Search

Objective: To determine the efficacy of refrigerated gel packs in achieving and maintaining target temperature in neonates receiving therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy during neonatal retrieval., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval, Victoria, Australia., Patients: 200 neonates treated with TH during retrieval between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020., Interventions: Active cooling with refrigerated gel packs or passive cooling., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes were the proportion of neonates who achieved therapeutic cooling rectal temperature (33-34°C) within 6 hours of birth and maintained target temperature range once TH was achieved. Secondary outcomes included need for respiratory support, inotropes, anticonvulsant therapy, sedation and survival at 7 days of life., Results: 200 neonates received TH. Median gestational age was 39 weeks and median birth weight 3300 g. 120 (60%) were actively cooled with refrigerated gel packs and the remainder passively cooled. 121 neonates (61%) reached target temperature within 6 hours and 14 (7%) after 6 hours of birth. Of those who achieved target temperature, 38% were maintained in therapeutic cooling range for the remainder of the retrieval., Conclusions: Achieving and maintaining TH during neonatal retrieval with gel packs is challenging. Target temperature was not maintained in most neonates in this study. These findings support existing evidence favouring the use of servo-controlled cooling devices to optimise TH in the retrieval setting., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Time-temperature data for queso fresco (QF) cheese varieties stored in a residential refrigerator operating at 5°C and a predictive microbiology secondary model for Listeria monocytogenes in QF were used to estimate a refrigerator performance indicator (RPI) of microbial preservation. RPI values were used to assess how compressor technology (single [SS] and variable speed [VS]), ambient temperature (21.1°C [LT] and 32.2°C [HT]), and refrigerator load (22.5 kg regular load and 39 kg higher load) affected preservation performance. All deterministic and probabilistic RPI estimations slightly exceeded the desirable 1.0 value, i.e., the variable temperatures for the QF kept in the refrigerator were worse than keeping it constantly at the temperature recommended by food safety agencies for QF. Furthermore, the mean comparison of estimates of the time-temperature equivalent indicator previously developed by French researchers showed similar behavior to those observed for RPI. Finally, statistical analysis showed that T ambient was the factor with the highest impact on refrigerator performance because of its impact on the sample temperature increase during door openings and when exposed to ambient temperature during product use. This highlights the need to reduce the time for product temperature recovery by improving the compressor operation logic. Also important are consumer behavior changes such as a reduction in product exposure to ambient temperature and in the door opening duration and frequency. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study demonstrated how a quantitative tool (RPI) can assess refrigerator preservation performance. Although the findings presented can be applied to any cold chain segment, the data used was collected for its weakest link, the domestic refrigerator. Surveys show that 77% of them operate above the recommended 4°C. The RPI methodology is ready for use by refrigerator designers to assess performance improvements possible by modifications of the compressor operation logic. Moreover, it can be integrated into smart-hubs monitoring the frequency and duration of refrigerator door openings to inform consumers when their habits are compromising the preservation performance of the refrigerator., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

The increasing public demand for fresh products has catalyzed the requirement for cold chain logistics distribution systems. However, challenges such as temperature control and delivery delays have led a significant product loss and increased costs. To improve the current situation, a novel approach to optimize cold chain logistics distribution for fresh products will be presented in the paper, utilizing a hybrid Tabu-Grey wolf optimizer (TGWO) algorithm. The proposed hybrid approach combines Tabu search (TS) and Grey wolf optimizer (GWO), employing TS for exploration and GWO for exploitation, aiming to minimize distribution costs in total and establish efficient vehicle scheduling schemes considering various constraints. The effectiveness of the TGWO algorithm is demonstrated through experiments and case studies compared to other heuristic algorithms. Comparative analysis against traditional optimization methods, including Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Whale optimization algorithm (WOA), and original GWO, highlights its superior efficiency and solution quality. This study contributes theories by demonstrating the efficacy of hybrid optimization techniques in complex supply chain networks and dynamic market environments. The practical implication lies in the implementation of TGWO to bolster distribution efficiency, cost reduction, and product quality maintenance throughout the logistics process, offering valuable insights for operational and strategic improvements by decision-makers. However, the study has limitations in generalizability and assumptions, suggesting future research areas including exploring new search operators, applying additional parameters, and using the algorithm in diverse real-life scenarios to improve its effectiveness and applicability., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no Competitive financial benefits and no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: The United States Army has shifted doctrine to focus on large-scale combat operations against peer to near-peer adversaries. Future conflicts could result in a limited supply chain, leaving medical providers with only expired blood products for treatment of hemorrhagic shock. This study evaluated quality, function, and safety metrics of whole blood stored for 1 week past regulated expiration (i.e., 35 days, in CPDA-1)., Materials and Methods: Whole blood units (n = 6) were collected in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 (CPDA-1) anticoagulant and stored refrigerated for up to 42 days. Units were sampled on days 35, 37, 39, and 42 of storage and evaluated for the following: complete blood count, blood metabolism and chemistries, clotting dynamics, and presence of bacteria., Results: The majority of evaluated parameters fell outside of normal clinical ranges beginning at day 35 of storage. At 42 days, blood pH was 6.58 ± 0.038, hemolysis was significantly increased (P = .037 vs day 35), and bacterial contamination was not evident. Glucose levels continuously dropped during extended storage. K+ was significantly increased at day 42 compared to day 35 (P = .010). A significant reduction in clot strength, factor V activity, and factor VIII activity was evident beginning at day 39 of storage., Conclusions: Storage of whole blood out to 42 days results in a continuous decline in function, but further in vivo safety studies should be performed to determine if the benefits of expired blood outweigh the risks. Other methods to safely extend storage of whole blood that maintain hemostatic function and preserve safety should be investigated, with emphasis placed on methods that reduce potassium leak and/or hemolysis., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2024. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)

Home preservation depends on the food matrix, refrigerator design/technology, consumer actions, and ambient temperature. Storing different food matrices in product-relevant refrigerator locations generating different temperature histories can be used to develop an indicator of how refrigerator technology, consumer habits, and environment conditions impact the refrigerator food preservation performance. In this study, poultry, particularly prone to spoilage reflecting its pH, nutrient availability, and high aw, was used to evaluate refrigerator preservation performance as affected by compressor technology (single [SS] and variable speed [VS]), ambient temperature (21.1°C [LT] and 32.2°C [HT]), and refrigerator load (22.5 kg [RL] and 39 kg [HL]). Time-temperature values collected for chicken breast stored in a drawer independently controlled at 0°C in a refrigerator set 5°C, and a Pseudomonas predictive microbiology model, were used to estimate a normalized refrigerator performance indicator (RPI). Values <1, ∼1, and >1 described excellent, good, or poor performance, respectively. A first analysis revealed that up to 54% of chicken breast temperatures were above its recommended refrigerated storage value. When ignoring variability sources, SS technology yielded RPI values ranging 0.61-0.70, whereas the more energy efficient VS compressor yielded values ranging 0.86-1.14. The higher and wider VS RPI range reflects a compressor control logic optimized for energy efficiency compliance while disregarding effects on food preservation. When considering the variability of model parameters and temperature measurements through one-sided 95% confidence intervals yielded RPI reaching 1.16. Although the independently controlled drawer preservation performance was near optimal, it can improve by considering energy use and preservation impact when optimizing the compressor speed control protocol. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Worldwide poultry meat consumption has reached 15 kg per person. Refrigeration is widely used for its safety and quality preservation. Efficiency regulations decreased the energy use of residential refrigerators by nearly tenfold even though their size increased by 50% in the last half century. In this study, we provide quantitative evidence that their preservation performance must be improved. This is particularly true for upper end units typically equipped with quieter and more energy-efficient variable speed compressors. The same methodology can be used to evaluate the preservation performance of the storage units, trucks, and display cases used for refrigerated products., (© 2023 Institute of Food Technologists.)

