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ABSTRACT: Due to its versatility and shelf stability, process cheese is gaining interest in many developing countries. The main structural component (base) of most processed cheese formulations is young Cheddar cheese that has high levels of intact casein. Exporting natural Cheddar cheese base from the United States to distant overseas markets would require the aging process to be slowed or reduced. As Cheddar cheese ripens, the original structure is broken down by proteolysis and solubilization of insoluble calcium phosphate. We explored the effect of varying rennet levels (we also used a less proteolytic rennet) and application of high-pressure processing (HPP) to Cheddar cheese, as we hoped these treatments might limit proteolysis and concomitant loss of intact casein. To try to retain high levels of insoluble Ca, all experimental cheeses were made with a high-draining pH and from concentrated milk. To compare our intact casein results with current practices, we manufactured a Cheddar cheese that was prepared according to typical industry methods (i.e., use of unconcentrated milk, calf chymosin [higher levels], and low draining pH value [∼6.2]). All experimental cheeses were made from ultrafiltered milk with protein and casein contents of ∼5.15% and 4.30%, respectively. Three (low) rennet levels were used: control (38 international milk clotting units/mL of rennet per 250 kg of milk), and 25% and 50% reduced from this level. All experimental cheeses had similar moisture contents (∼37%) and total Ca levels. Four days after cheese was made, half of the experimental samples from each vat underwent HPP at 600 MPa for 3 min. Cheddar cheese functionality was monitored during aging for 240 d at 4°C. Cheddar cheese base was used to prepare process cheese after aging for 14, 60, 120, 180, and 240 d. Loss tangent (LT) values of cheese during heating were measured by small strain oscillatory rheology. Intact casein levels were measured using the Kjeldahl method. Acid or base titrations were used to determine the buffering capacity and insoluble Ca levels as a percentage of total Ca. The LTmax values (an index of meltability) in process cheese increased with aging for all the cheese bases; the HPP treatment significantly decreased LTmax values of both base (natural) and process cheeses. All experimental cheeses had much higher levels of intact casein compared with typical industry-make samples. Process cheese made from the experimental treatments had visually higher stretching properties than process cheese made from Cheddar with the typical industry-make procedure. Residual rennet activity was not affected by rennet level, but the rate of proteolysis was slightly slower with lower rennet levels. The HPP treatment of Cheddar cheese reduced residual rennet activity and decreased the reduction of intact casein levels. The HPP treatment of Cheddar cheese resulted in process cheeses that had slightly higher hardness values, lower LTmax values, and retained higher storage modulus values at 70°C. We also observed that the other make procedures we used in all experimental treatments (i.e., using a less proteolytic chymosin, using a concentrated cheese milk, and maintaining a high draining pH value) had a major effect on retaining high levels of intact casein.

Despite several decades of studies on the risk assessment and risk perception of ionising radiation, risk management of radioactive materials remains a challenging issue. This is also true for wastes containing technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials. The present work focuses on the underlying reasons for communication problems between experts and affected members of the public. Exploring the case of a German remediation site with residual radioactive contamination in a residential area, the experts’ as well as the residents’ perspectives were studied by conducting qualitative interviews. Our results indicate a variety of reasons for communication problems on different levels of risk management and risk communication: the regulatory, the communicative and the moral levels. In the observed case, four salient causes for problems in risk communication and risk management emerged: the mismatch in understanding the residents’ values, the issue of risk communication in an unforeseen situation, the problem of the regulatory gap between radiation protection and soil protection in regard to legacies with naturally occurring radioactive material in Germany, and the challenge of communicating a highly complex scientific issue to non-scientists. Moreover, one (at least partial) solution could be seen: the introduction of an external mediator. The results indicate that coordination of different health and environment protection disciplines—in this case radiation protection relating to soil protection—is possible and urgently needed. The opportunity to put, at least natural, radioactive material in line with other conventional industrial materials should be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies have shown that pregnant women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of intensive care unit admission and invasive mechanical ventilation support than non-pregnant women. Pregnancy-associated physiological changes in respiratory function may contribute to the elevated risk. Alteration in lung volumes and capacities are attributed to the mechanical impediment caused by the growing fetus. Multiple pregnancies may therefore compromise functional lung capacity earlier than singleton pregnancies and contribute to severe respiratory symptoms of COVID-19., Materials and Methods: A total of 5514 women with a symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy registered in the COVID-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study were included. The COVID-19-related adverse maternal outcomes were compared in 165 multiple versus 5349 singleton pregnancies. Combined adverse maternal outcome was defined as presence of COVID-19-related hospitalization and/or pneumonia and/or oxygen administration and/or transfer to ICU and/or death. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated., Results: The frequency of dyspnea, likelihood of developing dyspnea in a defined pregnancy week and duration of the symptomatic phase of the COVID-19 infection did not differ between the two groups. On average, COVID-19-related combined adverse outcome occurred earlier during pregnancy in women expecting more than one child than in singleton pregnancies. The overall incidence of singular and combined COVID-19-associated adverse maternal outcomes was not significantly different between groups. However, regression analysis revealed that multiple gestation, preconceptional BMI > 30 kg/m 2 and gestational age correlated significantly with an increased risk of combined adverse maternal outcome. Conversely, maternal age and medically assisted reproduction were not significant risk factors for combined adverse maternal outcome., Conclusion: Our data show that multiple gestation alone is a risk factor for COVID-19-associated combined adverse maternal outcome. Moreover, severe courses of COVID-19 in women expecting more than one child are observed earlier in pregnancy than in singleton pregnancies., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

