Combined inhibitory effect of nisin with EDTA against Listeria monocytogenes in soy-protein edible coating on turkey frankfurters stored at 4°C and 10°C

Several food contamination outbreaks are linked to Listeria monocytogenes. More effective methods are needed to prevent the growth and recontamination of L. monocytogenes on ready-to-eat (RTE) food products. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the inhibitory activities of nisin (10,000 IU/mL), EDTA (sodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid: 1.6 mg/mL), and the combination of nisin (10,000 IU/mL) with EDTA 1.6 mg/mL either in brain-heart-infusion (BHI) media at 37°C for 72 h or in soy-protein edible coating on the surface of full-fat commercial turkey frankfurters against the cell populations of approximately 106 colony forming units (CFU/mL) of L. monocytogenes. The surface-inoculated frankfurters were dipped into soy-protein film forming solutions with and without the addition of antimicrobial agents [(nisin (10,000 IU) or EDTA (0.16%) or the combination)] and stored at either 4°C or 10°C. The inhibitory effects of edible coatings were evaluated on a weekly basis for 45 d. The greatest inhibitory activities of 6 log cycle reductions of L. monocytogenes were found when nisin was combined with EDTA and eliminated 6 log cycles of L. monocytogenes in both systems. In the combined nisin (10,000 IU) with EDTA (0.16%) treatment, the L. monocytogenes population was reduced to undetectable levels after 15 h or 7 d incubation in BHI at 37°C or on turkey frankfurters stored at 4°C and 10°C, respectively. This research has demonstrated that the use of an edible film coating containing nisin with EDTA is a promising means of controlling the growth and recontamination of L. monocytogenes on RTE meat products

The adaptor protein CRK is a pro-apoptotic transducer of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Excessive demands on the protein-folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) cause irremediable ER stress and contribute to cell loss in a number of cell degenerative diseases, including type 2 diabetes and neurodegeneration. The signals communicating catastrophic ER damage to the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery remain poorly understood. We used a biochemical approach to purify a cytosolic activity induced by ER stress that causes release of cytochrome c from isolated mitochondria. We discovered that the principal component of the purified pro-apoptotic activity is the proto-oncoprotein CRK (CT10-regulated kinase), an adaptor protein with no known catalytic activity. Crk(-/-) cells are strongly resistant to ER-stress-induced apoptosis. Moreover, CRK is cleaved in response to ER stress to generate an amino-terminal M(r)~14K fragment with greatly enhanced cytotoxic potential. We identified a putative BH3 (BCL2 homology 3) domain within this N-terminal CRK fragment, which sensitizes isolated mitochondria to cytochrome c release and when mutated significantly reduces the apoptotic activity of CRK in vivo. Together these results identify CRK as a pro-apoptotic protein that signals irremediable ER stress to the mitochondrial execution machinery

Qualitative Exploration of Case Conferencing and Occupational Stress with Video Relay Interpreters

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters working in Video Relay Service (VRS) call centers experience more occupational stress than interpreters working in community settings, leading to burnout, attrition, and loss of qualified interpreters for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Case conferencing that incorporates the use of demand control schema (DC-S; Dean & Pollard, 2001) is an emergent strategy that may be effective in decreasing VRS interpreters’ stress and burnout but has yet to be thoroughly studied. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative case study is to understand how participation in an adapted DC-S case conferencing group assisted VRS interpreters reducing occupational stress and attrition in VRS. Data from this study yielded four major themes: (1) reduction of occupational stress, (2) application of skills learned in groups, (3) integration into practice, and (4) retention in VRS. Although not a distinct theme, improvement in call center culture emerged as an additional finding. Our findings suggest that case conferencing is a helpful strategy to manage stressors that are unique to working in VRS and can promote interpreter retention

Annual research review: Infant development, autism, and ADHD – early pathways to emerging disorders

- Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, with a high degree of co-occurrence. - Methods: Prospective longitudinal studies of infants who later meet criteria for ASD or ADHD offer the opportunity to determine whether the two disorders share developmental pathways. - Results: Prospective studies of younger siblings of children with autism have revealed a range of infant behavioral and neural markers associated with later diagnosis of ASD. Research on infants with later ADHD is less developed, but emerging evidence reveals a number of relations between infant measures and later symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity. - Conclusions: We review this literature, highlighting points of convergence and divergence in the early pathways to ASD and ADHD

Adaptation of the Aesop’s Fable paradigm for use with raccoons (\u3ci\u3eProcyon lotor\u3c/i\u3e): considerations for future application in non‑avian and non‑primate species

To gain a better understanding of the evolution of animal cognition, it is necessary to test and compare the cognitive abilities of a broad array of taxa. Meaningful interspecies comparisons are best achieved by employing universal paradigms that standardize testing among species. Many cognitive paradigms, however, have been tested in only a few taxa, mostly birds and primates. One such example, known as the Aesop’s Fable paradigm, is designed to assess causal understanding in animals using water displacement. To evaluate the universal effectiveness of the Aesop’s Fable paradigm, we applied this paradigm to a previously untested taxon, the raccoon (Procyon lotor). We first trained captive raccoons to drop stones into a tube of water to retrieve a floating food reward. Next, we presented successful raccoons with objects that differed in the amount of water they displaced to determine whether raccoons could select the most functional option. Raccoons performed differently than corvids and human children did in previous studies of Aesop’s Fable, and we found raccoons to be innovative in many aspects of this task. We suggest that raccoon performance in this paradigm reflected differences in tangential factors, such as behavior, morphology, and testing procedures, rather than cognitive deficiencies. We also present insight into previously undocumented challenges that should better inform future Aesop’s Fable studies incorporating more diverse taxa

Sex differences in the association between infant markers and later autistic traits

BACKGROUND: Although it is well established that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is higher in males than females, there is relatively little understanding of the underlying mechanisms and their developmental time course. Sex-specific protective or risk factors have often been invoked to explain these differences, but such factors are yet to be identified. METHODS: We take a developmental approach, using a prospective sample of 104 infants at high and low familial risk for ASD, to characterise sex differences in infant markers known to predict emerging autism symptoms. We examine three markers previously shown to be associated with later autistic social-communication symptoms: the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI) total score, attention disengagement speed and gaze following behaviour. Our aim was to test whether sex differences were already present in these markers at 1 year of age, which would suggest sex-specific mechanisms of risk or protection. RESULTS: While no sex differences were found in any of the three markers investigated, we found sex differences in their relationship to 3-year autism traits; all three markers significantly predicted later autism traits only in the boys. CONCLUSIONS: Previously identified ‘early autism markers’ were associated with later autism symptoms only in boys. This suggests that there may be additional moderating risk or protective factors which remain to be identified. Our findings have important implications for prospective studies in terms of directly testing for the moderating effect of sex on emerging autistic traits

Local area unemployment, individual health and workforce exit: ONS Longitudinal Study

This work was jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Center (ESRC) and the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council, under the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Cross-Council Programme initiative [ES/L002892/1]. CeLSIUS is supported by the ESRC Census of Population Programme (Award Ref: ES/ K000365/1)