Home Freezer Research Articles

Self-reported psychological stress among men and semen quality in a prospective, preconception cohort

Background: Semen quality is frequently used as a marker for male reproductive health, and psychological stress has been shown to affect the body systemically, causing disruptions in the autonomic and neuroendocrine systems, among others. Objective: Examine associations between self-reported daily stress and semen quality parameters among men trying to conceive. Methods: A prospective, preconception cohort of 183 heterosexual couples (women 18–35, men 18–40), without known infertility or subfertility, were recruited. Women observed cervical mucus to identify an estimated day of ovulation and fertile window (FW). Men recorded self-perceived stress daily on a scale from 0 (none) to 10 (high) during the woman’s FW. Semen samples were collected using a semen collection device after the FW and were frozen in the home freezer. 85 men having at least one semen sample and recorded stress measures were analyzed. Intrapersonal variability, which quantifies a man’s deviation from his own baseline stress, was calculated in addition to mean stress. Linear mixed-effects models for repeated measurements were used to estimate associations. Results: The geometric mean (GM) of the total sperm count was 161.4 (95% CI: 141.2, 184.5) M, and the GM for concentration was 59.6 (95% CI: 52.8, 67.4) M/mL. Models controlled for age, BMI, abstinence days prior to collection, mean stress over the previous 45 days, and interactions between age, BMI, and stress. For a unit increase in Z-score of a man’s variability in self-reported stress levels, while holding mean stress fixed at the population mean, his total sperm count decreased by 15.0% (95% CI: 3.1%, 25.4%), and his sperm concentration decreased by 14.6% (95% CI: 4.5%, 23.7%). No significant associations with stress and semen volume were observed. Discussion: High intrapersonal variability in a man’s stress level was associated with decreased total sperm count and decreased concentration, but not semen volume.

Life-cycle assessment of fresh and frozen chestnut

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) has been applied to calculate the environmental impacts of various nuts; however, no studies were found for chestnut. This article presents a LCA of fresh and frozen chestnut produced in Portugal, intended both for export and domestic consumption. A “cradle-to-plate” life-cycle model was implemented considering cultivation, two types of processing (fresh and frozen chestnut), domestic and international distribution, retail, home storage, and cooking. Different markets (consumer locations) and alternative transport modes were assessed. Variability in cultivation and two alternative household storage times for frozen chestnut (45 days or six months) were also analyzed. Cultivation contributed most to the life-cycle impacts of both fresh and frozen chestnut (from 34% to 98%), mainly due to diesel and fertilizer use. Frozen chestnut presented higher impacts than fresh due to higher energy requirements for frozen storage (factory, retail and household) and processing losses. Post-harvest stages, particularly home storage and cooking, contribute significantly to life-cycle impacts. Important differences between the locations of final consumption were found due to differences in the electricity mix of the various countries. Furthermore, increasing storage time in the home freezer from 45 days to six months can lead to considerably higher life-cycle impacts. The consumption of products out of season can present significantly higher impacts than fresh; however, chestnut (fresh or frozen) shipped by air showed higher impacts than off-season. To mitigate the environmental impacts of chestnut, it is important to improve fertilizer and fuel use, as well as to reduce energy use in storage and cooking.

Reducing domestic food waste by freezing at home

It is estimated that over 630,000 tonnes of ‘freezable’ food, worth up to £2.3 billion, are thrown away by UK consumers each year due to having passed labelled ‘use by’ dates or being perceived to have spoilt. Much of this food could instead have been frozen for later consumption, but research has shown that consumers are often uncertain about suitability of products for home freezing. A two-part study was therefore undertaken, starting with a literature and internet-based information review which found that although the majority of products are reported as suitable for home freezing, there is conflicting advice on some products and also marked differences between reported storage lives. As increased use of freezers would lead to greater energy consumption, the review was followed by an experimental assessment which found that the value and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the saved food far outweighed those associated with the additional energy.

Marination and packaging impact on textural properties of home-frozen broiler breast fillets

Different packaging is available to consumers, and marination is widely applied. However, their effects on the quality of broiler breast fillets during home freezing are not well known to consumers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of packaging materials on the quality of chicken breast fillets after 1, 3, and 6 wk storage at −18°C. A total of 256 fillet were randomly placed in tray packs, freezer bags, butcher paper, and nonpackaged controls. Samples were analyzed for raw pH, color, percent moisture content, and TBA reactive substances (TBARS) at d 0 (only nonpackaged controls), wk 1, 3, and 6, and cooked texture and sensory attributes at wk 1 and 6. There were differences (P < 0.05) in pH, color, percent moisture content, and texture among the treatments by wk 6, but no differences (P < 0.05) in TBARS values and the sensory evaluation (tenderness, juiciness, and overall flavor) were seen. Consumers were not able to detect quality differences (P < 0.05) among treatments despite analytical differences. Experiment 2 was conducted to evaluate the effects of marination on the quality of chicken breast fillets after 2 wk of storage in a home freezer (−18°C). A total of 240 fillets were used in the treatments: nonmarinated fresh nonfrozen, nonmarinated frozen, marinated fresh nonfrozen, and marinated frozen. Fillets were vacuum-tumbled in a 10% solution yielding a final concentration of 0.45% sodium tripolyphosphate and 0.65% salt in the meat. Raw samples were evaluated for color, TBARS, and thaw loss. Cooked samples after 2 wk of storage were analyzed for cook loss, texture, moisture, and sensory evaluation (color, juiciness, tenderness, overall flavor, and preference). Both marinated samples showed better (P < 0.05) quality in terms of L* value, TBARS, cook loss, texture, moisture content, and better sensory attributes (except color) than nonmarinated samples. Quality of marinated samples was not negatively affected by home freezing after 2 wk.

Effect of freezing method and frozen storage duration on odor-active compounds and sensory perception of lamb

The effects of different freezing methods (nitrogen freezing tunnel, air blast freezer and home freezer) and frozen storage duration (1month and 10months) have been studied by sensory analyses and chemical analyses of odor-active compounds. The sensory analyses showed that fresh meat was significantly (p<0.05) juicier than frozen meat. Meat frozen in the air blast freezer (ABF) and stored during 10months had the highest lamb flavor intensity, significantly different from meat frozen in a home freezer (stored for 1 and 10months) or in a nitrogen tunnel and stored for 1month. The fresh sample was characterized by lower levels of Strecker aldehydes, 2-phenoxyethanol, cresols and to a lesser extent 2-methylbenzaldehyde, and higher levels of furaneol, which was not even detected in frozen samples. These compounds, together with the relative levels of octanoic acid and ethyl hexanoate, could be used as markers to detect whether lamb meat has been frozen. In chemical terms, the ABF samples were the most similar to fresh meat. Remarkably, in most cases the relative chemical aroma composition had no significant differences as a result of freezing. This helps explain the high sensory similarity observed. Only pyrazine levels changed significantly with frozen storage duration. No oxidation aromas or rancidity have been detected in fresh or frozen lamb.

EFFECT OF BLANCHING TREATMENTS AND FROZEN STORAGE ON THE QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF FROZEN ARTICHOKE

The aim of this study is to make Artichoke available all the year around and to compare the effect of blanching methods on the physical and chemical properties of the artichoke under study. Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus) Balady cv. was brought from Qaha Experimental Farm, Qalyoubia Governorate, and blanched within 10 hours of harvest. It was blanched by three methods. Conventional, boiling in 0.3%citric acid solution for a period of 2,4 and 6 minutes, Steam under atmospheric pressure for 10, 15, and 20 minutes. Bracts were heated in microwave using non rigid thermoplastic bags filled with 60 ml 0.3% citric acid solution for 2,3 and 4 minutes. The blanched bracts were cooled down, drained, packed in polyethylene pouches under vacuum, sealed, labeled, frozen at - 20oC and stored in deep Freezer at -18oC ±2 for six months .The effect of blanching treatment before and after being blanched on peroxidase activities, color ,firmness, ascorbic acid, dry matter, amino nitrogen and mineral contents including (Ca, P, Mn, Na, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu) were studied and discussed. This indicates better quality for Microwave blanched artichoke. Also, Changes in chemical composition of artichoke after being frozen and stored for six months were meagre . Also, changes in chemical composition as well as organoleptic properties of the frozen stored artichoke were evaluated after being cooked which indicates better quality for Microwave blanched artichoke that retained the greatest amount of ascorbic acid and had lighter appearance, good visual color, texture and flavor scores as revealed by the organoleptic panel test. The study indicated that the overall quality of Microwave blanched Artichoke was as good as or superior to boiling water and steam blanched vegetables. Microwave blanching is a suitable alternative to boiling water or steam blanching when preparing vegetables for home freezing .

Storage conditions of intestinal microbiota matter in metagenomic analysis

BackgroundThe structure and function of human gut microbiota is currently inferred from metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. Recovery of intact DNA and RNA is therefore a critical step in these studies. Here, we evaluated how different storage conditions of fecal samples affect the quality of extracted nucleic acids and the stability of their microbial communities.ResultsWe assessed the quality of genomic DNA and total RNA by microcapillary electrophoresis and analyzed the bacterial community structure by pyrosequencing the 16S rRNA gene. DNA and RNA started to fragment when samples were kept at room temperature for more than 24 h. The use of RNAse inhibitors diminished RNA degradation but this protection was not consistent among individuals. DNA and RNA degradation also occurred when frozen samples were defrosted for a short period (1 h) before nucleic acid extraction. The same conditions that affected DNA and RNA integrity also altered the relative abundance of most taxa in the bacterial community analysis. In this case, intra-individual variability of microbial diversity was larger than inter-individual one.ConclusionsThough this preliminary work explored a very limited number of parameters, the results suggest that storage conditions of fecal samples affect the integrity of DNA and RNA and the composition of their microbial community. For optimal preservation, stool samples should be kept at room temperature and brought at the laboratory within 24 h after collection or be stored immediately at −20°C in a home freezer and transported afterwards in a freezer pack to ensure that they do not defrost at any time. Mixing the samples with RNAse inhibitors outside the laboratory is not recommended since proper homogenization of the stool is difficult to monitor.

Survey of Belgian consumption patterns and consumer behaviour of poultry meat to provide insight in risk factors for campylobacteriosis

A survey was set-up using a web-application supplemented with a print-out questionnaire to gather knowledge on consumption patterns and consumer behaviour in the storage and preparation of poultry meat, in particular poultry meat preparations for Belgian adults. In total 1618 respondents were reached. The survey included questions on risk factors associated with campylobacteriosis i.e. storage conditions, potential for cross-contamination and undercooking. Almost 61% of the respondents have identified home freezing of fresh poultry meat as a common storage technique. Several cross-contamination routes in the kitchen are confirmed, e.g. putting cooked poultry meat at the same plate of the raw poultry meat (11.2%), not washing hands after handling raw poultry meat (11%), using the same knife (6.7%) or cutting board (8.2%) for the vegetables which was prior used for the poultry meat. Although the majority of the respondents indicated to eat their poultry meat well-cooked (96% for poultry meat preparations to 98.4% for broiler), 16% would eat not well-cooked poultry meat if served at a barbecue. Poultry parts not marinated or seasoned was ranked as eaten the most, followed by broiler and next meat preparations (with first the marinated/seasoned poultry cuts and second the minced poultry meat preparations). The gathered consumer data may now be incorporated into a retail to fork quantitative risk assessment model for poultry meat preparations to estimate the risk for campylobacteriosis to the Belgian consumer and to enable the evaluation of risk mitigation strategies (to support risk managers) in the consumer phase. A proper comparison of the contribution of the different pathways to consumers’ exposure (i.e. effect of freezing during storage, prevalence of undercooking and cross-contamination) to Campylobacter bacteria may now be performed.