European Union regulations stipulate that household refrigeration systems must operate with fluid refrigerants that possess low global warming potential (GWPs). In this work, theoretical performance of six binary and one ternary mixture (which consists of R13I1, R290, R161, R32, R1234yf, and R1234ze(E)) was investigated. The performance parameters such as coefficient of performance (COP), refrigeration effect (RE), volumetric cooling capacity (VCC), discharge temperature, pressure ratio, and specific power consumption of all considered refrigerant mixtures is studied with respect to the evaporator temperature range of -18 to 18 0 C and the condenser temperature range of 40 to 55 0 C. The properties corresponding to different operating conditions for the refrigerants considered in this study are estimated using REFPROP 10. The findings demonstrated that, when compared to R134a, all the investigated refrigerants exhibited very low specific power consumption (apart from M9, M10, and M14-M16), and high volumetric cooling capacity (VCC) (apart from M11 and M13) under the operating conditions of evaporator temperature -18 0 C and condenser temperature 40 0 C. M1-M3 and M11-M13 gave similar and within 10% deviation in coefficient of performance, while M3 and M11-M13 refrigerant mixtures offer significantly low discharge temperatures when compared to R134a. Refrigerant mixtures M2 and M11 consistently exhibited a better performance in comparison to R134a in the aspect of majority of the performance parameters considered in this study. Finally, it is understood that M2 and M11 are two possible alternative refrigerants to conventional refrigerants used in small refrigeration units (R134a and R22). Further, it is also identified that these mixtures are non-flammable, possess zero ODP and low GWP values., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The changes in microbiological, physiochemical, and textural properties in fresh cheeses made from either cow or goat milk were observed under hyperbaric storage (HS, 50-100 MPa) at room temperature (RT) and compared with refrigerated storage under normal atmospheric pressure for 60 days. An initial microbial growth inhibition was observed for both cheese types, as well as a considerable inactivation of all endogenous microbiota under HS/RT (75-100 MPa/RT). This contributed to a higher stability of pH and color values, especially at the higher pressure at room temperature (100 MPa/RT) throughout 60 days storage. A compression effect occurred during HS/RT, resulting in higher whey loss, reduction in moisture content, and textural changes. Such changes tended to decrease over time, to values closer to the initial ones, with hardness values at the 60th day of storage at 75/RT similar to those observed for refrigeration on the 7th day and 1.4-fold higher than those observed at 100/RT. Overall, HS/RT reduced the microbial populations load during storage (≥5 log units in some cases), with minimal effects on most of the evaluated quality parameters. These results point to a considerable shelf-life extension of HS fresh cheeses, without temperature control, pinpointing HS as a more sustainable preservation strategy than refrigeration, with great potential for industrial application. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results presented in this study point to increased microbial stability of fresh cheeses when stored under hyperbaric storage without temperature control, leading possibly to an increased shelf-life, of up to 60 days. This kind of new food preservation strategy may be suitable for longer transportation of foods, where energy may not be handily and widely available, while additionally contributing to increased shelf-life and safety. Also, hyperbaric storage could be applied throughout the food storage, improving shelf-life with a lower carbon footprint than refrigeration., (© 2022 Institute of Food Technologists.)

High pressure pasteurised (HPP) milk was stored by hyperbaric storage at room temperature (HS/RT) (50-100 MPa at 20 °C) and compared with refrigeration (RF), to assess the effect on two pathogens surrogates and a pathogenic, up to 120 days, and on fatty acids, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and secondary lipid oxidation over 60 days. HS/RT (75-100 MPa) was able to inactivate at least 6.68/6.31/6.03 log CFU/mL of Escherichia coli/Listeria innocua/Salmonella Senftenberg (to below the detection limit), while RF resulted only in minor changes. Overall, fatty acids profile remained stable under HS/RT, although secondary lipid oxidation showed slightly higher values. In addition, both HS/RT and RF showed stable and similar VOCs profiles and off-flavour indicative compounds were not detected, except for the lowest pressure (50 MPa) after 40 days. HS/RT preserved HPP milk with enhanced microbial safety, shelf-life and quality compared to RF, being in addition quasi-energetically costless and more sustainable than RF., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effect of extended refrigerated storage of 14 serum and plasma specimens on 5 syphilis serologic tests was evaluated for 16 weeks. Higher stability of nontreponemal and treponemal antibodies in serum was recorded compared to plasma. Described work may provide insights on refrigerated specimens' stability and suitability for syphilis tests., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Commercially harvested cull dairy cow carcasses (n = 64) from the two lowest-valued marketing classes (MC: Lean, LE; Light, LI) were conventionally chilled (CN) or vascularly rinsed with a chilled isotonic substrate solution (Rinse & Chill®; RC). Longissimus lumborum (LL) and Triceps brachii (TB) muscles were processed (steaks, ground). Early postmortem (first 24 h), RC resulted in a lower pH at each time measured. RC steaks had longer sarcomeres and lower shear force than CN. RC produced greater redness associated with blooming and display times. RC LE beef resulted in greater oxymyoglobin during display times. RC ground TB had greater moisture fat-free than CN. RC Lean LL had less purge loss compared to CN LE. RC had greater total pigments than CN. RC ground TB had greater oxygen consumption and lower thiobarbituric acid reactive substances compared to CN. RC has the potential to improve tenderness and color as well as limit lipid oxidation with similar benefits across the two marketing classes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine how early body refrigeration affects corneal donor transplant suitability and endothelial cell density., Methods: Donor information was obtained from the CorneaGen Eye Bank including demographics, time of death to preservation, and body refrigeration status, for donors between 2012 and 2016. The death to preservation interval was classified into 3 categories: 0 to 10, 10 to 20, and 20+ hours. Two primary logistic method models were fit using a main effects model and an interaction model to determine the association of body refrigeration on unsuitability of transplantation and endothelial cell density., Results: Analysis was from 42,929 donor eyes, with a mean (standard deviation) endothelial cell count of 2743 (415) cells/mm2. Fifty-nine percent of donor eyes were from male donors in the eye bank data set, and the mean death to preservation interval was 11.0 (5.6) hours for all eyes. Unsuitability for transplantation demonstrated a reduced adjusted odds ratio by 22% (OR = 0.78, P = 0.009) when the body was refrigerated during the death to preservation interval versus when the body was not refrigerated. Eyes that were refrigerated, however, exhibited no statistically significant difference in endothelial cell count from eyes that were not refrigerated (P = 0.12)., Conclusions: We demonstrate an appreciable effect of early body refrigeration on transplant suitability in this large cohort of eye bank eyes. There was no beneficial effect of body refrigeration on endothelial cell count., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Salmonella Typhimurium is a human pathogen associated with eggs and egg-derived products. In Australia, it is recommended that eggs should be refrigerated to prevent condensation that can enhance bacterial penetration across the eggshell. Except for the United States, the guidelines on egg refrigeration are not prescriptive. In the current study, in-vitro and in-vivo experiments were conducted to understand the role of egg storage temperatures (refrigerated vs ambient) on bacterial load and the virulence genes expression of Salmonella Typhimurium. The in-vitro egg study showed that the load of Salmonella Typhimurium significantly increased in yolk and albumen stored at 25 °C. The gene expression study showed that ompR, misL, pefA, spvA, shdA, bapA, and csgB were significantly up-regulated in the egg yolk stored at 5 °C and 25 °C for 96 h; however, an in-vivo study revealed that mice infected with egg yolk stored at 25 °C, developed salmonellosis from day 3 post-infection (p.i.). Mice fed with inoculated egg yolk, albumen, or eggshell wash stored at refrigerated temperature did not show signs of salmonellosis during the period of the experiment. Data obtained in this study highlighted the importance of egg refrigeration in terms of improving product safety., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The coexistence of field-induced blockage of the magnetization and significant magnetocaloric effects in the low-temperature region occurs in a mononuclear holmium(III) diethylenetriamine- N , N , N ', N ″, N ″-pentaacetate complex, whose gadolinium(III) analogue is a commercial MRI contrast agent. Both properties make it a suitable candidate for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration, thus enlarging the variety of applications of this simple class of multifunctional molecular nanomagnets.

