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OBJECTIVES: Laser-assisted Indocyanine Green Angiography (LA-ICGA) is a novel method for objectively quantifying soft tissue perfusion. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether skin perfusion surrounding tibial plateau and pilon fractures is associated with the Tscherne classification for severity of soft tissue injury. The secondary aim was to determine if soft tissue perfusion improves from the time of injury to the time of definitive fracture fixation in fractures treated using a staged protocol. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study SETTING: Academic trauma centre PATIENTS: Eight pilon fracture patients and 19 tibial plateau fracture patients that underwent open reduction internal fixation MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Skin perfusion (fluorescence units) as measured by LA-ICGA RESULTS: Six patients were classified as Tscherne grade 0, nine as grade 1, ten as grade 2, and two as grade 3. Perfusion decreased by 14 fu (95% CI: −21, −6, p

Government restrictions applied during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK led to the disruption of many people’s physical activity routines, with sports and leisure facilities closed and outdoor exercise only permitted once per day. In this study we investigated which population groups were impacted most in terms of reduced physical activity levels during these periods, and which groups benefitted in terms of increasing their usual level of physical activity. We surveyed UK residents, sampled through users of a rewards-for-exercise app (Sweatcoin; n=749) and an online panel (Prolific; n=907). Of the app users, n=487 further provided daily step-count data collected by the app, prior to, and during the periods of restrictions between March and June 2020. Regression models were applied to investigate factors associated with subjective change (perceived change in physical activity) and objective change (log-percentage change in daily step-count) in physical activity during the periods of restrictions. ANOVAs were used to further investigate the significant factors identified. Key factors associated with a substantial subjective reduction in physical activity included those classed as obese, gym users and people living in urban areas. All participants had a reduced step count during restrictions, with Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups, students and urban dwellers showing the largest reductions. Therefore, targeted interventions are required to ensure that the physical and mental health impacts of sedentary behaviour are not exacerbated over the long-term by significant reductions in physical activity identified in these groups, particularly those who are also more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus.

Fungal contamination of agricultural commodities, particularly by mycotoxigenic fungi, represents an enormous concern for global food security in terms of feeding the world's growing population with sufficient and safe food. Not only do they reduce crop yield and quality, but they also produce substantial numbers of mycotoxins, which pose serious adverse health effects in human and animals. As the genome of most mycotoxigenic species have been sequenced, the gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of agriculturally important mycotoxins including aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, zearalenone and trichothecenes, have been largely identified and characterised, with their roles elucidated by researchers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of genes involved in the biosynthetic pathways of mycotoxins. In addition, the influence of climatic factors including water, temperature and carbon dioxide on differential mycotoxin gene expressions have been highlighted. Overall, the relationship between the relative expression of key regulatory and structural genes under different environmental conditions is significantly correlated with mycotoxins production. This indicates that mycotoxin gene induction can be used as a reliable indicator or marker to monitor mycotoxin production pre-and-post harvest. Furthermore, current strategies to manage mycotoxin risks still require improvement. Thus, an accurate understanding of the molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin biosynthesis in mycotoxigenic species could help to develop an innovative, robust targeted control strategy. This could include the exploitation of novel compounds, which can inhibit biosynthetic genes, to minimise mycotoxin risks.

Trypan blue dye exclusion-based cell viability measurements are highly dependent upon image quality and consistency. In order to make measurements repeatable, one must be able to reliably capture images at a consistent focal plane, and with signal-to-noise ratio within appropriate limits to support proper execution of image analysis routines. Imaging chambers and imaging systems used for trypan blue analysis can be inconsistent or can drift over time, leading to a need to assure the acquisition of images prior to automated image analysis. Although cell-based autofocus techniques can be applied, the heterogeneity and complexity of the cell samples can make it difficult to assure the effectiveness, repeatability and accuracy of the routine for each measurement. Instead of auto-focusing on cells in our images, we add control beads to the images, and use them to repeatedly return to a reference focal plane. We use bead image features that have stable profiles across a wide range of focal values and exposure levels. We created a predictive model based on image quality features computed over reference datasets. Because the beads have little variation, we can determine the reference plane from bead image features computed over a single-shot image and can reproducibly return to that reference plane with each sample. The achieved accuracy (over 95%) is within the limits of the actuator repeatability. We demonstrate that a small number of beads (less than 3 beads per image) is needed to achieve this accuracy. We have also developed an open-source Graphical User Interface called Bead Benchmarking-Focus And Intensity Tool (BB-FAIT) to implement these methods for a semi-automated cell viability analyser.It is critical for the manufacturing and release of living cell-based therapies to determine the viability, the ratio of living cells to the total number of cells (live and dead), in the therapy. Dead cells can be a safety concern for the patient, and dosing is often based on the number of living cells which are the active ingredient of the drug product. Currently, the most common approach to evaluating cell viability is based on the staining of cell samples with the trypan blue marker of cell membrane integrity: a loss in cell membrane integrity with cell death allows the dye into the cell, which can be seen using brightfield microscopy. To classify cells as live/dead, the brightness of the cells is evaluated and cells with bright centres are considered live, while those with dark centres are considered dead. Unfortunately, this approach of staining, imaging and classification is very sensitive to image acquisition settings, including image focus and brightness. This paper introduces a method to establish the required image quality for image viability analysis, providing a tool to return to image acquisition settings that will ensure image quality even when there is variability from sample to sample. In this method, polymeric beads are added to each cell sample prior to cell viability analysis. Using image processing, we extract key features from the beads in the image such as sharpness of the edges of the beads. The image features of the cells can vary significantly from sample to sample and under different cell conditions, but image features of beads have proved to be consistent across samples. We are thus able to collect reference datasets quantifying bead features over a wide range of image acquisition settings (brightness and focus), allowing us to establish a reference focal plan for image acquisition for any cell sample based on bead features. We show that with as few as three beads per image, the reference focal plane can be found from a single acquisition of beads image data over a wide range of image focuses and brightness, allowing users to consistently acquire images for cell viability that meet pre-defined quality requirements.

Purpose The present study aimed to investigate the effect of age on circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. A secondary aim was to investigate whether a novel sprint interval training (SIT) intervention (3 × 20 s ‘all out’ static sprints, twice a week for 8 weeks) would affect inflammatory markers in older men. Methods Nine older men [68 (1) years] and eleven younger men [28 (2) years] comprised the younger group. Aerobic fitness and inflammatory markers were taken at baseline for both groups and following the SIT intervention for the older group. Results Interleukin (IL)-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were unchanged for the older and younger groups at baseline (IL-8, p = 0.819; MCP-1, p = 0.248; VEGF, p = 0.264). Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was greater in the older group compared to the younger group at baseline [142 (20) pg mL−1 and 60 (12) pg mL−1, respectively, p = 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.64]. Following SIT, older men decreased EGF to 100 (12) pg mL−1 which was similar to that of young men who did not undergo training (p = 0.113, Cohen's d = 1.07). Conclusion Older aerobically trained men have greater serum EGF than younger aerobically trained men. A novel SIT intervention in older men can shift circulating EGF towards trained younger concentrations. As lower EGF has previously been associated with longevity in C. elegans, the manipulative effect of SIT on EGF in healthy ageing in the human may be of further interest.

