A validated analytical method to determine seven neonicotinoids (dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiacloprid) in sunflower seeds (hull and kernel) ...using HPLC coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is presented. Sample clean-up based on a solid–liquid extraction, and the removal of lipid fraction, in the case of kernels, is proposed and optimised. Low limits of detection and quantification were obtained, ranging from 0.3 × 10 –³ to 1.2 × 10 –³ µg g –¹ and from 1.0 × 10 –³ to 4.0 × 10 –³ µg g –¹, with good precision, and recovery values ranged from 90% to 104% for hulls and kernels. The method was applied for the analysis of five thiamethoxam-dressed sunflower seeds and four non-treated seeds, where, besides thiamethoxam, residues of the other neonicotinoid, clothianidin, were also detected and confirmed via tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Finally, the presence of residues of thiamethoxam and clothianidin in collected sunflower seeds (hulls) coming from coated seeds confirmed the translocation of these neonicotinoids through the plant up to these seeds.
ABSTRACT Background: Two-bin storage systems increase nursing staff satisfaction and decrease inventories, but the implications that logistic staff would determine the needs of replenishment are ...unknown. This study aimed to evaluate whether entrust to logistics staff this responsibility at the polyvalent hospitalization units with two-bin storage is associated with higher risk of outstanding orders. Methods: This was a prospective randomized experiment whit masking. Outstanding orders were considered variable response, those corresponding to assessments of the logistics staff were included in the control group and those corresponding to the nursing staff in the control group. Concordance between observers was analyzed using the Bland-Altman method; the difference between groups, with the U of Mann-Whitney and the cumulative incidence of outstanding orders and their relative risk was calculated. Results: The mean amount requested by the logistic and nursing staff was 29.9 (SD:167.4) and 36 (SD:190) units respectively, the mean difference between observers was 6.11 (SD:128.95) units and no significant differences were found between groups (p = 0.430). The incidence of outstanding orders was 0.64% in the intervention group and 0.15% in the control group; the relative risk, 2.31 (0.83 - 6.48) and the number of cases required for an outstanding order, 516. Conclusion: Outstanding order relative risk is not associated with the category of the staff that identifies the replenishment needs at the polyvalent hospitalization units.
RESUMEN Fundamentos: Los sistemas de almacenamiento mediante doble cajetín aumentan la satisfacción del personal de enfermería y disminuyen los inventarios, pero no se conocen las implicaciones de que sea el personal de logística quién determine la necesidad de reposición. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si encomendar dicha responsabilidad a este personal en unidades de hospitalización polivalente de agudos entraña un mayor riesgo de pedidos extraordinarios. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio experimental, prospectivo aleatorizado con enmascaramiento. Los pedidos extraordinarios se consideraron variable de respuesta; los correspondientes a valoraciones del personal de logística se incluyeron en el grupo de intervención y los del personal de enfermería, en el de control. La concordancia entre observadores se analizó con el método de Bland-Altman; la diferencia entre grupos, con la U de Mann-Whitney y se calculó la incidencia acumulada de pedidos extraordinarios y su riesgo relativo. Resultados: La cantidad media solicitada por el personal de logística y el de enfermería fue 29,9 (DE:167,4) y 36 (DE:190) unidades respectivamente, la diferencia media entre observadores fue 6,11 (DE:128,95) unidades y no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos (p = 0,430). La incidencia de pedidos extraordinarios fue 0,64% en el grupo de intervención y 0,15% en el de control; el riesgo relativo, 2,31 (0,83 - 6,48) y el número de casos necesarios para un pedido extraordinario, 516. Conclusión: El riesgo de pedidos extraordinarios en unidades de hospitalización con almacenamiento mediante doble cajetín no está asociado con la categoría profesional del personal que identifica las necesidades de reposición.
Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) is a rare newly identified benign lesion, firstly included in the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system ...in 2016, whose neoplastic or dysplastic nature remains unclear but with a distinctive cytoarchitectural pattern and radiological features. It is usually discovered as late-onset refractory epilepsy, headache related, or an incidental lesion of adulthood. As it is typically a stable disease, many opt for follow-up, as long as it keeps remaining asymptomatic, leaving surgery for refractory epilepsy, neurological deficits, or intracranial hypertension symptoms. A subtotal or complete resection seems to control seizures and neurological manifestations. We herein present the case of a child with refractory epilepsy related to MVNT and focal cortical dysplasia, a dual pathology case in a less frequent age group and without the typical radiological imaging. We report its radiologic features, histologic description, and management, and we present a brief literature review on MVNT focusing on the pediatric cases reported. MVNT should now be another probable low-grade epilepsy-associated lesion (LEAT) in patients of all ages, with a benign and stable course as it constitutes a curable cause of focal epilepsy. As all the refractory cases, surgery should be indicated after a comprehensive evaluation of a multidisciplinary epilepsy surgery team.
In many countries, infant cereals are one of the first foods introduced during the complementary feeding stage. These cereals are usually made with refined cereal flours, even though several health ...benefits have been linked to the intake of whole grain cereals. Prior evidence suggests that food preferences are developed at early stages of life, and may persist in later childhood and adulthood. Our aim was to test whether an infant cereal with 30% of whole grain was similarly accepted both by parents and infants in comparison to a similar cereal made from refined flour. A total of 81 infants between 4 and 24 months old were included in the study. Parent-infant pairs participated in an 8-day experimental study. Acceptance was rated on hedonic scales (4-points for infants and 7-points for parents). Other attributes like color, smell, and taste were evaluated by the parents. Acceptability for infant cereals with whole grain and refined cereals was very similar both for infants (2.30 ± 0.12 and 2.32 ± 0.11,
= 0.606) and parents (6.1 ± 0.8 and 6.0 ± 0.9,
= 0.494). Therefore, our findings show that there is an opportunity to introduce whole grain cereals to infants, including those who are already used to consuming refined infant cereals, thereby accelerating the exposure of whole grain in early life.
In our earlier work, we introduced a technique to construct an information set for every semisimple Abelian code over an arbitrary field, solely in terms of its defining set. In this paper, we apply ...the geometrical properties of those information sets to obtain sufficient conditions for a -error correcting Abelian code to have a b-PD-set for every b ≤ t. These conditions are simply given in terms of the structure of the defining set of the code.
The way infants are fed during the complementary period can have a significant impact on infants' health and development. Infant cereals play an important role in complementary feeding in many ...countries. In spite of well documented benefits of a low sugar and high whole grain diet, commercial infant cereals are often refined and contain a high amount of sugars. The aim of the present study was to compare the sensory acceptability, gastrointestinal tolerance and bowel habits of two commercially available infant cereals in Spain with varying sugar and whole grain contents in infants at weaning. Forty-six healthy infants (mean age = 5.2 ± 0.4 months) received one of the two infant cereals containing either 0% whole grain flour and a high sugar content produced by starch hydrolysis (24 g/100 g) (Cereal A) or 50% whole grain flour and a medium-sugar content produced by hydrolysis (12 g/100 g) (Cereal B) in a randomized, triple blind, cross-over controlled trial. Both types of infant cereals were consumed for seven weeks. The cross-over was carried out after seven weeks. Sensory acceptability, anthropometry, gastrointestinal tolerance and adverse events were measured, and results evaluated using a linear regression model. No significant differences were observed between groups in any of the main variables analyzed. Importantly, the long-term health implications of our findings represent a wake-up call for the food industry to reduce or even eliminate simple sugars in infant cereals and for regulatory bodies and professional organizations to recommend whole grain infant cereals.
•The focus of this work is on lead-acid and vanadium redox flow batteries.•This paper presents a novel probabilistic optimization model for managing energy storage systems.•The model is able to ...incorporate the forecasting error of electricity prices, offering a near-optimal control option.•Using real data from the Spanish electricity market, the probability distribution of forecasting error is determined.•The probability distribution of the revenue is determined with consideration of the complex behaviours of batteries.
The integration of storage systems into smart grids is being widely analysed in order to increase the flexibility of the power system and its ability to accommodate a higher share of wind and solar power. The success of this process requires a comprehensive techno-economic study of the storage technology in contrast with electricity market behaviour. The focus of this work is on lead-acid and vanadium redox flow batteries. This paper presents a novel probabilistic optimization model for managing energy storage systems. The model is able to incorporate the forecasting error of electricity prices, offering with this a near-optimal control option. Using real data from the Spanish electricity market from the year 2016, the probability distribution of forecasting error is determined. The model determines electricity price uncertainty by means of Monte Carlo Simulation and includes it in the energy arbitrage problem, which is eventually solved by using an integer-coded genetic algorithm. In this way, the probability distribution of the revenue is determined with consideration of the complex behaviours of lead-acid and vanadium redox flow batteries as well as their associated operating devices such as power converters.
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