THE APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL METHODS OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT BY GMP+ STANDARDS USING FERROMAGNETIC MICROTRACERS

The GMP+FSA Feed Certification scheme is considered and analyzed which was developed in 1992 by the Dutch feed industry in response to various incidents involving contamination in feed materials. Currently it is an international scheme that is managed by GMP+ International in collaboration with stakeholders from numerous European countries. One of the most important and responsible steps in the feed production is mixing - creating a completely homogeneous mixture. In this paper, a statistical quality assessment of mixing of multicomponent feeds using the distribution of added particles – microtracers was performed. The testing procedure of the homogeneity of feeds and premixes using microtracers is presented in the Standard GMP+ BA2 ―Control of residues‖. The ferromagnetic variety of microtracers manufactured by American Company Micro-Tracers, Inc (San Francisco, California) are elementary iron particles or particles of stainless steel which are coated with a FD&C dye of different colors. The most common microtracers are Microtracer F that consists near 25000 of iron particles with a size distribution of 150 – 300 μm. These microtracers are used in the feed industry to ensure the quality of mixing feeds for animals and poultry during the last 20-30 years. The additional areas of use of microtracers include the marking of vitamins, mineral additive or medicament which introduced into premixes, which allows to mark the presence of the premix in the finished feeds. In quantitative analysis, MicrotracersTM can be used not only to document efficacy of mixing, but also to assess the adequacy of batch to batch ―cleanout‖ of mixers and other feed manufacturing equipment. In the present article the analytical results of evaluation of the mixer performance are interpreted in the terms of a Poisson statistics and chi-squared distribution. The value of probability by Poisson (p) was chosen as criteria for evaluation of homogeneity. Treating a series of counts as a Poisson distribution, the mix is judged complete if p>5% and judged incomplete if p<1%. The mix is judged ―probably incomplete‖ (marginal) if the probability value is in the range of 1%<p<5%.

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ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF HOMOGENEITY OF PET FOOD USING FERROMAGNETIC MICROTRACERS

Grain Products and Mixed Fodder’s ◽

10.15673/gpmf.v20i2.1763 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 32-37

Author(s):

T. Sakhno ◽

А. Semenov ◽

N. Barashkov

Keyword(s):

San Francisco ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Pet Food ◽

Testing Program ◽

Urgent Task ◽

Chi Squared ◽

The Usa ◽

Calculated Probability ◽

Manganese Salts

Obtaining highly homogeneous mixtures is an urgent task in many areas of feed production, as it is associated with the need for even distribution of particularly important and valuable components. Manufacturers of animal feed are using several different methods for performing homogeneity studies to check their mixer performance. This paper is devoted to the use of nontraditional markers such as ferromagnetic Microtracers to evaluate the homogeneity of the final feed. Microtracers have successfully been used in a mixer testing program in the USA since 1985 and in Europe since 2006. They represent a major improvement over traditional analytical procedures for evaluation of mixer performance involving the use of cobalt or manganese salts. The authors described the quantitative results of determination and identification of Microtracers in two sets of 20 samples of pet food manufactured by Kormotech LLC with using a proprietary Rotary Detector procedure developed by Micro-Tracers Inc (San Francisco, California). It was shown that analysis of 150 g samples at level of Microtracer addition of 20 g per metric ton of pet food allowed a magnetic retrieval of the number of ferromagnetic particles from 61 to 101 which was sufficient for application of Poisson and Chi-squared statistics. The obtained results from two tests performed with different time of mixing were interpreted in accordance with the requirements of the GMP + BA2 standard. It was determined that mixing within 3 min leads to the marginal mixing with the calculated probability value of 1.12%. The prolonged mixing within 4 min leads to complete mixing with the calculated probability value of 5.93%. The use of ferromagnetic Microtracers in a mixer testing program is justified for such tasks as comparison of mixers with each other, as well as identifying the changes in the technical characteristics of the mixers and their performance occurring during their exploitation. In addition, using microtracers can quickly determine the quality of the mixing equipment when it is purchased.

