Experimental cross-contamination of chicken salad with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and London during food preparation in Cambodian households

Non-typhoidal Salmonellae are common foodborne pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis and other illnesses in people. This is the first study to assess the transfer of Salmonella enterica from raw chicken carcasses to ready-to-eat chicken salad in Cambodia. Twelve focus group discussions in four Cambodian provinces collected information on typical household ways of preparing salad. The results informed four laboratory experiments that mimicked household practices, using chicken carcasses inoculated with Salmonella. We developed four scenarios encompassing the range of practices, varying by order of washing (chicken or vegetables first) and change of chopping utensils (same utensils or different). Even though raw carcasses were washed twice, Salmonella was isolated from 32 out of 36 chicken samples (88.9%, 95% CI: 73.0–96.4) and two out of 18 vegetable samples (11.1%, 95% CI: 1.9–36.1). Salmonella was detected on cutting boards (66.7%), knives (50.0%) and hands (22.2%) after one wash; cross-contamination was significantly higher on cutting boards than on knives or hands (p-valu

Agenda 21 Militar numa Unidade do Exército Português: contributos para um desenvolvimento sustentável através da liderança participativa

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão e Políticas AmbientaisNo seguimento da Cimeira da Terra em 1992 foram realizados vários esforços com vista a promover a sustentabilidade ao nível local. O conceito “Pensar global, agir local” levou a que os objectivos da Agenda 21 fossem transpostos para pequenas comunidades, surgindo por todo o Mundo diversos projectos de implementação da Agenda 21 Local. Em Portugal, o número de municípios e de escolas que implementaram Agendas 21 ainda é (infelizmente) muito reduzido. Avaliar e estudar a sua aplicabilidade ao sector da Defesa, designadamente ao Exército Português e desenvolver um modelo conceptual, que se optou designar por “Agenda 21 Militar” (A21M), constitui, para além de um grande desafio, uma possibilidade de adaptar um instrumento de gestão participada, sendo um contributo para o desenvolvimento sustentável nas Forças Armadas. O trabalho caracteriza os antecedentes e a evolução das questões ambientais na Defesa Nacional e no Exército Português, através da análise de directivas, legislação e documentação, identificando as várias “estruturas ambientais” e as suas capacidades de comunicação e partilha de informação ambiental. Devido à especificidade da instituição militar, fortemente hierarquizada, são analisados os estilos de liderança e a forma como se podem relacionar com os processos de gestão participada de uma Agenda 21 Local. São abordadas as formas permitem aumentar e facilitar a troca de informação ambiental entre as diferentes estruturas com responsabilidades ambientais no seio da Defesa Nacional e também com as comunidades envolventes. Julga-se que o modelo em estudo permitirá uma melhor conciliação entre a gestão ambiental e o cumprimento da Missão do Exército, rumo ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável, através da integração de metodologias participativas, do envolvimento e da co-responsabilização dos vários actores

Increased severity of liver fat content and liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease correlate with epicardial fat volume in type 2 diabetes: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES:To determine whether severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis quantitatively assessed in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM)-2 correlate with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk using non-invasive markers. METHODS:We conducted a single-centre, prospective, cross-sectional study in 100 consecutive diabetic individuals without known CHD recruited between March 2013 and September 2014. History, physical examination, serum markers, cardiac computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and MR elastography (MRE) were obtained for 95 participants. Written informed consent was provided. Institutional review board approved this study. Spearman rank correlation was performed to assess for correlations. Multiple linear regression model determined independent predictors of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume. RESULTS:A p value < 0.05 determined statistical significance. The EAT volume was higher in the NAFLD group, defined as MR-imaging PDFF ≥ 5 %, compared to the non-NAFLD group (126.5 ml (IQR 80.9) versus 85.4 ml (IQR 44.7), p=0.002). MR imaging-PDFF correlated with EAT (r=0.42, p < 0.0001). MR imaging-PDFF and liver fibrosis were independently associated with EAT. CONCLUSIONS:Higher liver fat content and liver fibrosis may portend worse cardiovascular risk in diabetics. KEY POINTS:• EAT volume is higher in diabetic individuals with NAFLD. • Liver fat content is positively correlated with EAT. • Liver fat content and liver fibrosis were independently associated with EAT. • Higher liver fat content and fibrosis may adversely affect cardiovascular risk

