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PubMed2004

Dissipation of fragrance materials in sludge-amended soils.

A possible removal mechanism for fragrance materials (FMs) in wastewater is adsorption to sludge, and sludge application to land may be a route through which FMs are released to the soil environment. However, little is known about the concentrations and fate of FMs in soil receiving sludge application. This study was conducted to better understand the dissipation of FMs in sludge-amended soils. We first determined the spiking and extraction efficiencies for 22 FMs in soil and leachate samples. Nine FMs were detected in digested sludges from two wastewater treatment plants in Delaware using these methods. We conducted a 1-year die-away experiment which involved four different soils amended with sludge, with and without spiking of the 22 FMs. The initial dissipation of FMs in all spiked trays was rapid, and only seven FMs remained at concentrations above the quantification limits after 3 months: AHTN, HHCB, musk ketone, musk xylene, acetyl cedrene, OTNE, and DPMI. After 1 year, the only FMs remaining in all spiked trays were musk ketone and AHTN. DPMI was the only FM that leached significantly from the spiked trays, and no FMs were detected in leachate from any unspiked tray. While soil organic matter content affected the dissipation rate in general, different mechanisms (volatilization, transformation, leaching) appeared to be important for different FMs.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2005

Polyfluoroalkyl compounds in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAs) have been used for decades in industrial and commercial products and are now detected worldwide. Concentrations of two major PFA groups, carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and sulfonic acids (PFSAs), were assessed in plasma of bottlenose dolphins from the Gulf of Mexico (Sarasota Bay, FL) and the Atlantic Ocean (Delaware Bay, NJ, Charleston, SC, Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL, and Bermuda). Eight PFAs were detected in the plasma of all dolphins. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant compound at all locations (range from 49 ng/g wet weight (w.w.) in dolphins from Bermuda to 1171 ng/g w.w. in plasma of animals from Charleston). Sum of PFA concentrations were significantly higher in animals from Charleston compared to IRL, Sarasota Bay, and Bermuda. Concentrations of several PFAs were negatively associated with age in animals from IRL and Charleston. No differences between gender were observed for all compounds at all locations. An increase in PFA concentrations was associated with a decrease of blubber thickness in animals from Sarasota Bay and IRL. Fluorotelomer 8:2 and 10:2 unsaturated carboxylic acids (FTUCAs), known degradation products of fluorotelomer alcohols and suspected precursors to PFCAs, were detected for the first time at low concentrations in plasma of dolphins.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Spray irrigation of treated municipal wastewater as a potential source of atmospheric PBDEs.

Spray irrigation facilities utilizing treated municipal wastewater are a potential source of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to the atmosphere. PBDEs are used as flame retardants in many household items and have been found in wastewaters and biosolids. Evidence of PBDE release from spray irrigation facilities was discovered during a multiyear project to measure semivolatile organic chemical concentrations in air. Four BDE congeners (47, 99, 100, and 154) were monitored at three remote/ rural locations in Maryland and Delaware from 2001 to 2003. Average concentrations at two of the sites (BDE-47, 10-17 pg/m3; BDE-99, 5.3-7.7 pg/m3) reflect background levels. Average concentrations at the third location were 5-10 times higher (BDE-47, 175 pg/m3; BDE-99, 26 pg/m3) and were significantly correlated (p < 0.0001) with temperature indicating local source(s). Several spray irrigation facilities are located south and west of the third site, the prevailing wind direction during the spring and summer when most samples were collected. The fine mist released from the irrigation equipment may enhance release to the atmosphere via air-water gas exchange from water droplets. Temporal trends indicate that aerial concentrations of PBDEs in this area are increasing at an exponential rate; the atmospheric doubling times for the different congeners range from 1.1 to 1.7 yrs.

