Kitchen Towel Research Articles

Combating foodborne disease through household food handling behavior improvement: A comparison between education and price interventions.

Foodborne disease cases are increasingly occurring in home kitchens because of improper food handling behavior. Human factors are considered major determinants of such behavior, although economic factors, which have attracted little attention, may also be important influencers. Taking the service time of kitchen towels as an example, we construct a theoretical model to analyze food handling behavior under an economic framework and empirically explore its economic determinants. Empirically, we use a randomized controlled trial (RCT) coupled with pre- and postsurveys in rural China. The RCT intervention includes information with tips for proper kitchen towel use and in-kind subsidies of one, two, or three packs of kitchen towels, which is regarded as a price intervention. We find that information alone and information plus one pack of towels are not enough to stimulate behavior improvement, whereas information plus two or three packs is sufficient. This implies that the quantity of kitchen towels used increases only as the towel price drops below a certain threshold. As an early attempt, we indicate that food handling behavior is economically driven, suggesting that a well-designed policy should combine educational campaigns and appropriate economic incentives to improve such behavior to reduce the risk of foodborne disease.

Combination Of Makahiya (Mimosa Pudica) Plant and Garlic(Allium Sativum) Peels as Alternative Raw Materials in Organic Kitchen Towel Production

Although kitchen towels are a household necessity, they have also become a contributing factor to deforestation because they are often composed of wood pulp, making it the reason for habitat loss. This study was conducted to test the capabilities of the Makahiya plant and Garlic peels as substitute raw materials for kitchen towel production. The process entails creating three kitchen towel samples with varying concentrations and putting them through three tests. This study also utilized the quasi-experimental method to test the hypothesis and the relationship of the variables. While conducting soil burial testing in one of the researchers’ residences, the researchers used laboratory testing with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for absorbency and durability testing. The findings illustrate that cellulose from the Makahiya plant and cellulose from Garlic peels work well together as an alternative raw material for kitchen towel-making. Researchers concluded that a 30:70 ratio— 30% cellulose from Makahiya and 70% cellulose from Garlic peels—was ideal for this production. The result presents a 1.13g average for soil burial, a 7-second average for absorbency, and 1.3 and 1.9 apparent elongation for durability. It just suggests that it could function as a replacement for those sold commercially.

EFFECT OF ADDITION OF WET-STRENGTH AGENT ON TENSILE STRENGTH OF PAPER

Wet-strength paper production is of great significance due to its prominent importance in everyday consumer activities. Recently, market demands for paper with specific properties and purposes are increasing. Production of these paper types is very challenging for the manufacturer since they have to meet very specific demands. Wet-strength paper products include bags that come in contact with moisture and wet products, hygienic and kitchen towels, paper towels, packaging products (packages for liquids, aseptic dishes, and a variety of packaging for food), and other special purposes items (tea bags, coffee filters, paper money, etc.) Throughout this research, the focus was on the effects a wetstrength agent has on the tensile strength of paper. The wet strength property of paper is the ratio between the strength of paper in the wet and dry state. The strength in the dry state comes from the hydrogen bonds present in natural cellulose, while the strength of paper in the wet state requires waterproof (covalent) bonds created by the use of a wet strength agent. The wet strength agent used is a cationic PAE resin. The aim of the work is to determine the optimal amount of agent needed in relation to the required value of the tensile strength property of the paper. The investigation of these influences was carried out on Semi Extensible Standard Kraft type of paper in Natron-Hayat.

Surface characterization of paper products by profilometry with a fractal dimension analysis

A surface profilometry technique was used to characterize the surfaces of paper products. A stylus-contact type profilometer capable of simultaneously generating both surface roughness- and friction-profiles was used. As a stylus for the profilometer, a conical shape whose tip was rounded to have a 0.5 mm curvature radius was designed and successfully employed in both printing & writing (P&W) papers and hygiene papers such as bathroom tissues and kitchen towel. From the profiles, the mean absolute deviation (MAD) from the averages, i.e., R-MAD from the roughness average and F-MAD from the average coefficient of friction, were suggested as the new surface characterization parameters. To elucidate the surface roughness profiles by fractal dimension analysis, the variogram method was applied to get the fractal dimensions of the paper products. Generally, the value of the fractal dimension increased as the surface roughness increased. The surface profilometry technique with the fractal dimension analysis with the variogram method looks promising to gain additional insight on the surface characteristics of paper products.

