What are the limitations on the wider therapeutic use of phage?

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics poses a serious health threat. Since research into new antibiotics is not progressing at the same rate as the development of bacterial resistance, widespread calls for alternatives to antibiotics have been made. Phage therapy is an ideal alternative candidate to be investigated. However the success of phage therapy may be hampered by a lack of investment support from large pharmaceutical companies, due to their narrow spectrum of activity in antibiotics, very large costs associated with clinical trials of the variety of phages needed, and regulatory requirements remaining unclear. Intellectual property is difficult to secure for therapeutic phage products for a variety of reasons, and patenting procedures vary widely between the US and the EU. Consequently, companies are more likely to invest in phage products for decontamination or veterinary use, rather than clinical use in humans. Some still raise questions as to the safety of phage therapy overall, suggesting the possibility of cytotoxicity and immunogenicity, depending on the phage preparation and route. On the other hand, with patients dying because of infections untreatable with conventional antibiotics, the question arises as to whether it is ethical not to pursue phage therapy more diligently. A paradigm shift about how phage therapy is perceived is required, as well as more rigorous proof of efficacy in the form of clinical trials of existing medicinal phage products. Phage therapy potential may be fulfilled in the meantime by allowing individual preparations to be used on a named-patient basis, with extensive monitoring and multidisciplinary team input. The National Health Service and academia have a role in carrying out clinical phage research, which would be beneficial to public health, but not necessarily financially rewarding

The Variations in Religious and Legal Understandings on Halal Slaughter

Purpose: This paper attempts to provide an overview of different understandings regarding the concept of "what constitutes halal" and "who determines this concept?" In practice, this equates to contemporary legal understandings versus religious understandings. The paper further aims to provide an overview of competing Muslim understandings regarding the concept of "What does or does not constitute halal slaughter?" In practice, this equates to evaluating the application of no stunning at all upon an animal (unanimous acceptance) versus the application of reversible stunning upon an animal (contested). Design: The study includes a review of priori literature and considers the current scenario of the halal poultry trade and raises important questions regarding Islamic dietary practices, halal food integrity, religious and animal welfare understandings. Three key questions were raised: "To what extent does stunning impact halal slaughter?’, ‘Who determines what is halal slaughter?’ and ‘What are the variations and tensions between legal and religious understandings of halal slaughter?’ Findings: The examination of such requirements and concomitant consumer and provider expectations is underpinned by a study of an operational framework, i.e. industry practices with poultry (hand slaughter, stunning, mechanical slaughter, etc.), ethical values and market forces to appraise whether there is a point of convergence for these that can be beneficial for both seller and consumer concerns. This paper has considered different perspectives on the religious slaughter and provided an overview of competing understandings regarding the above concepts. Originality/value – This study although academic and philosophical in nature, raises questions on route to suggesting future research directions. It provides real value in stimulating more research in the area of halal food production and contributes to the understanding of different slaughter requirements for religious slaughter and the meat industry. It further sheds light on not only the religious and secular legal frameworks on animal slaughter and welfare but also the variations in understanding between them and provides examples of attempts to bridge any gap. The paper highlights the importance of halal food based on religious values and its implications for wider society

Experimental and computational investigation of co production and dispersion in an automotive repair shop

Carbon monoxide (CO), a highly toxic gas, is produced during the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. In indoor environments, high CO concentrations constitute a serious occupational health hazard; this is especially true in the case of automotive repair shop (ARS) employees who are exposed on a daily basis to vehicle exhaust streams. The present study focuses on the experimental investigation and numerical simulation of CO production and dispersion inside an ARS facility. Detailed measurements of CO concentration, vehicle traffic and ventilation system velocities are performed; the obtained data are appropriately formulated to provide quantitative information for modelling purposes. A detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation of the developing transient flow-field is performed. The numerical results are validated using the experimental data; an overall good qualitative and quantitative agreement is achieved. Aiming to improve the energy efficiency of the mechanical ventilation system, three alternative scenarios are investigated; it is shown that the utilization of a dynamic ventilation system may result in significant energy consumption benefits, while, at the same time, CO concentrations remain below the values suggested by current occupational health legislation. The obtained results may be utilized to assist the design of mechanical ventilation systems for ARS facilities

