scholarly journals Efficacy of a Sonicating Swab for Removal and Capture of Microorganisms from Experimental and Natural Contaminated Surfaces

2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianna P. Ahnrud ◽  
Alma J. Mendoza ◽  
Matthew J. Hurley ◽  
Patrick J. Marek
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Floor Tile ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Cotton Swab ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Microbiological Sample ◽  
Wood Cutting ◽  
Cutting Boards

ABSTRACTEnhancements in swabbing technology to increase sample collection efficacy would benefit the food industry. Specifically, these enhancements would assist the food industry in implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements by improving environmental monitoring effectiveness. A sonicating swab device, an example of an enhanced swabbing technology, was demonstrated previously to remove biofilm from stainless steel more efficiently than a standard cotton swab. Within this study, the performance of the sonicating swab was compared to that of the standard cotton swab for the recovery ofListeria monocytogenesfrom inoculated surfaces (plastic cutting board, wood cutting board, vinyl floor tile, and quarry clay floor tile). Additionally, we demonstrate the sonicating swab performance for collection of a microbiological sample from used commercial plastic cutting boards (noninoculated) in comparison to cotton swabs, foam swabs, and sponges. The sonicating swab captured significantly (P≤ 0.05) moreL. monocytogenesthan the cotton swab for both the quarry tile and wood cutting board, while no significant differences were observed for the plastic cutting board or the vinyl floor tile. The sonicating swab consistently recovered significantly (P≤ 0.05) more bacteria from the used cutting boards than did the standard cotton swab or the 3M Enviro swab, and it recovered significantly (P≤ 0.05) more bacteria than the sponge swab for a majority of the time (4 of 6 trials). The results of this study indicate that swab technology can still be improved and that the sonicating swab is a viable technological enhancement which aids microbiological sample collection.IMPORTANCESwabbing of surface areas for microbial contamination has been the standard for the detection and enumeration of microorganisms for many years. Inadequate surface sampling can result in foodborne illness outbreaks due to biotransfer of harmful microorganisms from food contact surfaces to foods. Swab material type, surface characteristics, and swabbing method used are a few of the factors associated with swabbing that can result in the variability of bacterial cell recovery for detection and enumeration. A previous study highlighted a sonicating swab prototype and its ability to recover cells from a stainless steel surface more efficiently and reliably than a standard swab method (T. A. Branck, M. J. Hurley, G. N. Prata, C. A. Crivello, and P. J. Marek, Appl Environ Microbiol 83:e00109-17, 2017,https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00109-17). This study expands upon the capabilities of the sonicating swab technology to recover cells from multiple surface types with increased performance over traditional swabbing methods as a tool to further assist in the prevention of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Comparison of spindle and stomacher efficacy for detaching biofilms from stainless steel, PVC, and green leafy vegetable surfaces

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-514
Author(s):  
Wooju Kim ◽  
Ki-Ok Jeong ◽  
Ho-Lyeong Cheon ◽  
Dong-Hyun Kang
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Comparative Experiment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Leafy Vegetable ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose Biofilms are bacterial communities embedded in exopolysaccharide, enhancing the difficulty of detaching bacterial cells from surfaces. Due to structural properties, it is difficult to detach biofilms. Many removal methods have been developed, but there are still some limitations such as sample size and reproducibility. “Spindle” was developed, producing a higher quality suspension which can be used for further study. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The authors compared the enumeration of biofilm-forming cells detached from the spindle and stomacher in various surfaces. First, the authors chose stainless steel and polyvinyl chloride to attach biofilms and to be subjected to stomacher and spindle for up to 2 min. Also, the authors evaluated the efficiency of detachment from vegetable surfaces. Findings In a comparative experiment of abiotic surfaces, the spindle showed identical effectiveness for detaching biofilm-forming cells compared to the stomacher, recovering the population by 8-log for Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. The spindle also showed no significant difference from the stomacher in the number of recovered cells which is 4-log from vegetable surfaces. However, turbidity after spinach was subjected to spindle was 4.37 NTU, while it was 99 NTU for stomacher, which was in accord with visual result about clearance. Originality/value This study demonstrated that the spindle is a useful to separate biofilms from surfaces without destructing structure, and thus it can be used for analysis in food laboratories as well as utilized for vegetable washing step in the food industry.