Context: Research has shown the modulations of Follistatin (FST) and Myostatin (MST) following weight loss Objective: We evaluated the effects of gradual weight loss (GWL) and rapid weight loss (RWL) on serum MST, FST concentrations, and body composition in overweight and obese females. Materials and methods: Thirty-six overweight and obese females successfully completed the study interventions: GWL (n = 18) or RWL (n = 18). Serum MST and FST concentrations, as well as anthropometric measurements, were collected at baseline and at the conclusion of each weight loss intervention. Results: MST significantly (p

Introduction The ability to accurately detect hypotension in trauma patients at the earliest possible time is important in improving trauma outcomes. The earlier an accurate detection can be made, the more time is available to take corrective action. Currently, there is limited research on combining multiple physiological signals for an early detection of hemorrhagic shock. We studied the viability of early detection of hypotension based on multiple physiologic signals and machine learning methods. We explored proof of concept with a small (5 minutes) prediction window for application of machine learning tools and multiple physiologic signals to detecting hypotension. Materials and Methods Multivariate physiological signals from a preexisting dataset generated by an experimental hemorrhage model were employed. These experiments were conducted previously by another research group and the data made available publicly through a web portal. This dataset is among the few publicly available which incorporate measurement of multiple physiological signals from large animals during experimental hemorrhage. The data included two hemorrhage studies involving eight sheep. Supervised machine learning experiments were conducted in order to develop deep learning (viz., long short-term memory or LSTM), ensemble learning (viz., random forest), and classical learning (viz., support vector machine or SVM) models for the identification of physiological signals that can detect whether or not overall blood loss exceeds a predefined threshold 5 minutes ahead of time. To evaluate the performance of the machine learning technologies, 3-fold cross-validation was conducted and precision (also called positive predictive value) and recall (also called sensitivity) values were compared. As a first step in this development process, 5 minutes prediction windows were utilized. Results The results showed that SVM and random forest outperform LSTM neural networks, likely because LSTM tends to overfit the data on small sized datasets. Random forest has the highest recall (84%) with 56% precision while SVM has 62% recall with 82% precision. Upon analyzing the feature importance, it was observed that electrocardiogram has the highest significance while arterial blood pressure has the least importance among all other signals. Conclusion In this research, we explored the viability of early detection of hypotension based on multiple signals in a preexisting animal hemorrhage dataset. The results show that a multivariate approach might be more effective than univariate approaches for this detection task.

Objective The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the novel use of an empirically supported treatment for sleep problems for people with residual insomnia disorder following ED treatment. Method Participants (N = 6) will complete a single-case multiple baseline study using Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia (Buysse et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 171, 2011, 887-895; Troxel et al., Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 10, 2012, 266-279). Participants will complete pre- and post-treatment evaluations of insomnia severity, sleep efficiency, daytime fatigue, ED symptoms, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. Throughout treatment, participants will complete daily diaries of sleep indices (sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency). Results The primary outcome will be treatment effects on insomnia severity, measured by the Insomnia Severity Index. Secondary outcomes include sleep efficiency and daytime fatigue. Exploratory outcomes include ED-related impairment and symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms. We will provide subject-level graphs of sleep indices and ED symptoms throughout treatment. Additionally, treatment effects will be examined at one- and three-month follow-up. Discussion Although insomnia treatments have been evaluated in other psychiatric disorders, there has yet to be a study examining behavioral interventions for insomnia in EDs. Results of this study will inform the development and application of interventions for residual insomnia symptoms in this population.

Highly Automated Driving technology will be facing major challenges before being pervasively integrated across production vehicles. One of them will be monitoring drivers' state and determining whether they are ready to take over control under certain circumstances. Thus, we have explored their physiological responses and the effects on trust of different scenarios with varying traffic complexity in a driving simulator. Using a mixed repeated measures design, twenty-seven participants were divided in two reliability groups with opposite induced automation reliability expectations -low and high-. We hypothesized that expectations would modulate participants' trust in automation, and consequently, their physiological responses across different scenarios. That is, increasing traffic complexity would also increase participants' arousal, and this would be accentuated or mitigated by automation reliability expectations. Although reliability group differences could not be observed, our results show an increase of physiological activation within high complexity driving conditions (i.e., a mentally demanding non-driving related task and urban scenarios). In addition, we observed a modulation of trust in automation according to the group expectations delivered. These findings provide a background methodology from which further research in driver monitoring systems can benefit and be used to train machine learning methods to classify drivers' state in changing scenarios. This would potentially help mitigate inappropriate take-overs, calibrate trust and increase users' comfort and safety in future Highly Automated Vehicles. \ud

Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are secondary plant metabolites derived mainly from Solanaceae plant families, with the most virulent invasive species being Datura stramonium. Datura stramonium commonly grows in cereal fields and produce TAs (e.g., hyoscyamine and scopolamine) which may accidentally contaminate cereals (and cereal-based foods) at occasionally high levels. Dietary exposure to TAs can be toxic and depending on the dose ingested can cause outcomes ranging from anticholinergic effects to acute poisoning and death. In 2019, 315 adults became ill and another five adults died in Uganda following consumption of a "Super Cereal" (a fortified blended food) that was later confirmed to be contaminated by TAs-a scenario which provoked this holistic review on TAs in foodstuffs. Thus, this article provides information on the history, development, occurrences, exposures, and human legislative and health benchmarks for TAs. It describes control strategies for reducing TA contamination of agricultural commodities and resultant health implications following consumption of TA contaminated foodstuffs. Adequate application of food safety control measures (including maximum limits) and good practices, from the start of cereal cultivation through to the final stages of manufacturing of food products can aid in the reduction of seeing toxic plants including D. stramonium in cereal fields.

Peanut and its processed products are recurrently contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs) which are of potential public health concern. Among the different types of AFs, Aflatoxin B1 (B1) is the most frequently detected in peanuts over the maximum level (ML), and thus has warranted considerable research interest in the domain of food safety. In this study, we investigated the decontamination of B1 in three naturally-incurred lots (4, 12, and 40 µg/kg) of peanuts by a range of cooking treatments, including frying, pressure cooking, and roasting. B1 concentrations were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography- fluorescence detection. The method provided a limit of quantification of 0.25 µg/kg for B1, which was much lower than any of its national and international MLs. The recoveries of B1 in fresh and cooked peanuts (positive-control) were in the range of 90–100%. Overall, all the cooking methods demonstrated a significant reduction in B1 loads. The degree to which the processing methods reduced the B1 content followed the pattern: roasting with a combination of NaCl and citric acid > pressure-cooking with a combination of NaCl and citric acid > frying. As the cooking procedures did not involve any complicated steps or sophisticated equipment, these could be readily adopted for decontamination or reduction in the level of B1 for a safer consumption of peanuts at the household level without affecting the organoleptic properties. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13197-020-04761-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Rice is an important staple food that is consumed around the world. Like many foods, the price of rice varies considerably, from very inexpensive for a low-quality product to premium pricing for highly prized varieties from specific locations. Therefore, like other foods it is vulnerable to economically motivated adulteration through substitution or misrepresentation of inferior-quality rice for more expensive varieties. Objective In this article we describe results of a research project focused on addressing potential food fraud issues related to rice supplies in China, India, Vietnam, and Ghana. Rice fraud manifests differently in each country; therefore, tailored solutions were required. Method Here we describe a two-tiered testing regime of rapid screening using portable Near Infrared technology supported by second tier testing using mass spectrometry-based analysis of suspicious samples. Results Portable Near Infrared spectroscopy models and laboratory-based Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods were developed to differentiate between: high-value Basmati rice varieties and their potential adulterants; six Geographic Indicated protected rice varieties from specific regions within China; various qualities of rice in Ghana and Vietnam; and locally produced and imported rice in Ghana. Furthermore, an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry method was developed to support the Chinese rice varieties methods as well as a Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry method for quality differentiation in Vietnam. Conclusions/Highlights This two-tier approach can provide a substantially increased level of testing through rapid screening outside of the laboratory with the reassurance of corroborating mass spectrometry-based laboratory analysis to support decision making.

