1,916 research outputs found
Pollution can drive marine diseases
No full textHumans pollute the marine environment biologically, chemically, and physically, which can potentially drive or facilitate the emergence, proliferation, or impact of disease. This chapter synthesizes what is known about the effects of biological (e.g., wastewater), chemical (e.g., pharmaceuticals), and physical (e.g., sound/light) pollution on marine disease dynamics. The presence of these pollutants has been found to alter disease prevalence, increase host susceptibility to infection, and alter the spread and host range of different diseases. Despite the importance of the marine environment as a primary food source for humans, many complexities linking disease ecology and pollution are yet to be explored. Future investigation of these connections would benefit from an integrated approach using experimental, environmental, molecular, and pathological methods
Farm to Fork Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment for Norovirus on Frozen Strawberries
No full textFoodborne illness outbreaks have been increasingly linked to the consumption of fresh and frozen berries that were contaminated with pathogenic viruses, such as human norovirus (NoV). Contamination of berries is assumed to take place at harvest by the use of contaminated water for pesticide dilution, irrigation water source or by shedding berry pickers in the field. A quantitative microbial risk assessment simulation model was built to replicate the largest known NoV outbreak which sickened about 11,000 people over a 3-week period. The outbreak occurred in Germany in 2012 when contaminated frozen strawberries were served at nearly 400 schools and daycare centers. The risk model explicitly assumed that all contamination would arise from NoV contamination of surface water used for pesticide dilution. Input data was collected from the published literature, observational studies and assumptions. The model starts with contamination of the berries in the field, and proceeds through transportation to processing facility, washing, sanitizing, freezing, frozen transport to cargo ship, transport view of cargo ship, transport to distribution center, frozen storage at the distribution center, transport to the catering facility, food service preparation and consumption, dose response, and predicted illnesses. A total of 21 scenarios were chosen to evaluate the impact of model parameters on the number of illness associated with NoV contamination of berries. Scenarios evaluated include the initial level of NoV in surface water, the effect of seasonality on the prevalence of NoV in surface water, the strength of the pesticide used, the volume of water used to dilute the pesticide, temperature during transportation to processing facility, washing and sanitizing conditions at processing facility and preparation (heat-treatment) of berries prior to consumption. Scenarios were compared via the Factor Sensitivity technique where the logarithm of the ratio of mean illnesses was used to compare different assumptions. The input that had the greatest effect on increasing in the number of illnesses was a high NoV concentration in the water (8 log Genome Copies/L) when compared to the baseline scenario with resulting mean illnesses of 7,964 illnesses and ~2 illnesses, respectively. This assumption about the concentration of virus in the pesticide makeup water was the only variable capable of producing an outbreak similar to that observed in Germany in 2012. Heat-treatment of the berries, use of a pesticide with strong antiviral effect, and assumption about the virus concentration in the pesticide make-up water had the largest impact on decreasing illnesses.Peer reviewe
Quantifying the Effect of Water Temperature, Soap Volume, Lather Time, and Antimicrobial Soap as a Factor in the Removal of Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 from Hands
No full textThe handwashing literature, while extensive, often contains conflicting data and key variables are understudied or not studied at all. Some handwashing recommendations are made without scientific support, and there is limited agreement between recommendations. The influence of key variables including soap volume, lather time, water temperature, and product formulation on hand wash efficacy was investigated. Baseline conditions were 1 mL of a bland (nonantimicrobial) soap, a 5 s lather time, and 38 °C (100 °F) water temperature. A nonpathogenic strain of Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 served as the challenge microorganism. Twenty volunteers (10 men, 10 women) participated in the study and each test condition had 20 replicates. An antimicrobial soap formulation (1% chloroxylenol, or PCMX) was not significantly different from the bland soap at removing E. coli under a variety of test conditions. Overall, the antimicrobial soap used in this study had a mean 1.94 log CFU reduction (range 1.83 to 2.10 mean log reduction), and bland soap had a mean 2.22 log CFU reduction (range 1.91 to 2.54 mean log CFU reduction). Overall, lather time did significantly influence efficacy in one scenario, in which a 0.5 greater log reduction was observed for a 20 s with bland soap compared to the baseline wash (P=0.020). Water temperature as high as 38°C (100°F) vs. a low of 15°C (60°F) did not have a significant effect on the reduction of bacteria during hand washing, however this resulted in an energy usage difference between the temperatures. No significant differences were observed between mean log reductions of men and women (men= 2.08 mean log reduction, women=2.08 mean log reduction, P=0.988). A large part of the variability in the data observed was between the volunteers. Understanding what behaviors and human factors influence hand washes the most may help future studies find which techniques can optimize the effectiveness of a hand wash.Peer reviewe
Architecture in tension: an examination of the position of the architect in the private and public sectors, focusing on the training and careers of Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) and Sir Donald Gibson (1908-1991)
No full textIn the early 1900s tensions began to appear within the architectural profession,
as private practitioners struggled to deal with the implications of professional
colleagues moving into public sector employment. Sir Basil Spence and Sir
Donald Gibson began their architectural training in the mid-1920s and, as
tensions between the sectors intensified, Spence entered private practice and
Gibson chose to enter the public sector. Each became an exemplar of his
chosen sector of the profession and yet both have, until recently, escaped
critical attention. The tensions between the public and private sectors of the
profession have been acknowledged within the historiography, but not received
detailed analysis.