An evacuation model for risk analysis in Spanish road tunnels

In this paper we present EvacTunnel 3.0 an evacuation model design specifically for road tunnels. The model combines coarse network (space discretization) and a microscopic approach for modeling individual behaviors. Based on Monte Carlo methods, the model has the capability to perform multiple simulations by changing random variables of tunnel users such as pre-movement times and walking speeds. The proposed model allows the user to incorporate the effects of fire into the evacuation simulation (importing fire data/results from another model) and, therefore, predicts the number of people directly affected by the smoke (victims). Three verification cases of the proposed model are shown in this paper: 1) risk analysis application, 2) comparison with other evacuation models and 3) a real case application

Biodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastics

This article is available open access through the publisher’s website at the link below. Copyright @ 2009 The Royal Society.Packaging waste forms a significant part of municipal solid waste and has caused increasing environmental concerns, resulting in a strengthening of various regulations aimed at reducing the amounts generated. Among other materials, a wide range of oil-based polymers is currently used in packaging applications. These are virtually all non-biodegradable, and some are difficult to recycle or reuse due to being complex composites having varying levels of contamination. Recently, significant progress has been made in the development of biodegradable plastics, largely from renewable natural resources, to produce biodegradable materials with similar functionality to that of oil-based polymers. The expansion in these bio-based materials has several potential benefits for greenhouse gas balances and other environmental impacts over whole life cycles and in the use of renewable, rather than finite resources. It is intended that use of biodegradable materials will contribute to sustainability and reduction in the environmental impact associated with disposal of oil-based polymers. The diversity of biodegradable materials and their varying properties makes it difficult to make simple, generic assessments such as biodegradable products are all ‘good’ or petrochemical-based products are all ‘bad’. This paper discusses the potential impacts of biodegradable packaging materials and their waste management, particularly via composting. It presents the key issues that inform judgements of the benefits these materials have in relation to conventional, petrochemical-based counterparts. Specific examples are given from new research on biodegradability in simulated ‘home’ composting systems. It is the view of the authors that biodegradable packaging materials are most suitable for single-use disposable applications where the post-consumer waste can be locally composted.EPSR

Alternative uses for co-products: Harnessing the potential of valuable compounds from meat processing chains

peer-reviewedOpportunities for exploiting the inherent value of protein-rich meat processing co-products, in the context of increased global demand for protein and for sustainable processing systems, are discussed. While direct consumption maybe the most profitable route for some, this approach is influenced greatly by local and cultural traditions. A more profitable and sustainable approach may be found in recognizing this readily available and under-utilised resource can provide high value components, such as proteins, with targeted high value functionality of relevance to a variety of sectors. Applications in food & beverages, petfood biomedical and nutrition arenas are discussed. Utilization of the raw material in its entirety is a necessary underlying principle in this approach to help maintain minimum waste generation. Understanding consumer attitudes to these products, in particular when used in food or beverage systems, is critical in optimizing commercialization strategies.This work forms part of the ReValueProtein Research Project (Grant Award No. 11/F/043) which is supported by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM) both funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007–2013.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Fundamental spray and combustion measurements of soy methyl-ester biodiesel

