Rapid non-destructive monitoring and quality assessment of the fumigation process of Shanxi aged vinegar based on Vis-NIR hyperspectral imaging combined with multiple chemometric algorithms.

The quality of the grains during the fumigation process can significantly affect the flavour and nutritional value of Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV). Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was used to monitor the extent of fumigated grains, and it was combined with chemometrics to quantitatively predict three key physicochemical constituents: moisture content (MC), total acid (TA) and amino acid nitrogen (AAN). The noise reduction effects of five spectral preprocessing methods were compared, followed by the screening of optimal wavelengths using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling. Support vector machine classification was employed to establish a model for discriminating fumigated grains, and the best recognition accuracy reached 100%. Furthermore, the results of partial least squares regression slightly outperformed support vector machine regression, with correlation coefficient for prediction (Rp) of 0.9697, 0.9716, and 0.9098 for MC, TA, and AAN, respectively. The study demonstrates that HSI can be employed for rapid non-destructive monitoring and quality assessment of the fumigation process in SAV.

Pathological and ultrastructural changes of Bellamya bengalensis under chronic carboxylic acid exposure at environmentally relevant levels: Inferences from general unified threshold model for survival (GUTS) predictions and hepatopancreatic integrity assessment.

This study aimed to understand the effects of freshwater acidification, driven by industrial runoff, agricultural activities, and atmospheric deposition, on the freshwater mollusk Bellamya bengalensis. By systematically investigating the impact of two common carboxylic acids, acetic acid (AA) and benzoic acid (BA), this research employed diverse toxicological, pathological, and ecological assessments. We explored survival predictions through the generic unified threshold model of survival (GUTS-SD), examined oxidative stress responses, and investigated hepatopancreatic alterations. In the experimental design, Bellamya bengalensis were subjected to environmentally relevant sublethal concentrations (10%, 20% LC50) of AA (39.77 and 79.54 mg/l) and BA (31.41 and 62.82 mg/l) over 28 days. Acute toxicity tests revealed increased LC50 values, indicating heightened toxicity with prolonged exposure, particularly due to the greater potency of benzoic acid compared to acetic acid. The GUTS-SD model provided accurate predictions of time-specific effects on populations, presenting long-term exposure (100 days) LC50 values for AA (263.7 mg/l) and BA (330.9 mg/l). Sequentially, the integrated biomarker response (IBR) analysis across study intervals highlighted the 28-day interval as the most sensitive, with GST emerging as the most responsive enzyme to oxidative stress induced by AA and BA. Histopathological and ultrastructural assessments of the hepatopancreas showed severe alterations, including necrosis, vacuolation and disrupted micro-villi, which were especially pronounced in higher BA exposure concentrations. These findings highlight the health and survival impacts of carboxylic acid toxicity on Bellamya bengalensis, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate acidification in aquatic ecosystems. The broader ecological implications underscore the importance of effective management and conservation strategies to address ongoing environmental challenges.

[Visual inspection with acetic acid and the control of cervical cancer in primary care]. / Inspección visual con ácido acético y el control del cáncer de cuello uterino en atención primaria.

INTRODUCTION: Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a primary alternative to reduce cervical cancer (CaCu) incidence and mortality. The study aimed to determine the proportion of women aged 30-49 years who used VIA in the last two years and the factors associated with the use of the test in the primary care setting. METHODS: Cross-sectional, multicenter study. Seven hundred and six women aged 30 to 49 years participated, users of primary health care centers in a region of Peru. The dependent variable was the use of the VIA test in the last two years and the independent variables were sociodemographic, socio-health, information and attitudinal factors. RESULTS: The proportion of women who used the VIA test was 30.6%. The following factors were associated with greater use of the test: urban area of residence, having received a recommendation for VIA, feeling worried about acquiring CaCu, having heard about CaCu and the human papilloma virus. Also, considering having a greater or equal probability of developing CaCu compared to women of the same age, and with lower use of the test, coming from the highlands and considering it risky to undergo VIA. CONCLUSION: The VIA screening program for CaCu would not be achieving the desired impact. There is a need to strengthen strategies and interventions in primary care to improve screening behaviors and rates.

