Decontamination of Listeria innocua from fresh-cut broccoli using UV-C applied in water or peroxyacetic acid, and dry-pulsed light

The efficacy of two irradiation technologies: Ultraviolet-C light (UV-C), applied in water or in diluted peroxyacetic acid, and dry-pulsed light (PL) for the inactivation and growth inhibition of Listeria innocua in fresh-cut broccoli were evaluated. Water-assisted UV-C (WUV) (0.3 and 0.5 kJ/m2) reduced L. innocua initial populations by 1.7 and 2.4 log10 CFU/g, respectively; the latter dose also inhibited their growth for 8 d at 5 °C. Replacing water with 40 or 80 mg/L peroxyacetic acid did not improve this efficacy. Pulsed light (5, 10, 15, and 20 kJ/m2) showed no effect on native microbiota. Neither did 15 kJ/m2 PL inactivate L. innocua or inhibit its growth. Nonetheless, 24-h post-processing, PL (15 kJ/m2) increased total phenolic content by 25% in respect of chlorine-sanitation, and enhanced total antioxidant capacity by 12 and 18% compared to water and chlorine controls, respectively. Unlike dry-PL, WUV appears to be a suitable technology for controlling L. monocytogenes populations in fresh-cut broccoli.This work has been supported by the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya, the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca / Departament d'Economia i Coneixement / Generalitat de Catalunya, and the European Social Fund (grant FI-DGR-2015-0004); the University of Lleida (Ref.127/2016); the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (grant FJCI-2016-29541); and the European Social Fund (grant RYC-2016-19949).The authors thank INRA (UMR SQPOV, Avignon), in particular Veronique Broussole and Fréderic Carlin, for providing access to the facilities. Thanks are also given to CLARANOR s.a. for allowing the use of the PL equipment, and in particular to Alain Berberian, for his technical assistance

School Social Workers’ Perceptions of Compassion Fatigue Syndrome

School social workers face domestic violence, trauma, social violence, and mental and emotional health problems in their work context. Indeed, compassion fatigue results from professionals’ continuous exposure to these problems. This study explored school social work professionals’ perceptions of compassion fatigue. For this, the following questions were explored:the perception of school social workers working for the Puerto Rico Department of Education about compassion fatigue

Green Fluorescent Protein in the sea urchin: new experimental approaches to transcriptional regulatory analysis in embryos and larvae

The use of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as a reporter for expression transgenes opens the way to several new experimental strategies for the study of gene regulation in sea urchin development. A GFP coding sequence was associated with three different previously studied cis-regulatory systems, viz those of the SM50 gene, expressed in skeletogenic mesenchyme, the CyIIa gene, expressed in archenteron, skeletogenic and secondary mesenchyme, and the Endo16 gene, expressed in vegetal plate, archenteron and midgut. We demonstrate that the sensitivity with which expression can be detected is equal to or greater than that of whole-mount in situ hybridization applied to detection of CAT mRNA synthesized under the control of the same cis-regulatory systems. However, in addition to the important feature that it can be visualized nondestructively in living embryos, GFP has other advantages. First, it freely diffuses even within fine cytoplasmic cables, and thus reveals connections between cells, which in sea urchin embryos is particularly useful for observations on regulatory systems that operate in the syncytial skeletogenic mesenchyme. Second, GFP expression can be dramatically visualized in postembryonic larval tissues. This brings postembryonic larval developmental processes for the first time within the easy range of gene transfer analyses. Third, GFP permits identification and segregation of embryos in which the clonal incorporation of injected DNA has occurred in any particular desired region of the embryo. Thus, we show explicitly that, as expected, GFP transgenes are incorporated in the same nuclei together with other transgenes with which they are co-injected

Hypothalamic Regulation of Liver and Muscle Nutrient Partitioning by Brain-Specific Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1C in Male Mice

