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Sanitation
Terms modified by Sanitation Selected AbstractsUrban Service Partnerships, ,Street-Level Bureaucrats' and Environmental Sanitation in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana: Coping with Organisational Change in the Public BureaucracyDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 1 2006Richard Crook This is an empirical case study of ,street-level' officials in a classic ,regulatory' public agency: the Environmental Health Department in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana, where privatisation and contracting-out of sanitary services have imposed new ways of working on Environmental Health Officers. Both internal and external organisational relationships are analysed to explain the extent to which these officers have adapted to more ,client-oriented' ways of working. Their positive organizational culture is credited with much of the positive results achieved, but was not sufficient to cope with the negative impact of politically protected privatisations on the officials' ability to enforce standards. Nor could it entirely overcome the deficiencies in training and incentive structures which should have accompanied the changes in service delivery. [source] Sanitation of entire broods of dead nestlings may bias cause-specific nest failure ratesIBIS, Issue 1 2009CHRIS KIRKPATRICK First page of article [source] Survival of spores of Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata after exposure to ethanol solutions at various temperaturesJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004F. Mlikota Gabler Abstract Aims:, To quantify and model the toxicity of brief exposures of spores of Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata to heated, aqueous ethanol solutions. These fungi are common postharvest decay pathogens of fresh grapes and other produce. Sanitation of produce reduces postharvest losses caused by these and other pathogens. Methods and Results:, Spores of the fungi were exposed to solutions containing up to 30% (v/v) ethanol at 25,50°C for 30 s, then their survival was determined by germination on semisolid media. Logistical, second-order surface-response models were prepared for each fungus. Subinhibitory ethanol concentrations at ambient temperatures became inhibitory when heated at temperatures much lower than those that cause thermal destruction of the spores by water alone. At 40°C, the estimated ethanol concentrations that inhibited the germination of 50% (LD50) of the spores of B. cinerea, A. alternata, A. niger and R. stolonifer were 9·7, 13·5, 19·6 and 20·6%, respectively. Conclusions:, Ethanol and heat combinations were synergistic. Control of spores of these fungi could be accomplished with much lower temperatures and ethanol concentrations when combined compared with either used alone. Botrytis cinerea and A. alternata were less resistant to the combination than A. niger or R. stolonifer. [source] Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid in sanitizing green coconutsLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009E.H.M. Walter Abstract Aims:, To evaluate the efficacy of sanitizing green coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) through the treatment applied by juice industries using sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid. Methods and Results:, The surface of the fruits was inoculated with a mixture of five Listeria monocytogenes strains. The treatments consisted in immersing the fruits for 2 min at room temperature in sodium hypochlorite solution containing 200 mg l,1 residual chlorine at pH 6·5, and 80 mg l,1 solution of peracetic acid or sterile water. Bacterial populations were quantified by culturing on trypticase soy agar supplemented with yeast extract and Oxford selective culture medium; however, recovery was higher on the nonselective medium. Immersion in water produced a reduction in the L. monocytogenes population of 1·7 log10 CFU per fruit, while immersion in sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid solutions resulted in population reductions of 2·7 and 4·7 log10 CFU per fruit respectively. Conclusions:, The treatments studied are efficient to green coconuts. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Sanitation of green coconut is one of the most important control measures to prevent the contamination of coconut water. This article provides information that shows the adequacy of sanitizing treatments applied by the juice industries. [source] Immediate post-traumatic upper incisor reconstruction using composite resin materialsDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Vlatko Panduric Clinical inspection revealed a complex crown fracture of the central incisor as well as a simple horizontal fracture of the lateral incisor crown of the enamel-dentin type. Vertical fracture separated the palatal enamel wall from the rest of the lateral incisor crown. After the completion of the endodontic sanitation, root canals were prepared for prefabricated composite posts and crown reconstructions were performed with the Finger Tip Technique by using composite resin materials. The advantage of this kind of reconstruction is preservation of the hard dental crown tissue removed in case of prosthetic therapy, especially in younger patients. Reconstruction can be finished in one visit, without the need for a dental technician and laboratory. [source] Brazil's Bolsa Família: A Double-Edged Sword?DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 5 2008Anthony Hall ABSTRACT In common with most Latin American countries, as governments embrace safety nets to attack poverty, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes have become part of mainstream social policy