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In recent years, caps with PVC-free gasket have been developed and produced in the preserved food sector and they have been gradually replacing PVC-based ones. This type of choice was dictated by the need to produce sustainable packaging from a health and environmental point of view, even in the case of this type of closure. The study dealt with two type of caps, coded “A” and “B”, with two type of PVC-free gaskets, which differ in composition and application technology. In particular, the objective of this work was to study the behaviour of these new gaskets applied to metal caps intended for packaging preserved food, both in terms of suitability for food contact and from a technological standpoint. The gaskets were primarily characterized from a chemical–physical and mechanical point of view; overall migration and ad hoc methods for the determination of the specific migration of the substances present in their formulation were set up. In parallel, the technological suitability, related to the sealing parameters of the caps applied to the glass jars and the tightness of the packs, were evaluated. About food contact compliance, both caps, comply with the Union guidelines on Regulation (UE) n. 10/2011 on overall and specific migration. From the technological point of view, for gasket coded “A”, critical issues, the vacuum seal and, therefore, the tightness of the packages were highlighted.

In patients with severe aortic stenosis, the presence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction is one of the main predictors of adverse events after valve replacement surgery. However, more and more patients are being referred for surgery early and have preserved systolic function at the time of surgery. Within this category, global longitudinal strain (GLS) has been proposed as a marker of ventricular remodeling after cardiac surgery. Our study aims to identify the variation of Global longitudinal strain (GLS) in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement and any differences compared to classes of diastolic dysfunction. Methods From June 2020 to June 2022 we analyzed patients with severe aortic stenosis with an indication for cardiac surgery treatment admitted to the cardiac surgery department of our AOU. All patients underwent an echocardiogram immediately before surgery and in the early postoperative period (mean 7 days). In all cases, the GLS of the left ventricle was calculated and patients were divided into four classes according to the degree of diastolic dysfunction (0–III) according to the most recent international guidelines. The data were analyzed with SPSS 28 software. Analysis of variance was performed with a t–test and ANOVA test. Results In the final analysis, 63 patients were included, with a mean age of 70.5±8.2%, of whom 28 were women (44.4%) and 35 were men (55.6%). In 12 patients (19%) ischaemic heart disease with an indication for coronary revascularization was also present. The mean preoperative ejection fraction was 59±9.5%. The mean GLS values before surgery were 15.26±4.3% vs. early postoperative 12.52±2.6%, p Conclusions In our case series, patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing aortic valve replacement with or without myocardial revascularization show a significant early reduction in GLS regardless of the degree of diastolic dysfunction. An extension of follow–up is needed to assess any differences in the intervention‘s benefit in different diastolic dysfunction subgroups.

Background: The global spread of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has been sudden shock to the world and resulted in many questions that remain unanswered. Limited data has been published in low-middle-income country settings (LMICS) Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of mothers and neonates delivered from COVID-19 positive mothers, and to identify the incidence of COVID-19 positive neonates.Methods: A prospective, descriptive study, from 1 August 2020 to 31 March 2021 conducted at a tertiary hospital, in JohannesburgAll neonates born to mothers that were COVID-19 positive and that required admission to the neonatal unit were included. Informed consent was obtained from mothers prior to enrolment.Results: A total of 111 COVID-19 positive pregnant women delivered neonates at the tertiary hospital. In this study, only 28 of the 111 (25%) neonates born to COVID-19 positive mothers were admitted. The majority of the COVID-19 pregnant mothers were asymptomatic or had mild symptomatic disease (80%). Two (2/111 (2%) mothers required ICU admission and three (3/111 (3%) of them demised. In relation to neonatal outcomes, the majority of the neonates were delivered at a gestational age of 35 weeks with a birth weight of 2400 grams .The most common symptom was respiratory distress (89 %). The one (3%) neonate that tested positive for COVID-19 was born moderately preterm with a low birth weight and respiratory distress syndrome. Two (2/28 (7%) neonates demised, however the cause of death was not related to COVID-19. All the remaining (26/28 (93%) neonates were discharged and were well on follow up. Conclusion: Our study has shown that the risk of neonatal transmission from pregnant COVID-19 mothers is relatively low, and the majority of neonatal disease ranged from asymptomatic to mildly symptomatic disease. Further research efforts are essential to improve neonatal care in LMICS.