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Hemoptysis could be a life-threatening event, especially when the bleeding originates from the arterial pulmonary circulation. The main cause of this type of bleeding is pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm (PAP), which can be managed by surgical, medical or minimally invasive techniques. This study reports the case of massive hemoptysis in a 75-year-old male patient, with a former history of lobectomy. The initial CT scan showed a giant PAP from a branch of the right middle lobar pulmonary artery, within the right lower lobectomy cavity. An endovascular approach was decided. Subsequently, the feeding artery of the PAP was embolized with detachable coils. The control CT scan showed a persistent opacification of the PAP. The embolization was then completed by injection of Onyx within coils packing, with a complete thrombose of the PAP on control CT scan. This report confirms the safety and efficacy profile of an endovascular approach to treat giant PAP, using a combination of coils and Onyx.

A 25-year-old man with a venous malformation (VM) along the anterior and posterolateral aspects of the right chest wall presented with progressive enlargement of VM, chest wall pain, and physical disfigurement. Because of the complexity and size of the VM, a staged multidisciplinary team approach, ie percutaneous embolization, followed by surgical resection and tissue-skin grafting was used. The percutaneous embolization was achieved with a combination of liquid embolic agents including n-butyl cyanoacrylate for the superficial cutaneous component and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer for the deeper subcutaneous component of the VM. Such a combination can achieve safe occlusion of the VM, facilitate surgical resection without blood loss, and contribute to a cosmetically desirable result.

The aim of this work was the industrial development of an antifungal film containing garlic extract and bread aroma to be applied as active packaging for preservative-free sliced pan loaf. The material consisted of LDPE coated with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer. First the coating formulation was optimized to be suitable for flexographic equipment. A 1 μm coating of EVOH containing the agents was applied onto the LDPE film. Garlic extract release provides the antimicrobial capacity while bread aroma masks the inappropriate garlic aroma. The optimized formulation contained 8% of garlic extract and 8% of bread aroma. Bags were prepared and used to pack sliced pan loaves. Mould development was delayed from 6 to 12 days by use of the active bag. Sensory and textural characterization of the food also revealed that the bread maintained its characteristics, and sensory panellists considered the product acceptable and with good purchase intention., The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Innovation, project AGL2015-64595-R and R. H.-M.’s fellowship, and Juan y Juan S.L.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers (EVOH) are a family of thermoplastic polymers with application in many industrial sectors including packaging and, especially, food packaging. The main characteristic of EVOH copolymers for packaging applications is their outstanding barrier to gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, …) and organic vapors (food aroma). EVOH is applied in multilayer structures for bags, trays, cups, bottles, squeezable tubes or jars to protect oxygen-sensitive products. However, the hydrophilic nature of EVOH must be taken in consideration in package design to minimize water uptake and polymer swelling during thermal treatment processes such as retorting. This article reviews EVOH applications in barrier packaging and in active packaging.

[EN] Polymer films with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties were manufactured for the active packaging of food products. Green tea extract (GTE) and oregano essential oil (OEO) were incorporated in an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH). Release studies of the main active components of the films into three food simulants, 3% acetic acid, 10% ethanol and 50% ethanol, were conducted at 4 degrees C and 23 degrees C. The total antioxidant activity at equilibrium was measured in the food simulants and the antimicrobial capacity of the films was tested in vitro against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Penicillium expansum. The results suggest that the release kinetics depend on the affinity between the active agents and the food simulants. In general, the fastest diffusion was obtained when films were exposed to 50% ethanol and that effect was concurrent with greater antioxidant efficiencies. The films also showed microbial growth inhibition in liquid media and in vapour phases, demonstrating that the developed films show strong potential for development as active food packaging films. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Projects AGL2012-39920-C03-01, and fellowship funding for V.M.-G. We gratefully acknowledge Mr Joseph Pelle of Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia for technical support with the GC and HPLC experiments.