Styrofoam Container Research Articles

Extent of Compliance of Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Styrofoam Containers and Regulating the Use of Single Use Plastics in Cabugao Public Market

Extent of Compliance of Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Styrofoam Containers and Regulating the Use of Single Use Plastics in Cabugao Public Market

Cold and ultra-cold chain integrity monitoring via embedded resonant sensor indicators

An increasing number of products require transport at cold and ultra-cold temperatures, < 5 and −60°C respectively. Time-temperature indicators (TTIs) are used to monitor the integrity of the cold chain, however, they are frequently based on colorimetric changes that can be inaccurate for quantification and not possible to read through closed shipment materials. Here, TTIs were prototyped using microfluidic channels containing fluids (oils) that are tuned to melt above target temperatures. By coupling these TTIs to resonant sensors, the time-temperature information can be transmitted wirelessly and quantitatively by observing shifts in resonant frequency. Multiplexed TTIs containing fluids that melt at 9, 13.5, and 19.5°C are demonstrated. When coupled to the resonant sensor, the fluid flows as the temperature increases incrementally and generates a frequency shift of 3.5, 4.5, and 6 MHz at each threshold. TTI for ultra-cold environments were also designed using microfluidic channels with melt responsive fluids (ethanol). The resonant sensor coupled TTI was placed in a Styrofoam container containing dry ice, and over 1 MHz frequency shift is observed when read external to the container as the dry ice evaporates and the temperature exceeds −35°C. This augurs potential uses in inexpensive monitoring of food and pharmaceutical shipments that must remain cold for adequate quality.

Cultivating Agricultural Evolution: Revolutionizing Farming Through The Power of AI And Technology

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the current and potential role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the agricultural sector. We aim to analyze the adoption and impact of AI solutions in farming, identify challenges, and discuss the prospects for its future integration.&#x0D; Method: We conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature and ongoing research projects related to AI applications in agriculture. We also examined case studies, technological developments, and AI pioneers in the field.&#x0D; Results: Our analysis reveals that while AI solutions are being researched and applied in agriculture, there is a gap in widespread industry adoption. Large-scale research projects are underway, and some AI applications are available in the market. However, the development of predictive solutions to address real farming challenges is in the early stages. AI's influence extends across various sectors, contributing to the advancement of technologies such as big data, robotics, and the Internet of Things.&#x0D; An illustrative example is the styrofoam container device, which utilizes machine learning and computer vision to detect and categorize "safety occurrences." Although not all-encompassing, this technology gathers significant data, such as driver behavior, speed, and surroundings. IFM's system promptly alerts supervisors to safety breaches, enhancing both safety and productivity.&#x0D; Conclusion: The future of AI in agriculture hinges on the widespread adoption of AI solutions. The agricultural industry remains underserved in terms of AI integration, and the development of predictive solutions is in its early stages. However, AI's impact across sectors underscores its importance. Pioneers like IFM and IBM's patent statistics demonstrate the expanding scope of AI innovation.

Factors Related to Using Styrofoam Containers for Food Packaging

Styrofoam waste is included in the 5th largest category in the world. Plastic consumption in Indonesia is 17 kg per year. The amount of waste heap in Serang City is around 1625 m3/day. Taktakan Health Center occupies the 3rd largest waste producer in Serang City, and the waste increases every year. This study aims to determine the factors related to the using of styrofoam containers as food packaging for food vendors in the Taktakan Health Center, Serang City in 2020. This research used a quantitative analytic, cross-sectional study design. The population was 178 food sellers, and the sample size was 95 respondents with simple random sampling. The data collection was done using a questionnaire. For data analysis univariate and bivariate analysis with a Chi-square statistical test were used. The results of this study indicate that there is a relationship between knowledge (P-value = 0.001), availability of packaging (P-value = 0.043) and the use of styrofoam containers. Respondents with less knowledge had a risk of 4.694 times the possibility of using styrofoam. Suggestions for food sellers are to reduce the use of styrofoam containers for food packaging.&#x0D; Keywords: attitude, availability of styrofoam, food packaging, knowledge

Human health risk assessment from exposure to multiple sources of Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in Taiwan

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are endocrine-disrupting and persistent organic compounds commonly used in consumer products such as styrofoam, fire-resistant curtains, construction, aquaculture products, and food containers. Humans can expose to HBCD via dermal, ingestion, and inhalation routes; however, the inhalation exposure to HBCDs is not well characterized, especially for the size-segregated particles, which could quickly deposit into the respiratory system. In this study, we systematically characterized the dermal and inhalation exposures and performed an aggregate risk assessment of HBCDs in Taiwan. Sampling sites were selected considering the traffic or industrial contribution for air (n = 2, Sanchung, and Taichung) and soil sampling (n = 19, near the industrial zones). The quantitative analysis of HBCDs in extracted samples was achieved using LC–MS/MS. Our results showed that the concentrations of total HBCDs ranged from 0.1 to 6.6 pg m−3 in the particulate matter samples and 0.63 to 187 μg kg−1 in soil samples, where γ-HBCD was the dominant species, followed by α-HBCD and β-HBCD. The total HBCDs in the finest particles (i.e., particle size below 0.49 μm) ranged from N.D. to 1.5 pg m−3. However, no consistent trend was observed for the isomer distribution of HBCDs among air samples. Furthermore, the margin of exposure was the lowest through the ingestion pathway (5152 to 22555) and the highest through the inhalation pathway (6.71 × 105 to 2.09 × 107), showing that HBCD-induced health risk can predominantly attribute to ingestion exposure. Nevertheless, the traffic and industrial contribution of inhalable HBCD deserves further studies.

The Actions of Food Sellers about the Use of Styrofoam Containers

It is often found that they use styrofoam and plastic containers by people without the use of banana leaf mats or rice paper, so they do not understand the impact of using styrofoam on the environment and health. As an alternative to styrofoam and plastic food containers, you should use bamboo containers that are environmentally friendly. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between the actions of food sellers regarding the use of styrofoam containers in the Gulun Field Madiun. The research design was quantitative using an analytical survey with a cross-sectional approach. The population was 80 people and asample of 67 subjects. This research was conducted in May 2022. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between independent variables, namely The results of the study found that there was a significant relationship between knowledge (p-value = 0,047) and attitude (p-value = 0,042) towards the action of using styrofoam containers in food vendors in Gulun Field, Madiun City. The conclusion of this study was that there was a significant relationship between the actions of using styrofoam containers in food vendors in the Gulun field in Madiun City. Researchers suggest traders to further enhance good actions by replacing the use of styrofoam containers with environmentally friendly containers and not endangering health.

Evaluasi Efektivitas Kinerja Filter Press Plate and Frame pada Proses Pemanenan Spirulina sp

Spirulina sp can be used as raw material for making masks and medicines. This research wasconducted to determine the effectiveness of the performance of using a Filter Press (plate and frame) in harvesting Spirulina sp. In this study, Spirulina was cultured in 60 L styrofoam containers with different photoperiods (light/T and dark/G), for 12 hours per day (12T-12G). Parameters observed include dry biomass. For 12 hours per day (12T-12G), Press Filters with 2 and 3 plates were used and pressure of procrsess are 1, 1.5, and 3 Psi. In this study, Spirulina sp can grow well with a concentration of 0.6636 gr mL-1. The filter press plate and frame can be used to harvest Spirulina Sp with the optimum conditions for the Spirulina filtration process by pressing two psi and the number of plates 3, where the highest amounts of filtered Spirulina are 39.653 g with a filtering time of 2 x 103 seconds.

Cold storage agent as a treatment to maintain quality of peanut sprouts in logistics

