Evaluation of commercially available produce antimicrobial washes to improve the quality and microbial safety of fresh produce.

Despite ongoing efforts to mitigate foodborne pathogen contamination, outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh produce persist. This research evaluated the efficacy of three sanitizers in reducing various microorganisms on the surfaces of fresh cucumbers, broccoli, and lettuce under retail crisping conditions. Specifically, this study examined the ability of peracetic acid (PAA; 80 mg/L), hypochlorous acid (FAC; 50 mg/L free available chlorine), and accelerated hydrogen peroxide (AHP; 500 mg/L) to reduce pathogens (0.

The Identification of Blood Biomarkers of Chronic Neuropathic Pain by Comparative Transcriptomics.

In this study, we recruited 50 chronic pain (neuropathic and nociceptive) and 43 pain-free controls to identify specific blood biomarkers of chronic neuropathic pain (CNP). Affymetrix microarray was carried out on a subset of samples selected 10 CNP and 10 pain-free control participants. The most significant genes were cross-validated using the entire dataset by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Efficacy of Chlorine Dioxide Gas Against Hepatitis A Virus on Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries.

Seeking a means of sanitizing berries, the effectiveness of steady state levels of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO) against hepatitis A virus (HAV) on laboratory-contaminated berries was determined. The generated ClO was maintained with 1 or 2 mg/l air inside a 269-l glove box to treat 50 g batches of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and 100 g batches of strawberries that were immersion coated with HAV. Normalized data for ClO (ppm-h/g product) is reported as a function of ClO concentration, treatment time, and weight of treated product.

The Development of Translational Biomarkers as a Tool for Improving the Understanding, Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain.

Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is one of the most significant unmet clinical needs in modern medicine. Alongside the lack of effective treatments, there is a great deficit in the availability of objective diagnostic methods to reliably facilitate an accurate diagnosis. We therefore aimed to determine the feasibility of a simple diagnostic test by analysing differentially expressed genes in the blood of patients diagnosed with CNP of the lower back and compared to healthy human controls.

The structure and function of the dopamine transporter and its role in CNS diseases.

In this chapter, we explore the basic science of the dopamine transporter (DAT), an integral component of a system that regulates dopamine homeostasis. Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter for several brain functions including locomotor control and reward systems. The transporter structure, function, mechanism of action, localization, and distribution, in addition to gene regulation, are discussed.