Modelling the exposure to Cronobacter sakazakii by consumption of a cocoa-milk-based beverage processed by pulsed electric fields

peer-reviewedM.C. Pina-Pérez is grateful to CSIC for providing a DOCTOR contract linked to the INNPACTO project IPT-2011-1724-060000. This study was carried out with funds from BISOSTAD project PSE-060000-2009-003, Generalitat Valenciana I+D+I emergent research groups GV/2010/064 and CYCIT project AGL2010-22206-C02-01.Infants’ exposure (Nf ) to Cronobacter sakazakii via the consumption of infant-rich-inpolyphenols cocoa-milk-based beverages (CCX-M) treated with high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) was evaluated. Monte Carlo simulation enabled the prediction of the variability in C. sakazakii load in beverages at the time of consumption to be estimated. Different scenarios (initial contamination levels; PEF treatment conditions; and time-temperature combinations of CCX-M beverages storage after treatment) were simulated. Cocoa addition and PEF treatment resulted in the most influential input factors to control bacterial final load. Cronobacter spp. exposure risk was reduced by a maximum of 100 times at 95% of iterations due to addition of cocoa at 5 g/100 mL, corresponding to scenario 3 (PEF: 15 kV/cm–3,000 μs; storage 120 h at 8 °C). Moreover, the probability of illness for a healthy population was reduced from 2.15 × 10-8, in the baseline scenario, to 4.78 × 10-10 due to cocoa addition and application of 15 kV/cm–3,000 μs PEF treatment.BISOSTAD projec

Polyhexamethylene Biguanide and Nadifloxacin Self-Assembled Nanoparticles: Antimicrobial Effects against Intracellular Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The treatment of skin and soft tissue infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a challenge, partly due to localization of the bacteria inside the host’s cells, where antimicrobial penetration and efficacy is limited. We formulated the cationic polymer polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) with the topical antibiotic nadifloxacin and tested the activities against intracellular MRSA in infected keratinocytes. The PHMB/nadifloxacin nanoparticles displayed a size of 291.3 ± 89.6 nm, polydispersity index of 0.35 ± 0.04, zeta potential of +20.2 ± 4.8 mV, and drug encapsulation efficiency of 58.25 ± 3.4%. The nanoparticles killed intracellular MRSA, and relative to free polymer or drugs used separately or together, the nanoparticles displayed reduced toxicity and improved host cell recovery. Together, these findings show that PHMB/nadifloxacin nanoparticles are effective against intracellular bacteria and could be further developed for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections

Águas Subterrâneas em Cabo Verde - Qualidade da Água na Ilha de Santiago

Em Cabo Verde os recursos hídricos subterrâneos desempenham um papel fundamental, constituindo a principal fonte de abastecimento de água para as populações de pequenos aglomerados urbanos. O trabalho que se apresenta enquadra-se num estudo alargado de caracterização de águas subterrâneas; foi efectuado nos seis concelhos da ilha de Santiago a maior do país, em captações do tipo poço, furo e galeria destinadas ao abastecimento da população através de chafarizes e resulta de uma parceria entre o Instituto Nacional de Gestão dos Recursos Hídricos de Cabo Verde (INGRH) e o Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Porto de Portugal (INSA-Porto). Com base nos dados obtidos, e no sentido de uma cooperação alargada, propõe-se a criação do Observatório de Águas Subterrâneas nos Países Africanos de expressão Portuguesa

Crystallographic orientation inhomogeneity and crystal splitting in biogenic calcite

The calcitic prismatic units forming the outer shell of the bivalve Pinctada margaritifera have been analysed using scanning electron microscopy–electron back-scatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. In the initial stages of growth, the individual prismatic units are single crystals. Their crystalline orientation is not consistent but rather changes gradually during growth. The gradients in crystallographic orientation occur mainly in a direction parallel to the long axis of the prism, i.e. perpendicular to the shell surface and do not show preferential tilting along any of the calcite lattice axes. At a certain growth stage, gradients begin to spread and diverge, implying that the prismatic units split into several crystalline domains. In this way, a branched crystal, in which the ends of the branches are independent crystalline domains, is formed. At the nanometre scale, the material is composed of slightly misoriented domains, which are separated by planes approximately perpendicular to the c-axis. Orientational gradients and splitting processes are described in biocrystals for the first time and are undoubtedly related to the high content of intracrystalline organic molecules, although the way in which these act to induce the observed crystalline patterns is a matter of future research

UV polymerization of room temperature ionic liquids for high temperature PEMs: Study of ionic moieties and crosslinking effects