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) 1C, a brain-specific protein localized in the endoplasmic reticulum of neurons, is expressed in almost all brain regions. Based on global knockout (KO) models, CPT1C has demonstrated relevance in hippocampus-dependent spatial learning and in hypothalamic regulation of energy balance. Specifically, it has been shown that CPT1C is protective against high-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO), and that CPT1C KO mice show reduced peripheral fatty acid oxidation (FAO) during both fasting and DIO. However, the mechanisms mediating CPT1C-dependent regulation of energy homeostasis remain unclear. Here, we focus on the mechanistic understanding of hypothalamic CPT1C on the regulation of fuel selection in liver and muscle of male mice during energy deprivation situations, such as fasting. In CPT1C-deficient mice, modulation of the main hypothalamic energy sensors (50 adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, Sirtuin 1, and mammalian target of rapamycin) was impaired and plasma catecholamine levels were decreased. Consequently, CPT1C-deficient mice presented defective fasting-induced FAO in liver, leading to higher triacylglycerol accumulation and lower glycogen levels. Moreover, muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was increased, which was indicative of glycolysis enhancement. The respiratory quotient did not decrease in CPT1CKO mice after 48 hours of fasting, confirming a defective switch on fuel substrate selection under hypoglycemia. Phenotype reversion studies identified the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) as the main area mediating CPT1C effects on fuel selection. Overall, our data demonstrate that CPT1C in the MBH is necessary for proper hypothalamic sensing of a negative energy balance and fuel partitioning in liver and muscle

Decontamination of fresh-cut broccoli with a water–assisted UV-C technology and its combination with peroxyacetic acid

The effectiveness of a water-assisted UV-C (WUV) technology for the decontamination of fresh-cut broccoli from conventional and organic agricultural practices was evaluated as an alternative to chlorine sanitation. Several WUV doses (0.3–1.8 kJ m−2) were tested alone or combined with peroxyacetic acid (PAA). Results showed that 0.5 kJ m−2 was sufficient to reduce natural total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms by 2 log10 in conventional broccoli without negative consequences on the physical quality. However, in order to achieve the same effect on organic broccoli, a combined application of at least 0.3 kJ m−2 and 50 mg L−1 PAA was required. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was enhanced by 42, 90 and 81% in conventional broccoli 24 h after treatment with 0.3, 0.5 and 1.8 kJ m−2, respectively, compared to water-control. A similar trend was observed in organic broccoli, although the increase in TAC (by 22%) compared to the water-control was only significant when a dose of 1.8 kJ m−2 was used. Similarly, 0.5 kJ m−2 enhanced the sulforaphane content in conventional broccoli by 1.5 and 4-fold compared to water and chlorine-controls, respectively. WUV is a promising alternative technology to improve the microbiological and nutritional quality of fresh-cut broccoli.This work has been supported by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya and by the Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement/ Generalitat de Catalunya (grant FI-DGR-2015-0004); by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (grant FJCI-2016-29541); and the European Social Fund (grant RYC-2016-19949). Thanks are also given to Ariadna Bademunt and Ismael Povedano for their technical assistance

Assessing water-assisted UV-C light and its combination with peroxyacetic acid and Pseudomonas graminis CPA-7 for the inactivation and inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in fresh-cut 'Iceberg' lettuce and baby spinach leaves

The effectiveness of ultraviolet C light (UV-C) delivered in water (WUV) or in peroxyacetic acid (PAA) for theinactivation and inhibition ofL. monocytogenesandS. entericain ready-to-eat'Iceberg lettuce'and baby spinachleaves, was evaluated throughout chilled storage in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The inhibition ofpathogen's growth by sequential pretreatments with UV-C in PAA and then biocontrol usingPseudomonas gra-minisCPA-7 was assessed during MAP storage at 5 °C and upon a breakage of the cold-storage chain. In fresh-cutlettuce, 0 1 kJ/m2UV-C, in water or in 40 mg/L PAA, inactivated both pathogens by up to 2.1 ± 0.7 log10,which improved the efficacy of water-washing by up to 1.9 log10and showed bacteriostatic effects on bothpathogens. In baby spinach leaves, the combination of 0 3 kJ/m2UV-C and 40 mg/L PAA reducedS. entericaandL. monocytogenespopulations by 1.4 ± 0.2 and 2.2 ± 0.3 log10respectively, which improved water-washing by0.8 ± 0.2 log10. Combined treatments (0.1 or 0 3 kJ/m2WUV and 40 mg/L PAA) inactivated both pathogens inthe process solution from lettuce or spinach single sanitation, respectively. Pretreating lettuce with UV-C in PAAreducedL. monocytogenesandS. enterica's growth by up to 0.9 ± 0.1 log10with respect to the PAA-pretreatedcontrol after 6 d at 5 °C in MAP. Upon a cold-chain breakage, CPA-7 preventedS. entericagrowth in PAA-pretreated lettuce, whereas showed no effect onL. monocytogenesin any of both matrices. Low-dose UV-C in PAAis a suitable preservation strategy for improving the safety of ready-to-eat leafy greens and reducing the risk ofcross contamination.This work has been supported the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain; the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Economia i Coneixement / Generalitat de Catalunya; the European Social Fund (grant FI-DGR-2015-0004); and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (National Project of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology: FECYT CC/2013105 (2013-16) and grant: RYC-2016-19949). Thanks are given to Marina Anguera for her technical assistance

