Discrimination of filter coffee extraction methods of a medium roasted specialty coffee based on volatile profiles and sensorial traits

An untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach combined with sensory analysis was used to present the effects of different extraction methods (i.e., Pure Brew, V60, AeroPress, and French Press) on specialty graded Coffea arabica from Kenya. Partial Least Square Discriminant analysis and hierarchical clustering were applied as multivariate statistical tools in data analysis. The results showed good discrimination and a clear clustering of the groups of samples based on their volatile profiles. Similarities were found related to the filter material and shape used for the extraction. Samples extracted with paper filters (V60 and AeroPress) resulted in higher percentages of caramel-, and flowery-related compounds, while from metal filter samples (Pure Brew and French Press), more fruity and roasted coffees were obtained. Discriminant analysis allowed the identification of eight compounds with a high VIP (variable important in projection) discriminant value (i.e., >1), with 2-furanmethanol being the main feature in discrimination. Sensorial analyses were carried out through an expert panel test. The main evaluations revealed the French Press system as the lowest-scored sample in all the evaluated parameters, except for acidity, where its score was similar to V60. In conclusion, the data obtained from GC-MS analyses were in line with the sensorial results, confirming that the extraction process plays a fundamental role in the flavor profile of filter coffee beverages

Health-related quality of life and nail disorders.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurements in clinical practice ensure that treatment and evaluations focus on the patient rather than the disease. To verify whether these measurements are also relevant in a minor dermatological disease and whether a generic routine assessment is sufficient to capture different aspects of quality of life, we studied patients affected by nail disorders. The Skindex-29, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the 36-item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study questionnaires were used. A total of 114 patients were enrolled: 31% men aged 48 +/- 15 years and 69% women aged 49 +/- 14 years (mean +/- SD). The mean values of SF-36 scales in nail disorders were higher than those reported for minor skin diseases, and Skindex-29 values were lower. A duration of disease > or =1 year was associated with higher Skindex-29 scores on the symptom and emotions scales. Patients with onychomycosis have higher values on the Skindex-29 social functioning scale compared with other nail disorders. The use of HRQoL measurements in routine clinical activities allows us to depict how nail disorders affect patients and show how relevant some neglected aspects, such as pain or emotional trauma, are and offers us the opportunity to address these issues in a patient-centred approach to treatment

Mucinous histology predicts for poor response rate and overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer and treated with first-line oxaliplatin- and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy containing irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin in patients with advanced mucinous colorectal cancer. Prognostic factors associated with response rate and survival were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic and/or Cox proportional hazards analyses. The population included 255 patients, of whom 49 (19%) had mucinous and 206 (81%) had non-mucinous colorectal cancer. The overall response rates for mucinous and non-mucinous tumours were 18.4 (95% CI, 7.5–29.2%) and 49% (95% CI, 42.2–55.8%), respectively (P=0.0002). After a median follow-up of 45 months, median overall survival for the mucinous patients was 14.0 months compared with 23.4 months for the non-mucinous group (hazard ratio (HR), 1.74; CI 95%, 1.27–3.31; P=0.0034). After adjustment for significant features by multivariate Cox regression analysis, mucinous histology was associated with poor overall survival (HR, 1.593, 95% CI, 1.05–2.40; P=0.0267), together with performance status ECOG 2, number of metastatic sites ⩾2, and peritoneal metastases. This retrospective analysis shows that patients with mucinous colorectal cancer have poor responsiveness to oxaliplatin/irinotecan-based first-line combination chemotherapy and an unfavourable prognosis compared with non-mucinous colorectal cancer patients

Liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer patients and thymidylate synthase polymorphisms for predicting response to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy

We investigated the association between thymidylate synthase (TS) germline polymorphisms and response to 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in 80 patients with liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). The tandem repeat polymorphism (VNTR) in TS 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR), which consists of two (2R) or three (3R) 28-bp repeated sequences, with or without a G/C nucleotide change in 3R carriers (3G or 3C) and a 6-bp insertion/deletion (6+/6−) in the TS 3′-UTR, was studied. The distinction between high (2R/3G, 3C/3G and 3G/3G) and low (2R/2R, 2R/3C and 3C/3C) TS expression genotypes according to the 5′-UTR VNTR+G/C nucleotide change showed significant association with tumour response (P=0.01). In particular, high TS expression genotypes were found in 8 out of 34 patients (23.5%) with complete or partial response and in 24 out of 46 patients (52%) with stable disease and disease progression. Liver-only MCRC patients are a homogeneous and clinical relevant subgroup that may represent an ideal setting for studying the actual influence of TS polymorphisms

I tumori cistici del pancreas. Revisione della letteratura e proposta di un percorso diagnostico-terapeutico

In questo lavoro, gli Autori esaminano gli aspetti epidemiologici, clinici, anatomo-patologici, morfologico-strumentali e chimico-fisici propri di ogni singolo tipo di lesione cistica del pancreas e li paragonano tra di loro in maniera critica. In tal modo riescono ad individuare per ogni singola categoria le caratteristiche più salienti. Un percorso composto di quattro gruppi principali di esami strumentali e di laboratorio (ecografia addominale standard / EUS, TC, RM, FNA / biopsia / dosaggio di oncomarkers ed amilasi del contenuto cistico) è stato prescelto per l’acquisizione di tutti questi dati in virtù di precisi criteri di specificità, sensibilità ed accuratezza diagnostica forniti dalla letteratura scientifica internazionale. Per ogni sottogruppo di tumore cistico del pancreas viene proposto, infine, il piano terapeutico accreditato di miglior successo, sempre secondo la comune opinione scientifica internazional

Is nutrition a risk or a protective factor for periodontal disease?

Background and Aim: Nutrition is a widely discussed topic in dentistry. In periodontology have been reported how vitamins, antioxidants (also in fruit) and folic acid could play a protective role from inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate if nutritional habits of periodontal patients could have influenced the severity of their periodontal status and its bacterial load.Methods: Thirty-four periodontal patients that underwent to a full periodontal examination (periodontology division - University of Bologna) and diagnosis with a moderate to severe periodontitis were included in the study. Patients with antibiotic therapy in the last 6 months and pregnant women were excluded. All were questioned about their previous 6 months food habits using the Food FrequencyTest (FFQ). The FFQ was reduced and integrated collecting the following data: body weight and height, waist circumference, smoking, diabetes and vitamins intake. Participants were divided according to the main variable, daily fruit consumption, in two groups of 17 subjects, and compared by a multilevel analysis to the periodontal parameter recovered from the initial exams. FFQ, probing depth (PPD),clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BoP), plaque index (P.I. O'Leary), exudate, microbial site specific real-time PCR test(Biomolecular Diagnostic®) results and percentage of mean bone level were used.Results: The multilevel statistical analysis did not report any significant results regarding food habits, periodontal parameters and microbial charges for both groups. Particularly no statistical differences emerged for PPD, CAL, BoP, and exudate. Even bacterial charges of the periodontal pathogens investigated, with a mean value associated to moderate to severe periodontitis, did not show any statistical difference. Conclusions: Form these results did not emerge any role of nutrition on the periodontal parameters collected, suggesting a marginal role subordinate to more influential variables. Further investigations including healthy, gingivitis and early periodontitis patients are suggested