We have performed the measurement of the 27Al(α, n) cross section at IFIN-HH for a range of energies from 2.5 to 5.2 MeV, using an array of 28 3He counters arranged in 3 concentric rings ...(ELIGANT-TN). Here we present the experimental setup and discuss the role of the 13C contamination which effects the measurements in the low-energy region. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy carried out before and after the experiment suggested an increase in the 13C concentration during the experiment.
Next-generation sequencing approaches in microbiome research have allowed surveys of microbial communities, their genomes, and their functions with higher sensitivity than ever before. However, this ...sensitivity is a double-edged sword because these tools also efficiently detect contaminant DNA and cross-contamination, which can confound the interpretation of microbiome data. Therefore, there is an urgent need to integrate key controls into microbiome research to improve the integrity of microbiome studies. Here, we review how contaminant DNA and cross-contamination arise within microbiome studies and discuss their negative impacts, especially during the analysis of low microbial biomass samples. We then identify several key measures that researchers can implement to reduce the impact of contaminant DNA and cross-contamination during microbiome research. We put forward a set of minimal experimental criteria, the ‘RIDE’ checklist, to improve the validity of future low microbial biomass research.
There is increasing interest in applying metagenomic techniques to find correlations between microorganisms and disease.
Metagenomic techniques are highly sensitive and can detect contaminant DNA (DNA from sources other than the samples under study) and cross-contamination (DNA exchange between samples).
Recent studies have shown that contaminant DNA and cross-contamination can confound metagenomic studies, especially for sample types that have low microbial biomass.
There is an urgent need for the field to adopt authentication criteria to prevent future metagenomic studies from falling prey to the pitfalls of contaminant DNA and cross-contamination.
Food safety in the food market is one of the key areas of focus in public health, because it affects people of every age, race, gender, and income level around the world. The local and international ...food marketing continues to have significant impacts on food safety and health of the public. Food supply chains now cross multiple national borders which increase the internationalization of health risks. This systematic review of literature was, therefore, conducted to identify common public health risks related to food safety issues in the food market.
All published and unpublished quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were searched from electronic databases using a three step searching. Analytical framework was developed using the PICo (population, phenomena of interest, and context) method. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. The included full-text articles were qualitatively analyzed using emergent thematic analysis approach to identify key concepts and coded them into related non-mutually exclusive themes. We then synthesized each theme by comparing the discussion and conclusion of the included articles. Emergent themes were identified based on meticulous and systematic reading. Coding and interpreting the data were refined during analysis.
The analysis of 81 full-text articles resulted in seven common public health risks related with food safety in the food market. Microbial contamination of foods, chemical contamination of foods, food adulteration, misuse of food additives, mislabeling, genetically modified foods (GM foods), and outdated foods or foods past their use-by dates were the identified food safety-related public health risks in the food market.
This systematic literature review identified common food safety-related public health risks in the food market. The results imply that the local and international food marketing continues to have significant impacts on health of the public. The food market increases internationalization of health risks as the food supply chains cross multiple national borders. Therefore, effective national risk-based food control systems are essential to protect the health and safety of the public. Countries need also assure the safety and quality of their foods entering international trade and ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements.
The book highlights the current practices and future trends in structural characterization of impurities and degradants. It begins with an overview of mass spectrometry techniques as related to the ...analysis of impurities and degradants, followed by studies involving characterization of process related impurities (including potential genotoxic impurities), and excipient related impurities in formulated products. Both general practitioners in pharmaceutical research and specialists in analytical chemistry field will benefit from this book that will detail step-by-step approaches and new strategies to solve challenging problems related to pharmaceutical research.
With the development in international food trade, there has been emerging risks in the food chain. Food contamination can be caused by several factors in a complex food chain. This articles provides ...a comprehensive review of known chemical contaminants from the production of raw materials to the consumption of food products as well as prevention and control measures. Specifically, this review discusses the following topics, raw material contamination caused by environmental pollution, endogenous food contamination caused by processing methods, and cold chain system challenges in food e-commerce.