Effect of Natural Antioxidant Sources on Oxidation of Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and Fish Feed during Storage

The effects of various natural antioxidant sources on oxidation of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and fish diet during storage was determined. Juvenile fish were distributed among 18 flow-through tanks (40 fish per tank). Six experimental diets were prepared in triplicate: control (CT), antitox (AT), green tea extract (GE), fig extract (FE), Haeroc product (HP) and by-product of green tea (BG). The experimental diets were stored at two temperatures: room temperature (<TEX>$26.8^{\circ}C$</TEX>) for 14 days and frozen (<TEX>$-30^{\circ}C$</TEX>) for 16 weeks. Thirty fish were sampled from each tank at the end of the 8-week feeding trial. Whole bodies of fish were homogenized and stored in a home freezer (<TEX>$-9.6^{\circ}C$</TEX>) for 24 weeks. Acid values (AVs) and peroxide values (POVs) of the diets and frozen fish during storage were monitored. AVs of the experimental diets tended to increase with the storage period except for that of the HP diet at room temperature. POVs from FE, CT, and BG diets peaked at day 7 and then decreased through the remainder of the experiment. AVs of the experimental diets and fish increased with time at <TEX>$-30^{\circ}C$</TEX> and <TEX>$-9.6^{\circ}C$</TEX>. Results of this study show that by-products of green tea and Haeroc product seem to have potential as antioxidants in fish feed to inhibit oxidation of both the feed and fish during storage.

Autopsy of two frozen newborn infants discovered in a home freezer

Two newborn infants (one male and one female) were discovered dead and frozen in a home freezer. Although thawing is expected to lead to changes that may hamper postmortem investigations, the victims could not be examined in the frozen state and were thus immersed in saline at 37 °C to completely thaw them over about 90 min. Autolysis and putrefaction were not evident, postmortem changes were slight, and the internal organs were soft, allowing a thorough examination, including an autopsy and a histological investigation. Autopsy showed that both infants were full-term at the time of death. Hydrostatic tests of the lung and stomach indicated that the infants had been born alive, and based on histological analyses of pulmonary alveoli and bronchioles, they had started breathing. Malformations, pathological findings, and signs of suspected asphyxia were absent, and we assume that the infants were very likely to have been murdered. However, the cause of death is not yet fully understood. Although a police investigation revealed that the infants were smothered by occlusion of the mouth and nose and then frozen, there were no injuries on the skin around the nose and mouth. Nonetheless, we concluded that none of the postmortem findings were in conflict with this suspected mechanism of death. As these infants had been kept frozen since their death and thawed to body temperature as rapidly as possible in saline at 37 °C, their bodies were well preserved, which was helpful for the postmortem investigation.