Paper-based microfluidics: What can we expect?

Paper-based microfluidics: What can we expect?

REDUCTION OF THE SOFTWOOD LONG FIBRE PULP ADDITION IN TISSUE PRODUCTION. CASE STUDY

The article summarizes properties of suspensions of six types of pulp used in production of tissue papers. Beating was performed on a laboratory device Jokro mill at the resulting 26°SR. The case study examined the effect of long and short fiber pulp and BCTMP on properties of the water suspension and on physical and mechanical properties of laboratory sheets of 70 g.m-2. Three different batches represent three specific combinations used in the selected production plant of the Metsä Group for tissue production. From the physical-mechanical properties the following parameters were evaluated: whiteness ISO (%), tensile strength (kN.m-1), stiffness (m.N), porosity Gurley (s), water absorption (%). The optimization defined the composition of: (1) batches for the production of toilet papers with lower whiteness and lower strength parameters at 30% Pine off 15 + 20% Pine off 20 + 30% AKI birch + 20% BCTMP, (2) batches for the production of toilet paper with high whiteness and high strength parameters at 30% RMA pine + 60% AKI birch + 10% BCTMP and (3) batches for the production of high quality kitchen towels at 20% RMA pine + 20% SCA black + 60% AKI birch. In the batch 1, for lower quality toilet paper, it was not possible to reduce the long fiber pulp content due to a low quality of Pine off 15 and Pine off 20. In the batch 2 for a higher quality toilet paper, this was reduced from 30% to 18% and in the batch 3 for the production of kitchen towels, the input of long fiber pulps has been reduced from 40% to 24%.

HPV type-specific distribution among family members and linen in households of cutaneous wart patients.

BackgroundCommon and plantar warts are caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV). Mode of transmission of wart HPVs within families is largely unknown.ObjectiveTo demonstrate similarity of HPV type(s) among wart cases, family members and household linen.MethodsIn a cross‐sectional study, swabs taken from 123 warts and foreheads of 62 index patients and 157 family members and from 58 kitchen towels and 59 bathroom mats were tested for DNA of 23 cutaneous wart‐associated HPV types. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to estimate the chance of detecting the same HPV type as was found in the index patients on the family contacts and on the kitchen towels and bathroom mats.ResultsHPV1, HPV2, HPV27 and HPV57 were the most prevalent types in the warts of the index patients. Altogether, 60 (42.3%) of the 142 family members without warts had HPV DNA on their foreheads. When HPV1 and HPV2 were found in the warts, these types were also frequently (>50%) found on the foreheads of index patients and their family members, as well as on the kitchen towels and the bathroom mats. HPV27 and HPV57 were less frequently found (<25%) on foreheads and linen. No associations were found for age, sex and site of HPV DNA presence.ConclusionDissemination of skin wart‐causing HPV types, from wart cases to household contacts and linen, such as kitchen towels and bathroom mats, is more likely for HPV1 and HPV2 than for HPV27 and HPV57. The role of towels and bathroom mats in HPV transmission deserves further investigation.