Diabetes prevalence within the global population has nearly doubled since 1980, with the most rapid growth occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Diabetes management in resource-limited settings such as Haiti presents many challenges, including the storage of insulin. Despite a lack of published data on insulin thermostability, storage at 2-8°C or at room temperature (25°C) is recommended. In Haiti, access to refrigeration and thereby proper insulin storage is severely limited. Commercial storage devices such as the FRIO cooling wallet are cost-prohibitive and not available locally, and alternatives such as small clay pots are fragile and nonportable. Here, we designed and tested the cooling efficacy of a homemade wallet made of acrylate polymer beads and a hand-sewn cotton pouch compared to a FRIO wallet and a clay pot. All studies were conducted over a ten-day period at the Kay Mackenson Clinic in Montrouis, Haiti. Temperature and humidity values were continuously collected using wireless monitors placed inside each device, and hourly ambient temperature and humidity values were manually recorded. Evaporative cooling efficacy was calculated using collected data. The homemade wallet and FRIO cooling wallet demonstrated comparable cooling efficacy with an average of 71% and 73%, respectively. The clay pot demonstrated significantly decreased efficacy with an average of 27% (p < 0.05). The homemade insulin wallet is a promising alternative for the storage of insulin in low-resource settings without the financial and physical barriers of commercial and locally sourced devices. Additionally, this wallet could be readily adapted for the storage of other perishable medical supplies in low-income countries., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Listeria monocytogenes has caused outbreaks of foodborne illness from apples in the USA, and is also a major issue for regulatory compliance worldwide. Due to apple's significance as an important export product from New Zealand, we aimed to determine the effect of long-term, low-temperature sea-freight from New Zealand to the USA (July) and Europe (March-April), two key New Zealand markets, on the survival and/or growth of L. monocytogenes on fresh apples. Temperature and humidity values were recorded during a shipment to each market (USA and Europe), then the observed variations around the 0.5 °C target temperature were simulated in laboratory trials using open ('Scired') and closed ('Royal Gala' for the USA and 'Cripps Pink' for Europe) calyx cultivars of apples inoculated with a cocktail of 10 7 -10 8 cells of seven strains of L. monocytogenes. Samples were analysed for L. monocytogenes quantification at various intervals during the simulation and on each occasion, an extra set was analysed after a subsequent 8 days at 20 °C. When both the sea-freight simulations concluded, L. monocytogenes showed 5 log reductions on the equatorial surface of skin of apples, but only about 2.5 log reduction for USA and about 3.3 log reduction for Europe in the calyx. Cultivar type had no significant effect on the survival of L. monocytogenes for both sea-freight simulations, either in the calyx or on the skin (P > 0.05). Most of the reduction in the culturable cells on the skin occurred during the initial 2 weeks of the long-term storage simulations. There was also no significant difference in the reduction of L. monocytogenes at 0.5 or 20 °C. No correlation was observed between firmness or total soluble solids and survival of L. monocytogenes. Because the inoculated bacterial log reduction was lower in the calyx than on the skin, it is speculated that the risk of causing illness is higher if contaminated apple cores are eaten. The result suggested that the international sea-freight transportation does not result in the growth of L. monocytogenes irrespective of time and temperature. The results of this study provide useful insights into the survival of L. monocytogenes on different apple cultivars that can be used to develop effective risk mitigation strategies for fresh apples during long-term, low-temperature international sea-freight transportation., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Hyperbaric storage at room temperature (HS/RT: 75 MPa/25 °C) of vacuum-packaged fresh Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) loins was studied for 30 days and compared to atmospheric pressure at refrigerated temperatures (AP/5 °C, 30 days) and RT (AP/25 °C, 5 days). Most of the fatty acids were not affected by storage conditions, with only a slight decrease of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid) for AP samples, reflected in the lower polyene index values obtained and higher oxidation extent. For HS, a lower lipid oxidation extension and a slower increase of myofibrillar fragmentation index values were observed, when compared to AP samples. The volatile profile was similar for the HS and fresh samples, with the HS samples retaining fresh-like alcohols and aldehydes components, which disappeared in AP samples, mainly in AP/25 °C samples. The volatile profile for AP samples (5 and 25 °C) revealed mostly spoilage-like compounds due to microbial activity. Drip loss increased progressively during the 30 days of storage under HS, while a slight decrease of water holding capacity after 5 days was observed, increasing further after 30 days. Regarding textural properties, only resilience was affected by HS, decreasing after 30 days. So, HS/RT could represent an interesting extended preservation methodology of fresh salmon loins, since allows retaining important physicochemical properties for at least 15 days, while refrigeration after 5 days showed already volatile spoilage-like compounds due to microbial activity. Furthermore, this methodology allows additional considerable energy savings when compared to refrigeration.

Background: Platelets pose the greatest transfusion-transmitted infectious risk among blood products. Refrigeration of platelets can mitigate bacterial contamination and extend platelet shelf life. Implementation of pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) at blood banks has become increasingly popular to protect against emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. In this study, we sought to evaluate the effects of Intercept PRT on platelets collected on different platforms and cold-stored for up to 21 days in plasma and platelet additive solution (PAS)., Methods: Double-dose apheresis platelets were collected with use of a Trima or Amicus system into either 100% plasma or 65% InterSol PAS/35% plasma and split equally between two bags. One bag served as control, while the other received Intercept PRT treatment. Bags were stored unagitated in the cold and evaluated on Days 1, 7, 14, and 21 to assess platelet metabolism, activation, aggregation, and clot formation and retraction., Results: By Day 14 of storage, lactate levels reached approximately 13 mmol/L for all samples irrespective of Intercept treatment. Mean clot firmness dropped from the 62.2- to 67.5-mm range (Day 1) to the 28.4- to 51.3-mm range (Day 21), with no differences observed between groups. Clot weights of Intercept-treated Trima/plasma samples were significantly higher than control by Day 14 of storage (P = .004), indicating a reduced clot retraction function. Intercept treatment caused a higher incidence of plasma membrane breakdown in plasma-stored platelets (P = .0013; Trima/plasma Day 14 Control vs Intercept)., Conclusions: Intercept treatment of platelets and subsequent cold storage, in plasma or PAS, results in comparable platelet metabolism platelets for up to 14 days of storage but altered clotting dynamics. Pathogen-reduced platelets with an extended shelf life would be beneficial for the deployed setting and would greatly impact transfusion practice among civilian transfusion centers., (© 2020 AABB.)

