The molecular identification of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from meat and meat products

The present study aims to diagnose diarrheagenic E. coli in meat and meat products by the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using the uidA gene to confirm the existence of the bacterial isolates as E. coli. The multiplex PCR technique is adopted to detect the virulence genes of these bacteria using two groups of primers for detecting the gene (stx1, stx2, aggR, esth, eae, invE, daaC, estp, elt, and bfpA). This study applies these primers to 100 E. coli strains isolated from 782 samples of meat and meat products (fresh, minced, burger, pastirma, and chicken) from February to November 2020. The results of the present study show that all E. coli isolates are positive to have the uidA gene (147 bp). The study also detects 95/782 (12.15%) pathogenic species related to virulence genes by using multiplex PCR. The highest percentage of pathotype is ETEC, 46.32%, and the lowest is the DAEC type 1.05%. In addition, the other pathotypes are 20.05, 14.74, 6.32, 6.32, and 5.26% of STEC, EHEC, aEPEC, EAEC, and EIEC, respectively. The high contamination rate with DEC reported in this study is associated with the poor hygiene conditions of slaughtering and meat storage in shops and markets, resulting in health risks to consumers

Energy-Performance Concrete Roof Slabs in Hot Climates Using Air Ventilation and False Ceiling with Baffles Shape: A Numerical and Modeling Study

The thermal performance of a concrete roof between the main slab (concrete slab) and secondary slab (gypsum board) has been investigated in this work with and without a ventilator. The hourly averaged climatic data (combined optical and thermal condition) of the external roof surface was used as the resource for the boundary conditions of Erbil city (Kurdistan Region, Iraq). The results of measuring the effects of using a ventilator between the concrete slabs and gypsum boards indicated that the moving air in the layer between slabs by using the ventilation process has more effect in cooling roofs and the room temperature had less than that of slabs that do not use ventilation, and so using baffle shape gypsum board as the secondary slabs for air turbulence to increase air velocity, the number of mass flow rates have more efficient in the cooling process and fast the cooling process, the surface temperature was reduced by (4.5oC and 3.6 oC) with the mass flow rates of (3.5kg/s)  and (2kg/s) respectively,  this is due to moving air makes roof slab cool and loss the heat that transfers through the slabs, so using this technique for an exciting roof is a good choic

Sinteza i biološko djelovanje novih 1-benzil i 1-benzoil 3-heterocikličkih derivata indola

Starting from 1-benzyl- (2a) and 1-benzoyl-3-bromoacetyl indoles (2b) new heterocyclic, 2-thioxoimidazolidine (4a,b), imidazolidine-2,4-dione (5a,b), pyrano(2,3-d)imidazole (8a,b and 9a,b), 2-substituted quinoxaline (11a,b–17a,b) and triazolo(4,3-a)quinoxaline derivatives (18a,b and 19a,b) were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Antimicrobial activity screening performed with concentrations of 0.88, 0.44 and 0.22 g mm2 showed that 3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl)quinoxalin-2(1H)ones (11a,b) and 2-(4-methyl piperazin-1-yl)-3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl) quinoxalines (15a,b) were the most active of all the tested compounds towards P. aeruginosa, B. cereus and S. aureus compared to the reference drugs cefotaxime and piperacillin, while 2-chloro-3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl)quinoxalines (12a,b) were the most active against C. albicans compared to the reference drug nystatin. On the other hand, 2-chloro-3-(1-benzyl indol-3-yl) quinoxaline (12a) display potent efficacy against ovarian cancer xenografts in nude mice with tumor growth suppression of 100 0.3 %.U radu je opisana sinteza, antimikrobno i antitumorsko djelovanje heterocikličkih derivata indola. Polazeći iz 1-benzil- i 1-benzoil-3-bromacetil indola (2a i 2b) sintetizirani su novi heterociklički spojevi 2-tioksoimidazolidini (4a,b), imidazolidin-2,4-dioni (5a,b), pirano(2,3-d)imidazoli (8a,b i 9a,b), 2-supstituirani kinoksalini (11a,b–17a,b) i triazolo(4,3-a)kinoksalini (18a,b i 19a,b). Sintetizirani spojevi testirani su na antimikrobno i antitumorsko djelovanje. Ispitivanje antimikrobnog djelovanja provedeno je s koncentracijama otopina 0,88, 0,44 i 0,22 g mm2 i uspoređeno s referentnim lijekovima cefotaksimom i piperacilinom. Rezultati pokazuju da su 3-(1-supstituirani indol-3-il)kinoksalin-2(1H)oni (11a,b) i 2-(4-metil piperazin-1-il)-3-(1-supstituirani indol-3-il) kinoksalini (15a,b) najaktivniji spojevi na sojeve P. aeruginosa, B. cereus i S. aureus, dok su 2-klor-3-(1-supstituirani indol-3-il)kinoksalini (12a,b) najaktivniji na C. albicans (usporedba s nistatinom). Osim toga, 2-klor-3-(1-benzil indol-3-il) kinoksalin (12a) pokazuje veliku učinkovitost na tumore ovarija miševa (supresija rasta tumora 100 0,3 %)

Biomarker tools to Design Clinical Vaccines Determined from a study of annual Listeriosis Incidence in Northern spain

Two regions of northern Spain, Gipuzkoa, and Cantabria present high annual incidence of listeriosis (1.86 and 1.71 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively). We report that the high annual incidences are a consequence of infection with highly virulent Listeria monocytogenes isolates linked to fatal outcomes in elderly patients with cancer. In addition, listeriosis patients with cancer present low IL-17A/IL-6 ratios and significantly reduced levels of anti-GAPDH1?22 antibodies, identified as two novel biomarkers of poor prognosis. Analysis of these biomarkers may aid in reducing the incidence of listeriosis. Moreover, GAPDH1?22-activated monocyte-derived dendritic cells of listeriosis patients with cancer seem useful tools to prepare clinical vaccines as they produce mainly Th1 cytokines

Quality of service in public transport based on customer satisfaction surveys: A review and assessment of methodological approaches

The growth of literature in the field of quality of service in the public transport (PT) sector shows increasing concern for a better understanding of the factors affecting service quality (SQ) in PT organizations and companies. A large variety of approaches to SQ has been developed in recent years owing to the complexity of the concept; the broad range of attributes required to evaluate SQ; and the imprecision, subjectivity and heterogeneous nature of the data used to analyse it. Most of these approaches are based on customer satisfaction surveys. This paper seeks to summarize the evolution of research and current thinking as it relates to the different methodological approaches for SQ evaluation in the PT sector over the years, and provides a discussion of future directions.This study is sponsored by the Conserjería de Innovación, Ciencia y Economía of the Junta de Andalucía (Spain) through the Excellence Research Project denominated “Q-METROBUS-Quality of service indicator for METROpolitan public BUS transport services”

Digitization technologies in Swedish industry : Challenges and driving forces for SMEs

Den industriella utvecklingen har genomgått tre olika revolutioner och den fjärde indust-riella revolutionen är på gång, industri 4.0. Denna revolution rör sig mot automatiserade och självorganiserande tillverkningsfabriker där digitaliseringen spelar en central roll i dess utveckling. Företag som riskerar att hamna efter med sitt digitaliseringsarbete kan utkonkurreras och slås ut. Detta skapar ett hinder i Sveriges utveckling mot att bli en in-ternationell ledande aktör inom digitalisering och försvagar den nationella konkurrens-kraften. Då detta projekt är ett bidrag till projektet Fordonsdalen Stockholm så är syftet att undersöka vilka digitala teknologier de stora företagen arbetar med inom produk-tionen, vad som krävs för att få teknologierna att fungera och hur SMF:erna kan imple-mentera dessa teknologier. Projektets genomförande grundar sig i den kvalitativa metoden som möjliggör data-insamling via intervjuer och akademiska artiklar. Artiklarna erhölls via internetbaserade databaser som exempelvis Google Scholar, KTH Primo, Diva-portal, Scopus och Science-Direct. Därefter genomfördes åtta intervjuer med fordons- och tillverkningsföretag, varav tre stora företag och fyra små- och medelstora företag. Detta för att skapa en djupare för-ståelse för industrin och de krav och utmaningar som SMF:erna ställs inför. Det resultat som arbetet medfört är följande. Flesta stora företag använder sig oftast av alla teknologier som presenteras i avsnitt 4.3, och att kompetensnivån bland SMF:erna måste höjas för att de ska kunna implementera dessa teknologier på samma sätt som de större företagen. Kompetensbristen inom ett företag lyfts fram till att vara den största utmaningen alla företag ställs inför och är gemensamt både för SMF och för större företag. Ytterligare utmaningar som tas upp är resursbegränsningar och bristen på standarder inom respektive bransch. Med hjälp av standarder underlättas digitaliseringsarbetet och skapandet av en uppkopplad fabrik. Avsaknaden av standarder kring informationsutbytet och hur fabriker och maskiner ska kopplas upp är ett problem som behöver lösas.Tillverknings- och fordonsindustrin bör ta lärdom av elektronikindustrin som har lyckats införa sådana standarder.The industrial development throughout history has undergone three different revolutions and the fourth industrial revolution is underway, industry 4.0. This revolution is moving towards automated and self-organizing manufacturing plants where digitalization plays a central role in its development. The fact that companies fall behind with their digitali-zation work can result in them being outcompeted and eliminated. This creates an obstacle in Sweden's development towards becoming an international leading player in digitalization and weakens national competitiveness. As this project is a contribution to the Fordonsdalen Stockholm Project, the purpose is to investigate which digital technol-ogies the large companies work with in production, what is required to make the technologies work and how SMEs can adopt these technologies. The project's implementation is based on the qualitative method that enables data collection via interviews and academic articles. The articles were obtained from internet-based databases such as Google Scholar, KTH Primo, Diva-portal, Scopus and ScienceDirect. Eight interviews were made with vehicle and manufacturing companies, of which three large companies and four small and medium-sized companies. This is to create a deeper understanding of the industry and the requirements and challenges that SMEs face. The results obtained from this work is that most large companies use all the technologies, which are presented in section 4.3, and that the level of competence among SMEs must be raised to be able to work with these technologies, as all companies, including large companies, mentions this as the biggest challenge. Other challenges that are addressed are resource constraints and the lack of standards in the industries. With the help of standards, the digitization work and the creation of a connected factory are facilitated. The lack of standards on how factories and machines should be connected and how the exchange of information should be made is a problem that needs to be solved. The man-ufacturing and automotive industries should learn from the electronics industry, which has succeeded in introducing such standards

