Comparison of Peracetic Acid and Chlorine Effectiveness during Fresh-Cut Vegetable Processing at Industrial Scale.

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of two sanitizing agents, chlorine and peracetic acid (PAA), in reducing spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms and disinfection by-products in the washing stage of three types of minimally processed vegetables: iceberg lettuce, carrots, and baby leaves. These fresh-cut products are consumed uncooked; thus, proper sanitation is essential in preventing foodborne illness outbreaks. The comparison was done at industrial scale with equipment already used in the fresh-cut industry and with washers designed and manufactured for this purpose. Results showed that for washing water hygiene and final product microbial quality, the use of PAA or chlorine had similar efficacy. Different scenarios combining PAA, chlorine, and water were tested, simulating the current industrial processes for each of the tested vegetables. Overall, results confirmed that the use of a sanitizer, PAA or chlorine, in the washing water is effective for the prevention of cross-contamination during the washing process and hence for produce food safety. For final product microbiological quality and shelf life, the use of chlorine or PAA showed no significant differences in lettuce or baby leaves. Chlorinated disinfection by-products in processing water were not formed in significant amounts when washing water was treated with PAA in all scenarios and for all tested vegetables, whereas washing with chlorine (80 mg/L) generated important amounts of trihalomethanes, chlorates, and chlorites. Although chlorates and chlorites were always below the recommended levels or legal limits established for drinking water, trihalomethanes exceeded the legal limits. For perchlorates, values were below the quantification limit in all scenarios. Our results show that PAA is a reliable alternative to chlorine disinfection strategies in the fresh-cut industry.

Effects of nitro-heterocyclic derivatives against Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes

Leishmaniasis is an overlooked tropical disease affecting approximately 1 million people in several countries. Clinical manifestation depends on the interaction between Leishmania and the host's immune response. Currently available treatment options for leishmaniasis are limited and induce severe side effects. In this research, we tested nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) as a new alternative against Leishmania. Its activity was measured in Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes using MTT colorimetric assay. Additionally, we assessed the phosphatidylserine exposure by promastigotes, measured by flow cytometry, as well as nitric oxide production, measured by Griess' method. The nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) showed activity against L. (L.) infantum promastigotes, inducting the phosphatidylserine exposition by promastigotes, decreasing intracellular amastigotes and increasing oxide nitric production. The selectivity index was more prominent to Leishmania than to macrophages. Compared to amphotericin b, our compounds presented higher IC50, however the selectivity index was more specific to parasite than to amphotericin b. In conclusion, these nitro-heterocyclic compounds showed to be promising as an anti-Leishmania drug, in in vitro studies

Effects of nitro-heterocyclic derivatives against Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes.

Leishmaniasis is an overlooked tropical disease affecting approximately 1 million people in several countries. Clinical manifestation depends on the interaction between Leishmania and the host's immune response. Currently available treatment options for leishmaniasis are limited and induce severe side effects. In this research, we tested nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) as a new alternative against Leishmania. Its activity was measured in Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes using MTT colorimetric assay. Additionally, we assessed the phosphatidylserine exposure by promastigotes, measured by flow cytometry, as well as nitric oxide production, measured by Griess' method. The nitro-heterocyclic compounds (BSF series) showed activity against L. (L.) infantum promastigotes, inducting the phosphatidylserine exposition by promastigotes, decreasing intracellular amastigotes and increasing oxide nitric production. The selectivity index was more prominent to Leishmania than to macrophages. Compared to amphotericin b, our compounds presented higher IC50, however the selectivity index was more specific to parasite than to amphotericin b. In conclusion, these nitro-heterocyclic compounds showed to be promising as an anti-Leishmania drug, in in vitro studies.

[Complications associated with plastic meshes and slings. A situation like in the US?]. / Komplikationen von Kunststoffnetzen und -bändern. Amerikanische Verhältnisse?

New surgical strategies have rarely been accepted so rapidly in clinical routine worldwide, without available prospective studies proving safety and efficacy. After the success of midurethral slings, having been implanted in millions of patients, alloplastic meshes are available for the treatment of prolapse with new, so far unknown complications in relevant frequency. In the USA with their own medicolegal system, there have been a flood of litigations (> 60,000 in 2014), with compensations of > USD 10 million in individual cases. Even though medical strategies and surgical skills might be different in Germany this development should encourage strict indications and centralization in pelvic floor centers.

Standardised Registration of Surgical Complications in Laparoscopic-Gynaecological Therapeutic Procedures Using the Clavien-Dindo Classification.

