Mapping soil Pb stocks and availability in mainland France combining regression trees with robust geostatistics

Maps of lead (Pb) stocks in soils and estimates of its availability are needed to assess risks of contamination. Stocks in soils of total and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) extractable Pb, as well as Pb availability, assessed by EDTA/total Pb ratio, were measured and calculated to a depth of 30 cm with the French soil monitoring network at sites defined by a regular 16 × 16 km grid. Setting aside punctual anomalies by winsorizing, these properties were mapped using linear mixed models (LMM). LMMs combined conditional partitioning trees upon 5 predictors (pH, texture, parent material, land use, population density) with robust geostatistics to avoid distortion due to outlying values. Rather than selecting the fixed effects according to expert-knowledge, regression trees were used to account for explanatory variables in a single classification. This original method stressed both the necessity for a geostatistical component to complement regression tree models when spatial correlation is evident, and the usefulness of these trees to interpret maps. Pb stocks varied widely with peak concentrations and availability in densely populated areas. Lithology, texture and forestation also affected total Pb stocks. With regards to availability, forestation and pH appeared as key factors.     

Solid-phase microextraction of volatile compounds from the chopped leaves of three species of Eucalyptus

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography and ion-trap mass spectrometry has been used to identify biogenic volatile organic compounds present in the headspace of chopped leaves of Eucalyptus (E.) dunnii, E. citriodora, and E. saligna. A simple HS-SPME method entailing 30 min of extraction at 30 degrees C was developed for this purpose. Thirty compounds were identified in the headspace of 60 juvenile chopped Eucalyptus leaves, and another 30 were tentatively identified. The presence of compounds such as (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), (E,E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene (TMNT), (E,E)-alpha-farnesene, (E,E,E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-1,3,6,10,14-hexadecapentaene (TMHP), beta-caryophyllene, alpha-humulene, germacrene D, and beta-cubebene in the headspace of the leaves but not in the essential oils from the same Eucalyptus trees and information about the infochemical roles of some of these compounds in other living plant systems suggest they might play a bioactive role in Eucalyptus leaves.     

SPME applied to the study of volatile organic compounds emitted by three species of Eucalyptus in situ. Solid-phase micro extraction

Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry-65 microm polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) was used to identify and monitor the emission patterns of biogenic volatile organic compounds from leaves of Eucalyptus dunnii, Eucalyptus saligna, and Eucalyptus citriodora in situ. Short extractions (1 min) were performed every 30 min for periods of 8-10 h during 24 days taking advantage of the high capacity of this porous polymer coating. Forty-two compounds were detected and 20 identified in the headspace of E. saligna leaves, and 19 of 27 compounds were identified in the headspace of E. dunnii leaves. The emission pattern of (E)-beta-ocimene and rose oxide suggests that they may play a bioactive role in Eucalyptus.     

Family average income and body mass index above the healthy weight range among urban and rural residents in regional Mainland China

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between family average income (FAI; an index of socio-economic status) and body mass index (BMI; a widely used, inexpensive indicator of weight status) above the healthy weight range in a region of Mainland China. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study, conducted between October 1999 and March 2000 on a sample of regular local residents aged 35 years or older who were selected by random cluster sampling. SETTING: Forty-five administrative villages selected from three urban districts and two rural counties of Nanjing municipality, Mainland China, with a regional population of 5.6 million. SUBJECTS: In total, 29,340 subjects participated; 67.7% from urban and 32.3% from rural areas; 49.8% male and 50.2% female. The response rate among eligible participants was 90.1%. RESULTS: The proportion of participants classified as overweight was 30.5%, while 7.8% were identified as obese. After adjusting for possible confounding variables (age, gender, area of residence, educational level, occupational and leisure-time physical activity, daily vegetable consumption and frequency of red meat intake), urban participants were more likely to be overweight or obese relative to their rural counterparts, more women than men were obese, and participants in the lowest FAI tertile were the least likely to be above the healthy weight range. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of adults with BMI above the healthy weight range was positively related to having a higher socio-economic status (indexed by FAI) in a regional Chinese population.     

Mediterranean diet in relation to body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio

OBJECTIVE: The Mediterranean diet is rich in fat and starch, and hence may be related to overweight. We therefore investigated the relationship between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). DESIGN AND SETTING: Data were obtained from the control group of a network of case-control studies on cancer conducted in major teaching and general hospitals in four Italian areas between 1991 and 2002. An interviewer-administered validated 78-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to obtain information on the subjects' habitual diet. Information on socio-economic factors, lifestyle habits and anthropometric measures was also collected. A Mediterranean diet score (MDS) was derived on the basis of eight characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. SUBJECTS: Subjects were 6619 patients (3090 men, 3529 women) admitted to hospital for a wide spectrum of acute, non-neoplastic conditions, unrelated to known risk factors for cancer and long-term modifications of diet. RESULTS: In multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, study centre, education, tobacco smoking, occupational physical activity and total energy intake, the MDS was not related to BMI (beta = 0.05 for men and -0.04 for women) or WHR (beta = 0.000 and 0.001, respectively) in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the major characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is unrelated to BMI and WHR, confirming previous data from Greece and Spain.     

The BfT-GermVet monitoring program--aims and basics

To determine the current status of antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial pathogens from animals in Germany, the Bff-GermVet monitoring program was initiated as a complementary program to the German national monitoring program GERM-Vet conducted by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL). In the Bff-GermVet program, a total of 1,626 bacterial strains, obtained during a 27-month period (01/2004-03/2006) from 31 indications, was screened for susceptibility against 22 antimicrobial agents and two combinations of antimicrobial agents. Selected bacteria were additionally tested for their susceptibility against additional three combinations of antimicrobial agents and the corresponding single substances.This paper describes the overall aims and the structure of the program with particular reference to the sampling strategy, the methodology for susceptibility testing and the interpretive criteria used for evaluation of the results.