Traceability to ensure food safety and consumer protection as typified by case studies of three meat processing plants

Ensuring food safety is a legal obligation of the manufacturer or of the entity that places the product on sale. Traceability is one of the tools that are used to ensure food safety. It allows the withdrawal of a dangerous or non-compliant product from the market and determines the source of a threat. The aim of the study was to compare the functioning and effectiveness of traceability systems in selected approved meat industry plants. The system functioning in a large meat processing plant, in which the circulation of documents was implemented in a computer system, was compared with two smaller ones, in which paper documentation was carried out, but supported by a computer system. In these plants, the traceability system was based on internal procedures. Properly developed traceability procedures and simulations support and enable response in a crisis. Computer systems streamline and facilitate the traceability process. However, the comparative analysis showed that the use of paper records allowed for efficient identification of the source of the threat. The possibility of performing product traceability was confirmed in these plants. Internal markings and codes and documentation flow, staff training, and awareness proved helpful

Precision Measurement of 11Li moments: Influence of Halo Neutrons on the 9Li Core

The electric quadrupole moment and the magnetic moment of the 11Li halo nucleus have been measured with more than an order of magnitude higher precision than before, |Q| = 33.3(5)mb and mu=3.6712(3)mu_N, revealing a 8.8(1.5)% increase of the quadrupole moment relative to that of 9Li. This result is compared to various models that aim at describing the halo properties. In the shell model an increased quadrupole moment points to a significant occupation of the 1d orbits, whereas in a simple halo picture this can be explained by relating the quadrupole moments of the proton distribution to the charge radii. Advanced models so far fail to reproduce simultaneously the trends observed in the radii and quadrupole moments of the lithium isotopes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

A Data-informed Public Health Policy-Makers Platform

Hearing loss is a disease exhibiting a growing trend due to the number of factors, including but not limited to the mundane exposure to the noise and ever-increasing amount of older population. In the framework of a public health policymaking process, modeling of the hearing loss disease based on data is a key factor in alleviating the issues related to the disease issuing effective public health policies. First, the paper describes the steps of the data-driven policymaking process. Afterward, a scenario along with the part of the proposed platform, responsible for supporting policymaking are presented. With the aim of demonstrating the capabilities and usability of the platform for the policy-makers, some initial results of preliminary analytics are presented in a framework of a policy-making process. Ultimately, the utility of the approach is validated throughout the results of the survey which was presented to the health system policy-makers professionals involved in the policy development process in Croatia

WYNIKI PRODUKCYJNE KRÓLIKÓW ŻYWIONYCH PODCZAS TUCZU MIESZANKĄ BEZ DODATKU KOKCYDIOSTAKTYKU

The objective of this study was to determine whether meat-type rabbits can be fed a diet without coccidiostatics during the fattening period. The effect of feeding two pelleted diets was compared during the experiment. The control diet was supplemented with the coccidiostatic drug robenidine, while the experimental diet contained no coccidiostatics. Over the experimental period the animals were weighed at 35, 56, 70, 77 and 90 days of age. Feces samples were taken for parasitological analysis and assayed for the presence of coccidia. Mortality rates were determined at particular stages of the experiment. It was found that a diet without the coccidiostatic drug had no statistically significant effect on the final body weights of rabbits. It was also demonstrated that coccidian infection rates and mortality rates were slightly higher in the experimental group.Badania miały na celu wykazanie możliwości żywienia królików mięsnych podczas tuczu mieszanką pełnoporcjową nie zawierającą kokcydiostatyku. W trakcie eksperymentu porównano wpływ żywienia mieszankami pełnoporcjowymi granulowanymi, z których kontrolna zawierała kokcydiostatyk – robenidynę a doświadczalna była go pozbawiona. Podczas badań zwierzęta ważono w 35, 56, 70, 77 i 90 dniu życia, ponadto z pod każdej klatki pobierano próbki kału do badań parazytologicznych na obecność kokcydii. Dodatkowo obliczono procent upadków królików podcza poszczególnych etapów trwania eksperymentu. Przeprowadzone badania pozwoliły na stwierdzenie, że brak kokcydiostatyku w mieszance nie wpłynął statystycznie na końcową masę ciała królików. Wykazano, że poziom zarażenia kokcydiami i procent upadków był nieco wyższy w grupie doświadczalnej, jednak nie został potwierdzony statystycznie

Directions for model building from asymptotic safety

Building on recent advances in the understanding of gauge-Yukawa theories we explore possibilities to UV-complete the Standard Model in an asymptotically safe manner. Minimal extensions are based on a large avor sector of additional fermions coupled to a scalar singlet matrix field. We find that asymptotic safety requires fermions in higher representations of SU(3)C SU(2)L. Possible signatures at colliders are worked out and include R-hadron searches, diboson signatures and the evolution of the strong and weak coupling constants

Regional differences in AIDS and non-AIDS related mortality in HIV-positive individuals across Europe and Argentina: the EuroSIDA study