The purposes of this study were to develop stable thyme essential oil chitosan nanoemulsions (TEO-CSs) and thymol chitosan nanoemulsions (T-CSs), and to evaluate their characterization and antibacterial properties. The effects of the TEO-CSs and T-CSs on preservation of refrigerated pork at 4 °C were also assessed. The results indicated that the mean particle size values of the TEO-CSs and T-CSs were 139.47 and 123.30 nm, and the encapsulation efficiencies were 80.99% and 70.72%. The absolute zeta potential values of the TEO-CSs and T-CSs were 30.87 and 32.42 mV respectively, indicating that the stable TEO-CSs and T-CSs were fabricated. The information on FTIR, XRD and TGA inferred that chitosan was physically mixed with thymol and TEO without chemical reaction, and the antibacterial properties of thymol and TEO still remained. Furthermore, the antibacterial assays verified that the TEO-CSs and T-CSs strongly inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) planktonic bacteria and biofilms. Fresh pork treated with the TEO-CSs and T-CSs had significantly improved color parameters (a ⁎ , b ⁎ , L ⁎ and ΔE values) during storage at 4 °C. The TEO-CSs and T-CSs effectively extended the shelf life of refrigerated pork to more than 6 days by measuring the pH values and total viable count (TVC) of bacteria. Our results highlighted that the TEO-CSs and T-CSs, as natural novel antibacterial packaging materials, had outstanding antibacterial activities and effectively preserved food., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study evaluated the effects of chitosan (CH) and sodium alginate (SA) bioactive coatings containing 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% ε-polylysine (ε-PL) combined with high CO 2 modified atmosphere packaging conditions (MAP, 60% CO 2 /5% O 2 /35% N 2 ) on the quality of cultured pufferfish (Takifugu obscurus) at 4 °C for 18 days. Results showed that CH-SA coatings containing ε-PL and high CO 2 MAP treatments could significantly lower total viable count (TVC), Pseudomonas spp., H 2 S-producing bacteria and lactic acid bacteria counts (LAB), and reduce the productions of off-flavor compounds including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine (TMA) and ATP-related compounds. Volatile compounds were identified and quantified by SPME gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (SPME-GC/MS) for pufferfish during cold storage and the bioactive coating treated pufferfish significantly lowered the relative content of fishy flavor compounds, such as 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, (E)-2-octenal, octanal and 2,3-butanedione. Further, CH-SA coatings containing ε-PL and high CO 2 MAP treatments could more efficiently retard the water migration by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, and maintained the quality of pufferfish during storage at 4 °C according to organoleptic evaluation results., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Effective vaccine delivery and coverage to rural and resource-poor countries is hindered by the dependence on cold chain storage. As such, developments of cold chain-free technologies are highly sought. Although spray dried adenoviral vectors have shown long term stability at ambient temperatures and relatively low humidity, it remains to be determined whether similar excipient formulations are applicable to other viral vectors. To address this, we have spray dried vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-vectors with a panel of well-characterized sugar excipients to determine the optimal formulation for vector stabilization. Upon reconstitution, we show that trehalose conferred superior stability of VSV both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, following cold chain-free storage at elevated temperatures at 37 °C for 15 days, we show that a VSV-vectored vaccine retains its in vivo immunogenicity, whereas a liquid control completely lost its immune-stimulating ability. Our results provide foundational evidence that spray drying with properly tested excipients can stabilize viral vectors such as VSV, allowing them to be stored long-term at elevated temperatures without dependency on cold chain conditions.