The conductivity performance of commercial available room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been evaluated from room conditions up to 200oC as a function of relative humidity for their potential application in high temperature PEMs. In particular, ammonium and imidazolium based ionic liquids with different counterions and substituents have been investigated. On the basis of conductivity performance, the best RTILs have been selected for the preparation of all solid state ion conductive films by bulk photo-assisted radical polymerization. The goodness of the UV photopolymerization of the respective monomeric ionic liquids (MILs) with vinyl functionality as a function of divynilbenzene cross-linker content has been evaluated by TGA and FTIR analyses. Poly-ionic liquid (PIL) films have been successfully accomplished for polymerized H-3-vinylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide upon exposure to 365 nm UV lamp with an intensity of 2.4 mW/cm2 for 15 min. Conductivity values above 1.1 S∙cm-1 at 200oC have been registered for pure poly[1-(3H-imidazolium)ethylene] bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide

Optimal design of trigeneration systems for buildings considering cooperative game theory for allocating production cost to energy services

In the design of trigeneration plants for buildings, two fundamental issues must be addressed: the synthesis of the plant configuration (installed technologies and capacity, etc.) and the operational planning. Given the variety of technology options available and great diurnal and annual fluctuations in energy demands, finding the optimal supply system of energy services is a complex task. Cost allocation in multi-product systems requires special attention because the way in which allocation is made will affect the prices of the final products and, consequently, the consumers' behaviour. When a polygeneration plant is designed to serve different products, it is possible to achieve a lower total cost. However, if potential consumers are free to participate, the system's management should ensure that every participant shares the benefit of joint production. In trigeneration systems this implies that all consumers should achieve, at least, a lower cost for their demanded energy services than operating separately. The present work proposes a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model to determine the optimal configuration of trigeneration systems that must cover the energy demands of electricity, heating and cooling of a residential complex located in Zaragoza, Spain. The model considers the possibility of using a set of proposed alternative technologies within a superstructure and considers the optimal operation throughout a typical meteorological year. The objective function to be minimized is the total annual cost. The results indicate that compared to consumers standing alone, the optimal trigeneration system can achieve 10.6% cost saving. Ten different cost assessment methods to the three final energy products of the analyzed trigeneration system are rigorously compared. Cooperative game theory shows that all consumers benefit. Using the Shapley values as the distribution criterion, the savings for electricity, heating and cooling consumers are 4.8%, 20.9% and 11.1%, respectively

Optimal operation and marginal costs in simple trigeneration systems including thermal energy storage

The development of high-efficiency energy systems is a pressing issue nowadays, motivated by economic, environmental, and social aspects. Trigeneration systems allow for the rational use of energy by means of appropriate energy integration and provide greater operational flexibility, which is particularly interesting for buildings, often characterized by variable electricity, heating, and cooling demands. The benefits of trigeneration systems can be enhanced by the incorporation of thermal energy storage (TES), which decouples production and consumption. This paper analyses the operation of a simple trigeneration system including TES. The optimal operation is obtained by a linear programming model that minimizes the total variable cost. A thermoeconomic analysis based on marginal cost assessment of the internal flows and final products of the system is carried out, allowing to explain the optimal operation of the system and the role of the TES in achieving the optimal solution. The analysis unravels the marginal cost formation process, presenting a clear route from the final products obtained to the resources consumed. This information can aid the design of new plants, the retrofit of existing ones, and the operational management to achieve the minimum operational cost

15 years of experience with quality control of WLS fibres for the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter

We describe a test bench to measure the optical properties of scintillating and Wavelength-Shifting fibers, called the Fibrometer. The accuracy, stability and reproducibility were assessed, and the quality control of WLS fibers for the upgrade of the STIC luminosity monitor at DELPHI and for the Tile calorimeter of ATLAS is reported

“Basically... porn is everywhere”: a rapid evidence assessment on the effects that access and exposure to pornography has on children and young people

This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) was commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) as part of its Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Gangs and Groups (CSEGG). It was conducted by a consortium led by Middlesex University, to explore the effects that exposure and access to pornography have on children and young people. The CSEGG Inquiry was launched in October 2011 to better understand the scale, scope, extent and nature of child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups. An emergent issue was whether accessing and viewing pornography can have an impact on children and young people’s expectations and attitudes towards sexual activity and relationships. Despite limited recourse to previous evidence, professionals interviewed over the course of the CSEGG Inquiry raised concerns about the impact of pornography at 43 per cent of site visits and 48 per cent of evidence hearings (Berelowitz et al., 2012). Professionals from many agencies reported particular concerns about the effects of pornography involving high levels of degradation, violence and humiliation, which they believe to be prevalent in material freely available online. Police case files that were reviewed cited instances of boys and young men referring to pornography during sexual assaults (Berelowitz et al., 2012). This REA was therefore commissioned to inform the CSEGG Inquiry Chair, Panel and Project Team, enabling them to add depth to their ultimate recommendations regarding child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups