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Food systems that deliver healthy diets without exceeding the planet’s resources are essential to achieve the worlds’ ambitious development goals. Healthy diets need to be safe, accessible, and affordable for all, including for disadvantaged and nutritionally vulnerable groups such as of smallholder producers, traders, and consumers in low- and middle-income countries. Globally, food systems are experiencing rapid and drastic changes and are failing to fulfil these multiple duties simultaneously. The international community therefore calls for rigorous food systems transformations and policy solutions to support the achievement of healthy diets for all. Most strategies, however, are essentially supply- and market-oriented. Incorporation of a healthy diet perspective in food system transformation is essential to enable food systems to deliver not only on supplying nutritious foods but also on ensuring that consumers have access can afford and desire healthy, sustainable, and culturally acceptable diets. This paper argues that this should be guided by information on diets, dietary trends, consumer motives, and food environment characteristics. Transformational approaches and policies should also take into account the stage of food system development requiring different strategies to ensure healthier diets for consumers. We review current knowledge on drivers of consumer choices at the individual and food environment level with special emphasis on low- and middle income countries, discuss the converging and conflicting objectives that exist among multiple food-system actors, and argue that failure to strengthen synergies and resolve trade-offs may lead to missed opportunities and benefits, or negative unintended consequences in food system outcomes. The paper proposes a menu of promising consumer- and food-environment- oriented policy options to include in the food systems transformation agenda in order to shift LMIC consumer demand towards healthier diets in low- and middle income countries.

AbstractSalmonellaand Campylobacterare important gastroenteric pathogens. Arcobacter butzleriis an emerging enteric pathogen. Data on the frequencies of these poultry-associated pathogens on meat products sold in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Arcobacterantibiotic resistance and underlying mechanisms of resistance to fluoroquinolones in locally produced and imported poultry sold in urban Ghana. Chicken meat was collected and cultured on standard media. Bacterial strains were identified by biochemical methods and by mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by disk diffusion. Ciprofloxacin-resistant strains were assessed for molecular mechanisms of resistance. Among 200 samples, comprising 34% (n= 68) from the Ghanaian poultry industry and 66% (n= 132) from imports, 9% (n= 17) contained Salmonella, 11% (n= 22) Campylobacter, and 26.5% (n= 53) A. butzleri. Higher overall contamination frequencies were found in local meat. Most common Salmonellaserovars identified were Kentucky (n/N= 5/16; 31%) and Poona (n/N= 4/16; 25%). Campylobacterwere C. coli(n/N= 10/19; 53%) and C. jejuni(n/N= 9/19; 47%). Resistance to fluoroquinolones was high with 63% (n= 10), 75% (n= 15), and 52% (n= 25) in Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Arcobacter, respectively. A link between SalmonellaKentucky [sequence type (ST) 198] and a ciprofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentration of 16 μg/mL was found. SalmonellaPoona-ST308 revealed transferable qnrB2fluoroquinolone resistance genes. Markedly high frequencies of resistant Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Arcobacterpredominant in locally produced meat represent a probable transmission reservoir for human infections. These findings highlight the need for implementation of surveillance systems that focus on food hygiene, use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, and continuous monitoring of the quality of meat products from imports.

ABSTRACTLarge scale complex systems require monitoring to ensure that they are able to provide continuous services into the future. Existing integrity measurement techniques determine instantaneous measures of whether a system meets its operational parameters which is insufficient as the measure needs to both incorporate the transitory nature of problems as well as locality-based effects. An analysis methodology has been developed that, with an understanding of the composite nature of the system, can provide an indication of the system integrity. This analysis examines the effect of failure events on the operational state of the system. Observed or predicted events are then collected into a summary value that reflects the operational availability of the system combined with durations where the system was in a compromised state. Therefore, the analysis provides an important link between low-level failures and the effect on a system’s operation once redundancy and adaptation have taken effect.

