Question Could assessment of purchase behaviour h Essays - Bacteria

Question: Could assessment of purchase behaviour help to identify the contaminated food commodity? Introduction to the case Most cases occurred in elderly males. June 2009 to January 2010 Signicance of the case The main route of transmission is known to be through consumption of contaminated food. However, infection can also (in very rare cases) be transmitted directly from infected animals to humans. The bacterium is particularly successful in causing foodborne disease, because it survives food processing technologies that rely on acidic or salty conditions, and, unlike many other pathogens, can continue to multiply slowly at low temperatures, allowing growth even in properly refrigerated foods Regulatory aspects -EU Directive 2073/2005. -Regulation states that L. monocytogenes must be absent from food, but can be present up to a limit of 100 CFU/g if the physicochemical prole of a food commodity prevents growth (the bacteria must not exceed 100 CFU/g food at the end of shelf-life; Anonymous, 2006). Since listeriosis is usually caused by a higher number of L. monocytogenes (10 5 CFU/g), the search began for a food item that fosters growth and that is predominantly eaten by elderly persons. smoked sh products, soft cheeses and cooked sausages What made outbreak investigations difcult? incubation period of listeriosis in humans can be up to 70 days, the outbreak pattern is quite scattered foodstuffs have usually been eaten or already thrown away before an outbreak investigation starts. -Collected grocery receipts of purchases made by seven patients in December 2009, and screened them for a common food item. -The survey of the purchase behaviour allowed us to generate a hypothesis that was then tested by a case-control study using case-case comparisons. - Patients were asked about consumption of 12 cheese products in the six-month period prior to disease onset. - Persons in the control group were requested to provide information on consumption of the same products and a parameter called the odds ratio' was computed Resolution and outcomes Clinical dynamics -Median age of the cases was 72 years (range: 57-89 years), and 26 patients were male. There were no materno-neonatal(-) cases. Prevalence of underlying disease in the case group was not different from the prevalence of underlying disease in the control group. Contamination rates of samples and recalled lots of Quargel Three out of 16 L. monocytogenes positive lots showed a contamination rate of 100 CFU/g at the beginning of the shelf-life when stored at 4 C. Nevertheless, by increasing the storage time or the storage temperature (15 C, 22 C) the contamination rate could be raised to 10. In general, storage at 4 C resulted in an average of 5.6 log units, a signicantly minor contamination rate compared with storage at 15 C or 22 C with mean log values of 7.2 and 6.8, respectively. Lower storage temperatures are supposed to slow down bacterial growth and may restrict amounts to non-harmful doses. This was not the case in this outbreak. Although there was an overall higher variation in the samples stored at 4 C than in samples kept at 15 C or 22 C, and even though the mean values differed signicantly, maximum levels were similar. This nding indicates a high potential for growth even when Quargel is stored at 4 C At-site contamination scenarios An environmental L. monocytogenes 1/2a isolate from the suspect production plant, from a gully (drainage pit) sample collected in December 2009, became available on 19 January 2010 and proved indistinguishable from the outbreak strain by genotyping. Commentary and personal reections -majority of outbreak investigations do not found the source. - The outbreak dynamics show clearly that a decline in case numbers does not necessarily imply that the underlying problem has disappeared. - a L. monocytogenes isolate from an environmental sample taken by the quality manager in the facility in May 2009 was the rst evidence of a contamination problem. - We hypothesize that L. monocytogenes was introduced into the plant during major construction work. -From 23 February 2009 until 27 May 2009, a ripening room in direct proximity to the central production facility was remodeled, and this coincides with the time of the rst documented detection of L. monocytogenes in a smear sample, allegedly after years of no microbiological proof of L. monocytogenes in the facility. - This nding emphasizes the unequivocal need for implementing a self-control system capable of detecting contamination -This strong recommendation becomes