Ethers↗
PubMed2006

Polychlorinated biphenyls and hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in plasma of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hydroxylated metabolic products (OH-PCBs) were measured in plasma collected from live-captured and released bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from five different locations in the Western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico in 2003 and 2004. In 2004, the sum (sigma) of concentration of PCBs in plasma of dolphins sampled off Charleston, SC [geometric mean: 223 ng/g of wet weight (w.w.)] was significantly higher (p<0.05) than concentrations detected in animals from the Indian River Lagoon, FL (sigmaPCBs: 122 ng/g w.w.) and the Sarasota Bay, FL (sigmaPCBs: 111 ng/g w.w.). The PCB homolog profiles were similar among locations. Concentrations of OH-PCBs were significantly higher (p<0.05) in plasma of dolphins from Charleston, SC (sigmaOH-PCBs for 2003: 126 ng/g w.w.; 2004: 138 ng/g w.w.) than animals from Florida (sigmaOH-PCBs ranged from 6 to 47 ng/g w.w.) and Bermuda (8.3 ng/g w.w.); however, concentrations in the Charleston samples did not differ from animals captured in Delaware Bay, NJ (57 ng/g w.w.). The sigmaOH-PCBs constituted 2-68% of the total PCB concentrations in plasma. Dichloro- to nonachloro-OH-PCBs were quantified using high-resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometry, but only around 20% of OH-PCBs could be identified by comparison to authentic standards. Results from this study show that OH-PCB are important environmental contaminants in dolphins and suggest that PCBs, decades after their ban, may still constitute a threat to wildlife.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

A terrain-based paired-site sampling design to assess biodiversity losses from eastern hemlock decline.

Biodiversity surveys are often hampered by the inability to control extraneous sources of variability introduced into comparisons of populations across a heterogenous landscape. If not specifically accounted for a priori, this noise can weaken comparisons between sites, and can make it difficult to draw inferences about specific ecological processes. We developed a terrain-based, paired-site sampling design to analyze differences in aquatic biodiversity between streams draining eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) forests, and those draining mixed hardwood forests in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (USA). The goal of this design was to minimize variance due to terrain influences on stream communities, while representing the range of hemlock dominated stream environments present in the park. We used geographic information systems (GIS) and cluster analysis to define and partition hemlock dominated streams into terrain types based on topographic variables and stream order. We computed similarity of forest stands within terrain types and used this information to pair hemlock-dominated streams with hardwood counterparts prior to sampling. We evaluated the effectiveness of the design through power analysis and found that power to detect differences in aquatic invertebrate taxa richness was highest when sites were paired and terrain type was included as a factor in the analysis. Precision of the estimated difference in mean richness was nearly doubled using the terrain-based, paired site design in comparison to other evaluated designs. Use of this method allowed us to sample stream communities representative of park-wide forest conditions while effectively controlling for landscape variability.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2002

Perceived risks of certain types of cancer and heart disease among Asian American smokers and non-smokers.

This study assessed knowledge levels of health risks of tobacco use among the Asian American (AA) community in the Delaware Valley region of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including metropolitan Philadelphia. A cross-sectional self-report survey was conducted to collect the information, and a stratified-cluster proportional sampling technique was used to obtain a representative sample size of the target population of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Cambodians. 1374 AA were recruited from 26 randomly selected community organization clusters; of the total recruited, 1174 completed the survey, which consisted of 410 Chinese, 436 Korean, 196 Vietnamese, 100 Cambodian and 32 other-group. Other-group was excluded for this study. Ten questions were asked to determine the knowledge level of the sample population. Results indicated that the vast majority of respondents (82.2%) recognized the association between smoking and increased risk of developing various types of cancers and heart disease. Between 81.3% and 93.3% of respondents recognized the increased risk for lung, mouth, throat.and esophageal cancer and heart disease. For these variables, there were statistically significant differences between the ethnic groups: Koreans were the most knowledgeable, followed by Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodians. For bladder, pancreatic, cervical, and kidney cancers, the percentage of respondents indicating an association between these cancers and smoking ranged from 49.2 to 56.8. There were no statistically significant differences among the four ethnic groups for these variables. Generally, however, results showed that the awareness level was higher among women and the more educated respondents, non-smokers and former smokers, and Chinese and Korean groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Regional assessment of ozone sensitive tree species using bioindicator plants.

