Comparative levels and survival of naturally occurring microorganisms deposited on surfaces through handling and aerial fallout a preliminary report

Death rates of microorganisms deposited on surfaces of stainless steel and electronic components by handling and aerial fallout - Decontamination technique

Recovery of Viable Microorganisms from Solids. I - Model Systems

Solidification process for recovering viable microorganisms to aid spacecraft sterilization procedure

Animal Models for Periodontal Disease

Animal models and cell cultures have contributed new knowledge in biological sciences, including periodontology. Although cultured cells can be used to study physiological processes that occur during the pathogenesis of periodontitis, the complex host response fundamentally responsible for this disease cannot be reproduced in vitro. Among the animal kingdom, rodents, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and nonhuman primates have been used to model human periodontitis, each with advantages and disadvantages. Periodontitis commonly has been induced by placing a bacterial plaque retentive ligature in the gingival sulcus around the molar teeth. In addition, alveolar bone loss has been induced by inoculation or injection of human oral bacteria (e.g., Porphyromonas gingivalis) in different animal models. While animal models have provided a wide range of important data, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the findings are applicable to humans. In addition, variability in host responses to bacterial infection among individuals contributes significantly to the expression of periodontal diseases. A practical and highly reproducible model that truly mimics the natural pathogenesis of human periodontal disease has yet to be developed

Multi-stage linear programming optimization for pump scheduling

Open Access journalCopyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.12th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, CCWI2013This study presents a methodology based on Linear Programming for determining the optimal pump schedule on a 24-hour basis, considering as decision variables the continuous pump flow rates which are subsequently transformed into a discrete schedule. The methodology was applied on a case study derived from the benchmark Anytown network. To evaluate the LP reliability, a comparison was made with solutions generated by a Hybrid Discrete Dynamically Dimensioned Search (HD-DDS) algorithm. The cost associated with the result derived from the LP initial solution was shown to be lower than that obtained with repeated HD-DDS runs with differing random seeds

Effect of process parameters on the mechanical properties of wires produced from A356 aluminum alloy chips by Continuous Friction Stir Extrusion: Experiments and numerical simulation

Recycling of metals is becoming crucial from an economic and environmental point of view. The solid-state recycling process Continuous Friction Stir Extrusion was used to produce wires out of A356-T6 chips. The mechanical properties of the produced wires were explored by varying the main process parameters. Characterization involved Vickers hardness tests, tensile tests, grain size measurements, and fracture surface analysis. It has been found that it is possible to achieve 77 % of the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) and 92 % of Vickers hardness with respect to the as-fabricated A356 alloy. The average grain size increases with the tool rotational with values ranging from about 9 mu m to about 11 mu m. A 3D dedicated numerical model was used to predict the distributions and histories of primary field variables, and to calculate the Piwnik-Plata parameter, fostering a more in-depth understanding of the process mechanics. This allows for the precise prediction of unacceptable product quality of the bonding when the Plata and Piwnik parameters are low. Predicted temperature close to the rotating tool should reach 400 degrees C while the cochlea temperature should be below 100 degrees C for sound wires production thus avoiding early chip bonding and process failure

L’emorroidectomia secondo Milligan-Morgan e la mucoprolassectomia con stapler. Valutazione clinica comparativa dei risultati

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the results of treatment for hemorrhoids by Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy and by stapled mucoprolapsectomy in terms of operative time, postoperative pain, lenght of hospital stay, incidence of early and late complications, time to return to work and to normal social activities and patient satisfaction. Between January 2002 and December 2003, a total of 65 patients with hemorrhoids (35 men and 30 women with a mean age of 46.9 years) underwent surgical treatment: 41 patients underwent conventional hemorrhoidectomy and 24 patients stapled mucoprolapsectomy. All patients were contacted by phone or were reviewed in the outpatient clinic with a mean follow-up of 2 months (range 8-31). The Authors emphasize that it is difficult to make an objective comparison between hemorrhoidectomy and stapled mucoprolapsectomy because the two procedures are completely different in terms of rationale and technique; however, stapled circumferential mucosectomy in their experience causes less postoperative pain and bleeding and can be considered a valid therapeutic option for third- and fourth-degree disease

Drivers of fish choice: an exploratory analysis in Mediterranean countries

Fish is an important source of healthy proteins and an important economic sector in Mediterranean countries. Despite the wealth of knowledge acquired in Western countries, a gap has been found in studies in developing countries, as in the Mediterranean southern shore. Therefore, we aimed to investigate consumers’ perceptions of finfish attributes, with qualitative tools as focus groups, given the exploratory nature of the research. The focus groups have been held in Italy, Lebanon, Spain, and Tunisia; in each country, one was held in seaside areas and one in inland areas, in order to control for the availability of fish that shapes consumers’ evaluations and expectations. The focus groups have been analysed through content and semantic analyses. Results of the study yielded main themes recurring in the discussions that have been categorized along such dimensions: (1) definition of fish products; (2) context; (3) search attributes; (4) experience attributes; and (5) credence attributes. Among attributes, the ones mostly guiding consumers’ choices seem to be freshness and fish species, which are used as proxies for quality and sensory attributes. Most of the respondents preferred delicate white fish, while some exceptions were found in Tunisian respondents preferring blue fish and they also were the only ones who were not looking for convenient and already cleaned products. Trust also represented a critical element in guiding the decisions of consumers: with a lack of trust, consumers deviate from preferring local products, as noticeable especially in Lebanese respondents’ opinions. Credence attributes such as animal welfare and sustainability received a minor attention from all the respondents