BACKGROUND Differences in access to care and treatment have been reported in Eastern Europe, a region with one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics, compared to the rest of Europe. This analysis aimed to establish whether there are regional differences in the mortality rate of HIV-positive individuals across Europe, and Argentina. METHODS 13,310 individuals under follow-up were included in the analysis. Poisson regression investigated factors associated with the risk of death. FINDINGS During 82,212 person years of follow-up (PYFU) 1,147 individuals died (mortality rate 14.0 per 1,000 PYFU (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.1-14.8). Significant differences between regions were seen in the rate of all-cause, AIDS and non-AIDS related mortality (global p<0.0001 for all three endpoints). Compared to South Europe, after adjusting for baseline demographics, laboratory measurements and treatment, a higher rate of AIDS related mortality was observed in East Europe (IRR 2.90, 95%CI 1.97-4.28, p<.0001), and a higher rate of non-AIDS related mortality in North Europe (IRR 1.51, 95%CI 1.24-1.82, p<.0001). The differences observed in North Europe decreased over calendar-time, in 2009-2011, the higher rate of non-AIDS related mortality was no longer significantly different to South Europe (IRR 1.07, 95%CI 0.66-1.75, p = 0.77). However, in 2009-2011, there remained a higher rate of AIDS-related mortality (IRR 2.41, 95%CI 1.11-5.25, p = 0.02) in East Europe compared to South Europe in adjusted analysis. INTERPRETATIONS There are significant differences in the rate of all-cause mortality among HIV-positive individuals across different regions of Europe and Argentina. Individuals in Eastern Europe had an increased risk of mortality from AIDS related causes and individuals in North Europe had the highest rate of non-AIDS related mortality. These findings are important for understanding and reviewing HIV treatment strategies and policies across the European region

Czynniki ryzyka inkontynencji i epidemiologia nietrzymania moczu

Autorzy scharakteryzowali czynniki powodujące występowanie nietrzymania moczu, podkreślili ich interferencyjne działanie przyczynowe. Szczegółowo zostały omówione takie czynniki jak czynniki predysponujące: płeć, rasa, czynniki genetyczne, anatomiczne, neurologiczne, związane z tkanką łączną, kulturowe, środowiskowe. Przedstawiono znaczenie czynników promujących: otyłość, wykonywany zawód, rekreacja, przebyte operacje, palenie papierosów, przewlekły kaszel, zakażenia dróg moczowych, nieregularne miesiączkowanie, polekowe, dietetyczne, menopauza, oraz czynników dekompensacyjne: wiek, demencja, niedorozwój umysłowy, inne schorzenia, działanie leków, czynniki środowiskowe.The authors have discussed the factors causing urinary incontinence and emphasised their interferential activity. Such pre-disposing factors as: sex, race, genetics, anatomy, neurology, connective tissue issues, cultural and environmental background have been discussed in detail. The significance of the following promoting factors has been presented: obesity, occupation, recreation, surgeries undergone, smoking, chronic cough, urinary tract infections, irregular menstruation, medication effects, diet, menopause, and decompensation factors (age, dementia, mental handicap, other diseases, medication effects, and environmental factors)

Pt-incorporated anatase TiO2(001) surface for solar cell applications : First-principles density functional theory calculations

First-principles density functional theory calculations were carried out to determine the low energy geometries of anatase TiO$_2$(001) with Pt implants in the sublayers as substitutional and interstitial impurities as well as on the surface in the form of adsorbates. We investigated the effect of such a systematic Pt incorporation in the electronic structure of this surface for isolated and interacting impurities with an emphasis on the reduction in the band gap to visible region. Comprehensive calculations, for 1x1 surface, showed that Pt ions at interstitial cavities result in local segregation, forming metallic wires inside, while substitution for bulk Ti and adsorption drives four strongly dispersed impurity states from valence-bands up in the gap with a narrowing of ~1.5 eV. Hence, such a contiguous Pt incorporation drives anatase into infrared regime. Pt substitution for the surface Ti, on the other hand, metallizes the surface. Systematic trends for 2x2 surface revealed that Pt can be encapsulated inside to form stable structures as a result of strong Pt-O interactions as well as the adsorptional and substitutional cases. Dilute impurities considered for 2x2 surface models exhibit flat-like defect states driven from the valence bands narrowing the energy gap suitable to obtain visible light responsive titania.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. to appear on Phys. Rev

A new beamline for laser spin-polarization at ISOLDE

A beamline dedicated to the production of laser-polarized radioactive beams has been constructed at ISOLDE, CERN. We present here different simulations leading to the design and construction of the setup, as well as technical details of the full setup and examples of the achieved polarizations for several radioisotopes. Beamline simulations show a good transmission through the entire line, in agreement with observations. Simulations of the induced nuclear spin-polarization as a function of atom-laser interaction length are presented for $^{26,28}$Na, [1] and for $^{35}$Ar, which is studied in this work. Adiabatic spin rotation of the spin-polarized ensemble of atoms, and how this influences the observed nuclear ensemble polarization, are also performed for the same nuclei. For $^{35}$Ar, we show that multiple-frequency pumping enhances the ensemble polarization by a factor 1.85, in agreement with predictions from a rate equations model. [1] J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys./174408400

Niedotrzymanie moczu : badanie laboratoryjne i czynnościowe

Autorzy dokonali szczegółowej analizy badań laboratoryjnych i czynnościowych służących diagnostyce nietrzymania moczu. Omówili szczegółowo m.in. Bridge Fluid Test, test kaszlowy, próbę Sanda, test podpaskowy. Jeszcze jednym niezwykle użytecznym narzędziem umożliwiającym ocenę zaburzeń jest dzienniczek mikcji. Dzienniczek mikcji jest szczególnie przydatny w ocenie poliurii (nadmiernej produkcji moczu) oraz nocnej poliurii (nadmiernej produkcji moczu podczas spoczynku nocnego). Autorzy zwrócili uwagę na zasadnicze elementy prawidłowego prowadzenia dzienniczka. Dokonano także omówienia wybranych badań urodynamicznych.The authors have performed a thorough analysis of laboratory and functional examinations used in the diagnostics of urinary incontinence. They have discussed in detail the Bridge Fluid Test, cough test, Sand’s test, pad test, etc. Yet another tool that is very useful in assessing the disorders is a micturition diary. This diary is especially helpful in diagnosing polyuria (excessive urine production) and night polyuria (excessive urine production during sleep). The authors have emphasised the basic elements of keeping such a diary. Furthermore, selected urodynamic tests have been discussed at length