in Brazil. Under president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995,2002), and especially since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003, targeted assistance in education, health and nutrition, now united under Bolsa Família, have expanded rapidly to benefit forty-four million (24 per cent of the total population), absorbing almost two-fifths of the social assistance budget earmarked for the poorest sectors. Despite its operational problems, Bolsa Família appears to have been effective in providing short-term relief to some of the most deprived groups in Brazil. Yet it could prove to be a double-edged sword. There is a risk that, due to its popularity among both the poor and Brazil's politicians, Bolsa Família could greatly increase patronage in the distribution of economic and social benefits and induce a strong dependence on government handouts. There are also early signs that it may be contributing to a reduction in social spending in key sectors such as education, housing and basic sanitation, possibly undermining the country's future social and economic development. [source] Privatisation Results: Private Sector Participation in Water Services After 15 YearsDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 6 2006Naren Prasad Privatisation of public infrastructure has been the mantra of many development agencies since the late 1980s. Water supply is no exception, and various forms of private sector participation (PSP) have been tried in the water and sanitation sector. This article examines the results of these experiments. It suggests that PSP has had mixed results and that in several important respects the private sector seems to be no more efficient in delivering services than the public sector. Despite growing evidence of failures and increasing public pressure against it, privatisation in water and sanitation is still alive, however. Increasingly, it is being repackaged in new forms such as that of public-private partnership. [source] Restoring sanitation services after an earthquake: field experience in Bam, IranDISASTERS, Issue 3 2005Jean-François Pinera Abstract A powerful earthquake hit the city of Bam in southeast Iran on 26 December 2003. In its aftermath, a number of international relief agencies, including Oxfam, assisted in providing emergency sanitation services. Oxfam's programme consisted of constructing and repairing toilets and showers in villages located outside of the city. In contrast with other organisations, Oxfam opted for brickwork structures, using local materials and human resources rather than prefabricated cubicles. The choice illustrates the dilemmas faced by agencies involved in emergency sanitation: responding to needs in a manner consistent with international standards and offering assistance in a timely fashion while involving beneficiaries. Following a preliminary survey, Oxfam concluded that the provision of showers and latrines, in addition to utilisation of local materials and human resources, was essential for ensuring well-being, empowerment and dignity among members of the affected population, thereby maximising the benefits. [source] Soil-solution speciation of CD as affected by soil characteristics in unpolluted and polluted soilsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2005Erik Meers Abstract Total metal content by itself is insufficient as a measure to indicate actual environmental risk. Understanding the mobility of heavy metals in the soil and their speciation in the soil solution is of great importance for accurately assessing environmental risks posed by these metals. In a first explorative study, the effects of general soil characteristics on Cd mobility were evaluated and expressed in the form of empirical formulations. The most important factors influencing mobility of Cd proved to be pH and total soil content. This may indicate that current legislation expressing the requirement for soil sanitation in Flanders (Belgium) as a function of total soil content, organic matter, and clay does not successfully reflect actual risks. Current legal frameworks focusing on total content, therefore, should be amended with criteria that are indicative of metal mobility and availability and are based on physicochemical soil properties. In addition, soil-solution speciation was performed using two independent software packages (Visual Minteq 2.23 and Windermere Humic Aqueous model VI [WHAM VI]). Both programs largely were in agreement in concern to Cd speciation in all 29 soils under study. Depending on soil type, free ion and the organically complexed forms were the most abundant species. Additional inorganic soluble species were sulfates and chlorides. Minor species in solution were in the form of nitrates, hydroxides, and carbonates, the relative importance of which was deemed insignificant in comparison to the four major species. [source] Environmental burden of disease: HRQoL and statistical perspectivesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 5 2004Pranab Kumar Sen Abstract Environmental toxicity and pollution mingled with substandard sanitation and public health practice can lead to serious health problems. Some of these toxics can be identified and subjected to preventive measures but together with some other major factors they form the environmental burden of disease, more seriously in developing countries. As a result, in health related quality of life risk assessments, especially relating to cancer of various types, as well as chronic and intestinal diseases, we need to incorporate toxicology as well as environmental epidemiology. Statistical perspectives in this challenging task are appraised with special attention to the arsenite contamination of the groundwater problem. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROPOLITICS: THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCALES OF WATER AND SECURITY IN THE INDUS BASIN,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 4 2007Daanish Mustafa ABSTRACT. The article identifies important themes and future research directions for analyzing water and conflict dynamics at the subnational scale in the Indus Basin. A historical overview of water development in the Indus Basin suggests that the water-security nexus was always a salient theme in the minds of water developers, even in the nineteenth century. Conflicts over contemporary large-scale water-development projects in the Indian and Pakistani parts of the Indus Basin are reviewed. Engineers' single-minded focus on megaprojects, to the neglect of the wider set of values that societies attach to water resources in the eastern and western Indus Basin are largely to blame for continuing low-grade conflict in the basin. A review of local-level conflicts over water supply and sanitation in Karachi and the distribution of irrigation water in Pakistani Punjab illustrates the critical role of governance and differential social power relations in accentuating conflict. The article argues against neo-Malthusian assumptions about the inevitability of conflict over water because of its future absolute scarcity. Instead, the article seeks to demonstrate that, despite evidence suggesting that international armed conflict over water does not exist, the potential for political instability over domestic water distribution and development issues is real. The question of whether conflict at the subnational scale will culminate in violence will depend on how water-resources institutions in the basin behave. [source] Behavioural responses to ectoparasites: time-budget adjustments and what matters to Blue Tits Parus caeruleus infested by fleasIBIS, Issue 3 2002Frédéric Tripet Blue Tit nests are often heavily infested by fleas, which feed on the incubating female and the nestlings. Depending on habitat quality, the drawing of blood by fleas reduces offspring quality, or it is compensated by an increase in food provisioning by the adults and may reduce their future reproduction. Given these fitness costs, tits are expected to have evolved behavioural responses enabling them to remove, destroy or minimize the contact with fleas. To identify these traits, we video-recorded the changes in frequency and duration of the hosts' potential anti-flea behavioural defences in nests experimentally infested with low and high flea densities. We also investigated whether flea load affected the number of male feeds delivered to incubating females, and whether the parents increased their rate of food provisioning to the nestlings equally at high flea density. Flea density significantly affected the nest sanitation and sleeping behaviour of Blue Tit females but had no significant effect on grooming. Female Blue Tits increased the frequency but decreased the duration of bouts of these behavioural traits, and hence their time-budgets, based on per hour duration of behaviour, were not significantly affected by flea density. High flea density reduced nestling weight at the early nestling stage but these costs were fully compensated by an increase in female feeding effort. Males did not increase their frequency of food provisioning to incubating females nor to nestlings in heavily infested nests. The results are discussed in the light of parasite-mediated selection on host behaviour and the reciprocal host selection on flea life-history and behavioural traits. [source] Contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease in a large family with multiple casesINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 5 2007Marie Joossens MSc Abstract Background: A large family of Moroccan immigrants was investigated. In this family the father developed Crohn's disease (CD) after moving from Morocco to Belgium and successively 4 of his 8 children subsequently developed CD. There was no previous history of familial CD. Methods: The family was interviewed at their home and an elaborated questionnaire was completed. The food and sanitation characteristics of the family were investigated. Moreover, serological markers were tested in all family members, including ASCA, ASCAg, ALCA, ACCA, Omp, and ANCA, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence. Genetic variants in CARD15, TLR4, NOD1, CARD8, and DLG5 associated with CD were tested as well. The complete medical history of all patients was reviewed. Results: There were no known genetic variants associated with CD in this family. None of the serological antibodies could discriminate between patients and unaffected family members, although the antibody titers were higher in diseased family members as compared with the healthy family members. Conclusion: The occurrence of 5 new cases of CD within 1 Moroccan family after immigration to Belgium cannot be explained by the known genetic susceptibility factors, and thus suggests a major environmental factor probably not related to sanitation in childhood. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007) [source] Factors explaining the abundance of rodents in the city of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, as revealed by field and household surveysINTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008Prasartthong PROMKERD Abstract A field and a household survey, the latter of which included inspections and interviews with the residents of a total of 1370 properties, were conducted in 2004 in 30 villages of the city of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, in order to assess the degree of rodent infestation and to identify potential factors influencing infestations. Roof rats, Rattus rattus, and the Polynesian rat, Rattus exulans, were the only rodents found in the city, and trapping results showed a clear dominance of roof rats (80,90% of all individuals). Measurements of rodent activity using tracking patches correlated positively with the trapping data, and revealed a significantly higher degree of rat infestation during the rainy season (September) than during the dry season (November). If households in the vicinity of the sampling locations were considered, villagers' accounts of indoor rodent infestations recorded during the household survey correlated positively with measurements of rodent activity. At least every second household reported indoor infestations. Using explorative statistical analyses (classification trees, factor analysis) we checked the predictive or explanatory value of up to 28 variables assessed during household inspections for villagers' observations on rodent infestation as the dependent variable. Trophic factors such as exposed food (indoors) and garbage (outdoors), and structural features such as open ceilings (indoors) and rat harborage in gardens (outdoors) ranked highest as explanatory variables. Assessment of a small sample of roof rat droppings collected inside houses revealed the presence of the potential disease agents Salmonella javiana, Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia duodenalis and the parasitic nematode Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica). These results underline the need for an appropriate rodent management strategy for the city, whereby simple sanitation and rodent-proofing measures could be cheap means of reducing rat infestation rates. [source] Cervical carcinoma in Algiers, Algeria: Human papillomavirus and lifestyle risk factorsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2005Doudja Hammouda Abstract We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Algiers, Algeria. A total of 198 cervical carcinoma (CC) cases (including 15 adeno- and adenosquamous carcinomas) and 202 age-matched control women were included. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in cervical cells was evaluated using a PCR assay. Odds ratios and corresponding confidence intervals were computed by means of unconditional multiple logistic regression models. HPV infection was detected in 97.7% of CC cases and 12.4% of control women (OR = 635). Nineteen different HPV types were found. HPV 16 was the most common type in both CC cases and control women, followed by HPV 18 and 45. Twelve types (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 66 and 73) were found as single infections in CC cases. Multiple HPV infections did not show a higher odds ratio for CC than single infections. In addition to HPV infection, husband's extramarital sexual relationships with other women (OR = 4.8) or prostitutes (OR = 3.2), residing in a rural environment for most of one's life (OR = 4.9) and indicators of poor sanitation or poor hygiene were the strongest risk factors for CC. Oral contraceptive use was unrelated to CC risk, while multiparity emerged as a significant risk factor after adjustment for sexual habits. Intrauterine device users showed a lower CC risk than nonusers. The role of major risk factors, except inside toilet, was confirmed in the analysis restricted to HPV-positive women. The distribution of HPV types in CC cases and control women in Algeria is more similar to the one found in Europe than the one in sub-Saharan Africa, where HPV 16 is less prevalent. A vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 may be effective in more than 3/4 of CCs in Algeria. [source] Human gastrointestinal nematode infections: are new control methods required?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Gillian Stepek Summary Gastrointestinal (GI) nematode infections affect 50% of the human population worldwide, and cause great morbidity as well as hundreds of thousands of deaths. Despite modern medical practices, the proportion of the population infected with GI nematodes is not falling. This is due to a number of factors, the most important being the lack of good healthcare, sanitation and health education in many developing countries. A relatively new problem is the development of resistance to the small number of drugs available to treat GI nematode infections. Here we review the most important parasitic GI nematodes and the methods available to control them. In addition, we discuss the current status of new anthelmintic treatments, particularly the plant cysteine proteinases from various sources of latex-bearing plants and fruits. [source] Incidence of faecal streptococci as an indicator of sanitation in ice-cream and frozen vegetablesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Fulya Turanta Fifty-three ice-cream and fifty-five frozen vegetable samples, collected from two different factories, were analysed for total coliform bacteria, faecal coliform bacteria and faecal streptococci so that the value of faecal streptococci as an indicator of faecal contamination and sanitation in ice-cream and frozen vegetables could be evaluated. Thirty-two per cent of the ice-cream samples and 73% of the frozen vegetable samples were positive for coliform bacteria, whereas only 4% of the ice-cream samples and 24% of the frozen vegetable samples contained faecal coliform bacteria. Occurrence of faecal streptococci in the ice-cream and frozen vegetable samples were 81 and 75%, respectively. These results indicate that there is no direct relationship between the presence of faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci, and the high occurrence of faecal streptococci in frozen foods examined suggests that faecal streptococci is a better sanitary indicator in frozen food products. [source] Urban