Although biodiesel has begun to penetrate the fuel market, its effect on injection processes, combustion and emission formation under diesel engine conditions remains somewhat unclear. Typical exhaust measurements from engines running biodiesel indicate that particulate matter, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons are decreased, whereas nitrogen oxide emissions tend to be increased. However, these observations are the result of complex interactions between physical and chemical processes occurring in the combustion chamber, for which understanding is still needed. To characterize and decouple the physical and chemical influences of biodiesel on spray mixing, ignition, combustion and soot formation, a soy methyl-ester (SME) biodiesel is injected into a constant-volume combustion facility under diesel-like operating conditions. A range of optical diagnostics is performed, comparing biodiesel to a conventional #2 diesel at the same injection and ambient conditions. Schlieren high-speed imaging shows virtually the same vapour-phase penetration for the two fuels, while simultaneous Mie-scatter imaging shows that the maximum liquid-phase penetration of biodiesel is higher than diesel. Differences in the liquid-phase penetration are expected because of the different boiling-point temperatures of the two fuels. However, the different liquid-phase penetration does not affect overall mixing rate and downstream vapour-phase penetration because each fuel spray has similar momentum and spreading angle. For the biodiesel and diesel samples used in this study, the ignition delay and lift-off length are only slightly less for biodiesel compared to diesel, consistent with the fuel cetane number (51 for biodiesel, 46 for diesel). Because of the similarity in lift-off length, the differences in equivalence ratio distribution at the lift-off length are mainly affected by the oxygen content of the fuels. For biodiesel, the equivalence ratio is reduced, which, along with the fuel molecular structure and oxygen content, significantly affects soot formation downstream. Spatially resolved soot volume fraction measurements obtained by combining line-of-sight laser extinction measurements with planar laser-induced incandescence imaging show that the soot concentration can be reduced by an order of magnitude for biodiesel. These integrated measurements of spray mixing, combustion and quantitative soot concentration provide new validation data for the development of computational fluid dynamics spray, combustion and soot formation models suitable for the latest biofuels.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for Jean-Guillaume Nerva's visiting research, through the OPTICOMB project [TRA2007-67961-C03-01].Nerva, J.; Genzale, CL.; Kook, S.; García Oliver, JM.; Pickett, LM. (2013). Fundamental spray and combustion measurements of soy methyl-ester biodiesel. 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Fuel, 88(11), 2154-2162. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2009.02.033Pastor, J. V., García-Oliver, J. M., Nerva, J.-G., & Giménez, B. (2011). Fuel effect on the liquid-phase penetration of an evaporating spray under transient diesel-like conditions. Fuel, 90(11), 3369-3381. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2011.05.006Fisher, B. T., & Mueller, C. J. (2010). Liquid penetration length of heptamethylnonane and trimethylpentane under unsteady in-cylinder conditions. Fuel, 89(10), 2673-2696. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2010.04.024Kim, H. J., Park, S. H., Suh, H. K., & Lee, C. S. (2009). Atomization and Evaporation Characteristics of Biodiesel and Dimethyl Ether Compared to Diesel Fuel in a High-Pressure Injection System. Energy & Fuels, 23(3), 1734-1742. doi:10.1021/ef800811gSuh, H. K., Roh, H. G., & Lee, C. S. (2008). Spray and Combustion Characteristics of Biodiesel∕Diesel Blended Fuel in a Direct Injection Common-Rail Diesel Engine. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 130(3). doi:10.1115/1.2835354Pickett, L. M., & Siebers, D. L. (2006). Soot Formation in Diesel Fuel Jets Near the Lift-Off Length. International Journal of Engine Research, 7(2), 103-130. doi:10.1243/146808705x57793Pickett, L. M., Kook, S., Persson, H., & Andersson, Ö. (2009). Diesel fuel jet lift-off stabilization in the presence of laser-induced plasma ignition. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 32(2), 2793-2800. doi:10.1016/j.proci.2008.06.082Yoo, C. S., Richardson, E. S., Sankaran, R., & Chen, J. H. (2011). A DNS study on the stabilization mechanism of a turbulent lifted ethylene jet flame in highly-heated coflow. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 33(1), 1619-1627. doi:10.1016/j.proci.2010.06.147Pastor, J. V., Payri, R., Gimeno, J., & Nerva, J. G. (2009). Experimental Study on RME Blends: Liquid-Phase Fuel Penetration, Chemiluminescence, and Soot Luminosity in Diesel-Like Conditions. Energy & Fuels, 23(12), 5899-5915. doi:10.1021/ef9007328Benajes, J., Molina, S., Novella, R., & Amorim, R. (2010). Study on Low Temperature Combustion for Light-Duty Diesel Engines. Energy & Fuels, 24(1), 355-364. doi:10.1021/ef900832cPickett, L. M., & Siebers, D. L. (2002). An investigation of diesel soot formation processes using micro-orifices. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 29(1), 655-662. doi:10.1016/s1540-7489(02)80084-0Siebers, D. L., & Pickett, L. M. (2004). Injection Pressure and Orifice Diameter Effects on Soot in DI Diesel Fuel Jets. Thermo- and Fluid Dynamic Processes in Diesel Engines 2, 109-132. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-10502-3_7Pickett, L. M., & Siebers, D. L. (2004). Soot in diesel fuel jets: effects of ambient temperature, ambient density, and injection pressure. Combustion and Flame, 138(1-2), 114-135. doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2004.04.006Cheng, A. S., Upatnieks, A., & Mueller, C. J. (2006). Investigation of the impact of biodiesel fuelling on NOx emissions using an optical direct injection diesel engine. International Journal of Engine Research, 7(4), 297-318. doi:10.1243/14680874jer05005Cheng, A. S. (Ed), Upatnieks, A., & Mueller, C. J. (2007). Investigation of Fuel Effects on Dilute, Mixing-Controlled Combustion in an Optical Direct-Injection Diesel Engine. Energy & Fuels, 21(4), 1989-2002. doi:10.1021/ef0606456Klein-Douwel, R. J. H., Donkerbroek, A. J., van Vliet, A. P., Boot, M. D., Somers, L. M. T., Baert, R. S. G., … ter Meulen, J. J. (2009). Soot and chemiluminescence in diesel combustion of bio-derived, oxygenated and reference fuels. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 32(2), 2817-2825. doi:10.1016/j.proci.2008.06.140Fang, T., & Lee, C. F. (2009). Bio-diesel effects on combustion processes in an HSDI diesel engine using advanced injection strategies. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 32(2), 2785-2792. doi:10.1016/j.proci.2008.07.031Payri, F., Pastor, J. V., Nerva, J.-G., & Garcia-Oliver, J. M. (2011). Lift-Off Length and KL Extinction Measurements of Biodiesel and Fischer-Tropsch Fuels under Quasi-Steady Diesel Engine Conditions. SAE International Journal of Engines, 4(2), 2278-2297. doi:10.4271/2011-24-0037Kook, S., & Pickett, L. M. (2012). Liquid length and vapor penetration of conventional, Fischer–Tropsch, coal-derived, and surrogate fuel sprays at high-temperature and high-pressure ambient conditions. Fuel, 93, 539-548. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2011.10.004Settles, G. S. (2001). Schlieren and Shadowgraph Techniques. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-56640-0Pickett, L. M., Manin, J., Genzale, C. L., Siebers, D. L., Musculus, M. P. B., & Idicheria, C. A. (2011). Relationship Between Diesel Fuel Spray Vapor Penetration/Dispersion and Local Fuel Mixture Fraction. SAE International Journal of Engines, 4(1), 764-799. doi:10.4271/2011-01-0686MUSCULUS, M., & PICKETT, L. (2005). Diagnostic considerations for optical laser-extinction measurements of soot in high-pressure transient combustion environments. 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Challenges in the assessment of medical devices: the MedtecHTA project