This thesis advances the current historiography by presenting an examination
of the division between the sectors, focusing on the relationship between the
RIBA and the public sector union AASTA and assessing the influence of
AASTA on Gibson's Coventry City Architect's Department.
Through an examination of archival material, contemporary published material,
and buildings, this thesis builds on the work of the Sir Basil Spence Archive
Project, adding detailed accounts of his early life, architectural training, and
RIBA presidency, presenting new information and correcting certain aspects of
the accepted historiography. It likewise presents new information on Gibson's
early life and training and his central role in achieving improved status and
representation for the public sector. An analysis of selected projects provides a
comparative study of their contrasting approaches to architecture: the
technically informed, collaborative team-work of Gibson and the individual
artistry of Spence.
Both men played pivotal roles in reforming the RIBA and in changing public and
professional perceptions of the architect, nevertheless, the long lineage and
complex nature of tensions within the profession meant that the public/private
division was never be bridged and issues of status and representation
remained essentially immutable
Quantification of transfer of Salmonella from citrus fruits to peel, edible portion, and gloved hands during hand peeling
No full textAlthough studies have quantified bacterial transfer between hands and various materials, cross-contamination between the surface of fresh citrus fruit and the edible portions during hand peeling has not been reported. This study quantifies transfer of Salmonella to the edible portion of citrus fruit from a contaminated peel during hand peeling. Citrus fruits used for this study were Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) cultivars ‘Valencia’ and ‘Navel’ and C. unshiu (Satsuma mandarins), C. reticulata × C. paradisi (‘Minneola’ tangelo or ‘Honeybell’) and C. paradise (grapefruit) cultivar ‘Marsh'. An avirulent Salmonella Typhimurium LT - 2 (ATCC 700720) resistant to rifampicin was used for all experiments. The inoculum containing ~9 log CFU/ml (50 µl) was spot inoculated onto the equator, stem or styler of each fruit and allowed to dry for 24 h. Six volunteers put on single use latex gloves and peeled inoculated fruit. Peel, edible fruit portion and gloves were collected and enumerated separately. Three replicates of the study were performed where each volunteer peeled 2 inoculated fruit of each variety (n=36 fruit per variety).
Cross-contamination from contaminated surface of citrus fruits to edible portion or gloved hands during peeling was affected by inoculation sites. Average Salmonella transfer to the edible portion ranged from 0.16 % (Valencia inoculated at the equator) to 5.41 % (Navel inoculated at the stem). Average Salmonella transfer to gloved hands ranged from 0.41 % (Grapefruit inoculated at the stem) to 8.97 % (Navel inoculated at the stem). Most Salmonella remained on the peel of citrus fruits. The average level of Salmonella remaining on the peel ranged from 5.37% (Minneola inoculated at the equator) to 66.3% (Satsuma inoculated at the styler). When grapefruit was inoculated, the Salmonella that remained on the peel showed a bimodal pattern where some individuals left almost all Salmonella on the peel, while others left substantially less.
Foodborne outbreaks associated with fresh produce have increased worldwide as consumption of fresh produce has also increased (3, 11, 16, 20, 27). While no outbreaks have been directly linked to whole fresh citrus fruit at this time, unpasteurized orange juice has been implicated in several outbreaks caused by Salmonella, Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Shigella, hepatitis A virus, and Norovirus (6, 8, 14, 18). The majority of outbreaks involving fruit and fruit juice have been attributed to pathogens contaminating the outer skin or rind, although the peel or rind of many fruits is discarded by the consumer and not eaten (11, 12, 25).
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) includes fresh produce safety in its scope and focuses on preventing contamination during the production and harvesting of fresh fruits and vegetables (10). However, fresh produce including fresh citrus fruits can become contaminated at numerous points during transport, distribution, retailing and food preparation in the kitchen environment as well as production and harvesting (5, 16, 23, 27).
Cross-contamination from the surface of fresh produce to edible portions during cutting, slicing, or peeling can occur if the outer skin or rind of fresh produce is contaminated by pathogens (12, 18, 20, 25-27). Bacterial transfer from the skin to the edible flesh has been shown to occur during cutting of tomato and cantaloupes, both of which have implicated as the source of infection in some outbreaks (4, 12, 26). The surface of fresh citrus fruit has also been a source of pathogens, which can be transmitted to the juice during squeezing or peeling. Martinez-Gonzales et al. (17) reported that cross-contamination from inoculated fresh orange skin to utensils used in orange juice squeezing occurred, which subsequently resulted in bacterial transfer from contaminated utensils to squeezed orange juice.