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Microsurgery Fellowship Website and Social Media Presence: Are Programs Optimizing Recruitment Strategy?

Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1717152 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Atia ◽

Hannah C. Langdell ◽

Andrew Hollins ◽

Ronnie L. Shammas ◽

Adam Glener ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Plastic Surgery ◽

San Francisco ◽

Selection Process ◽

Recruitment Strategy ◽

Published Data ◽

Social Media Presence ◽

Eligibility Requirements ◽

Program Description

Abstract Background Microsurgery fellowship applicants make decisions for future training based on information obtained from colleagues, mentors, and microsurgery fellowship program Websites (MFWs). In this study, we sought to evaluate the accessibility and quality of available information by microsurgery programs by analyzing the most commonly used web resources and social media outlets for applicants. Methods The San Francisco (SF) Match and American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery Websites were queried in April 2020 for microsurgery fellowship programs (MFPs) participating in the SF Match. Twenty-two independent variables of information were assessed on MFWs based on previously published data. Social media presence was also assessed by querying Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for official hospital, plastic surgery residency, and microsurgery fellowship accounts. Results All 24 MFWs participating in the SF Match had a webpage. Program description, faculty listing, operative volume, and eligibility requirements were listed for all programs (100%). The majority of MFWs listed affiliated hospitals (75%), provided a link to the fellowship application (66.7%), listed interview dates (66.7%), and highlighted research interests (50%). A minority of MFWs provided information on conference schedule (37.5%), current fellow listing (25%), previous fellow listing (16.67%), and positions held by previous fellows (8.33%). No MFWs (0%) presented information on selection process, or rotation schedule.All hospitals with an MFP had a Facebook page and nearly all had Instagram (83.3%) and Twitter accounts (95.8%). Plastic surgery residency programs at the same institution of an MFP had social media presence on Facebook (38.9%), Twitter (38.9%), and Instagram (66.7%). Only three MFPs had Facebook accounts (12.5%) and none had Instagram or Twitter accounts. Conclusion As the field of microsurgery continues to grow, the need for effective recruitment and training of microsurgeons continues to be essential. Overall, we conclude that both the accessibility and quality of information available to applicants are limited, which is a missed opportunity for recruitment.

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Quality of Life Prior and in the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study with Brazilian Dietitians

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052712 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2712

Author(s):

Raquel Adjafre da Costa Matos ◽

Rita de Cassia Coelho de Almeida Akutsu ◽

Renata Puppin Zandonadi ◽

Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Social Relationship ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Life Quality ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Chi Squared

Dietitians as healthcare professionals could decrease their quality of life during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic period; therefore, this study aimed to compare Brazilian dietitians’ perceptions of quality of life before and during the pandemic. This nationwide cross-sectional research aimed to evaluate Brazilian dietitians’ quality of life before and in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, using a previously validated self-administered instrument WHO-QOL-BREF in Brazilian-Portuguese. The questionnaire was composed of 26 items (four domains) to evaluate life quality (physical, psychological, social relationship, and environment). The questionnaire also presented some sociodemographic variables and three questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. It was applied using GoogleForms® platform (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). For the statistical analysis of data, Paired T-test, Chi-squared test, and Analysis of Variance were used. A total of 1290 Brazilian dietitians replied to the instrument. Comparing quality of life (QoL) before SARS-COV-2 (3.83 ± 0.59) and during the pandemic (3.36 ± 0.66), data was statistically different. Comparing prior and in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, all variables and domains presented statistical differences (better before the pandemic period). Among Brazilian dietitians, the psychological health domain was the most affected. The Sars-Cov-2 pandemic negatively impacted the QoL of Brazilian dietitians since health professionals face changes in their lives because of work.

