Modelling a two-dimensional spatial distribution of mycotoxin concentration in bulk commodities to design effective and efficient sample selection strategies

Mycotoxins in agricultural commodities are a hazard to human and animal health. Their heterogeneous spatial distribution in bulk storage or transport makes it particularly difficult to design effective and efficient sampling plans. There has been considerable emphasis on identifying the different sources of uncertainty associated with mycotoxin concentration estimations, but much less on identifying the effect of the spatial location of the sampling points. This study used a two-dimensional statistical modelling approach to produce detailed information on appropriate sampling strategies for surveillance of mycotoxins in raw food commodities. The emphasis was on deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in large lots of grain in storage or bulk transport. The aim was to simulate a range of plausible distributions of mycotoxins in grain from a set of parameters characterising the distributions. For this purpose, a model was developed to generate data sets which were repeatedly sampled to investigate the effect that sampling strategy and the number of incremental samples has on determining the statistical properties of mycotoxin concentration. Results showed that, for most sample sizes, a regular grid proved to be more consistent and accurate in the estimation of the mean concentration of DON, which suggests that regular sampling strategies should be preferred to random sampling, where possible. For both strategies, the accuracy of the estimation of the mean concentration increased significantly up to sample sizes of 40-60 (depending on the simulation). The effect of sample size was small when it exceeded 60 points, which suggests that the maximum sample size required is of this order. Similar conclusions about the sample size apply to OTA, although the difference between regular and random sampling was small and probably negligible for most sample sizes

Good vibrations: Do electrical therapeutic massagers work?

Health, leisure and beauty activities are increasing in popularity, with a particular emphasis on self-help and alternative health practices. One product type that has increased sales with this expansion is the hand-held electric massager. These are products that use vibration as a means of alleviating muscular strains and pains, as well as promoting relaxation. Paradoxically, these products are extremely popular as gifts, but are soon discarded. A multi-disciplinary research team was commissioned by a British manufacturer of electrical consumer products to investigate user attitudes and perceptions of existing massagers, to identify areas of user dissatisfaction. The manufacturer was also concerned about a possible stigma attached to these products because of an association with sex aids. This paper provides an account of the perceptions of both consumers and therapists regarding the use of these products. Identifying the differences between the perceptions of consumers and therapists should help provide a basis for effective integration of user needs, manufacturer requirements, designers’ skills and sound therapeutic practice. The results provide insight to support the development of more effective hand-held massagers

The Production of Hospitable Space: Commercial Propositions and Consumer Co-Creation in a Bar Operation

This paper examines the processes through which a commercial bar is transformed into a hospitable space. Drawing on a study of a venue patronized by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual/transgender consumers, it considers how social and commercial forms of hospitality are mobilized. The paper argues that hospitable space has an ideological, normative and situational dimension. More specifically, it suggests the bar’s operation is tied to a set of ideological conceptions, which become the potential basis of association and disassociation among consumers. It examines the forces and processes that shape who participates in the production and consumption of hospitality and how. Finally, it considers the situational, emergent nature of hospitality and the discontinuous production of hospitable space. Rather than focusing exclusively on host-guest or provider-customer relations, which dominates existing work on hospitality, the paper examines how consumers’ perceptions, actions and interactions shape the production of hospitality. By doing so the paper offers an alternative approach to understanding queer spaces, bar operation as well as hospitality

FEL research and development at STFC Daresbury laboratory

In this paper we present an overview of current and proposed FEL developments at STFC Daresbury Laboratory in the UK. We discuss progress on the ALICE IR-FEL since first lasing in October 2010, covering the optimisation of the FEL performance, progress on the demonstration of a single shot cross correlation experiment and the results obtained so far with a Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy beamline. We discuss a proposal for a 250 MeV single pass FEL test facility named CLARA to be built at Daresbury and dedicated to research for future light source applications. Finally we present a brief overview of other recent research highlights

Systematic review of multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans

Background. GulfWar veterans have a number of health complaints. We therefore decided to carry out a systematic review to identify and summarize the findings from studies that have assessed multi-symptom conditions in Gulf War veterans and in an unexposed comparison group. Method. Studies published between January 1990 and May 2004 were identified by searching a large number of electronic databases. Reference lists and websites were also searched and key researchers were contacted. Studies were included if they compared the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, CDC-defined chronic multi-symptom illness, fibromyalgia,or symptoms of either fatigue or numbness and tingling in Gulf War veterans and non-Gulf veterans. A total of 2401 abstracts were independently reviewed by two authors. Results. Twenty-three publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Gulf deployment was most strongly associated with chronic fatigue syndrome (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.2–6.7). Gulf War veterans were also approximately three and a half times more likely than non-Gulf veterans to report multiple chemical sensitivity or chronic multi-symptom illness as defined by CDC. The methodological quality of the studies varied but the later and larger studies were of a high methodological standard with robust sampling strategies, adequate response rates and good adjustment for confounders. Conclusions. The results support the hypothesis that deployment to the Gulf War is associated with greater reporting of multi-symptom conditions

Use of wastewater from passenger ships to assess the movement of COVID-19 and other pathogenic viruses across maritime international boundaries

Objective:: The worldwide spread of SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic has been driven by international travel. This has led to the desire to develop surveillance approaches which can estimate the rate of import of pathogenic organisms across international borders. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of wastewater-based approaches for the surveillance of viral pathogens on commercial short-haul (3.5 h transit time) roll-on/roll-off passenger/freight ferries operating between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Methods: Samples of toilet-derived wastewater (blackwater) were collected from two commercial ships over a 4-week period and analysed for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, enterovirus, norovirus, the faecal-marker virus crAssphage and a range of physical and chemical indicators of wastewater quality. Results: A small proportion of the wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (8% of the total), consistent with theoretical predictions of detection frequency (4%–15% of the total) based on the national COVID-19 Infection Survey and defecation behaviour. In addition, norovirus was detected in wastewater at low frequency. No influenza A/B viruses, enterovirus or enterovirus D68 were detected throughout the study period. Conclusion: We conclude that testing of wastewater from ships that cross international maritime boundaries may provide a cost-effective and relatively unbiased method to estimate the flow of infected individuals between countries. The approach is also readily applicable for the surveillance of other disease-causing agents