Due to some biological characteristics of the brown-marbled grouper, there are challenges in aquaculture enterprises focused on production of this fish. With the aim of facilitating captive breeding in brown-marbled grouper, effects on gamete post-activation, post-stripping egg storage and sperm to egg ratio on fertilization success were investigated. Results indicated eggs were fertile for 4 min after placement in seawater, thereafter, there was a reduction in fertilization. Initial curvilinear velocity (VCL) and total motility of fresh sperm was 129.3 ± 3.7 μm/s and 92.9 ± 2.4 %, both of which decreased as time elapsed post-activation, however, there was no significant difference in fertilization until 6 min post-activation of sperm. Compared with fertilization and hatching rates in eggs used immediately after collection (95.0 ± 2.8 % and 90.1 ± 4.2 %), in vitro storage of eggs had no detectable effect on fertilized egg and hatching rates until 60 min post-stripping (92.0 ± 2.8 % and 89.9 ± 2.7 %), indicating that immediate use of brown-marbled grouper eggs for fertilization is not necessary in aquaculture hatcheries. With regard to optimizing the sperm to egg ratio, there was acceptable fertilization with ratios ranging from 10 3 to 10 7 , whereas there was a marked decrease in fertilization rate when there were lesser sperm concentrations. When the combined results from this study are considered, there could be improvements of artificial fertilization efficiency in the brown-marbled grouper with utilization of these findings in aquaculture enterprises focused on production of this fish., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There is no conflict of interest with this manuscript., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Conventional semen extenders contain antibiotics to prevent bacterial growth. Finding alternatives would be beneficial to minimize the development of bacterial resistance mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Single Layer Centrifugation (SLC) with Canicoll of dog semen on microbial load and sperm quality during cooled storage. Twenty-four ejaculates were obtained from healthy dogs by digital manipulation. Samples were diluted in Tris-citrate-fructose extender without antibiotics and divided into two treatment groups: SLC-selected samples and unselected samples. Sperm motility (CASA), viability and acrosome integrity (PI/FITC-PNA) as well as bacterial load of each microorganism species (colony-forming units/mL) were assessed at 0 and 48 h of storage at 4 °C. Results indicate SLC-selected dog spermatozoa have greater percentages of motility, viability and acrosome integrity (P < 0.05). Bacterial growth in SLC sperm samples was less (P < 0.05) than unselected samples. Removal of individual bacterial species varied from 91 % to 98 % for Escherichia coli (91.62 %), Streptococcus spp. (98.18 %), Staphylococcus spp.(95.33 %) and Pseudomonas spp. (92.50 %). In conclusion, the use of SLC with Canicoll has the potential to decrease bacterial load in chilled dog semen., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have not conflict of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of present work was to assess the effects of chitosan (CH) coating in combination with whey protein isolated (WPI) and tarragon essential oil (TEO) on the bacterial (total mesophilic (TMC) bacteria and psychrotrophic (PTC) bacteria), physicochemical (total volatile bases- nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), free fatty acid (FFA)) and sensory properties of Scomberoides commersonnianus muscle during storage at refrigerator (4 ± 1 °C). The fillet were randomly divided into seven lots and subjected to the following treatments by immersion: chitosan (CH), whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein isolate- TEO (WPI-TEO), chitosan-TEO (CH-TEO), chitosan-whey protein isolated (CH-WPI), chitosan/whey protwin isolated+ TEO (CH/WPI + TEO) and controls, then stored at 4 °C. Results indicated that incorporation of WPI and TEO into the material coating developed active coatings with good antimicrobial agent growth inhibition activity against TMC and PTC bacteria. The coated samples also retarded the increase in the contents of TVB-N, pH, TBARS and FFA during storage. The score less than critical score of 3 was made at day 8 and 12 for fillet coated with control and coated samples except of fillets coated with chitosan, respectively. These results confirmed that the incorporation of essential oils or other biopolymers into edible coatings may improve the deterioration of chilled seafood., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Vaccine temperature control failures represent a significant public and private healthcare cost. Vaccines damaged by excessive heat or freezing lose their effectiveness, putting public health at risk. Some vaccine administration programs recommend placing water bottles inside domestic refrigerators used for vaccine storage as a thermal ballast, to mitigate temperature excursion risks. However, the effect of variable thermal ballast loading on refrigerator performance has not been thoroughly quantified or documented, and generalized programmatic recommendations are subject to end-user interpretation. Here we show that a thermal ballast load comprising ten to fifteen percent of the total refrigerator storage volume provides a measurable effect on domestic refrigerator temperature stability during power outage events, maintaining vaccine temperatures between 2 °C and 8 °C for 4 to 6 hours without power. Thermal ballast usage does not reliably reduce the frequency or severity of temperature excursions caused by repeated door opening, accidental "door left open" events, or refrigerator defrost cycle activation. Use of a moderate thermal ballast load is a practical strategy for mitigating temperature excursions risks in areas with frequent or protracted power outages, but the practice has limited benefit in other adverse scenarios. Empowering providers to make informed decisions about the use of thermal ballast materials supports better, safer vaccine management., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: This study was partially funded by an Interagency Agreement with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the authors’ institution. As part of this agreement, MC provides technical guidance and research support to the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program. Additionally, MC is a member of the NSF Joint Committee for Vaccine Storage, a consensus body responsible for creating and maintaining an ANSI standard for purpose-built vaccine storage equipment. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Background: Cholera, an acute watery diarrhoeal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 and O139 across the continents. Replacing the existing WHO licensed killed multiple-dose oral cholera vaccines that demand 'cold chain supply' at 2-8 °C with a live, single-dose and cold chain-free vaccine would relieve the significant bottlenecks and cost determinants in cholera vaccination campaigns. In this direction, a prototype cold chain-free live attenuated cholera vaccine formulation (LACV) was developed against the toxigenic wild-type (WT) V. cholerae O139 serogroup. LACV was found stable and retained its viability (5 × 10 6  CFU/mL), purity and potency at room temperature (25 °C ± 2 °C, and 60% ± 5% relative humidity) for 140 days in contrast to all the existing WHO licensed cold-chain supply (2-8 °C) dependent killed oral cholera vaccines., Results: The LACV was evaluated for its colonization potential, reactogenicity, immunogenicity and protective efficacy in animal models after its storage at room temperature for 140 days. In suckling mice colonization assay, the LACV recorded the highest recovery of (7.2 × 10 7  CFU/mL) compared to those of unformulated VCUSM14P (5.6 × 10 7  CFU/mL) and the WT O139 strain (3.5 × 10 7  CFU/mL). The LACV showed no reactogenicity even at an inoculation dose of 10 4 -10 6  CFU/mL in a rabbit ileal loop model. The rabbits vaccinated with the LACV or unformulated VCUSM14P survived a challenge with WT O139 and showed no signs of diarrhoea or death in the reversible intestinal tie adult rabbit diarrhoea (RITARD) model. Vaccinated rabbits recorded a 275-fold increase in anti-CT IgG and a 15-fold increase in anti-CT IgA antibodies compared to those of rabbits vaccinated with unformulated VCUSM14P. Vibriocidal antibodies were increased by 31-fold with the LACV and 14-fold with unformulated VCUSM14P., Conclusion: The vaccine formulation mimics a natural infection, is non-reactogenic and highly immunogenic in vivo and protects animals from lethal wild-type V. cholerae O139 challenge. The single dose LACV formulation was found to be stable at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) for 140 days and it would result in significant cost savings during mass cholera vaccination campaigns.

Background: Some jurisdictions require leukoreduction of cellular blood components. The only whole blood collection set with a platelet-saving filter uses citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) as storage solution. Substituting CPD with citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine (CPDA-1) increases shelf life from 21 to 35 days. This would simplify prehospital and rural resupply and reduce wastage. We investigated in vitro quality and hemostatic properties of CPDA-1 whole blood leukoreduced with a platelet-saving filter., Study Design and Methods: CPDA-1 whole blood was leukoreduced using a platelet-saving filter and stored 35 days. EDQM requirements, hematology, metabolic parameters, thromboelastography, light transmission aggregometry, fibrinogen, factor VIII, and interleukin-6 were measured on Days 0, 1, 14, 21, and 35 and compared to non-leukoreduced blood., Results: All units met EDQM requirements. Leukoreduction yielded residual white blood cell count <1 × 10 6 and 87% platelet recovery on Day 1. It caused reduction in thromboelastography parameters, but not aggregometry response. No hemolysis >0.8% was observed. Factor VIII was higher on Day 35 in the leukoreduced group, 37.9 (95% CI: 26.0, 49.8) versus 13.8 (9.4, 18.2) IU/dL. In both groups, aggregation was significantly reduced by Day 14. Thromboelastography showed remaining platelet activity on Day 35, MA 46.9 (42.1, 51.7) in the leukoreduced and 44.3 (39.6, 49.0) mm in the non-leukoreduced group. Fibrinogen was within reference ranges at Day 35 (>2 g/dL). Interleukin-6 was not detectable., Conclusion: Leukoreducing CPDA-1 whole blood with a platelet-saving filter did not compromise hemostatic properties. We encourage development of a single bag CPDA-1 whole blood collection set with in-line platelet-saving filter., (© 2020 The Authors. Transfusion published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AABB.)