Introducción: La inspección visual con ácido acético (IVAA) es una alternativa primaria para mermar la incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer de cuello uterino (CaCu). El objetivo del estudio es conocer la proporción de mujeres de 30 a 49 años que usaron el test de IVAA en los últimos dos años y los factores asociados con el uso de la prueba, en el ámbito de la atención primaria. Métodos: Estudio transversal y multicéntrico, participaron 706 mujeres de 30 a 49 años, usuarias de centros de atención primaria en una región del Perú. La variable dependiente fue el uso del test de IVAA, en los últimos dos años y las independientes los factores sociodemográficos, sociosanitarios, de información y actitud. Resultados: La proporción de mujeres que usaron el test de IVAA, fue del 30.6%. Se asociaron con mayor uso de la prueba, el área de residencia urbana, haber recibido recomendación para realizarse la IVAA, sentir preocupación por adquirir CaCu, haber oído hablar del CaCu y del virus del papiloma humano, el considerar tener mayor o igual probabilidad de desarrollar CaCu respecto a mujeres de su edad y con menor uso de la prueba, el proceder de la sierra y considerar riesgoso realizarse la IVAA. Conclusión: El programa de tamizaje del CaCu, mediante IVAA no estaría logrando el impacto deseado. Se requiere fortalecer estrategias e intervenciones en atención primaria, para mejorar las conductas y tasas del cribado.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative screening strategies for the detection of cervical cancer among women in rural areas of Western Kenya.

While the incidence of cervical cancer has dropped in high-income countries due to organized cytology-based screening programs, it remains the leading cause of cancer death among women in Eastern Africa. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) now urges providers to transition from widely prevalent but low-performance visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening to primary human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing. Due to high HPV prevalence, effective triage tests are needed to identify those lesions likely to progress and so avoid over-treatment. To identify the optimal cost-effective strategy, we compared the VIA screen-and-treat approach to primary HPV DNA testing with p16/Ki67 dual-stain cytology or VIA as triage. We used a Markov model to calculate the budget impact of each strategy with incremental quality-adjusted life years and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) as the main outcome. Deterministic cost-effectiveness analyses show that the screen-and-treat approach is highly cost-effective (ICER 2469 Int$), while screen, triage, and treat with dual staining is the most effective with favorable ICER than triage with VIA (ICER 9943 Int$ compared with 13,177 Int$). One-way sensitivity analyses show that the results are most sensitive to discounting, VIA performance, and test prices. In the probabilistic sensitivity analyses, the triage option using dual stain is the optimal choice above a willingness to pay threshold of 7115 Int$ being cost-effective as per WHO standards. The result of our analysis favors the use of dual staining over VIA as triage in HPV-positive women and portends future opportunities and necessary research to improve the coverage and acceptability of cervical cancer screening programs.

Physicochemical assessment of ammonium adsorption using a palm shell-based adsorbent activated with acetic acid: experimental and theoretical studies.

The adsorption of ammonium from water was studied on an activated carbon obtained using raw oil palm shell and activated with acetic acid. The performance of this adsorbent was tested at different operating conditions including the solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial ammonium concentration. Kinetic and equilibrium studies were carried out, and their results were analyzed with different models. For the adsorption kinetics, the pseudo-first order equation was the best model to correlate this system. Calculated adsorption rate constants ranged from 0.071 to 0.074 g/mg min. The ammonium removal was 70-80% at pH 6-8, and it was significantly affected by electrostatic interaction forces. Ammonium removal (%) increased with the adsorbent dosage, and neutral pH condition favored the adsorption of this pollutant. The best ammonium adsorption conditions were identified with a response surface methodology model where the maximum removal was 91.49% with 2.27 g/L of adsorbent at pH 8.11 for an initial ammonium concentration of 36.90 mg/L. The application of a physical monolayer model developed by statistical physics theory indicated that the removal mechanism of ammonium was multi-ionic and involved physical interactions with adsorption energy of 29 kJ/mol. This activated carbon treated with acetic acid is promising to depollute aqueous solutions containing ammonium.

Preparation of landscape gardening soil using undersized fraction from aged MSW by EDTA or citric acid coupled with humic acid: Effect assessment, properties, and optimization.

Undersized fraction from aged municipal solid waste (UFAMSW), as a kind of soil-like material, has been proved effective in providing a large amount of organic matter and nutrients for soil and plants. The characteristics and effectiveness of heavy metal pollution removal in UFAMSW attracted tremendous research interest from scientists recently. In this study, the heavy metal removal efficiencies and bioavailability of washing on contaminated UFAMSW were evaluated with three washing reagents including ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA), citric acid (CA), and humic acid (HA). The effects of chelating agent concentration, pH, and washing time on metal removal were investigated and response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the washing conditions. The results indicated that the removal efficiencies of Cu, Zn, and Mn could be 53.68%, 52.12%, and 30.63% by EDTA/HA washing and 42.36%, 39.67% and 28.49% by CA/HA washing, respectively. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction was applied to analyze the fraction change of heavy metals in UFAMSW before and after washing, and it was found that chelating agent combined with HA could contribute to the removal of the exchangeable fraction. Physical and chemical properties of UFAMSW were improved to some extent after washing with mixed HA and chelating agent and could achieve the quality standard of landscape gardening soil. Accordingly, the mixture of HA and other chelating agents could be a promising washing process for preparation of landscape gardening soil using UFAMSW.Implications: Our manuscript studies the removal of heavy metals from the contaminated undersized fraction from aged municipal solid waste (UFAMSW). UFAMSW, as a kind of soil-like material, has been proved effective in providing a large amount of organic matter and nutrients for soil and plants however often limited by heavy metal pollution. The UFAMSW used in this experiment was collected after the excavation and screening-sorting of aged refuse from Changshankou Domestic Waste Sanitary Landfill in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, Southern China. This study investigated the effects of EDTA, CA, HA, mixed EDTA/HA, and mixed CA/HA washing on heavy metal removal (Cu, Zn, and Mn), bioavailability of residual heavy metal and properties. The effects of chelating agent concentration, pH, and washing time on metal removal were investigated and then response surface methodology was employed to optimize the washing conditions. The results showed that washing by CA/HA and EDTA/HA, had a higher removal efficiency of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, and Mn) in UFAMSW compared to single HA. Meanwhile, HA has a higher removal for exchangeable fraction of heavy metals, the exchangeable concentration of Cu, Zn, and Mn in CA/HA and EDTA/HA washed UFAMSW were lower compared with UFAMSW washed by single CA and EDTA. Thus, mixing HA with EDTA or CA makes a less risk to environmental and the removal efficiency is acceptable. Additionally, CA/HA and EDTA/HA washing tend to improve soil physicochemical properties and soil fertility. Thus, mixing HA with different washing agent are potential methods for preparation of landscape gardening soil using UFAMSW.

Assessment of volatile emissions by aging books.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has attracted a lot of attention due to its complexity and direct effect on human health. Indoor settings in libraries entail various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) linked to the aging and degradation of print material. The effect of the storage environment on paper life expectancy was investigated by targeting the VOC emissions of old and new books using headspace solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) analysis. "Sniffing" of book degradation markers showed both ubiquitously and infrequently occurring VOCs. Old book "degradomics" revealed mostly alcohols (57%) and ethers (12%), whereas new books resulted mainly to ketones (40%) and aldehydes (21%). Chemometric processing of the results with principal component analysis (PCA) corroborated our initial observations and was able to discriminate the books by age into three groups: very old books (from the 1600 s to mid-1700), old books (from the 1800s to the early 1900s), and modern books (from the mid-twentieth century onwards) based on their gaseous markers. The measured mean concentrations of selected VOCs (acetic acid, furfural, benzene, and toluene) were below the respective guidelines set for similar places (i.e. museums). The applied non-invasive, green analytical methodology (HS-SPME-GC/MS) can assist librarians, stakeholders, and researchers to evaluate the IAQ, as well as the degree of degradation, and take the appropriate measures for book restoration and monitoring protocols.