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Health, Quality of Life, and Economic Impacts of Home Care Vouchers for Middle-Income Adults With Disabilities

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.256 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 78-78

Author(s):

Joanne Spetz ◽

Jacqueline Miller ◽

Connie Kwong ◽

Laura Wagner

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Emergency Department ◽

Economic Analysis ◽

Home Care ◽

San Francisco ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Financial Stress ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Middle Income

Abstract The Support at Home pilot program provided financial support for the purchase of home care services by middle-income adults with disabilities in San Francisco to support aging in place. Enrollees had income below the area median and made copayments based on household income. The mixed-methods evaluation of the program incorporated administrative records, surveys of clients and comparison group members, surveys of unpaid caregivers, surveys of paid care providers, and focus groups with clients and unpaid caregivers. Outcome measures included the Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, an adapted Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, and self-reported falls, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Analyses included pre-post chi-squared and t-test comparisons between client and comparison groups and multivariate regressions. An economic analysis was conducted to learn whether changes in costs associated with reduced health care utilization were greater than the costs of the program. Results indicated statistically significant positive changes in client ratings of personal and financial stress, but not in the composite quality of life score. There were statistically significant reductions in attendance at medical appointments, falls, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Similar changes were not found in the comparison group. The focus group data supported the findings regarding personal and financial stress and indicated that clients and their caregivers perceived quality of life benefits. The economic analysis indicated substantial cost savings from the program due to reduced use of medical services. Due to its positive impacts, San Francisco has made Support at Home a permanent program.

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Financial losses for Dutch stakeholders during the 2013 aflatoxin incident in Maize in Europe

Mycotoxin Research ◽

10.1007/s12550-021-00429-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Focker ◽

H. J. van der Fels-Klerx ◽

A. G. J. M. Oude Lansink

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Uncertain Data ◽

Feed Industry ◽

Sequence Of Events ◽

Bulk Milk ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Aflatoxin B ◽

Financial Losses

AbstractEarly 2013, high concentrations of aflatoxin M1 were found in the bulk milk of a few dairy farms in the Netherlands. These high concentrations were caused by aflatoxin B1 contaminated maize from Eastern Europe that was processed into compound feed, which was fed to dairy cows. Since the contamination was discovered in the downstream stages of the supply chain, multiple countries and parties were involved and recalls of the feed were necessary, resulting into financial losses. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct short-term financial losses related to the 2013 aflatoxin incident for the maize traders, the feed industry, and the dairy sector in the Netherlands. First, the sequence of events of the incident was retrieved. Then, a Monte Carlo simulation model was built to combine the scarce and uncertain data to estimate the direct financial losses for each stakeholder. The estimated total direct financial losses of this incident were estimated to be between 12 and 25 million euros. The largest share, about 60%, of the total losses was endured by the maize traders. About 39% of the total losses were for the feed industry, and less than 1% of the total losses were for the dairy sector. The financial losses estimated in this study should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations associated with the quality of the data used. Furthermore, this incident led to indirect long-term financial effects, identified but not estimated in this study.

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Efficacy of clomiphene citrate in the treatment of luteal phase deficiency: quantity versus quality of preovulatory follicles**Presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of The American Fertility Society, San Francisco, California, November 13 to 16, 1989.

Fertility and Sterility ◽

10.1016/s0015-0282(16)53690-5 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 206-210 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

David S. Guzick ◽

Anthony Zeleznik

Keyword(s):

Annual Meeting ◽

San Francisco ◽

Luteal Phase ◽

Clomiphene Citrate ◽

Preovulatory Follicles ◽

American Fertility Society

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The Journal Impact Factor and its discontents: steps toward responsible metrics and better research assessment

Open Scholarship Initiative Proceedings ◽

10.13021/g89k55 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

Author(s):

J. Roberto F. Arruda ◽

Robin Champieux ◽

Colleen Cook ◽

Mary Ellen K. Davis ◽

Richard Gedye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Impact Factor ◽

