Rates of carbon dioxide production, in air and in 3 yo 0,, over a range of temperatures, were measured for over thirty commodities, and rates of evaporation, under known water vapour pressure deficit, measured for most of them. Optimum storage conditions in air for each commodity were determined. Storage life under these optimum conditions, and under the nearest practical approximation to them, was estimated. I n most cases the optimum temperature is o "C, examples of exceptions being runner beans, cucumbers, potatoes, green peppers and tomatoes. The humidity should usually be high,

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Summary and conclusionsMacrophages and neutrophils from human milk phagocytose and kill Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in vitro after opsonisation by the aqueous phase of milk as effectively as blood leucocytes in serum. They also phagocytose Candida albicans. The overgrowth of E coli resulting from the addition of iron to cultures of the organism in the aqueous phase of milk is not influenced by the presence of cells.We conclude that the phagocytosis and killing of bacteria by milk cells may contribute to the lower incidence of infection among breast-fed than artificially fed babies.

Summary. The ability of unripe bananas to synthesize ethylene is dependent on the oxygen tension of the atmosphere surrounding the fruit. Unripe bananas do not synthesize significant amounts of ethylene at 18°C unless the oxygen tension is above 7–8.0%. At oxygen tensions of 10–13% synthesis does occur but it is delayed compared with fruit in the air. It has been demonstrated that delay in the onset of the ripening syndrome occasioned by holding fruit in 5–7.5% oxygen is caused by their inability to synthesize ethylene. The ripening syndrome may, however, be initiated even in atmospheres of low oxygen by the inclusion of exogenous ethylene in physiological concentrations. Once the synthesis is initiated, the fruit are capable of producing ethylene even in atmospheres of low oxygen.