Unintentional Mixing Research Articles

Potential of fluorescence fingerprints for fish meat authentication: Differences in freshness evaluation in white and dark meat at frozen state.

As dark meat has a faster deterioration rate and its unintentional mixing occurs during processing, it is crucial to know the status and freshness indicators of dark meat to ensure fishery product quality. In this method, fluorescence fingerprints (FFs) was applied as a rapid and noninvasive quality authentication method to determine differences between white and dark meat in the evaluation of freshness indicators at frozen state. Spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus) fish chunks with different postmortem conditions (0-40h ice stored) were obtained and frozen. A new generation of fluorescence spectrophotometer (F-7100) was used to acquire FFs of the frozen fish chunks (containing white and dark meat). Adenosine triphosphate metabolites and pH were determined in both white and dark meat using their relevant biochemical methods. Higher K-values in dark meat might be attributed to a higher accumulation rate of inosine (HxR) in dark meat than in white meat. The pH decrease rate in white meat was higher than that in dark meat during postmortem ice storage periods of fish. Principal component analysis of FFs spectra demonstrated clear discrimination (PC1+PC2=91.7%) between white and dark meat of frozen fish due to the influence of freshness parameters based on the fluorescence features of fish meat. Furthermore, partial least squares regression validation models revealed that freshness indicators of white meat could be predicted more accurately at the frozen state than those of dark meat. This method could be applied during the processing of fishery products, thereby facilitating quality control activities and making it a promising authentication tool for the fisheries industries.

Duplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and almond (Prunus dulcis) detection of allergen coding genes

Peanut and almond are produced and consumed in large quantities worldwide. However, they are known to induce allergies, so their consumption requires the relevant attention for sensitive populations. There is thus a requirement for a test method that can effectively detect peanut and almond in preparation. In the current study, an approach that can simultaneously detect peanut and almond through duplex LAMP and melting curve analysis was developed. This detection method can verify the specificity in 19 plant materials, and its limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 16 pg. Also, in the sensitivity test using spiked samples with wheat, soybean and rice, up to 0.1% of the sample was detected in spiked samples except spiked with rice (0.5% in peanut). In addition, in the applicability test using various processed foods, peanut and almond levels were detected in accordance with the products labels. The results of thus this study could lead to the prevention of allergic accidents from peanut and almond caused by incorrect labeling or unintentional mixing and further contribute to food safety.

Assessment of the Physical Compatibility of Eravacycline and Common Parenteral Drugs During Simulated Y-site Administration

PurposeEravacycline is a broad-spectrum, intravenous fluorocycline antibiotic approved for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections in adults. A 60-minute infusion is recommended for each infused dose. Compatibility data that may allow convenient Y-site administration of eravacycline with other parenteral medications are unavailable. We aimed to determine the physical compatibility of eravacycline with other intravenous medications by simulated Y-site administration. MethodsEravacycline was reconstituted according to published prescribing information and diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride to a concentration of 0.6 mg/mL. Simulated Y-site administration was performed by mixing 5 mL of eravacycline with an equal volume of 51 other intravenous medications, including crystalloid and carbohydrate hydration fluids and 20 antimicrobials. Secondary medications were assessed at the upper range of concentrations considered standard for intravenous infusion. Mixtures underwent visual inspection and turbidity measurement immediately on mixture and at 3 subsequent time points (30, 60, and 120 minutes after admixture), and pH was measured at 60 minutes for comparison with the baseline value of the secondary medication. FindingsEravacycline was physically compatible with 41 parenteral drugs (80%) by simulated Y-site administration. Incompatibility was observed with albumin, amiodarone hydrochloride, ceftaroline fosamil, colistimethate sodium, furosemide, meropenem, meropenem/vaborbactam, micafungin sodium, propofol, and sodium bicarbonate. ImplicationsEravacycline for injection was physically compatible with most parenteral medications assessed. Pharmacists and nurses should be knowledgeable of the observed incompatibilities with eravacycline to prevent the unintentional mixing of incompatible intravenous medications.