sustainability and governance: issues for the twenty-first centuryINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 193-194 2008Françoise Lieberherr-Gardiol The notion of urban sustainability that emerged at the end of the 1980s falls within the scope of sustainable development, a concept that arose in reaction to the model of technological and economic growth that triumphed after World War II. It comes into play as an attempt to link and put into perspective economic effectiveness, social equity and ecological balance. The sustainability approach focuses on how urban societies organise their space, their way of life and transportation, their technologies of production and consumption, as well as their governance and dynamics. Applied to cities, sustainable development can be defined in terms of concrete objectives: efforts to combat wasted energy, space and natural resources, and to reduce pollution, the problems of sanitation and the degradation of the environment. To the extent that governance is established and maintained with regard to the decision-making powers of public authorities faced with demands by divergent but equally legitimate interest groups, the responsibilities of citizens and the involvement of private stakeholders, sustainable innovations will succeed. The International Platform on Sustainable Urban Development, put in place by S-DEV Geneva 05, makes it possible to illustrate the problem by presenting the priority issues in sustainability, along with experiments undertaken by cities that were invited to present their innovations in renewable energy, soft mobility, green planning, systematic recycling, appropriate sanitation, urban agriculture and participatory governance. [source] Public Action, Agrarian Change and the Standard of Living of Agricultural Workers: A Study of a Village in KeralaJOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 3 2006R. RAMAKUMAR This article describes and analyses the ways in which public action in the State of Kerala in India helped to transform the standard of living of hired workers in agriculture. Specifically, the article analyses the extent of land and asset ownership, access to credit, access to social security schemes and food distribution systems and the conditions of housing and sanitation of households participating in agricultural wage work. The article is based as a case study of Morazha desam in the Malabar region of Kerala, which had one of the most oppressive agrarian systems in India before 1956,57. In 1955, another economist had studied Morazha desam; this study was conducted before one of the most important interventions through public action , land reform , took place in Malabar. The 1955 study had characterized the conditions of life of agricultural workers as ,wretched in the extreme'. The present article documents the significant transformation in the quality of life that took place in Morazha after 1955, through a weakening of the factors that led to ,wretched' conditions of life in the earlier period. The destruction of traditional agrarian power by the state through land reform was the most critical step in this process. [source] PERCEPTION OF IRRADIATED FOODS AMONG STUDENTS (SECONDARY, UNIVERSITY [FOOD SCIENCE AND NONFOOD SCIENCE]) AND ADULTS IN ARGENTINAJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 3 2008ALEJANDRA FLORES ABSTRACT A survey on beliefs and purchase intent of irradiated foods was conducted among 300 Argentine students, covering secondary/high school, food science and nonfood science university, and 100 nonstudent adults. Other factors considered were the type of information provided (introductory, process description and benefits) and the city of residence (small agricultural city and big city). The most important benefits were considered to be microorganism reduction and improved sanitation. On the other hand, insecurity and doubts were the main reasons why respondents would not buy these foods. Only 14% said they would definitely buy irradiated foods. Considering their doubts and insecurities, it is probable that if these respondents see a food labeled as "irradiated," they would not choose to buy it. Within developing countries such as Argentina, the promotion of this technology by government agencies would be very costly, and at present, these costs would not seem to be justified. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The negative perceptions of consumers would hinder the successful implementation of food irradiation. The doubts or insecurities that consumers of developing countries have are similar to those that consumers of developed countries have. Most respondents answered that irradiated foods should be labeled as such. If food irradiation was to be pursued further, the place to start would be in food science curricula as this is the basis of future professionals in charge of researching its use and/or implementing the process. [source] ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS PRESENT ON VACUUM LOADERS IN SHELL EGG PROCESSING FACILITIESJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 3 2008D.R. JONES ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the pathogen prevalence on vacuum loader cup surfaces. An off-line (birds housed off-site) and a mixed (birds housed on-site and eggs brought from outside production) operation shell egg processing facility were sampled three times each. Twenty vacuum loader cups were randomly rinsed with sterile saline per visit. Total aerobic microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated, and the prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria was determined. Aerobic microorganisms were ,5 log cfu/mL, with higher levels noted in the mixed operation. Enterobacteriaceae levels