scholarly journals Electroactivity of Phototrophic River Biofilms and Constitutive Cultivable Bacteria

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (15) ◽  
pp. 5394-5401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Lyautey ◽  
Amandine Cournet ◽  
Soizic Morin ◽  
Stéphanie Boulêtreau ◽  
Luc Etcheverry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Cyclic Voltammetry ◽  
Oxygen Reduction ◽  
Saturated Calomel Electrode ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Phenotypic Properties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Population Scale ◽  
River Biofilm ◽  
Biofilm Development

ABSTRACTElectroactivity is a property of microorganisms assembled in biofilms that has been highlighted in a variety of environments. This characteristic was assessed for phototrophic river biofilms at the community scale and at the bacterial population scale. At the community scale, electroactivity was evaluated on stainless steel and copper alloy coupons used both as biofilm colonization supports and as working electrodes. At the population scale, the ability of environmental bacterial strains to catalyze oxygen reduction was assessed by cyclic voltammetry. Our data demonstrate that phototrophic river biofilm development on the electrodes, measured by dry mass and chlorophyllacontent, resulted in significant increases of the recorded potentials, with potentials of up to +120 mV/saturated calomel electrode (SCE) on stainless steel electrodes and +60 mV/SCE on copper electrodes. Thirty-two bacterial strains isolated from natural phototrophic river biofilms were tested by cyclic voltammetry. Twenty-five were able to catalyze oxygen reduction, with shifts of potential ranging from 0.06 to 0.23 V, cathodic peak potentials ranging from −0.36 to −0.76 V/SCE, and peak amplitudes ranging from −9.5 to −19.4 μA. These isolates were diversified phylogenetically (Actinobacteria,Firmicutes,Bacteroidetes, andAlpha-,Beta-, andGammaproteobacteria) and exhibited various phenotypic properties (Gram stain, oxidase, and catalase characteristics). These data suggest that phototrophic river biofilm communities and/or most of their constitutive bacterial populations present the ability to promote electronic exchange with a metallic electrode, supporting the following possibilities: (i) development of electrochemistry-based sensors allowingin situphototrophic river biofilm detection and (ii) production of microbial fuel cell inocula under oligotrophic conditions.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of a Halotolerant, Cold-Active Marine Endo-β-1,4-Glucanase by Using Functional Metagenomics of Seaweed-Associated Microbiota

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (16) ◽  
pp. 4958-4967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolaine Martin ◽  
Sophie Biver ◽  
Sébastien Steels ◽  
Tristan Barbeyron ◽  
Murielle Jam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metagenomic Library ◽  
Functional Screening ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Prolonged Incubation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cold Active ◽  
Esterase Loci ◽  
Collection Period ◽  
Identification And Characterization

ABSTRACTA metagenomic library was constructed from microorganisms associated with the brown algaAscophyllum nodosum. Functional screening of this library revealed 13 novel putative esterase loci and two glycoside hydrolase loci. Sequence and gene cluster analysis showed the wide diversity of the identified enzymes and gave an idea of the microbial populations present during the sample collection period. Lastly, an endo-β-1,4-glucanase having less than 50% identity to sequences of known cellulases was purified and partially characterized, showing activity at low temperature and after prolonged incubation in concentrated salt solutions.