Logistics transportation is the critical procedure that sprouts must go through from producers to consumers, but during this transportation, it is very easy to cause quality deterioration. Generally, the quality of fresh peanut sprouts during cold chain transportation is maintained by using the high polymer phase change cold storage agent (CSA). In this research, different quantities of CSA were used to maintain peanut sprouts quality，and the effects of CSA on sprouts quality under simulated transportation conditions were investigated for 5 days, including overall quality, water content, ascorbic acid content, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, weight loss rate, along with the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). According to the overall quality, it is meaningful to observe the changes of each index within 3 days. Results indicated that 4 bags of CSA could decrease the temperature to 8.4 °C within 580 min and keep rising slowly until the maximum temperature reached 18.9 °C at 4260 min. In addition, it effectively prevented the loss of water (93.87%) and ascorbic acid (5.38 mg/100 g), as well as inhibited the production of MDA, which was attributed to a slow metabolism in low temperatures. Moreover, the 4 bags of CSA had no negative effects on the contents of total phenolic and flavonoid along with CAT activity of peanut sprouts, and the sensory quality was maintained at an optimum level. In conclusion, it had a positive effect on the maintenance of quality during transportation when the mass ratio of sprouts to CSA was 15:8 and the volume ratio of styrofoam container and CSA was 10:1. • CSAs reduce the temperature in the styrofoam container to 8.4 °C within 580 min, then reach a maximum of 18.9 °C at 4260 min. • CSAs prevent the loss of water and ascorbic acid, and inhibit the malondialdehyde production. • CSAs maintain the quality of peanut sprouts in the logistics.

An automated solid waste detection using the optimized YOLO model for riverine management.

Due to urbanization, solid waste pollution is an increasing concern for rivers, possibly threatening human health, ecological integrity, and ecosystem services. Riverine management in urban landscapes requires best management practices since the river is a vital component in urban ecological civilization, and it is very imperative to synchronize the connection between urban development and river protection. Thus, the implementation of proper and innovative measures is vital to control garbage pollution in the rivers. A robot that cleans the waste autonomously can be a good solution to manage river pollution efficiently. Identifying and obtaining precise positions of garbage are the most crucial parts of the visual system for a cleaning robot. Computer vision has paved a way for computers to understand and interpret the surrounding objects. The development of an accurate computer vision system is a vital step toward a robotic platform since this is the front-end observation system before consequent manipulation and grasping systems. The scope of this work is to acquire visual information about floating garbage on the river, which is vital in building a robotic platform for river cleaning robots. In this paper, an automated detection system based on the improved You Only Look Once (YOLO) model is developed to detect floating garbage under various conditions, such as fluctuating illumination, complex background, and occlusion. The proposed object detection model has been shown to promote rapid convergence which improves the training time duration. In addition, the proposed object detection model has been shown to improve detection accuracy by strengthening the non-linear feature extraction process. The results showed that the proposed model achieved a mean average precision (mAP) value of 89%. Hence, the proposed model is considered feasible for identifying five classes of garbage, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bags, styrofoam, and plastic containers.

Preanalytical protocols for improving access to live tissue diagnostics in remote and low resource settings.

e13501 Background: Nearly 70% of diagnostics lab test errors occur due to variability in preanalytical factors. Preanalytical factors comprise parameters from the time tissue is extracted from the patient to the time it is tested in the lab. For lack of standardized preanalytical protocols, integrity of collected specimens is often compromised. This is particularly pronounced when specimens are collected in remote or low resource settings and shipped to testing facilities. Establishing preanalytical protocols could serve as an important resource for remote collection sites and substantially reduce variability in the integrity of specimens thereby improving lab test rigor and reproducibility and promote innovation in live tissue diagnostic tests for personalized medicine. Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze impact of cold chain logistics on integrity of collected solid tumor tissue specimens. Specifically, duration in transit, container and wet ice packing, and composition of transport media were assessed. Methods: Baseline protocols for biospecimen preanalytical parameters were established from literature review. Standard aseptic lab protocols were implemented for all experiments including preparation of transport media, tissue transport kits, transport kit packaging, tumor tissue transfer in tissue transport kits, tissue receiving, and tissue integrity assessment. Transport was simulated for human and murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissue by holding packaged tumor tissue containers in storage for the duration of transport. Saline solution, basal media, and complete media were evaluated as transport media. Specimen integrity was evaluated using live/dead assays in high-content imaging systems at 24- and 48-hour intervals. Results: For human and murine tumor tissue, viability was optimal when tissue was transported in Nalgene jars containing complete media packaged in ¼” thick wall Styrofoam containers tightly packed in wet ice for transport. While specimens fared well over both 24- and 48- hour simulated shipping durations, temperature and humidity logs from sensors embedded in the packages showed sharp degradation in packaging environment with longer durations of time. Conclusions: Establishing preanalytical protocols would improve rigor and reproducibility in diagnostic lab tests by improving tissue viability and integrity. Such protocols would also enable next generation cancer models to further enhance predictive capacity in translational research and subsequently in personalized medicine applications at the bedside.