Contamination of Kitchen Towels in Rural and Urban Households

Contamination of Kitchen Towels in Rural and Urban Households

Home-made masks with filtration efficiency for nano-aerosols for community mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic that emerged in December 2019 has rapidly evolved in recent months to become a worldwide and ongoing pandemic. Shortage of medical masks remains an unresolved problem. This study aims to investigate the filtration efficiency (FE) of home-made masks that could be used as alternatives for community mitigation of COVID-19. Study designExperimental observational analytic study. MethodsThe FE of home-made masks and medical masks (as the control) were tested under laminar flow within a scaled air duct system using nebulised NaCl aerosols sized 6–220 nm. The size-resolved NaCl aerosol count was measured using a scanning mobility particle-sizer spectrometer. Home-made masks with an external plastic face shield also underwent a splash test. In addition, the fibre structures of medical masks were studied under an electron microscope after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60 °C. ResultsThe FE of the home-made masks at 6–200 nm were non-inferior to that of medical masks (84.54% vs 86.94%, P = 0.102). Both types of masks achieved an FE of 90% at 6–89 nm. A significantly higher FE was achieved when one piece of tissue paper was added adjacent to the inner surface of the medical mask than medical mask alone (6–200 nm: 91.64% vs 86.94%, P < 0.0001; 6–89 nm: 94.27% vs 90.54%, P < 0.0001; 90–200 nm: 82.69% vs 73.81%, P < 0.0001). The plastic face shield prevented the home-made mask from fluid splash. The fibre structures of the external surface of medical masks were damaged after treatment with either 75% alcohol or soap and water at 60 °C. ConclusionsThe home-made masks in this study, which were made of one piece of tissue paper and two pieces of kitchen towels, layered from face to external, had an FE at 6–200 nm non-inferior to that of medical mask materials, which had a certified FE of ≥95% at 3 μm. In the current COVID-19 pandemic with the shortage of medical masks, these home-made masks combined with an external plastic shield could be used as an alternative to medical masks for community mitigation. In addition, one piece of tissue paper could be placed adjacent to the inner surface of a medical mask to prolong effective lifespan of the medical mask. These demand reduction strategies could be used to reserve medical masks for use in healthcare and certain high-risk community settings, such as symptomatic persons, caregivers and attendees to healthcare institutions.

Improving the Performance of Terry Fabrics for use in Pilgrimage Clothes

Terry fabric is a kind of soft pile fabrics. It is distinguished with uncut or cut loops which must have required usage properties such as higher water absorption, bacterial resistance, high wet strength, ability to dye well, good colorfastness, wash ability, soft hand, and hypoallergenic, low cost, and easy availability. Terry fabric is the most popular fabric for home textiles like bath towels, hand towels, kitchen towels, medical towels. One of the popular applications of terry fabrics is pilgrimage (IHRAM) terry cloths. It should have physiological comfort properties; like the breathability, quick absorption and evaporation of sweat, softness, air and water vapor permeability, antibacterial especially in hot weather of Mecca. Terry fabrics are produced by three yarn systems: pile warp, ground warp weft yarns. Pile structure mainly affect the functional properties of terry fabrics. The main factors should be considered in the designing of a terry fabric are the fabric materials, type of ground warp yarns, type of pile warp yarns, type of weft yarns, pile length, pile height and pile structure. This research concerns with improving the performance of terry towels used as pilgrimage (Ihram) cloths by measuring the weight (GSM), fabric thickness and air permeability of the fabric. Three parameters were used in executing the research samples to compare them with a common control sample in the market to achieve the research aims. The first factor is using bamboo fibers as pile warp yarns. The second parameter is using different heights of pile (5.5 mm-6.5mm-7.5 mm). The third parameter is using different types of materials as wefts (Cotton-Lyocel-Bamboo). The result of the research showed that decreasing the pile height improves air permeability. In addition, using bamboo yarns as pile warp and picking by using bamboo and Lyocel yarns improves the performance and physiological comfort characteristics of terry towels such as absorption, evaporation, thermal conductivity, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial abilities. Research Problem: High degrees of temperature in Mecca during the year leads to significant suffering to people during the pilgrimage season. This leads to sweating heavily which is considered an ideal environment for Bacterial growth and thus causes physiological in comfort for them.Antibacterial treatments should be done during final finishing processes for traditional cotton terry towels to provide these fabrics with antibacterial properties, but the efficiency of this treatments is temporary especially with continuous laundering. So, this requires terry towels which provide physiological comfort and durable antibacterial without chemical treatments by using antibacterial natural materials such as bamboo and Lyocel.Objectives: This research aims to producing terry towels used as pilgrimage (IHRAM) cloths which achieve physiological characteristics for people during pilgrimage as following: Improve the ability of water absorption and evaporation, Improve the ability of air permeability which improve thermal conductivity, Improve the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.Methodology: The research follows the practical methodology . Results: Decreasing pile height leads to improve air permeability of the fabric, Using bamboo fibers as pile warp improves air permeability of fabric comparing to the usage of cotton fibers, Using bamboo and Lyocel fibers as wefts improves air permeability of the fabric.