The prediction of the cyclic mechanical behavior of stainless steel 304L at room temperature

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hala Messai ◽  
Salim Meziani ◽  
Athmane Fouathia
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Type Model ◽  
Good Prediction ◽  
304L Stainless Steel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Third ◽  
Chaboche Model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the performance of the Chaboche model in relation to the database identification, tests with imposed deformations were conducted at room temperature on 304L stainless steel specimens. Design/methodology/approach The first two tests were performed in tension-compression between ±0.005 and ±0.01; in the third test, each cycle is composed of the combination of a compression tensile cycle between ±0.01 followed by a torsion cycle between ±0.01723 (non-proportional path), and the last, uniaxial ratcheting test with a mean stress between 250 MPa and −150 MPa. Several identifications of a Chaboche-type model were then performed by considering databases composed of one or more of the cited tests. On the basis of these identifications, the simulations of a large number of ratchet tests in particular were carried out. Findings The results present the effect of the optimized parameters on the prediction of the behavior of materials which is reported in the graphs, Optimizations 1 and 2 of first and second tests and Optimization 4 of the third test giving a good prediction of the increasing/decreasing pre-deformation amplitude. Originality/value The quality of the model's predictions strongly depends on the richness of the database used for the identification of the parameters.

Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) a promising superfood in food industry: a review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Fredy Gomez Cahuata ◽  
Yessica Estefany Rosas-Quina ◽  
Erika Pachari Vera
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Protein Quality ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Functional Value ◽  
Potential Applications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to divulge the current knowledge about the nutritional and functional characteristics of Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen), in addition to its potential applications in the food industry since research studies related to it are still limited compared to other cereals of greater diffusion. Design/methodology/approach The scientific information was collected from Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, using keywords such as nutrition value of Chenopodium pallidicaule, amaranth and pseudocereals. Consistent information was selected according to its relevance, year of publication and accuracy with the topic. A total of 49 research papers were selected. Findings Cañihua is a grain with high nutritional potential, considered a superfood because it has a high protein quality, a balanced composition of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, with a high concentration of linoleic and oleic acid. Besides, it has a good level of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant capacity. However, its production and consumption are limited outside its area of origin, although its cultivation is possible under harsh conditions. Originality/value This paper, through a systematic bibliographic review, highlights the potential of cañihua to be considered in the development of food products with high nutritional and functional value. The information compiled will help researchers and professionals become aware of the importance of this grain and join forces in its processing and enhancement of its attributes.

Effect of recrystallization on degree of sensitization in nickel free austenitic stainless steel

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourabh Shukla ◽  
Awanikumar P. Patil ◽  
Ashlesha Kawale ◽  
Anand Babu Kotta ◽  
Inayat Ullah
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Thermal Aging ◽  
Thermomechanical Processing ◽  
Cold Work ◽  
Austenitic Stainless Steels ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Deformation ◽  
Strain Induced Martensite ◽  
Degree Of Sensitization ◽  
Cold Worked

Purpose Effect of grain size on degree of sensitization (DOS) was been evaluated in Nickel free steel. Manganese and nitrogen contained alloy is a Ni-free austenitic stainless steels (ASS) having type 202 grade. The main purpose of this investigation is to find the effect of recrystallization on the DOS of stainless steel after the thermo-mechanical processing (cold work and thermal aging). Design/methodology/approach In the present investigation, the deformation of 202 grade analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microstructural testing. Optical microstructure of Ni-free ASS has been done for cold worked samples with thermally aged at 900°C_6 h. Double loop electrochemical potentiodynamic reactivation test used for findings of degree of sensitization. Findings Ni-free ASS appears to be deformed more rapidly due to its higher stacking fault energy which gave results in rapid transformation from strain induced martensite to austenite in form of recrystallized grains, i.e. it concluded that as cold work percentage increases more rapidly recrystallization occurs. XRD results also indicate that more fraction of martensite formed as percentage of CW increases but as thermal aging reverted those all martensite to austenite. So investigation gives the conclusion which suggests that with high deformation at higher temperature and duration gives very less DOS. Originality/value Various literatures available for 300 series steel related to the effect of cold work on mechanical properties and sensitization mechanism. However, no one has investigated the effect of recrystallization through thermomechanical processing on the sensitization of nickel-free steel.