Tropospheric ozone occurs at phytotoxic levels in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Quantifying possible regional-scale impacts of ambient ozone on forest tree species is difficult and is confounded by other factors, such as moisture and light, which influence the uptake of ozone by plants. Biomonitoring provides an approach to document direct foliar injury irrespective of direct measure of ozone uptake. We used bioindicator and field plot data from the USDA Forest Service to identify tree species likely to exhibit regional-scale ozone impacts. Approximately 24% of sampled sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), 15% of sampled loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and 12% of sampled black cherry (Prunus serotina) trees were in the highest risk category. Sweetgum and loblolly pine trees were at risk on the coastal plain of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. Black cherry trees were at risk on the Allegheny Plateau (Pennsylvania), in the Allegheny Mountains (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland) as well as coastal plain areas of Maryland and Virginia. Our findings indicate a need for more in-depth study of actual impacts on growth and reproduction of these three species.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Awareness of cancer information among Asian Americans.

The present study aimed to find the awareness level of cancer information among Asian Americans in the Delaware Valley region (Pennsylvania and South Jersey). A cross-sectional self-report survey was conducted with a sample of 1374 Asian Americans including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Cambodians. The sample was collected by using a stratified-cluster proportional sampling technique. This paper assessed self-reported smoking behaviors, knowledge of smoking cessation methods, availability of health professional's advice in quitting smoking in the past 12 months, awareness of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, knowledge of, and interest in participation in cancer clinical trials for identified Asian smokers. Overall, the level of awareness of cancer information services among the four subgroups was low. Among current and former smokers, only 31% had been advised by a health care professional to quit smoking. Forty-three percent used at least one smoking cessation method to quit in the past. The results also reveal an increased awareness level among those who had health insurance, higher education and were less likely to speak their native language. Significant differences on cancer awareness existed among the four ethnic groups as well. This study suggests urgent needs to educate Asian Americans about important cancer control issues and services and highlights the differences in baseline knowledge and attitudes among the various ethnic groups.

Asian↗
PubMed2003

Functional outcomes of excessive daytime sleepiness in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the effect of self-reported excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) on functional outcomes. DESIGN: Case-control study designed to examine differences in functional status between cases (with daytime sleepiness) and controls (no daytime sleepiness) with regard to demographic factors, general health, sleep history, and medications. SETTING: Retirement communities in southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-six nondepressed, nondemented adults, aged 65 and older, were cases (had daytime sleepiness) and 38 were controls (had no daytime sleepiness). MEASUREMENTS: Standardized questionnaires to assess disease-specific functional status (Functional Outcomes of Sleepiness Questionnaire (FOSQ) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale), dementia (Short Blessed Test), demographic factors, current medical history, and sleep complaints. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in functional status between sleepy cases and nonsleepy controls. Sleepiness had a moderate to large negative effect (effect size range from 0.59 to 0.83, P <.005) on the following functional domains of the FOSQ: social outcome, general productivity, vigilance, activity level, and global assessment of functional status. Correlation between ESS and FOSQ subscales were -0.31 to -0.67, P <.05. Examination of cases with daytime sleepiness revealed increased functional impairment in individuals with more than three medical conditions or those taking more than four medications (P <.001 and P =.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: Daytime sleepiness is associated with functional impairments in a broad range of activities. The decrease in daily functioning noted in the sleepy subjects has implications for deconditioning and related comorbidity. These findings suggest that exploration of daytime sleepiness should be part of the ongoing assessment of the elderly, particularly those with multiple medical conditions.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Factors influencing levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone in very low birth weight infants and the relationship to death and IVH.