Increased severity of liver fat content and liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease correlate with epicardial fat volume in type 2 diabetes: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES:To determine whether severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis quantitatively assessed in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM)-2 correlate with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk using non-invasive markers. METHODS:We conducted a single-centre, prospective, cross-sectional study in 100 consecutive diabetic individuals without known CHD recruited between March 2013 and September 2014. History, physical examination, serum markers, cardiac computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and MR elastography (MRE) were obtained for 95 participants. Written informed consent was provided. Institutional review board approved this study. Spearman rank correlation was performed to assess for correlations. Multiple linear regression model determined independent predictors of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume. RESULTS:A p value < 0.05 determined statistical significance. The EAT volume was higher in the NAFLD group, defined as MR-imaging PDFF ≥ 5 %, compared to the non-NAFLD group (126.5 ml (IQR 80.9) versus 85.4 ml (IQR 44.7), p=0.002). MR imaging-PDFF correlated with EAT (r=0.42, p < 0.0001). MR imaging-PDFF and liver fibrosis were independently associated with EAT. CONCLUSIONS:Higher liver fat content and liver fibrosis may portend worse cardiovascular risk in diabetics. KEY POINTS:• EAT volume is higher in diabetic individuals with NAFLD. • Liver fat content is positively correlated with EAT. • Liver fat content and liver fibrosis were independently associated with EAT. • Higher liver fat content and fibrosis may adversely affect cardiovascular risk

Applicable Artificial Neural Network Modeling For ready mix Concrete industry

摘要 混凝土是營建工程的常見材料，其中抗壓強度是混凝土品質評估的重要指標之一，而坍度則是現場工作性的重要指標。過去研究使用不同方法針對材料配比所產生的抗壓強度、坍度製作預估模型，其中最常見也具高準確率的是類神經網路技術。 然而前人之研究僅考量混凝土配比設計之材料用量之自變數(如水灰比、用水量、水泥用量、細粒料用量、粗粒料用量及飛灰用量 )，即有準確率高的效果。但未考量混凝土材料性質變數對混凝土抗壓強度造成之影響，故本研究嘗試加入混凝土材料性質之新增變數，以探討其影響程度。 為建立一通用模型，本研究收集業界不同來源之混凝土抗壓強度、坍度數據共600筆，並提出其他9項自變數：粗骨材之最大粒徑、粗骨材之磨損率、粗骨材之面乾比重、粗骨材之吸水率、粗骨材之乾搗單位重、細骨材之細度模數、細骨材之75μm含量、細骨材之面乾比重、細骨材之吸水率，冀望這些新變數能反應不同料源的材料特性。 案例成果說明 6 項舊變數所建立之配比模型，其 RMSE 誤差值皆高於 15 項自變數模型的誤差值。多考慮 9 項新變數的確有助於抗壓強度、坍度的預估準確度，顯示不同料源之材料特性可以此 15 項自變數表示之。摘要 -----------------------------------------------------------------i 目錄---------------------------------------------------------------iii 表目錄--------------------------------------------------------------iv 圖目錄---------------------------------------------------------------v 第一章 緒論 1 一、研究動機 1 二、研究方法 1 第二章 文獻回顧 2 一、類神經網路概述 2 二、混凝土概述 6 第三章 規劃與測試 19 一、類神經網路系統測試軟體 19 二、建構類神經網路推估混凝土強度模式 19 第四章 結論與建議 21 一、結論 21 二、建議 21 參考文獻 22 附錄A混凝土配比設計、抗壓強度及坍度資料表 24 附錄B混凝土28天抗壓強度及坍度TRAINNING與TEST測試結果表 56 附錄C混凝土28天抗壓強度及坍度X1-X15與X10-X15 TEST測試結果比較圖 68 附錄D混凝土28天抗壓強度及坍度TRAINNING與TEST比較圖 69 附錄E粗骨材最大粒徑9項新變數直方圖 71 附錄F粗骨材最大粒徑9項新變數散佈圖 7

Differential Activation of Hepatic Invariant NKT Cell Subsets Plays a Key Role in Progression of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Innate immune mechanisms play an important role in inflammatory chronic liver diseases. In this study, we investigated the role of type I or invariant NKT (iNKT) cell subsets in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We used α-galactosylceramide/CD1d tetramers and clonotypic mAb together with intracytoplasmic cytokine staining to analyze iNKT cells in choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined (CDAA)-induced murine NASH model and in human PBMCs, respectively. Cytokine secretion of hepatic iNKT cells in CDAA-fed C57BL/6 mice altered from predominantly IL-17+ to IFN-γ+ and IL-4+ during NASH progression along with the downmodulation of TCR and NK1.1 expression. Importantly, steatosis, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis were dependent upon the presence of iNKT cells. Hepatic stellate cell activation and infiltration of neutrophils, Kupffer cells, and CD8+ T cells as well as expression of key proinflammatory and fibrogenic genes were significantly blunted in Jα18-/- mice and in C57BL/6 mice treated with an iNKT-inhibitory RAR-γ agonist. Gut microbial diversity was significantly impacted in Jα18-/- and in CDAA diet-fed mice. An increased frequency of CXCR3+IFN-γ+T-bet+ and IL-17A+ iNKT cells was found in PBMC from NASH patients in comparison with nonalcoholic fatty liver patients or healthy controls. Consistent with their in vivo activation, iNKT cells from NASH patients remained hyporesponsive to ex-vivo stimulation with α-galactosylceramide. Accumulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in both mice and NASH patients suggest their role in activation of iNKT cells. In summary, our findings indicate that the differential activation of iNKT cells play a key role in mediating diet-induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in mice and its potential involvement in NASH progression in humans