On the Quality of Sponge Cake during Storage in Home Freezer

On the Quality of Sponge Cake during Storage in Home Freezer

Effect of Maternal Egg Consumption on Breast Milk Ovalbumin Concentration

Palmer D, Gold M, Makridess M. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008;38(7):1186–1191PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. To assess human milk ovalbumin concentrations after daily maternal ingestion of 1 cooked egg for a 3-week period.STUDY POPULATION. There were 32 mothers of singleton, breastfed, egg-sensitive infants with moderate-to-severe eczema. Egg sensitivity was identified by a positive skin-prick test result. Eczema was evaluated by using a standardized scoring system.METHODS. Families had an initial home visit by an experienced dietitian, which involved collection of demographic and dietary information. All women and children were asked to follow an egg-free diet from day 1 through the duration of the trial. Adherence to the egg-free diet was assessed via detailed dietary intake records for both mothers and children on days 1 to 3, 10 to 12, and 21 to 23. Mothers were randomly allocated to receive identical-appearing egg-free muffins or muffins containing 1 (55 g) whole egg. Each mother was given a 3-week supply of frozen muffins corresponding to her randomization group and consumed 1 muffin per day on days 3 through 23. Atopic dermatitis assessments were performed for each child at the commencement and completion of the trial. The mothers completed the Infant's Dermatitis Quality of Life Index 3 times during the trial. On days 3, 12, and 23, the mothers manually expressed 5 mL of breast milk into sterile containers before and 2, 4, and 6 hours after eating the test muffin. Breast milk samples were stored in the home freezer and collected on day 24. The breast milk samples were queried for ovalbumin concentration by using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Breast milk ovalbumin concentrations (nanograms per milliliter) were plotted against time, and the resulting curve was used to determine peak ovalbumin concentrations and total ovalbumin excretions (nanograms per milliliter per hour). Independent-sample t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Pearson's χ2 tests were used to investigate differences between the diet groups.RESULTS. Women in the egg group had higher ovalbumin concentrations in breast milk than did the control group at all time points. Within each dietary group, the frequency of ovalbumin detection, peak ovalbumin concentration, and total ovalbumin excretion did not differ at days 3, 12, and 23. Ovalbumin was not detected in the breast milk of 25% of the women in the egg group. Infant eczema symptom scores were significantly reduced with time for both groups.CONCLUSIONS. Human milk ovalbumin is related to maternal dietary egg intake. Comparable detection of ovalbumin across time suggests that ovalbumin does not accumulate in human milk. One quarter of the women had no ovalbumin detected in their breast milk on any of the study days, which suggests that some women either do not excrete ovalbumin in their breast milk when challenged with 1 egg or have delayed excretion beyond 6 hours. Maternal dietary avoidance of well-cooked egg may not be necessary for all breastfed infants with egg sensitivity and eczema.REVIEWERS COMMENTS. For breastfed infants with food allergy, strict avoidance of the offending food proteins for both mother and child is frequently recommended. Total dietary avoidance of egg is difficult for patients to achieve. Additional study is needed to substantiate or to refute the preliminary observation that regular maternal ingestion of a small quantity of well-cooked egg did not markedly exacerbate eczema symptoms in egg-sensitive breastfed infants.

Fate of Listeria monocytogenes during freezing, thawing and home storage of frankfurters

Little information is available regarding the fate of Listeria monocytogenes during freezing, thawing and home storage of frankfurters even though recent surveys show that consumers regularly store unopened packages in home freezers. This study examined the effects of antimicrobials, refrigerated storage, freezing, thawing method, and post-thawing storage (7 °C) on L. monocytogenes on frankfurters. Inoculated (2.1 log CFU/cm 2) frankfurters formulated without (control) or with antimicrobials (1.5% potassium lactate plus 0.1% sodium diacetate) were vacuum-packaged, stored at 4 °C for 6 or 30 d and then frozen (−15 °C) for 10, 30, or 50 d. Packages were thawed under refrigeration (7 °C, 24 h), on a countertop (23 ± 2 °C, 8 h), or in a microwave oven (2450 MHz, 1100 watts, 220 s followed by 120 s holding), and then stored aerobically (7 °C) for 14 d. Bacterial populations were enumerated on PALCAM agar and tryptic soy agar plus 0.6% yeast extract. Antimicrobials completely inhibited ( p < 0.05) growth of L. monocytogenes at 4 °C for 30 d under vacuum-packaged conditions, and during post-thawing aerobic storage at 7 °C for 14 d. Different intervals between inoculation and freezing (6 or 30 d) resulted in different pathogen levels on control frankfurters (2.1 or 3.9 log CFU/cm 2, respectively), while freezing reduced counts by <1.0 log CFU/cm 2. Thawing treatments had little effect on L. monocytogenes populations (<0.5 log CFU/cm 2), and post-thawing fate of L. monocytogenes was not influenced by freezing or by thawing method. Pathogen counts on control samples increased by 1.5 log CFU/cm 2 at d-7 of aerobic storage, and reached 5.6 log CFU/cm 2 at d-14. As indicated by these results, consumers should freeze frankfurters immediately after purchase, and discard frankfurters formulated without antimicrobials within 3 d of thawing and/or opening.