Mechanism of the negative inotropic effect of naringin in mouse heart [Mecanismo del efecto inotrópico negativo de la naringina en el corazón de ratón]

Abstract Resumen Context: Naringin (NRG) is the major flavonoid (flavanone glycoside) in grapefruit juice. Its biological activity has been only partially characterized and little is known about the mechanism of the negative inotropic action of this flavonoid. Aims: To evaluate the effects of NRG on the surface electrogram (ECG) and the force of contraction (FC) of mice hearts as well as on the sodium (INa), calcium (ICaL) and Na + -Ca 2+ exchange (INaCaX) currents of enzymatically isolated mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes. Methods: ECG and FC were recorded on mouse hearts perfused in a Langendorff column. Ventricular cardiomyocytes were enzimatically dissociated and ionic currents recorded with the patch-clamp technique. Results: NRG increased RR interval and shortened corrected QT only at high concentrations (30-100 µM). However, at a fixed heart rate, it decreased FC with an IC50 of 0.4 µM. NRG reduced INa with an IC50 of 0.07 µM but with a maximal inhibition of 60 %. NRG also depressed ICaL with an IC50 of 0.013 µM and increased its fast inactivation time constant. The effects on ICaL were not voltage-dependent. INaCaX was not affected by NRG. Conclusions: Our results indicate that NRG exerts a negative inotropic effect in mice hearts that could be explained by a decrease in INa and ICaL. These actions should be taken into account when considering this molecule either as a dietetic supplement or as a template to develop therapeutic agents for human diseases. Contexto: La naringina (NRG) es el principal flavonoide (glicósido de flavanona) en el jugo de toronja. Su actividad biológica ha sido solo parcialmente caracterizada y poco se conoce acerca del mecanismo de la acción inotrópica negativa de este flavonoide. Objetivos: Evaluar los efectos de la NRG sobre el electrograma de superficie (ECG) y la fuerza de contracción (FC) de corazones de ratón, así como sobre las corrientes de sodio (INa), calcio (ICaL) y del intercambiador Na + -Ca 2+ (INaCaX) en cardiomiocitos ventriculares de ratón, aislados enzimáticamente. Métodos: El ECG y la FC se registraron en corazones de ratón perfundidos en una columna de Langendorff. Los cardiomiocitos ventriculares se disociaron enzimáticamente y las corrientes iónicas se registraron con la técnica de patch-clamp. Resultados: La NRG incrementó el intervalo RR intervalo y acortó el QT solo a altas concentraciones (30-100 µM). No obstante, a frecuencia cardíaca fija, disminuyó la FC con un IC50 de 0.4 µM. La NRG redujo INa con un IC50 de 0.07 µM pero con una máxima inhibición de 60 %. La NRG también redujo ICaL con un IC50 de 0.013 µM e incrementó su constante de inactivación rápida. Los efectos sobre ICaL no fueron dependientes del potencial. La INaCaX no fue afectada por la NRG. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados indican que la NRG ejerce un efecto inotrópico negativo en corazones de ratón que puede ser explicado por una reducción en INa e ICaL. Esas acciones deben ser tomadas en cuenta al considerar a esta molécula como suplemento dietético o como plantilla para desarrollar nuevos agentes terapéuticos para tratar las enfermedades en humanos