4.7 to 6.8 log CFU/g for STEC, ca. 4.4 to 7.0 log CFU/g for L. monocytogenes, and ca. 3.5 to 6.7 log CFU/g for Salmonella. In summary, the observation that levels of all three pathogens increased by ca. 1.0 to ca. 2.5 log CFU/g in plant-based burgers when stored at an abusive temperature (10°C) highlights the importance of proper storage (4°C) to lessen risk. However, because all three pathogens responded similarly to heat in plant-based as in beef-based burgers, well-established cooking parameters required to eliminate STEC, Salmonella, or L. monocytogenes from ground beef should be as effective for controlling cells of these same pathogens in a burger made with plant-sourced protein. HIGHLIGHTS Published 2020 by the International Association for Food Protection. Not subject to U.S. Copyright.ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes can survive in food production facilities and can be transmitted via contamination of food during the various stages of food production. This study was conducted to compile the results of three independent previous studies on the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes in a poultry production company in Spain and to determine the potential virulence and sanitizer resistance of the strains by using both genotype and phenotype analyses. L. monocytogenes was detected at three production stages a broiler abattoir, a processing plant, and retail stores marketing fresh poultry products from the same company. These three stages spanned three locations in three provinces of Spain. A set of 347 L. monocytogenes isolates representing 39 subtypes was obtained using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 28 subtypes (68%) had a full-length internalin A gene, and two subtypes had a phenotype with low potential for virulence because of a mutation in the prfA gene. A total of 32 subtypes (82%) were classified as benzalkonium chloride resistant (BAC-R) and contained the resistance determinant bcrABC (21 subtypes, 54%) or the resistance gene qacH (11 subtypes, 28%). A total of 13 persistent BAC-R subtypes (minimum of 3 months between the first and last sample from with the isolate was recovered) were identified at the abattoir and processing plant. The three production stages shared a unique subtype (PFGE type 1), which had the mutation in the prfA gene and the bcrABC resistance determinant. Whole genome sequencing revealed this subtype to be sequence type 31. Limited genetic diversity was noted in the isolates studied, including some subtypes that were persistent in the environment of the investigated facilities. Given the high prevalence of BAC-R subtypes, these results support the association between resistance to biocides and persistence of L. monocytogenes. HIGHLIGHTS Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.ABSTRACT Bacterial attachment on surfaces is an important biological and industrial concern. Many parameters affect cell attachment behavior, including surface roughness and other topographical features. An understanding of these relationships is critical in the light of recent outbreaks caused by foodborne bacteria. Postharvest packing lines have been identified as a potential source of cross-contamination with pathogens, which can cause subsequent foodborne illness. The objective of this article is to evaluate the influence of surface topographical features on bacterial attachment at various processing temperatures to determine the extent of bacterial colonization. Type 304 stainless steel surfaces and pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes Scott A were used for a detailed investigation. Two commonly used surface types, extruded and ground, were evaluated to determine differences in bacterial attachment on the same type of material. Fifteen surface topography parameters at three processing temperatures were studied to evaluate possible correlations with microbial attachment on these surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy were used for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of surfaces. An analysis of variance and multivariate regression analysis were used to predict the attachment behavior of L. monocytogenes Scott A on stainless steel surfaces.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sc-43.html  Surface isotropy, average surface roughness, surface spacing, and processing temperatures were strongly correlated with bacterial attachment on 304 stainless steel material. HIGHLIGHTS Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.The development of brain-based biomarkers to assess nicotine dependence severity and treatment efficacy are essential to improve the current marginally effective treatment outcomes. Cross-sectional resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) studies in humans identified a circuit between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the ventral striatum that negatively correlated with increased nicotine dependence severity but was unaffected by acute nicotine administration, suggesting a trait marker of addiction. However, whether this trait circuit dysregulation is predispositional to or resultant from nicotine dependence is unclear. Using a rat model of nicotine dependence with longitudinal fMRI measurements, we assessed the relationship between ACC-striatal rsFC and nicotine dependence severity. Data-driven modularity-based parcellation of the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) combined with seed-based connectivity analysis with the striatum recapitulated the cingulate-striatum relationship observed in humans. Furthermore, the relationship between cingulate-striatal brain circuits and nicotine dependence severity as indexed by the intensity of precipitated withdrawal, was fully statistically moderated by a predispositional insular-frontal cortical functional circuit. These data suggest that the identified trans-species ACC-striatal circuit relationship with nicotine dependence severity is dysregulated following chronic nicotine administration-induced dependence and may be biased by individual differences in predispositional insula-based striatal-frontal circuits, highlighting the circuit's potential as a biomarker of dependence severity.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a commonly- used treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, our understanding of the mechanism by which TMS exerts its antidepressant effect is minimal. Furthermore, we lack brain signals that can be used to predict and track clinical outcome. Such signals would allow for treatment stratification and optimization. Here, we performed a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial and measured electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and clinical changes before and after rTMS. Patients (N = 36) were randomized to receive either active or sham rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) for 20 consecutive weekdays. To capture the rTMS-driven changes in connectivity and causal excitability, resting fMRI and TMS/EEG were performed before and after the treatment. Baseline causal connectivity differences between depressed patients and healthy controls were also evaluated with concurrent TMS/fMRI. We found that active, but not sham rTMS elicited (1) an increase in dlPFC global connectivity, (2) induction of negative dlPFC-amygdala connectivity, and (3) local and distributed changes in TMS/EEG potentials.