The aim of this study was to study the effects of rosuvastatin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) looking at the C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and joint disease activity. Fifty RA patients were randomized in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial to receive either 10 mg of rosuvastatin or placebo as an adjunct to existing disease-modifying antirheumatic therapy. Patients were followed up for a six-month period. Measurements were done at baseline and six months. CRP and IL-6 were measured in the blood. RA disease activity was measured using disease activity score based on 28 joint counts (DAS 28). When analysing from baseline to six months there was no difference between the rosuvastatin and placebo groups in rheumatoid disease activity (–0.01; standard deviation [SD], 1.08; and +0.18; SD, 0.95; respectively; Pvalue 0.509). There was a trend towards improvement in CRP in the rosuvastatin group (–3.23; SD, 18.18) compared with the placebo group (+17.43; SD, 38.03); Pvalue, 0.161. IL-6 showed a trend towards worsening in the rosuvastatin group (+0.15; SD, 1.09) compared with placebo (–0.73; SD, 1.4); Pvalue, 0.054. These data show that rosuvastatin with might decrease the CRP independent to IL-6 in patients with RA but does not improve the overall rheumatoid disease activity.

The Detroit River is part of a channel connecting Lakes Huron and Erie and was once a prolific spawning area for lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis. Large numbers of lake whitefish migrated into the river to spawn where they were harvested by commercial fisheries and for fish culture operations. Prior to our study, the last lake whitefish was landed from the Detroit River in 1925. Loss of spawning habitat during shipping channel construction and over-fishing, likely reduced lake whitefish spawning runs. Because lake whitefish are recovering in Lake Erie, and spawning in the western basin, we suspected they may also be spawning in the Detroit River. We sampled in the Detroit River for lake whitefish adults and eggs in October–December 2005–07 and for larvae during March–May 2006–08. A total of 15 spawning-ready lake whitefish from 4 to 18 years old, were collected. Viable eggs were collected during mid-November 2006–07; highest egg densities were found mid-river. Sac-fry whitefish larvae were collected in the river and near the river mouth. No whitefish larvae were retained in the river. Because high numbers of larvae were collected from mid- and downstream river sites, reproduction of lake whitefish in the Detroit River could contribute substantially to the Lake Erie lake whitefish metapopulation.

The aim of this study was to determine if low mood influenced the association between eating problem symptoms and self report sleeping quality in a large group of young women and men. A group of 381 female and male undergraduate students completed a set of self-report inventories in order to test a model developed for this study observing the association between eating problems, low mood, restricted dieting, weight and self-reported sleeping quality using a path analysis model. The model that best fit the data indicated that eating problem symptoms were associated with low mood and low mood was related to sleeping quality. There was also a direct association between eating problems and sleeping quality but this was reduced by the presence of low mood in the equation. There were no other direct relationships with sleeping quality but there was an association between low mood and low weight. There were also differences reported between men and women on sleeping quality suggesting that women in this sample reported more sleeping difficulties than men. In all this research demonstrates with a large non-clinical sample the links between eating problems, mood and sleeping difficulties.

Paraduodenal hernias are uncommon congenital herniations into the mesentery of the colon that present as small bowel obstruction. The diagnosis is elusive but may be made by CT scan or upper gastrointestinal series. There are three types: left, right, and transverse. The repair involves reduction of the hernia and closure of the mesenteric defect in accordance with the anatomy of the hernia. We present two cases of paraduodenal hernia that are representative of this unusual class of internal herniation.

The computer program LFREE was written to do loss-free counting with a digital spectrometer. It runs in parallel with the normal data acquisition software and corrects the counting losses once per second without interrupting data acquisition. The spectrometer's live time clock is used to measure the live time fraction. Tests showed that losses are accurately corrected at variable count rates which cause dead times as high as 80%. For half-lives of the order of 10 seconds, the accuracy is limited by the response of the live time clock to very rapidly changing count rates.