Although studies have been conducted to determine the various factors that influence the bacterial transfer between hands and various surface materials (7, 15, 19), cross-contamination between the surface of fresh citrus fruit and the edible portions during hand peeling has not yet been reported. While a knife or citrus peeler might be used in commercial setting, this study was undertaken to quantify transfer of Salmonella to the edible portion of citrus fruit from a contaminated peel that can occur during hand peeling of a single fruit, as might occur in the home. Transfer rates were determined between various inoculation locations on the citrus fruits to the edible portion and gloved hands.Peer reviewe
Learning from disaster: the learning environment of the 2006 Rutgers University Hurrican [sic] Katrina relief project and how service learning generates transfomative [sic] learning : a case study
No full textPROBLEM: The study primarily focused on how a Service Learning project resulted in a Transformative Learning experience. The sample was drawn from 82 participants from Rutgers University who took part in a week-long alternative Spring Break community service project in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2006. Interviews were conducted about their experiences, their perceptions of the learning environment encountered, and its resultant perceived impact on their previously held beliefs, assumptions and perceptions as a result of the experience. Using purposeful sampling, the richest examples and a descriptive case study methodology described in greater detail below, the study was conducted to better understand how specific elements of the experiential learning environment of this experience generated, stimulated or facilitated those changes in previously held beliefs, assumptions and perceptions reported by the participants. Of particular interest was an effort to determine how participants described experiences derived from the actual setting, living and working conditions created by the Service Learning experience and its relationship to, and effects on, their own Transformative Learning experience. METHODOLOGY: Participants were interviewed by various methods over a three-year period following the experience. Sixteen participants responded to an email interview. Using grounded theory, 28 semi-formal audio and audio/video interviews were conducted. Of these two prime sources, interviews from 26 different individuals who went to New Orleans as part of the Rutgers-Cook College Hurricane Katrina Relief Project were selected for value. Private journals, field notes, articles and photographs produced by the participants as well as the field notes, articles and journal of the primary researcher were used. The data was coded for relevance to specific examples of elements of the experiential learning environment, which the participants claimed, created, stimulated or facilitated their individual Transformative Learning experiences. Once these elements of the learning environment were identified, purposeful sampling and the richest examples were extracted from the data to describe these elements and their claimed impact. Photographs that depict the elements were selected for their illustrative value using the same method. These specific examples of the learning environment and their relationship to impact were then also evaluated for relevance to the model for processing Transformative Learning as a result of Service Learning experiences developed by Kiely (2005) and evaluated for their relevance to specific Phases of Transformative Learning as defined by Mezirow and Associates (2000) and Mezirow (2003). SIGNIFICANCE: Transformative Learning is a relatively new field and not well understood. Its exploration remains in a state of discovery. Kiely (2005) states that it is not well understood how Service Learning experiences generate Transformative Learning experience. The current study is an effort to answer such questions as: “How did certain elements of the learning environment of this particular Service Learning experience produce a Transformative Learning experience for these individuals?” Kiely writes that (a) few studies have dealt with traditionally-aged college students (18-23 years old), (b) all the studies that he could locate dealt with experiences related to in-class subject matter, (c) all seemed to have been pre-planned to collect Transformative Learning-relative data and, (d) emphasis was always on impact, as opposed to the learning environment or generating elements, because continued funding was always based on impact. This study addresses each of these four issues.Ed. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Donald C. Heilma
Interview Excerpt of Mr. Donald M. Crawford, Sr.
No full text(1948-2018) Donald Mitchell Crawford, Sr. (“DC”), musician, author, and educator, was born on May 24, 1948, and was a lifelong resident of Birmingham, AL. His father and mother owned and operated “C & S Charter Tours Bus Company,” the first black-owned bus company in the state of Alabama. Crawford was a 1966 graduate of Western Olin High School in Birmingham, AL. Crawford was an outstanding drum major, playing first chair alto saxophone under the tutelage of the late Amos F. Gordon, Sr. After high school, he received a music scholarship to Alabama State University (ASU) where he earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education and was later inducted into the “School of Music Hall of Fame” at ASU. He was the youngest ever inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and performed with the 291 st and 283rd Army Band in Fort Bennett, GA. DC was Band Director at Jackson Olin High School and taught in the Birmingham School System for over thirty-five years. His love for music and performing lead him after his retirement to serve as Band Director for Miles College.
Crawford is the author of “The Wheels of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.” This book chronicles the lives of his late father and mother, Worcy and Christine Pride Crawford, and the role he and the company played in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement
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The Practice of Parking Requirements
No full textHere are reader questions answered by Donald Shoup, FAICP, author of the January 2006 Zoning Practice article "The Practice of Parking Requirements.
Adkerson, Miller, and Keenum at program and book signing with author Donald L. Miller
No full textRichard C. Adkerson, President, CEO and Vice Chairman of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.; Donald L. Miller, guest speaker; and Dr. Mark Keenum, MSU President, pose for a photo before the program
Marszalek, Miller, Adkerson, and Gregory at program and book signing with author Donald L. Miller
No full textDr. John F. Marszalek, Executive Director & Managing Editor for U.S. Grant Association; Donald L. Miller, guest speaker; Richard C. Adkerson, President, CEO and Vice Chairman of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.; and Kate Gregory, Assistant Professor/ Political Papers Archivist of MSU Libraries pose for a photo before the program
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