In radioecological studies, there is a significant need for understanding the plant uptake of radionuclides on a cellular level. The present work applies mass spectrometry to image the radionuclide distribution within the cellular structures of plants at varying concentrations. In a first step, plants of Daucus carota and Pisum sativum labelled with iodine and rhenium were examined, at concentrations in the range of 10 mM. Cross sections of several plant parts were imaged by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) after cryogenation in order to preserve cell structure. In a second step, the distribution of 99 Tc in the two plant species was determined. For radiological reasons, a concentration three orders of magnitude lower was used, rendering measurements with SIMS impossible. Therefore, resonant laser secondary neutral mass spectrometry (rL-SNMS) was used for the first time to image 99 Tc with suppression of molecular isobaric interferences. The measurement of only about 10 10 atoms of 99 Tc atoms is demonstrated and the distribution of 99 Tc within a single epidermal cell is imaged., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate factors which affect radiographic diagnosis of Hill-Sachs fractures, and find criteria which improve detection., Materials and Methods: Retrospective search was made for the term "Hill Sachs" within MRI reports in our local PACS system, and cases with post-reduction radiographs were included in the study. Prospective diagnoses and subspecialty MSK training of the interpreting radiologist of record were recorded. Images were then retrospectively reviewed by two observers and statistical analysis was performed., Results: Our retrospective study included 181 cases, of which 35% had prospective radiographic diagnosis of Hill-Sachs fracture. Retrospective review found that 73% of the radiograph series had at least 1 sign of a Hill-Sachs fracture. The internal rotation view showed a Hill-Sachs lesion in 59% of cases, but did not detect it in 14% of cases, where the lesion was instead visible on axillary, external rotation, and/or scapular Y view. Odds ratio of prospective Hill-Sachs detection on radiographs was 2.68 for musculoskeletal fellowship-trained radiologists versus non-musculoskeletal-trained radiologists., Conclusion: Hill-Sachs fractures are often not recognized on post-reduction radiographs. Diagnosis of Hill-Sachs lesion can be significantly increased if radiologists are aware that the internal rotation view may fail to show the injury, and if all 4 views of a shoulder series are scrutinized., (© 2021. ISS.)

From March 3 to October 13, 2020, 27 cases with diabetes comorbidity have been recorded in the CRONOS registry (Covid-19 Related Obstetric and Neonatal Outcome Study in Germany) among 262 registered women with SARS-CoV‑2 infection during their pregnancy. Of those, 21 presented with gestational diabetes, 5 with type 2 diabetes and 1 with type 1 diabetes. About half of the women were asymptomatic and were diagnosed via general screening at hospital admission. The most common symptoms were nasal congestion, cough, tiredness, malaise and changes in smell and taste. The majority of pregnant women showed a mild to moderate course, three women were admitted to the intensive care unit and none required invasive ventilation. In the type 2 diabetes group, there were two cases with late fetal death (37 and 40 weeks of gestation) and one with a malformation, an association with diabetes being most likely. Pregnant women with diabetes mellitus represent a special subgroup; 1 in 10 women in this small cohort required intensive care monitoring due to COVID-19. In addition, this case series underscores the need for unrestricted access to pregnancy care, especially in times of pandemic, for optimal perinatal outcome., (© Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature 2021.)