Re-use of health masks after autoclaving

With the rapid global spread of the new coronavirus and risk of pneumonia from COVID-19 infection, wearing a mask has become an essential defense for all frontline doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals. Plus, the rise in demand for masks from the general public means the worldwide supply of masks is insufficient, which has led to an increase in the reuse of disposable masks. Therefore, this study compared the impact of autoclaving (steaming) and 70% ethyl alcohol treatment for decontaminating masks, as both methods can easily be used at home. The autoclaved masks showed a better filtration efficiency than the 70% ethyl alcohol-treated masks. A further investigation of 8 used KF 94 masks (filtration efficiency >94%) also showed that autoclaving for decontamination was limited to two times. Moreover, a kitchen towel mask, a popular homemade alternative, did not show sufficient filtration efficiency.

Dynamics of Intestinal Carriage of Extended-Spectrum Beta-lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in the Dutch General Population, 2014-2016.

In the Netherlands, the prevalence of intestinal extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) carriage in community-dwelling subjects is ~5%. Little is known about the dynamics of ESBL-E carriage. In a nationwide, population-based study (2014-2016) with 4177 community-dwelling subjects, fecal samples from 656 subjects were collected after 1 (time point [T] = 1) and 6 (T = 2) months. The growth of ESBL-E was quantified and a whole-genome sequence analysis was performed. Subjects were categorized as either an incidental, short-term, or long-term carrier or as a noncarrier. Risk factors were determined by random forest models and logistic regression. The transmissibility and duration of ESBL-E carriage was quantified using a transmission model, which also incorporated previous study data. Out of 656 participants, 96 were ESBL-E carriers at T = 0. Of these, 66 (10.1%) subjects were incidental carriers, 22 (3.3%) were short-term carriers, and 38 (5.8%) were long-term carriers; the remaining 530 (80.8%) were noncarriers. The risk factors for long-term carriage were travelling to Asia, swimming in a sea/ocean, and not changing the kitchen towel daily. The log-transformed colony forming units ratio at T = 0 was predictive for ESBL-E carriage at T = 1 (odds ratio [OR], 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.6) and T = 2 (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4). Model simulations revealed a median decolonization rate of 2.83/year, an average duration of carriage of 0.35 years, and an acquisition rate of 0.34/year. The trend of the acquisition rate during the study period was close to 0. The risk factors for long-term ESBL-E carriage were travel- and hygiene-related. The dynamics of ESBL-E carriage in the general Dutch population are characterized by balancing decolonization and acquisition rates.

“Hope, and Keep Busy”: &lt;em&gt;Little Women&lt;/em&gt; and Critical Pedagogy in the Era of Trump