Free Essays on Holograms And Holography

I. Introduction Holograms are objects that exist in a two dimensional state, but can be perceived by the human eyes to be in a three dimensional state. They make you want to reach out and touch it, but only come to find this two dimensional object. This is the entire purpose of a hologram, to convince the human eye that there is an object where one does not exist. Holograms have been a known technology for a while, but understanding how they work is a whole other story. You hold a hologram up to yourself and look at it thinking, â€Å"Am I seeing things?....Is someone pulling a Jedi Mind Trick on me?†¦.Is there really an object there?† How is this possible? This paper will cover how this is possible and various other aspects of holography. II. Creating Holograms A. The Idea Holograms are kept on a holographic film sheets. This film is similar to regular photography film, only with special properties in its chemical make up that allow multiple different angle patterns to be recorded onto the film. The film does not record light waves. If it recorded light waves, then it would be nothing more than photographic film. What is of interest about this hologram film is collecting interference patterns of light. After this pattern of interference is recorded onto the film it can be called a hologram. The film acts like a lens after it has been developed with the interference pattern of the object you want to create a hologram of. This lens stores the information about the object like the data stored on a computer, except in this case it is stored as a pattern of interference on the film. When light is passed through this â€Å"lens† it uses a process of diffraction upon the recorded interference pattern to reproduce the object recorded. This eff ect can be achieved by either reflecting light from the surface of the film, or shining light through the film from the opposite side. Metallic films require that you reflect the lig... Free Essays on Holograms And Holography Free Essays on Holograms And Holography I. Introduction Holograms are objects that exist in a two dimensional state, but can be perceived by the human eyes to be in a three dimensional state. They make you want to reach out and touch it, but only come to find this two dimensional object. This is the entire purpose of a hologram, to convince the human eye that there is an object where one does not exist. Holograms have been a known technology for a while, but understanding how they work is a whole other story. You hold a hologram up to yourself and look at it thinking, â€Å"Am I seeing things?....Is someone pulling a Jedi Mind Trick on me?†¦.Is there really an object there?† How is this possible? This paper will cover how this is possible and various other aspects of holography. II. Creating Holograms A. The Idea Holograms are kept on a holographic film sheets. This film is similar to regular photography film, only with special properties in its chemical make up that allow multiple different angle patterns to be recorded onto the film. The film does not record light waves. If it recorded light waves, then it would be nothing more than photographic film. What is of interest about this hologram film is collecting interference patterns of light. After this pattern of interference is recorded onto the film it can be called a hologram. The film acts like a lens after it has been developed with the interference pattern of the object you want to create a hologram of. This lens stores the information about the object like the data stored on a computer, except in this case it is stored as a pattern of interference on the film. When light is passed through this â€Å"lens† it uses a process of diffraction upon the recorded interference pattern to reproduce the object recorded. This eff ect can be achieved by either reflecting light from the surface of the film, or shining light through the film from the opposite side. Metallic films require that you reflect the lig...

