1,721,097 research outputs found
Efficacy of Ultraviolet Light and Antimicrobials to Reduce Listeria monocytogenes in Chill Brines
No full textChill brines used in ready-to-eat meat processing may be an important source of post-processing contamination by Listeria monocytogenes. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of ultraviolet light (UV) in combination with antimicrobials to reduce L. monocytogenes in fresh and used chill brines. Three different antimicrobials were used in combination with UV; citric acid (CA, 0.2 and 0.5%), dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, 250 and 500 ppm), and hydrogen peroxide (HP, 2000 and 4000 ppm).
For fresh brine studies, brine (8.0% w/v NaCl) was prepared and inoculated with a cocktail of three L. monocytogenes strains (approximately 6 log CFU/mL). Brine was treated with UV alone, antimicrobials alone, and combination of UV and antimicrobials. Moreover, to observe the effect of treatment temperature and brine circulation through the UV system on survival of listeriae cells, inoculated brine was circulated through the system without any treatment that served as control for all the treatments. For UV treatment, inoculated brine solution was exposed to UV in an Ultraviolet Water Treatment Unit (Model: AMD 150B/1/2T D; Aquionics Inc., Peak output: 254 nm) fitted with an inline chiller to maintain brine temperature of -1°C. Samples were withdrawn at regular intervals for 120 minutes. When L. monocytogenes population was no longer detectable via direct plating on MOX, enrichment was performed and suspect colonies were confirmed using API-Listeria. For antimicrobial-only (i.e., no UV) treatments, a specific concentration of antimicrobial was added in inoculated brine and samples were taken for 120 minutes. For the brine that received combination of UV and antimicrobial treatments, UV was turned on once a specific concentration of antimicrobial was added in inoculated brine and samples were withdrawn at regular intervals for 120 minutes.
When treated with UV alone, L. monocytogenes population decreased from approximately 6 log CFU/mL to below the detection limit (i.e., 1 log CFU/mL) in 15 minutes with the reduction rate of 0.87 log CFU/mL per minute. However, cells were detectable by enrichment through 120 minutes. The highest rate of decline (0.90 log CFU/mL per minute) was achieved by the combination of UV and 500 ppm DMDC (UV+500 ppm DMDC), which was not significantly different from the reduction rates of UV and UV+0.5% CA. UV+500 ppm DMDC reduced L. monocytogenes to the detection limit in 15 minutes and the organism was not detected by enrichment after 60 minutes. Though the reduction rate of UV+0.5% CA was not significantly lower than the rate of UV+500 ppm DMDC (P>0.05), the former treatment resulted in non-detectable levels more quickly (45 minutes) than the latter (60 minutes). Thus, based on enrichment studies UV+0.5% CA was the most effective treatment in reducing the population of L. monocytogenes in fresh brine. Moreover, when brine was treated with 0.5% CA alone the population decreased to below detection limit in 15 minutes with the rate significantly lower than UV+500 ppm DMDC and UV+0.5% CA (P<0.05). However, L. monocytogenes was not detectable by enrichment from 60 minutes. To summarize, through enrichment studies we observed that UV+0.5% CA, UV+500 DMDC, and 0.5% CA Control were more effective than other treatments in reducing the listeriae population to a non-detectable level.
Spent brine is recycled brine that was obtained from a frankfurter processor after its maximum usage. Results of spent brine studies showed that when brine was treated with UV+4000 ppm HP and UV+2000 ppm HP, L. monocytogenes population decreased to the detection limit in 45 minutes and was not detected by enrichment from 120 minutes. These treatments were observed to be the most effective treatments with a reduction rate of 0.12 log CFU/mL per minute. The reduction rate of some other treatments such as, UV+250 and 500 ppm DMDC, UV+0.2% and 0.5% CA, and UV alone was not significantly different from UV+4000 and 2000 ppm HP. However, the population was detected through enrichment up to 120 minutes in all other treatments.
The results of these studies indicate that combinations of UV and antimicrobial may be more effective than either treatment alone (except 0.5% CA treatment) to process fresh chill brines. However, the antimicrobials and UV were less effective for controlling L. monocytgoenes in spent brine; presumably due to the presence of organic matter.Ph. D
Articulating circular economy dimensions in space: six case studies
No full textTransition from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is a complex multi-actor, multi-level, multi-phase and multi-pattern process [1]. It requires new pathways weaving together technological, governmental, societal, behavioural, economic and environmental dimensions [2] into sustainable and equitable [3] circular futures.
Two Flemish regions, Antwerp and Central-Limburg, adopt research by design (RBD) to develop strategies for circular territorial development. They produce forward looking projections of circular resource flows while simultaneously densifying settlement patterns and initiating infrastructural synergies.
This paper analyses imaginaries for the future CE produced in six RBD investigations in Antwerp and Central-Limburg. The paper articulates how these imaginaries synthesize some of the CE’s complex systems changes in space. Furthermore, this paper investigates the role these future imaginaries can play in the processes supporting circular territorial development.