Assessing medical devices (MDs) raises challenges which require us to reflect on whether current methods are adequate. Major features of devices are: (i) device–operator interaction can generate learning curve effects; (ii) incremental nature of innovation needs to be addressed by careful identification of the alternatives for comparative and incremental costeffectiveness analysis; and (iii) broader organizational impact in terms of training and infrastructure, coupled with dynamic pricing, requires a more flexible approach to costing. The objective of the MedtecHTA project was to investigate improvements in HTA methods to allow for more comprehensive evaluation of MDs. It consisted of several work packages concerning (i) the available evidence on the currently adopted approaches for regulation and HTA of medical devices; (ii) the geographical variation in access to MDs; (iii) the development of methodological frameworks for conducting comparative effectiveness research and economic evaluation of MDs; and (iv) the organizational impact of MDs. This introductory paper summarizes the main results of the project and draws out the main overarching themes. This supplement represents a comprehensive report of all the main findings of the MedtecHTA project, and it is intended to be the main source for researchers and policy makers wanting information on the project

Recipient screening in IVF: First data from women undergoing anonymous oocyte donation in Dublin

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for safe gamete donation have emphasised donor screening, although none exist specifically for testing oocyte recipients. Pre-treatment assessment of anonymous donor oocyte IVF treatment in Ireland must comply with the European Union Tissues and Cells Directive (Directive 2004/23/EC). To determine the effectiveness of this Directive when applied to anonymous oocyte recipients in IVF, we reviewed data derived from selected screening tests performed in this clinical setting. METHODS: Data from tests conducted at baseline for all women enrolling as recipients (n = 225) in the anonymous oocyte donor IVF programme at an urban IVF referral centre during a 24-month period were analysed. Patient age at programme entry and clinical pregnancy rate were also tabulated. All recipients had at least one prior negative test for HIV, Hepatitis B/C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis performed by her GP or other primary care provider before reproductive endocrinology consultation. RESULTS: Mean (±SD) age for donor egg IVF recipients was 40.7 ± 4.2 yrs. No baseline positive chlamydia, gonorrhoea or syphilis screening results were identified among recipients for anonymous oocyte donation IVF during the assessment interval. Mean pregnancy rate (per embryo transfer) in this group was 50.5%. CONCLUSION: When tests for HIV, Hepatitis B/C, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis already have been confirmed to be negative before starting the anonymous donor oocyte IVF sequence, additional (repeat) testing on the recipient contributes no new clinical information that would influence treatment in this setting. Patient safety does not appear to be enhanced by application of Directive 2004/23/EC to recipients of anonymous donor oocyte IVF treatment. Given the absence of evidence to quantify risk, this practice is difficult to justify when applied to this low-risk population

Air Pollution, Aeroallergens, and Emergency Room Visits for Acute Respiratory Diseases and Gastroenteric Disorders among Young Children in Six Italian Cities

Past studies reported evidence of associations between air pollution and respiratory symptoms and morbility for children. Few studies examined associations between air pollution and emergency room (ER) visits for wheezing, and even fewer for gastroenteric illness. We conducted a multicity analysis of the relationship between air pollution and ER visits for wheezing and gastroenteric disorders in children 0-2 years of age.BACKGROUND: Past studies reported evidence of associations between air pollution and respiratory symptoms and morbidity for children. Few studies examined associations between air pollution and emergency room (ER) visits for wheezing, and even fewer for gastroenteric illness. We conducted a multicity analysis of the relationship between air pollution and ER visits for wheezing and gastroenteric disorder in children 0-2 years of age. METHODS: We obtained ER visit records for wheezing and gastroenteric disorder from six Italian cities. A cityspecific case-crossover analysis was applied to estimate effects of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide, adjusting for immediate and delayed effects of temperature. Lagged effects of air pollutants up to 6 prior days were examined. The cityspecific results were combined using a random-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: CO and SO2 were most strongly associated with wheezing, with a 2.7% increase [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.5-4.9] for a 1.04 \u3bcg/m3 increase in 7day average CO and a 3.4% (95% CI, 1.5-5.3) increase for an 8.0 \u3bcg/m3 increase in SO2. Positive associations were also found for PM with aerodynamic diameter 64 10 \u3bcg and NO2. We found a significant association between the 3day moving average CO and gastroenteric disorders [3.8% increase (95% CI, 1.0-6.8)]. When data were stratified by season, the associations were stronger in summer for wheezing and in winter for gastroenteric disorders. CONCLUSION: Air pollution is associated with triggering of wheezing and gastroenteric disorders in children 0-2 years of age; more work is needed to understand the mechanisms to help prevent wheezing in children