surgery depended on the interaction with age. Women with ages on either end of the range displayed worse scores, especially with mastectomy. The perceived risk of recurrence had a striking effect on health status. In conclusion, we have developed a predictive model of health status in patients with early breast cancer based on the individual's profile

II Certamen universitario de microrrelatos sobre Asia

Trabajo interactivo/colaborativo entre investigadores y alumnos de grado. Creación de material educativo de apoyo en actividades de docencia semipresencial y de difusión en soporte digital. El tema persigue aproximar las áreas culturales de Asia Oriental a nuestra sociedad

Memoria del IV Certamen Universitario de Microrrelatos sobre Asia

Este documento contiene los objetivos, metodología, resultados y evaluación del proyecto IV Certamen Universitario de Microrrelatos sobre Asia. Un proyecto colaborativo entre investigadores y alumnos que busca el intercambio, la formación de los jóvenes, y la generación de material didáctico sobre Asia abierto a la comunidad

Desarrollo y validación de un modelo pronóstico que incluya la obesidad y la comorbilidad en pacientes con cáncer de mama precoz

El cáncer de mama es la neoplasia más frecuente y que mayor mortalidad causa en mujeres. A pesar del aumento de la frecuencia de diagnósticos en estadio precoz y de la mejora en el pronóstico, un número importante de pacientes presentará una recaída posterior. El conocimiento de los múltiples factores que influyen en el pronóstico de este además de permitirnos un mejor conocimiento de la enfermedad facilita la toma de decisiones sobre el tratamiento y nos permite informar a las pacientes sobre el posible curso de la enfermedad. Por ello, el desarrollo de modelos pronósticos ha sido importante en las últimas décadas, aunque la mayoría se han basado en las variables clásicas anatomo-patológicas conocidas, sin incluir características propias de las pacientes. Este hecho contrasta con el papel de la mortalidad no relacionada con cáncer, muy relevante en este grupo para la supervivencia de las pacientes y relacionada en la mayoría de las ocasiones con características de estas como la comorbilidad, la obesidad y la situación funcional. Este trabajo de tesis doctoral ha tenido como objetivo analizar y determinar el valor pronóstico de variables no relacionadas con la enfermedad como la comorbilidad, la obesidad y la situación funcional de las pacientes y determinar si un modelo multivariante de supervivencia global y supervivencia libre de enfermedad en población española que integre dichas variables, además de los clásicos factores pronósticos anatomo-patológicos, podría mejorar la predicción pronóstica en los casos de cáncer de mama precoz. Los resultados de este estudio, realizado en una serie clínica de 524 pacientes con cáncer de mama precoz, demuestran que la comorbilidad (medida mediante el índice de Charlson) y la situación funcional (evaluada con la escala ECOG), pero no la obesidad, son variables relevantes para determinar el pronóstico de las mujeres con cáncer de mama precoz, y que su inclusión en modelos multivariantes mejora su rendimiento en términos de discriminación y calibración. Los resultados del segundo objetivo del trabajo, la validación del modelo Predict y su modificación para integrar las variables comentadas previamente, sugieren que el modelo Predict 2.1 no está suficientemente calibrado en nuestra población y que las mejoras de su rendimiento con la introducción de las variables de situación funcional y comorbilidad no son suficientes para su utilización clínicaBreast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm and the one that causes the highest mortality rate in women. Despite the increase in the frequency of early stage diagnoses and the improvement in prognosis, a significant number of patients will relapse at a later stage. Knowledge of the multiple factors that influence the prognosis of this disease, as well as providing us with a better understanding of the disease, facilitates treatment decisions and allows us to inform patients about the possible course of the disease. For this reason, the development of prognostic models has been important in recent decades, although most have been based on the classic known anatomical-pathological variables, without including patient characteristics. This fact contrasts with the role of non-cancer mortality, which is very relevant in this group for patient survival and in most cases related to patient characteristics such as comorbidity, obesity and functional status. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to analyse and determine the prognostic value of non-cancer-related variables such as comorbidity, obesity and functional status of the patients and to determine whether a multivariate model of overall survival and disease-free survival in the Spanish population that integrates these variables, in addition to the classic anatomical-pathological prognostic factors, could improve prognostic prediction in cases of early breast cancer. The results of this study, carried out in a clinical series of 524 patients with early breast cancer, show that comorbidity (measured by the Charlson index) and functional status (assessed with the ECOG scale), but not obesity, are relevant variables for determining the prognosis of women with early breast cancer, and that their inclusion in multivariate models improves their performance in terms of discrimination and calibration. The results of the second objective of the study, the validation of the Predict model and its modification to integrate the previously mentioned variables, suggest that the Predict 2.1 model is not sufficiently calibrated in our population and that the improvements in its performance with the introduction of the variables of functional status and comorbidity are not sufficient for its clinical use