The environmental fate of iodine is of general geochemical interest as well as of substantial concern in the context of nuclear waste repositories and reprocessing plants. Soils, and in particular soil organic matter (SOM), are known to play a major role in retaining and storing iodine. Therefore, we investigated iodide and iodate sorption by four different reference soils for contact times up to 30 days. Selective sequential extractions and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) were used to characterize binding behavior to different soil components, and the oxidation state and local structure of iodine. For iodide, sorption was fast with 73 to 96% being sorbed within the first 24 h, whereas iodate sorption increased from 11-41% to 62-85% after 30 days. The organic fraction contained most of the adsorbed iodide and iodate. XAS revealed a rapid change of iodide into organically bound iodine when exposed to soil, while iodate did not change its speciation. Migration behavior of both iodine species has to be considered as iodide appears to be the less mobile species due to fast binding to SOM, but with the potential risk of mobilization when oxidized to iodate.

Radon gas concentrations in eight basements, four living rooms and four caves from different locations in Kabul and Panjsher, Afghanistan, were measured by using eight active radon exposure meters recently developed by the Helmholtz Center in Munich, Germany. The two-phase measurements lasted from a week to a year. In the first phase of measurements which lasted one week, the mean activity concentrations ranged from 6 to 120 Bq/m3 and 25 to 139 Bq/m3 for the basements and caves, respectively. In the second phase of measurements which lasted one year, the mean activity concentrations ranged from 33 to 2064 Bq/m3 and the corresponding effective annual doses calculated for the inhabitants were in the range between 0.6 and 33.4 mSv. As some of the values are rather high and exceed the recommended recommendations by IAEA and ICRP, based on the local conditions a number of simple recommendations has been proposed for the possible reduction of effective annual dose caused by radon in the measurement locations., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Eagle syndrome is defined by an elongated styloid process or a calcified stylohyoid ligament that impinges on surrounding structures and causes a variety of symptoms. Classically, Eagle syndrome presents as neck, throat, or ear pain. The vascular variant, stylocarotid syndrome, can present as headache, transient ischemic attack, or stroke. Carotid artery dissection is a rare complication of stylocarotid syndrome. We report a case of stylocarotid syndrome in a 60-year-old man who presented with a right internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection and focal neurological deficits. Computed tomography with three-dimensional reformatting was used in the evaluation of his pathology. His dissecting right ICA was stented with subsequent symptom resolution. Improved recognition of the relationship between an elongated styloid or calcified stylohyoid ligament and symptomatology may lead to optimal etiology recognition and directed treatment.

Ongoing radionuclide releases from nuclear facilities, e.g. from reprocessing plants, but also from nuclear reactors require monitoring of the environment. Particularly drinking water reservoirs are prone to possible radionuclide accumulation fostering the need for routine surveillance. In this work, we investigated tritium ( 3 H), radiocarbon ( 14 C), and iodine-129 ( 129 I) activity levels in natural aquatic samples at the water protection area of Fuhrberger Feld near Hannover city, Northern Germany. For that aim, a low-level liquid scintillation counting (LSC) technique was used to measure 3 H in the water samples based on a distillation process after alkaline permanganate treatment. Isotopic ratios for both 14 C and 129 I were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) after chemical separation and purification of the samples. Mean 3 H levels in precipitation (8.8 ± 3.4 TU) were found to be comparable to its levels in precipitation data in Germany. Rivers and small streams revealed similar mean 3 H value (11.0 ± 3.3 TU) as in lake water (10.6 ± 3.4 TU). Variations in 3 H concentrations in groundwater samples were observed and discussed. 14 C levels in all groundwater samples were below the atmospheric natural level of 100 pMC indicating no anthropogenic input of radiocarbon. The 129 I/ 127 I isotopic ratios in all investigated water samples were in the order of 10 -8 to 10 -7 , which is significantly higher than the pre-nuclear natural equilibrium isotopic ratio (∼1.5 × 10 -12 ). In strong contrast to all other regional groundwaters, the Fuhrberger Feld groundwater has much higher values of 129 I concentration and 129 I/ 127 I isotopic ratio close to the ones of surface water. The overall annual effective dose via ingestion for all nuclides in the investigated groundwater remains substantially below the reference dose level of 0.1 mSv a -1 ., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

New data about (129)I, (127)I concentrations and their isotopic ratios in aerosol samples from the trace survey station of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, Northern Germany, are presented and discussed in this paper. The investigated samples were collected on a weekly basis during the years 2011 to 2013. Iodine was extracted from aerosol filters using a strong basic solution and was separated from the matrix elements with chloroform and was analysed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for (129)I and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for (127)I. The concentrations of (127)I and (129)I in aerosol filters ranged from 0.31 to 3.71 ng m(-3) and from 0.06 to 0.75 fg m(-3), respectively. The results of (129)I/(127)I isotopic ratios were in the order 10(-8) to 10(-7). The (129)I originated directly from gaseous emissions and indirectly from liquid emissions (via sea spray) from the reprocessing plants in Sellafield and La Hague. In comparison with the results of (131)I after the Fukushima accident, no contribution of (129)I from this accident was detectable in Central Europe due to the high background originating from the (129)I releases of the European reprocessing plants. (129)I atmospheric activity concentrations were compared with those of an anthropogenic radionuclide ((85)Kr). We did not find any correlation between (129)I and (85)Kr, both having nuclear reprocessing plant as the main source., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We investigated Ocean sediments and seawater from inside the Fukushima exclusion zone and found radiocesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs) up to 800 Bq kg -1 as well as 90 Sr up to 5.6 Bq kg -1 . This is one of the first reports on radiostrontium in sea sediments from the Fukushima exclusion zone. Seawater exhibited contamination levels up to 5.3 Bq kg -1 radiocesium. Tap water from Tokyo from weeks after the accident exhibited detectable but harmless activities of radiocesium (well below the regulatory limit). Analysis of the Unit 5 reactor coolant (finding only 3 H and even low 129 I) leads to the conclusion that the purification techniques for reactor coolant employed at Fukushima Daiichi are very effective.

The Mulde River drains the former uranium mining areas in Saxony (Germany), which has led to a large-scale contamination of the river and the adjacent floodplain soils with radionuclides of the uranium decay series. The objective of the investigation is to quantify the long-term effect of former uranium mining activities on a river system. All of the investigated environmental compartments (water, sediment, soil) still reveal an impact from the former uranium mining and milling activities. The contamination of water has decreased considerably during the last 20 years due to the operation of water treatment facilities. The uranium content of the sediments decreased as well (on average by a factor of 5.6), most likely caused by displacement of contaminated material during flood events. Currently, the impact of the mining activities is most obvious in soils. For some of the plots activity concentrations of >200 Bq/kg of soil were detected for uranium-238. Alluvial soils used as grassland were found to be contaminated to a higher degree than those used as cropland., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Quality of life in Parkinson patients with subthreshold depression could be improved if the prevalence and symptom profile were better understood., Methods: Our study used standard DSM-IV and Judd criteria as well as motor, depression, and quality-of-life scales to investigate a sample of 110 nondemented Parkinson patients. This led to formation of nondepressed (48.2%), subthreshold depressed (25.5%), and depressed (26.4%) groups., Results: Quality of life was seen to be significantly lower in subthreshold depressed patients than in the nondepressed, and there were differences in the frequency of depressive symptoms that partially overlapped with nonmotor symptoms of vegetative origin in Parkinson's disease (appetite, sleep disorders). Key measures of depression (diminished interest/pleasure) were more frequent in the depressed group compared with the subthreshold depressed, although the motor functions of these 2 groups did not differ significantly., Conclusions: The Beck Depression Inventory score ranging from 9 to 15 points differentiates subthreshold depressed from nondepressed and depressed patients best., (Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.)

Heating periods necessary to destroy iodide sorption capacity of the quaternary (alkyl) ammonium and phosphonium modified bentonites were determined using iodide sorption batches. For this purpose, prior to the batches the studied organoclays were isothermally heated in air in the temperature ranges of 110-180 °C and 160-300 °C, respectively. The temperature dependence of the heating periods was found to follow the Arrhenius relationship, which allowed a determination of Arrhenius parameters for the reaction leading to the loss of the iodide sorption capacity of a bentonite modified by CP(+) (cetylpyridinium), BE(+) (benzethonium), CTMA(+) (cetyltrimethylammonium), or TPP(+) (tetraphenylphosphonium) surfactant. At 160 °C, the thermal stability of the iodide sorption capacity of TPP(+)-bentonite is much higher than that of the second most stable CTMA(+)-bentonite (80 days vs 5 days). However, the obtained Arrhenius parameters predict that CTMA(+)-bentonite becomes the most stable one as the heating temperature decreases to 40 °C with iodide sorption still available for ∼12000 years as compared to ∼8000 years for TPP(+)-bentonite. Heating of the organoclays in a N(2)-atmosphere (<70 ppm O(2)) at 160 °C revealed that the strong deficit of molecular oxygen in the contacting atmosphere resulted in a strong increase of their thermal stability. For CTMA(+)-bentonite, this increase is equivalent to the stability increase due to a decrease of the heating temperature by ∼20 °C (from 160 °C to ∼140 °C). Accordingly, the iodide sorption capacity of CTMA(+)-bentonite at a heating temperature of 40 °C is predicted to be retained for ∼350,000 years in the absence of molecular oxygen.