"Hope, and Keep Busy":Little Women and Critical Pedagogy in the Era of Trump Randi Lynn Tanglen In chapter 16 of Little Women, Marmee must leave Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy to go to the Union army hospital in Washington to care for Mr. March, who is dangerously ill. When the girls first hear of the peril facing their father's life, "strangely the day darkened outside! and . . . suddenly the whole world seemed to change" (130). When the girls wake up the next morning, "[e]verything seemed very strange" (135). Jo hides her tears in the kitchen towel, and Beth and Amy "wore a grave, troubled expression, as if sorrow was a new experience to them" (135). Before their mother leaves, the four sisters gather around Marmee, who tells them to "[g]o on with your work as usual, for work is a blessed solace. Hope, and keep busy; and, whatever happens, remember that you can never be fatherless" (135). Marmee provides her daughters with the reassurance they need when their world becomes newly threatening and uncertain: you can make a difference, you are not alone, you are safe. In the early hours of November 9, 2016, after the election of Donald J. Trump as United States president, I was on the brink of despair. Yet I woke up with Marmee's words, "hope, and keep busy," running through my mind. A few hours later, I met with my nineteenth-century American literature class. The students were looking for guidance and comfort on that dark morning, when "everything seemed very strange." Many of us were in tears, and the students expressed worries about the loss of LGBTQ rights, women's rights, immigrant rights, and civil rights in general in the face of a Trump presidency. In the spirit of Alcott and Marmee, I told them to be strong and brave, to "hope, and keep busy." Before that November morning I had taught Marmee's words—and, to be honest, the novel as a whole—as a platitude to satisfy nineteenth-century women and children with little political power. But over the past two years my cynicism has faded, and I have come to see Marmee's instructions as wisdom for those of us who felt everything change on that day. While I am committed to a critical pedagogy that asks students to question the role of literature in perpetuating social and political inequalities, when my students and I were politically bereft I realized that we needed something to work toward. I can't give [End Page 109] my students the tools to critically dismantle patriarchy, power, and privilege without empowering them with agency, voice, and security. These days I tell students that we can be inspired by Alcott's dedication to social reform and look for its legacies in Little Women. Heeding Marmee's maxim, I've been heartened by throwing myself into my work, developing new courses on nineteenth-century American women writers, reform, and resistance. My once despondent students say that learning about the perseverance of women writers like Alcott makes them feel more secure and confident in their activism and brings structure to the chaos of today's unpredictable political news cycle. Little Women reminds me that those who "hope, and keep busy" engage in a profound act of resistance in our dark political times. Like the moon that shone on Marmee before she left for Washington, Little Women encourages me and my students: "Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds" (134). [End Page 110] Randi Lynn Tanglen Austin College Copyright © 2019 University of Nebraska Press

Instructions for Assembly

Instructions for Assembly Erin Slaughter (bio) 1 My grandma had smoke in her heart. All up in her heart. Sometimes she bled a little of it when outside got cold, and her mouth opened up dragonlike into the gray winter air. She bled out her smoke-breath and/or coughed, and/or laughed: and if laughter, it came out sounding like a cackle. Her skin looked to be sliding off her face-bones. It was funny, until it wasn't. I'd say, Granny your skin's falling off right down on to the floor! And touch her wrinkled cheek. And she'd hack up some laugh noises and boil noodles for dinner. That was when it was funny, when even Mama, who's always been hawk-sharp with brown-eyed concern, thought the game amusing. Then my grandma started peeling away from herself, caving in like a rotten peach. That was when she told me about the smoke in her heart, and said, You have it too, you know, all us women do. Not a warning, just bestowing facts. There are holes in a body where only smoke can survive. Granny died and Mama's brown eyes got sharper, her nose/brow-ratio more hawk-like. Now the Big House was all our own, even though it was still coated in Granny's wallpaper, her white kitchen towels strewn out vaguely dirty-damp all over the place. When Mama and I had the Big House all to ourselves, she let me draw on the walls, as long as I promised to draw nice things. I drew boats, flowers, and swimming pools, juice boxes and pocket change. I drew clouds that were secretly brains. I drew raindrops falling from the actually-brain-clouds that was actually brain goo. I wanted to draw people or animals but had no way to know for sure whether or not they'd be nice. Mama tore down the wallpaper when Howard came to live with us. [End Page 176] When the wallpaper came down, the Big House started to smell like metal. It started to smell like a nosebleed. I told Mama I didn't want Howard to live with us in the Big House, that it was Big enough for just the two of us and no one else. I told her I wanted the wallpaper back, and Granny. Mama's eyes got deep, like the muddy sky too long past bedtime. She spoke quiet. Behind her tongue I saw a flicker of brilliant red, a red so pure-bright it made my teeth ache. She had a cardinal wet and strangling in her throat, and when she talked, I could hear it trying to flap its way out. She mentioned milk and eggs, how there hadn't been any since Granny got rotten and went into the ground. She said, This is how you scrape together a life. 2 Howard's eyes were sand-colored somehow, even though I know that when he came to us, they were blue. Mama says she knew them to be blue. Howard was the first bad man I knew, mostly because he was the first man I had ever known, and he wasn't all that bad, really, just reckless with his hands. So he took to shaking things, like Mama, who had gone all bones and feathers. Her ribcage more cage than rib, more sky than nest. The cardinal inside of her was a secret we kept, a sad, hopeful understanding between us. Sometimes it seemed like she was keeping the secret even from herself. Like when I'd be sitting with the door open, and she'd float down the hallway without noticing she had even been there. Hawk-eyes dim and ruin-dark, staring straight ahead, a clumsy kind of flying. Downstairs with Howard the walls would rock, some noise shattering on the tile. And the front door flown, gaping out at the whole beaming wound of the world. Later, I'd find Mama kneeling in a prayer of broom and dustpan, scrape-scrape-scraping slivers of fractured light from the floor, gathering up the sharp stray pieces of our life. 3 Goose...

