Characterisation and biofilm screening of the predominant bacteria isolated from whey protein concentrate 80

International audienceAbstractThe source of microbiological contamination of whey protein concentrate (WPC), a quality problem for the dairy industry, has not been thoroughly investigated. The objectives of this study were to identify the bacteria isolated from whey protein concentrate containing 80% protein (WPC 80) and determine their ability to form biofilms as a potential source of contamination in a whey processing line. Six Bacillus species including (percentage of isolates in brackets) Bacillus licheniformis (67%), Bacillus cereus (19%), Bacillus thuringensis (4%), Bacillus subtilis (4%), Bacillus pumilus (4%) and Paenibacillus glucanolyticus (2%) were identified based on BLAST databases in six different WPC80 batches. B. licheniformis was the predominant isolate. B. licheniformis are thermo-tolerant bacteria with the ability to form biofilm. This biofilm is a potential source of microbial contamination of product, resulting in microbial specification limits being exceeded. Spoilage of product may result from the metabolic products, such as enzymes, produced by these biofilms

Aprendizagem virtual: um autoestudo sobre evoluções em práticas pedagógicas

This paper reports on the first phase of a three-year project in which we explored ways to adapt and evolve our pedagogies in relation to the use of new and emerging digital technologies. Our aim is to develop a shared understanding and resourcefulness for teaching in an age where pedagogy in a university setting is an increasingly complex and novel problem. We focus specifically on our experiences of emergency remote teaching (ERT) where we pivoted mid semester from on-campus classroom-based teaching to exclusively online delivery and assessment. Through a dialogical approach enabled by the self-study, we support each other, describe the key challenges we have experienced, and identify the key assumptions that underpin our practices as teachers in digital learning contexts. The themes found in this dialectical relationship were named as: the visibility of students, the constraints of technology, and the fact that we are neophyte lecturers again.Cet article rend compte de la première phase d'un projet de trois ans dans lequel nous explorons les moyens d'adapter et de développer nos pratiques pédagogiques par rapport à l'utilisation des technologies numériques nouvelles et émergentes. Dans cet article, nous nous concentrons sur nos expériences d'enseignement à distance d'urgence (ERT). Cette expérience s'est déroulée en milieu de semestre, où nous avons dû migrer d'un enseignement en présentiel, en classe, vers un enseignement à distance. Grâce à une approche dialectique, permise par l'auto-apprentissage, nous avons eu l'occasion de nous soutenir mutuellement, de décrire les principaux défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés et d'identifier les principales hypothèses qui soutiennent nos pratiques d'enseignants dans des contextes d'apprentissage à distance, l'enseignement numérique. Les thèmes trouvés dans cette relation dialectique ont été nommés comme suit: la visibilité des étudiants, les restrictions de la technologie et le fait que nous redevenons des professeurs d'université novices.Este artigo relata a primeira fase de um projeto de três anos em que exploramos formas de adaptar e desenvolver nossas práticas pedagógicas em relação ao uso de novas e emergentes tecnologias digitais. Neste artigo, nos concentramos em nossas experiências de ensino remoto de emergência (ERT). Essa experiência aconteceu no meio do semestre, onde tivemos que migrar do ensino presencial, em sala de aula, para o ensino remoto. Através de uma abordagem dialética, possibilitada pelo autoestudo, tivemos a oportunidade de apoiar uns aos outros, descrever os principais desafios que enfrentamos e identificar os principais pressupostos que sustentam nossas práticas como professores em contextos de aprendizagem a distância, ensino digital. Os temas encontrados nessa relação dialética foram nomeados como: a visibilidade dos alunos, as restrições da tecnologia e o fato de voltarmos a ser professores universitários novatos novamente

Prospectus, April 13, 2011

STUDENT CREATES SIGNATURE IMAGE FOR BONEYARD ARTS FESTIVAL, No Space? No Problem! Gardening Tips for Students, Where Even Cell Phones Aren\u27t Safe, Chuck Shepherd\u27s News of the Weird, Record Store Day, Fungus Sweeps Across the Country, Killing Bats, Spammers Target Facebook, Teaching: A Very Noble Profession, Empower the FCC to Protect Internet Access, Taking a Shot at Providing a Libya-Endgame Strategy, A How-To Guide on Avoiding Scams and Fraud, Meeting Roger Wolfson of Bungie, Sprint to Take Lead in Mobile-Payment Technology, Parkland Women\u27s Basketball: Making a Habit of Success, Golf Team Wins M-WAC Title, Parkland Softball Sweeps Weekend Increases Winning Streak to 9,https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2011/1002/thumbnail.jp