OBJECTIVES: 17-Hydroxyprogesterone, an intermediary hormone in cortisol synthesis, has been shown to be elevated in premature infants. However, the relationship between levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone with death and intraventricular hemorrhage has not been extensively explored. The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing 17-hydroxyprogesterone and determine if there is an association between intraventricular hemorrhage, mortality, and levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone in a population of very low birth weight infants. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study of very low birth weight infants cared for at a single level 3 NICU during a 1-year period from July 2001 to July 2002. Infants had a minimum of one screen for 17-hydroxyprogesterone and one cranial sonogram. 17-Hydroxyprogesterone was measured on the fifth day of life and at 2 to 4 weeks of life as part of the State of Delaware Newborn Screening Program. Statistical analysis included chi(2), Pearson correlation, multiple-linear regression, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone were higher at the time of the first screen compared to the second screen (28.3+/-25.6 vs 17.0+/-18.0 ng/ml, p=0.01), respectively. After controlling for potential confounding variables, gestational age, T(4), and prenatal steroids were all independently associated with 17-hydroxyprogesterone. However, logistic regression analysis showed no association between a 1 log increase in levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone with the outcomes of death (odds ratio 1.8, 95% CI 0.6 to 5.6), severe IVH (0.7, 0.3 to 1.7), and death and/or severe intraventricular hemorrhage (0.9, 0.4 to 2.1). CONCLUSIONS: In our population of very low birth weight infants, low gestational age, low T(4), and prenatal steroids were all associated with an elevation in levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone. High levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone were not associated with death and/or severe IVH. Our data indicate that factors such as gestational age and antenatal steroids must be considered when interpreting 17-hydroxyprogesterone results from newborn screening.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMed1999

Endocrine effects, efficacy and tolerability of a 10.8-mg depot formulation of goserelin acetate administered every 13 weeks to patients with advanced prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the endocrine effects, efficacy and tolerability of a 10.8-mg depot formulation of Zoladextrade mark (goserelin acetate, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, Delaware, USA), a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist analogue, when administration was extended from every 12 weeks to every 13 weeks in patients with advanced prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between July 1995 and May 1996, 59 patients with either locally advanced (T3 or T4) or metastatic prostate cancer were enrolled in an open-label, multicentre trial. Primary efficacy endpoints were testosterone measurements, and assessments of prostate specific antigen (PSA) response, subjective and objective response. Quality of life (QoL) was a secondary efficacy endpoint. RESULTS: Mean testosterone concentrations decreased to < 0.3 microgram/L by week 4 and remained so for the duration of treatment. There were no statistically significant differences in mean testosterone levels between weeks 12 and 13, or weeks 25 and 26. Serum testosterone suppression was adequate in all 58 evaluable patients at week 13, and 51 of 52 (98%) patients at week 26. Of the 58 evaluable patients, 52 (90%) had a PSA response. A subjective response was recorded for six of 11 evaluable patients. Of 58 patients evaluable for objective response, 46 (79%) had a partial response, three (5%) had stable disease and nine (16%) had objective progression. Except for a significant (P=0.014) decrease in overall sexual interest, QoL was unchanged during therapy. The most common side-effects, regardless of causality, were hot flushes (67%), pain (31%) and pelvic pain (22%). Mild injection-site complaints occurred with only three of 221 (1.4%) depot injections. CONCLUSIONS: Zoladextrade mark 10.8-mg depot, administered every 13 weeks to patients with advanced prostatic cancer, is well tolerated, provides adequate suppression of serum testosterone and produces PSA, subjective and objective responses.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Screening of infants and mortality due to neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor that occurs in early childhood, can be identified in the preclinical stages by the detection of catecholamines in the urine. However, it is unknown whether routine screening for neuroblastoma reduces mortality due to this disease. METHODS: Through their parents, we offered screening for neuroblastoma at three weeks and six months of age to all 476,654 children born in the province of Quebec, Canada, during a five-year period (May 1, 1989, through April 30, 1994). The participation rate was 92 percent. The rate of death due to neuroblastoma was determined and compared with the rates in several unscreened control populations born during the same period. RESULTS: Among children younger than eight years of age in the Quebec cohort, there were 22 deaths due to neuroblastoma; the cumulative (+/-SE) mortality rate due to neuroblastoma was 4.78+/-1.14 per 100,000 children over a period of nine years. The standardized incidence ratios for death due to neuroblastoma for the Quebec cohort were 1.11 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 1.92) as compared with a control group in Ontario, Canada; 0.90 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.48 to 1.70) as compared with a control group in Minnesota; 1.40 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.81 to 2.41) as compared with a control group in Florida; and 0.96 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.56 to 1.66) as compared with a control group in the Greater Delaware Valley. The standardized mortality ratio for the Quebec cohort as compared with the rest of Canada was 1.39 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.85 to 2.30); the odds ratio for the comparison with a cohort born in Quebec before the screening program began was 0.98 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.54 to 1.77). CONCLUSIONS: Screening infants for neuroblastoma does not appear to reduce mortality due to this disease.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Effect of hand sanitizer use on elementary school absenteeism.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have indicated a connection between handwashing and illness-related absenteeism in school settings. The difficulty of ensuring consistent and effective handwashing among student populations has also been noted. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the use of an alcohol gel hand sanitizer in the classroom to help decrease the illness-related absentee rate for elementary school students. METHODS: This study involved 5 individual school districts, 16 individual schools, and more than 6000 students in Delaware, Ohio, Tennessee, and California. Individual schools in each district were paired into product and control groups. In the product group schools, an alcohol gel hand sanitizer was used by the students and staff when entering and leaving the classroom. Absenteeism due to infection was recorded, and the data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The overall reduction in absenteeism due to infection in the schools included in this study was 19.8% for schools that used an alcohol gel hand sanitizer compared with the control schools (P <.05). Data from the school system with the largest teacher population (n = 246) showed that teacher absenteeism decreased 10.1% (trend) in the schools where sanitizer was used. CONCLUSION: Elementary school absenteeism due to infection is significantly reduced when an alcohol gel hand sanitizer is used in the classroom as part of a hand hygiene program.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2001

