Search results for "QUALITY"
showing 10 items of 8136 documents
Predictive shelf life model based on RF technology for improving the management of food supply chain: A case study
2016
The aim of this paper was the development of a Smart Logistic Unit (SLU) based on RF technology to support the management of the food supply chain, in order to guarantee the shelf life of products in agreement with logistic efficiency and system sustainability. For this purpose, the main parameters that influence the quality of perishable products were determined and a shelf life equation based on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) was modelled. The levels of VOCs were gathered by the sensors allocated inside the SLU, which configures as the remote element of a system for identification and data transmission. The proposed model was then validated through an experimental test, simulating the …
Integration of animal health and public health surveillance sources to exhaustively inform the risk of zoonosis: An application to echinococcosis in …
2020
The analysis of zoonotic disease risk requires the consideration of both human and animal geo-referenced disease incidence data. Here we show an application of joint Bayesian analyses to the study of echinococcosis granulosus (EG) in the province of Rio Negro, Argentina. We focus on merging passive and active surveillance data sources of animal and human EG cases using joint Bayesian spatial and spatio-temporal models. While similar spatial clustering and temporal trending was apparent, there appears to be limited lagged dependence between animal and human outcomes. Beyond the data quality issues relating to missingness at different times, we were able to identify relations between dog and …
FASTdoop: A versatile and efficient library for the input of FASTA and FASTQ files for MapReduce Hadoop bioinformatics applications
2017
Abstract Summary MapReduce Hadoop bioinformatics applications require the availability of special-purpose routines to manage the input of sequence files. Unfortunately, the Hadoop framework does not provide any built-in support for the most popular sequence file formats like FASTA or BAM. Moreover, the development of these routines is not easy, both because of the diversity of these formats and the need for managing efficiently sequence datasets that may count up to billions of characters. We present FASTdoop, a generic Hadoop library for the management of FASTA and FASTQ files. We show that, with respect to analogous input management routines that have appeared in the Literature, it offers…
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli sequence type 131 H30-R and H30-Rx subclones in retail chicken meat, Italy
2016
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131), typically fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-R) and/or extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, has emerged globally. Among clinical isolates, ST131, primarily its H30-R and H30-Rx subclones, accounts for most antimicrobial-resistant E. coli and is the dominant E. coli strain worldwide. We assessed its prevalence and characteristics among raw chicken meat samples on sale in Palermo, Italy. A collection of 237 fluoroquinolone resistant and ESBL/AmpC producing E. coli isolates, which had been isolated from processed retail chicken meat in the period May 2013-April 2015, was analyzed. Established polymerase chain reaction…
Polymers and Biopolymers with Antiviral Activity: Potential Applications for Improving Food Safety
2018
Gastroenteritis and hepatitis, caused by human noroviruses (HuNoVs) and hepatitis A virus (HAV), respectively, are the most common illnesses resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with human enteric viruses. Food-grade polymers can be tailor designed to improve food safety, either as novel food-packaging materials imparting active antimicrobial properties, applied in food contact surfaces to avoid cross-contamination, or as edible coatings to increase fresh produce's shelf life. The incorporation of antimicrobial agents into food-grade polymers can be used to control the food microbiota and even target specific foodborne pathogens to improve microbiological food safety and to e…
Genetic Analysis of Human Preimplantation Embryos
2016
Preimplantation development comprises the initial stages of mammalian development, before the embryo implants into the mother's uterus. In normal conditions, after fertilization the embryo grows until reaching blastocyst stage. The blastocyst grows as the cells divide and the cavity expands, until it arrives at the uterus, where it "hatches" from the zona pellucida to implant into the uterine wall. Nevertheless, embryo quality and viability can be affected by chromosomal abnormalities, most of which occur during gametogenesis and early embryo development; human embryos produced in vitro are especially vulnerable. Therefore, the selection of chromosomally normal embryos for transfer in assis…
Multidimensional frailty increases cardiovascular risk in older people: An 8-year longitudinal cohort study in the Osteoarthritis Initiative.
2021
Background:\ud \ud Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the most important cause of mortality and an important cause of disability. Frailty seems to be associated with higher cardiovascular risk, but limited research has been done using a multidimensional approach to frailty. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether the multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), is associated with CVD risk in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud Community-dwellers affected by knee OA or at high risk for this condition were followed for 8 years. A standardized CGA including information on functional, nutritional, mood, co…
Special Issue “Mental Health Issues and Quality of Life in Older Individuals”
2021
There are numerous biological, psychological, and social factors that have a more or less prominent impact on the mental health of older adults [...]
Improvements to Healthspan Through Environmental Enrichment and Lifestyle Interventions: Where Are We Now?
2020
Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental paradigm that is used to explore how a complex, stimulating environment can impact overall health. In laboratory animal experiments, EE housing conditions typically include larger-than-standard cages, abundant bedding, running wheels, mazes, toys, and shelters which are rearranged regularly to further increase stimulation. EE has been shown to improve multiple aspects of health, including but not limited to metabolism, learning and cognition, anxiety and depression, and immunocompetence. Recent advances in lifespan have led some researchers to consider aging as a risk factor for disease. As such, there is a pressing need to understand the pro…
Effect of Salt Concentration and Extremely Halophilic Archaea on the Safety and Quality Characteristics of Traditional Salted Anchovies
2017
Extremely halophilic archaea (EHA) might play an important role in salted fish production. So far, limited information has been available on the effect of EHA and salt concentration on the safety and quality characteristics of salted anchovies. Eight Halobacterium salinarum strains were isolated from different sea salt samples and subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. The strains were then inoculated into fresh salt before addition to anchovies. A total of 18 experimental productions were performed. The inoculated trials showed the lowest counts of undesired microorganisms. In particular, salted anchovies produced with Hbt. salinarum H11 showed the lowest histamine concent…