Analysis of School Food Safety Programs Based on HACCP Principles

Citation: Roberts, K., Sauer, K., Sneed, J., Kwon, J., Olds, D., Cole, K., & Shanklin, C. (2014). Analysis of school food safety programs based on HACCP principles. Journal of Child Nutrition and Management, 38(1).Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine how school districts have implemented food safety programs based on HACCP principles. Specific objectives included: 1. Evaluate how schools are implementing components of food safety programs and 2. Determine foodservice employees food-handling practices related to food safety. Methods: The study included a national sample of 34 school districts in eight states, including 11 small, 9 medium, 6 large, and 8 mega districts. Six researchers collected data on-site in each of the school's food production facilities. Data collection instruments included a Facility Observation Form, a Food Safety Observation Form, and a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Verification Checklist. All instruments were pilot tested prior to use. The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the University's Institutional Review Board prior to data collection. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. A recent health inspection report was collected from each school and qualitative data were also compiled. Results: Of 34 schools visited, food safety plans were available in 33 schools, although few were customized to the specific school. Most of the recommended standard operating procedures related to HACCP were used. However, researchers found few records of corrective actions. The health inspection scores for most schools were high, which reflects that food safety practices had been adequately operationalized. Overall, school facility observations were positive. Approximately 60% of employees failed to wash their hands as recommended by the 2009 Food Code. Most employees washed their hands before preparing food, but many times, improper hand washing procedures were used. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals: School foodservice employees performed well, but there are opportunities for food contamination to occur. Directors and managers can utilize this data to evaluate their food safety programs and practices to assure they are achieving their intended goal to serve safe and wholesome food to schoolchildren

Book reviews

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44496/1/10745_2004_Article_BF00888568.pd

The monobloc hydrogel breast implant, experiences and ideas

This study is focused on the properties of the monobloc hydrogel (MH) breast implant, which has been around for more than 30 years, and to see how it behaves with regard to health complaints as sometimes seen in some patients who had received silicone gel (SG) breast implants. Patients responded to a questionnaire examining their experience with breast implants. Three groups were included. First, the control group (n = 34) of women without breast implants. Second, a C group of women (n = 42) who began and remained on the MH implant. Third, the B group of women who had their silicone gel implant replaced by the MH implant. In the B1 subgroup (n = 22), a capsulectomy was also performed. In the B2 subgroup (n = 13), the replacement was carried out without a capsulectomy. The C group behaved very much like the control group. The women of the B group experienced an improvement of their complaints and the improvement was even better after a capsulectomy. The only difference between the MH and SG implants is the content of the implant. The satisfaction of women with MH implants is generally high and not or hardly associated with health complaints. In women with SG implants and health complaints, these complaints can be relieved by replacement of the implants by MH implants

Observations of the Antarctic ozone hole from 2003-2010

Póster presentado en: EGU General Assembly 2011 celebrada del 3 al 8 de abril en Viena, Austria.The Global Atmosphere Watch of WMO includes several stations in Antarctica that keep a close eye on the ozone layer during the ozone hole season. Observations made during the ozone holes from 2003 to 2010 will be compared to each other and interpreted in light of the meteorological conditions. Satellite observations will be used to get a more general picture of the size and depth of the ozone hole and will also be used to calculate various metrics for ozone hole severity. In 2003, 2005 and 2006, the ozone hole was relatively large with more ozone loss than normal. This is in particular the case for 2006, which by most ozone hole metrics was the most severe ozone holeon record. On the other hand, the ozone holes of 2004, 2007 and 2010 were less severe than normal, and only the very special ozone hole of 2002 had less ozone depletion when one regards the ozone holes of the last decade. The interannual variability will be discussed with the help of meteorological data, such as temperature conditions, possibility for polar stratospheric clouds, vortex shape and vortex longevity. Observations will also be compared to 3-D chemical transport model calculations