Profile of Major General Smedley Butler

Profile of Major General Smedley Butler Major General Smedley Butler was a decorated war veteran. He is best known for serving in the Carribean and abroad during World War I. Early Life Smedley Butler was born in West Chester, PA on July 30, 1881, to Thomas and Maud Butler. Raised in the area, Butler initially attended West Chester Friends Graded High School before moving on to the prestigious Haverford School. While enrolled at Haverford, Butlers father was elected to the US House of Representatives. Serving in Washington for thirty-one years, Thomas Butler would later provide political cover for his sons military career. A gifted athlete and a good student, the younger Butler elected to leave Haverford in mid-1898 to take part in the Spanish-American War. Joining the Marines Though his father wished him to remain in school, Butler was able to obtain a direct commission as a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. Ordered to the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC for training, he then joined the Marine Battalion, North Atlantic Squadron and took part in operations around Guantnamo Bay, Cuba. With the withdrawal of the Marines from the area later in the year, Butler served aboard USS New York until being discharged on February 16, 1899. His separation from the Corps proved short as he was able to secure a first lieutenants commission in April. In the Far East Ordered to Manila, Philippines, Butler took part in the Philippine-American War. Bored by garrison life, he welcomed the opportunity to experience combat later that year. Leading a force against the Insurrecto-held town of Noveleta in October, he succeeded in driving off the enemy and securing the area. In the wake of this action, Butler was tattooed with a large Eagle, Globe, and Anchor which covered his entire chest. Befriending Major Littleton Waller, Butler was selected to join him as part of a Marine company on Guam. En route, Wallers force was detoured to China to aid in putting down the Boxer Rebellion. Arriving in China, Butler took part in the Battle of Tientsin on July 13, 1900. In the fighting, he was hit in the leg while trying to rescue another officer. Despite his wound, Butler assisted the officer to the hospital. For his performance at Tientsin, Butler received a brevet promotion to captain. Returning to action, he was grazed in the chest during fighting near San Tan Pating. Returning the United States in 1901, Butler spent two years serving ashore and aboard various vessels. In 1903, while stationed in Puerto Rico, he was ordered to aid in protecting American interests during a revolt in Honduras. The Banana Wars Moving along the Honduran coast, Butlers party rescued the American consul in Trujillo. Suffering from a tropical fever during the campaign, Butler received the nickname Old Gimlet Eye due to his constantly bloodshot eyes. Returning home, he married Ethel Peters on June 30, 1905. Ordered back to the Philippines, Butler saw garrison duty around Subic Bay. In 1908, now a major, he was diagnosed with having a nervous breakdown (possibly post-traumatic stress disorder) and was sent back to the United States for nine months to recover. During this period Butler tried his hand at coal mining but found it not to his liking. Returning to the Marines, he received command of 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment on the Isthmus of Panama in 1909. He remained in the area until being ordered to Nicaragua in August 1912. Commanding a battalion, he took part in the bombardment, assault, and capture of Coyotepe in October. In January 1914, Butler was directed to join Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher off the coast of Mexico to monitor military activities during the Mexican Revolution. In March, Butler, posing as a railroad executive, landed in Mexico and scouted the interior. As the situation continued to worsen, American forces landed at Veracruz on April 21. Leading the Marine contingent, Butler directed their operations through two days of fighting before the city was secured. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. The following year, Butler led a force from USS Connecticut ashore on Haiti after a revolution threw the country into chaos. Winning several engagements with the Haitian rebels, Butler won a second Medal of Honor for his capture of Fort Rivià ¨re. In doing so, he became one of only two Marines to win the medal twice, the other being Dan Daly. World War I With the US entry into World War I in April 1917, Butler, now a lieutenant colonel, began lobbying for a command in France. This failed to materialize as some of his key superiors deemed him unreliable despite his stellar record. On July 1, 1918, Butler received a promotion to colonel and command of the 13th Marine Regiment in France. Though he worked to train the unit, they did not see combat operations. Promoted to brigadier general in early October, he was directed to oversee Camp Pontanezen at Brest. A key debarkation point for American troops, Butler distinguished himself by improving conditions in the camp. Postwar For his work in France, Butler received the Distinguished Service Medal from both the US Army and US Navy. Arriving home in 1919, he took command of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia and over the next five years worked to make what had been a wartime training camp into a permanent base. In 1924, at the request of President Calvin Coolidge and Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick, Butler took a leave from the Marines to serve as Director of Public Safety for Philadelphia. Assuming oversight of the citys police and fire departments, he tirelessly worked to end corruption and enforce Prohibition. Though effective, Butlers military-style methods, impolitic comments, and aggressive approach began to wear thin with the public and his popularity began to drop. Though his leave was extended for a second year, he frequently clashed with Mayor Kendrick and elected to resign and return to the Marines Corps in late 1925. After briefly commanding the Marine Corps Base at San Diego, CA, he embarked for China in 1927. Over the next two years, Butler commanded the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Working to protect American interests, he successfully dealt with rival Chinese warlords and leaders. Returning to Quantico in 1929, Butler was promoted to major general. Resuming his task of making the base the showplace of the Marines, he worked to increase the publics awareness of the corps by taking his men on long marches and re-enacting Civil War battles such as Gettysburg. On July 8, 1930, the Commandant of the Marines Corps, Major General Wendell C. Neville, died. Though tradition called for the senior general to temporarily fill the post, Butler was not appointed. Though considered for the permanent position of command  and supported by notables such as Lieutenant General John Lejeune, Butlers controversial track record along with ill-timed public comments regarding Italian dictator Benito Mussolini saw Major General Ben Fuller receive the post instead. Retirement Rather than continue in the Marine Corps, Butler filed for retirement and left the service on October 1, 1931. A popular lecturer while with the Marines, Butler began speaking to various groups fulltime. In March 1932, he announced that he would run for the US Senate from Pennsylvania. An advocate of Prohibition, he was defeated in the 1932 Republican primary. Later that year, he publically supported the Bonus Army protesters who sought early payment of the service certificates issued by the World War Adjusted Compensation Act of 1924. Continuing to lecture, he increasingly focused his speeches against war profiteering and American military intervention abroad. The themes of these lectures formed the basis for his 1935 work War Is a Racket which outlined the connections between war and business. Butler continued to speak on these topics and his views of fascism in the US through the 1930s. In June 1940, Butler entered the Philadelphia Naval Hospital after being ill for several weeks. On June 20, Butler died of cancer and was buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, PA.