Trapping liquids may bias the results of beetle diversity assessment.

Several different techniques and methods are used to capture and study beetles (Coleoptera). One option is the use of window traps with various trapping liquids. However, these liquids used in comparative studies may have a biasing effect on the results. The effectiveness of the frequently used liquid baits, involving beer, wine, vinegar, and water as the reference liquid, was compared in this study. Twenty-four traps were assigned to two habitat categories (sunny and shady) and four kinds of bait: beer, wine, vinegar, and water. During the study from June to July 2021, a total of 29,944 invertebrates were captured; of these, 3,931 individuals belonged to Coleoptera. A total of 3,825 beetles were identified, belonging to 120 species and 36 families. The most abundant family was Nitidulidae, with 3,297 adults (86% of the total). The number of arthropods differed only in the trapping liquid, and the captures were similar between beer and wine and between vinegar and water. The trapping liquid had a more significant effect on beetle abundance and species richness. In contrast, exposure had a significant effect only on the number of beetle species and a higher ratio of beetles was found in the shade. Beer and wine were very attractive and collected similar beetle communities. However, the diversity (Shannon's index) was low due to the high abundance of several species. Traps with vinegar and water collected a similar composition and species richness. After removing sap beetles (Nitidulidae) from all traps, a significant difference was still recorded between trapping liquids in the number of individuals and species, and their communities were much more similar. Thus, at high abundances of sap beetles, it is possible to exclude them from analyses and obtain more accurate data when assessing environmental variables. The results showed that the type of trapping liquids used can have substantial effects on abundance and species composition captured beetles in traps especially for beer and wine. The beer and wine in traps can significantly influence the subsequent biodiversity assessment. We recommend the use of trapping liquids without the baiting effect to correctly assess the effect of environmental variables on beetle richness and abundance.

Prevalence of Cervical Cancer and Clinical Management of Women Screened positive using visual inspection with acetic acid and Cervicography in selected public sector health facilities of Manicaland and Midlands provinces of Zimbabwe, 2021.

BACKGROUND: Zimbabwe has high cervical cancer (CC) burden of 19% and mortality rate of 64%. Zimbabwe uses Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Cervicography (VIAC) for CC screening. Manicaland and Midlands provinces recorded low VIAC positivity of 3% (target 5-25%) and treatment coverage of 78% (target = 90%) between October 2020 and September 2021. OBJECTIVES: We explored VIAC positivity rate and clinical management of clients screening positive in Manicaland and Midlands provinces. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using routine VIAC and CC management data for period October 2020 to September 2021. Two samples were used, 1) a sample drawn from 48,000 women VIAC screened to measure positivity rate, and 2) a sample of 1,763 VIAC positive women to assess clinical management. Kobo-based tool was used to abstract data from facility registers, and data were analyzed using STATA 15. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 2,454 out of 48,000 women screened through VIAC. About 82% (2,007/2,454) were HIV positive, median ages were 40 and 38 years for HIV positives and negatives respectively. Most (64% and 77%) of HIV positive and negative clients respectively were married. VIAC positivity was 5.9% and 3.4% among HIV positive and negative women screened for the first time, and 3.2% and 5.6% for repeat visits respectively. Overall, 89.1% (1,571/1,763) of VIAC positive women received treatment. Most (41%) of those treated received thermocoagulation. Overall, 43.1% of clients received treatment on VIAC day, and 77.4% within 30 days. Six-month post-treatment coverage was 3.8%. CONCLUSION: VIAC positivity among HIV positive women screening for the first time was 5.9%, within the expected 5-25%. Treatment coverage was high, and turnaround time from diagnosis to treatment met national standards. Post-treatment coverage was suboptimal. We recommend continued implementation of quality improvement initiatives, capacity building of clinicians, and optimization of post-treatment review of clients.