Present status of smoked fish processing at Mahakanadarawa reservoir in Mihintale, Sri Lanka.

Fish smoking has become a popular processing method in Mahakanadarawa reservoir, with the potential for substantial demand among frequent visitors to Anuradhapura. This industry generates considerable income for the local livelihoods and reduces the post-harvesting losses. Government and Non-government Organizations have recognized the necessity of expanding the smoked fish industry in this area. However, there is a scarcity of scientific information on this vital industry. This study focuses on the current state of smoked fish production in the Mahakanadarawa reservoir. A field survey was conducted to determine the types of fish and fuel wood used, the type of technology they apply, and the challenges they encounter in both storage and in the supply chain to the consumer. The majority of smoked fish processors were found to be directly connected with fishing in the Mahakanadarawa reservoir and when there is a surplus catch, fishers produce smoked fish. Although tilapia is the most abundant smoked fish in the study area, snakehead is the most popular fish with a higher commercial value. Hence, breeding strategies should be used for such commercially important species. Smoking technologies in the study area are still at an extremely rudimentary level, leading to substantial processing losses due to uneven exposure to heat and smoke. Different types of fuelwoods are used by the processors to enhance the characteristic colour and smoky aroma that enticed their buyers. These types of woods may have essential anti-oxidant and bactericidal properties in addition to their distinctive flavour, colour, and aroma, and as such, further studies are recommended. Most of the smoked fish producers do not have adequate technologies for packaging and storage their products. Majority uses paper-based cartons and discarded Styrofoam boxes. Such paper-based materials generally absorb the valuable fish oil while poorly sealed Styrofoam containers are attributed to rancidity and growth of molds. Thus, empowering them with sufficient technologies and resources may reduce postharvest losses and lead to ensuring the catering of growing consumer demand throughout the year.

Peptide Specific Nanoplastic Detection Based on Sandwich Typed Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance.

Recently, various waste microplastics sensors have been introduced in response to environmental and biological hazards posed by waste microplastics. In particular, the detrimental effects of nano-sized plastics or nanoplastics have been reported to be severe. Moreover, there have been many difficulties for sensing microplastics due to the limited methodologies for selectively recognizing nanoplastics. In this study, a customized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) based localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) system having bio-mimicked peptide probes toward the nanoplastics was demonstrated. The specific determination through the oligo-peptide recognition was accomplished by chemical conjugation both on the LSPR chip’s 40~50 nm Au NPs and sandwiched 5 nm Au NPs, respectively. The peptide probe could selectively bind to polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics in the forms of fragmented debris by cryo-grinding. A simple UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to identify the LSPR sensing by primarily measuring the absorbance change and shift of absorption peak. The sandwich-binding could increase the LSPR detection sensitivity up to 60% due to consecutive plasmonic effects. In addition, microwave-boiled DI water inside of a styrofoam container was tested for putative PS nanoplastics resource as a real accessible sample. The LSPR system could be a novel protocol overcoming the limitations from conventional nanoplastic detection.

MECHANICAL INJURIES ON FIRMNESS OF DEBORAH TOMATO STORED UNDER ENVIRONMENT CONDITION

The objective of the study wasto evaluate the effect of mechanical injuries on Deborah tomato, stored under environmental condition. Partially ripe fruits of Deborah tomato cultivar were used. The fruits were subjected to mechanical injuries by impact, compression and cutting. They were packed in styrofoam containers and stored under environmental condition (25+1 ºC and 80+5% RH) for 15 days. A completely randomized design, 2-factor factorial design, injuries (control, impact, compression and cutting) and storage time (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 days) was performed. The variables analyzed were mass loss, firmness, polygalacturonase and pectinmethylesterase activity and total and soluble pectin. The mechanical injuries compromised the firmness of the Deborah tomatoes stored under environment condition, causing mass loss, increase of soluble pectin, decrease of total pectin and changes in the activities of the enzymes polygalacturonase and pectinmethylesterase. The cut injury was the treatment that was most harmful to Deborah tomatoes.

