A field and market basket study (~1300 samples) of locally grown fruits and vegetables from historically mined regions of southwest (SW) England (Cornwall and Devon), and as reference, a market basket study of similarly locally grown produce from the northeast (NE) of Scotland (Aberdeenshire) was conducted to determine the concentration of total and inorganic arsenic present in produce from these two geogenically different areas of the U.K. On average 98.5% of the total arsenic found was present in the inorganic form. For both the market basket and the field survey, the highest total arsenic was present in open leaf structure produce (i.e., kale, chard, lettuce, greens, and spinach) being most likely to soil/dust contamination of the open leaf structure. The concentration of total arsenic in potatoes, swedes, and carrots was lower in peeled produce compared to unpeeled produce. For baked potatoes, the concentration of total arsenic in the skin was higher compared to the total arsenic concentration of the potato flesh, this difference in localization being confirmed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICP-MS). For all above ground produce (e.g., apples), peeling did not have a significant effect on the concentration of total arsenic present.

SummaryThis paper reports the nature, incidence, and severity of adverse reactions to regimens of rifampicin and ethambutol given once weekly, twice weekly, or daily and to a standard reserve regimen in a total of 330 Chinese failure patients who completed at least six months' chemotherapy in a therapeutic comparison in Hong Kong.The adverse reactions which occurred on the regimens of intermittent rifampicin were termed cutaneous, abdominal, "flu", and respiratory; in addition, purpura and abnormal liver function testswere encountered. There was an association of adverse reactions with the interval between doses and with the dose size of rifampicin, the highest incidence occurring with once-weekly rifampicin *Report to the following physicians who co-operated in this study:

Contaminated poultry litter, serving as a reservoir for Salmonella, can be linked to both food safety concerns when contaminated birds enter processing plants and environmental concerns when used as a fertilizer. Predictive modeling allows for the estimation of microbial growth or inactivation as a function of controlling environmental growth factors. A study was conducted to observe the combined effects of pH and water activity (A(w)) at a constant temperature on Salmonella populations in used turkey litter to predict microbial response over time. Litter, first pH-adjusted and then inoculated with a 3-strain Salmonella serovar cocktail to an initial concentration of approximately 10(7) cfu/g, was placed into individual sealed plastic containers with saturated salt solutions for controlling A(w). A balanced design including 3 A(w) values (0.84, 0.91, 0.96), 3 pH values (4, 7, 9), and a constant temperature of 30 degrees C was used, with litter samples periodically removed and analyzed for Salmonella populations, pH, and A(w). At each combination of environmental factors, the Churchill or exponential inactivation mathematical models were used to describe the growth and death of Salmonella over time. Salmonella populations exhibited growth (approximately 2 log) with little decline up to 42 d in litter environments of pH 7 and 9 and a A(w) of 0.96. As litter A(w) and pH levels were reduced, populations declined, with the most drastic reductions (approximately 5 log in 9 h) occurring in low-pH (4) and low-A(w) (0.84) environments. Generalized models for bacterial growth and death under grouped pH environments were successfully developed to predict Salmonella behavior in litter over time. These findings suggest that the best management practices and litter treatments that lower litter A(w) to < or =0.84 and pH to < or =4 are effective in reducing Salmonella populations. The use of a single equation to predict the growth and decline of Salmonella populations as a function of pH and A(w) has potential application for use in the development of effective pathogen control strategies at the farm level.

. (2015). Cadmium and lead in vegetable and fruit produce selected from specific regional areas of the UK. The Science of the total environment, 533, 520-527. DOI: 10.1016DOI: 10. /j.scitotenv.2015 Published in: The Science of the total environment Document Version: Peer reviewed version Queen's University Belfast -Research Portal: Link to publication record in Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Publisher rights © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ which permits distribution and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the author and source are cited. General rightsCopyright for the publications made accessible via the Queen's University Belfast Research Portal is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. AbstractCadmium and lead were determined in fruit and vegetable produce (~1,300 samples) collected from a field and market basket study of locally grown produce from the South-West of Britain (Devon and Cornwall). These were compared with similarly locally grown produce from the North-East of Britain (Aberdeenshire). The concentrations of cadmium and lead in the market basket produce were compared to the maximum levels (ML) set by the European Union (EU). For cadmium 0.2% of the samples exceeded the ML, and 0.6% of the samples exceeded the ML for lead. The location of cadmium and lead in potatoes was performed using laser ablation ICP-MS. All tested samples exhibited higher lead concentrations, and most exhibited increased concentrations of cadmium in the potato skin compared to the flesh. The concentrations of cadmium and lead found in fruits and vegetables sampled during this study do not increase concern about risk to human health.

Two commercial strains, Hy-Line W-36 and DeKalb XL, were moved to a laying house at 18 wk of age. They were housed 6 hens/layer cage at 2 densities (361 and 482 cm2/bird) with 2 replications each per strain/density combination. The high-density treatment contained 24 hens/replication and the low-density treatment contained 18 hens/replication for a total of 168 hens. Production parameters were measured during the first egg production cycle, the molt period, and the first 4 wk of the second lay cycle (20 to 68 wk of age). Behavioral observations were taken during 2 consecutive d at 26, 34, 43, 51, 62, 64, and 68 wk of age to examine behavioral patterns. Modified Hansen's tests were conducted concurrently to provide indication of the fearfulness levels of hens at the various stages of production. The production characteristics were similar for both strains. The hens kept at the higher density had lower (P < 0.01) hen-day production and (P < 0.05) daily egg mass. Appetitive behaviors were not affected by strain or density but were affected by the age of the hen and by molting. During the molt, feeding and drinking behavioral acts were fewer (P < 0.05) at 0.018 and 0.013 acts per bird/min, respectively, and standing behavior was highest. The results indicated that the frequencies of pecking inedible objects during the molt period were similar to the frequencies at 26 and 34 wk. Hens performed more acts of standing, and crouching and had lower frequency of movement during the molt. Those kept at a low density performed more movement acts. Feather pecking decreased as hens aged and increased when they molted but was not affected by strain or density. The frequency of aggression and submissive acts was significantly lower during the molt period. Behaviors were affected by strain, density, bird age, and molting; however, the patterns and number of aggressive acts did not increase to compromise the welfare status of the hens. Behaviors during the molt appeared consistent with mechanisms for conservation of body reserves.