The search for the ideal biocatalyst

While the use of enzymes as biocatalysts to assist in the industrial manufacture of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals has enormous potential, application is frequently limited by evolution-led catalyst traits. The advent of designer biocatalysts, produced by informed selection and mutation through recombinant DNA technology, enables production of process-compatible enzymes. However, to fully realize the potential of designer enzymes in industrial applications, it will be necessary to tailor catalyst properties so that they are optimal not only for a given reaction but also in the context of the industrial process in which the enzyme is applied

Oleic Acid Biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum: Characterization of the Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase and Investigation as a Potential Therapeutic Target

BACKGROUND:Plasmodium falciparum parasitization of erythrocytes causes a substantial increase in the levels of intracellular fatty acids, notably oleic acid. How parasites acquire this monounsaturated fatty acid has remained enigmatic. Here, we report on the biochemical and enzymatic characterization of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in P. falciparum. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Metabolic labeling experiments allowed us to demonstrate the production of oleic acid from stearic acid both in lysates of parasites incubated with [(14)C]-stearoyl-CoA and in parasite-infected erythrocytes labeled with [(14)C]-stearic acid. Optimal SCD activity was detected in schizonts, the stage of maximal membrane synthesis. This activity correlated with a late trophozoite stage-specific induction of PFE0555w transcripts. PFE0555w harbors a typical SCD signature. Similar to mammalian SCDs, this protein was found to be associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, as determined with PFE0555w-GFP tagged transgenic P. falciparum. Importantly, these parasites exhibited increased rates of stearic to oleic acid conversion, providing additional evidence that PFE0555w encodes the plasmodial SCD (PfSCD). These findings prompted us to assess the activity of sterculic acid analogues, known to be specific Delta9-desaturase inhibitors. Methyl sterculate inhibited the synthesis of oleic acid both with parasite lysates and infected erythrocytes, most likely by targeting PfSCD. This compound exhibited significant, rapid and irreversible antimalarial activity against asexual blood stages. This parasiticidal effect was antagonized by oleic acid. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE:Our study provides evidence that parasite-mediated fatty acid modification is important for blood-stage survival and provides a new strategy to develop a novel antimalarial therapeutic based on the inhibition of PfSCD

A GRFa2/Prop1/Stem (GPS) Cell Niche in the Pituitary

BACKGROUND: The adult endocrine pituitary is known to host several hormone-producing cells regulating major physiological processes during life. Some candidates to progenitor/stem cells have been proposed. However, not much is known about pituitary cell renewal throughout life and its homeostatic regulation during specific physiological changes, such as puberty or pregnancy, or in pathological conditions such as tumor development. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have identified in rodents and humans a niche of non-endocrine cells characterized by the expression of GFRa2, a Ret co-receptor for Neurturin. These cells also express b-Catenin and E-cadherin in an oriented manner suggesting a planar polarity organization for the niche. In addition, cells in the niche uniquely express the pituitary-specific transcription factor Prop1, as well as known progenitor/stem markers such as Sox2, Sox9 and Oct4. Half of these GPS (GFRa2/Prop1/Stem) cells express S-100 whereas surrounding elongated cells in contact with GPS cells express Vimentin. GFRa2+-cells form non-endocrine spheroids in culture. These spheroids can be differentiated to hormone-producing cells or neurons outlining the neuroectoderm potential of these progenitors. In vivo, GPSs cells display slow proliferation after birth, retain BrdU label and show long telomeres in its nuclei, indicating progenitor/stem cell properties in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest the presence in the adult pituitary of a specific niche of cells characterized by the expression of GFRa2, the pituitary-specific protein Prop1 and stem cell markers. These GPS cells are able to produce different hormone-producing and neuron-like cells and they may therefore contribute to postnatal pituitary homeostasis. Indeed, the relative abundance of GPS numbers is altered in Cdk4-deficient mice, a model of hypopituitarism induced by the lack of this cyclin-dependent kinase. Thus, GPS cells may display functional relevance in the physiological expansion of the pituitary gland throughout life as well as protection from pituitary disease