Simulation of improper food hygiene practices: A quantitative assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus distribution

Kitchen mishandling practices contribute to a large number of foodborne illnesses. In this study, the transfer and cross-contamination potential of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to ready-to-eat food (lettuce) was assessed. Three scenarios were investigated: 1) direct cross-contamination, the transfer of V. parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to non-food contact surfaces (hands and kitchen utensils) to lettuce (via slicing), was evaluated; 2) perfunctory decontamination, the efficacy of two superficial cleaning treatments: a) rinsing in a pail of water, and b) wiping with a kitchen towel, were determined; and 3) secondary cross-contamination, the microbial transfer from cleaning residuals (wash water or stained kitchen towel) to lettuce was assessed. The mean of percent transfer rates through direct contact was 3.6%, and an average of 3.5% of total V. parahaemolyticus was recovered from sliced lettuce. The attempted treatments reduced the transferred population by 99.0% (rinsing) and 94.5% (wiping), and the relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus on sliced lettuce was reduced to 0.008%. V. parahaemolyticus exposure via secondary cross-contamination was marginal. The relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus recovered from washed lettuce was 0.07%, and the transfers from stained kitchen towel to lettuce were insubstantial. Our study highlights that V. parahaemolyticus was readily spread in the kitchen, potentially through sharing of non-food contact surfaces. Results from this study can be used to better understand and potentially raising the awareness of proper handling practices to avert the spread of foodborne pathogens.

Performance and sustainability vs. the shelf price of tissue paper kitchen towels

This study aimed to identify the performance properties that drive the shelf price of kitchen paper towels and evaluate whether sustainability is an important driver for pricing. Nineteen products were compared according to their performance (softness, absorbency, and strength), technology, and fiber morphology. Metrics to rank the products in different grades (economy, premium, and ultra) according to their performance were provided. A multiple linear regression showed that absorbency and softness are the most significant properties used to predict the price. Market data indicates that there is a segment of consumers willing to pay a premium price for products marketed as “sustainable”, even though their performance is comparatively inferior to the majority of the samples. Sustainable products are up to 85% more expensive than regular products. The metrics obtained in this work can contribute to improvement in market transparency, and aid companies in deciding strategies for product development and new investments.