Ultra-endurance athletes accumulate an energy deficit throughout their events and those competing in self-sufficient multi-stage races are particularly vulnerable due to load carriage considerations. Whilst urinary ketones have previously been noted in ultra-endurance exercise and attributed to insufficient carbohydrate (CHO) availability, not all studies have reported concomitant CHO intake. Our aim was to determine changes in blood glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations over five days (240 km) of a self-sufficient multi-stage ultramarathon in combination with quantification of energy and macronutrient intakes, estimated energy expenditure and evaluation of energy balance. Thirteen runners (8 male, 5 female, mean age 40 ± 8 years) participated in the study. Glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate were measured every day immediately post-running, and food diaries completed daily. CHO intakes of 301 ± 106 g·day-1 (4.3 ± 1.8 g·kg-1·day-1) were not sufficient to avoid ketosis (5-day mean β-hydroxybutyrate: 1.1 ± 0.6 mmol.L-1). Furthermore, ketosis was not attenuated even when CHO intake was high (9 g·kg-1·day-1). This suggests that competing in a state of ketosis may be inevitable during multi-stage events where load reduction is prioritised over energy provisions. Attenuating negative impacts associated with such a metabolic shift in athletes unaccustomed to CHO and energy restriction requires further exploration.

The global increase of toxin-producing cyanobacteria poses a serious risk to humans. Many investigations have shown that the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR induces hepatotoxicity in rodents. However, many of these studies applied the toxin intraperitoneally or used high oral concentrations, leading to an unrealistically high bioavailability of the toxin. Such approaches have put into question how these results translate to human exposure scenarios. Epidemiology studies have linked microcystin-LR with hepatotoxicity and liver cancer in humans, though by design these investigations cannot provide direct evidence. The present work investigated the effect of microcystin-LR exposure on pigs closely mimicking real-life human conditions. In two animal experiments, pigs were administered microcystin-LR daily by oral gavage for 35 days. Metabolomic and lipidomic tools were used to analyse blood and liver samples. In addition, blood biochemistry parameters indicative of liver function and health were studied to further investigate the potential hepatotoxic effects of microcystin-LR. Results indicated that the metabolomic and lipidomic analyses did not show a gross treatment effect in blood and liver. Furthermore, no significant alterations were found in the tested blood biochemistry parameters. No evidence of hepatotoxicity was found. These results shed more light onto the effects (or lack of effects) of low-dose oral microcystin-LR exposure. The data suggests that the risk of oral microcystin-LR exposure may be overestimated.

Seven agronomic factors (crop season, farming system, harvest date, moisture, county, oat variety, and previous crop) were recorded for 202 oat crops grown across Ireland, and samples were analysed by LC-MS/MS for four major Fusarium mycotoxins: deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin. Type A trichothecenes were present in 62% of crops, with 7.4% exceeding European regulatory limits. DON (6.4%) and ZEN (9.9%) occurrences were relatively infrequent, though one and three samples were measured over their set limits, respectively. Overall, the type of farming system and the previous crop were the main factors identified as significantly influencing mycotoxin prevalence or concentration. Particularly, the adherence to an organic farming system and growing oats after a previous crop of grass were found to decrease contamination by type A trichothecenes. These are important findings and may provide valuable insights for many other types of cereal crops as Europe moves towards a much greater organic-based food system.

As the European organic market accelerates its growth, consumers are increasingly looking for produce that can be trusted, sustainably produced and environmentally friendly. Over the last decade, organic research has shifted to faster growing markets in Asia, despite fraudulent organic food still being an issue in Europe. This study addresses this gap by investigating the differences in consumers trust in organic meat and vegetables across 4 European Countries (Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK). In this study an online cross-sectional survey utilising validated tools was designed and data collected from 2071 respondents, approximately representative in terms of gender, age and region per country. Results identified between country differences in trust and beliefs in the ‘organicness’ of the produce. Overall, consumers had a high levels of trust in certified organic food chain and produce, and strong beliefs in the benefits of certification bodies; however this differed between countries. Italy and Poland respondents reported higher overall trust and preferred EU certification; whilst the UK and Germany reported lower trust and preferred their national certification bodies. Similarly, there were interesting differences between the products and national preferences. The findings highlight opportunities especially in Germany and the UK, for private industry, national and world-level bodies to improve the sustainability and growth of the organic food market.

Background Food fraud is the intentional deception carried out for gain, and is growing. Rice is the most used and the staple cereal for more than half of the world. Because of the scale of the global rice industry, the opportunities for fraud are large, of concern and threat to the economies and health of many. Scope and approach This review ouylines the complexities of the global rice industry and outlines current frauds. Fraudulent actions can be on many levels such as: botanical and geographical origin, adulteration/substitution, ageing, cultivation practices, aroma/flavour and amounts of microelements. To deal with new rice frauds, the range of techniques to detect them is increasing. Key findings and conclusions Current research concerning rice fraud is mainly focussed on rice authenticity testing for botanical/geographical origin or cultivation methods. In the case of Mass Specrometry, more advanced techniques are increasingly applied due to their great untargeted analysis power. Spectroscopic techniques can mainly provide screening, but rapid and non-destructive sample analysis, they are cost effective and once established require little expertise. DNA assays are excellent tools to apply for authenticity testing of botanical origin of rice. There is at present, no single analytical tool capable of providing an answer to all rice authentication problems, thus it is necessary to use several approaches in profiling and identification of possible markers and/or adulterants.

Background: Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) results in transient muscle inflammation, strength loss, and muscle soreness and may cause subsequent exercise avoidance. Research has recently proven that skeletal muscle can also release extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the circulation following a bout of exercise. However, EV’s potential role, including as a biomarker, in the response to eccentric resistance exercise stimulus remains unclear.Methods: Twelve (younger, n=7, 27.0±1.5years and older, n=5, 63.0±1.0years) healthy, physically active males, undertaking moderate, regular physical activity (3–5 times per week) performed a unilateral high intensity eccentric exercise protocol. Venous plasma was collected for assessment of EVs and creatine kinase (CK) prior to EIMD, immediately after EIMD, and 1–72h post-EIMD, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) were assessed at all time points, except 1 and 2h post-EIMD.Results: A significant effect of both time (p=0.005) and group (pp=0.014) and in the older group (p=0.034) following EIMD, no significant differences were observed between groups. CK was not different between age groups but was altered following the EIMD (main effect of time p=0.026), with increased CK seen immediately post-, at 1 and 2h post-EIMD. EV count tended to be lower in older participants at rest, relative to younger participants (p=0.056), whilst EV modal size did not differ between younger and older participants pre-EIMD. EIMD did not substantially alter EV modal size or EV count in younger or older participants; however, the alteration in EV concentration (ΔCount) and EV modal size (ΔMode) between post-EIMD and pre-EIMD negatively associated with CK activity. No significant associations were noted between MVIC or DOMS and either ΔCount or ΔMode of EVs at any time point.Conclusion: These findings suggest that profile of EV release, immediately following exercise, may predict later CK release and play a role in the EIMD response. Exercise-induced EV release profiles may therefore serve as an indicator for subsequent muscle damage.

New cell culture techniques have led to complex tissue models in biological experiments. For example, 3-D cerebral organoids provide a more realistic model of the human cortical tissue. However, these cell culture experiments are restricted by high costs and limited labor. A massively scalable and cost efficient platform for tissue experiments would benefit genomics, neuroscience, and translational medicine by enabling advanced high throughput tissue screens. Cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) provide new tools for managing multiple experiments in parallel that are remotely controlled through automation. We introduce a cloud-based IoT architecture that takes advantage of these tools to offer an environment where researchers can run thousands of cell culture experiments at once. This technology allows studies with cell cultures to be performed at scales far beyond a single lab setting, democratizing access to advanced tissue models and enabling new avenues of research. IoT Cloud LaboratoryExperiments are automated through cloud connected devices to allow scalability, reproducibility, and online monitoring. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=177 SRC="FIGDIR/small/453595v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (43K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14421e7org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@dce92org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@75037borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@37afa9_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

Meat adulteration is a significant economic problem as it can result in substantial economic gains and loss of consumers' trust in the food industry. Addition of a bulking agent masking the addition of water into minced meat is a fraudulent practice that is very difficult to detect. The quality of the meat can be assessed by measurement of total net protein, however the methods used to measure such property are not able to cope with the quite sophisticated modern-day adulteration practices. In our study, we assessed the potential of recently introduced Rapid Evaporative Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) technology to discover undeclared additives in chopped pork and chicken meat-based products such as sausages and burgers. The REIMS technique was able to discover such adulterants with a high degree of confidence when more than 2.5% of these substances were added. The results could be obtained within a few minutes. In this context REIMS can be classified as a rapid screening method which could be employed as a front-line testing method to ensure the quality and authenticity of meat products.

Prior to 1985 the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated global food crop contamination with mycotoxins to be 25%. The origin of this statement is largely unknown. To assess the rationale for it, the relevant literature was reviewed and data of around 500,000 analyses from the European Food Safety Authority and large global survey for aflatoxins, fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, zearalenone and ochratoxin A in cereals and nuts were examined. Using different thresholds, i.e. limit of detection, the lower and upper regulatory limits of European Union (EU) legislation and Codex Alimentarius standards, the mycotoxin occurrence was estimated. Impact of different aspects on uncertainty of the occurrence estimates presented in literature and related to our results are critically discussed. Current mycotoxin occurrence above the EU and Codex limits appears to confirm the FAO 25% estimate, while this figure greatly underestimates the occurrence above the detectable levels (up to 60–80%). The high occurrence is likely explained by a combination of the improved sensitivity of analytical methods and impact of climate change. It is of immense importance that the detectable levels are not overlooked as through diets, humans are exposed to mycotoxin mixtures which can induce combined adverse health effects.

Food is traded across the global markets to satisfy consumer demands, mainly from developed countries, for year-round access to a wide range of foods. This has resulted in an increasingly complex network of food trade and has made importing countries vulnerable to the spread of foodborne disease outbreaks originating from “foreign” food networks. Analysis of these networks can provide information on potential food safety risks and also on the potential spread of these risks through the food network in question. In this study, network theory has been used to analyse global trade. A mathematical model was developed enabling a simulation of the distribution of food products based on the publicly available data on international imports, exports and production provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Through numerical simulations we demonstrate, for the first time, the impact that the network structure has on the distribution of food products in terms of food safety risks. As a case study, a recent trans-national food safety incident was analysed, illustrating the potential application of the model in a foodborne pathogen outbreak. Using only the type of contaminated food and the countries where the outbreak was reported, the model was used to identify the most likely origin of the contaminated eggs, narrowing down the options to three countries (including the actual origin). Furthermore, it is used to identify those countries with significant food safety risks, due to imports of food produced in these three countries. The approach can help regulatory agencies and the food industry to design improved surveillance and risk mitigation actions against transnational food safety risks.

Background Food fraud is generally agreed to be defined as an illegal deception for economic gain using food which includes all types of fraud and all products. Food fraud – including the sub-category of Economically Motivated Adulteration or EMA – is an urgent global public policy issue that requires the development of common definitions and harmonized prevention management systems. Scope and approach There is a need to assess the food fraud public policy development steps to understand the current state and more importantly to identify next steps that will support efficient and successful implementation. Since food fraud policy development is in early stages of development, there is a unique opportunity to build upon the current state and make adjustments that will potentially yield tremendous benefit through harmonization and coordination. The process model steps reviewed include Problem Identification (Foundation Setting and Definition & Formation), Agenda Setting, Alternate Approaches, Legitimation, Implementation, and Evaluation. The research included a review of the current public policy development stages for the United Kingdom, European Commission, China, United States of America, and then also the Global Food Safety Initiative GFSI. Key findings and conclusions The international food fraud policy-making is currently advancing through Agenda Setting, Alternate Approaches, and Legitimation. The next steps for an efficient and effective food fraud policy-making implementation are to: (1) establish the definition and scope, (2) define food fraud as a food agency issue, (3) publish an official government statement focused on prevention (e.g., law, regulation, rule, guidance, etc.), (4) support and fund the policy implementation, and (5) continue to evaluate and adjust the response. Since food fraud policy development is in the early stages of development, there is a unique opportunity to build upon the current state and make adjustments that will potentially yield tremendous benefit through harmonization and coordination.

Glioblastoma remains the deadliest type of brain tumor: half of patients do not live more than 16 months, even when treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Tracking systems can help neurosurgeons precisely identify tumor on MRI images. Nevertheless, the tumor often regrows a few centimeters from where the original tumor was. This is because at the time of the first surgery, the actual tumor cells are already invading the healthy tissue around the tumor. These ‘invaders’ are difficult to cut out because even when looking through the surgical microscope, the tumor margins and normal brain tissue look very similar. The emerging utilization of fluorescing biomarkers (e.g., 5-ALA) sensitive to genetic downregulation present in cancer cells improves the detectability of marginal glioma, albeit requiring to switch to the surgical microscope excitation (blue light) mode and dim the operation room lights, imposing difficulties for neurosurgeons and staff. Here, we present a portable fluorescence-guided surgery optical imaging system integrated into the conventional surgical microscope to give neurosurgeons a better tool to predict which tissue is normal and which contains the start of tumor invasion without the need to switch to the excitation mode. The system operates under the microscope’s white light illumination using pulsed fluorophore excitation with gated acquisition and provides helpful tumor tissue fluorescing contrast. Tissue-mimicking phantom imaging confirmed protoporphyrin IX detection down to 0.1μg/mL concentration. Brain tissue imaging ex-vivo and pre-clinical intracranial tumor resection demonstrated the system’s capability to provide a typical operating environment with auxiliary or augmented visualization of PpIX possible.

Accurate and reliable non-invasive monitoring of early systemic disease—such as ongoing hemorrhage, sepsis, and acute respiratory disease like COVID-19—is one of the largest unmet needs in biomedicine. An early alert to progression with high sensitivity and an acceptable false-positive rate would allow medical staff to risk-stratify patients, saving resources, lives, and in the context of pandemic disease, minimize staff exposure. Noninvasive technologies have thus far failed to produce a reliable early detection system, reflecting the limitation of uniplex approaches to describe complex pathophysiology. Our team, in collaboration with an STTR start-up, have developed an optico-impedance system combining near-infrared spectroscopy and electrical impedance tomography measured at three locations (thorax, abdomen, limb) together with machine learning methods to provide exceptional diagnostic performance in systemic disease. The optical portion consists of 6 pairs of time-multiplexed red and IR LEDs embedded in custom 3D-printed probes, which are each connected to the leg of a trifurcated fiber bundle, allowing measurement of three-location, two-distance broadband 550-950 nm spectra using a single commercial spectrometer. Data is demultiplexed and analyzed using derivative spectroscopy to quantify oxy/deoxyhemoglobin. Additional diagnostic signal was obtained from: impedance tomography and spectroscopy, ECG and plethysmography. In one of the largest porcine hemorrhage studies to date (n = 60), we demonstrate an 85% accuracy to detect a 2-3% blood volume loss. Preliminary results from 11 healthy human subjects undergoing lower body negative pressure (LBNP) challenge show a 95% accuracy in detecting 15-mmHg changes in pressure—an excellent surrogate for occult hemorrhage. Our system fills a critical need, including in the current pandemic, where clinicians struggle to predict which patients will deteriorate. © 2021 SPIE

The natural co-occurrence of 42 mycotoxins was investigated in unprocessed oat grains grown in Ireland. The sample set included a total of 208 oat crops harvested during 2015–2016 and produced using conventional, organic, or gluten free farming systems. A range of different toxins was identified, including the major type A (neosolaniol, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, T-2 triol, and T-2-glucoside, co-occurring in 21 samples) and B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside), enniatins (B1, B, and A1, co-occurring in 12 samples), as well as beauvericin, alternariol, mycophenolic acid, and sterigmatocystin. The influences of sowing season, year, and production system were investigated, eventually indicating that the latter factor may have a higher impact than others on the production of certain mycotoxins in oats. The most frequently quantified compounds were HT-2 (51%) and T-2 (41%) toxins, with gluten free oats containing significantly lower concentrations of HT-2 compared to conventionally produced oats. Although the prevalence and concentrations of mycotoxin found in oat samples in this study should be substantially reduced by processing. However, as mycotoxin occurrence is clearly influenced by multiple factors, controlled field trials should be carried out to define optimal agronomic practices and mitigate mycotoxin production. Furthermore, this work highlights the need for regularly testing cereal-based foods with multi-residue analytical methods with wider specificities than the traditionally screened and regulated toxins, to generate knowledge on the occurrence of several mycotoxins that are, to date, rarely investigated.

During 2019 a series of food poisoning events and deaths occurred in Uganda due to an unknown causative agent. In response the World Food Programme (WFP) initiated investigations into the incidents which included contacting expert laboratories to analyse the main suspect product known as Super Cereal. The laboratories used a broad gamut of their testing capabilities to determine the cause of the incidents. This included targeted and non-targeted methodologies such as LC-MS/MS, QToF-MS and spectroscopic techniques coupled to chemometrics. The conclusion of the investigation was that the cause of the food poisoning was due to the presence of the Tropane alkaloids, atropine and scopolamine, in the Super Cereal. These alkaloids were found to be present due to the incorporation of Datura seeds during production of the Super Cereal. Furthermore, the data generated showed all outbreaks were caused by a single batch of the Super Cereal.

Forty two patients with high energy open fractures were involved into the study to investigate whether an indocyanine green (ICG)-based dynamic contrast-enhanced fluorescence imaging (DCE-FI) can be used to objectively assess bone perfusion and guide surgical debridement. For each patient, fluorescence images were recorded after 0.1 mg/kg of ICG was administered intravenously. By utilizing a bone-specific kinetic model to the video sequences, the perfusion-related metrics were calculated. The results of this study shown that the quantitative ICG-based DEC-FI can accurately assess the human bone perfusion during the orthopedic surgery.

Background: We evaluated the effects of high-protein dairy milk ingestion on changes in body composition, strength, power, and skeletal muscle regulatory markers following 6 weeks of resistance training in trained young males. Methods: Thirty resistance-trained young males (age: 27 ± 3 years, training experience: 15 ± 2 months) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: high-protein dairy milk (both whey and casein) + resistance training (MR, n = 15) or isoenergetic carbohydrate (maltodextrin 9%) + resistance training (PR, n = 15). Milk and placebo were ingested immediately post-exercise (250 mL, 30 g protein) and 30 min before sleep (250 mL, 30 g protein). Before and after 6 weeks of linear periodized resistance training (4 times/week), body composition (bioelectrical impedance), strength, power, and serum levels of skeletal muscle regulatory markers (insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol, follistatin, myostatin, and follistatin–myostatin ratio) were assessed. Results: The MR group experienced a significantly higher (p &lt, 0.05) increase in lean mass, strength, and power (upper- and lower-body) than the PR group. Further, IGF-1, growth hormone, testosterone, follistatin, and follistatin–myostatin ratio were significantly increased, while cortisol and myostatin significantly decreased in the MR group than the PR group (p &lt, 0.05). Conclusions: The strategic ingestion of high-protein dairy milk (post-exercise and pre-sleep) during 6 weeks of resistance training augmented lean mass, strength, power, and altered serum concentrations of skeletal muscle regulatory markers in trained young males compared to placebo.

Background Evidence suggests that dietary intake of UK children is suboptimal. As schools provide an ideal natural environment for public health interventions, effective and sustainable methods of improving food knowledge and dietary habits in this population must be identified. Project Daire aimed to improve children’s health-related quality of life, wellbeing, food knowledge and dietary habits via two multi-component interventions. Methods Daire was a randomised-controlled, factorial design trial evaluating two interventions across four arms. Primary schools in Northern Ireland were randomised to one of four 6-month intervention arms: i) ‘Nourish’, ii) ‘Engage’, iii) ‘Nourish’ and ‘Engage’ and iv) Control (Delayed). ‘Nourish’ was an intervention aiming to alter the whole-school food environment, provide food-related experiences and exposure to locally produced foods. ‘Engage’ was an age-appropriate, cross-curricular educational intervention on food, agriculture, nutrition science and related careers. Primary outcomes were emotional and behavioural wellbeing and health-related quality of life. A number of secondary outcomes, including dietary intake, cooking competence and food-related knowledge, were also measured. Results Fifteen schools from areas of varying socio-economic status participated in the randomised trial. A total of 903 (n = 445 aged 6–7 years and n = 458 aged 10–11 years) primary school pupils took part. Total Difficulties Score improved in all pupils (6–7 and 10–11 year old pupils) who received the ‘Nourish’ intervention compared with those that did not (adjusted difference in mean = − 0.82; 95% CI -1.46, − 0.17; P P P = 0.04) whilst an increased willingness to try new foods and improved perceived cooking competence was also observed. Conclusions Improvements in childhood emotional and behavioural wellbeing, dietary intake, knowledge about food, cooking skills and willingness to try new foods were associated with the ‘Nourish’ whole-school food environment intervention. Exploration of the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of such whole-school food interventions should be conducted. Trial registration National Institute of Health (NIH) U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials.gov (ID: NCT04277312).

Introduction As the globalisation of the food market continues, consumer trust in the food supply chain and the related actors are vital for the functioning of the food industry. While past research has primarily focused on consumer trust within countries and how it can be increased, studies on cross country differences and the comparison between trust and distrust are limited to review articles. To address this gap, this study investigates the levels of trust and distrust in food products and organisations across four European countries (Finland, Germany, Greece and the UK). Methods Using a previously validated consumer Trust Toolkit (Benson et al., 2020), an online cross-sectional survey explored consumer's trust in food and in food supply chain actors. In addition to this toolkit measuring trust and distrust constructs, the questionnaire for the current study also included relevant sociodemographic, household, and psychological items. The data was analysed using ANOVAs, descriptive statistics and regressions using SPSS v26. Results Overall, consumers (n = 1027) had a high level of trust in an EU food product (beef burgers; mean = 3.981; SD = 1.353) and the organisations involved in creating and certifying the product (organisations; mean = 4.263 SD = 1.129, food chain; mean = 4.434, SD = 1.177). The data found that Finnish and UK consumers had the highest levels of trust overall, while German and Greek consumers had lower trust in their food and food-related organisations. Interestingly, Finnish consumers reported the highest levels of distrust in food-related organisations, which indicates that food-related distrust is more nuanced than simply being the opposite of food-related trust. These findings are discussed in relation to the cultural context of each country and risk practises. Conclusions The levels of food trust and distrust differs across countries highlighting the need for developing different business and organisational strategies to market products in different countries/cultures. Understanding consumers’ trust in food and in food-related organisations is the first step in benchmarking and improving consumer trust across Europe.

With laboratories seeking to expand analytical capabilities and create multi-class, multi-analyte methods, there has been a shift toward generic sample clean-up techniques such as “dilute-and-shoot”. Advantages of this methodology include its simplicity, minimal analyte losses, high sample throughput and number of analyte classes included. The evolution of dilute-and-shoot has permitted its use across a variety of matrices including food and biological and in various scientific fields such as food, forensics and environmental. The versatility of the technique permits the expansion of current fields of research without the usual laborious method development. There can be issues with matrix effects and robust quantitation as analyte number increases. This review provides an overview of the technique combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, highlighting its power in facilitating multi-class analysis. Coupled with increases in instrument performance there is potential to employ this methodology in expanding analytical capabilities in many areas of life science research This work was supported by Agritox, a project funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund [EAPA 998/2018] and by the InvestNI funded Agri-Food Competence Centre project Food Fortress [11-12-17-001] SI

Highlights The capability of gold nanomaterials to mimic enzyme activities offers new approaches for diagnosis and treatment in the field of biomedicine, which are discussed in this review.Controlling the physicochemical properties of the nanomaterials (size, morphology and surface chemistry) remains the first obstacle for endeavouring real-life applications.Numerous examples of ex vivo applications in the field of diagnosis are a reality today, whereas further controlling side effects is required for in vivo applications like tumour treatment or intracellular ROS level control., In recent years, gold nanoparticles have demonstrated excellent enzyme-mimicking activities which resemble those of peroxidase, oxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase or reductase. This, merged with their ease of synthesis, tunability, biocompatibility and low cost, makes them excellent candidates when compared with biological enzymes for applications in biomedicine or biochemical analyses. Herein, over 200 research papers have been systematically reviewed to present the recent progress on the fundamentals of gold nanozymes and their potential applications. The review reveals that the morphology and surface chemistry of the nanoparticles play an important role in their catalytic properties, as well as external parameters such as pH or temperature. Yet, real applications often require specific biorecognition elements to be immobilized onto the nanozymes, leading to unexpected positive or negative effects on their activity. Thus, rational design of efficient nanozymes remains a challenge of paramount importance. Different implementation paths have already been explored, including the application of peroxidase-like nanozymes for the development of clinical diagnostics or the regulation of oxidative stress within cells via their catalase and superoxide dismutase activities. The review also indicates that it is essential to understand how external parameters may boost or inhibit each of these activities, as more than one of them could coexist. Likewise, further toxicity studies are required to ensure the applicability of gold nanozymes in vivo. Current challenges and future prospects of gold nanozymes are discussed in this review, whose significance can be anticipated in a diverse range of fields beyond biomedicine, such as food safety, environmental analyses or the chemical industry.

The use of in vitro assays to inform decision-making requires robust and reproducible results across studies, laboratories, and time. Experiments using positive control materials are an integral component of an assay procedure to demonstrate the extent to which the measurement system is performing as expected. This paper reviews ten characteristics that should be considered when selecting a positive control material for an in vitro assay: 1) the biological mechanism of action, 2) ease of preparation, 3) chemical purity, 4) verifiable physical properties, 5) stability, 6) ability to generate responses spanning the dynamic range of the assay, 7) technical or biological interference, 8) commercial availability, 9) user toxicity, and 10) disposability. Examples and a case study of the monocyte activation test are provided to demonstrate the application of these characteristics for identification and selection of potential positive control materials. Because specific positive control materials are often written into testing standards for in vitro assays, selection of the positive control material based on these characteristics can aid in ensuring the long-term relevance and usability of these standards.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of increasing concern in livestock production as usage has been linked to the emergence of resistant bacteria in humans. The intricacies of the UK pig production system alongside limited research into farmers perceptions has highlighted the need to investigate farmers perceptions and attitudes to gain an understanding of the factors that influence antimicrobial use (AMU). Therefore, this study aimed to qualitatively explore pig farmers views of AMU, AMR and to identify the specific factors that influence antibiotic administration practices in the UK pig industry. Methods: 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with independent pig farmers in Northern Ireland and vertically integrated pig farmers in England, eliciting perceptions towards AMU and AMR and exploring administration practices. The interviews were professionally transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Results: Eight themes were identified that influenced pig farmers AMU: (1) knowledge and awareness of AMR; (2) disease and perceived need for treatment; (3) use of alternatives; (4) farm characteristics; (5) economic considerations; (6) veterinary surgeon-farmer relationship; (7) external pressures and (8) production stage. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the complexity of the UK pork industry and the myriad of factors that drive AMU. AMU in the pork sector is multifactorial as drivers of administration are diverse and differ between farms. Therefore, it is recommended that farms are assessed on an individual basis in collaboration with a veterinary surgeon to determine the most effective tailor-made antibiotic reduction techniques.

Demand for high quality Basmati rice has increased significantly in the last decade. This commodity is highly vulnerable to fraud, especially in the post COVID-19 era. A unique two-tiered analytical system comprised of rapid on-site screening of samples using handheld portable Near-infrared NIR and laboratory confirmatory technique using a Head space gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) strategy for untargeted analysis was developed. Chemometric models built using NIR data correctly predicted nearly 100% of Pusa 1121 and Taraori, two high value types of Basmati, from potential adulterants. Furthermore, rice VOC profile fingerprints showed very good classification (R2 >0.9, Q2 > 0.9, Accuracy > 0.99) for these high quality Basmati varieties from potential adulterant varieties with aldehydes identified as key VOC marker compounds. Using a two-tiered system of a rapid method for on-site screening of many samples alongside a laboratory-based confirmatory method can classify Basmati rice varieties, protecting the supply chain from fraud.

Background: Osteoarthritis is a heterogeneous condition characterised by a wide variety of factors and represents a worldwide healthcare challenge. There are multiple clinical and research specialisms involved in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of osteoarthritis, and there may be opportunities to share or pool data which are currently not being utilised. However, there are challenges to doing so which require carefully structured solutions and partnership working.Methods: Interviews were conducted with nine experts from various fields within osteoarthritis research. A semi-structured approach was used, and thematic analysis applied to the results.Results: Generally, osteoarthritis researchers were supportive of data sharing, provided it is done responsibly and without impacting data integrity. Benefits identified included increasing typically low-powered data, the potential for machine learning opportunities, and the potential for improved patient outcomes. However, a number of challenges were identified, in particular related to; data security, data harmonisation, storage costs, ethical considerations and governance.Conclusions: There is clear support for increased data sharing and partnership working in osteoarthritis research. Further investigation will be required to navigate the complex issues identified; however, it is clear that collaborative opportunities should be better facilitated and there may be innovative ways to do this. It is also clear that nomenclature within different disciplines could be better streamlined, to improve existing opportunities to harmonise data.

Background Tumors that take up and metabolize 5-aminolevulinic acid emit bright pink fluorescence when illuminated with blue light, aiding surgeons in identifying the margin of resection. The adoption of this method is hindered by the blue light illumination, which is too dim to safely operate under and therefore necessitates switching back and forth from white-light mode. The aim of this study was to examine the addition of an optimized secondary illuminant adapter to improve usability of blue-light mode without degrading tumor contrast. Methods Color science methods were used to evaluate the color of the secondary illuminant and its impact on color rendering index as well as the tumor-to-background color contrast in data collected from 7 patients with high-grade gliomas (World Health Organization grade III and IV). A secondary illuminant adapter was built to provide 475–600 nm light the intensity of which can be controlled by the surgeon and was evaluated in 2 additional patients. Results Secondary illuminant color had opposing effects on color rendering index and tumor-to-background color contrast; providing surgeon control of intensity allows this trade-off to be balanced in real time. Demonstration in 2 high-grade glioma cases confirms this, showing that additional visibility adds value when intensity can be controlled by the surgeon. Conclusions Addition of a secondary illuminant may mitigate surgeon complaints that the operative field is too dark under the blue light illumination required for 5-aminolevulinic acid fluorescence guidance by providing improved color rendering index without completely sacrificing tumor-to-background color contrast.

In this study, an indocyanine green (ICG)-based dynamic contrast- enhanced fluorescence imaging (DCE-FI) technique was evaluated as a method to provide objective real-time data on bone perfusion using a porcine osteotomy model. DCE-FI with sequentially increasing injury to osseous blood supply was performed in 12 porcine tibias. There were measurable, reproducible and predictable changes to DCE-FI data across each condition have been observed on simple kinetic curve-derived variables as well variables derived from a novel bone-specific kinetic model. The best accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 89%, 88% and 90%, have been achieved to effectively differentiate injured from normal/healthy bone.

There is increasing evidence that pelvic mobility is a critical factor to consider in implant alignment during total hip arthroplasty (THA). Here, we test the feasibility of using an inertial sensor fitted across the sacrum to measure change in pelvic tilt, and hence screen for patients with high pelvic mobility. Patients (n = 32, mean age: 57.4 years) due to receive THA surgery participated in the study. Measures of pelvic tilt were captured simultaneously using the device and radiograph in three functional positions: Standing, flexed-seated, and step-up. We found a strong correlation between the device and radiograph measures for the change in pelvic tilt measure from standing to flexed-seated position (R2 = 0.911), 75% of absolute errors were under 5 degrees. We demonstrated that the device can be used as a screening tool to rapidly identify patients who would benefit from more detailed surgical planning of implant positioning to reduce future risks of impingement and dislocation.

Due to constant integrity challenges, ambiguous definitions, and lack of specific guidance, the food industry has been left vulnerable to food fraud. Food fraud is undefined by the EU, resulting in the creation of varying definitions from researchers and regulatory bodies. Not having a definition of food fraud and related terms makes it challenging to comprehend, communicate and ideate on how to prevent it. Furthermore, the food industry is lacking clear guidance on the prevention and mitigation of food fraud. Several documents are available to help guide the food industry; however, they are nonspecific to supply chains, which has left a substantial gap in knowledge that is necessary to protect the food supply. This review analyzed definitions for food fraud and related terms, as well as current guidance on food fraud prevention and mitigation, which can be utilized by the food industry to find commonality and assess where more information is needed. An abundance of literature describing food fraud was found, and although definitions varied, the common themes of intentional acts and economic motivation were widespread. Additionally, general guidance documents for food fraud mitigation and prevention shared general ideas of supply chain transparency, supplier audits, horizon scanning, and vulnerability assessment, which could be utilized throughout the food industry.

Significance: Extremity injury represents the leading cause of trauma hospitalizations among adults under the age of 65 years, and long-term impairments are often substantial. Restoring function depends, in large part, on bone and soft tissue healing. Thus, decisions around treatment strategy are based on assessment of the healing potential of injured bone and/or soft tissue. However, at the present, this assessment is based on subjective clinical clues and/or cadaveric studies without any objective measure. Optical imaging is an ideal method to solve several of these issues. Aim: The aim is to highlight the current challenges in assessing bone and tissue perfusion/viability and the potentially high impact applications for optical imaging in orthopaedic surgery. Approach: The prospective will review the current challenges faced by the orthopaedic surgeon and briefly discuss optical imaging tools that have been published. With this in mind, it will suggest key research areas that could be evolved to help make surgical assessments more objective and quantitative. Results: Orthopaedic surgical procedures should benefit from incorporation of methods to measure functional blood perfusion or tissue metabolism. The types of measurements though can vary in the depth of tissue sampled, with some being quite superficial and others sensing several millimeters into the tissue. Most of these intrasurgical imaging tools represent an ideal way to improve surgical treatment of orthopaedic injuries due to their inherent point-of-care use and their compatibility with real-time management. Conclusion: While there are several optical measurements to directly measure bone function, the choice of tools can determine also the signal strength and depth of sampling. For orthopaedic surgery, real-time data regarding bone and tissue perfusion should lead to more effective patient-specific management of common orthopaedic conditions, requiring deeper penetrance commonly seen with indocyanine green imaging. This will lower morbidity and result in decreased variability associated with how these conditions are managed.

Increasing demands are being placed on meat producers to verify more about their product with regards to safety, quality and authenticity. There are many methods that can detect aspects of these parameters in meat, yet most are too slow to keep up with the demands of modern meat processing plants and supply chains. A new technology, Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS), has the potential to bridge the gap between advanced laboratory measurements and technology that can screen for quality, safety and authenticity parameters in a single measurement. Analysis with REIMS generates a detailed mass spectral fingerprint representative of a meat sample without the need for sample processing. REIMS has successfully been used to detect species fraud, detect use of hormones in meat animals, monitor meat processing and to detect off flavours such as boar taint. The aim of this review is to summarize these and other applications to highlight the potential of REIMS for meat analysis. Sampling methods and important considerations for data analysis are discussed as well as limitations of the technology and remaining challenges for practical adoption.

Background and Purpose: Periventricular white matter hyperintensities (WMH; PVWMH) and deep WMH (DWMH) are regional classifications of WMH and reflect proposed differences in cause. In the first study, to date, we undertook genome-wide association analyses of DWMH and PVWMH to show that these phenotypes have different genetic underpinnings. Methods: Participants were aged 45 years and older, free of stroke and dementia. We conducted genome-wide association analyses of PVWMH and DWMH in 26,654 participants from CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology), ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro-Imaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis), and the UKB (UK Biobank). Regional correlations were investigated using the genome-wide association analyses -pairwise method. Cross-trait genetic correlations between PVWMH, DWMH, stroke, and dementia were estimated using LDSC. Results: In the discovery and replication analysis, for PVWMH only, we found associations on chromosomes 2 ( NBEAL ), 10q23.1 ( TSPAN14/FAM231A ), and 10q24.33 ( SH3PXD2A). In the much larger combined meta-analysis of all cohorts, we identified ten significant regions for PVWMH: chromosomes 2 (3 regions), 6, 7, 10 (2 regions), 13, 16, and 17q23.1. New loci of interest include 7q36.1 ( NOS3 ) and 16q24.2. In both the discovery/replication and combined analysis, we found genome-wide significant associations for the 17q25.1 locus for both DWMH and PVWMH. Using gene-based association analysis, 19 genes across all regions were identified for PVWMH only, including the new genes: CALCRL (2q32.1), KLHL24 (3q27.1), VCAN (5q27.1), and POLR2F (22q13.1). Thirteen genes in the 17q25.1 locus were significant for both phenotypes. More extensive genetic correlations were observed for PVWMH with small vessel ischemic stroke. There were no associations with dementia for either phenotype. Conclusions: Our study confirms these phenotypes have distinct and also shared genetic architectures. Genetic analyses indicated PVWMH was more associated with ischemic stroke whilst DWMH loci were implicated in vascular, astrocyte, and neuronal function. Our study confirms these phenotypes are distinct neuroimaging classifications and identifies new candidate genes associated with PVWMH only.

Background Fungi have evolved for 1 billion years and due to their adaptability and resilience can be found in multiple habitats around the globe. Among numerous species of fungi, some are pathogenic, and humans have battled since the dawn of organized agriculture to reduce production losses. With the arrival of fungicides many gains have been made in this struggle. However, though fungicides have greatly contributed to substantial increase in agricultural productivity, their over usage has led to both health and environmental repercussions. They remain cornerstone of the agriculture industry, however, development of safer formulations to champion sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture is of great importance, especially in face of a growing global population, climate change and increasing fungal resistance to existing compounds. Scope and approach The aim of this review is to present the state of the art in fungicides formulations developed for agrochemistry, also describing recent improvements in their safety, with special focus on fungicides used most against the ten most important fungal pathogens. Key findings and conclusions The major focus in the field remains to be the improvement of the overall performance of the fungicide formulations. The research trends are also moving towards developing more eco-friendly formulations. However, there are still very few studies assessing nanoformulations toxicity and environmental impact. For example, there is still a limited body of research on the holistic assessment of nanoformulation shells' fate in soil and in the environment after release, as well as redistribution within plants after absorption, with no studies on human or environmental exposure.

Background In Cameroon dietary staples are contaminated with diverse toxic fungal metabolites, known as mycotoxins. Aflatoxins and fumonisins are of particular public health concern, particularly in relation to cancer and/or early life stunting. Mixtures of these toxins are predicted from food measures, and in this work, the levels and frequencies of urinary mycotoxin biomarkers are reported in Cameroonian adults. Methods A single first void urine sample was collected from 89 adults (aged range: 28–85, male 39, female 50) from the city of Yaoundé, Centre Region, Cameroon. Urines were tested for eight distinct mycotoxins using measures of both parent compounds and/or their metabolites by Liquid Chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results Altogether seven distinct mycotoxins, aflatoxin, fumonisin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, nivalenol, ochratoxin A and citrinin, (or their metabolites) were observed in urine samples. At least one mycotoxin was detected in all of the urine samples, 87 (97.8%) of which were above the method’s quantification limit. Aflatoxin M1 was detected in 42% (n.d. − 0.21 µg L− 1) of samples of which about a quarter additionally contained fumonisin B1. Of the remaining toxins deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, nivalenol and citrinin were present in 78%, 99% 95%, 53%, and 87% of the samples respectively. Alternariol was not detected in any sample. Mixtures of mycotoxins in the samples were frequently observed with 64 samples (72%) containing more than five mycotoxins. Estimates of intake exceeded the TDIs for fumonisin (n = 4), deoxynivalenol (n = 1) and zearalenone (n = 2), no TDI is set for aflatoxin. Conclusions This study reveals frequent co-exposure of Cameroonian individuals to a complex mixture of toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins, with mixtures of aflatoxin and fumonisin a particular priority from a public health standpoint.

Rice is one of the most important cereals for human nutrition and is a basic staple food for half of the global population. The assessment of rice geographical origins in terms of its authenticity is of great interest to protect consumers from misleading information and fraud. In the present study, a head space gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-GC–MS) strategy for characterising volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiles to distinguish rice samples from China, India and Vietnam is described. Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) model exhibited a good discrimination (R2 = 0.98182, Q2 = 0.9722, and Accuracy = 1.0) for rice samples from China, India and Vietnam. Moreover, Data-Driven Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (DD-SIMCA) and K-nearest neighbors shown good specificity 100% and accuracy 100% in identifying the origin of samples. The present study established VOC fingerprinting as a highly efficient approach to identify the geographical origin of rice.