averaged 2.5 log cfu/mL but were higher in the off-line facility. Campylobacter was detected in 1.6% of the samples. Salmonella was detected in 3.3% of the samples with isolates serotyped as Salmonella anatum and Salmonella heidelberg. There was a high prevalence of Listeria (72%). Confirmed isolates were identified as Listeria innocua (98.8%) and Listeria monocytogenes (1.2%). Identification of the populations present on the cup surfaces will allow for the development of more effective cleaning and disinfection programs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Vacuum loaders have previously been determined to be reservoirs for microorganisms in shell egg processing plants. Assessing the prevalence of prominent foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria) on the vacuum loader cup surface would allow for more targeted approaches to cleaning and sanitation. High levels of aerobic organisms and Enterobacteriaceae were detected (,5 and 2.5 log cfu/mL, respectively). Furthermore, Campylobacter and Salmonella were also found, but at low prevalence. Listeria was detected in 72% of the samples. Cleaning and sanitation programs currently utilized in shell egg processing facilities need to be reassessed, and new technologies need to be developed to address the presence of Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. [source] Pasteurization of Fruit Juices by Means of a Pulsed High Pressure ProcessJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Giorgio Donsì ABSTRACT:, The use of pulsed high hydrostatic pressure was investigated as a possible approach to stabilize foodstuffs. The objective of this article was to investigate the effect of the main processing variables (pressure [150 to 300 MPa], temperature levels [25 to 50 °C], and pulse number [1 to 10]) on the sanitation of nonpasteurized clear Annurca apple juice as well as freshly-squeezed clear orange juice. The aim of the article was the optimization of the process parameters in step-wise pressure treatment (pressure holding time of each pulse: 60 s, compression rate: 10.5 MPa/s, decompression time: 2 to 5s). The shelf life of the samples, processed at optimized conditions, was evaluated in terms of microbiological stability and quality retention. According to our experimental results, the efficiency of pulsed high pressure processes depends on the combination of pulse holding time and number of pulses. The pulsed high pressure cycles have no additive or synergetic effect on microbial count. The efficacy of the single pulses decreases with the increase of the pulse number and pressure level. Therefore the first pulse cycle is more effective than the following ones. By coupling moderate heating to high pressure, the lethality of the process increases but thermal degradation of the products can be detected. The optimization of the process condition thus results in a compromise between the reduction of the pressure value, due to the synergetic temperature action, and the achievement of quality of the final production. The juices processed under optimal processing conditions show a minimum shelf life of 21 d at a storage temperature of 4 °C. [source] Effect of fallows on population dynamics of Cosmopolites sordidus: toward integrated management of banana fields with pheromone mass trappingAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Béatrice Rhino 1The banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the most serious pest of banana and plantain in most production areas, including the West Indies. 2During a period of 2 years, we assessed the efficacy of a pheromone mass-trapping control strategy of C. sordidus in field conditions in Guadeloupe at different cropping stages, both in sanitation fallows and in different ratoon banana crops. 3In the fallows, catches peaked 3 months after beginning trapping and then decreased to zero after 9 months. By contrast, for the new plantations, the catches of C. sordidus increased after the 11th month and, in the older banana fields, there was no decrease in C. sordidus catches. The C. sordidus catches increased in the neighbouring banana plots, whereas they decreased in the fallows, and these catches decreased with the distance from fallow. 4In conclusion, mass trapping with synergized pheromone traps within fallows should allow better sanitation of banana plantations. Yet, within the farms, fallows must not be located next to new plantations to avoid massive damage to the young plants. More generally, the present study emphasizes that the control of this insect should be managed at the farm scale and not at the field scale, with special attention being paid to the location of fallows. [source] Sanitation Procedure Affects Biochemical and Nutritional Changes of Shredded CarrotsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007Saúl Ruiz-Cruz ABSTRACT:, Fresh-cut vegetables are considered convenient but with less nutritional quality compared to raw natural produce. Carrots are highly appreciated because of their carotene and antioxidant nutrients, but processing requires an appropriate sanitation procedure that ensures microbiological safety to consumers. The effect of the sanitation processing on the nutritional composition of shredded carrots was studied. Treatments tested were tap water, 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite (Cl), 40 ppm peroxyacetic acid (PA), and 100, 250, and 500 ppm acidified sodium chlorite (ASC). Measured parameters were oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC), total phenolics and carotenoids, sugars, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) activity. Shredded carrots sanitized with ASC retained higher levels of sugars, carotene, and antioxidant capacity. ASC also delayed the PAL and POD