Surface and Adhesion Characteristics of Current and Next Generation Steel Packaging Materials

Steel packaging remains an important mean by which foodstuffs and other products can be stored safely for a prolonged period of time. The industry is being challenged by the dual legislative pressures which require the elimination of Chrome (VI) from the manufacturing process and the elimination of bisphenol A as a component from the lacquer system. Initial indications suggest lower adhesive performance, and it has been postulated that thermal treatment may be a mean of improv- ing adhesion. Three substrates (two current and one future) were physically and chemically characterized prior and post treatment and the resultant impact of adhesion was quantified. The net impact of the thermal treatment is that it increases the adhesion of the lacquer on the surface. As there is minimal change in the physical characteristics of the surface, the authors propose that this is a result of changes in the chemical surface species, particularly the increase in the oxidic nature of each of the substrates which provides additional bonding sites for the organic species in the lacquer. These trends are observed for current substrate materials as well as next generation Chrome VI free substrate. Next generation replacement substrate materials perform better than current materials for dry adhesion while next generation bisphenol A non-intent lacquer mate- rials perform poorer than the current epoxy phenolic materials

A regional audit system for stillbirth: A way to better understand the phenomenon

Background: Implementation of high-quality national audits for perinatal mortality are needed to improve the registration of all perinatal deaths and the identification of the causes of death. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of a Regional Audit System for Stillbirth in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy. Methods: For each stillbirth ( 65 22 weeks of gestation, 65 500 g) occurred between January 1, 2014 to December 1, 2016 (n = 332), the same diagnostic workup was performed and a clinical record with data about mother and stillborn was completed. Every case was discussed in a multidisciplinary local audit to assess both the cause of death (ReCoDe classification) and the quality of care. Data were reviewed by the Regional Audit Group. Stillbirth rates, causes of death and the quality of care were established for each case. Results: Total stillbirth rate was 3.09 per 1000 births (332/107,528). Late stillbirth rate was 2.3 per 1000 (251/107,087). Sixteen stillbirths were not registered by the Regional Birth Register. The most prevalent cause of death was placental disorder (33.3%), followed by fetal (17.6%), cord (14.2%) and maternal disorders (7.6%). Unexplained cases were 14%. Compared to local audits, the regional group attributed different causes of death in 17% of cases. At multivariate analysis, infections were associated with early stillbirths (OR 3.38, CI95% 1.62-7.03) and intrapartum cases (OR 6.64, CI95% 2.61-17.02). Placental disorders were related to growth restriction (OR 1.89, CI95% 1.06-3.36) and were more frequent before term (OR 1.86, CI95% 1.11-3.15). Stillbirths judged possibly/probably preventable with a different management (10.9%) occurred more frequently in non-Italian women and were mainly related to maternal disorders (OR 6.64, CI95% 2.61-17.02). Conclusions: Regional Audit System for Stillbirth improves the registration of stillbirth and allows to define the causes of death. Moreover, sub-optimal care was recognized, allowing to identify populations which could benefit from preventive measures