Introduction: The registration of complications represents an important component in the evaluation of surgical therapeutic procedures. The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency of occurrence as well as the severity of surgical complications after laparoscopic-gynaecological operations in a standardised manner using the Clavien-Dindo system. Material and Methods: Altogether 7438 treatment courses after laparoscopic-gynaecological interventions by 9 working groups were evaluated. Covariates recorded were the technical complexity of the operation, type of study cohort, study size, data acquisition as well as study centre. Target variables recorded were the surgical morbidity rate, subdivided into mild (Clavien-Dindo grade I-II) and severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade III-V). In addition, a binary logistic regression analysis for the mentioned covariates and the occurrence of surgical complication was carried out. Results: 946 complications were recorded (overall complication rate: 13 %). These included 664 mild complications (8.9 %) and 305 severe complications (4.1 %). A correlation was found between the covariates technical complexity (relative risk [rR] 1.37; p < 0.01), study size (rR: 0.35; p < 0.01) and study centre (rR 0.19; p < 0.01) and the occurrence of surgical complications. Conclusion: By means of a standardised registration of complications using the Clavien-Dindo classification it appears to be possible to limit the methodologically caused underestimation of surgical morbidity in the retrospective evaluation of gynaecological-endoscopic therapeutic procedures. Factors decisively influencing the surgical morbidity of gynaecological-laparoscopic therapeutic procedures are the respective operative experience of the treating facility as well as the technical complexity of the intervention.

Pregnancy, childbirth, and sexual function: perceptions and facts.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Data on the effect of pregnancy and mode of delivery on postpartum sexual function are very heterogenic and inconclusive. The aim of this review is to examine the current literature for reliable data on the role of pregnancy and the route of delivery on sexual health and different dysfunctions. METHODS: A Medline search was performed for the terms "sexuality," "sexual function," "sexual dysfunction," and "pregnancy," "childbirth," "mode of delivery," "delivery," "cesarean section," "puerperium," and "postpartum." Randomized, prospective, and retrospective studies in published in the English language from 1960 to November 2012 were evaluated. RESULTS: Sexual function decreases throughout pregnancy, getting worse as the pregnancy progresses. Decreasing desire and orgasm, increasing pain and other sexual dysfunction problems in the first 3 months gradually improved within 6 months after delivery. This process is affected by many factors such as socio-cultural, age, parity, breastfeeding, depression, tiredness, sexual inactivity during the first trimester, postpartum body image, worries about getting pregnant again, and concomitant urinary tract infections are reported as independent risk factors for sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: In this review there is no clear evidence of a relationship between the mode of delivery and changes in sexual function. Quality of sexual life should be part of history taking because of the possible sequelae of pregnancy and delivery. More adequately powered studies are necessary to answer the many open questions.

The effects of olive oil emulsified alginate on the physico-chemical, sensory, microbial, and fatty acid profiles of low-salt, inulin-enriched sausages.

This paper examines variations in the quality of low-salt, inulin enriched Pamplona-style chorizo, in which some of the pork back fat was replaced with olive oil. Four different sausage formulations were prepared in which 50% of the pork back fat was replaced with olive oil emulsified with alginate and 58% of the sodium chloride was replaced with 20% potassium chloride and 38% calcium chloride. Four lots were prepared, three with 3%, 6% and 10% proportions of added inulin were labeled O-I 3%, O-I 6% and O-I 10%, respectively; while one, lot O, was without inulin. These four formulations were compared with a control manufactured according to the traditional formula using pork back fat. The various lots were tested for proximate analysis, pH, processing loss, water activity, lactic acid bacteria, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, physico-chemical composition, instrumental colour (CIE L*a*b*), texture profile and fatty acid composition during mixing and at days 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 of the drying process. A sensory evaluation was also performed by a seven-member trained panel, to obtain a descriptive analysis of the taste, texture and appearance of the product. The addition of olive oil alginate emulsion and inulin, O-I 6%, resulted in a low-salt, reduced-fat product (20% less fat than traditional sausage), richer in monounsaturated fatty acids (10%), while retaining sensory notes similar to those of the traditional chorizo used as a control and achieved a good acceptability rating.

Disruption of the EGFR E884-R958 ion pair conserved in the human kinome differentially alters signaling and inhibitor sensitivity.