Experimental investigation of a new sustainable approach for recycling waste styrofoam food containers in lightweight concrete

The disposal and treatment of non-biodegradable styrofoam food containers are excessively expensive for any government. So, finding a technical economic solution to reuse and utilize these waste products in a sustainable environmentally friendly approach is a big challenge. This study represents a novel preliminary investigation of utilizing waste styrofoam food containers to partially replace the natural aggregate in lightweight concrete mixes. Six types of concrete mixes were prepared with different aggregates substitution percentages of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, and 12.5% by volume. The results indicated that the replacement of aggregate by appropriate WSFC content produced a workable concrete with a maximum density reduction of approximately 21.8% when the percentage replacement of the natural aggregate by waste styrofoam was 12.5%. The results revealed that compressive and flexural strength decreased with increasing the waste styrofoam content at different curing ages of 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The maximum decrement ratio was 81.5% and 57% for compressive and flexural strength, respectively, for WSFC5 at 28-day curing, while, by increasing the temperature to 600 °C for one hour, the maximum decrement ratio of compressive strength was 10.18% compared to the plain concrete mix. Also, the results demonstrated that about 46% was the maximum decrement ratio of thermal conductivity for WSFC5 at 28-day curing compared to the plain concrete.

Reunited

Reunited Anne-Laure Zevi (bio) Translated from the French by Liesl Schillinger Since his arrival, Damien had formed the habit of having breakfast in the restaurant across from his hotel. The menu was displayed in the window next to the entry door through very lifelike plastic models set in a vertical row on a wall behind the glass. Damien's favorite dish was an oversized bowl of imitation traditional black lacquer, red on the inside, that was filled with a congealed broth from which rose a weave of white, wavy noodles, clutched by a pair of chopsticks in midair, ready to be devoured. One week earlier he had watched with distaste as the passengers on the Paris-Seoul flight consumed the no-frills version of this dish, which took the form of a Styrofoam container that held a small brick of dehydrated noodles and two packets of seasoning, which the air hostesses filled with hot water as they passed. After a few minutes, the air of the cabin had been saturated with the powerful stench of garlic and onion, and he had pulled up the collar of his shirt to cover his nose. The greediness with which the passengers ate, the way they brought the bowls to their mouths, and the noises they made as they slurped had turned his stomach. The wavy noodles flecked with spices and drenched in broth were appetizing to look at, but he had not been able to bring himself to taste them. So he had not hesitated, the day of his arrival, when he had noticed the bowl in the window. Each morning before leaving his room Damien consulted his guidebook and a map of the city, and chose a neighborhood, a monument, a museum, to head to after his breakfast. He walked quickly, avoiding [End Page 58] places (boutiques, taxis, restaurants without illustrated menus) and situations that would have forced him to interact with anyone; or rather, that would have exposed his inability to interact, making his alienness obvious. The sites he visited, the neighborhoods he walked, the streets he chose, interested him only marginally, but he considered this activity a duty because he was in an unknown city. In this way, he walked several dozen miles a day, unto the point of exhaustion, until the tension that gripped him had loosened a little. At night before returning to the hotel, he bought takeout, and snacks which he ate later in his room while watching a television series he had started watching in Paris. The story had seemed overly sentimental to him at first: the acting melodramatic, the family dynamic preposterous; the submissiveness of the women to the men, and of the young to their elders, archaic; the posturing of the girls irritating; and the torrents of tears shed exasperating. But gradually he had let himself be drawn into this story of star-crossed love between vivacious Ae-ri and reserved Se-jin, made impossible by a tangle of lies and words unspoken, and by taboos that their parents had fallen victim to before them. He was fascinated by the male protagonist, Se-jin, who was a high school student like him, a talented musician, introverted and melancholy. Se-jin's father was unknown. This adolescent idyll is interrupted when Se-jin is run over by a car while he is trying to find Ae-ri. As he comes out of a coma, his mother takes advantage of the fact that he has been stricken with amnesia to give him a new identity composed of new memories, and to take him to live in the United States, an unknown country. He is officially declared dead in his own country. Years later, Se-jin turns up in Korea for work, and by coincidence meets the girl he was going to meet when he had his accident, but he doesn't recognize her. Ae-ri is on the verge of marrying the person for whom her parents had destined her since birth, but she has not stopped loving Se-jin, and she recognizes him instantly. Through dedication and patience, she succeeds in reawakening emotions in him, traces of memories that lead him to [End Page...

