Ad hoc Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Food Allergens Part 2: Review and establish threshold levels in foods of the priority allergens

The main purpose of this second meeting was to establish threshold levels in foods of the priority allergens. Based on the defined approach, the Expert Committee discussed and agreed on the safety objective, which could be described as “to minimise, to a point where further refinement does not meaningfully reduce health impact, the probability of any clinically relevant objective allergic response, as defined by dose distribution modelling of minimum eliciting doses (MEDs) and supported by data regarding severity of symptoms in the likely range of envisioned Reference Doses (RfD)”. The Committee further identified several important considerations to guide decision-making. These included a clear definition of criteria to be met by quantitative data on which reference doses (RfD) are based, supporting data on health manifestations (severity) at the proposed RfD, quality, quantity, availability and accessibility of data (for priority allergens), as well as how to deal with priority allergens for which information supporting one or more of those considerations was lacking.El objetivo principal de esta segunda reunión fue establecer niveles umbral en los alimentos de los alérgenos prioritarios. Sobre la base del enfoque definido, el Comité de Expertos discutió y acordó el objetivo de seguridad, que podría describirse como “minimizar, hasta un punto en el que un mayor refinamiento no reduzca significativamente el impacto en la salud, la probabilidad de cualquier respuesta alérgica objetiva clínicamente relevante, como definido por el modelo de distribución de dosis de dosis mínimas provocadoras (MED) y respaldado por datos sobre la gravedad de los síntomas en el rango probable de dosis de referencia previstas (RfD) ”. El Comité identificó además varias consideraciones importantes para orientar la toma de decisiones. Estos incluyeron una definición clara de los criterios que deben cumplir los datos cuantitativos en los que se basan las dosis de referencia (RfD), datos de apoyo sobre manifestaciones de salud (gravedad) en la RfD propuesta, calidad, cantidad, disponibilidad y accesibilidad de los datos (para alérgenos prioritarios). , así como cómo tratar los alérgenos prioritarios para los que faltaba información que respaldara una o más de esas consideraciones.Instituto de Investigación de Tecnología de AlimentosFil: Baumert, Joseph. Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos; Estados UnidosFil: Brooke-Taylor, Simon. Brooke-Taylor & Co. Consultor australiano de regulación alimentaria y análisis de riesgos (Pty Ltd); Australia.Fil: Crevel, René W.R. René Crevel Consulting Limited; Reino Unido.Fil: Houben, Geert F. Imperial College London. Instituto Nacional del Corazón y los Pulmones; Reino Unido.Fil: Jackson, Lauren. Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos. División de Ciencia y Tecnología del Procesamiento de Alimentos. Ingeniería de Procesos; Estados UnidosFil: Kyriakidis, Symeon. Laboratorio Estatal de Química General (GCSL).Autoridad Independiente de Ingresos Públicos (IAPR); Grecia.Fil: La Vieille, Sébastien. Universidad Laval. Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos; Canadá.Fil: Lee, N Alice. Universidad de Nueva Gales del Sur. Escuela de Química e Ingeniería. Ciencia e ingeniería de los alimentos; Australia.Fil: López, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Ingeniería de Alimentos; Argentina.Fil: Luccioli, Stefano. Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos. Centro de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición Aplicada; Estados UnidosFil: O’Mahony, Patrick. Autoridad de Seguridad Alimentaria de Irlanda; Irlanda.Fil: O’Mahony, Patrick. Universidad College Dublin; Irlanda.Fil: Polenta, Gustavo Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Investigación Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina.Fil: Polenta, Gustavo Alberto. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Sistemas Alimentarios Sustentables (ICyTeSAS) UEDD INTA-CONICET; Argentina.Fil: Pöpping, Bert. Food Consulting Strategically (FOCO); Alemania.Fil: Pöpping, Bert. Comités de Normalización ISO - CEN. Grupo de trabajo CEN Alérgenos Alimentarios (CEN TC 275 WG 12).); Alemania.Fil: Remington, Benjamin C. Remington Consulting Group B.V.; Holanda.Fil: Remington, Benjamin C. Universidad de Nebraska–Lincoln. Programa de Recursos e Investigación de Alergias Alimentarias. Estados UnidosFil: Srikulnath, Sirinrat. Universidad de Kasetsart (UKaset). Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo de Productos Alimentarios. Centro de Servicio de Aseguramiento de la Calidad de los Alimentos. Unidad de Alérgenos Alimentarios; Tailandia.Fil: Taylor, Stephen L. Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos; Estados UnidosFil: Turner, Paul J. Colegio Imperial de Ciencia, Tecnología y Medicina. Alergia e Inmunología Pediátricas; Inglaterra

Strong field approximation within a Faddeev-like formalism for laser-matter interactions

We consider the interaction of atomic hydrogen with an intense laser field within the strong-field approximation. By using a Faddeev-like formalism, we introduce a new perturbative series in the binding potential of the atom. As a first test of this new approach, we calculate the electron energy spectrum in the very simple case of a photon energy higher than the ionisation potential. We show that by contrast to the standard perturbative series in the binding potential obtained within the strong field approximation, the first terms of the new series converge rapidly towards the results we get by solving the corresponding time-dependent Schroedinger equation.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Modelling laser-atom interactions in the strong field regime