A new device for measuring intrauterine temperature.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated a new device that uses the intrauterine pressure catheter to measure the maternal temperature in patients who are in labor. STUDY DESIGN: The study was conducted at two medical centers, Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, and Saint Louis University/St Mary's Health Center in St Louis, Missouri, from September 1, 1997, to May 2, 1998. An intrauterine pressure catheter with a thermistor sensor in the tip was placed into the uterus after spontaneous rupture of membranes. The intrauterine, oral, and tympanic temperatures were simultaneously obtained immediately after insertion of the intrauterine pressure catheter and then hourly until delivery or the initiation of amnioinfusion. RESULTS: The study comprised 97 patients and 404 temperature readings with a temperature range of 34.7 degrees C to 40.7 degrees C. The normal mean +/- SD for the oral, tympanic, and intrauterine temperatures was 36.7 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C, 36.8 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C, and 37.3 degrees C +/- 0.4 degrees C, respectively. There was a linear relationship among the oral, tympanic, and intrauterine temperatures. All three methods showed a significant increase in mean body temperature after epidural anesthesia. CONCLUSION: The new device, the intrauterine pressure-temperature catheter, provides a convenient and accurate means of continuously measuring uterine temperature in patients who are in labor and require intrauterine monitoring.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cancer mortality in U.S. counties with hazardous waste sites and ground water pollution.

Since the late 1950s, more than 750 million tons of toxic chemical wastes have been discarded in an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 hazardous waste sites (HWSs). Uncontrolled discarding of chemical wastes creates the potential for risks to human health. Utilizing the National Priorities Listing (NPL) of hazardous waste sites developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this study identified 593 waste sites in 339 U.S. counties in 49 states with analytical evidence of contaminated ground drinking water providing a sole source water supply. For each identified county, age-adjusted, site-specific cancer mortality rates for 13 major sites for the decade 1970-1979, for white males and females, were extracted from U.S. Cancer Mortality and Trends 1950-1979. Also, HWS and non-HWS counties that showed excess numbers of deaths were enumerated for each cancer selected. Significant associations (p less than .002) between excess deaths and all HWS counties were shown for cancers of the lung, bladder, esophagus, stomach, large intestine, and rectum for white males; and for cancers of the lung, breast, bladder, stomach, large intestine, and rectum for white females when compared to all non-HWS counties. There were no consistent geographical patterns that suggested a broad distribution of gastrointestinal cancers associated with HWSs throughout the United States, although we did identify a cluster of excess gastrointestinal cancers in counties within states located in EPA Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Female↗
PubMed1999