Agriculture in Northern Ireland depends on grass-based production, but since 1980, expansion of output has been effectively constrained by production limits set by the European Union agricultural policy. Despite this, long-term monitoring over several decades has shown significant degradation of water quality in Lough Neagh, with persistent high biomass of blue-green algae. Similar long-term studies have revealed a marked decline in the freshwater survival of salmon in the nearby River Bush. These changes may be related and reflect the impact of farming on water quality and salmonid production. Regular sampling of the inflowing rivers to Lough Neagh has shown that continued increase in lake phosphorus concentration has been primarily due to an increase in the soluble reactive phosphorus loading from agricultural diffuse sources. Similar diffuse inputs of agriculturally derived nutrients to the River Bush, leading to increased plant growth together with the accumulation of fine sediment in salmon spawning redds, are considered to be important in the decline of freshwater survival of salmon from egg to smolt. The impact of farming practices on lakes and rivers is considered in relation to understanding of the complex and interacting factors that link land use to water quality.

A synthesis procedure is described for making functionalized mesoporous silica macrostructures that can serve as self-supporting adsorbents for environmental remediation and other separations applications. The material, whose mesopores were functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane ligands, can be made into spheres, irregular particles, and truncated cones having diameters from 1 to 15 mm through a one-step emulsion synthesis procedure. Other shapes such as pellets can be formed by molding the precursor gel. The macro- and mesomorphology of the materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and ²⁹Si MAS NMR. Physisorption properties were investigated using nitrogen adsorption measurements. The surface area of these materials determined via the BET method ranged from 864 to 1184 m² g^-1. The materials are extremely effective in the removal of mercury and silver ions from aqueous solutions. The amount of mercury adsorbed ranged from 0.24 to 1.26 mmol g^-1, depending on the degree of functionalization. Silver is less strongly adsorbed than mercury, with a maximum loading of 0.89 mmol g^-1. In binary adsorption of mercury and silver ion mixtures, the selectivity for mercury ranged from 1.39 to 2.24. The adsorption capacity of the functionalized materials for nitrogen is comparable to that of unfunctionalized materials.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of enzyme supplementation and particle size of wheat-based diets on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in nursery and finishing pigs. In Exp. 1, 180 weaned pigs (5.7 kg and 21 d of age) were fed diets in a 35-d growth assay without or with a Trichoderma longibrachiatiumenzyme product (4,000 units of xylanase activity per gram of product) and with wheat ground to mean particle sizes of 1,300, 600, or 400 µm. Enzyme supplementation had no effect on ADG or gain/feed (P> 0.32), but there was a trend (P< 0.10) for greater digestibility of DM (d 6) in enzyme-supplemented diets. A particle size of 600 µm supported the greatest overall gain/feed (quadratic effect, P< 0.01). An interaction of enzyme supplementation with particle size occurred; gain/feed was improved (P< 0.01) with enzyme supplementation at the coarse (1,300 µm) particle size but not when the wheat was ground to 600 or 400 µm. In Exp. 2, 160 finishing pigs (67 kg) were fed a diet without or with the same enzyme used in Exp. 1 and wheat ground to 1,300 or 600 µm. No interactions occurred between enzyme supplementation and particle size of the wheat (P> 0.15). However, there were trends for greater gain/feed (P< 0.10) during the 67- to 93-kg phase of the experiment and for greater digestibility of DM (P< 0.10) and N (P< 0.07) with enzyme supplementation. When particle size was reduced from 1,300 to 600 µm, gain/feed was improved (P< 0.03) for the 93- to 114-kg phase of the growth assay, and digestibilities of DM (P< 0.02) and N (P< 0.04) were greater. In Exp. 3, 160 finishing pigs (63 kg) were given diets without or with the enzyme product and wheat ground to 600 or 400 µm. Enzyme supplementation improved ADG (P< 0.04) in the 90- to 115-kg phase but otherwise did not affect growth performance, carcass measurements, or stomach lesions. A particle size of 400 µm increased overall gain/feed (P< 0.04), digestibilities of DM and N (P< 0.01), and development of stomach lesions (P< 0.01). In conclusion, pigs did not benefit consistently from enzyme supplementation. However, wheat particle sizes of 600 and 400 µm supported the best overall performance in nursery and finishing pigs, respectively.