San Francisco ◽

Journal Impact Factor ◽

Impact Factors ◽

Research Assessment ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

Alternative System ◽

Practical Support ◽

Journal Impact

A small, self-selected discussion group was convened to consider issues surrounding impact factors at the first meeting of the Open Scholarship Initiative in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, in April 2016, and focused on the uses and misuses of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF), with a particular focus on research assessment. The group’s report notes that the widespread use, or perceived use, of the JIF in research assessment processes lends the metric a degree of influence that is not justified on the basis of its validity for those purposes, and retards moves to open scholarship in a number of ways. The report concludes that indicators, including those based on citation counts, can be combined with peer review to inform research assessment, but that the JIF is not one of those indicators. It also concludes that there is already sufficient information about the shortcomings of the JIF, and that instead actions should be pursued to build broad momentum away from its use in research assessment. These actions include practical support for the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) by research funders, higher education institutions, national academies, publishers and learned societies. They also include the creation of an international “metrics lab” to explore the potential of new indicators, and the wide sharing of information on this topic among stakeholders. Finally, the report acknowledges that the JIF may continue to be used as one indicator of the quality of journals, and makes recommendations how this should be improved.OSI2016 Workshop Question: Impact FactorsTracking the metrics of a more open publishing world will be key to selling “open” and encouraging broader adoption of open solutions. Will more openness mean lower impact, though (for whatever reason—less visibility, less readability, less press, etc.)? Why or why not? Perhaps more fundamentally, how useful are impact factors anyway? What are they really tracking, and what do they mean? What are the pros and cons of our current reliance on these measures? Would faculty be satisfied with an alternative system as long as it is recognized as reflecting meaningfully on the quality of their scholarship? What might such an alternative system look like?

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The Ethical Merits of the Use of By-products in Agriculture

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Agriculture ◽

10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:3705 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stefan AERTS ◽

Ruben BOONEN ◽

Johan DE TAVERNIER ◽

Dirk LIPS

Keyword(s):

Food Industry ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Ethical Aspects ◽

Feed Manufacturing ◽

Target Animal ◽

Feed Production ◽

Direct And Indirect Impacts ◽

Indirect Impacts ◽

By Products

A dramatic gain in efficiency is an absolute necessity if we are to overcome the agricultural challenges of the third millennium. One of the ways that could lead to such a gain in efficiency is a renewed and augmented use of by-products. In an agricultural context the food industry is a major source of potentially valuable by-products. For other Western European countries VALORBIN (2003a) mentions 5 million tons in Denmark, 11 million in The Netherlands, and 14 million tons in Germany. 70 to 80 % of food industry by-products are reused in feed manufacturing. In all applications, two important ethical aspects seem to overarch all others, being (the care for) public health, and the need for recycling. Both aspects will be important with all by-products and all applications, but their relative importance will differ. This does not mean that zero-risk or maximum recycling need to be the goal. In both aspects environmental considerations are included. It is important to keep an eye out for direct and indirect impacts on other products. A hierarchy seems to exists, in which reuse as food has priority over use as feed or biomass (energy or green chemistry), and with a sustained faith as waste as the least preferable option. The by-products that one wants to use in feed production, will have to be selected based on type (e.g. category 3 animal by-products should be safe), traceability (single sourced products are preferred) and goal (e.g. is the target animal omnivorous).

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Gestural phrases and gestural exchanges by a pair of zoo-living lowland gorillas

Gesture ◽

10.1075/gest.4.1.02tan ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 1-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Joanne E. Tanner

Keyword(s):

San Francisco ◽

Great Apes ◽

Gestural Communication ◽

Visual Data ◽

Electronic Edition ◽

Partial Picture ◽

Lowland Gorillas

Previous study of the spontaneous gestural communication of the great apes has been primarily of individual gestures and their sequels. Such analysis gives only a partial picture of the quality of gorilla interaction. The repertoire of gestures of a pair of gorillas at San Francisco Zoo have been described by Tanner and Byrne (1993, 1996, 1999). These gorillas often used gestures in continuous sequences or phrases. Both single gestures and phrases were used in exchanges between gorillas. Phrases included a variety of syntactic functions, and exchanges seemed to negotiate matters such as location, initiator, and type of play. Both single gestures and phrases could be modified by “negative’ gestures. Detailed transcription of gorilla communicative events show that gestures are continually being modified and varied by the communicative partners, rather than being ritualized elements of a finite repertoire. The electronic edition of this article includes audio-visual data.

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