A rapid optical immunoassay for the screening of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in cereals and maize-based baby food

A rapid surface plasmon resonance (SPR) screening assay has been developed for the combined detection of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in naturally contaminated cereals using a sensor chip coated with an HT-2 toxin derivative and a monoclonal antibody. The antibody raised against HT-2 displayed high cross-reactivity with T-2 toxin while there was no cross-reaction observed with other commonly occurring trichothecenes. A simple extraction procedure using 40% methanol was applied to baby food, breakfast cereal, and wheat samples prior to biosensor analysis. Limits of detection (LOD) for each matrix were determined as 25 mu g kg(-1) for baby food and breakfast cereal and 26 mu g kg(-1) for wheat. Intra-assay precision (n = 6) was calculated for each matrix. The results were expressed as the relative standard deviation and determined as 2.8% (100 mu g kg(-1)) and 1.8% (200 mu g kg(-1)) in breakfast cereal, 4.6% (50 mu g kg(-1)) and 3.6% (100 mu g kg(-1)) in wheat and 0.97% (25 mu g kg(-1)) and 6.3% (50 mu g kg(-1)) in baby food. Between run precision (n = 3) performed at the same levels yielded relative standard deviations of 6.7% and 3.9% for breakfast cereals, 3.3% and 1.6% for wheat and 6.8% and 0.08% for baby food, respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The vegetation and climate history of the last glacial cycle in a new pollen record from Lake Fimon (southern Alpine foreland, N-Italy)

The sediments of Like Fimon N Italy contain the first continuous archive of the Late Pleistocene environmental and climate history of the southern Alpine foreland We present here the detailed palynological record of the interval between Termination II and the List Glacial Maximum The age-depth model is obtained by radiocarbon dating in the uppermost part of the record Downward we con elated major forest expansion and contraction events to isotopic events in the Greenland Ice core records via a stepping-stone approach involving intermediate correlation to isotopic events dated by TIMS U/Th in Alpine and Apennine stalagmites and to pollen records from mime cores of the Iberian margin Modelled ages obtained by Bayesian analysis of deposition are thoroughly consistent with actual ages with maximum offset of +/- 1700 years Sharp expansion of broad-leaved temperate forest and of sudden water table rise mark the onset of the Last Interglacial after a treeless steppe phase at the end of penultimate glaciation This event is actually a two-step process which matches the two step rise observed in the isotopic record of the nearby Antro del Corchia stalagmite respectively dated to 132 5 +/- 2 5 and 129 +/- 1 5 ka At the interglacial decline mixed oak forests were replaced by oceanic mixed forests the latter persisting further for 7 ka till the end of the Eemian succession Warm-temperate woody species are still abundant at the Eemian end corroborating a steep gradient between central Europe and the Alpine divide at the inception of the last glacial After a stadial phase marked by moderate forest decline a new expansion of warm broad leaved forests interrupted by minor events and followed by mixed oceanic forests can be identified with the north-alpine Saint Germain I The spread of beech during the oceanic phase is a valuable circumalpine marker The subsequent stadial-interstadial succession lacking the telocratic oceanic phase is also consistent with the evidence at the north alpine foreland The Middle Wurmian (full glacial) is marked by persistence of mixed forests dominated by conifers but with significant lime and other broad leaved species A major Arboreal Pollen decrease is observed at modelled age of 38 7 +/- 0 5 ka (larch expansion and last occurrence of lime) which his been related to Heinrich Event 4 The evidence of afforestation persisting south of the Alps throughout most of MIS 3 contrasts with a boreal and continental landscape known for the northern alpine foreland pointing to a sharp rainfall boundary at the Alpine divide and to southern air circulation This is in agreement with the Alpine paleoglaciological record and is supported by the pressure and rainfall patterns designed by mesoscale paleoclimate simulations Strenghtening the continental high pressure during the full glacial triggered cyclogenesis in the middle latitude eastern Europe and orographic rainfall in the eastern Alps and the Balkanic mountains thus allowing forests development at current sea level altitudes (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

Cultured responses: the production of social capital in faith based organisations

The theoretical concept of ‘social capital’ has been increasingly invoked in connection to religion by academics, policy makers, charities and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs). Drawing on the popularisation of the term by Robert Putnam, many in these groups have hailed the religious as one of the most productive generators of social capital in today’s societies. In this article, we examine this claim through ethnographic material relating to Faithworks, a national ‘movement’ of Christians who provide welfare services within their communities. We claim that to apply the term ‘social capital’ in a meaningful sociological manner to FBOs requires a return to Pierre Bourdieu’s use of the term in order to refuse to extricate it from the practices in which it is enmeshed.

