Risk factors for Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter occurrence in primary production of leafy greens and strawberries

The microbiological sanitary quality and safety of leafy greens and strawberries were assessed in the primary production in Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Norway and Spain by enumeration of Escherichia coli and detection of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Campylobacter. Water samples were more prone to containing pathogens (54 positives out of 950 analyses) than soil (16/1186) and produce on the field (18/977 for leafy greens and 5/402 for strawberries). The prevalence of pathogens also varied markedly according to the sampling region. Flooding of fields increased the risk considerably, with odds ratio (OR) 10.9 for Salmonella and 7.0 for STEC. A significant association between elevated numbers of generic E. coli and detection of pathogens (OR of 2.3 for STEC and 2.7 for Salmonella) was established. Generic E. coli was found to be a suitable index organism for Salmonella and STEC, but to a lesser extent for Campylobacter. Guidelines on frequency of sampling and threshold values for E. coli in irrigation water may differ from region to region

How Does Nursing Staff Perceive the Use of Electronic Handover Reports? A Questionnaire-Based Study

Following the implementation of electronic nursing records in a psychogeriatric ward, we examined nursing staff's attitudes and perceptions to the implementation of an electronic handover routine. A web-based anonymous and secure questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to all nursing staff at a psychogeriatric ward at a university hospital. Most respondents were satisfied with the electronic handover, and they believed they managed to keep informed by the new routine. The simultaneous introduction of a morning meeting, to ensure a forum for oral professional discussion, was a success. A minority of staff did not fully trust the information conveyed in the electronic handover, and a significant proportion expressed a need for guidance in using the system. Staff that had a high level of trust in written reports believed these saved time, had little trouble finding time and a place to read the reports, and were more positive to the new handover routine

Experimental study of the vidicon system for information recording using the wide-gap spark chamber of gamma - telescope gamma-I

The development of the gamma ray telescope is investigated. The wide gap spark chambers, used to identify the gamma quanta and to determine the directions of their arrival, are examined. Two systems of information recording with the spark chambers photographic and vidicon system are compared

Evaluering av regelverksendringen i rehabiliteringspengeordningen

Denne rapporten er sluttrapporten fra evalueringen av regelverksendringen i rehabiliteringspengeordningen. Evalueringen er gjennomført av Agdermiljøet på oppdrag fra den gang Arbeids- og sosialdepartementet. Regelverksendringen det er snakk om er innstrammingen av stønadsperioden som det er mulig å motta rehabiliteringspenger for etter unntaks-bestemmelsene. Regelverksendringen ble iverksatt 1.1.04. Før 1.1.04 var det ingen tidsbegrensning knyttet til unntaksbestemmelsene. Etter 1.1.04 ble det innført en ny hovedregel som tilsa en tidsbegrensning på 52 uker. Det vil si at det bare skal ytes rehabiliteringspenger sammenhengende i to år. Ved meget alvorlige sykdomstilstander eller større skader, hvor den medisinske behandlingen tar lengre tid, kan det fortsatt gis rehabiliteringspenger uten tidsbegrensning. Formålet med regelendringen var å motvirke uønsket passivisering hos mottakerne. Ved å stimulere til tidligere avklaring, ville mulighetene for et vellykket attføringsopplegg eller tilbakevending til arbeid, bedres. I forbindelse med regelendringen ble trygdeetaten derfor pålagt å følge opp brukerne tettere, blant annet ved å utarbeide individuelle oppfølgingsplaner og etterstrebe en tettere dialog med brukerne

Genomic correlates of recombination rate and its variability across eight recombination maps in the western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)

Background: Meiotic recombination has traditionally been explained based on the structural requirement to stabilize homologous chromosome pairs to ensure their proper meiotic segregation. Competing hypotheses seek to explain the emerging findings of significant heterogeneity in recombination rates within and between genomes, but intraspecific comparisons of genome-wide recombination patterns are rare. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) exhibits the highest rate of genomic recombination among multicellular animals with about five cross-over events per chromatid. Results: Here, we present a comparative analysis of recombination rates across eight genetic linkage maps of the honey bee genome to investigate which genomic sequence features are correlated with recombination rate and with its variation across the eight data sets, ranging in average marker spacing ranging from 1 Mbp to 120 kbp. Overall, we found that GC content explained best the variation in local recombination rate along chromosomes at the analyzed 100 kbp scale. In contrast, variation among the different maps was correlated to the abundance of microsatellites and several specific tri- and tetra-nucleotides. Conclusions: The combined evidence from eight medium-scale recombination maps of the honey bee genome suggests that recombination rate variation in this highly recombining genome might be due to the DNA configuration instead of distinct sequence motifs. However, more fine-scale analyses are needed. The empirical basis of eight differing genetic maps allowed for robust conclusions about the correlates of the local recombination rates and enabled the study of the relation between DNA features and variability in local recombination rates, which is particularly relevant in the honey bee genome with its exceptionally high recombination rate. © 2014 Ross et al

Development of an RNA Interference Tool, Characterization of Its Target, and an Ecological Test of Caste Differentiation in the Eusocial Wasp Polistes

Recent advancements in genomics provide new tools for evolutionary ecological research. The paper wasp genus Polistes is a model for social insect evolution and behavioral ecology. We developed RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated gene silencing to explore proposed connections between expression of hexameric storage proteins and worker vs. gyne (potential future foundress) castes in naturally-founded colonies of P. metricus. We extended four fragments of putative hexamerin-encoding P. metricus transcripts acquired from a previous study and fully sequenced a gene that encodes Hexamerin 2, one of two proposed hexameric storage proteins of P. metricus. MALDI-TOF/TOF, LC-MSMS, deglycosylation, and detection of phosphorylation assays showed that the two putative hexamerins diverge in peptide sequence and biochemistry. We targeted the hexamerin 2 gene in 5th (last)-instar larvae by feeding RNAi-inducing double-stranded hexamerin 2 RNA directly to larvae in naturally-founded colonies in the field. Larval development and adult traits were not significantly altered in hexamerin 2 knockdowns, but there were suggestive trends toward increased developmental time and less developed ovaries, which are gyne characteristics. By demonstrating how data acquisition from 454/Roche pyrosequencing can be combined with biochemical and proteomics assays and how RNAi can be deployed successfully in field experiments on Polistes, our results pave the way for functional genomic research that can contribute significantly to learning the interactions of environment, development, and the roles they play in paper wasp evolution and behavioral ecology