A collaborative application of design thinking and Taguchi approach in restaurant service design for food wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Rejikumar ◽  
Asokan-Ajitha Aswathy ◽  
Ajay Jose ◽  
Mathew Sonia
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Taguchi Approach ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wellbeing Index ◽  
Food Movement ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeInnovative restaurant service designs impart food wellbeing to diners. This research comprehends customer aspirations and concerns in a restaurant-dining experience to develop a service design that enhances the dining experience using the design thinking approach and evaluates its efficiency using the Taguchi method of robust design.Design/methodology/approachThe sequential incidence technique defines diners' needs, which, followed by brainstorming sessions, helped create multiple service designs with important attributes. Prototype narration, as a scenario, acted as the stimulus for evaluators to respond to the WHO-5 wellbeing index scale. Scenario-based Taguchi experiment with nine foodservice attributes in two levels and the wellbeing score as the response variable helped identify levels of critical factors that develop better FWB.FindingsThe study identified the best combination of factors and their preferred levels to maximize FWB in a restaurant. Food serving hygiene, followed by information about cuisine specification, and food movement in the restaurant, were important to FWB. The experiment revealed that hygiene perceptions are critical to FWB, and service designs have a significant role in it. Consumers prefer detailed information about the ingredients and recipe of the food they eat; being confident that there will be no unacceptable ingredients added to the food inspires their FWB.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretically, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on design thinking and transformative service research, especially in the food industry.Practical implicationsThis paper details a simple method to identify and evaluate important factors that optimize FWB in a restaurant. The proposed methodology will help service designers and technology experts devise settings that consider customer priorities and contribute to their experience.Originality/valueThis study helps to understand the application of design thinking and the Taguchi approach for creating robust service designs that optimize FWB.

Study on properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-690
Author(s):  
Xinjin Liu ◽  
Xinxin Yan ◽  
Xuzhong Su ◽  
Juan Song
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Continuous Distribution ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Short Fiber ◽  
Electromagnetic Shielding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Spun Yarn ◽  
Spun Yarns ◽  
Shielding Properties

PurposeWith the popularization of electronic products, the electromagnetic radiation pollution has been the fourth largest pollution after water, air and noise pollution. Therefore, electromagnetic shielding property of textiles is attracting more attention. In this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied.Design/methodology/approachTen kinds of yarn, stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarn with three different blending ratios T/S 90/10, T/S 80/20 and T/S 70/30, stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn with blending ratio C/T/S 35/35/30, core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament C/T28tex/S(30 um), core-spun yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments (C/T28tex/S(15 um)/S(15 um)), twin-core-spun yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament and one 50D spandex filament C/T28tex/S(30 um)/SP(50D), sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from left S(30 um)+C/T28tex, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 30 um stainless steel filament feeding from right C/T28tex+S(30 um), sirofil wrapped yarn with two 15 um stainless steel filaments feeding from two sides S(15 um)+C/T28tex+ S(15 um), were spun. The qualities of spun yarns were measured. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven.FindingsThe tested results show that comparing to the T/S 80/20 blend yarn, the resistivity of composite yarns with the same ratio of the stainless steel filament is smaller. The possible reason is that comparing to the stainless steel short fiber, the conductivity of stainless steel filament is better because of the continuous distribution of stainless steel in the filament. Comparing with the core-spun yarn, the conductivity of the sirofil wrapped yarn is a little better. Comparing to the fabric woven by the blend yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the composite yarn is better, and comparing to the fabric woven by the core-spun yarn, the electromagnetic shielding of the fabric woven by the sirofil yarn is a little better. The possible reason is that the conduction network can be produced by the stainless steel filament wrapped on the staple fiber yarn surface in the fabric, and the electromagnetic wave can be transmitted in the network.Originality/valueIn this paper, the properties of electromagnetic shielding yarns and fabrics were studied. Ten kinds of yarn, including three stainless steel short fiber and polyester blend yarns, one stainless steel short fiber, polyester and cotton blend yarn, two core-spun yarns, one twin-core-spun yarn, three sirofil wrapped yarn, were spun. Then, for analyzing the electromagnetic shielding properties of fabrics made of different spun yarns, 20 kinds of fabrics were woven. The effects of fabric warp and weft densities, fabric structures, yarn kinds, yarn distributions in the fabric on electromagnetic shielding were analyzed.

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