Demonstrating RBD’s capacity to synthesize multiple CE transition dimensions in future imaginaries, this paper contributes to transdisciplinary research methods supporting transition to a social and multi-dimensional CE.sponsorship: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoekstatus: Published onlin
The potential for pay-as-you-go liquefied petroleum gas to accelerate access to clean cooking in Rwanda and Kenya
Full text linkGlobally, there are 2.4 billion people who still cook with biomass fuels such as wood and charcoal. This is estimated to cause four million deaths per year as well as a wide range of climatic, environmental and social impacts. Numerous clean cooking fuels are available but remain inaccessible to low-income consumers due to affordability barriers. An emerging solution targeted at the urban poor is pay-as-you-go (PAYG) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), consisting of an internet-enabled valve that allows customers to purchase small amounts of gas at a time. Very little is known about PAYG LPG stove users, their patterns of fuel use, and whether PAYG LPG can help realise the full benefits of clean cooking.
This thesis addresses these gaps using data from surveys, interviews, stove use monitors and PAYG LPG meters to examine cooking practices in PAYG LPG pilots in Kigali, Rwanda (n=78) and Kisumu, Kenya (n=149). It also contains a literature review of fuel stacking (n=100) that formed the basis for designing and testing interventions (n=19) to promote exclusive PAYG LPG use in Kisumu. Finally, it consists of semi-structured interviews (n=20) with key industry stakeholders that examine the place of PAYG LPG in the wider clean cooking ecosystem.
The findings show that PAYG LPG successfully reaches a low-income demographic who otherwise cannot afford clean fuels. Both pilots saw high levels of primary fuel adoption that resulted in financial, time and health benefits to users. These impacts were enhanced through the provision of pressure cookers and frying pans, showing that cooking transitions could be accelerated by accompanying equipment interventions. However, low margins and a fragile business model may inhibit PAYG LPG’s ability to scale and remain affordable to target customers. If these limitations can be addressed then this technology could play an important role in advancing energy access across sub-Saharan Africa
Assessing the 'Governance Grip' of Combined Authorities for Integrated Infrastructure Provision in the UK
No full textWhile the positive benefits of integrated infrastructure development and management are theoretically understood, many global city-regions do not havegovernance arrangements designed to operationalise integration. Despite thecriticality of ‘nexus’ provision and high degrees of interdependence in city-regions, the organisation of governance mechanisms to ensure collaborative and symbiotic relationships remains an incomplete aspect of business as usual. A preliminary assessment was conducted of the governability of critical infrastructure domains (water, energy, food, and waste) in select UK city-regions. To establish a systematic approach for further research, a Governance Framework was produced and piloted.The paper also reports on preliminary investigations and confirms insights that agovernance deficit exists. We note that integrated infrastructure issues were notappearing systematically as high-level strategic governance priorities for the newly established Combined Authorities. We conclude the ‘governance grip’ discernable for overseeing integrated infrastructure outcomes is relatively weak.<br/
Assessing the 'Governance Grip' of Combined Authorities for Integrated Infrastructure Provision in the UK
No full textWhile the positive benefits of integrated infrastructure development and management are theoretically understood, many global city-regions do not havegovernance arrangements designed to operationalise integration. Despite thecriticality of ‘nexus’ provision and high degrees of interdependence in city-regions, the organisation of governance mechanisms to ensure collaborative and symbiotic relationships remains an incomplete aspect of business as usual. A preliminary assessment was conducted of the governability of critical infrastructure domains (water, energy, food, and waste) in select UK city-regions. To establish a systematic approach for further research, a Governance Framework was produced and piloted.The paper also reports on preliminary investigations and confirms insights that agovernance deficit exists. We note that integrated infrastructure issues were notappearing systematically as high-level strategic governance priorities for the newly established Combined Authorities. We conclude the ‘governance grip’ discernable for overseeing integrated infrastructure outcomes is relatively weak.<br/
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
COVID-19, SDGs and public health systems: Linkages in Brazil
Full text linkBackground
The global 2030 Agenda covers a range of interconnected issues which need interdisciplinary and holistic approaches to improve human well-being and protect the natural environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light critical inequities in society and policy gaps in health services. As highlighted through analyses of the interlinkages among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), connections between human health and well-being and the environment, can help support new policy needs in addressing systemic health crises, including widespread pandemics.
Method
We identify links between the COVID-19 crisis and multiple SDGs in the context of Brazil based on a review of the current literature in the health sector.
Findings: We identify synergistic connections between 88 out of 169 SDG targets and COVID-19, notably around themes such as City Environment, Contextual Policies and the value created by improved Information and Technology. Using the context of the Brazilian National Health Service (SUS) highlights recurrent interconnections from the focal point of target 3.8. This includes topics such as challenges for universal healthcare coverage, budget allocation, and universalisation.
Conclusions
The framework developed for supporting policy-making decisions and the design of toolkits for dealing with future health-related emergency scenarios offers a practical solution in the health sector. It is worth noting that progress and action on public health systems and policies must go hand in hand with addressing existing socio-economic vulnerabilities in society. This is vital for tackling future pandemics and simultaneously addressing the SDGs
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