Pseudo-evolution of galaxies in Λ CDM cosmology

ABSTRACT Our knowledge about galaxy evolution comes from transforming observed galaxy properties at different redshifts to comoving physical scales. This transformation depends on using a cosmological model. Here, the effects of unintentional mixing of two different cosmological models on the size evolution of galaxies is studied. As a gedanken experiment, a galaxy of fixed proper size and luminosity is moved across different redshifts. The apparent size of this galaxy is then interpreted with a cosmological model presumed by the observer, which is different compared to the cosmology exhibited by the Universe. In such a case, a spurious size evolution of the galaxy is observed. A galaxy behaving according to the Rh = ct and Neumann’s cosmology, when interpreted with the Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological model, shows an increase in size by a factor of 1.1 and 1.3 from $z$ = 7.5 to ≈ 0, respectively. The apparent size of a galaxy in a static Euclidean cosmology, when interpreted in the ΛCDM model, shows a factor of 23.8 increase in size between $z$ = 7.5 to ≈ 0. This is in close agreement with the observational data with a size increase of a factor of 6.8 between $z$ = 3.2 to ≈ 0. Furthermore, using the apparent size data, it is shown that the difference between the derived proper sizes in Rh = ct, Neumann’s and ΛCDM cosmological models are minimal.

Development of molecular markers for detecting almond, peanut, pine nut, and walnut in commercial food using quantitative real-time PCR

Nuts have been used globally as health foods. However, because nuts cause allergies, people need to be careful when eating food. Mostly foods are labeled, but sometimes intentional or unintentional mixing might occur. In the present study, we report DNA based on marker for the detection of four nuts almond, peanut, pine nut, and walnut using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Species-specific primer sets for four species were designed based on the single-nucleotide polymorphisms and insertion/deletion of the chloroplast gene, matK. The sensitivity of primer sets for the four species studied was assessed by analyzing DNA dilutions at concentration of 0.001–10 ng and binary mixtures of 0.1–100% of heat-treated and non-heat-treated samples. The four primer sets developed in the present study indicated appropriate amplification efficiency and correlation coefficients of the standard curves. In addition, to verify the applicability of these molecular markers, we performed a qRT-PCR with 14 commercial products and successfully detected the matK genes in several commercial food products that were declared to contain nuts. Thus, markers developed could be useful tools for confirming the presence of the four nut species in commercial products.

Measurements of Oleic Acid among Individual Kernels Harvested from Test Plots of Purified Runner and Spanish High Oleic Seed

ABSTRACT Normal oleic peanuts are often found within commercial lots of high oleic peanuts when sampling among individual kernels. Kernels not meeting high oleic threshold could be true contamination with normal oleic peanuts introduced via poor handling, or kernels not meeting threshold could be immature and not fully expressing the trait. Beyond unintentional mixing, factors contributing to variation in oleic acid concentration in peanut kernels include market type, environment, maturity and/or kernel size; however, the relative influence of these factors, and their interactions, is not quantitatively well understood on the single kernel level. To better understand these factors while simultaneously excluding variation from unintentional mixing, seed from a high oleic spanish cultivar and seed from a high oleic runner cultivar were carefully purified via NIR technology. The purified seed were planted in environmentally controlled test plots to analyze the progeny for oleic acid chemistry. Post flowering, plot sections were either chilled (3.8 -5.0 C below ambient), maintained at ambient or heated (3.8-5.0 C above ambient) in the pod zone to characterize soil temperature effects on oleic acid chemistry development. Fully randomized (4 reps) plots included the purified high oleic spanish and runner cultivars, three soil temperatures, seed maturity (profile board), commercial kernel size classifications, and a late season flower termination protocol. At harvest, the oleic acid concentration of approximately 24,000 individual kernels were measured via NIR technology. Market type, temperature, maturity and size had a significant effect on high oleic chemistry among kernels. Late season flower termination significantly, and positively, influenced high oleic chemistry of runner peanuts, minimized the number of immature kernels not meeting high oleic threshold and resulted in elevated and more consistent distributions in this key chemistry; distributions that were more similar to those of the more botanically determinate, but lower yielding, spanish market type. Data from this study improves our understanding of expected natural variation in high oleic chemistry and suggests late season flower termination of runner peanuts is a viable strategy to maximize high oleic chemistry on the single kernel level.

Disruption of genetic identity for genebank maize accessions during conservation

Maintenance of the original accessions identity and integrity is one of the priorities among genebank activities. Different factors related to conservation may result in accessions disruption. Regeneration is the most frequent critical point in this process, due to bottlenecks, inbreeding, random genetic drift and unintentional mixing or contamination. On the other hand, genetic drift may occur due to seed viability loss. Therefore, it is very important to establish the balance between the frequency of regeneration and the duration of accession conservation. The aim of the present study was to estimate whether the identity of accessions regenerated after 27 years of medium-term conservation was disrupted. Phenotypic markers were applied on three Maize Research Institute ?Zemun Polje? (MRIZP) genebank maize landraces (K2026, K768 and K86), differing in seed viability, kernel type and effective population size. It was estimated that, after the regeneration, there had been no significant changes in the landrace K2026. There were some parameters indicating that genetic drift had occurred in the landrace K768, and that there had been even a certain degree of inbreeding in the landrace K86. According to the results, accession K2026 could still be kept under the same ID number. Due to the genuine identity disruption, assignment of new ID numbers for K768 and K86 should be suggested.

Identification of species in ground meat products sold on the U.S. commercial market using DNA-based methods

The objective of this study was to test a variety of ground meat products sold on the U.S. commercial market for the presence of potential mislabeling. Forty-eight ground meat samples were purchased from online and retail sources, including both supermarkets and specialty meat retailers. DNA was extracted from each sample in duplicate and tested using DNA barcoding of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. The resulting sequences were identified at the species level using the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD). Any samples that failed DNA barcoding went through repeat extraction and sequencing, and due to the possibility of a species mixture, they were tested with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork and horse. Of the 48 samples analyzed in this study, 38 were labeled correctly and 10 were found to be mislabeled. Nine of the mislabeled samples were found to contain additional meat species based on real-time PCR, and one sample was mislabeled in its entirety. Interestingly, meat samples ordered from online specialty meat distributors had a higher rate of being mislabeled (35%) compared to samples purchased from a local butcher (18%) and samples purchased at local supermarkets (5.8%). Horsemeat, which is illegal to sell on the U.S. commercial market, was detected in two of the samples acquired from online specialty meat distributors. Overall, the mislabeling detected in this study appears to be due to either intentional mixing of lower-cost meat species into higher cost products or unintentional mixing of meat species due to cross-contamination during processing.

A Survey of School Lunch Provision for Elementary School Students with Food Allergy in Seven Cities of Osaka Prefecture

The number of students with food allergy is currently increasing. Moreover, the unintentional mixing or accidental ingestion of allergy-causing food materials in school lunches has attracted great attention. The aim of this study was to verify the current status of elementary school lunch provision for students with food allergy. We investigated the elementary school lunch services in seven cities in Osaka prefecture. The egg elimination diet was provided in five of the seven cities. In four of these five cities, we did not detect the presence of egg residue either on the surface of various cookware used to prepare the egg elimination diet or in the food itself. In this investigation, the egg elimination diet was provided properly, but we observed differences among the cities in the manual preparation of foods for food allergy diets. To step up these efforts, our results suggest the necessity of preparing a manual to consider individual conditions of school lunch services.

Solvent Free Fabrication of Micro and Nanostructured Drug Coatings by Thermal Evaporation for Controlled Release and Increased Effects

Nanostructuring of drug delivery systems offers many promising applications like precise control of dissolution and release kinetics, enhanced activities, flexibility in terms of surface coatings, integration into implants, designing the appropriate scaffolds or even integrating into microelectronic chips etc. for different desired applications. In general such kind of structuring is difficult due to unintentional mixing of chemical solvents used during drug formulations. We demonstrate here the successful solvent-free fabrication of micro-nanostructured pharmaceutical molecules by simple thermal evaporation (TE). The evaporation of drug molecules and their emission to a specific surface under vacuum led to controlled assembling of the molecules from vapour phase to solid phase. The most important aspects of thermal evaporation technique are: solvent-free, precise control of size, possibility of fabricating multilayer/hybrid, and free choice of substrates. This could be shown for twenty eight pharmaceutical substances of different chemical structures which were evaporated on surfaces of titanium and glass discs. Structural investigations of different TE fabricated drugs were performed by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy which revealed that these drug substances preserve their structurality after evaporation. Titanium discs coated with antimicrobial substances by thermal evaporation were subjected to tests for antibacterial or antifungal activities, respectively. A significant increase in their antimicrobial activity was observed in zones of inhibition tests compared to controls of the diluted substances on the discs made of paper for filtration. With thermal evaporation, we have successfully synthesized solvent-free nanostructured drug delivery systems in form of multilayer structures and in hybrid drug complexes respectively. Analyses of these substances consolidated that thermal evaporation opens up the possibility to convert dissoluble drug substances into the active forms by their transfer onto a specific surface without the need of their prior dissolution.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mass barium carbonate poisoning with fatal outcome, lessons learned: a case series