Magnesium in dairy cattle nutrition: A meta-analysis on magnesium absorption in dairy cattle and assessment of simple solubility tests to predict magnesium availability from supplemental sources.

Supplemental Mg sources differ in bioavailability, and solubility is one of the determining factors. We explored whether and which in vitro solubility tests could reliably differentiate the quality of supplemental Mg sources. In experiment 1, we compared 3 chemical methods using an acetic acid solution (50 mL/L, termed vinegar test), a 1 M ammonium nitrate solution, and an artificial rumen buffer fluid without rumen microbiota. The Mg solubility results suggested the vinegar test was the best method due to its robustness, simplicity, and reproducibility. In experiment 2, we validated the reliability of the vinegar test using 4 MgO sources from experiment 1 and 12 new MgO sources plus a laboratory-grade MgO as a standard. Accordingly, we repeated the vinegar test with short (0.5 h) and long (3.0 h) incubation times on these sources and then conducted ruminal incubations in 24-h batch culture experiments. The repeated vinegar test resulted in similar results as in experiment 1. Linear regression across both experiments showed the soluble Mg content (g/kg) = 44.46 (±2.55) × pH - 142.9 (±14.9), root mean square error (RMSE) = 10.2, P slope <0.001, and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) = 0.953. The predictable pH range was from 4 to 6. The equation cannot be applied to low-alkaline sources such as Mg sulfate, Mg acetate, or a group of MgO with exceptionally high alkaline properties showing a cluster of pH above 8.5. Solubility of the MgO sources in the vinegar test ranged from 5 to 35%, whereas the 24-h ruminal incubations led to more solubility (15-70%). Nevertheless, the differences among most MgO sources were parallel to the data from the in vitro rumen solubility. Next, we performed a meta-analysis of published studies (21 studies, 94 treatments) to assess the true Mg absorption in vivo and potential factors affecting Mg absorption in dairy cows. It appeared that on average dairy cows absorbed about 20% of the Mg intake (range 10-40%), regardless of their lactation status. We revealed a new strategy to predict Mg absorption relative to dietary K as follows: true Mg absorption (g/d) = 0.3395 (±0.025, P < 0.001) × Mg intake (g/d) - 1.9273 (±1.16, P = 0.11) when dietary K ≤20 g/kg DM, and 0.154 (±1.06, P = 0.05) + 0.209 (±0.026, P < 0.001) × Mg intake (g/d) when dietary K >20 g/kg DM (RMSE = 2.19). This strategy improved the accuracy of prediction as compared with the existing prediction (CCC = 0.922 vs. 0.845). Still, over- or underestimations inherent to individual studies were evident and might be related to unaccountable factors, especially the quality of supplemental Mg sources. In conclusion, the vinegar test is a useful tool to rank inorganic Mg sources with alkaline properties. Including in vitro solubility data in Mg nutrition research could help to refine the prediction of bioavailable Mg contents and increase precision in feed formulation.

Determination of Flavonoid Compounds in Shanxi Aged Vinegars Based on Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvent VALLME-HPLC Method: Assessment of the Environmental Impact of the Developed Method.