Auntie knows best? public broadcasters and current affairs knowledge

Public service broadcasters (PSBs) are a central part of national news media landscapes. In many countries, PSBs are the first choice of citizens when it comes to news providers. And in perhaps more countries still, PSBs are thought of as specialists in provision of hard news. We test this proposition here using survey data from a large crossnational survey involving indicators of current affairs knowledge and media consumption. Specifically, we examine whether exposure to public versus commercial news influences the knowledge citizens possess about current affairs, both domestically and internationally. We also test, using propensity score analysis, whether there is variation across PSBs in this regard. Results indicate that compared to commercial news, watching PSB has a net positive influence on knowledge of hard news, though not all PSBs are equally effective in contributing to knowledge acquisition. This knowledge gap between PSB and commercial news media consumption appears to be mitigated by factors such as de jure independence,proportion of public financing, and audience share

Scaling community-based services in Gauteng, South Africa : a comparison of three workforce-planning scenarios

BACKGROUND : The introduction of community-based services through community health workers is an opportunity to redefine the approach and practice of primary health care. Based on bestpractice community oriented primary care (COPC), a COPC planning toolkit has been developed to model the creation of a community-based tier in an integrated district health system. AIM : The article describes the methodologies and assumptions used to determine workforce numbers and service costs for three scenarios and applies them to the poorest 60% of the population in Gauteng, South Africa. SETTING : The study derives from a Gauteng Department of Health, Family Medicine (University of Pretoria) partnership to support information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled COPC through community-based health teams (termed as ward-based outreach teams). METHODS : The modelling uses national census age, gender and income data at small area level, provincial facility and national burden of disease data. Service calculations take into account multidimensional poverty, demand-adjusted burden of disease and available work time adjusted for conditions of employment and geography. RESULTS : Assuming the use of ICT for each, a health workforce of 14 819, 17 925 and 7303 is required per scenario (current practice, national norms and full-time employed COPC), respectively. Total service costs for the respective scenarios range from R1.1 billion, through R947 million to R783 million. CONCLUSION : Modelling shows that delivering ICT-enabled COPC with full-time employees is the optimal scenario. It requires the smallest workforce, is the most economical, even when individual community health worker costs of employment are twice those of current practice, and is systemically the most effective.Rod Bennett and Geoff Abbott received payments for their work from the World Health Organization and the University of Pretoria (UP).http://www.phcfm.orgam2019Family Medicin

Modelling cost benefit of community-oriented primary care in rural South Africa

BACKGROUND: Globally, rural populations have poorer health and considerably lower levels of access to healthcare compared with urban populations. Although the drive to ensure universal coverage through community healthcare worker programmes has shown significant results elsewhere, their value has yet to be realised in South Africa. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the potential impact, cost-effectiveness and benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) of information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled community-oriented primary care (COPC) for rural and remote populations. SETTING: The Waterberg district of Limpopo province in South Africa is a rural mining area. The majority of 745 000 population are poor and in poor health. METHODS: The modelling considers condition-specific effectiveness, population age and characteristics, health-determined service demand, and costs of delivery and resources. RESULTS: Modelling showed 122 teams can deliver a full ICT-enabled COPC service package to 630 565 eligible people. Annually, at scale, it could yield 35 877 unadjusted life years saved and 994 deaths avoided at an average per capita service cost of R170.37, and R2668 per life year saved. There could be net annual savings of R120 million (R63.4m for Waterberg district) from reduced clinic (110.7m) and hospital outpatient (23 646) attendance and admissions. The service would inject R51.6m into community health worker (CHW) households and approximately R492m into district poverty reduction and economic growth. CONCLUSION: With a BCR of 3.4, ICT-enabled COPC is an affordable systemic investment in universal, pro-poor, integrated healthcare and makes community-based healthcare delivery particularly compelling in rural and remote areas.Anglo-American PLChttp://www.phcfm.orgpm2020Family Medicin

Scaling community-based services in Gauteng, South Africa: A comparison of three workforce-planning scenarios

Background: The introduction of community-based services through community health workers is an opportunity to redefine the approach and practice of primary health care. Based on bestpractice community oriented primary care (COPC), a COPC planning toolkit has been developed to model the creation of a community-based tier in an integrated district health system. Aim: The article describes the methodologies and assumptions used to determine workforce numbers and service costs for three scenarios and applies them to the poorest 60% of the population in Gauteng, South Africa. Setting: The study derives from a Gauteng Department of Health, Family Medicine (University of Pretoria) partnership to support information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled COPC through community-based health teams (termed as ward-based outreach teams). Methods: The modelling uses national census age, gender and income data at small area level, provincial facility and national burden of disease data. Service calculations take into account multidimensional poverty, demand-adjusted burden of disease and available work time adjusted for conditions of employment and geography. Results: Assuming the use of ICT for each, a health workforce of 14 819, 17 925 and 7303 is required per scenario (current practice, national norms and full-time employed COPC), respectively. Total service costs for the respective scenarios range from R1.1 billion, through R947 million to R783 million. Conclusion: Modelling shows that delivering ICT-enabled COPC with full-time employees is the optimal scenario. It requires the smallest workforce, is the most economical, even when individual community health worker costs of employment are twice those of current practice, and is systemically the most effective