The influence of uranyl-carbonate and calcium-uranyl-carbonate complexations on the kinetics of U(VI) (approximately 3.4 x 10(-3) mol L(-1)) sorption from NaNO3 and Ca(NO3)2 solutions on Na- and Ca-bentonites at circumneutral ambient conditions was investigated. Complexation of U(VI) in Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) aqueous species, dominating the U(VI) speciation in Ca(NO3)2 solution, reduces its adsorption on bentonite by a factor of 2-3 in comparison with that in (UO2)2CO3(OH)3- species, dominating in NaNO3 solution, within the studied period of time (21 days). As a result of the dissolution of accessory calcite, Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) can be formed in the initially Ca-free solution in contact with either Na- or Ca-bentonite. U(VI) adsorption on Na-bentonite is a factor of approximately 2 higher than that on Ca-bentonite for solutions with the Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) complex dominating aqueous U(VI) speciation. This favors use of Na-bentonite over that of Ca-bentonite in final disposal of radioactive waste. Furthermore, the observed strong correlation between U(VI) adsorption and Mg release as a result of montmorillonite dissolution indicates in agreement with previous findings that under the applied conditions U(VI) is adsorbed on the edge surface of montmorillonite, which is a major mineral phase of the studied clays.

Background and Objectives: Genital endometriosis is still an unclear enigma of the female. It occurs in approximately 20% to 35% of all women of reproductive age. The urinary tract is seldom affected., Methods: We report on a patient with bladder endometriosis with recurrent heavy pain at menstruation within the framework of 5 similar cases., Results: A combined vaginal and laparoscopic treatment with excision of the lesion reaching into the dome of the bladder and vaginal wall was performed. The bladder opening was sutured in 2 layers., Conclusion: Laparoscopic treatment of bladder endometriosis requires a combined surgical treatment by a gynecologist and urologist or an experienced laparoscopist.

A review on classical swine fever (CSF) research and vaccine production is given about four historical periods (1924-1948, 1949-1969, 1970-1991, since 1992). Similar as to research on foot and mouth disease, applied topics as diagnosis, pathogenesis, epidemiology and control represented the CSF research over many years. The development of vaccines and application procedures, e.g. oral and aerogenic immunisation and combined vaccines for large pig farms were the prominent investigations between 1950 and the middle of 1980s. After being reduced in the first years after affiliation to the Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, CSF is one of the main topics of the research on the Isle of Riems, not at least because nowadays the German National Reference Laboratory for CSF was established on the Island.

Sorption and diffusivity of iodide and pertechnetate (I- and TcO4-) on MX-80 bentonite with different hexadecylpyridinium (HDPy+) loadings were studied using equilibrium solutions of different ionic strengths. In HDPy(+)-modified bentonite, iodide and pertechnetate ions exhibited increasing sorption (characterized by the distribution ratio, Rd), while Cs+ and Sr2+ showed decreasing sorption with increasing organophilicity. In case of medium-loading levels, the simultaneous sorption of anions (I- and TcO4-) and cations (Cs+ and Sr2+) was observed. Sorption of ions was influenced by the composition of the electrolytes employed. It decreased gradually with increasing ionic strength of the electrolyte solutions. The experiments revealed the general tendency that the diffusivity (Da [cm2.s-1]) for iodide and pertechnetate decreases with increasing organophilicity and increases with increasing ionic strength of the equilibrium solutions, confirming the results of the sorption experiments. Additionally, some mineralogical and chemical investigations, like IR spectral analysis of the organo-bentonite samples and exchange behavior of HDPy+, were performed. On the basis of these analyses, it was concluded that the alkylammonium ions are sorbed as (1) HDPy+ cations, (2) HDPyCl molecules and (3) micelles with decreasing binding intensities in this order.