Targeted therapy against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) represents a major therapeutic advance in lung cancer treatment. Somatic mutations of the EGFR gene, most commonly L858R (exon 21) and short in-frame exon 19 deletions, have been found to confer enhanced sensitivity toward the inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib. We have recently identified an EGFR mutation E884K, in combination with L858R, in a patient with advanced lung cancer who progressed on erlotinib maintenance therapy, and subsequently had leptomeningeal metastases that responded to gefitinib. The somatic E884K substitution appears to be relatively infrequent and resulted in a mutant lysine residue that disrupts an ion pair with residue R958 in the EGFR kinase domain C-lobe, an interaction that is highly conserved within the human kinome as demonstrated by our sequence analysis and structure analysis. Our studies here, using COS-7 transfection model system, show that E884K works in concert with L858R in-cis, in a dominant manner, to change downstream signaling, differentially induce Mitogen-activated protein kinase (extracellular signaling-regulated kinase 1/2) signaling and associated cell proliferation and differentially alter sensitivity of EGFR phosphorylation inhibition by ERBB family inhibitors in an inhibitor-specific manner. Mutations of the conserved ion pair E884-R958 may result in conformational changes that alter kinase substrate recognition. The analogous E1271K-MET mutation conferred differential sensitivity toward preclinical MET inhibitors SU11274 (unchanged) and PHA665752 (more sensitive). Systematic bioinformatics analysis of the mutation catalog in the human kinome revealed the presence of cancer-associated mutations involving the conserved E884 homologous residue, and adjacent residues at the ion pair, in known proto-oncogenes (KIT, RET, MET and FAK) and tumor-suppressor gene (LKB1). Targeted therapy using small-molecule inhibitors should take into account potential cooperative effects of multiple kinase mutations, and their specific effects on downstream signaling and inhibitor sensitivity. Improved efficacy of targeted kinase inhibitors may be achieved by targeting the dominant activating mutations present.

Effect of preservative agents on the respiration rate of minimally processed potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Monalisa).

The shelf life of minimally processed potatoes (MPP) is limited by enzyme-catalyzed browning reactions, with the increase in respiration being another factor that affects quality retention of this product. Sulfites are commonly used as effective preservative agents in minimally processing potatoes, but ascorbic acid and citric acid are considered natural sulfite substitutes and more accepted by consumers. The aim of this study was to study the effect of combinations of the preservative agents cited above (sodium metabisulfite 0.1% and 0.5%; citric acid 0.1% and 0.5%; ascorbic acid 0.5%) on the respiration rate of MPP (cv. Monalisa) processed at both ambient and refrigerated temperatures. The results have revealed that there is a significant effect of dipping treatment and temperature on respiration rate of MPP. Sodium metabisulfite (SM) reduces respiratory activity up to 0.8 mL/kg/h. The addition of either citric or ascorbic acid enhanced the effect of SM on the reduction of the respiration rate of MPP. The strongest effect (up to 3.3 mL/kg/h) was observed when a combination of all 3 agents at the higher concentrations was employed at a temperature of 18 degrees C.

Weak VLPP and MUCP correlation and their relationship with objective and subjective measures of severity of urinary incontinence.

The aims of the present study were to find the correlation between Valsalva leak-point pressure (VLPP) and cough leak-point pressure (CLPP) and to determine whether the water perfusion maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) correlates with VLPP. Seventy-nine women with previously untreated stress urinary incontinence were recruited to participate in a clinical study. Their mean age was 56.4 years, mean BMI was 27.8, and mean parity was 1.9. The mean values of VLPP and CLPP were 50.4 and 52.9 cm H(2)O, respectively. We did not find statistically significant differences in the mean values of VLPP and CLPP. The mean value of MUCP at rest was 44.2 cm H(2)O and the mean value of MUCP during maximal Valsalva maneuver was 37.2 cm H(2)O; with 500 ml of sterile saline in the bladder the difference between them is statistically significant. In the study group (n=79), 56 patients (77%) had low VLPP (< or =60 cm H(2)O), 21 patients (30%) had low MUCP (< or =30 cm H(2)O), and 8 patients had MUCP< or =20 cm H(2)O (all at rest). Of the 56 patients with low VLPP, 16 also had a low MUCP (< or =30 cm H(2)O). This study mainly compares two parameters-the MUCP and the VLPP. Based on our results we can conclude that there is no correlation between these parameters. MUCP measures urethral resistance at rest and VLPP measures urethral resistance during increased intra-abdominal pressure (Valsalva maneuver).

Updated recommendations on ultrasonography in urogynecology.

Ultrasound is a supplementary, indispensable diagnostic procedure in urogynecology; perineal, introital, and endoanal ultrasound are the most recommended techniques. The position and mobility of the bladder neck can be demonstrated. In patients undergoing diagnostic work-up for urge symptoms, ultrasound occasionally demonstrates urethral diverticula, leiomyomas, and cysts in the vaginal wall. These findings will lead to further diagnostic assessment. The same applies to the demonstration of bladder diverticula, foreign bodies in the bladder, and bullous edema. With endoanal ultrasound, different parts of the sphincter ani muscle can be evaluated. Recommendations for the standardized use of urogenital ultrasound are given.

Effect of weight at slaughter on the volatile compounds of cooked beef from Spanish cattle breeds.