Crohn's Disease and Early Exposure to Domestic Refrigeration

BackgroundEnvironmental risk factors playing a causative role in Crohn's Disease (CD) remain largely unknown. Recently, it has been suggested that refrigerated food could be involved in disease development. We thus conducted a pilot case control study to explore the association of CD with the exposure to domestic refrigeration in childhood.Methodology/Principal FindingsUsing a standard questionnaire we interviewed 199 CD cases and 207 age-matched patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as controls. Cases and controls were followed by the same gastroenterologists of tertiary referral clinics in Tehran, Iran. The questionnaire focused on the date of the first acquisition of home refrigerator and freezer. Data were analysed by a multivariate logistic model. The current age was in average 34 years in CD cases and the percentage of females in the case and control groups were respectively 48.3% and 63.7%. Patients were exposed earlier than controls to the refrigerator (X2 = 9.9, df = 3, P = 0.04) and refrigerator exposure at birth was found to be a risk factor for CD (OR = 2.08 (95% CI: 1.01–4.29), P = 0.05). Comparable results were obtained looking for the exposure to freezer at home. Finally, among the other recorded items reflecting the hygiene and comfort at home, we also found personal television, car and washing machine associated with CD.ConclusionThis study supports the opinion that CD is associated with exposure to domestic refrigeration, among other household factors, during childhood.

Effect of Home Freezing and Italian Style of Cooking on Antioxidant Activity of Edible Vegetables

In this study, we analyzed the modifications of antioxidant activity consequent to 3 typical home cooking practices (steaming, boiling, and microwave cooking) in fresh and home frozen vegetables. Six different vegetable species were examined: carrots (Daucus carota L.), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.), tomatoes (Solanumn lycopersicum L.), green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), peas (Pisum sativum L.), and yellow peppers (Capsicum annuum L.). All vegetables were conventional products and were analyzed in season to minimize differences due to agricultural practice and storage. Cooking and freezing are generally regarded as destructive to antioxidants, and this has fostered a belief among many consumers that raw vegetables are nutritionally superior to their frozen and/or cooked forms. In the current study, we provide evidence that this is not always the case.

Economics of Reducing Campylobacter at Different Levels within the Belgian Poultry Meat Chain

Campylobacter infections pose a serious public health problem in Belgium. Poultry meat is most likely responsible for 40% of human campylobacteriosis cases in Belgium. On a yearly basis, consumption of poultry meat causes at least 22,000 campylobacteriosis cases, with a cost of illness of €10.9 million. Several intervention measures have been proposed in literature, aiming to reduce the contamination of poultry meat and thus lead to significant reductions of human campylobacteriosis cases. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-benefit ratio, i.e., the ratio of reduced costs of illness on intervention costs of various intervention measures. These measures were selected by representatives from the poultry meat sector and experts in the field of poultry science. The selection comprised measures at the farm level (phage therapy), at the processing plant (spraying of carcasses with lactic acid or electrolyzed oxidizing water, crust freezing, or irradiation), and at the consumer level (improving kitchen hygiene and application of home freezing). Among these measures, the decontamination of carcasses with electrolyzed oxidizing water applied in the processing plant was the most efficient (17.66), followed by the use of lactic acid (4.06). In addition, phage therapy generated a positive cost-benefit ratio (2.54). Irradiation indicated the highest efficacy, but its cost-benefit ratio was rather low (0.31). There seems to be less gain by trying to improve food handling in the kitchen. The cost to reach consumers is large, while only a very limited fraction of the consumers is willing to change its behavior. The outcome of this study poses valuable information for future risk-management decisions in Belgium.