The indirect effects of biofuels and what to do about them:The case of grass biomethane and its impact on livestock

Grass biomethane surpasses the 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) savings relative to the fossil fuel replaced required by EU Directive 2009/28/EC. However, there are growing concerns that when the indirect effects of biofuels are taken into account, GHG savings may become negative. There has been no research to date into the indirect effects of grass biomethane; this paper aims to fill that knowledge gap. A causal-descriptive assessment is carried out and identifies the likely indirect effect of a grass biomethane industry in Ireland as a reduction in beef exports to the UK. Three main scenarios are then analyzed: an increase in indigenous UK beef production, an increase in beef imported to the UK from other countries (EU, New Zealand and Brazil), and a decrease in beef consumption leading to increased poultry consumption. The GHG emissions from each of these scenarios are determined and the resulting savings relative to fossil diesel vary between -636% and 102%. The significance of the findings is then discussed. It is the view of the authors that, while consideration of indirect effects is important, an Irish grass biomethane industry cannot be held accountable for the associated emissions. A global GHG accounting system is therefore proposed; however, the difficulty of implementing such a system is acknowledged, as is its probable ineffectualness. Such a system would not treat the source of the problem - rising consumption. The authors conclude that the most effective method of combating the indirect effects of biofuels is a reduction in general consumption. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tono-Pen determination of intraocular pressure in patients with band keratopathy or glued cornea

Aims. To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements in patients with band keratopathy or glued corneas obtained from affected and non-affected areas. Methods. 15 patients with band keratopathy or glued corneas were prospectively recruited. When both eyes were affected, only the right eye was analysed. Tono-Pen readings of IOP were obtained sequentially from the affected and non-affected corneal surface. Additionally, Goldmann applanation tonometry was attempted. Results. Determination of IOP with the Tono-Pen was possible in all cases, while Goldmann tonometry was not performed in three patients because of severe corneal irregularities. The average of the Tono-Pen readings obtained from the affected cornea (34.8 (SD 14.0) mmHg) was consistently and significantly higher (p <0.001) than mean IOP obtained by the Tono-Pen from the non-affected area (14.8 (4.3) mmHg). The average of Goldmann tonometry readings (14.4 (6.1) mmHg) did not differ significantly from the Tono-Pen values obtained from the non-affected corneal area (p = 0.47) but was significantly lower than the Tono-Pen measurements obtained from the affected area (p <0.001) Conclusion. In patients with band keratopathy or glued corneas determination of IOP by Tono-Pen tonometry varies from affected to non-affected area. The Tono-Pen overestimates the level of IOP when it is applied to areas with band keratopathy or with glue.

Country-of-origin effects on Russian wine consumers

In recent years, Russia has experienced significant economic growth. The wine industry is among those most affected by increases in disposable income. As a consequence, Russian wine importers have widened the range at the upper end of the quality spectrum. In the current scenario, some key questions arise concerning consumer attitudes toward wine and the way it is perceived in this evolving market. This article attempts to investigate such concerns through a choice experiment approach conducted by means of a questionnaire-based survey submitted to 388 Russian households located in the country's three largest cities (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk). In the experiment, respondents were asked to choose their favorite wine among seven dry red wines. The stated choices are analyzed using a random utility model to obtain an estimation of the price effect through a triangular distribution. Our results indicate the presence of three distinct market segments in the Russian wine market: a segment with only high-quality, highly priced Italian and French wines, a medium-quality segment currently limited to Spanish wines, and a much lower quality segment of wines in which demand for alcohol is essentially satisfied.

Changes in management and outcome of patients with rectal cancer in northern ireland:1996-2006

Aim This study aimed to document developments in rectal cancer services in a UK population and evaluate changes in outcome over a 10-year period.

Method Patients diagnosed with primary rectal carcinoma in 1996, 2001 and 2006 were identified by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Data were retrospectively collected on presentation, investigation, treatment and staging. Differences over the period were analysed using the chi-squared test; Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression tests were used for survival analysis.