Carcasses were conventionally (C, n = 9) or vascularly chilled using the Rinse & Chill® process (RC; n = 9). Muscles (Longissimus lumborum, LL; Triceps brachii, TB) were processed (LL, steaks; TB, ground), packaged (polyvinyl chloride, PVC; vacuum, VAC), and displayed or stored dark. Measurements included color, purge, pH, sarcomere length, shear force, and cooking loss. Data were analyzed as a split plot design with carcass chilling treatment as whole plot and display day as split plot. Data were analyzed separately by packaging method. RC increased (P < .05) cooking loss 1.7% but decreased shear force 24% (C, 42.5 N; P < .05) in steaks. RC ground bison packaged in PVC and VAC had greater (P < .05) CIE L*, a*, and b* values than C. RC VAC bison steaks had greater (P < .05) oxymyoglobin, deoxymyoglobin and decreased (P < .05) metmyoglobin than C VAC steaks. RC positively impacted bison steak tenderness and color in ground bison and steaks., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The impedance and physicochemistry of pork loins at five chilled storage periods (0, 1, 3, 7, 15 days) were characterized in order to explore the effects of chilling on the cell physiological status of pork tissues. The impedance spectra were analyzed by an equivalent circuit model with needle and bar electrodes. Meat traits including cooking loss, color, pH, texture properties and electrical conductivity were measured. The conductivity and pH of pork increased, and the color and texture parameters all significantly differed. The measured impedance of pork tissues can be described well by a modified Hayden model. The impedance characteristics of samples revealed that the structures and integrity of cell membranes in pork tissues were damaged with the prolonged storage time. The findings prove the potential of electrical impedance spectroscopy in evaluating the physiological status of pork tissues during chilled storage., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This work aimed to compare raw fresh meat (minced bovine and pork in pieces) preserved by hyperbaric storage (HS) at room-like temperature (75 MPa/25 °C) and HS at cold temperatures (60 MPa/10 °C) for up to 60 days, being both compared to refrigeration (RF, 4 °C)., Results: HS conditions showed microbial load reductions over 60 days of storage, leading to a possible shelf-life extension when compared to samples at RF. Moreover, between both HS conditions similar results were found at the 60 th day, reaching in some cases values < 1.00 log CFU g -1 . Overall, pH presented an increase with storage for both HS conditions (e.g. over 30 days, from 5.51 ± 0.02 to 5.70 ± 0.01 and 5.85 ± 0.03, for 60 MPa/10 °C and 75 MPa/25 °C, respectively, on pork meat in pieces, PP) contrary to RF where pH values decreased (from 5.51 ± 0.02 to 5.33 ± 0.03). Regarding moisture content and drip loss, lower and higher values were found, respectively at 75 MPa/25 °C, mainly in bovine minced meat. Overall, colour ΔE* did not present considerable differences for both samples under all storage conditions. Lipid oxidation presented an increase tendency over time, with both HS conditions showing the higher values (1.795 ± 0.217 and 2.169 ± 0.117 for 60 MPa/10 °C and 75 MPa/25 °C, respectively, compared to 0.895 ± 0.084 μg MDA g -1 in PP samples at the 30 th day)., Conclusion: Although several advantages were found further studies should be carried out in order to optimize the HS conditions for raw fresh meat and assess the impact of this preservation methodology on other meat quality parameters as for instance sensorial aspects. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cell Sheet (CS) Engineering is a regenerative medicine strategy proposed for the treatment of injured or diseased organs and tissues. In fact, several clinical trials are underway using CS-based methodologies. However, the clinical application of such cell-based methodologies poses several challenges related with the preservation of CS structure and function from the fabrication site to the bedside. Pausing cells at hypothermic temperatures has been suggested as a valuable method for short-term cell preservation. In this study, we tested the efficiency of two preservation strategies, one using culture medium supplementation with Rokepie and the other using the preservation solution Hypothermosol, in preserving human adipose stromal/stem cells (hASC) CS-like confluent cultures at 4°C, during 3 and 7 days. Both preservation strategies demonstrated excellent ability to preserve cell function during the first 3 days in hypothermia, as demonstrated by metabolic activity results and assessment of extracellular matrix integrity and differentiation potential. At the end of the 7th day of hypothermic incubation, the decrease in cell metabolic activity was more evident for all conditions. Nonetheless, hASC incubated with Rokepie and Hypothermosol retained a higher metabolic activity and extracellular matrix integrity in comparison with unsupplemented cells. Differentiation results for the later time point showed that supplementation with both Rokepie and Hypothermosol rescued adipogenic differentiation potential but only Rokepie was able to preserve hASC osteogenic potential., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

This study was conducted to assess the effects of commercial extenders and storage temperature on dromedary camel sperm quality during liquid preservation. In Experiment 1, ejaculates (n = five males; replicated seven times) were split and diluted with synthetic (OPTIXcell, EquiPlus, INRA96, Bioxcell or AndroMed; Experiment 1a) or egg-yolk based (Biladyl, Green buffer or Triladyl; Experiment 1b) extenders and stored for 48 h at 4 °C. In Experiment 2, split ejaculates (n = five males; replicated six times) were used to directly compare Green buffer, OPTIXcell and Triladyl extenders over 48 h of storage at 4 °C. Ejaculates collected in Experiment 3 (n = five males; replicated five times) were diluted with Green buffer or Triladyl before chilled storage for 48 h at 4 or 15 °C. Sperm kinematics, viability and acrosome integrity were assessed during liquid storage. In Experiment 1a, there was the greatest total sperm motility (TM) in the OPTIXcell group following 24 and 48 h of storage, while in Experiment 1b, there was the greatest TM after 48 h of storage with Triladyl and Green buffer. In Experiment 2, there were greater TM and viable acrosome intact spermatozoa in the Triladyl and Green buffer than with OPTIXcell group. In Experiment 3, there was a greater TM in the Triladyl than Green buffer group at 24 and 48 h of storage regardless of storage temperature (which had no effect on sperm quality). In conclusion, camel sperm have greater viability when preserved in liquid form for 48 h following dilution with Triladyl and storage at either 4 or 15 °C., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: to construct collectively with nursing professionals bundle for best practices of cold chain maintenance of immunobiological agents conservation at the local level., Method: a qualitative research of convergent care type. Bundle construction was guided by the Evidence-Based Practice criterion. Data collection was carried out from October to December 2016, through five workshops, with the participation of 21 professionals from 7 vaccination rooms of a municipality of Minas Gerais State. The framework developed by Morse and Field was adopted for data analysis., Results: through bundle, care is taken regarding refrigeration equipment temperature monitoring, contingency plan performance, recyclable ice coil setting and chamber use as refrigeration equipment., Final Considerations: the chosen interventions began to guide the practice and promote a care based on safety and quality.

Background: Ordinarily, whole blood (WB) is separated into components before storage. We assessed the posttransfusion viability and function of platelets (PLTs) if they were stored within WB at 4°C., Study Design and Methods: Whole blood was obtained from 30 normal subjects and stored at 4°C without agitation for 12 days and for 10, 15, or 22 days with agitation. After WB storage, a PLT concentrate was prepared, and a fresh PLT sample was obtained from each donor. The stored PLTs were labeled with 111 In and the fresh with 51 Cr, and both were simultaneously transfused into their donor. Blood samples were obtained after transfusion to determine PLT recoveries and survivals. PLT samples from WB before and after storage were also assayed for PLT function and biochemistry., Results: After storage for 12 days without WB rotation, poststorage PLT counts averaged only 49 ± 12% of baseline values. After storage for 10, 15, or 22 days with end-over-end WB rotation, PLT counts averaged 76 ± 14% of baseline values. Fifteen-day poststorage radiolabeled PLT recoveries averaged 27 ± 11% (49 ± 16% of fresh), and survivals averaged 1.2 ± 0.4 days (16 ± 6% of fresh). in vitro assays demonstrated marked PLT activation after any storage time, and although PLT function decreased over time, stored PLTs were still considered acceptable., Conclusion: These data suggest that, during rotated WB storage at 4°C for up to 15 days, PLT yields, poststorage PLT recoveries and survivals, and PLT function should be sufficient to support the short-term hemostatic needs of traumatized patients., (© 2019 AABB.)