The Uses and Abuses of Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Uses and Abuses of Nationalism - Essay Example The religious systems influenced the way commerce and trade has been done since the ancient times. During the 17th Century, there was a disagreement in establishing what was right according to the religious beliefs at the time. A rift had emerged between the Protestants and the Catholics, leading to the northern European nations’ interest in â€Å"trade and commerce† (896). The transition from Catholicism to Protestant among many Europeans created a transformation in commerce. Watson says, â€Å"New mercantile classes were replacing the traditional military and landowning aristocracies as the main political force.† (896).This demonstrates the influence of religion on trade and commerce during the ancient times. However, the influence of religious systems has continued to be minimal with time. In the modern day society, the input of the religious systems in matters of commerce and trade is almost inexistent. The change has been characterized by religious tolerance and freedom of religion as enshrined in the bill of rights. Colonization helped shape trade and commerce in the European countries as well as those of their colonies. Courtesy of British colonization, America sprung to become a giant economy partly because most of the individuals who embarked on building the country had a great background. Watson supports this argument by mentioning that, â€Å"Britain had her American colonies†¦ she had emerged as the most powerful of the maritime nations† (897). Some of the Britain’s benefits came from the trade and taxes that were levied on its colonies, an aspect that facilitated the growth of the economy. Slavery was a key component of economic growth, in an attempt to maintain supremacy and high economic output western countries pioneered by Portugal engaged in slave trade. It began around 1444 despite criticism from several quarters, especially from key

Demographic Decline, Black death, and the Ottoman Turks Essay

Demographic Decline, Black death, and the Ottoman Turks - Essay Example The worst illness to strike during this time was the Black Death or the bubonic plague. Fleas that arrived in Europe from Asia spread this disease. Most people that contracted the disease died, leading to population decline. The Ottoman Turks played a peripheral role in the history of Western Europe. The loss of the Byzantine Empire and a Christian lineage stretching back to the Emperor Constantine was more psychological than anything else. Trade continued to flow through Constantinople, now called Istanbul. The Turks did press into areas in Southeastern European areas such as Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia and Morea. This provides much of the ethnic tension still present in the Balkan region to this day. But most of the Turkish expansion was Southwest into the lands of the Arabian Peninsula. After they captured the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the Ottoman Turks importance was elevated throughout the Muslim world. The Ottoman Turks were important in Western European history as a peripheral

Iraq and Palestine Essay Example for Free

Iraq and Palestine Essay Since 2003, after the four devastating years of Iraq invasion, Bill Moyers’ journal on â€Å"Buying the War† stabbed to grasp the mainstream US media held responsible for its connivance in advertising the ‘war on Iraq’ to the public of US. Moyers recognized how the US media, with the main role of ‘The New York Times’, yielded to fiscal and political stress, gave ways to an environment of nationalism and trepidation of terrorism, and naively reported bogus US government assertions. Sadly, despite all the terrible results of 60 years of Israelis bullying the Palestinians, there is still no major movement to grab the US mainstream media held answerable for an equivalent, incredible failure in covering Israelis and Palestinians conflict and for its involvement in the U. S. naive backing for Israel. Moyers’ study of the US media breakdown on Iraq was costly, yet imperfect. He elucidated that to instigate the assault on Iraq â€Å"high officials†¦ needed a compliant press, to pass on their propaganda as news and cheer them on. our press largely surrendered its independence and skepticism to join with our government in marching to war. † Bob Simon of CBS put in plain words to Moyers that the U. S. administration used selling skills to put up war for sale: â€Å"Just repeat it and repeat it and repeat it†¦ Keep that drumming going. † Media columnist Norman Solomon informed Moyers that he thought these [news] managers were scared stiff of being called yielding on terrorism. Moyers gave many instances of ‘The New York Times’ conveying fake shrewdness on Iraq to the public of US. However, still Moyers stated that the now villainous ‘neoconservatives’ had long sought to change the Middle East, starting with the exclusion of Saddam Hussein, Moyers passed over a central reason for why the administration’s case for war echoed with both the US media as well as public. It was based in broadly-held typecasts about Arabs, Muslims and the Middle East, statements which are also necessary to realize US policy in Israel and Palestine. In his classic 1978 book â€Å"Orientalism†, Palestinian-American scholar Edward Sa’id asserted: The Western understanding of Arabs, Muslims and the Middle East is a product of colonialism, and that Westerners outlook the East as innately substandard and reliant on salvation. The US case for ‘war in Iraq’ hinged on orientalists statements that the Middle East was an undistinguished province of Arabs and Muslims who, lacking any history account or valid complaints, are overcome by an illogically aggressive nature as well as loathing of the West, Israel,’ freedom and democracy’ (Edward Sa’id 1978). Though Moyers didn’t, the neo-cons repeatedly sketched the relationship between Iraq and Israel, stating: â€Å"The way towards Jerusalem crosses Baghdad†. And in Israel, the other main settlement in â€Å"the war on terror,† chauvinistic philosophy and politically spoiled intelligence are also hard-pressed by the administration and gullibly reported by US media channels like ‘The New York Times’ – as, an April 11, 2007 Times news article by Isabel Kershner titled improvable assertions by Israel’s Shin Bet that it had disenchanted a huge Hamas suicide-bombing planned for Passover. The article mainly overlooked Palestinian rebuffs reported on the same day in the Israeli paper Ha’aretz Daily. The Shin Bet assertion appeared to value uncertainty considering the Palestinian refutations and Hamas’ verdict two years ago to stop the progress of sweeping attacks. Certainly, Hamas’ implication on such a huge-scale bombing plan would have approached at a fitting moment for Israel. Following the 16 months throughout which 27 Israelis were murdered by Palestinians, the lowest sum in over 6 years, Israel is thrashing about to stop the breakup of the global boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority and to see off continual peace proposals from the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the Arab League. The Israeli administration has been feeding the media narratives saying that the calm is a trick, which Hamas is making use of it to support and prepare invasions and that Israel will then be enforced to rise a major attack of Gaza soon. The Times has published at least 4 other articles rumbling these Israeli administration claims since March 2007 .