This research presents a novel, eco-friendly, vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) approach, integrating hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with HPLC for the identification and quantification of nine specific flavonoids in Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV). The parameters of DES-VALLME, including the ratio of trioctylmethylammonium chloride to 1,4-butanediol (1:6), DES volume (150 µL), vortex duration (5 min), the concentration of NaCl (0.40 g), and centrifugation time (10 min), were optimized to achieve the maximum extraction efficiency of target substances. Under these optimal conditions, quantitative analyses performed via HPLC demonstrated a broad linear range of 0.20-50.00 µg/mL and correlation coefficients (r2) greater than 0.9944 for all nine calibration curves. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.09-0.18 µg/mL and 0.30-0.60 µg/mL, respectively, ensuring high sensitivity. The relative standard deviations for intra-day and inter-day variability were within the acceptable range, 2.34-3.77% and 3.04-4.96%, respectively, demonstrating the method's reliability. The recovery rates ranged from 85.97% to 108.11%, underscoring the method's precision. This technique exhibited a significant enrichment effect (enrichment factor: 43 to 296) on SAV flavonoids. Notably, the eco-friendliness of this procedure was evaluated using the Analytical Eco-Scale, Green Analytical Procedure Index, and Analytical Greenness Metric. The results suggested that this technique is a viable green alternative to traditional flavonoid determination methods in SAV. In summary, this novel method provides a theoretical basis for assessing flavonoid content in SAV samples and tracing SAV products. This contribution has significant implications for enhancing analytical techniques in food chemistry and environmental science and the sustainable development of the food industry.

Behavioral toxicity, histopathological alterations and oxidative stress in Tubifex tubifex exposed to aromatic carboxylic acids- acetic acid and benzoic acid: A comparative time-dependent toxicity assessment.

This study evaluated Acetic acid (AA) and Benzoic acid's (BA) acute and sublethal toxicity by observing mortality, behavioral responses, and changes in the levels of oxidative stress enzymes in Tubifex tubifex. Exposure-induced changes in antioxidant activity (Catalase, Superoxide dismutase), oxidative stress (Malondialdehyde concentrations), and histopathological alterations in the tubificid worms were also noted across exposure intervals. The 96 h LC50 values of AA and BA to T. tubifex were 74.99 and 37.15 mg/l, respectively. Severity in behavioral alterations (including increased mucus production, wrinkling, and reduction in clumping) and autotomy showed concentration-dependent trends for both toxicants. Although histopathological effects also showed marked degeneration in the alimentary and integumentary systems in highest exposure groups (worms exposed to 14.99 mg/l for AA and 7.42 mg/l for BA) for both toxicants. Antioxidant enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase) also showed a marked increase of up to 8-fold and 10-fold for the highest exposure group of AA and BA respectively. While species sensitivity distribution analysis revealed T. tubifex as most sensitive to AA and BA compared to other freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates, General Unified Threshold model of Survival (GUTS) predicted individual tolerance effects (GUTS-IT), with slower potential for toxicodynamic recovery, as a more likely pathway for population mortality. Study findings demonstrate BA with greater potential for ecological effects compared to AA within 24 h of exposure. Furthermore, ecological risks to critical detritus feeders like T. tubifex may have severe implications for ecosystem services and nutrient availability within freshwater habitats.

Transformation Zone Assessment Using Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid Before and After Thermal Ablation: Implications for Follow-Up.

PURPOSE: Thermal ablation (TA) has become the conventional method for treatment of precancerous cervical lesions in low-resource settings. After TA, both the squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) and the transformation zone (TZ) may be subject to change. Our aim was to evaluate SCJ and TZ variability after TA. METHODS: Study data were collected in a large prospective trial of a cervical cancer screening campaign in Cameroon. For each patient, two sets of cervical photos (native and with acetic acid) were taken before and 6-12 months after TA. The SCJ and TZ were evaluated independently by three observers according to the WHO nomenclature. When discordances were observed between the type of TZ and SCJ selected by each observer, a corrected TZ was established on the basis of the SCJ categorization. Interobserver agreement for TZ interpretation was evaluated using Cohen's kappa coefficient for agreement between two observers and Fleiss' kappa between three observers. RESULTS: Fifty consecutive participants were included in the analysis. Seventy-six percent were interpreted as TZ1-2, and 24% as TZ3 before TA. In 56% of cases, the entire SCJ could not be entirely visualized after TA, thus being recategorized as TZ3. Interobserver agreement was fair for diagnosis before TA (Kappa coefficient, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.45) and moderate for diagnosis after TA (Kappa coefficient, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.50). After TA, 36% progressed from TZ1-2 to TZ3, with a moderate interobserver agreement (Kappa coefficient, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.54). CONCLUSION: We observed a shift of the SCJ into the endocervical canal after TA. A significant proportion of participants had TZ 3 after treatment, raising the question of visual inspection with acetic acid's applicability as a first-line follow-up examination method after TA.