Hyperbaric storage (HS) at variable room temperature (RT) has been proposed as an alternative to refrigeration at atmospheric pressure (RF/AP) for food preservation. Little information is available regarding the effect of HS in meat products. In this study the RT/HS effect was evaluated at 100 MPa and variable RT (≈20 °C) for minced meat preservation up to 24 h, initially for one batch. A further two different batches were studied independently. Microbiological and physicochemical parameters were analyzed to assess the feasibility of RT/HS, using storage at RF/AP and variable RT/AP (≈20 °C), for comparison. A post-hyperbaric storage (post-HS) was also tested over 4 days at RF/AP. For the first batch the results showed that RT/HS allowed a decrease of the total aerobic mesophile value (P < 0.05) when compared to the initial sample, whereas at RF/AP and RT/AP, values increased to > 6 Log CFU g -1 after 24 h. Similarly, Enterobacteriaceae increased > 1 and > 2 Log CFU g -1 at RF/AP and RT/AP, respectively, while yeasts and molds presented similar and lower overall loads compared to the initial samples for all storage conditions, whereas RT/HS always allowed lower counts to be obtained. Regarding pH, lipid oxidation, and color parameters, RT/HS did not cause significant changes when compared to RF/AP, except after 24 h, where pH increased. The three batches presented similar results, the differences observed being mainly due to the heterogeneity of the samples. RT/HS is a potential quasi-energetic costless alternative to RF for at least short-term preservation of minced meat. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Anaerobic digestion coupled with combined heat and power production on dairy farms is environmentally advantageous; however, high capital and operating costs have limited its adoption, especially in the United States, where renewable electricity and heat production are under-incentivized. Biogas is also at a disadvantage because it has to compete with very low natural gas prices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of integrating absorption refrigeration technology for combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP) on the farm to help bridge this economic hurdle. A combined environmental life cycle and techno-economic assessment was used to compare 2 cooling pathways with and without co-digestion. We considered using CCHP to (1) displace electricity-driven refrigeration processes (e.g., milk chilling/refrigeration, biogas inlet cooling) or (2) mitigate heat stress in dairy cattle via conductive cow cooling. All cooling scenarios reduced environmental emissions compared with combined heat and power only, with an appreciable reduction in land use impacts when employing conductive cow cooling. However, none of the cooling scenarios achieved economically viability. When using cooling power to displace electricity-driven refrigeration processes, economic viability was constrained by low electricity prices and a lack of incentives in the United States. When used for conductive cow cooling, economic viability was constrained by (1) low waste heat-to-cooling conversion efficiency; (2) limited conductive cow cooling effectiveness (i.e., heat-stress mitigation); and (3) low heat stress frequency and limited severity. However, we predict that with minor improvements in conductive cow cooling effectiveness and in hotter climates, CCHP for conductive cow cooling would be economically viable even in current US energy markets., (Copyright © 2019 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Retrieval, transport and transplant of kidney grafts causes ischaemia reperfusion injury. The current accepted standard is static cold storage (SCS) whereby the kidney is stored on ice after removal from the donor and then removed from the ice box at the time of implantation. However, technology is now available to perfuse or "pump" the kidney during the transport phase or at the recipient centre. This can be done at a variety of temperatures and using different perfusates. The effectiveness of treatment is manifest clinically as delayed graft function (DGF), whereby the kidney fails to produce urine immediately after transplant., Objectives: To compare hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) and (sub)normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) with standard SCS., Search Methods: We searched the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Register of Studies to 18 October 2018 through contact with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. Studies in the Register are identified through searches of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE, conference proceedings, the International Clinical Trials Register (ICTRP) Search Portal and ClinicalTrials.gov., Selection Criteria: All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing HMP/NMP versus SCS for deceased donor kidney transplantation were eligible for inclusion. All donor types were included (donor after circulatory (DCD) and brainstem death (DBD), standard and extended/expanded criteria donors). Both paired and unpaired studies were eligible for inclusion., Data Collection and Analysis: The results of the literature search were screened and a standard data extraction form was used to collect data. Both of these steps were performed by two independent authors. Dichotomous outcome results were expressed as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Continuous scales of measurement were expressed as a mean difference (MD). Random effects models were used for data analysis. The primary outcome was incidence of DGF. Secondary outcomes included: one-year graft survival, incidence of primary non-function (PNF), DGF duration, long term graft survival, economic implications, graft function, patient survival and incidence of acute rejection., Main Results: No studies reported on NMP, however one ongoing study was identified.Sixteen studies (2266 participants) comparing HMP with SCS were included; 15 studies could be meta-analysed. Fourteen studies reported on requirement for dialysis in the first week post-transplant (DGF incidence); there is high-certainty evidence that HMP reduces the risk of DGF when compared to SCS (RR 0.77; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.90; P = 0.0006). HMP reduces the risk of DGF in kidneys from DCD donors (7 studies, 772 participants: RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.87; P = 0.0002; high certainty evidence), as well as kidneys from DBD donors (4 studies, 971 participants: RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.93; P = 0.006; high certainty evidence). The number of perfusions required to prevent one episode of DGF (number needed to treat, NNT) was 7.26 and 13.60 in DCD and DBD kidneys respectively. Studies performed in the last decade all used the LifePort machine and confirmed that HMP reduces the incidence of DGF in the modern era (5 studies, 1355 participants: RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.91; P = 0.002; high certainty evidence). Reports of economic analysis suggest that HMP can lead to cost savings in both the North American and European settings.Two studies reported HMP also improves graft survival however we were not able to meta-analyse these results. A reduction in incidence of PNF could not be demonstrated. The effect of HMP on our other outcomes (incidence of acute rejection, patient survival, hospital stay, long-term graft function, duration of DGF) remains uncertain., Authors' Conclusions: HMP is superior to SCS in deceased donor kidney transplantation. This is true for both DBD and DCD kidneys, and remains true in the modern era (studies performed in the last decade). As kidneys from DCD donors have a higher overall DGF rate, fewer perfusions are needed to prevent one episode of DGF (7.26 versus 13.60 in DBD kidneys).Further studies looking solely at the impact of HMP on DGF incidence are not required. Follow-up reports detailing long-term graft survival from participants of the studies already included in this review would be an efficient way to generate further long-term graft survival data.Economic analysis, based on the results of this review, would help cement HMP as the standard preservation method in deceased donor kidney transplantation.RCTs investigating (sub)NMP are required.

The effectiveness of pectin coatings enriched with clove essential oil (CEO), as new edible coatings were investigated to preserve bream (Megalobrama ambycephala) fillets during refrigeration over a period of 15 days. All samples were analyzed for physicochemical (pH, PV, TBA and TVB-N), microbiological (Total viable count, Psychrophilic bacteria, Lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., H 2 S producing bacteria) and organoleptic attributes. The results revealed that the CEO incorporation reduced the extent of lipid oxidation, as judged by PV, TBA and TVB-N, thus extending the shelf life of bream fillets by at least 15 days. Moreover, the application of pectin coatings with CEO improved the weight loss, water holding capacity, textural and color attributes of the bream samples significantly compared to untreated sample. Pectin coating along with CEO was effective in inhibiting bacterial growth especially in gram-negative bacteria, while the growth of lactic acid bacteria remained constant for most of the storage period. The effect on the microorganisms during storage was in accordance with biochemical indexes of the quality, representing the viability of these coatings for bream preservation. Thus, the coatings developed in present study could inhibit the development of lipid oxidation during cold storage, representing an option as a seafood preservative., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