Serum lipoprotein(A) profiles in a Singaporean population.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is formed when apolipoprotein(a) is linked to low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol via a single disulfide bond. It is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and raised concentrations are associated with an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease. Singapore has a multi-racial population of 77% Chinese, 14% Malays and 7% Indians. Studies have shown that the Indians have significantly higher standardised mortality ratios (SMR) compared to the Chinese and the Malays. We measured serum Lp(a) concentrations in 803 healthy individuals recruited from the Multiphasic Health Screening Programme, using the Macra Lp(a) sandwich enzyme immunoassay kit (Strategics Diagnostics, Delaware, USA). Lp(a) concentrations were skewed in all three groups. Our population mean was 9.0 mg/dl, with 50th, 75th and 95th percentile values of 10.2, 19.8 and 43.1 mg/dl, respectively, which are lower than values reported from Caucasian populations (15.0, 29.0 and 60.0 mg/dl, respectively). Males had lower Lp(a) concentrations than females (P < 0.05). The Indian group had significantly higher concentrations (median 12.3 mg/dl) compared to their Chinese (median 9.6 mg/dl) and Malay (median 8.4 mg/dl) counterparts (P < 0.05). This could partly account for the higher SMR seen in the Indian population in Singapore. As serum Lp(a) concentrations are method- and population-dependent, we recommend that laboratories determine their own reference ranges by their method to avoid misclassification of the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk of patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Implications of multiple antimicrobial-resistant enterococci associated with the poultry environment.

Poultry are increasingly being associated with carriage of multiresistant organisms that may cause disease in humans. Among these organisms are the enterococci, not regarded as a common cause of hospital-acquired infections. The use of antimicrobials for growth promotion in poultry production envronments may facilitate the dissemination of resistance to Enterococcus spp. that have the potential to be clinically significant. To assess descriptively the degree of multiresistant enterococci in the poultry environment of the Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) East Coast region of the USA, litter samples from regional commercial poultry houses and transport container swabs from processing facilities were cultured for Enterococcus spp. Using a microtiter plate adaptation of a conventional biochemical screen, the predominant species identfied were E. faecalis (61.2%), E. faecium (18.6%) and E. gallinarum (2.4%). Resistance to the cephalosporin, macrolide and tetracycline classes of antimicrobials was uniform with broader resistance to penicillin and derivatives present in a majority of E. faecium isolates. High-level streptomycin resistance was evident in close to 30% of all isolates with a majority of E. faecalis variants possessing resistance. High-level gentamicin resistance was detected at a low frequency (2.6%) only within the E. faecalis group with resistance to low-level gentamicin levels present in a majority of both the E. faecalis group and subsets of E. faecium. No unexpected vancomycin resistance was detected. Of particular interest was resistance to the streptogramin quinupristin-dalfopristin (Q-D or Synercid), which was present in 70.4% of E. faecium and E. faecium variants.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Occurrence and distribution of Fusarium graminearum and deoxynivalenol in sweet corn ears.

Unusual wet and cool weather conditions during the 1994 growing season in Maryland and Delaware resulted in a severe outbreak of Fusarium graminearum on sweet corn ears ('Moore' variety) prior to harvesting and canning. The number of ears visibly infected with Fusarium spp. ranged from less than 5% to 25% in some fields. Infection typically occurred at the tassel end of the ears. Fusarium graminearum was isolated from surface disinfected kernels, both those which were visibly infected and those kernels which appeared disease-free in an area up to 5 cm from the edge of the visibly moulded areas. Infected ears were cut into four sections and the kernels only were analysed for deoxynivalenol (DON) using liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry/gas chromatography (GC/MS). Kernels from the visibly mouldy area of the ears contained DON at levels of approximately 446 mg/g DON on average; whereas in the non-visibly infected portion of the ears adjacent to the mouldy tips, DON levels averaged approximately 10 mg/g. Sections of ears closest to the base contained no detectable DON or less than 1 microgram/g. This is the first reported natural occurrence of the mycotoxin DON in sweet corn prior to harvest and canning.

Chromatography, Liquid↗