Are food exposures obtained through commercial market panels representative of the general population? Implications for outbreak investigations

Current methods of control recruitment for case-control studies can be slow (a particular issue for outbreak investigations), resource-intensive and subject to a range of biases. Commercial market panels are a potential source of rapidly recruited controls. Our study evaluated food exposure data from these panel controls, compared with an established reference dataset. Market panel data were collected from two companies using retrospective internet-based surveys; these were compared with reference data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). We used logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios to compare exposure to each of the 71 food items between the market panel and NDNS participants. We compared 2103 panel controls with 2696 reference participants. Adjusted for socio-demographic factors, exposure to 90% of foods was statistically different between both panels and the reference data. However, these differences were likely to be of limited practical importance for 89% of Panel A foods and 79% of Panel B foods. Market panel food exposures were comparable with reference data for common food exposures but more likely to be different for uncommon exposures. This approach should be considered for outbreak investigation, in conjunction with other considerations such as population at risk, timeliness of response and study resources

The Penguin: a Low Reynolds Number Powered Glider for Station Keeping Missions

The Penguin is a low Reynolds number (approx. 100,000) remotely piloted vehicle (RPV). It was designed to fly three laps indoors around two pylons in a figure-eight course while maximizing loiter time. The Penguin's low Reynolds number mission is an important one currently being studied for possible future flights in the atmospheres of other planets and for specialized military missions. Although the Penguin's mission seemed quite simple at first, the challenges of such low Reynolds number flight have proven to be quite unique. In addition to the constraint of low Reynolds number flight, the aircraft had to be robust in its control, highly durable, and it had to carry a small instrument package. The Penguin's flight plan, concept, performance, aerodynamic design, weight estimation, structural design, propulsion, stability and control, and cost estimate is detailed

Constitutive and life modeling of single crystal blade alloys for root attachment analysis

Work to develop fatigue life prediction and constitutive models for uncoated attachment regions of single crystal gas turbine blades is described. At temperatures relevant to attachment regions, deformation is dominated by slip on crystallographic planes. However, fatigue crack initiation and early crack growth are not always observed to be crystallographic. The influence of natural occurring microporosity will be investigated by testing both hot isostatically pressed and conventionally cast PWA 1480 single crystal specimens. Several differnt specimen configurations and orientations relative to the natural crystal axes are being tested to investigate the influence of notch acuity and the material's anisotropy. Global and slip system stresses in the notched regions were determined from three dimensional stress analyses and will be used to develop fatigue life prediction models consistent with the observed lives and crack characteristics

"Austropop" : Stationen der Entwicklung einer nationalen Pop- und Rockmusik

Urban stormwater is a crucial resource at a time when climate change and population growth threaten freshwater supplies; but there are health risks from contaminants, such as toxic metals. It is vitally important to understand how to use this resource safely and responsibly. Our study investigated the extent of metal contamination in vegetable crops irrigated with stormwater under short- and long-term conditions. We created artificially aged gardens by adding metal-contaminated sediment to soil, simulating accumulation of metals in the soil from irrigation with raw stormwater over zero, five and ten years. Our crops--French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), and beetroot (Beta vulgaris)--were irrigated twice a week for 11 weeks, with either synthetic stormwater or potable water. They were then tested for concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn. An accumulation of Pb was the most marked sign of contamination, with six of nine French bean and seven of nine beetroot leaf samples breaching Australia's existing guidelines. Metal concentration in a crop tended to increase with the effective age of the garden; but importantly, its rate of increase did not match the rate of increase in the soil. Our study also highlighted differences in sensitivity between different crop types. French bean demonstrated the highest levels of uptake, while kale displayed restrictive behaviour. Our study makes it clear: irrigation with stormwater is indeed feasible, as long as appropriate crops are selected and media are frequently turned over. We have also shown that an understanding of such risks yields meaningful information on appropriate safeguards. A holistic approach is needed--to account for all routes to toxic metal exposure, including especially Pb. A major outcome of our study is critical information for minimising health risks from stormwater irrigation of crops

Replacing Members with Managers? Mutualism among Membership and Nonmembership Advocacy Organizations in the United States

Associations with a professional staff but no members (nonmembership advocacy organizations, or NMAOs) are the subject of lively debate. Many argue that their proliferation has allowed an expansion of advocacy without an accompanying growth in civic engagement. This article asks if there has been significant recent growth of NMAOs and if those organizations have displaced membership advocacy organizations (MAOs). The authors find no evidence for a proportional increase of NMAOs since the 1960s. Further, among all organizations in three populationspeace, women's issues, and human rightsNMAOs have not displaced MAOs. In particular, the authors find that MAO density shapes NMAO founding, as membership groups provide a base for professional advocacy. These findings challenge the notion that U.S. civic life has undergone a systemic transformation away from organizational forms that promote civic engagement

Fish Kills 1969-1987

A total of 66 fish kills were reported to the Regional Fisheries Boards in 1986 and 122 in 1987. Effluents from agriculture and agriculture-based industries accounted for 56 of the kills in 1986 and 95 in 1987. When the two periods, 1969-74 and 1980-87 are compared, it can be seen that the numbers caused by sewage and industrial wastes have not changed significantly, but the damage from agriculture has risen at an alarming rate. The fact that problems from sewage and industry remained at a low level in the period, in spite of increasing urbanisation, suggests that measures to combat these sources of pollution have had some effect. Analysis of the fish kills shows clearly that the most urgent problem is to discover how silage effluent can be controlled

Salmon movements in Galway Bay in 1978 and 1979

In 1978 tagging investigations commenced into the origin of salmon caught in drift nets in Galway Bay. This fishery began in 1969 with a catch of 355 fish and, by 1975 had increased dramatically to 33,607. However the catch declined to less than half the maximum and in 1979 was down to 15,171. There are 76 drift net licences in the Bay which incorporates two fishery districts, Galway and Connemara. The vessels used vary from 5 metre currachs to 20 metre trawlers. The majority of the boats are half deckers of between 9 and 11 metres. The fishery starts in mid-May but the bulk of the catch is taken in June and July. The main component of the catch is grilse with an average weight of 3 kg. During the period fishing is carried on over 24 hours daily except for the weekly close season time. The fishery extends from west of a straight line from Spiddal Harbour to Blackhead, Co Clare in the east , and from Slyne Head to Hag's Head, Co. Clare in the west and also incorporates the Aran Islands. Drift nets are shot at right angles to the coastline in roughly a north-south direction, all vessels staying quite close to land, the furthest distance out being 2km. The maximum length of net permitted in the area is 730 metres or 800 yards. The majority of boats fished nets of this length; however some of the smaller craft used nets as short as 300 metres. All nets are 30 meshes deep. Throughout the programme fish were tagged using Lea's hydrostatic tags described by Went (1951). As in previous tagging programmes, recovery baths were used to ensure that only the fittest fish were released after tagging

Movement of Salmon from the South Coast in 1975

In 1973, tagging investigations commenced into the origin of the salmon stocks being exploited by drift nets along the south coast of Ireland (8º0’W - 10º0’W). The exploitation of these stocks commenced in 1968 with a catch of 1,500 fish and by 1975 the catch had increased to 90,400. The results of the 1973-1974 programme and a description of the fishing methods used have been published in Fishery Leaflet No. 67. Throughout the programme, fish were tagged using Lea’s hydrostatic tags described by Went (1951). A marked difference in returns was observed in 1975 between salmon revived in sea water tanks and those released directly after tagging, In the former, a 14.8% recapture rate was recorded, compared with 6% in the case of salmon released immediately after tagging