IntroductionBarium, a heavy divalent alkaline metal, has long been known to cause human toxicity. The common mode is accidental ingestion and the common compound is Barium carbonate. Here we report an incident of food poisoning in 27 law enforcement personnel with rapidly developing sequelae and a high mortality due to ingestion of Barium carbonate contaminated flour.Case presentationOne midnight, 27 adult males were rushed to emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital with abdominal pain, vomiting, loose motion, cramps and generalized paraesthesia. The ailment started 1-2 hours after Iftar (evening meal to break day long fast during Ramadan) which included fried vegetables coated with a flour paste. On admission, twenty of them were restless, agitated. 22 reported weakness of limbs and were unable to walk. 10 had hypotension. 22 had rapid and shallow respiration. 5 had carpopedal spasm. Different grades of limb weakness were noted with loss of tendon jerks. Ten (N12) patients had hypokalaemia, three had hypoglycaemia, 4 patients had high creatine kinase. Electrocardiogram showed flat ST with U waves in 4 patients. Potassium containing intravenous fluid and Oxygen was administered. Due to limited availability of mechanical ventilators patients were put on artificial respiration using Ambu bag; manually maintained by doctors, paramedics and attendants. Four patients were transferred to another hospital for mechanical ventilation. A total of 12 patients died over next 16 hours, 4 within 3 hrs. Other patients gradually improved. Chemical analysis of the vomitus, blood and flour used for preparation of meal revealed the presence of Barium. It was assumed that the flour was contaminated with the similar looking Barium carbonate powder which was kept in the kitchen as a rodenticide.ConclusionThis event exemplifies the weakness of usual health care facility in resource poor settings to cope with this kind of massive poisoning event. The multiple reported incidences of accidental Barium poisoning due to unintentional mixing with food signifies the fact that the use and availability of Barium carbonate should be restricted. We hope to draw attention to this relatively uncommon poisoning and to the need for development of poison information centre in resource poor countries.

Mass barium carbonate poisoning with fatal outcome, lessons learned: a case series.

Barium, a heavy divalent alkaline metal, has long been known to cause human toxicity. The common mode is accidental ingestion and the common compound is Barium carbonate. Here we report an incident of food poisoning in 27 law enforcement personnel with rapidly developing sequelae and a high mortality due to ingestion of Barium carbonate contaminated flour. One midnight, 27 adult males were rushed to emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital with abdominal pain, vomiting, loose motion, cramps and generalized paraesthesia. The ailment started 1-2 hours after Iftar (evening meal to break day long fast during Ramadan) which included fried vegetables coated with a flour paste. On admission, twenty of them were restless, agitated. 22 reported weakness of limbs and were unable to walk. 10 had hypotension. 22 had rapid and shallow respiration. 5 had carpopedal spasm. Different grades of limb weakness were noted with loss of tendon jerks. Ten (N12) patients had hypokalaemia, three had hypoglycaemia, 4 patients had high creatine kinase. ECG showed flat ST with U waves in 4 patients. Potassium containing intravenous fluid and Oxygen was administered. Due to limited availability of mechanical ventilators patients were put on artificial respiration using Ambu bag; manually maintained by doctors, paramedics and attendants. Four patients were transferred to another hospital for mechanical ventilation. A total of 12 patients died over next 16 hours, 4 within 3 hrs. Other patients gradually improved. Chemical analysis of the vomitus, blood and flour used for preparation of meal revealed the presence of Barium. It was assumed that the flour was contaminated with the similar looking Barium carbonate powder which was kept in the kitchen as a rodenticide. This event exemplifies the weakness of usual health care facility in resource poor settings to cope with this kind of massive poisoning event. The multiple reported incidences of accidental barium poisoning due to unintentional mixing with food signifies the fact that the use and availability of barium carbonate should be restricted. We hope to draw attention to this relatively uncommon poisoning and to the need for development of poison information centre in resource poor countries.

