Impact of in-plant HACCP implementation on food animal production in the United States

The new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations, known as the Final Rule on Pathogen Reduction and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Systems, were published on July 25, 1996. (a) The rule makes clear that industry is responsible for producing and marketing products that are safe, unadulterated and properly labeled and packaged. The FSIS\u27s role is to provide regulatory oversight and enforcement of the rule in meat and poultry establishments. The final rule mandates two key strategies: (l) HACCP systems to prevent chemical, physical, and microbial hazards; and (2) new performance measures in slaughter and processing plants to target and reduce the presence of pathogenic organisms in meat and poultry products

Aging and PBX 9502

Components made from PBX 9502, an insensitive high explosive formulated with triaminotrinitrobenzene (TATB) and Kel-F 800 binder, have been in service for nearly two decades. Since that time, samples have been destructively evaluated to determine if potential changes that might affect safety, reliability, or performance have occurred in the high explosive with time. Data from routine, historical testing is reported elsewhere. This paper focuses on specific tests conducted to evaluate the effects of natural aging on handling sensitivity (through the small-scale tests of Human Electrostatic Discharge, friction, and Drop Weight Impact), compressive strength, and thermal ignition. Also reported are the effects of a radiation environment on TATB. Small-scale sensitivity tests show no differences between aged and unaged material. Observed differences in compressive strength behavior are attributed to conditions of original material rather than aging effects. Thermal ignition by flame and laser methods showed no changes between aged and unaged material. Extreme levels of radiation are shown to have only minimal effects in explosive response tests. PBX 9502 is concluded, once again, to be a very stable material, aging gracefully

Low amplitude insult project: PBX 9501 high explosive violent reaction experiments

The Modified Steven test geometry has been used with several different target designs to investigate the mechanical loading behavior of PBX 9501 to a low velocity impact. A 2 kg. mild steel spigot projectile is launched via a new powder driven gun design, from {approximately} 20 to 105 m/s, at lightly confined, steel targets. Brief descriptions of the gun design and operation are given. The threshold velocity to reaction for various target designs, different PBX 9501 lots, and different high explosive (HE) thicknesses are reported and compared. Various diagnostics have been employed to evaluate the pressure profile and timing, and target strain behavior relative to projectile impact. The violence of reaction, as measured by both passive and active techniques, is reported relative to a steady state detonation in PBX 9501. Experimental results suggest slightly different ignition mechanisms dominate based on (HE) thickness, resulting in delayed reactions from {approximately} 0.2- to 2.8-ms after impact. Post-test analyses of the PBX 9501 are briefly summarized

New determination of the 13C(a, n)16O reaction rate and its influence on the s-process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars

We present a new measurement of the $\alpha$-spectroscopic factor ($S_\alpha$) and the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) for the 6.356 MeV 1/2$^+$ subthreshold state of $^{17}$O through the $^{13}$C($^{11}$B, $^{7}$Li)$^{17}$O transfer reaction and we determine the $\alpha$-width of this state. This is believed to have a strong effect on the rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction, the main neutron source for {\it slow} neutron captures (the $s$-process) in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Based on the new width we derive the astrophysical S-factor and the stellar rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction. At a temperature of 100 MK our rate is roughly two times larger than that by \citet{cau88} and two times smaller than that recommended by the NACRE compilation. We use the new rate and different rates available in the literature as input in simulations of AGB stars to study their influence on the abundances of selected $s$-process elements and isotopic ratios. There are no changes in the final results using the different rates for the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction when the $^{13}$C burns completely in radiative conditions. When the $^{13}$C burns in convective conditions, as in stars of initial mass lower than $\sim$2 M_\sun and in post-AGB stars, some changes are to be expected, e.g., of up to 25% for Pb in our models. These variations will have to be carefully analyzed when more accurate stellar mixing models and more precise observational constraints are available

Cytokine responses to two common respiratory pathogens in children are dependent on interleukin-1β

Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) in young children is a common cause of prolonged wet cough and may be a precursor to bronchiectasis in some children. Although PBB and bronchiectasis are both characterised by neutrophilic airway inflammation and a prominent interleukin (IL)-1β signature, the contribution of the IL-1β pathway to host defence is not clear. This study aimed to compare systemic immune responses against common pathogens in children with PBB, bronchiectasis and control children and to determine the importance of the IL-1β pathway. Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from control subjects (n=20), those with recurrent PBB (n=20) and bronchiectasis (n=20) induced high concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-10. Blocking with an IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) modified the cellular response to pathogens, inhibiting cytokine synthesis by NTHistimulated PBMCs and rhinovirus-stimulated PBMCs (in a separate PBB cohort). Inhibition of IFN-γ production by IL-1Ra was observed across multiple cell types, including CD3T cells and CD56NK cells. Our findings highlight the extent to which IL-1β regulates the cellular immune response against two common respiratory pathogens. While blocking the IL-1β pathway has the potential to reduce inflammation, this may come at the cost of protective immunity against NTHi and rhinovirus