Results After exclusions there were 636 patients, including 187 presenting in 1996, 203 in 2001 and 246 in 2006. The use of preoperative MRI of the rectum, endorectal ultrasound and abdominal CT increased during the study period. For patients treated by surgery, total mesorectal excision (TME) increased from 19% in 1996 to 64% in 2006 (P < 0.001). The use of radiotherapy (27% in 1996, 47% in 2006) and chemotherapy (21% in 1996, 32% in 2006) increased. The overall 5-year survival improved significantly between 1996 and 2006 from 34% in 1996 to 45% in 2006 (P = 0.02). Among patients having surgery, 5-year survival increased from 43% in 1996 to 63% in 2006 (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the improvement in survival was associated with TME and chemotherapy, while radiotherapy was not.

Conclusion Survival of patients with rectal cancer in Northern Ireland has improved significantly over the last decade, probably due to the increased use of TME and chemotherapy.

Keywords Surgery, rectum, oncology

What does this paper add to the literature?
This population-based study demonstrates a significant improvement in survival over recent years of rectal cancer patients in Northern Ireland. It concludes that surgical resection with TME and chemotherapy have had a significant impact on survival and that the improvement was not due to a stage-migration effect.

Contested landscapes: the moral geographies of light pollution in Britain

This paper considers the concept of light pollution and its connections to moral geographies of landscape in Britain. The paper aims to provide a greater understanding of light pollution in the present day, where the issue connects to policy debates about energy efficiency, crime, health, ecology and night time aesthetics, whilst also engaging with new areas of research in cultural geography. The main sources of investigation are the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the British Astronomical Association’s Campaign for Dark Skies (est. 1990). Using interviews, archival and textual analysis, the paper examines this anti-light-pollution lobby, looking at the lead-up to the formation of the Campaign as well as its ongoing influence. A moral geography of light pollution is identified, drawing on two interconnected discourses – a notion of the ‘astronomical sublime’ and the problem of urbanization. Whilst the former is often invoked, both through visual and linguistic means, by anti-light pollution campaigners, the latter is characterized as a threat to clear night skies, echoing earlier protests against urban sprawl. Complementing a growing area of research, the geographies of light and darkness, this paper considers the light pollution lobby as a way of investigating the fundamental relationship between humankind and the cosmos in the modern age.

Is there a common water-activity limit for the three domains of life?

Archaea and Bacteria constitute a majority of life systems on Earth but have long been considered inferior to Eukarya in terms of solute tolerance. Whereas the most halophilic prokaryotes are known for an ability to multiply at saturated NaCl (water activity (a_w) 0.755) some xerophilic fungi can germinate, usually at high-sugar concentrations, at values as low as 0.650–0.605 a_w. Here, we present evidence that halophilic prokayotes can grow down to water activities of <0.755 for Halanaerobium lacusrosei (0.748), Halobacterium strain 004.1 (0.728), Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 and Halococcus morrhuae (0.717), Haloquadratum walsbyi (0.709), Halococcus salifodinae (0.693), Halobacterium noricense (0.687), Natrinema pallidum (0.681) and haloarchaeal strains GN-2 and GN-5 (0.635 a_w). Furthermore, extrapolation of growth curves (prone to giving conservative estimates) indicated theoretical minima down to 0.611 a_w for extreme, obligately halophilic Archaea and Bacteria. These were compared with minima for the most solute-tolerant Bacteria in high-sugar (or other non-saline) media (Mycobacterium spp., Tetragenococcus halophilus, Saccharibacter floricola, Staphylococcus aureus and so on) and eukaryotic microbes in saline (Wallemia spp., Basipetospora halophila, Dunaliella spp. and so on) and high-sugar substrates (for example, Xeromyces bisporus, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Aspergillus and Eurotium spp.). We also manipulated the balance of chaotropic and kosmotropic stressors for the extreme, xerophilic fungi Aspergillus penicilloides and X. bisporus and, via this approach, their established water-activity limits for mycelial growth (~0.65) were reduced to 0.640. Furthermore, extrapolations indicated theoretical limits of 0.632 and 0.636 a_w for A. penicilloides and X. bisporus, respectively. Collectively, these findings suggest that there is a common water-activity limit that is determined by physicochemical constraints for the three domains of life.