Mass barium carbonate poisoning with fatal outcome, lessons learned: a case series

IntroductionBarium, a heavy divalent alkaline metal, has long been known to cause human toxicity. The common mode is accidental ingestion and the common compound is Barium carbonate. Here we report an incident of food poisoning in 27 law enforcement personnel with rapidly developing sequelae and a high mortality due to ingestion of Barium carbonate contaminated flour.Case presentationOne midnight, 27 adult males were rushed to emergency department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital with abdominal pain, vomiting, loose motion, cramps and generalized paraesthesia. The ailment started 1-2 hours after Iftar (evening meal to break day long fast during Ramadan) which included fried vegetables coated with a flour paste. On admission, twenty of them were restless, agitated. 22 reported weakness of limbs and were unable to walk. 10 had hypotension. 22 had rapid and shallow respiration. 5 had carpopedal spasm. Different grades of limb weakness were noted with loss of tendon jerks. Ten (N12) patients had hypokalaemia, three had hypoglycaemia, 4 patients had high creatine kinase. ECG showed flat ST with U waves in 4 patients. Potassium containing intravenous fluid and Oxygen was administered. Due to limited availability of mechanical ventilators patients were put on artificial respiration using Ambu bag; manually maintained by doctors, paramedics and attendants. Four patients were transferred to another hospital for mechanical ventilation. A total of 12 patients died over next 16 hours, 4 within 3 hrs. Other patients gradually improved. Chemical analysis of the vomitus, blood and flour used for preparation of meal revealed the presence of Barium. It was assumed that the flour was contaminated with the similar looking Barium carbonate powder which was kept in the kitchen as a rodenticide.ConclusionThis event exemplifies the weakness of usual health care facility in resource poor settings to cope with this kind of massive poisoning event. The multiple reported incidences of accidental barium poisoning due to unintentional mixing with food signifies the fact that the use and availability of barium carbonate should be restricted. We hope to draw attention to this relatively uncommon poisoning and to the need for development of poison information centre in resource poor countries.

Multiplex PCR-Based Simultaneous Amplification of Selectable Marker and Reporter Genes for the Screening of Genetically Modified Crops

The development and commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops with enhanced insect and herbicide resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and improved nutritional quality has expanded dramatically. Notwithstanding the huge potential benefits of GM crops, the perceived environmental risks associated with these crops need to be addressed in proper perspective. One critical concern is the adventitious presence or unintentional mixing of GM seed in non-GM seed lots, which can seriously affect the global seed market. It would therefore be necessary though a challenging task to develop reliable, efficient, and economical assays for GM detection, identification, and quantification in non-GM seed lots. This can be systematically undertaken by preliminary screening for control elements and selectable or scorable (reporter) marker genes. In this study, simplex and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays individually as well as simultaneously amplifying the commonly used selectable marker genes, i.e., aadA, bar, hpt, nptII, pat encoding, respectively, for aminoglycoside-3'-adenyltransferase, Streptococcus viridochromogenes phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase, hygromycin phosphotransferase, neomycin phosphotransferase, Streptococcus hygroscopicus phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase, and a reporter gene uidA encoding beta-d-glucuronidase, were developed as a reliable tool for qualitative screening of GM crops. The efficiency of the assays was also standardized in the test samples prepared by artificial mixing of transgenic seed samples in different proportions. The developed multiplex PCR assays will be useful in verifying the GM status of a sample irrespective of the crop and GM trait.

Genetic Composition of Wild Turkeys in Kansas Following Decades of Translocations

The lack of adequate documentation of wildlife translocations, particularly details regarding the source stock used, have potentially serious implications for wildlife management. Poor documentation of translocations may lead to unintentional mixing of distinct types, potentially causing problems for future management, design of harvest programs, and evolutionary stability. In Kansas, we employed molecular tools and assignment methods to uncover the cryptic distribution of wild turkey subspecies resulting from decades of poorly documented translocations. Pure forms of Eastern (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) and Rio Grande turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) remain in many portions of the state, and future translocation programs now have the option to keep these distinct by prohibiting translocations between regions containing different subspecies. In addition, we documented 3 zones of hybridization: 1) at the interface between Eastern and Rio Grande subspecies, 2) in southwest Kansas where immigrant Merriam's turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo merriami) are mixing with translocated Rio Grande turkeys, and 3) surrounding an undocumented translocation of Eastern turkeys within a region characterized primarily by Rio Grande turkeys. The DNA-based techniques employed in this study were extremely informative tools for characterizing the distribution of wild turkeys in Kansas and suggest that such tools could be applied in a multitude of similar situations in other wildlife species.