Distributed generation for waste heat utilisation and industrial symbiosis at Zigrid AB. : A case study on the Alby hydrogen project in Ånge, Sweden

This thesis investigates the potential utilisation of Zigrid’s distributed power modules for waste heat utilisation and electricity production within an industrial cluster. The study examines generated waste heat from a hydrogen production plant with a PEM electrolyser and Zigrid’s innovative energy generation capabilities. Furthermore, the study investigates changes in the value chain within the industrial cluster when integrating Zigrid’s power modules as a cooling technique and thereby replacing cooling towers. This integration offers various potential avenues for the excess waste heat, such as electricity production and district heating. An in-depth economic evaluation was performed, weighing the cost-effectiveness of Zigrid's power modules against traditional cooling towers. The economic assessment includes the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for locally produced electricity and showcase the potential savings by reducing dependence on the grid. Furthermore, the study also highlights the potential benefits of harnessing Sweden's waste heat, forecasting Zigrid's prospective contribution to local electricity generation and substantial economic efficiencies.  The study's findings underscore the viability of Zigrid's power units in increasing local electricity generation, curbing emissions, enhancing grid stability, and fostering sustainable practices within industrial clusters.Denna avhandling undersöker potentialen för användning av Zigrids distribuerade kraftmoduler för utnyttjande av spillvärme och elproduktion inom ett industriellt kluster. Studien granskar genererad spillvärme från en väteproduktionsanläggning med en PEMelektrolysör och Zigrids innovativa energiproduktionsförmåga. Vidare undersöker studien förändringar i värdekedjan inom det industriella klustret när Zigrids kraftmoduler integreras som en kylteknik och därmed ersätter kyltorn. Denna integration erbjuder olika potentiella vägar för överskott av spillvärme, såsom elproduktion och fjärrvärme. En djupgående ekonomisk utvärdering genomfördes, där kostnadseffektiviteten hos Zigrids kraftmoduler jämfördes med traditionella kyltorn. Den ekonomiska bedömningen inkluderar den nivåbaserad elkostnaden (LCOE) för lokalt producerad elektricitet och visar de potentiella besparingarna genom att minska beroendet av elnätet. Vidare belyser studien också de potentiella fördelarna med att utnyttja Sveriges spillvärme och förutspår Zigrids framtida bidrag till lokal elproduktion och betydande ekonomisk effektivitet. Studiens resultat understryker Zigrids kraftenheters livskraftighet för att öka lokal elproduktion, minska utsläpp, förbättra nätstabiliteten och främja hållbara metoder inom industrikluster

Hybrid thermal and optical modeling of a solar air heater with a non-flat plate absorber

In this study, we developed a model based on a SAH. We can enhance air turbulence by creating a non-flat plate on a SAH absorber using a ratio of (e/H = 6), thereby increasing the solar collector’s convective heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, and thermal performance. A validation experiment was conducted to determine the accuracy of the developed model. Ray tracing and FEM simulation techniques were used to analyze the optical and thermal properties of the system simultaneously. Various operational and structural conditions were applied to analyze the system’s thermal performance under inhomogeneous heat flux on the absorber’s surface. The data demonstrate that non-flat plate surfaces contribute to wall-induced turbulence, which affects air temperatures. Outcomes demonstrate that mass flow rate excessively affects thermal efficiency, useful energy, and outlet temperatures. Thus, when the inlet air flow rate increases from 0.02 to 0.06 kg/s, the average hot air temperature at the SAC outlet during the daytime reduces from 55.6 to 47.82 °C, applicable heat energy increase from 646.5 to 970 W, and the average thermal efficiency increased from 28.8 to 54.7 %. Instantaneous non-flat absorber plates increased average thermal efficiency and heat transfer coefficient (h) to 9.10 and 27.24 % compared with flat plate absorbers (e/H = 1) at the same mass flow rate (0.05 kg/s). The highest Nusselt number increase observed during the day is 141.5% for non-flat plate compared to flat plates