Inter- and intra-observer agreement in the assessment of the cervical transformation zone (TZ) by visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and its implications for a screen and treat approach: a reliability study.

BACKGROUND: In low-resource countries, interpretation of the transformation zone (TZ) using the classification of the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC), adopted by the World Health Organization, is critical for determining if visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening and thermal ablation treatment are possible. We aim to assess inter- and intra-observer agreement in TZ interpretation. METHODS: We performed a prospective multi-observer reliability study. One hundred cervical digital images of Human papillomavirus positive women (30-49 years) were consecutively selected from a Cameroonian cervical cancer screening trial. Images of the native cervix and after VIA were obtained. The images were evaluated for the TZ type at two time points (rounds one and two) by five VIA experts from four countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Peru, and Zambia) according to the IFCPC classification (TZ1 = ectocervical fully visible; TZ2 = endocervical fully visible; TZ3 = not fully visible). Intra- and inter-observer agreement were measured by Fleiss' kappa. RESULTS: Overall, 37.0% of images were interpreted as TZ1, 36.4% as TZ2, and 26.6% as TZ3. Global inter-observer reliability indicated fair agreement in both rounds (kappa 0.313 and 0.288). The inter-observer agreement was moderate for TZ1 interpretation (0.460), slight for TZ2 (0.153), and fair for TZ3 (0.329). Intra-observer analysis showed fair agreement for two observers (0.356 and 0.345), moderate agreement for two other (0.562 and 0.549), and one with substantial agreement (0.728). CONCLUSION: Interpretation of the TZ using the IFCPC classification, adopted by the World Health Organization, is critical for determining if VIA screening and thermal ablation treatment are possible. However, the low inter- and intra-observer agreement suggest that the reliability of the referred classification is limited in the context of VIA. It's integration in treatment recommendations should be used with caution since TZ3 interpretation could lead to an important referral rate for further evaluation. Trial registration Cantonal Ethics Board of Geneva, Switzerland: N°2017-0110. Cameroonian National Ethics Committee for Human Health Research N°2018/07/1083/CE/CNERSH/SP.

Risk Reduction Assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus on Shrimp by a Chinese Eating Habit.

In China, a traditional perspective recommended that consuming seafood should be mixed or matched with vinegar, because people thought this traditional Chinese eating habit could reduce the risk of pathogenic microorganism infection, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus induced diarrhea. However, this empirical viewpoint has not yet been evaluated scientifically. This study conducted a simplified quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) model, which was employed to estimate the risk reduction of V. parahaemolyticus on ready-to-eat (RTE) shrimp by consuming with vinegars (white vinegar, aromatic vinegar, or mature vinegar). Results showed the reduction of V. parahaemolyticus density on RTE shrimp after consuming with white vinegar, aromatic vinegar and mature vinegar was respectively 0.9953 log CFU/g (90% confidence interval 0.23 to 1.76), 0.7018 log CFU/g (90% confidence interval 0.3430 to 1.060) and 0.6538 log CFU/g (90% confidence interval 0.346 to 0.9620). The infection risk of V. parahaemolyticus per meal in this QMRA model was quantified by a mean of 0.1250 with the standard deviation of 0.2437. After consuming with white vinegar, aromatic vinegar, and mature vinegar, the mean infection risk of V. parahaemolyticus on shrimp decreased to 0.0478, 0.0652, and 0.0686. The QMRA scenarios indicated significant reductions in infection risk when eating RTE shrimp by the Chinese eating habit (consuming with vinegar). This good eating habit should be recommended to promote the spread of around the world.

