Foodborne infections due to the consumption of meat is a significant threat to public health. However, good vendor and consumer knowledge of meat safety could prevent meat contamination with and transmission of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella. Thus, this study investigated the vendor and consumer perception, knowledge, and practices of meat safety regarding ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and how this affected the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella enterica in RTE meats in the streets of Ghana. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain the demographics, knowledge, and practices of meat safety data from RTE meat vendors (n = 300) and consumers (n = 382). Salmonella enterica detection was done according to the United State of America (USA)-Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual. The disk diffusion method was used for antibiotic resistance testing. The results revealed that most of the respondents had heard of meat safety (98.3% vendors, 91.8% consumers) and knew that meat could be contaminated by poor handling (100.0% vendors, 88.9% consumers). The respondents knew that regular hand washing reduced the risk of meat contamination (100.0% vendors, 94.0% consumers). Responses to the practices of meat safety by vendors were generally better. A very low Salmonella enterica prevalence was observed in the samples, ranging between 0.0 and 4.0% for guinea fowl and beef, respectively. However, the six isolates obtained were resistant to five of the nine antibiotics tested, with all isolates displaying different resistance profiles. Overall, the good knowledge and practice of meat safety demonstrated by the respondents corroborated the negligible prevalence of Salmonella in this study, reiterating the importance of vendor meat safety knowledge. However, the presence of resistant Salmonella enterica in some of the meat samples, albeit in a very low prevalence, warrants stricter sanitary measures and greater meat safety awareness in the general population to prevent meat-borne infections and potential transmission of drug-resistant bacteria to humans.
A quick, simple and efficient method for extraction, preconcentration, and determination of naproxen in water and plasma specimens with acceptable recovery by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidified floating organic drop with spectrofluorimetry is presented. Various parameters affecting the extraction efficiency are optimized by the Central Composite Design. Moreover, under optimal conditions (120 µL 1-Undecanol with 1 mL Ethanol, pH = 3.5, 2 mL KCl 10% solution), the calibration curve was linear in the range 10.0-120.0 ng/mL. Finally, for naproxen, the detection limit was 2.4 ng/mL.
Liquid Phase Microextraction/methods , Naproxen/analysis , Naproxen/isolation & purification , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods , Centrifugation , Limit of Detection , Naproxen/blood , Solvents/chemistry , Time Factors , Water/chemistry
The present study sought to develop a facile and green synthetic approach for producing fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) from a natural biomass using aqueous extraction of carbonized blue crab shell. Spherical carbon dots (6.00 ± 3.0 nm) exhibited an extended emission range with excellent quantum yield (14.5 ± 3.5%). In order to measure ceftriaxone, we offered a simple and sensitive method, based on fluorescence quenching of carbon dots in plasma and water with recovery values of 94.5-104.1%. Furthermore, with usage of central composite design (CCD) based response surface methodology (RSM); we optimized the effect of different factors. In addition, ANOVA evaluated the accuracy and suitability of quadratic model. Under optimal conditions, fluorescence quenching revealed a sensitive response in the concentration range of 20-1000 nM with the limit of detection 9.0 nM for ceftriaxone. Finally, carbon dots-based fluorescence quenching procedure was able to quantify ceftriaxone in plasma, as well as mineral and tap water. Spiked samples achieved satisfactory efficiencies.
Discharge of household greywater into water bodies can lead to an increase in contamination levels in terms of the reduction in dissolved oxygen resources and rapid bacterial growth. Therefore, the quality of greywater has to be improved before the disposal process. The present review aimed to present a hybrid treatment system for the greywater generated from households. The hybrid system comprised a primary stage (a natural filtration unit) with a bioreactor system as the secondary treatment combined with microalgae for greywater treatment, as well as the natural flocculation process. The review discussed the efficiency of each stage in the removal of elements and nutrients. The hybrid system reviewed here represented an effective solution for the remediation of household greywater.
Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods , Wastewater/analysis , Family Characteristics , Waste Disposal, Fluid/instrumentation
AIM: Given the importance of frequency distribution of HCV genotypes, we studied genotypic distribution of HCV in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 2231 patients with hepatitis C who presented in hepatitis clinics in Tehran were investigated for HCV genotypes. METHODS: Genotyping was performed by genotype specific primers. RESULTS: The highest frequency was for genotype 1a, with 886 (39.7%) of subjects. Genotype 3a and 1b were the other frequent genotypes, with 613 (27.5%) and 271 (12.1%) subjects, respectively. Of the samples, 401 (18%) had an undetermined genotype. Mixed genotypes were also found in 33 samples (1.6%). Genotype 1b frequency in patients under 20 years old was 10.2%, while its frequency in patients over 60 years old was 18.5%. Genotype 1b frequency significantly increased by age (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the dominant HCV genotype among patients living in Tehran was 1a.