Characteristic Quality of Pinrang’s Cocoa Beans During Fermentation Used Styrofoam Containers

Pinrang Regency is one of the regencies that contributes the largest production in South Sulawesi. The fermentation process is the stage of processing cocoa beans that must be carried out to guarantee the taste and aroma of good chocolate. The purpose of research is to study the effect of fermentation time with different cocoa clones on the quality characteristics of cocoa beans during fermentation. Characterization was held by observing the shape and color of the cocoa beans visually and measuring the temperature, pH, total acid, water content and fat content of the beans during fermentation. The results was showed that cocoa beans from local clones were better than Sulawesi 2 clones based on the quality characteristics of the beans produced. The best beans quality is on the 4 and 5 days of fermentation which produces an optimum temperature of around 45-47°C, pH around 5-5.4, total acid around 0.90%. Cocoa beans with a physical appearance and color that is bright enough, fat content around 50.45 %, and the water content is quite low around 4.97%. The quality of the cocoa beans produced is still in accordance with SNI 2323-2008. The use of styrofoam can be used as an alternative besides fermentation with wooden boxes that are usually done by farmers. The results of the study are expected to be used to obtain data and information on the characteristics of fermented cocoa beans, especially from Pinrang Regency, South Sulawesi.&#x0D;

Micropropagation protocol for the wild Brazilian greenberry (Rubus erythroclados)

This study presents the first micropropagation protocol for greenberry (Rubus erythroclados), a wild Brazilian species with edible green fruits. In the in vitro multiplication stage, three concentrations of benzyladenine (BA) were tested (0, 5 and 10 μM), combined with three concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA) (0, 3 and 6 μM) in two subsequent subcultures. In the rooting stage, in and ex vitro rooting were compared after pulse treatment of the microcutting for 10 seconds in IBA (0, 2.46, 4.92 and 7.38 mM). For the in vitro trial, the microcuttings were maintained in glass bottles with an MS medium under controlled conditions inside a growth room. For the ex vitro trial, the microcuttings were planted in styrofoam containers with vermiculite and maintained inside a greenhouse with an intermittent mist system. R. erythroclados multiplication was obtained with the addition of BA to the culture medium, while IBA reduced the shoot proliferation and increased mortality. The ex vitro rooting showed the best results, reaching 95.8% for rooted and acclimatizated plants without IBA. An efficient and simple protocol can be used for R. erythroclados micropropagation with 5 μM BA for in vitro shoot proliferation and ex vitro rooting of microcuttings with intermittent misting.

Inactivation of Salmonella and Surrogate Bacteria on Cashews and Macadamia Nuts Exposed to Commercial Propylene Oxide Processing Conditions

