Developmental care for high-risk newborns:Emerging science, clinical application, and continuity from newborn intensive care unit to community

Neonatology has optimized medical outcomes for high-risk newborns yet neurodevelopmental outcomes continue to be a concern. Basic science, clinical research, and environmental design perspectives have shown the impact of the caregiving environment on the developing brain and the role of professional caregivers in providing supportive intervention to both infants and their families. This recognition has prompted a focus on early developmentally supportive care (DSC) for high-risk newborns both in the hospital and in community follow up. DSC has emerged as a recognized standard of care in most neonatal intensive care units. Still, many questions remain and much integrative research is needed.

Influence of unit operations on the levels of polyacetylenes in minimally processed carrots and parsnips: An industrial trial

Carrots and parsnips are often consumed as minimally processed ready-to-eat convenient foods and contain in minor quantities, bioactive aliphatic C17-polyacetylenes (falcarinol, falcarindiol, falcarindiol-3-acetate). Their retention during minimal processing in an industrial trial was evaluated. Carrot and parsnips were prepared in four different forms (disc cutting, baton cutting, cubing and shredding) and samples were taken in every point of their processing line. The unit operations were: peeling, cutting and washing with chlorinated water and also retention during 7 days storage was evaluated. The results showed that the initial unit operations (mainly peeling) influence the polyacetylene retention. This was attributed to the high polyacetylene content of their peels. In most cases, when washing was performed after cutting, less retention was observed possibly due to leakage during tissue damage occurred in the cutting step. The relatively high retention during storage indicates high plant matrix stability. Comparing the behaviour of polyacetylenes in the two vegetables during storage, the results showed that they were slightly more retained in parsnips than in carrots. Unit operations and especially abrasive peeling might need further optimisation to make them gentler and minimise bioactive losses.

The effect of construction pattern and unit interlock on the structural behaviour of block pavements

The maintenance or even replacement of cracked pavements requires considerable financial resources and puts a large burden on the budgets of local councils. In addition to these costs, local councils also face liability claims arising from uneven or cracked pedestrian pavements. These currently cost the Manchester City Council and Preston City Council around £6 million a year each. Design procedures are empirical. A better understanding of the interaction between paving blocks, bedding sand and subbase was necessary in order to determine the mode of failure of pavements under load. Increasing applied stress was found to mobilise ‘‘rotational interlock’’, providing increased pavement stiffness and thus increased load dissipation resulting in lower transmitted stress on the subgrade. The indications from the literature
review were that pavements are designed to fail by excessive deformation and that paving blocks remained uncracked at failure. This was confirmed with experimental data which was obtained from tests on segments of pavements that were laid/constructed in a purpose built test frame in the laboratory.