Spanish rapid methods and automation in food microbiology : a star is born

V Workshop Métodos Rápidos y Automatización en Microbiología Alimentaria (2006

A Digital Inclusive Society Study - Understanding the Social Impacts of Information Communication Technology (ICT) Usage in China

This paper discusses the role of self-efficacy to computer novices through a longitudinal study. The researchers conducted this study by collaborating with three non-government organizations (NGOs) for which funding was received from one government unit and a large local charitable organization. A new model was developed to examine the influence of Internet self-efficacy and outcome expectations on usage intention and perceived user competence. Behavioral modeling training courses were offered to matured adults aged 50 and above in two separate studies over a year. Questionnaires and cognitive knowledge assessments were distributed. In general, the findings in the two studies validated the impacts and antecedents of Internet self-efficacy and outcome expectations on usage intention. Limitations and implications of this study are provided following the sections on research model and hypotheses, design and discussion on findings

Fung Double Tube Method

Four-hour rapid evaluation of fecal contamination of recreational water in seaside beaches by the Fung Double Tube Method

Dose-response of weanling pigs to streptococcus faecium

Two 5-wk experiments, using a total of 270 pigs (avg initial wt of 16.1 and 13.11b), were conducted to determine the dose-response relationship between Streptococcus faecium additions to drinking water and performance of newly weaned pigs. In experiment 1, treatments were: 1) untreated control; 2, 3, and 4) .5, 2.5, and 4.5 x 109 CFU of S. faecillm/pig/d; 5) antibioticfed positive control (CSP250 and CUS04)\u27 Bacterial content of feces collected from the pigs on d 7, 14, and 21 indicated that antibiotic feeding greatly reduced fecal content of streptococci. S. faecium given in the water (.5, 2.5, or 4.5 x 10 CFU/pig/d) slightly increased the CFU of streptococci in the feces. Giving S. faecillm in the water or antibiotics in the feed did not reduce fecal content of coliform bacteria. Antibiotic feeding improved feed intake, growth rate, and efficiency of gain when compared to the untreated control. Pigs given the highest level of S. faecium addition to the water (i.e., 4.5 x 10^9 had performance that was intermediate to that of the untreated control and positive control. In experiment 2, dosages of S. faecium were spread further apart. Treatments were: 1) untreated negative control; 2,3, and 4) 5 x 107, 5 X 109, and 5 x 1011 CFU of S. faecium/pig/d; and 5) antibiotic-fed positive control. Streptococci content of the feces was increased by giving S. faecillm in the water. However, total coliform content was not affected by giving S. faecium or antibiotics. Antibiotic feeding improved rate of gain, feed intake, and efficiency of gain, but giving S. faecium did not improve performance of pigs compared to those given the untreated control.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 16, 198

Mètodes ràpids i automatització en microbiologia alimentària. Actualitat, perspectives i reptes

El nombre d'assajos microbiològics augmenta any rere any, amb grans progressos en el desenvolupament de mètodes fàcils d'usar i que asseguren rapidesa, precisió, sensibilitat i especificitat en l'obtenció dels resultats, a un cost moderat. Els mètodes microbiològics ràpids i automatitzats permeten als industrials treure els seus productes més ràpidament al mercat, garantint-ne la seguretat i la conservació. Els avenços en instrumentació fan possible comptar les cèl·lules viables més ràpidament i eficientment. L'ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), el mètode immunològic més usat, està totalment automatitzat i consolidat a moltes empreses alimentàries. La detecció d'ATP s'usa actualment per avaluar en temps real la neteja i la desinfecció a la indústria alimentària, mitjançant sistemes de bioluminescència. L'aplicació de la biologia molecular en els aliments està guanyant importància. El mètode més usat és la PCR (polymerase chain reaction). En el futur, els biosensors seran a les línies de processament d'aliments. I en aquest camp també es treballa en bioxips i microxips.The number of microbiological assays is increasing year after year, with great advances in easy-to-use methods that ensure rapid, accurate, sensitive and specific results, at a moderate cost. Automated and rapid microbiological methods allow manufacturers to bring out their products to the market more rapidly, with safety and preservation being guaranteed. There have been many developments in instrumentation that are allowing more rapid and efficient ways to obtain viable cell counts. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), the most used immunological method, is completely automated and well established in many food companies. ATP bioluminiscence diagnostic tests are currently being used for food industry real-time monitoring of hygiene. Food applications of molecular biology are becoming more and more important. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is the most used method. In the future, biosensors will be in place in food processing systems. And in that field, research is also being done into biochips and microchips

Evaluating the health-related quality of life of the rare disease population in Hong Kong using EQ-5D 3-level

Objectives This study aimed to establish a normative profile of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the rare disease (RD) population in Hong Kong (HK) and identify potential predictors. Methods Between March 2020 and October 2020, patients with RD and caregivers were recruited through Rare Disease Hong Kong, the largest RD patient group alliance in HK. HRQOL was derived using the EQ-5D 3-Level with reference to the established HK value set. Utility scores were stratified according to demographics and disease-related information. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the associations between patient characteristics and HRQOL. Results A total of 286 patients, covering 107 unique RDs, reported a mean utility score of 0.53 (SD 0.36). Thirty patients (10.5%) reported negative utility scores, indicating worse-than-death health states. More problems were recorded in the “usual activities” and “self-care” dimensions. Univariate analyses revealed that neurologic diseases, high out-of-pocket expenditure, home modification, and living in public housing or subdivided flats/units were significantly associated with lower HRQOL. A total of 99 caregivers reported a mean utility score of 0.78 (SD 0.17), which was significantly associated with the utility score of patients they took care of (r = 0.32; P = .001). Conclusions The normative profile of the RD population was established, which revealed lower HRQOL in the RD population than other chronic disease groups and general population in HK. Findings were corroborated by evidence from other cohorts using EQ-5D, combined as part of a meta-analysis. Identifying predictors highlight areas that should be prioritized to improve HRQOL of RD population through clinical and psychosocial dimensions

Immersed boundary-finite element model of fluid-structure interaction in the aortic root

It has long been recognized that aortic root elasticity helps to ensure efficient aortic valve closure, but our understanding of the functional importance of the elasticity and geometry of the aortic root continues to evolve as increasingly detailed in vivo imaging data become available. Herein, we describe fluid-structure interaction models of the aortic root, including the aortic valve leaflets, the sinuses of Valsalva, the aortic annulus, and the sinotubular junction, that employ a version of Peskin's immersed boundary (IB) method with a finite element (FE) description of the structural elasticity. We develop both an idealized model of the root with three-fold symmetry of the aortic sinuses and valve leaflets, and a more realistic model that accounts for the differences in the sizes of the left, right, and noncoronary sinuses and corresponding valve cusps. As in earlier work, we use fiber-based models of the valve leaflets, but this study extends earlier IB models of the aortic root by employing incompressible hyperelastic models of the mechanics of the sinuses and ascending aorta using a constitutive law fit to experimental data from human aortic root tissue. In vivo pressure loading is accounted for by a backwards displacement method that determines the unloaded configurations of the root models. Our models yield realistic cardiac output at physiological pressures, with low transvalvular pressure differences during forward flow, minimal regurgitation during valve closure, and realistic pressure loads when the valve is closed during diastole. Further, results from high-resolution computations demonstrate that IB models of the aortic valve are able to produce essentially grid-converged dynamics at practical grid spacings for the high-Reynolds number flows of the aortic root