At refrigeration temperature, mouse embryos can retain their developmental ability for a couple of days. Previous research reports have focused on the effect of cool temperature on the development of 2-cell stage embryos, morulae or blastocysts and determined that the embryo still has the ability to produce offspring after about 48 h storage at refrigeration temperature. Here we examined whether refrigeration temperature affects the development of the eight-cell stage and if the stored eight-cell stage embryo can still be used as a host embryo for ES cell injection. Our results show that eight-cell stage embryos can develop into blastocysts and yield pups after cold storage for 24 and 48 h. After ES cell injection, stored eight-cell stage embryos can support ES cells developing to F0 pups. In summary, cool storage can preserve the developmental ability of eight-cell stage embryos for at least 48 h, allowing transportation of the embryos at refrigeration temperature between different labs and their subsequent use as host embryos for ES cell injection., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The study explored the preservation effect of Portulaca oleracea L. extract (POE) on pork meat under refrigerated conditions for 9 days. POE was tested for antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity in vitro and the results showed that POE has strong antioxidant activity and has antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus to some extent. Effect of POE in different levels (0.25%, 0.50% and 1.0%) on quality and shelflife of pork meat storage were evaluated. Results showed that the treatments of POE significantly inhibited microbial growth,delayed lipids oxidation, reduced values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total volatile base‑nitrogen (TVB-N), increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and in a dose-dependent manner (P < .05). Concomitantly, 1.0%POE and 0.50%POE treatments had better appearance compared with control after 9 days storage. All results confirmed that POE could effectively maintain the quality of chilled pork compared to control., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The recent decades have witnessed refrigeration systems playing an important role in the life of human beings, with wide applications in various fields, including building comfort, food storage, food transportation and the medical special care units. However, if the temperature is not controlled well, it will lead to many harmful public health effects, such as the human being catching colds, food spoilage and harm to the recovering patients. Besides, refrigeration systems consume a significant portion of the whole society's electricity usage, which consequently contributes a considerable amount of carbon emissions into the public environment. In order to protect human health and improve the energy efficiency, an optimal control strategy is designed in this paper with the following steps: (1) identifying the refrigeration system model based on a least squares method; (2) tuning an initial group of parameters of the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller via the pidTuner Toolbox of Matlab; (3) using an intelligent algorithm, namely fruit fly optimization (FOA), to further optimize the parameters of the PID controller. By comparing the optimal PID controller and the controller provided in the reference, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal PID controller can produce a more controllable temperature, with less tacking overshoot, less settling time, and more stable performance under a constant set-point.

This work investigated the interrelationship among myoglobin, lipid, and protein oxidations in rabbit meat during refrigerated and superchilled storage. Peroxide value gradually increased (p < 0.05) and decreased thereafter (p > 0.05) with increased storage time for both storage treatments. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) significantly increased (p < 0.05) throughout the storage time for the storage temperature considered. The metmyoglobin proportion markedly increased (p < 0.05) and remained constant thereafter (p > 0.05). For both storage temperature levels, the extractable heme iron content significantly declined (p < 0.05), whereas non-heme iron content considerably increased (p < 0.05). With prolonged storage time, the protein carbonyl content significantly increased (p < 0.05), along with significant loss in sulfhydryl content (p < 0.05). Superchilled samples maintained lower rates of increase in metmyoglobin content, TBARS, and protein carbonyl content compared with refrigerated samples. Moreover, principal component analysis presented good correlations between TBARS, protein carbonyls and metmyoglobin content. Taken together, myoglobin, lipid and protein oxidations occurred concurrently in rabbit meat during both storage treatments and each oxidation process seemed to promote the other., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of antioxidants is an important aspect in the preservation of boar semen. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) are an effective natural antioxidants that scavenges free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study was designed to investigate the antioxidative effect of OPC on boar semen quality during liquid preservation at 17 °C. The effects of different concentrations of OPC on sperm quality variables, antioxidant effects and fertility were analyzed in this experiment. Semen collected from six Guanzhong-Black boars and was diluted with Beltsville thawing solution (BTS). During the process of liquid preservation at 17 °C, the variables assessed were measured and analyzed every 24 h. The addition of OPC improved boar sperm motility, acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential as compared with that of the control group (P <  0.05). Meanwhile, malondialdehyde content (MDA) and ROS content was less after adding OPC, thereby improving the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P <  0.05). Different concentrations of OPC have different degrees of protective effects on boar semen quality. The results indicate that 50 μg/mL of OPC was the optimum concentration, and that the conception rate, litter size, and survival rate increased at this concentration as compared with that of the control group (P <  0.05). In summary, the addition of OPC to BTS diluents can improve the quality of boar semen at 17 °C during liquid preservation. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism by which OPC provides protection to boar semen during preservation in vitro., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To alleviate concerns in health security, emergency flu vaccine stockpiles are required for ensuring rapid availability of vaccines when needed. Cold chain preservation, at high cost and risk, is necessary to maintain vaccine efficacy. This study aimed to develop a dry, easily storable formula for influenza vaccine preparation. The formulation with mucoadhesive properties is expected to facilitate rapid delivery via nasal administration. Chitosan, a cationic polymer, was used as cryo-protectant and to promote mucoadhesion. Optimal concentrations and molecular weights of chitosan polymers were screened, with short chain chitosan (10 kDa) being most suitable. H1N1 dry powder, in different formulations, was prepared via freeze-drying. A series of cryo-protectants, trehalose (T), chitosan (C), fetal bovine serum (FBS; F), or a combination of these (TCF), were screened for their effects on prolonging vaccine shelf life. Physicochemical monitoring (particle size and zeta potential) of powders complexed with mucin revealed that the order of cryo-protectant mixing during preparation was of critical importance. Results indicated that the TCF formula retains its activity up to 1 year as indicated by TCID 50 analysis. This approach was also successful at prolonging the shelf life of H3N2 vaccine, and has the potential for large-scale implementation, especially in developed countries where long-term storage of vaccines is problematic.

One reason for reduced longevity of chilled dog semen is oxidative stress. The antioxidant glutathione (GSH) improves viability of frozen-thawed dog sperm, but its effect on chilled dog semen has not been investigated. An experiment consisting of two parts was performed: Sperm rich fractions, SRF, were split, diluted with a Tris-egg yolk (TEY) extender containing 0, 5 or 10 mM GSH and stored at 4 °C for 10 days (Part 1; n = 19) or 4 days (Part 2; n = 11), respectively. For Part 1 of the study, percentage (%) of motile, viable, morphologically abnormal spermatozoa and % acrosomal deviations were assessed on days 0, 1, 2, 4 and 10 after dilution. For % sperm motility, samples from all three aliquots of each SRF (0/5/10 mM GSH) were pipetted simultaneously and analysed in a randomised order (time point of analysis, TPA). In Part 2 of the study, motility analysis was performed during 4 days storage and samples were analysed immediately after pipetting (part 2). Most investigated parameters were affected by storage time. For motility variables, there was an effect of GSH identified for circular, CM (ANOVA, Part 1: P =  0.05, Part 2: P < 0.0001) and local motility, LM (ANOVA, Part 2: P =  0.004). Furthermore, there was a trend for an interaction between time and sperm treatment for CM (Part 2: P =  0.077). In conclusion, in the present study there was not an overall positive effect of GSH addition (5/10 mM) on sperm motility in chilled dog semen samples that were characterised to be of good quality during 4- and 10-days of storage., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pre-treatment of stationary phase cells of Lactobacillus plantarum NCMIB 8826 with citric acid (pH 3 to 6) for a short period of time significantly improved subsequent cell survival in several highly acidic fruit juices namely cranberry (pH 2.7), pomegranate (pH 3.5), and lemon & lime juices (pH 2.8). Although the mechanism for this adaptation is still unclear, the analysis of the cellular fatty acid content of acid adapted cells and the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed a significant increase (by ~1.7 fold) of the cellular cyclopropane fatty acid, cis-11,12-methylene octadecanoic acid (C 19:0cyclow7c ) and a significant upregulation (~12 fold) of cyclopropane synthase (cfa) were observed, respectively, during acid adaptation. It is likely that these changes led to a decrease in membrane fluidity and to lower membrane permeability, which prevents the cells from proton influx during storage in these low pH fruit juices., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)