activity. These results show the importance of evaluating nutritional parameters during processing stages, since minimal processing does not necessarily imply loss of nutritional value. Furthermore, the availability of fresh-cut produce may increase the intake of nutrients, with a positive effect on health. [source] Catastrophic payments for health care among households in urban Tamil Nadu, IndiaJOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2009Salem Deenadayalan Vaishnavi Abstract Urban residents in India face important health problems due to unhygienic conditions, excessive crowding and lack of proper sanitation. The private sector has started occupying the centre stage of the health system and households are burdened with increasing levels of health expenditure. This paper aims to study out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and the extent of catastrophic payments for health care among households in a highly urbanised state, Tamil Nadu. The study used data on morbidity and health care for the year 2004 collected by the National Sample Survey Organization, India. Care was sought for 84 per cent of illness episodes in urban areas, and the majority used private sector providers (67 per cent for inpatients and 78 per cent for outpatients). Mean OOPE for inpatients and outpatients was higher for households with higher income. The average cost burden per visit was higher among those who sought care from private providers for inpatient services (29 per cent of household consumption expenditure) and outpatient services (20% of household consumption expenditure) compared with the burden associated with public health service use (3,4 per cent of consumption expenditure). About 60 per cent of households which used private health services faced catastrophic payments at the 10 per cent threshold level. To avoid catastrophic expenditure, greater use of the public sector which is providing services at an affordable cost is needed. Improving access to public health services, better gate-keeping systems, stronger controls on drug prices and increasing the quality of services are required to reduce the incidence of catastrophic expenditure both on inpatients and outpatients. Greater use of risk pooling mechanisms would encourage the poor to seek health care and also to protect households from all socio-economic groups from catastrophic expenditure. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Change in hepatitis A virus seroepidemiology in southern Taiwan: a large percentage of the population lack protective antibodyJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 2 2001Shih-Min Wang Abstract Hepatitis A, the predominant reported etiologic form of viral hepatitis in Taiwan, continues to be a disease primarily of children and young adults. A seroepidemiologic study was performed to assess the seroprevalence of hepatitis A (HAV) antibodies in the southern Taiwan general population in 1998 and is compared with results of a similar study in 1992. A total of 948 subjects (477 male and 471 female) with ages ranging from 0.3 to 63 years were stratified into 14 age-specific groups. The presence of anti-HAV antibodies was detected using a commercially available radioimmunoassay. Fifteen percent of the subjects were positive for anti-HAV antibodies, which is lower than that in 1992 (P,<,0.001). Seroprevalences were 14.1% for males and 22.6% for females (P,=,0.006). The pattern of anti-HAV seroprevalence was distinguishable from that found in 1992; minimum seroconversion occurred at ages ranging from 1 to 30 years. Prevalence of seropositive subjects decreased markedly for the <,1, 13,15, 16,19, 20,24, 25,29, and 30,39 year age groups in comparing 1998 with 1992. The current study demonstrates a continuing decline in the prevalence of HAV among children, adolescents, and young adults. The findings can be ascribed to the improvement of socioeconomic status and modernization of environmental sanitation. As a consequence of this changing trend of endemicity and the resulting lack hepatitis A antibodies among the general population in Taiwan, the risk of sudden major outbreaks is increased because of increasing international travel and immigration, particularly during and after natural disasters. HAV vaccination will be important for the prevention and control of HAV outbreaks in the community. J. Med. Virol. 64:104,108, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Rapid identification of pseudomonas avellanae field isolates, causing hazelnut decline in central italy, by repetitive PCR genomic fingerprintingJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2000M. Scortichini Pseudomonas avellanae is the main cause of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) decline, the so called ,moria', in central Italy where it has already killed more than 30 000 trees. Its current identification is very long requiring biochemical, physiological and nutritional tests as well as pathogenicity tests and takes not less than 6 months for its completion. In the present study the reliability of the repetitive polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) technique for a rapid and accurate identification of such a pathogen was compared with the traditional identification method. In order to assess the variability of the pathogen, REP, BOX and ERIC primer sets were used in preliminary work to generate genomic fingerprints of 60 P. avellanae reference strains previously isolated from different areas of hazelnut cultivation. ERIC primers yielded the most discriminative clustering of strains that were grouped according to their geographic origin. Sixty field isolates collected from hazelnut orchards of central Italy, planted with different cultivars, during the years 1996,98 were submitted