Dual-strain detection of norovirus GI.1 and GII.4 in food samples using epitope-imprinted polymers.

Background: Norovirus is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide, contributing to widespread disease and financial burdens. However, current testing methods are unsuitable for on-site analysis, as they typically use biological receptors, require specialized reagents, and skilled technicians. Proactive on-site testing of high-risk food samples is essential to prevent outbreaks, requiring the development of innovative sensor systems.

Evaluating the potential for contamination of leafy greens with Listeria when using retrofitted washing machines.

A large portion of foodborne outbreaks are associated with leafy greens, including by the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Small and medium-sized leafy green growers commonly retrofit washing machines to dry triple-washed leaves, utilizing their spin cycle. The potential for this practice to cause microbial contamination has not been explored.

Inactivation of Viruses by Charged Cinnamaldehyde Nanoemulsions.

Viral pathogens are a considerable public health burden, and so inactivating viruses in the environment is critical. This study compared the antiviral activity of cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions (CNE) and cinnamaldehyde oil (CNO) on a non-enveloped norovirus surrogate bacteriophage (MS2) and an enveloped human coronavirus 229E (HuCoV-229E). MS2 bacteriophage and HuCoV-229E were treated with different concentrations of CNE or CNO (0.

An Assessment of the Efficacy of Commercial Air Ionizer Systems Against a SARS-CoV-2 Surrogate.

Airborne transmission has been implicated as a major route for the spread of microorganisms, causing infectious disease outbreaks worldwide. This has been emphasized by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is thus an unmet need to develop technologies that arrest the spread of airborne infectious diseases by inactivating viruses in the air.

Investigating the effects of citric acid concentrations on acidification, rheological, and microbial properties of fermented soy protein isolate yogurts.

As consumer awareness grows regarding the environmental and health impacts of animal-based products, plant-based alternatives are gaining popularity in developed countries. Plant-based proteins, like soy protein isolate (SPI), are valued for their sustainability and ability to complement animal proteins. SPI is commonly used in plant-based yogurts due to its high-quality protein, strong gelling capacity, and support for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth.

Exploring the Frontiers of Nanopore Sequencing in Food Safety and Food Microbiology.

Foodborne illnesses are a significant global public health challenge, with an estimated 600 million cases annually. Conventional food microbiology methods tend to be laborious and time consuming, pose difficulties in real-time utilization, and can display subpar accuracy or typing capabilities. With the recent advancements in third-generation sequencing and microbial omics, nanopore sequencing technology and its long-read sequencing capabilities have emerged as a promising platform.

Evaluating the capacity of magnetic ionic liquids for separation and concentration of non-enveloped viral particles and free viral genomic RNA.

Magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) have proven effective as capture reagents for foodborne bacterial pathogens; however, there are currently no published studies regarding their use with foodborne, non-enveloped viruses. In this study, a protocol was evaluated for capture and recovery of bacteriophage MS2, a human norovirus surrogate, and purified viral genomic single stranded RNA (ssRNA) from an aqueous suspension using MILs. Transition metal-based MILs showed similar capture and recovery efficiency for both targets.

Fully Integrated Microfluidic Digital Chip for Simple and Highly Quantitative Detection of Norovirus.

The prevalence of foodborne illnesses is a significant global concern, resulting in numerous illnesses, deaths, and substantial economic losses annually. Traditional detection methods for foodborne pathogens are often slow, limited, and impractical for field use, underscoring the need for rapid, sensitive, and portable assays. Microfluidic technology has emerged as a promising solution for sample preparation, reaction, and detection on a small scale.

Sensitive Electrochemical and Thermal Detection of Human Noroviruses Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles Generated against a Viral Target.

Norovirus (NoV) is the predominant cause of foodborne illness globally; current detection methods are typically expensive, have inadequate sensitivities, and utilize biological receptors with poor stability. Therefore, accurate, cost-effective, and highly stable detection methods are needed to screen for NoV in foods. We developed molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) to detect NoV using a small target epitope (12 amino acids) with a solid-phase synthesis approach.

The Influence of Simulated Organic Matter on the Inactivation of Viruses: A Review.

Viruses impose a significant public health burden globally, and one of the key elements in controlling their transmission is the ability to inactivate them using disinfectants. However, numerous challenges to inactivating foodborne viruses exist due to inherent viral characteristics (such as recalcitrance to commonly used inactivation agents) and external factors (such as improper cleaning before application of inactivation agent, improper contact time, etc.).

Evaluating the Potential of Ozone Microbubbles for Inactivation of Tulane Virus, a Human Norovirus Surrogate.

This study investigated the efficacy of low-dose ozone microbubble solution and conventional aqueous ozone as inactivation agents against Tulane virus samples in water over a short period of time. Noroviruses are the primary cause of foodborne illnesses in the US, and the development of effective inactivation agents is crucial. Ozone has a high oxidizing ability and naturally decomposes to oxygen, but it has limitations due to its low dissolution rate, solubility, and stability.

Mean Arterial Pressure and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnancies Complicated by Mild Chronic Hypertension.

Objective: To estimate the association between mean arterial pressure during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in participants with chronic hypertension using data from the CHAP (Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy) trial.