Propylene oxide (PPO), a chemical fumigant, has been validated to reduce Salmonella on bulk almonds but has not been evaluated for other tree nuts. There is a need to identify nonpathogenic surrogate microorganisms whose inactivation is comparable to that of Salmonella to assure effective PPO processing parameters in different packaging configurations without introducing Salmonella into the pasteurization facility. The objective of this research was to compare the reduction of Salmonella and three potential surrogate bacterial strains, Enterococcus faecium ATCC 8459, Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042, or Staphylococcus carnosus ATCC 51365, on cashews and macadamia nuts processed by using PPO. Whole cashews and macadamia nuts were coinoculated with a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella and one surrogate, dried to the original water activity of 0.44 to 0.51 before being packaged in woven polypropylene bags (2.3 kg), and shipped overnight in Styrofoam containers under ambient conditions to a commercial facility for PPO treatment. Salmonella and surrogates were recovered by vigorous shaking in phosphate buffer (1:1, m/v), serial diluted, and plated onto tryptic soy agar with an overlay of xylose lysine Tergitol 4 for Salmonella or mannitol salt agar or bile esculin azide agar for each surrogate. The mean log reductions of Salmonella and each surrogate ( n = 18), within a sample and among all trials (three independent), were compared by using a matched pairs t test. Reduction in log CFU per gram of Salmonella was significantly greater than that of E. faecium on both macadamia nuts (7.3 ± 0.19 versus 6.4 ± 0.31) and cashews (5.4 ± 0.15 versus 5.1 ± 0.25) and significantly greater than P. acidilactici on both nuts (7.8 ± 0.22 versus 6.3 ± 0.33 on macadamia nuts and 4.9 ± 0.22 versus 4.1 ± 0.25 on cashews). Reduction of S. carnosus exceeded that of Salmonella. E. faecium and P. acidilactici may be considered as surrogates for Salmonella on whole macadamia nuts and cashews processed by using PPO.

A Simplified Sample Preparation Method for the Assessment of Plasma Ascorbic Acid in Clinical Settings.

Vitamin C deficiency is difficult to diagnose on the basis of clinical presentation alone and requires plasma levels for confirmation. Reference laboratories typically specify shipment of plasma on dry ice. This requirement may complicate clinic work flow and delay vitamin C measurement. Additionally, patients with vitamin C deficiency may experience unnecessary testing and increased health-care costs, as other diagnoses are often considered first. We examined an alternative, more practical shipping method. Plasma was collected from 17 healthy volunteers by use of heparin tubes with gel separators, and all tubes were centrifuged immediately to separate the plasma layer from the cells. Baseline vitamin C was measured in plasma obtained immediately after specimen collection. Remaining sample tubes were held in Styrofoam containers with cold packs for 30 h or 48 h, followed by vitamin C measurement. Additional samples were exposed to conditions that simulated harsher shipping conditions. Mean plasma vitamin C was 69.6 μmol/L (SD = 21.5 μmol/L). Vitamin C losses were 5.4% at 30 h (SD = 5.55%, P < 0.05) and 7.6% at 48 h (SD = 5.56%, P < 0.05), which is slightly more than freeze-and-thaw treatment (average loss of 1.4%, SD = 6.9%, NS). The vitamin C method had an intraday variation of 1.88%. Vigorous shaking of 2 samples for 24 h resulted in a -1.9% change in 1 sample, and a +4.1% change in another sample. Exposure of the shipping container to elevated temperature (35 °C for 30 h) did not change the internal temperature of the container. The shipping procedure uses routine sample handling, standard vacutainers, and can be replicated by health-care centers seeking to evaluate patient vitamin C status.

Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake.

Plastic pollution is considered an important environmental problem by the United Nations Environment Programme, and it is identified, alongside climate change, as an emerging issue that might affect biological diversity and human health. However, despite research efforts investigating plastics in oceans, relatively little studies have focused on freshwater systems. The aim of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution, types, and characteristics of macro-, meso-, and microplastic fragments in shoreline sediments of a freshwater lake. Food wrappers (mainly polypropylene and polystyrene), bags (high- and low-density polyethylene), bottles (polyethylene terephthalate), and disposable Styrofoam food containers (expanded polystyrene) were the dominant macroplastics recorded in this study. Contrary to other studies, herein macroplastic item surveys would not serve as surrogates for microplastic items. This is disadvantageous since macroplastic surveys are relatively easier to conduct. Otherwise, an average of 25 mesoplastics (mainly expanded polystyrene) and 704 microplastic particles (diverse resins) were recorded per square meter in sandy sediments. Comparisons with other studies from freshwater and marine beaches indicated similar relevance of plastic contamination, demonstrating for the first time that plastic pollution is a serious problem in the Paraná floodplain lakes. This study is also valuable from a social/educational point of view, since plastic waste has been ignored in the Paraná catchment as a pollutant problem, and therefore, the outcome of the current study is a relevant contribution for decision makers.