The relative thermal, epithermal and fast neutron fluxes were measured in the inner and outer irradiation sites of three Slowpoke reactors and one Miniature Neutron Source (MNS) reactor by the bare triple monitor method. Using the measured neutron spectrum parameters and a compilation of published k0and Q0values, activation constants were calculated for the most intense gamma-rays of all nuclides commonly used in NAA. The resulting table of constants can be used to standardize NAA measurements for all elements when combined with relative efficiency measurements and the measurement of the thermal neutron flux with one standard. The observed constancy of the neutron spectra suggests that these activation constants are valid for all 14 Slowpoke and MNS reactors.

Abstract: A investigation was undertaken to measure the presence of trace elements in some intracranial tumors using the instrumental neutron activation analysis technique. The following 20 minor and trace elements were investigated: Na, Mg, Al, P, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sb, I, and Cs. Our results are compared with other trace element analyses in human brain tissue.

True-coincidence summing correction is an essential element in k0-based NAA1and becomes important when samples are counted with a high efficiency detector. This may be the case where large detectors are used or where samples are counted in or in the vicinity of the detector in order to achieve low detection limits in conjunction with low-flux reactors. In some laboratories coincidence correction is accomplished by calculating the coincidence correction factors. Since experimental validation of the calculations will reveal only the most significant errors and is a laborious task due to the high number of radionuclides involved, three laboratories decided to compare their calculated coincidence factors. Each laboratory uses a different software package. A comparative performance analysis was made of COINCALC developed at the INW of the University of Gent (implemented in SOLCOI by DSM Research), the software of the IRI, University of Delft, the Netherlands, and the software of the Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada. The overall approach, data and algorithms were chosen independently by each institute as the software was being developed and, so, the comparison has yielded a number of interesting conclusions. A follow-up investigation of the discrepancies found will probably allow the performance of each program to be improved.

The increased survival of sick and preterm neonates may be associated with long‐term problems which must be recognised and managed if outcome is to be optimised. In a prospective study of 35 neonates (median gestational age at birth 34 weeks) admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit over a 3‐month period, we have documented a high incidence (14 of 35) of immature or abnormal feeding patterns when infants were assessed at 36 to 40 weeks postmenstrual age. Neonates with prolonged respiratory support and delayed enteral and oral feeding were most affected. Compared with neonates who have normal initial feeding assessments, neonates with disorganised or dysfunctional feeding were six times more likely to vomit and three times more likely to cough when offered solid food at 6 months of age. At 12 months of age significant differences were also found in tolerating lumpy food and enjoying mealtimes. We hypothesise that these feeding problems contribute to failure to thrive and psychosocial distress after discharge from the neonatal unit and propose potential neonatal measures to reduce their incidence.

A commercially available digital γ-ray spectrometer is tested at high count rates using a germanium detector and appropriate pulse processing parameters. Correction for pulse loss due to dead time and pileup is done by extending the live time according to the Gedcke-Hale method. The accuracy of this count-loss correction technique is tested experimentally up to saturation count rates. Also the statistical uncertainty applicable to the total number of counts in arbitrary regions of interest in γ-ray spectra is studied experimentally, for measurements at fixed real time as well as at fixed live time. The results are similar to those found with traditional spectrometers using analog technology.

A systematic study explored the ability of small amines to control the zeolites obtained at the high-pH levels typical of crystallizations at SiO2/Al2O3 ratios between 20 and 40. Experiments in the absence of amine showed that mordenite (MOR) was the preferred product at the lowest ratio, and ZSM-5 was the preferred product at the highest SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. However, the addition of C2-, C3-, and C4-alkylamines changed the product dramatically. On addition of ethylamine, ZSM-5 was produced at the lowest SiO2/Al2O3 ratio, and ZSM-35 was the preferred product with C3- and C4-amines. On addition of the largest of the group, tert-butylamine, the product reverted to MOR. With polyamines such as diethylenetriamine and triethylenetetramine, ZSM-5 samples were produced having framework SiO2/Al2O3 ratios below 20. The hexane cracking activity of these samples was consistent with their exceptionally high Al content. The cyclic C4- to C6-amines, at both SiO2/Al2O3 extremes, yielded ZSM-35 and MCM-22. Again, with the largest of this amine group, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, the product reverted to mordenite (and ZSM-5). Despite the very high pH of the crystallizations, all of the ZSM-5, ZSM-35, and MCM-22 samples contained charge-balancing protonated amines and were low in Na; that is, they had Na/Al ratios well below unity. The MOR samples were similarly pore-filled with amine, but their Na/Al ratios did not indicate substantial amine protonation, which is consistent with mordenite being the limiting high-pH product in these experiments. Computer simulation was helpful in distinguishing, on the part of amine, between a generally beneficial but structurally nonspecific “pore-fill” role and a structurally specific, “pore-directing” role, the latter leading to preferred crystallization among alternative zeolite frameworks.