to either the traditional identification methods or to rep-PCR by using ERIC primers. The latter technique accurately identified all the isolates that were also identified by the traditional methods. Whole-cell protein analysis by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed this achievement. Rep-PCR can be successfully adopted for the rapid and accurate identification of P. avellanae in central Italy and it constitutes a very useful tool for the sanitation of the area. Zusammenfassung Eine schnelle Bestimmung von Pseudomonas avellanae -Feldisolaten, dem Erreger einer HaselnuIapoplexie in Zentralitalien, durch rep-PCR genomisches Fingerprinting [source] Has the time come to control hepatitis A globally?JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 2008Matching prevention to the changing epidemiology Summary., For the first time a global meeting on hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection as vaccine preventable disease was organized at the end of 2007. More than 200 experts from 46 countries gathered to investigate the changing global HAV epidemiology reflecting the increasing numbers of persons at risk for severe clinical disease and mortality from HAV infection. The benefits of childhood and adult hepatitis A (HepA) vaccination strategies and the data needed by individual countries and international health organizations to assess current HepA prevention strategies were discussed. New approaches in preventing HAV infection including universal HepA vaccination were considered. This introductory paper summarizes the major findings of the meeting and describes the changing epidemiology of HAV infections and the impact of HepA vaccination strategies in various countries. Implementation of HepA vaccination strategies should take into account the level of endemicity, the level of the socio-economic development and sanitation, and the risk of outbreaks. A stepwise strategy for introduction of HepA universal immunisation of children was recommended. This strategy should be based on accurate surveillance of cases and qualitative documentation of outbreaks and their control, secure political support on the basis of high-quality results, and comprehensive cost-effectiveness studies. The recognition of the need for increased global attention towards HepA prevention is an important outcome of this meeting. [source] Occurrence of faecal contamination in households along the US,Mexico borderLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008L. Carrasco Abstract Aims:, The study aim was to determine the presence of total and faecal coliforms on kitchen surfaces, in tap water and on the hands of caregivers in households on both sides of the US,Mexico border. Methods and Results:, Samples were collected in 135 randomly selected households in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. Different surfaces throughout the kitchen and head of households' hands were sampled using sterile cotton swabs moistened in D/E neutralizing solution. Sponge/dishcloth and drinking water samples were also obtained. Total and faecal coliforms were enumerated on m-Endo LES and mFC respectively. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli in drinking water samples were enumerated in accordance with the Quanti-TrayTM method. Sponge/dishcloth samples were the most commonly contaminated kitchen sites, followed by countertops and cutting boards. We recovered faecal coliforms from 14% of the hands of child caregivers, and this indicator was moderately associated with self-reported failure to wash hands after using the toilet (OR = 3·2; 95% CI: 0·9, 11·1). Conclusions:, Hand washing should continue to be emphasized, and additional interventions should be directed to specific kitchen areas, such as sponges/dishcloths, tables/countertops and cutting boards. Significance and Impact of the Study:, There is a need for additional interventions regarding kitchen sanitation. [source] Human and other faeces as breeding media of the trachoma vector Musca sorbensMEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2001P. M. Emerson Abstract. The fly Musca sorbens Wiedemann (Diptera: Muscidae) apparently transmits Chlamydia trachomatis, causing human trachoma. The literature indicates that M. sorbens breeds predominantly in isolated human faeces on the soil surface, but not in covered pit latrines. We sought to identify breeding media of M. sorbens in a rural Gambian village endemic for trachoma. Test breeding media were presented for oviposition on soil-filled buckets and monitored for adult emergence. Musca sorbens emerged from human (6/9 trials), calf (3/9), cow (3/9), dog (2/9) and goat (1/9) faeces, but not from horse faeces, composting kitchen scraps or a soil control (0/9 of each). After adjusting for mass of medium, the greatest number of flies emerged from human faeces (1426 flies/kg). Median time for emergence was 9 (inter quartile range = 8,9.75) days post-oviposition. Of all flies emerging from faeces 81% were M. sorbens. Male and female flies emerging from human faeces were significantly larger than those from other media, suggesting that they would be more fecund and live longer than smaller flies from other sources. Female flies caught from children's eyes were of a similar size to those from human faeces, but significantly larger than those from other media. We consider that human faeces are the best larval medium for M. sorbens, although some breeding also occurs in animal faeces. Removal of human faeces from the environment, through the provision of basic sanitation, is likely to greatly reduce fly density, eye contact and hence trachoma transmission, but if faeces of other animals are present M. sorbens will persist. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||