Transfer of Campylobacter and Salmonella from Poultry Meat onto Poultry Preparation Surfaces

Thermophilic Campylobacter and Salmonella enterica are major causes of gastrointestinal foodborne infection. Survival of these pathogens on food-associated surfaces is a risk contributing to their spread through the food system. This study examined the transfer of two strains each of C. jejuni, C. coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Salmonella Typhimurium from chicken meat to a knife or scissors used on either a plastic or wooden cutting board. Each strain of Campylobacter and Salmonella at ∼108 CFU mL-1 was inoculated (5 mL) onto 25 g of chicken meat with skin and allowed to attach (for 10 min). The meat was then cut (20 times per implement) into 1-cm2 pieces with either a knife or scissors on either a plastic or wooden cutting board. The numbers of pathogens transferred from meat onto cutting implements and cutting board surfaces were enumerated. The surfaces were subsequently either rinsed with water or rinsed with water and wiped with a kitchen towel to mimic commonly used superficial cleaning practices for these implements, and the numbers of pathogens were enumerated again. The bacterial numbers for both pathogens were determined on thin-layer agar. The attachment of the Salmonella strains to chicken meat (∼7.0 to 7.8 log CFU cm-2) was higher than the attachment of the Campylobacter strains (∼4.6 to 6.6 log CFU cm-2). All four Salmonella strains transferred in higher numbers (∼1.9 to 6.3 log CFU cm-2) to all surfaces than did the Campylobacter strains (∼1.1 to 3.9 log CFU cm-2). The transfer rates of both pathogens from the chicken meat to all the surfaces examined varied substantially between ∼0 and 21.1%. The highest rate of transfer (∼21.1%) observed was for C. coli 2875 when transferred from the chicken meat to the scissors. Most cleaning treatments reduced the numbers of both pathogens (∼0.3 to 4.1 log CFU cm-2) transferred to all the surfaces. Our study gives insights into the risks associated with the transfer of Campylobacter and Salmonella from poultry to the surfaces used in poultry preparation.

Self-Portrait on The Kitchen Towel

Philosopher, feminist theoretician and artist Alenka Spacal paints her self-portraits on kitchen towels (2003–2005). After first being placed in exhibition, eventually the hanging of these pieces morphed into performance, dubbed Hanged Woman, during which the artist hung her self-portraits on a rope with clothespins in front of an audience. Transgressing gender, religion and race, Spacal through these self-portraits situates herself in different subjective positions. During such a journey, the artist multiplicates subjectivities, accomplishing theoretical and artistic figuration of nomadic subject, which, according to Rosi Braidotti constitutes by changing subject positions and thus overcoming dominant phallocentric rationality. In this case it occurs through artistic practice and irony. The second portion of this paper is devoted to the children’s picture book Rainbow Masquerade, also written and illustrated by Spacal, who abandons the essentialist dual normativity of sex and gender in order to represent plurality of the two categories in the fantastic world of a wood and its inhabitants.

The Second Girl

The Second Girl

Isolation and microbiological identification of bacterial contaminants in food and household surfaces: How to deal safely

Objective This study investigates and reveals the relationship between pathogenic bacteria in some types of food and that present in different household sites (kitchens) and determines an effective disinfecting method to eliminate bacteria from common kitchen locations, some of which could be harmful or pathogenic. Materials and methods A total of 90 samples were collected; 85 samples were taken from different sites from five home kitchens and five samples were collected from different types of food. Samples were obtained (before and after disinfection) from kitchen towels, cooking gas stove knobs, refrigerator handles, water taps, and kitchen sponges used for washing utensils by using sterile cotton swabs. Bacteria were identified according to the conventional biochemical methods. DNA fragmentation was done to show the effect of disinfectants on the most common bacteria. Results and conclusion Escherichia coli , Klebsiella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were the most abundant bacteria in the isolates. After disinfection using disinfectants containing sodium perborate and sodium silicate (detergent), sodium hypochlorite (Clorox), 5% amphoteric surfactant and chlorine (dishwashing powder), and Dettol, the samples were free of bacterial contamination. There was also a correlation between food contamination and bacteria isolated from the kitchens. As E. coli was the most highly abundant pathogen in the kitchen and was removed by the tested disinfectants, it was chosen for DNA fragmentation assay to examine the effect of the disinfectants on the bacterial DNA. Kitchen towels, cooking gas stove knobs, refrigerator handles, water taps, and kitchen sponges are the most common sites in kitchens that transmit pathogenic bacteria. They must be disinfected routinely after preparing food.