A kinetics study of the thermolysis of a series of hexasubstituted‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazoles (pyrazolines 1a: 3,3,4,4‐tetramethyl‐5‐phenyl‐5‐acetoxy; 1b: cis‐3,5‐diphenyl‐3,3,4‐trimethyl‐5‐acetoxy; 1c: cis‐3,5‐diphenyl‐3,4,4‐trimethyl‐5‐methoxy; 1d: 3,3,5‐triphenyl‐4,4‐dimethyl‐5‐acetoxy), which produced the corresponding hexasubstituted cyclopropanes 2a–d in quantitative yields was carried out. The first order rate constants (k1) for thermal decomposition and activation parameters were determined. The relative reactivity series was found to be 1d >> 1b ∼ 1c > 1a. The activation parameters for thermolysis were found to be: for 1a ΔH‡ = 39.8 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = 14 eu, k150°= 6.8 × 10−5s−1; for 1b ΔH‡ = 33.5 kcal/mol, ΔS ‡ = 0.2 eu, k150°= 1.7 × 10−4s−1; for 1c ΔH‡ = 32.7 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.8 eu, k150°= 1.2 × 10−4s−1; for 1d ΔH‡ = 30.1 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.6 eu, k150°= 8.8 × 10−3s−1. The effect of variation of C3 substituents on the activation parameters for thermolysis paralleled the trend reported for acyclic analogs. The results are consistent with the formation of a (singlet) 1,3‐diradical intermediate with subsequent closure to yield the cyclopropanes. The mechanism of diradical formation appears to involve N2‐C3bond cleavage as the rate determining step rather than simultaneous two bond scission. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:299–302, 2000

A kinetics study of the thermolysis of a series of hexasubstituted-4,5-dihydro-3H-pyrazoles (pyrazolines 1a: 3,3,4,4-tetramethyl-5-phenyl-5-acetoxy; 1b: cis-3,5-diphenyl-3,3,4-trimethyl-5-acetoxy; 1c: cis-3,5-diphenyl-3,4,4-trimethyl-5-methoxy; 1d: 3,3,5-triphenyl-4,4-dimethyl-5-acetoxy), which produced the corresponding hexasubstituted cyclopropanes 2a–d in quantitative yields was carried out. The first order rate constants (k1) for thermal decomposition and activation parameters were determined. The relative reactivity series was found to be 1d >> 1b ~ 1c > 1a. The activation parameters for thermolysis were found to be: for 1a ΔH‡ = 39.8 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = 14 eu, k150° = 6.8 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹; for 1b ΔH‡ = 33.5 kcal/mol, ΔS ‡ = 0.2 eu, k150° = 1.7 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; for 1c ΔH‡ = 32.7 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.8 eu, k150° = 1.2 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; for 1d ΔH‡ = 30.1 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.6 eu, k150° = 8.8 × 10⁻³s⁻¹. The effect of variation of C3 substituents on the activation parameters for thermolysis paralleled the trend reported for acyclic analogs. The results are consistent with the formation of a (singlet) 1,3-diradical intermediate with subsequent closure to yield the cyclopropanes. The mechanism of diradical formation appears to involve N2-C3 bond cleavage as the rate determining step rather than simultaneous two bond scission. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:299–302, 2000

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of omitting vitamin and trace mineral premixes and(or) reducing inorganic phosphorus additions to finishing diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and muscle quality in pigs. In Exp. 1, a corn-soybean meal-based diet (.70% lysine, .65% Ca, and .55% P) was used as the control. Pigs (n = 128; average initial BW of 85.7 kg) were fed the control diet or the control diet without 1) the vitamin premix, 2) the trace mineral premix, or 3) both premixes. Omitting the premixes had no effect on ADG (P> .39); gain/feed (P> .17); carcass backfat thickness (P> .42); and marbling, color, and firmness of the longissimus muscle (P> .11). In Exp. 2, pigs (n = 128; average initial BW of 86.2 kg) were fed the control diet (.65% Ca and .53% P) used in Exp. 1 and the control diet without 1/3 (.56% Ca and .46% P), 2/3 (.51% Ca and .40% P), or all (.47% Ca and .31% P) of the added monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Omitting up to 2/3 of the MCP increased ADG (quadratic effect, P<.02) and had no effect on meat quality (P>.12), but backfat thickness increased slightly (quadratic effect, P< .02). In Exp. 3, pigs (n = 160; average initial BW of 86.6 kg) were fed the control diet used in Exp. 1 or the control without 1) the vitamin and trace mineral premixes, 2) 2/3 of the MCP, or 3) the premixes and 2/3 of the MCP. Treatment had no effects on ADG (P> .23), gain/feed (P> .94), stomach lesions (P> .37), or serum gamma globulins (P> .08). In conclusion, vitamin and trace mineral premixes and up to 2/3 of the supplemental MCP can be omitted during late finishing (i.e., approximately the final 30 d) to reduce nutrient excesses that increase cost of feeding and nutrients excreted in waste material.

A crystallization study was undertaken to relate the structure of small amines to the zeolite product obtained. At SiO2/Al2O3 = 200, certain noncyclic amines (some not previously recognized) were specific for the formation of 10-ring zeolites, e.g., ZSM-22 and ZSM-23. For example, ethylmethylamine and diethylamine yielded highly crystalline ZSM-22, while ethylamine and isopropylamine yielded ZSM-23. Consistent with their larger size, cyclic amines such as piperazine produced the 12-ring pore system, ZSM-12. At lower SiO2/Al2O3 ratios (40), a different set of zeolites was obtained, as expected, ZSM-35 and MCM-22. Again, a specific relationship was observed between the amine employed and the zeolite obtained. In both SiO2/Al2O3 regimes, several amines played non-structure-specific pore- and pH-stabilizing roles and yielded ZSM-5. With relatively few exceptions, the zeolite products were fully porefilled with amine and low in Na (Na/Al &lt; 1). Computer simulations confirmed a pore-stabilizing role for both structure-specific and non-structure-specific amines. At the same time, among structure-specific (“structure-directing”) amines, they showed that the interaction energy differences between alternative amine−pore combinations were often quite small (0.5−2.0 kcal/mol, for example). Nevertheless, the changes in amine−pore interaction energies for this group of amines consistently tracked the changes in zeolite products observed.

Major and trace elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd Co, Cr Cs, Cu Eu Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Si, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, U, V, Yb and Zn) in forest soils from three acid-deposition-affected locations in southern Quebec were investigated. Total element concentrations in the surface layer (0–20 cm) of the Podzolic soils were mostly well within the range of element concentrations in Podzols reported worldwide but showed higher mean values for most elements. The mean concentrations of elements (except Zn, at 124 μg g−1) were also generally comparable to the respective elemental baseline data established for Canadian soils. Element concentrations (μg g−1) of Cs (6.2) Sc (19 8) V (106) Rb (194) K (26 500) and Al (76 900) in the surface soils were significantly higher at the 940-m elevation than the concentrations from the sites at 650 and 770 m along the Roundtop Mountain slope, but Ca (1120) and Ni (4.4) were lowest at the 940-m elevation A similar trend with elevation was not observed at the other mountain location (White Peak). Enrichment-factor (EF)analysis showed significant element enrichment (EF ≥ 10) for Cd, Rb and Sb but impoverishment (EF ≤ 0.1) for Ca, Cu and Ni in topsoils. Key words:Major and trace elements, surface soils, acid deposition