Methods: A secondary analysis of the CHAP trial, an open-label, multicenter randomized trial of antihypertensive treatment in pregnancy, was conducted. The CHAP trial enrolled participants with mild chronic hypertension (blood pressure [BP] 140-159/90-104 mm Hg) and singleton pregnancies less than 23 weeks of gestation, randomizing them to active treatment (maintained on antihypertensive therapy with a goal BP below 140/90 mm Hg) or standard treatment (control; antihypertensives withheld unless BP reached 160 mm Hg systolic BP or higher or 105 mm Hg diastolic BP or higher).

WSV2023 - The second meeting of the world society for virology: One health - One world - One virology.

The Second International Conference of the World Society for Virology (WSV), hosted by Riga Stradiņš University, was held in Riga, Latvia, on June 15-17th, 2023. It prominently highlighted the recent advancements in different disciplines of virology. The conference had fourteen keynote speakers covering diverse topics, including emerging virus pseudotypes, Zika virus vaccine development, herpesvirus capsid mobility, parvovirus invasion strategies, influenza in animals and birds, West Nile virus and Marburg virus ecology, as well as the latest update in animal vaccines.

Sample Processing and Concentration Methods for Viruses from Foods and the Environment Prior to Detection.

Viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness globally. Concentration of viruses from samples is important for detection because viral contamination of foods often occurs at low levels. In general, virus concentration methods can be classified as either nonspecific, exploiting the relatively homogeneous physicochemical properties of the virus to separate/concentrate it from the sample matrix, or specific, relying on recognition elements such as antibodies to specifically capture and separate viruses from foods.

fermentation enhances the inhibitory effects of supplementation on tumorigenic serotonin and Wnt pathways and promotes ROS-mediated apoptosis of Caco-2 cells.

Diet-induced obesity has been shown to decrease the abundance of , a genus known to play a role in the serotonin signaling system, which is associated with colorectal tumorigenesis, making the presence of potentially influential in the protection of intestinal tumorigenesis. Recently, (AC), a medicinal fungus native to Taiwan, has emerged as a promising candidate for complementary and alternative cancer therapy. Small molecules and polysaccharides derived from AC have been reported to possess health-promoting effects, including anti-cancer properties.

Exploring Washing Procedures for Produce Brush Washer.

Previous environmental monitoring projects in food production facilities have revealed inconsistencies in how produce brush washer machines are cleaned after use; thus, the study of effective sanitation procedures for these machines is needed. Four chlorine solution treatments (ranging from 25 to 200 ppm), as well as a water-only treatment, were tested for efficacy in reducing bacterial loads for a selected small brush washer machine. Results indicate that rinsing with the machine's power and water alone, a frequent practice among some produce processors, yielded a reduction of 0.

Improving Single-Molecule Antibody Detection Selectivity through Optimization of Peptide Epitope Presentation in OmpG Nanopore.

Outer membrane protein G (OmpG) is a monomeric porin found in , which possesses seven flexible loops. OmpG has been engineered as a nanopore sensor, where its loops can host affinity epitopes for selective detection of biological molecules. In this study, we investigated various loop positions to incorporate a FLAG peptide antigen epitope in the most flexible loop 6 and tested the efficacy and sensitivity of these nanopore constructs in antibody detection.

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 surrogate inactivation on surfaces and in air using UV and blue light-based intervention technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need to utilize existing and develop new intervention technologies for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation on surfaces and in the air. Ultraviolet (UV) technology has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial intervention. Here a study was conducted to determine the efficacy of commercially available UV and blue light-based devices for inactivating HCoV-229E, a surrogate of SARS-CoV-2.

An Engineered OmpG Nanopore with Displayed Peptide Motifs for Single-Molecule Multiplex Protein Detection.

Molecular detection via nanopore, achieved by monitoring changes in ionic current arising from analyte interaction with the sensor pore, is a promising technology for multiplex sensing development. Outer Membrane Protein G (OmpG), a monomeric porin possessing seven functionalizable loops, has been reported as an effective sensing platform for selective protein detection. Using flow cytometry to screen unfavorable constructs, we identified two OmpG nanopores with unique peptide motifs displayed in either loop 3 or 6, which also exhibited distinct analyte signals in single-channel current recordings.

Achieving Consensus Among Stakeholders Using the Nominal Group Technique: A Perinatal Quality Collaborative Approach.

Background And Objectives: Public health systems exhibiting strong connections across the workforce experience substantial population health improvements. This is especially important for improving quality and achieving value among vulnerable populations such as mothers and infants. The purpose of this research was to demonstrate how Alabama's newly formed perinatal quality collaborative (Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative [ALPQC]) used evidenced-based processes to achieve consensus in identifying population quality improvement (QI) initiatives.

Severe Maternal Morbidity among Low-Income Patients with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

Objective: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) contribute significantly to the development of severe maternal morbidities (SMM), particularly among low-income women. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between maternal characteristics and SMM, and to investigate if differences in SMM exist among patients with HDP diagnosis.

Study Design: This study utilized 2017 Alabama Medicaid administrative claims.