Acetic acid bioproduction: The technological innovation change.

Acetic acid is an organic acid of great importance globally and the demand of this product is currently increasing. The production of this acid has consequently aroused more and more interest over the years, especially for more sustainable processes. From a biological point of view, acetic acid can be produced by acetogenesis using inorganic substrates like CO2 or CO (with acetogenic bacteria) and aerobic fermentation (with acetic acid bacteria or fungi). With the aim of investigating the progress of technological innovation, the methodology applied by this review was an analysis of the international patents with the Espacenet platform, which ensured a worldwide invention overview. Another criterion was the selection of a precise period of time, from 1990 to 2020. A patent review is able to create an overview of the inventions designed for the real scale implementation, providing a whole picture of the state of the art of the technological innovation change. In addition, the most representative works of literature, that consider the influence of operating conditions (T, pH, oxygenation), have been analysed for each process. The present review, with an innovative approach focused on the technological innovation change, highlighted the ongoing interest for acetic acid bioproduction by acetogenic and acetic acid bacteria. The number of patents related to acetic acid bacteria was consistent also in the past years, but recently the interest is moving forward the utilization of genetic engineering (36% of the patents) and new substrates, like agriculture waste (26% of the patens), responding to circular economy principles. On the other hand, the acetic acid production by acetogenic bacteria is most recent, with over the 90% of the patents developed in the last 10 years. In this case the interest is mainly focused on the use of synthesis gas as substrate, that could increase the process sustainability.

Levels and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wood vinegars from pyrolysis of biomass.

A method quantifying 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wood vinegars (WVs) obtained from slow pyrolysis of biomass with ultrasonic-assisted liquid-liquid extraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (USALLE/GC-MS) was established. The recovery range was 83-128%, and the relative standard deviations (RSD%) were less than 15% except naphthalene, acenaphthylene and acenaphthene. Acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were observed in all samples and the other 9 compounds, including benzopyrene (B[a]P), were not detected. The concentration of ∑PAHs referred to the sum total of 7 PAHs mentioned above was 22.0-498.3 µg L-1. The PAHs concentration increased with the increasing pyrolysis temperature in bamboo willow WV, pinus sylvestris WV, and corncob WV, while it increased initially, and then decreased with a maximum at 550 °C in rice husk WV. The ∑PAHs concentration increased with a higher heating rate in the white pine WV, while rice husk WV and cornstalk WV showed the opposite trend. The varied condensed aromatic ring number showed that 3-ring PAHs relatively were the main component in all kind WVs. 3-ring PAHs increased with increasing temperatures, while 4-ring PAHs showed an opposite trend in sawdust WV and corncob WVs. A higher cellulose content in sawdust enhanced the reaction of lignin leading to a higher concentration of PAHs than that in straws and leaves. Calculations of the toxicity equivalents of PAHs in WVs indicated that anthracene was the most toxic among the PAHs, and the pinus sylvestris WV had the highest risk of ∑PAHs toxicity in all WVs.

Rapid assessment of silver nanoparticle migration from food containers into food simulants using a qualitative method.

Migration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from food containers (FCs) has been assessed for the first time using a screening method previously validated. Migration was evaluated using water and 3% acetic acid as food simulants (FSs), from 20 to 70 °C at contact times of 2 h and 10 days. Total and migrated Ag were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the FCs and FSs, respectively. Then, the screening method was validated, and probability of detection (POD) curves were constructed in both FSs to characterize the response to AgNPs. The results provided by the present screening method showed no release of AgNPs. The FSs in contact with FCs were spiked at levels above, inside and below the unreliability region, with a reliability rate (RLR) of 0.90. Asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (AF4-ICP-MS) was used for confirmative analyses.