We consider the ionisation of atomic hydrogen by a strong infrared field. We extend and study in more depth an existing semi-analytical model. Starting from the time-dependent Schroedinger equation in momentum space and in the velocity gauge we substitute the kernel of the non-local Coulomb potential by a sum of N separable potentials, each of them supporting one hydrogen bound state. This leads to a set of N coupled one-dimensional linear Volterra integral equations to solve. We analyze the gauge problem for the model, the different ways of generating the separable potentials and establish a clear link with the strong field approximation which turns out to be a limiting case of the present model. We calculate electron energy spectra as well as the time evolution of electron wave packets in momentum space. We compare and discuss the results obtained with the model and with the strong field approximation and examine in this context, the role of excited states.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Myth or Memory? Recollections of Penal Times in Irish Folklore

Stories of priests being hunted down and murdered at Mass Rocks by priest catchers and soldiers during the Penal era in Ireland persist to the present day. Using Ó Ciosáin’s (2004) tripartite taxonomy of memory this paper explores the reasons why these images continue to dominate and reflect persecuted nature of Catholicism

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

Inhibition of rennet activity in cheese using equine blood serum

The objective of this study was to inactivate chymosin in Cheddar-type cheese curd using equine blood serum. This blood serum was added (0.1 -2%, v/v) to cheesemilk at 15 °C after completion of the first phase of renneting and before aggregation of the rennet-altered casein micelles, to inhibit the residual coagulant in Cheddar-type cheeses. Throughout ripening the level of pH 4.6-soluble nitrogen expressed as a percentage of total nitrogen was significantly higher in the control cheeses than in experimental cheeses and was about twice that of the experimental cheeses after ripening for 180 days. During ripening, there was almost no hydrolysis of α s1-casein in the cheeses made from milk containing 0.25-2% blood serum. Throughout ripening there were large quantitative differences between the peptide profiles of control and experimental cheeses. The results of this study suggest that the addition of equine blood serum to cheesemilk (0.25-2%) was very effective at inhibiting the residual chymosin activity in Cheddar-type cheeses during ripening; the activity of plasmin remained unaffected by the added blood serum. This study describes an easy and effective method for producing cheese curd free from residual coagulant activity, which will help to study the separate roles of the coagulant and other proteolytic enzymes in cheese ripening

Time scaling with efficient time-propagation techniques for atoms and molecules in pulsed radiation fields

We present an ab initio approach to solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation to treat electron and photon impact multiple ionization of atoms or molecules. It combines the already known time scaled coordinate method with a new high order time propagator based on a predictor-corrector scheme. In order to exploit in an optimal way the main advantage of the time scaled coordinate method namely that the scaled wave packet stays confined and evolves smoothly towards a stationary state the modulus square of which being directly proportional to the electron energy spectra in each ionization channel, we show that the scaled bound states should be subtracted from the total scaled wave packet. In addition, our detailed investigations suggest that multi-resolution techniques like for instance, wavelets are the most appropriate ones to represent spatially the scaled wave packet. The approach is illustrated in the case of the interaction of an one-dimensional model atom as well as atomic hydrogen with a strong oscillating field.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Physical Review

Predator dietary response to prey density variation and consequences for cestode transmission

The functional response of predators to prey density variations has previously been investigated in order to understand predation patterns. However, the consequences of functional response on parasite transmission remain largely unexplored. The rodents Microtus arvalis and Arvicola terrestris are the main prey of the red fox Vulpes vulpes in eastern France. These species are intermediate and definitive hosts of the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis. We explored the dietary and contamination responses of the red fox to variations in prey density. The dietary response differed between the two prey species: no response for M. arvalis and a type III-like (sigmoidal) response for A. terrestris that shows possible interference with M. arvalis. The fox contamination response followed a type II shape (asymptotic) for both species. We conclude that fox predation is species specific and E. multilocularis transmission is likely to be regulated by a complex combination of predation and immunologic factors. These results should provide a better understanding of the biological and ecological mechanisms involved in the transmission dynamics of trophically transmitted parasites when multiple hosts are involved. The relevance of the models of parasite transmission should be enhanced if non-linear patterns are taken into account

Low dose lipid formulations : effects on gastric emptying and biliary secretion

Food stimulates changes to gastrointestinal secretion and motility patterns, however, the effect of smaller quantities of lipid, such as that contained in a lipid-based drug formulation, has not been detailed. This study aimed to examine the effects of small quantities of lipid on gastric emptying and biliary secretion. The influence of oral administration of three lipid-based formulations and a negative control formulation on gastric emptying and biliary secretion was evaluated in 16 healthy male subjects using gamma scintigraphy, ultrasonography and duodenal aspiration. Low quantities (2 g) of long chain lipid stimulated gall bladder contraction and elevated intestinal bile salt, phospholipid and cholesterol levels. Changes in gastric emptying were also evident, although these did not reach statistical significance. Administration of a similar quantity of medium chain lipid, however, had little effect on gastric emptying and gallbladder contraction and did not stimulate appreciable increases in intestinal concentrations of biliary-derived lipids. The quantities of long chain lipid that might be administered in a pharmaceutical formulation stimulate gallbladder contraction and elevate intestinal levels of bile salt and phospholipid. This effect is a likely contributor to the ability of lipid based formulations to enhance the absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs