Effects of oral exposure to arsenobetaine during pregnancy and lactation in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Arsenobetaine (ASB) is the major form of arsenic (As) in seafood sources such as molluscs and fish. Limited data demonstrated that ASB toxicity in mammals is minimal; however, data on possible reproductive effects are lacking. This study investigated the tissue distribution and developmental effects of ASB during pregnancy, early postnatal life, and development to adulthood. Pregnant rats were randomly assigned to 3 cohorts and gavaged daily from gestational day 8 (GD8) with ASB in deionized water at 0, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg body weight (bw)/d. Cohort 1 dams were sacrificed on GD20 (n = 6 per dose group), cohort 2 dams and pups were sacrificed on postnatal day 13 (PND13; n = 4 dams per dose group), and cohort 3 pups (n = 2 dams per dose group) were sacrificed on PND90. Residue analysis detected significant levels of ASB in livers of cohort 1 dams and lower levels in cohort 1 GD20 fetuses, as well as in cohort 2 male and female offspring, indicating placental transfer from the maternal circulation in utero. Trace amounts of ASB in dams' milk were found only in the 10-mg/kg bw/d dose cohort 2 (PND13), demonstrating that lactational transfer was limited. ASB levels in liver varied during pregnancy, lactation, and postweaning, with levels falling rapidly as these physiological states progress. Although transfer of ASB through the placenta to the fetuses and to a limited extent through milk was confirmed, ASB exposure during pregnancy and lactation appeared to produce no teratogenic or deleterious effects on reproductive development.

Monitoring of shrimp and farmed fish sold in Canada for cyanobacterial toxins.

Sixty-one samples of shrimp and 32 samples of farmed fish collected from retail markets across Canada were analyzed for cyanobacterial toxins, including microcystins, paralytic shellfish poisons (saxitoxins), cylindrospermopsin, and ß-N-methylamino-L-alanine, using established methods of analysis. None of these toxins were detected in any of the samples. Some shrimp samples screened for paralytic shellfish poisons showed the presence of unknown peaks in the chromatogram after periodate oxidation.

Challenges and trends in the determination of selected chemical contaminants and allergens in food.

This article covers challenges and trends in the determination of some major food chemical contaminants and allergens, which-among others-are being monitored by Health Canada's Food Directorate and for which background levels in food and human exposure are being analyzed and calculated. Eleven different contaminants/contaminant groups and allergens have been selected for detailed discussion in this paper. They occur in foods as a result of: use as a food additive or ingredient; processing-induced reactions; food packaging migration; deliberate adulteration; and/or presence as a chemical contaminant or natural toxin in the environment. Examples include acrylamide as a food-processing-induced contaminant, bisphenol A as a food packaging-derived chemical, melamine and related compounds as food adulterants and persistent organic pollutants, and perchlorate as an environmental contaminant. Ochratoxin A, fumonisins, and paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins are examples of naturally occurring toxins whereas sulfites, peanuts, and milk exemplify common allergenic food additives/ingredients. To deal with the increasing number of sample matrices and analytes of interest, two analytical approaches have become increasingly prevalent. The first has been the development of rapid screening methods for a variety of analytes based on immunochemical techniques, utilizing ELISA or surface plasmon resonance technology. The second is the development of highly sophisticated multi-analyte methods based on liquid chromatography coupled with multiple-stage mass spectrometry for identification and simultaneous quantification of a wide range of contaminants, often with much less requirement for tedious cleanup procedures. Whereas rapid screening methods enable testing of large numbers of samples, the multi analyte mass spectrometric methods enable full quantification with confirmation of the analytes of interest. Both approaches are useful when gathering surveillance data to determine occurrence and background levels of both recognized and newly identified contaminants in foods in order to estimate human daily intake for health risk assessment.

Patient Follow-up in an Urban Resident Continuity Clinic: An Initiative to Improve Scheduling Practices.

INTRODUCTION: Failure to schedule timely follow-up appointments may impair continuity and quality of care, especially for patients with low health literacy and unstable living situations. Resident continuity clinics face particular challenges in scheduling patient follow-up because of residents' complex schedules and limited time in clinic. METHODS: As part of a structured quality-improvement curriculum, residents initiated discussions with clinical supervisors and clerical staff to evaluate and improve scheduling practices in an urban continuity clinic. The problem-solving process emphasized feasibility (rapid implementation/evaluation cycle, low time/resource burden) and measurable outcomes. These discussions led to design of a new scheduling form. We evaluated the short-term impact of awareness raising by comparing scheduling rates before (month 1) versus after (months 2-3) implementation, and of the form itself by randomly selecting 2 afternoon clinics to implement the new form, with a third serving as control. RESULTS: We analyzed all patient encounters over a 3-month period (n  =  910), excluding patients with a recommended follow-up interval of greater than 4 months. The proportion of appointments "never scheduled" (at 1 month after provider-requested follow-up date) declined from 18.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.5%-23.9%) in month 1 to 11.4% (CI, 8.1%-15.5%) in month 3. This proportion was significantly higher before than after implementation of the form (multivariable relative risk, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.08-2.03; P  =  .02), both in clinics that used and did not use the form (P  =  .93 for difference). CONCLUSIONS: We describe a model resident-led, team-based intervention that addressed core competencies in graduate medical education while improving outpatient scheduling practices.

Plasmon-induced optical switching of electrical conductivity in porous anodic aluminum oxide films encapsulated with silver nanoparticle arrays.

We report on plasmon induced optical switching of electrical conductivity in two-dimensional (2D) arrays of silver (Ag) nanoparticles encapsulated inside nanochannels of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films. The reversible switching of photoconductivity greatly enhanced by an array of closely spaced Ag nanoparticles which are isolated from each other and from the ambient by thin aluminum oxide barrier layers are attributed to the improved electron transport due to the localized surface plasmon resonance and coupling among Ag nanoparticles. The photoconductivity is proportional to the power, and strongly dependent on the wavelength of light illumination. With Ag nanoparticles being isolated from the ambient environments by a thin layer of aluminum oxide barrier layer of controlled thickness in nanometers to tens of nanometers, deterioration of silver nanoparticles caused by environments is minimized. The electrochemically fabricated nanostructured Ag/AAO is inexpensive and promising for applications to integrated plasmonic circuits and sensors.

Liquid chromatographic determination of the cyanobacterial toxin beta-n-methylamino-L-alanine in algae food supplements, freshwater fish, and bottled water.

Beta-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin originally found in cycad seeds and now known to be produced by many species of freshwater and marine cyanobacteria. We developed a method for its determination in blue-green algae (BGA) food supplements, freshwater fish, and bottled water by using a strong cation-exchange, solid-phase extraction column for cleanup after 0.3 M trichloroacetic acid extraction of BGA supplements and fish. Bottled water was applied directly onto the solid-phase extraction column. For analysis of carbonated water, sonication and pH adjustment to 1.5 were needed. To determine protein-bound BMAA, the protein pellet left after extraction of the BGA supplement and fish was hydrolyzed by boiling with 6 M hydrochloric acid; BMAA was cleaned up on a C18 column and a strong cation-exchange, solid-phase extraction column. Determination of BMAA was by liquid chromatography of the fluorescent derivative formed with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate. The method was validated by recovery experiments using spiking levels of 1.0 to 10 microg/g for BGA supplements, 0.5 to 5.0 microg/g for fish, and 0.002 microg/g for bottled water; mean recoveries were in the range of 67 to 89% for BGA supplements and fish, and 59 to 92% for bottled water. Recoveries of BMAA from spiked extracts of hydrolyzed protein from BGA supplements and fish ranged from 66 to 83%. The cleanup developed provides a useful method for surveying foods and supplements for BMAA and protein-bound BMAA.

Survey of dry pasta for ochratoxin A in Canada.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was determined in 274 samples of dry pasta sold across Canada in 2004 to 2006. Ground sample was extracted with acetonitrile-water (6:4 [vol/vol]), filtered, diluted with phosphate-buffered saline, and cleaned with an immunoaffinity column. Analysis was by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, and in the second year by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry as well. For 2004 and 2005, the limit of quantitation was approximately 0.5 ng of OTA per g (signal-to-noise ratio of 10:1). In 2006, the limit of quantitation was estimated to be 0.2 ng of OTA per g. Incidence of contamination above 0.5 ng of OTA per g was 21, 18, and 66% in the years 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively, reflecting the contamination variability of durum wheat crops and showing the importance of multiyear surveillance. Mean levels of OTA found in these 3 years were, respectively, 0.30, 0.28, and 0.76 ng/g, and maximum levels were, respectively, 1.8, 1.4, and 3.3 ng/g.

Development of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method using capillary liquid chromatography and nanoelectrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight hybrid mass spectrometer for the detection of milk allergens.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of the tryptic digest of a cleaned-up food matrix extract was used for the detection of milk allergens. The emphasis of this study was on casein, which is the most abundant milk protein and is also considered the most allergenic. A sample cleanup method was developed using an ion exchange column and centriprep device. Cookies spiked with milk powder from 0 to 1250 ppm were extracted, cleaned up, and either digested directly by trypsin or further cleaned up by gel electrophoresis before digestion. The peptide mixture was analyzed on a capillary LC-quadrupole time-of-flight system. Two marker peptides from alphaS1-casein were identified and used for prescreening. The MS/MS data from the mass spectrometry system were processed with Masslynx v4.0 and submitted for database search using either ProteinLynx Global Server or Mascot for protein identification. The LC-MS/MS method, using casein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as a reference, was tested on the cookie matrix and was extended to other sample matrices. There were good agreements between the two. This LC-MS/MS method provides a valuable confirmatory method for the presence of casein. It also allows the simultaneous detection of other milk allergens.

Extraction of fumonisins B1 and B2 from white rice flour and their stability in white rice flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, and glucose.

To extract fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) from Thai white rice flour, different solvent mixtures, temperatures, pH values, and addition of enzymes or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (Na2EDTA) were examined. Three extractions with 0.1 M Na2EDTA achieved the highest recoveries. Initial recoveries of fumonisins added to white rice flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, and glucose varied with commodity. Fumonisins disappeared in Thai white rice flour after 12 h, but 55% remained in another white rice flour. With cornstarch 20-30% fumonisins remained after 24 h; only 43% of 14C-labeled FB1 materials extracted from cornstarch was eluted with methanol from an immunoaffinity column. Fumonisins were stable in cornmeal for 24 h but only approximately 50% remained after 30 days. With glucose, 25% of FB1 and FB2 remained 24 h after addition; N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)FB(1) andN-(carboxymethyl)FB(1) were detected in lower amounts than residual FB(1) after 3 months.