Modelling the exposure to Cronobacter sakazakii by consumption of a cocoa-milk-based beverage processed by pulsed electric fields

peer-reviewedM.C. Pina-Pérez is grateful to CSIC for providing a DOCTOR contract linked to the INNPACTO project IPT-2011-1724-060000. This study was carried out with funds from BISOSTAD project PSE-060000-2009-003, Generalitat Valenciana I+D+I emergent research groups GV/2010/064 and CYCIT project AGL2010-22206-C02-01.Infants’ exposure (Nf ) to Cronobacter sakazakii via the consumption of infant-rich-inpolyphenols cocoa-milk-based beverages (CCX-M) treated with high-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) was evaluated. Monte Carlo simulation enabled the prediction of the variability in C. sakazakii load in beverages at the time of consumption to be estimated. Different scenarios (initial contamination levels; PEF treatment conditions; and time-temperature combinations of CCX-M beverages storage after treatment) were simulated. Cocoa addition and PEF treatment resulted in the most influential input factors to control bacterial final load. Cronobacter spp. exposure risk was reduced by a maximum of 100 times at 95% of iterations due to addition of cocoa at 5 g/100 mL, corresponding to scenario 3 (PEF: 15 kV/cm–3,000 μs; storage 120 h at 8 °C). Moreover, the probability of illness for a healthy population was reduced from 2.15 × 10-8, in the baseline scenario, to 4.78 × 10-10 due to cocoa addition and application of 15 kV/cm–3,000 μs PEF treatment.BISOSTAD projec

Effects of service experience on customer responses to a hotel chain

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse customer experience in a hotel and its impact on customer attitudes to both the individual hotel and the hotel chain. Specifically, the study focuses on the effects of service perceptions on emotions, satisfaction, attitude to hotel chain, intention to return, scepticism towards negative information and Word of Mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was carried out on a sample of 300 individuals. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling. Findings: Service perceptions and emotions elicited by an individual hotel influence the customer response towards the hotel chain. Among all the outcomes considered, the strongest effects are found on WOM. Originality/value: This paper develops and empirically tests an original model that integrates the customer experience in an individual hotel and the customer response to the hotel chain. This model includes variables that have recently been considered in the literature, such as scepticism towards negative information, in combination with more traditional outcomes such as intention to return or WOM

El imperator en la República romana tardía: La transformación de la res publica

En un contexto de crisis generalizada, en donde el individualismo es cada vez mayor y la sociedad romana se hace cada vez más competitiva, la figura del imperator cobra especial importancia por la capacidad que encuentra de servirse de la debilidad del régimen republicano, y consolidar una posición de fuerza que, tras una larga serie de guerras civiles, acabará derivando en el poder unipersonal. A continuación, se propone un estudio sobre la personalización del poder en torno a la figura del imperator y de cómo este poder terminó derivando en el colapso, primero, y transformación, después, de la res publica romana. Así, afrontando de este modo la crisis de la República romana, la etapa analizada toma como punto de partida la primera marcha de Sila sobre Roma (88 a.C.) y culmina con el ocaso de la figura de César (44 a.C.)

Evaluating the Concentration of a Candida albicans Suspension

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a reproducible method of establishing the concentration of yeast cells per milliliter of solution

In Vitro Effect of Local Anesthetics on Candida albicans Germ Tube Formation

Objective: This study was planned to clarify the in vitro effect of lidocaine and bupivacaine on germ tube formation by Candida albicans isolates from cases of clinical vaginal candidiasis

La situación económica de Israel: La economía desde el conflicto

Lo principal de este trabajo se fundamenta en el análisis económico de Israel desde su creación en 1948, hasta la actualidad. Dentro de los objetivos más específicos de este estudio se profundizará en uno de los aspectos que más han influido en el desarrollo económico: el conflicto de Israel con Palestina que viene concurriendo desde comienzos del siglo XX . Desde entonces, Israel está en un continuo conflicto con su países (árabes) vecinos, con varias guerras y varias décadas de violencia y que continúan al día de hoy. La creación del Estado de Israel no solo supone la aparición de un nuevo país sino también de una nueva potencia económica. Este estudio pretende reflejar su evolución económica desde un punto de vista macroeconómico

Antifungal activity of local anesthetics against Candida species.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the activity of benzydamine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine, three drugs with local anesthetic activity, against Candida albicans and non-albicans strains and to clarify their mechanism of activity. METHODS: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for 20 Candida strains (18 clinical isolates and two American Type Culture Collection strains). The fungistatic activity was studied with the fluorescent probe FUN-1 and observation under epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The fungicidal activity of the three drugs was assayed by viability counts. Membrane alterations induced in the yeast cells were evaluated by staining with propidium iodide, by quantitation of intracellular K+ leakage and by transmission electron microscopy of intact yeast cells and prepared spheroplasts. RESULTS: The MIC ranged from 12.5-50.0 microg/mL, 5.0-40.0 mg/mL, and 2.5-10.0 mg/mL for benzydamine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine, respectively. The inhibitory activity of these concentrations could be detected with the fluorescent probe FUN-1 after incubation for 60 minutes. A very fast fungicidal activity was shown by 0.2, 50, and 30 mg/mL of benzydamine, lidocaine, and bupivacaine, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: At lower concentrations, the tested drugs have a fungistatic activity, due to yeast metabolic impairment, while at higher concentrations they are fungicidal, due to direct damage to the cytoplasmic membrane

La selección de personal en las Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado y Policía local de Zaragoza.

El trabajo versa sobre el proceso de seleccion de los diferentes cuerpos y fuerzas de seguridad del estado (Guardia Civil, Policia Nacional y Policia Local de Zaragoza), ademas de realizar una comparativa con el proceso de selección en las organizaciones privadas