Influence of Home Freezing and Storage on Vitamin C Contents of Some Vegetables

Influence of Home Freezing and Storage on Vitamin C Contents of Some Vegetables

Condensing Practices

In the UK, the majority of households have a freezer and by most criteria it would be fair to say that home freezing and frozen food provisioning reached sociotechnical ‘closure’ some 20 years ago or more. Detailed examination of how people actually live with freezers suggests, by contrast, that associated consumption practices and processes are varied, unstable and subject to change. Interviews with representatives of 40 households provide new insight into the ways in which discursive, material and temporal aspects of daily life condense around the freezer. In analysing these experiences, we suggest that freezing is persistently dynamic because the freezer figures as an orchestrating node around which multiple aspects of consumption and provision converge.We show how different ways of living with a freezer are negotiated and maintained and we discuss the relation between household practices and the systems of provision with which they intersect.We suggest that concepts like those of ‘domestication’ and ‘normalization’ fail to capture the persistently dynamic status of material objects in daily life, or their constitutive role in systems of social order. In response, we argue for an analysis of ‘normalization’ as an ongoing achievement, and for an interpretation of freezing as a surprisingly performative process involving the active integration of materials, ideologies and skills.

The epidemiology of human trichinellosis in China during 2000–2003

The endemic foci of trichinellosis continue to be mainly located in the southwestern, the central and northeastern China. The seroepidemiological surveys of T. spiralis infection in humans were carried out in six Provinces or Municipals (P/M) of China during 2000–2003, the overall seroprevalence was 3.57%. From 2000 to 2003, 17 outbreaks of human trichinellosis, with 828 cases and 11 deaths, were recorded in 8 P/A of China. All of 11 deaths occurred in the southwestern China (1 case in Sichuan, 4 cases in Tibet and 6 cases in Yunnan), where the ethnic groups have the habit of eating raw meat. Pork is the predominant source of outbreaks of human trichinellosis in China. Out of 17 outbreaks, 13 (76.47%) outbreaks were caused by eating raw or poorly cooked pork, 2 (11.77%) outbreaks caused by eating raw dog meat and 2 (11.77%) outbreaks by eating game meat (wild boar and bear), suggesting the increasing significance of dog and game meat as source of infection for human trichinellosis. The partial effects of health education interventions for control of trichinellosis have been achieved in some counties of Yunnan province. The number of inhabitants eating raw meat has decreased from 72.74% (1561/2146) before interventions to 47.43% (489/1031) after interventions. The decrease of incidence of trichinellosis in China during the past 4 years was probably due to a combination of factors, including the reduction in the prevalence of Trichinella infection in domestic swine, the strengthened meat inspection, the increased use of home freezers and the development of heath education practice.

唾液中バルプロ酸（ＶＰＡ）濃度測定による在宅ＴＤＭの試み（１）

In the present study, we examined the clinical significance and utility of measuring salivary valproic acid (VPA) levels in saliva samples taken at patients' homes for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The subjects were 74 patients (33 males and 41 females ; mean age 30.8 ± 1.9 years) under treatment at Outpatient Clinic, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University Hospital. For the VPA measurements, saliva samples and blood samples were taken at the Outpatient clinic simultaneously. Salivary VPA levels showed significant correlations with total and free VPA serum concentrations (r=0.71 and r=0.77, respectively) but were not significantly correlated with serum albumin concentration or salivary pH.From a preliminary experiment that we conducted, salivary VPA levels were found to remain stable when saliva samples were kept in home freezers at 4 and -20°C.Based upon the above results, we concluded that TDM based on measurements on saliva samples taken by patients receiving VPA has significant clinical utility because 1) saliva sampling is less invasive than blood sampling and easy to carry out for patients who do not wish their blood to be taken, 2) saliva sampling at home is convenient because either patients or their family members can take the samples and 3) samples taken at home can accurately show VPA levels as they are in everyday life.