Irradiation D Values Of Salmonella Spp. In Diced Tomatoes Dipped In 1% Calcium Chloride

Outbreaks of salmonellosis have been associated with eating raw domestic tomatoes. In this study, we examined the efficiency of combined irradiation and a 1% calcium chloride dip to reduce the population of Salmonella enterica strains on diced tomatoes. Tomatoes were contaminated with nalidixic acid-resistant strains of S. Hartford, S. Montevideo, or a mixture of 5 strains (S. Hartford, S. Montevideo, S. Poona, S. Michigan, S. Gaminara). We irradiated tomatoes at various doses up to 0.9 kGy from an electron beam source to conduct a D-value study (decimal reduction time required to eliminate 90% of the organism). Surviving Salmonella populations were detected by standard and recovery plating methods. D-value results ranged from 0.26 to 0.39 kGy, indicating that a 5 log(10) CFU/g reduction in Salmonella spp. in diced tomatoes would require a dose of 1.3-1.95 kGy

Species Substitution and Country of Origin Mislabeling of Catfish Products on the U.S. Commercial Market

Catfish belong to the order Siluriformes and include both the Ictaluridae and Pangasiidae families. However, U.S. labeling laws require only species of the family Ictaluridae to be marketed as catfish. The lower production price of Pangasiidae, combined with changes in regulations over time, have resulted in high potential for species substitution and country of origin mislabeling among catfish products. The objective of this study was to conduct a market survey of catfish products sold at the U.S. retail level to examine species mislabeling and compliance with Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations. A total of 80 catfish samples were collected from restaurants, grocery stores and fish markets in Orange County, CA. DNA was extracted from each sample and tested with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the InstantID™ U.S. Catfish Assay Kit for Ictaluridae spp. (InstantLabs). Samples that tested negative for Ictaluridae were tested with real-time PCR using the InstantID Asian Catfish Assay Kit for Pangasiidae spp. DNA barcoding was used as a final test in cases where species could not be identified with either of the real-time PCR assays. Overall, 7 of the 80 catfish products were found to be substituted with Pangasiidae species for a mislabeling rate of 9%. This included 5 of the 40 restaurant samples and 2 of the 32 grocery store samples. Additionally, 59% of grocery store samples were not compliant with COOL regulations. The results of this study reveal the occurrence of catfish mislabeling on the U.S. commercial market and suggest the need for continuous monitoring of these products

1% Calcium Chloride Treatment In Combination With Gamma Irradiation Improves Microbial and Physicochemical Properties Of Diced Tomatoes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a combination of a 1% calcium chloride dip with low dose irradiation on microbial populations, and biochemical and physical properties, of fresh diced tomatoes during a two-week storage period. Vine tomatoes at the light-red stage (trial 1) and Celebrity tomatoes at the table ripe stage (trial 2) were diced, dipped in 1% CaCl2, and irradiated at 1 kGy from a Co-60 source. Tomatoes were also contaminated with cocktail of nalidixic-acid resistant Salmonella strains (S. Poona, S. Hartford, S. Gaminara, S. Michigan, and S. Montevideo) and subjected to gamma irradiation. Calcium treatment alone stimulated ethylene production in the diced tomatoes, whereas irradiation treatment alone suppressed ethylene production. The combination of calcium and irradiation treatments resulted in no change in ethylene production compared to the nontreated control, but respiration rate was suppressed by both irradiation and calcium treatment. The calcium dip was found to limit irradiation-induced loss of firmness. Irradiation, by itself and in combination with calcium treatment, resulted in a \u3e3 log CFU/g decrease in total aerobic counts and psychrotrophs. Additionally, irradiation at 1.5 kGy eliminated \u3e3 log CFU/g of Salmonella organisms from tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella. Counts continued to decrease to an undetectable level over the 11 day storage period. The results indicate that the combination of calcium treatment and irradiation can reduce the risk of disease due to pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella and can eliminate the problem of softening induced by irradiation

Warmer Ambient Temperatures Depress Detoxification and Food Intake by Marsupial Folivores

Ambient temperature is an underappreciated determinant of foraging behaviour in wild endotherms, and the requirement to thermoregulate likely influences food intake through multiple interacting mechanisms. We investigated relationships between ambient temperature and hepatic detoxification capacity in two herbivorous marsupials, the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) that regularly feed on diets rich in plant toxins. As an indicator of hepatic detoxification capacity, we determined the functional clearance rate of an anaesthetic agent, Alfaxalone, after possums were acclimated to 10°C [below the thermoneutral zone (TNZ)], 18°C [approximately lower critical temperature (LCT)], and 26°C [approximately upper critical temperature (UCT)] for either 7 days or less than 24 h. We then measured intake of foods with high or low plant secondary metabolite (PSM) concentrations under the same temperature regimes. After 7 days of acclimation, we found a positive correlation between the functional clearance rate of Alfaxalone and ambient temperature, and a negative relationship between ambient temperature and intake of foods with high or low PSM concentrations for both species. The effect of ambient temperature on intake of diets rich in PSMs was absent or reduced when possums were kept at temperatures for less than 24 h. Our results underscore the effects of ambient temperature in hepatic metabolism particularly with respect intake of diets containing PSMs. Given that the planet is warming, it is vital that effects of ambient temperature on metabolism, nutrition and foraging by mammalian herbivores is taken into account to predict range changes of species and their impact on ecosystems

Health and wellbeing under COVID-19: The green covid survey

Given the impact of COVID-19 on populations, especially under lockdown conditions, there has been more attention than ever focused on the role of nature, including green and blue spaces, to act as a form of health-enabler across societies. Access to green space, with its potential for physical activity and mental health support has been specifically identified within the literature as an important asset for neighbourhood and citizen health and wellbeing. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have developed as part of their public health strategies, a series of lockdown measures in which citizens have either been confined to home, or at best, a small catchment area immediately surrounding their homes. AS part of a flurry of recent research on such relationships, the GreenCOVID study was carried out by a group of researchers in Spain, the UK and Ireland, all broadly operating to a similar framework and collecting information from the general adult population in each of the three countries. This short commentary introduces the survey alongside preliminary Irish results specifically focused on household characteristics, access to nearby green space as well as a measure of psychological wellbeing

Associations of the natural and built environment with mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19: Irish perspectives from the GreenCOVID study

Background In several countries public health efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have included movement restrictions that confine residents to their home or to reduced catchment areas. Household characteristics and assets of nearby spaces may be particularly relevant to support wellbeing and mental health in this context. The aim of this study was to explore wellbeing and mental health associations with factors of the immediate natural and built environment among adults in Ireland during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Child and Parent Emotion Study: Protocol for a longitudinal study of parent emotion socialisation and child socioemotional development

Introduction:&nbsp;Parents shape child emotional competence and mental health via their beliefs about children&rsquo;s emotions, emotion-related parenting, the emotional climate of the family and by modelling emotion regulation skills. However, much of the research evidence to date has been based on small samples with mothers of primary school-aged children. Further research is needed to elucidate the direction and timing of associations for mothers and fathers/partners across different stages of child development. The Child and Parent Emotion Study (CAPES) aims to examine longitudinal associations between parent emotion socialisation, child emotion regulation and socioemotional adjustment at four time points from pregnancy to age 12 years. CAPES will investigate the moderating role of parent gender, child temperament and gender, and family background.Methods and analysis:&nbsp;CAPES recruited 2063 current parents from six English-speaking countries of a child 0&ndash;9 years and 273 prospective parents (ie, women/their partners pregnant with their first child) in 2018&ndash;2019. Participants will complete a 20&ndash;30 min online survey at four time points 12 months apart, to be completed in December 2022. Measures include validated parent-report tools assessing parent emotion socialisation (ie, parent beliefs, the family emotional climate, supportive parenting and parent emotion regulation) and age-sensitive measures of child outcomes (ie, emotion regulation and socioemotional adjustment). Analyses will use mixed-effects regression to simultaneously assess associations over three time-point transitions (ie, T1 to T2; T2 to T3; T3 to T4), with exposure variables lagged to estimate how past factors predict outcomes 12 months later.Ethics and dissemination:&nbsp;Ethics approval was granted by the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee and the Deakin University Faculty of Health Human Research Ethics Committee. We will disseminate results through conferences and open access publications. We will invite parent end users to co-develop our dissemination strategy, and discuss the interpretation of key findings prior to publication.Trial registeration:&nbsp;Protocol pre-registration: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/NGWUY.</jats:sec

Identifying schizophrenia patients who carry pathogenic genetic copy number variants using standard clinical assessment: retrospective cohort study

Background Copy number variants (CNVs) play a significant role in disease pathogenesis in a small subset of individuals with schizophrenia (~2.5%). Chromosomal microarray testing is a first-tier genetic test for many neurodevelopmental disorders. Similar testing could be useful in schizophrenia. Aims To determine whether clinically identifiable phenotypic features could be used to successfully model schizophrenia-associated (SCZ-associated) CNV carrier status in a large schizophrenia cohort. Method Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves tested the accuracy of readily identifiable phenotypic features in modelling SCZ-associated CNV status in a discovery data-set of 1215 individuals with psychosis. A replication analysis was undertaken in a second psychosis data-set (n = 479). Results In the discovery cohort, specific learning disorder (OR = 8.12; 95% CI 1.16–34.88, P = 0.012), developmental delay (OR = 5.19; 95% CI 1.58–14.76, P = 0.003) and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorder (OR = 5.87; 95% CI 1.28–19.69, P = 0.009) were significant independent variables in modelling positive carrier status for a SCZ-associated CNV, with an area under the ROC (AUROC) of 74.2% (95% CI 61.9–86.4%). A model constructed from the discovery cohort including developmental delay and comorbid neurodevelopmental disorder variables resulted in an AUROC of 83% (95% CI 52.0–100.0%) for the replication cohort. Conclusions These findings suggest that careful clinical history taking to document specific neurodevelopmental features may be informative in screening for individuals with schizophrenia who are at higher risk of carrying known SCZ-associated CNVs. Identification of genomic disorders in these individuals is likely to have clinical benefits similar to those demonstrated for other neurodevelopmental disorders

Perceptions of Change in the Natural Environment produced by the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic across Three European countries. Results from the GreenCOVID study

Although different studies have evaluated the positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown mea- sures on reducing noise pollution and traffic levels and improving air quality, how populations have perceived such changes in the natural environment has not been adequately evaluated. The present study provides a more in-depth exploration of human population perception of enhanced natural exposure (to animal life and nature sounds) and reduced harmful exposure (by improved air quality and reduced traffic volume) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The data is drawn from 3,109 unselected adults who participated in the Green COVID survey from April to July 2020 in England, Ireland, and Spain. The findings suggest that the positive impacts to the natural environment as a result of the lockdown have been better received by the population in Spain and Ireland, in comparison to England. Participants who resided in urban areas had better perceived improvements in nature sounds, air quality, and traffic volume compared to those in rural areas. Older pop- ulations and those with lower smoking and alcohol consumption were found to perceive this improvement the most. Furthermore, the greater perception of improvements in environmental elements was also associated with better self-perceived health and improved wellbeing. In the binary logistic regression, living in Ireland or Spain, urban areas, female gender, older age, and good overall wellbeing were associated with a greater perception of improvements in the natural environment, while the factors most associated with a greater perception of reduced harmful exposure were living in Spain, had a good self-perceived health status and older age