Medicine During the Civil War Essay -- essays research papers fc

Medicine During the Civil War 1861-1865   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Walt Whitman wrote that he believed the â€Å"real war† would never get into the books, this is the side he was talking about (Belferman 1996). Yet, it is important that we remember and recall the medical side of the conflict too, as horrible and terrifying as it was (Adams 1952). Long before doctors and people knew anything about bacteria and what caused disease was the time of Civil War medicine. Doctors during the Civil War (always referred to as â€Å"surgeons†) were incredibly unprepared. Most surgeons had as little as two years of medical school because very few pursued further education. At that time, Harvard Medical School did not even own a single stethoscope or microscope until well after the war. Most Civil War surgeons had never treated a gun shot wound because they were accustomed to treating minor head colds and sore throats. Many had never performed surgery or even held a scalpel. Medical boards let extremely unqualified students practice medicine due to much needed help for wounded soldiers on the battlefield. â€Å"Some ten thousand surgeons served in the Union and about four thousand served in the Southern Confederacy (Cunningham 1958).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By far, the deadliest thing that faced the Civil War soldier was disease and infection. For every soldier who died in battle, two died of disease (Cunningham 1958). Among the long list of terminal and fatal diseases that plagued the battlefield as well as the operating table and hospitals were dysentery (a severe form of diarrhea which was very common among the soldiers), measles, small pox, malaria, pneumonia, and â€Å"camp itch† which was caused by skin disease and insects. Malaria was usually brought on by camping in damp areas, where mosquitos were prone to. There were many factors that came into play which explained why disease spread so rapidly. Among the explanations were as follows: inadequate physicals before entering the Army, the fact many troops came from rural areas, neglect of camp hygiene, insects and rodents in the area, exposure to other infected individuals, lack of clothing and shoes, and poor conditions of food and water. Many unqualifi ed recruits entered the Army and diseases cruelly weeded out those who should have been excluded by physical exams prior to recruiting (Shildt 1986).   Ã‚  &... .... The many men and women, North and South, who served in the hospital and sanitary services during the war were proud of their achievements (Adams 1861-1865). The morbidity and mortality rates of both armies showed marked improvement over those of other 19th century wars. The physicians and sanitarians held down the disease fatalities to levels that their generation considered more than reasonable. It was a gruesome business for doctors and patients alike; yet without the doctors and nurses in blue and gray, much of the young manhood of America at mid century might not have survived for the work of rebuilding. (Adams 1861-1865) Works Cited Adams, George W. Doctors In Blue,†Medical History of the Union† Baton Rouge:University of Louisiana Press, 1952 Belferman, Mary â€Å"On Surgery’s Cutting Edge in the Civil War† The Washington Post, June 13, 1996 Cunningham, H.H. Doctors in Gray, Baton Rouge: University of Louisiana Press, 1958 Coco, Gregory A. A Strange and Blighted Land-Gettysburg, The Aftermath, 1995 Schildt, John W. Hunter Homes McGuire:Doctor in Gray, 1986 Adams, George W. â€Å"Fighting for Time† The National Historical Society’s-The Image of War 1861-1865 Volume IV