The volatile compounds in cooked beef from the local Spanish cattle breeds, Asturiana, Avileña, Parda Alpina, Pirenaica, Retinta, Rubia Gallega, and Morucha, were studied. Bulls were slaughtered at a live weight of 300 and 550kg and the beef was aged for seven days before cooking. Differences in volatile composition among the breeds were considerable and may contribute to the perception of flavour differences in the cooked beef. Peak area values for dimethyl sulfide, which could be related to cauliflower notes, were highest for the meat from the Pirenaica breed. Levels of the detected volatiles, especially sulfur compounds, in the beef from the Asturiana breed were low-intermediate and were potentially related to blood and liver notes and unpleasant flavours. Avileña stood out among the rustic breeds because of its high values for 1-octene, methylcyclohexane, tetradecane and carbon disulfide, while Retinta displayed high 2,3,4-trimethylpentane levels. The effect of weight at slaughter was influenced by breed, because, except for octane, all the volatile compounds behaved differently according to the breed. Ethanol was characteristic of animals with a high percentage intramuscular fat content, and carbon disulfide was characteristic of animals slaughtered at the lower of the two live weights considered.

AMES, MACIS and TNM prognostic classifications in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

The need for total thyroidectomy and extended for lymphadenectomy and the need for postoperative radioiodine ablation in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma is continuously debated. Since less aggressive treatment in low-risk patients has been suggested, several scoring systems have been developed to identify low-risk patients. In the current study, we compared the AMES, MACIS and TNM staging systems in predicting carcinoma-specific mortality in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Between 1967 and 1994, 495 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were treated at the Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Carcinoma-specific mortality in the AMES low-risk group, comprising 89.7% of these patients, was 2.4%. Corresponding figures for the MACIS were 89.9%, and 2.4%, and for the TNM 85.9% and 1.2%. The mortality ratio, at 10 years, between low-risk and high-risk patients was 22.2 for the AMES, 25.0 for the MACIS and 41.8 for the TNM system. The proportion of explained variance in the Cox model was 16.3 for the AMES, 30.0 for the MACIS taken as a conitinuous variable and 28.9 for the TNM stage. The TNM stage was on average superior to the MACIS or AMES score in predicting cancer-specific mortality of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. This may be explained by the fact that the TNM system includes the prognostic effect of nodal metastases, which is included in neither the MACIS nor AMES systems.

Introital and transvaginal ultrasound as the main tool in the assessment of urogenital and pelvic floor dysfunction: an imaging panel and practical approach.

This article reviews the different applications of ultrasound in benign urogynecological diseases. The findings presented here were obtained by introital and transvaginal ultrasound, both of which can be performed with the same equipment (5-7-MHz sector transducer, emission angle of at least 90 degrees; for introital sonography, the transducer is placed over the external urethral orifice with the transducer axis corresponding to the body axis). Female voiding dysfunction, including urge symptoms, recurrent urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence, may occur secondary to morphological and topographical changes of the urogenital organs. Findings such as urethral diverticula, periurethral masses, funneling of the urethra and distension cystoceles are identified by introital ultrasound. Transvaginal ultrasound enables the detection of pathologies of the bladder and uterus including its appendages. Ultrasound as part of the diagnostic work-up of stress urinary incontinence and genitourinary prolapse allows for the morphological and dynamic assessment of the lower urinary tract. It is possible, for example, to classify sonographically identified changes of the endopelvic fascia as lateral (distraction cystocele, funneling of the urethra) and central (pulsation cystocele) defects as well as to determine the reactivity of the pelvic floor muscles. Ultrasound has replaced radiography in yielding information on the abnormal morphology of the urogenital organs, which should be taken into account in planning the treatment of urogynecological conditions.

[Surgical therapy of female urinary incontinence]. / Operative Therapie der weiblichen Harninkontinenz.

Within the past years, surgical concepts for treating females with urinary incontinence have greatly changed. The spectrum of indications is becoming increasingly narrower. All possible conservative treatment modalities must first be attempted. Should the incontinence still continue to evoke social or hygienic problems, stress incontinence is usually treated with the minimally invasive TVT procedure (Tension-free Vaginal Tape), and in special cases, a modern modification of colposuspension is undertaken. Based on a success rate and specific complications, it is now known which slings and colposuspension techniques should no longer be used. Vaginal reconstructive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, such as anterior and posterior repair and sacrospinous colpopexy are now obsolete for treating incontinence. Likewise discussed are operative procedures for rare forms of female incontinence and for urge incontinence, resistant to therapy.

[Colposuspension in treatment of female stress incontinence]. / Die Kolposuspension zur Behandlung der weiblichen Stressinkontinenz.

Colposuspension has emerged as the "golden standard" for the surgical treatment of female urinary incontinence. With a lateral and tangential approach for the placement of the sutures, the rate of obstructed micturition and de novo urgency is low. Success rates of 85% for primary and 70-75% for recurrent incontinence can be achieved. In competition with the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure, colposuspension will remain the first choice for all laparotomies necessitated by other pathologies, in cases of paravaginal herniation as the cause of prolapse, and in women with unstable bladders caused by anatomical defects. The endoscopic approach has not yet gained general acceptance.