Project ACCRUE: Exploring Options to Increase Awareness of AIDS Malignancy Consortium Clinical Trials in North Carolina

BACKGROUND Longer lifespans conferred by antiretroviral therapy result in more time exposed to cancer risk for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Given limited diversity in AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC) clinical trials, there is need for new approaches to educate PLWHA in order to improve awareness and participation in AMC trials. METHODS With input from a community advisory board, Project ACCRUE (AMC Clinical Trials at Carolina Ramp Up Enrollment) conducted a key informant interview with service providers; online organizational surveys of AMC trial awareness and resource needs; and "lunch and learn" educational sessions, including pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessments. RESULTS Providers indicated that transportation, mistrust of the medical community, and affordability were barriers to trial participation, while printed educational materials could facilitate trial recruitment. Providers indicated that their clients had concerns about participating in trials, but also recognized several benefits of participation including access to medical personnel and treatment, receipt of monetary incentives, and a feeling of satisfaction from helping others. In lunch and learn sessions, use of an audience response system to collect questionnaire data improved scores on knowledge-based items [S(55) = 460; P < .0001] compared to a pencil and paper test [S(20) = 12.5; P = .6541].LIMITATIONS Generalizability may have been compromised by the small sample size. Long-term recall was not measured, and the short retest interval may have impacted post-intervention assessments. CONCLUSIONS Service providers recognize the benefits of working with researchers to educate patients about HIV-related cancers and participation in clinical trials. Lunch and learn sessions improved knowledge and perceptions about clinical trials for PLWHA

Premature browning in cooked ground beef after modifying myoglobin

Some ground beef patties developed an internal, brown cooked color and looked well-done at temperatures as low as 131 ̊F, whereas normal patties were re d to pink. The premature brown color was not relate d to percent fat; patty compaction; animal source and maturity; pH (5.5 to 5.8); or concentrations of raw patty heme and nonhemeiron, myoglobin, and total pigment. Because oxidation-reduction potential and total reducing activities were higher (P<.05) and TBA numbers were lower (P<.05) in normal than prematurely brown patties, the brown color is apparently related to greater patty oxidation

Implementing a small media intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening in primary care clinics

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the USA. In 2017, an estimated 135,420 people were diagnosed with CRC and 50,260 people died from CRC. Several screening modalities are recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), including annual stool tests that are usually completed at home and under-used compared with colonoscopy despite stated patient preferences for an alternative to colonoscopy. The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends use of small media interventions (SMIs) to increase CRC screening and calls for a greater understanding of its independent impact on screening participation. This study tested whether a SMI increased the likelihood of participant return of a USPSTF recommended Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). In total, 804 individuals participated in a two-group, prospective randomized controlled trial. Descriptive statistics with chi-square tests compared differences in participant characteristics and return rates. Multivariable log-binomial modeling estimated combined effects of patient characteristics with FIT return rates. No differences in return rates were observed overall or by participant characteristics other than the year of enrollment. A multivariable model controlling for all covariates, found gender, insurance type, and regular place for healthcare to be significantly associated with return rates. Receipt of the SMI did not independently increase overall return rates but it may have improved the ease of completing the FIT by some participants, particularly women, those with insurance, and those with a regular place for healthcare

Display life and internal cooked color of ground beef from vitamin e-supplemented cattle

Retail display life of ground beef and internal color of patties cooked to four endpoint temperatures (131, 149, 160, and 17 1EF) were determined for ground beef (9% fat) from vitamin E-supplemented (500 and 2000 IU per day) steers. Visual scores indicated that the display time required for the 500 and 2000 vitamin E samples to reach an objectionable reddish-brown/brown color was increased by 12 and 32 hours, respectively, as compared with the 0 vitamin E samples. Patties did not differ in internal cooked color regardless of vitamin E level. Vitamin E was effective in increasing retail display color stability and did not affect cooked color

Spotlight on dry aging beef: effects of loin type, aging methods, and aging time

Dry aging is an old-time process used to produce a high quality beef product marketed to high-end customers. Its most unique quality is the distinctive dry-aged flavor. Dry aging has been accomplished through many protocols over the years, but an optimum protocol has not been adopted. Practitioners of this art are very interested in providing a consistent, quality, safe product. Traditionally, dry aging is done without packaging, which places more emphasis on plant quality control practices to achieve a consistent product. This limits the number of processors that have the ability to produce dry-aged product. Packaging bags with a very high water vapor transmission rate that may simulate traditional dry aging are now available. If the quality from dry aging in these bags is equal to that obtained with the traditional unpackaged method, other processors might consider dry aging because this bag allows for less stringent facility needs and potentially greater yields. Overall, an in-thebag dry-aging system would require fewer controls and still result in decreased weight losses, which would provide a significant yield advantage. Objectives of this research were to determine the combined effects of two different dryaging methods (unpackaged and in the bag), two loin-cut styles (bone-in shell loins and boneless strip loins), and two aging times (21 and 28 days) on flavor, juiciness, tenderness, palatability, development of the unique dry-aged flavor, moisture vapor loss, and microbial growth. An additional objective was to determine effects of vacuum packaging after dry aging on dry-aged flavor stability of steaks

Factors affecting premature browning in cooked ground beef

Some ground beef patties developed an internal, brown cooked color and looked well-done at temperatures as low as 13 1EF, whereas normal patties were re d to pink. The premature brown color was not relate d to percent fat; patty compaction; animal source and maturity; pH (5.5 to 5.8); or concentrations of raw patty heme and nonhemeiron, myoglobin, and total pigment. Because oxidation-reduction potential and total reducing activities were higher (P<.05) and TBA numbers were lower (P<.05) in normal than prematurely brown patties, the brown color is apparently related to greater patty oxidation

Bone-in pork loins: modified atmosphere packaging to extend shelf-life

Modified atmosphere packaging with 100% carbon dioxide was used to investigate changes in daily gas composition, as well as the influence of fat trim level and location of loin in the box on shelf life characteristics. Length of storage was the primary factor influencing shelf life of whole loins and their retail chops. Although microbial qualities was acceptable in loins stored up to d 19, sirloin and blade discoloration was obvious at 11-13 d. Storage for more than 11 d reduced the display life of retail chops to 1-2 d. Shelf life characteristics of bone-in pork loins were superior with this packaging system compared to more traditional systems