ABSTRACT
The control of the occurrence of mycotoxins in foods and feeds requires effective surveillance and quality control procedures which facilitate the identification and control of the mycotoxin problem respectively. Surveillance and quality control procedures involve a sequence of sampling, sample preparation, and analysis steps; and the integrity of the data produced by these procedures will be determined by the effectiveness of these steps. It is imperative that the sampling step is performed as accurately as possible so that the sample collected is representative of the batch of food or feed under investigation. Needless to say, the collection of a biased sample will completely invalidate the resultant analytical data. Most attempts to develop effective sampling protocols have focused upon the aflatoxins, since the majority of current regulations are concerned specifically with this group of mycotoxins. However, the design of effective sampling protocols has been severely hindered by the highly skewed distribution of the aflatoxins in foods and feeds. Studies already performed indicate that representative samples of commodities, composed of large particles (e.g., corn and oilseed kernels) should be 10 kg in weight, at least, and composed of approximately one hundred incremental samples. Similar studies have indicated that samples of oilseed cakes and meal, however, should be composed of fifty incremental samples which afford a composite sample of approximately 5 kg in weight.
Subject(s)
Food Analysis , Food Microbiology , Mycotoxins/analysis , ProbabilityABSTRACT
The between-box aflatoxin distribution for a bulk consignment of whole dried figs (11 tons) has been established by the individual analysis of 200 boxes (analysed as single samples of 12 kg each of homogenized material) randomly selected from a total of 850 boxes. The within-box aflatoxin distribution for three boxes was investigated by the analysis of 12 subsamples in each case made up of packets of figs totalling 1 kg in weight. Of the 200 boxes, 134 contained less than 10 micrograms/kg total aflatoxins whereas the highest level found was 227 micrograms/kg. The highest level of aflatoxins found in a single 1 kg unit was 2063 micrograms/kg. The batch average aflatoxin contamination determined on the basis of a single 20 kg homogenized sample (20 x 1 kg subsamples) was 33 micrograms/kg, compared to a level of 15 micrograms/kg calculated as the average of 200 determinations. Evaluations are made of different possible ways of sampling and the confidence that can be associated with each of these is estimated.
Subject(s)
Aflatoxins/analysis , Food Contamination/analysis , Fruit , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods , Food Inspection/methodsABSTRACT
In a randomized, double-blind trial, haemostatic and cardiovascular effects of ornipressin and adrenaline were compared in 30 children requiring surgery for "bat-ear" deformity. Mean total blood loss was 14.3 ml with ornipressin and 11.7 ml with adrenaline, this difference being insignificant. There was a significant and progressive reduction in mean heart rate in children who received ornipressin, from 134 to 116 bpm (P less than 0.05), and a significant rise from 127 to 134 bpm (P less than 0.05) with adrenaline. Mean systolic pressure was unaltered by ornipressin but was significantly increased from 97 to 105 mmHg (P less than 0.05) in children receiving adrenaline. Ornipressin is as effective a haemostatic agent as adrenaline and the rises in heart rate and systolic pressure associated with adrenaline, which are factors known to predispose to the onset of ventricular dysrhythmias, do not occur with ornipressin.
Subject(s)
Anesthesia, General , Enflurane , Epinephrine/pharmacology , Hemodynamics/drug effects , Hemostatics , Ornipressin/pharmacology , Vasopressins/pharmacology , Adult , Blood Pressure/drug effects , Double-Blind Method , Female , Heart Rate/drug effects , Hemorrhage/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Random AllocationABSTRACT
Equipotent concentrations of enflurane and halothane inhaled by children caused substantial hypotension and respiratory depression, these changes being more pronounced with the former agent. Plasma catecholamine levels were unaltered indicating that enflurane, like halothane, elicits little sympatho-adrenal response. Induction of anaesthesia and recovery times were largely comparable but earlier and more frequent use of narcotic analgesics was required after enflurane anaesthesia.