Foreground Analysis Using Cross-Correlations of External Templates on the 7-year WMAP data

WMAP data when combined with ancillary data on free-free, synchrotron and dust allow an improved understanding of the spectrum of emission from each of these components. Here we examine the sky variation at intermediate and high latitudes using a cross-correlation technique. In particular, we compare the observed emission in several large partitions of the sky plus 33 selected sky regions to three "standard" templates. The regions are selected using a criterion based on the morphology of these template maps. The synchrotron emission shows evidence of steepening between GHz frequencies and the \emph{WMAP} bands. There are indications of spectral index variations across the sky but the current data are not precise enough to accurately quantify this from region-to-region. The emission correlated with the $H_{\alpha}$ template shows clear evidence of deviation from a free-free spectrum. The emission can be decomposed into a contribution from both free-free and spinning dust in the warm ionised medium of the Galaxy. The derived free-free emissivity corresponds to a mean electron temperature of $\sim 6000$ K, although the value depends critically on the impact of dust absorption on the $H_{\alpha}$ intensity. The WIM spinning dust emission has a peak emission in intensity in the range 40--50 GHz. The anomalous microwave emission associated with dust is detected at high significance in most of the 33 fields studied. The anomalous emission correlates well with the Finkbeiner et al. (1999) model 8 predictions (FDS8) at 94 GHz, and is well described globally by a power-law emission model with an effective spectral index between 20 and 60 GHz of $\beta \approx -2.7$. It is clear that attempts to explain the emission by spinning dust models require multiple components, which presumably relates to a complex mix of emission regions along a given line-of-sight.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure

Cosmological parameter estimation using Very Small Array data out to l=1500

We estimate cosmological parameters using data obtained by the Very Small Array (VSA) in its extended configuration, in conjunction with a variety of other CMB data and external priors. Within the flat $\Lambda$CDM model, we find that the inclusion of high resolution data from the VSA modifies the limits on the cosmological parameters as compared to those suggested by WMAP alone, while still remaining compatible with their estimates. We find that $\Omega_{\rm b}h^2=0.0234^{+0.0012}_{-0.0014}$, $\Omega_{\rm dm}h^2=0.111^{+0.014}_{-0.016}$, $h=0.73^{+0.09}_{-0.05}$, $n_{\rm S}=0.97^{+0.06}_{-0.03}$, $10^{10}A_{\rm S}=23^{+7}_{-3}$ and $\tau=0.14^{+0.14}_{-0.07}$ for WMAP and VSA when no external prior is included.On extending the model to include a running spectral index of density fluctuations, we find that the inclusion of VSA data leads to a negative running at a level of more than 95% confidence ($n_{\rm run}=-0.069\pm 0.032$), something which is not significantly changed by the inclusion of a stringent prior on the Hubble constant. Inclusion of prior information from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey reduces the significance of the result by constraining the value of $\Omega_{\rm m}$. We discuss the veracity of this result in the context of various systematic effects and also a broken spectral index model. We also constrain the fraction of neutrinos and find that $f_{\nu}< 0.087$ at 95% confidence which corresponds to $m_\nu<0.32{\rm eV}$ when all neutrino masses are the equal. Finally, we consider the global best fit within a general cosmological model with 12 parameters and find consistency with other analyses available in the literature. The evidence for $n_{\rm run}<0$ is only marginal within this model

High sensitivity measurements of the CMB power spectrum with the extended Very Small Array

We present deep Ka-band ($\nu \approx 33$ GHz) observations of the CMB made with the extended Very Small Array (VSA). This configuration produces a naturally weighted synthesized FWHM beamwidth of $\sim 11$ arcmin which covers an $\ell$-range of 300 to 1500. On these scales, foreground extragalactic sources can be a major source of contamination to the CMB anisotropy. This problem has been alleviated by identifying sources at 15 GHz with the Ryle Telescope and then monitoring these sources at 33 GHz using a single baseline interferometer co-located with the VSA. Sources with flux densities \gtsim 20 mJy at 33 GHz are subtracted from the data. In addition, we calculate a statistical correction for the small residual contribution from weaker sources that are below the detection limit of the survey. The CMB power spectrum corrected for Galactic foregrounds and extragalactic point sources is presented. A total $\ell$-range of 150-1500 is achieved by combining the complete extended array data with earlier VSA data in a compact configuration. Our resolution of $\Delta \ell \approx 60$ allows the first 3 acoustic peaks to be clearly delineated. The is achieved by using mosaiced observations in 7 regions covering a total area of 82 sq. degrees. There is good agreement with WMAP data up to $\ell=700$ where WMAP data run out of resolution. For higher $\ell$-values out to $\ell = 1500$, the agreement in power spectrum amplitudes with other experiments is also very good despite differences in frequency and observing technique.Comment: 16 pages. Accepted in MNRAS (minor revisions