Inactivation of Pseudomonas fluorescens in skim milk by combinations of pulsed electric fields and organic acids.

Pseudomonas fluorescens suspended in skim milk was inactivated by application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) either alone or in combination with acetic or propionic acid. The initial concentration of microorganisms ranged from 10(5) to 10(6) CFU/ml. Addition of acetic acid and propionic acid to skim milk inactivated 0.24 and 0.48 log CFU/ml P. fluorescens, respectively. Sets of 10, 20, and 30 pulses were applied to the skim milk using exponentially decaying pulses with pulse lengths of 2 micros and pulse frequencies of 3 Hz. Treatment temperature was maintained between 16 and 20 degrees C. In the absence of organic acids, PEF treatment of skim milk at field intensities of 31 and 38 kV/cm reduced P. fluorescens populations by 1.0 to 1.8 and by 1.2 to 1.9 log CFU/ml, respectively. Additions of acetic and propionic acid to the skim milk in a pH range of 5.0 to 5.3 and PEF treatment at 31, 33, and 34 kV/cm, and 36, 37, and 38 kV/cm reduced the population of P. fluorescens by 1.4 and 1.8 log CFU/ml, respectively. No synergistic effect resulted from the combination of PEF with acetic or propionic acid.

Bilateral Choroidal Osteoma Associated with Optic Neuritis in Behçet's Disease.

Three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) were founded to be useful to evaluate posterior pole involvement in an unusual concurrence of bilateral choroidal osteoma after optic disk inflammation in a 36-year-old woman in whom optic neuritis was the first symptom of Behçet's disease. Bilateral asymmetric choroidal osteoma was observed after optic disk inflammation following disease recurrence. B-scan ultrasonography and orbital axial CT were essential for the diagnosis. Bilateral full-thickness calcified plaques in juxtapapillary choroids were the main intraocular feature after optic neuritis. The pathogenesis of bone formation in choroidal osteoma remains uncertain and although several etiological factors have been associated with its onset, intraocular inflammation is a very unusual cause.

Depersonalization in psychiatric patients: a transcultural study.

There is evidence suggesting that the prevalence of depersonalization in psychiatric patients can vary across cultures. To explore the possible influence of culture on the prevalence of depersonalization, we compared psychiatric inpatient samples from the United Kingdom (N = 31), Spain (N = 68), and Colombia (N = 41) on standardized and validated self-rating measures of dissociation and depersonalization: the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Colombian patients were found to have lower global scores on the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale and the DES and all its subscales, with the exception of DES-Absorption. No differences were found for measures of depression or anxiety. These findings seem to support the view that depersonalization is susceptible to cultural influences. Attention is drawn to the potential relevance of the sociological dimension "individualism-collectivism" on the experience of the self, and it is proposed that cultures characterized by high individualism may confer vulnerability to depersonalization experiences.