Multi-residue method for the detection of veterinary drugs in distillers grains by liquid chromatography-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry.

Distillers Grain (DG) is an important by-product of ethanol production. The ethanol production process uses only the starch portion of the plant and all the remaining nutrients, protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins remain in DGs, a valuable feed material for livestock. The use of antimicrobial drugs is helpful to limit harmful bacterial growth during the early part of the fermentation process.

Regenerative toxicology: the role of stem cells in the development of chronic toxicities.

Introduction: Human stem cell lines and their derivatives, as alternatives to the use of animal cells or cancer cell lines, have been widely discussed as cellular models in predictive toxicology. However, the role of stem cells in the development of long-term toxicities and carcinogenesis has not received great attention so far, despite growing evidence indicating the relationship of stem cell damage to adverse effects later in life. However, testing this in vitro is a scientific/technical challenge in particular due to the complex interplay of factors existing under physiological conditions.

Comparative transcriptome profiling in winter wheat grown under different agricultural practices.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), one of the three most important cereal crops worldwide, has a dominant position in Europe due to its adaptability and consumer acceptance particularly as an organic food commodity. Organic agriculture is developing rapidly, and its authenticity is presently a subject of great concern to food authorities, as incorrect labeling can represent commercial fraud.

Measuring nanoparticles size distribution in food and consumer products: a review.

Nanoparticles are already used in several consumer products including food, food packaging and cosmetics, and their detection and measurement in food represent a particularly difficult challenge. In order to fill the void in the official definition of what constitutes a nanomaterial, the European Commission published in October 2011 its recommendation on the definition of 'nanomaterial'. This will have an impact in many different areas of legislation, such as the European Cosmetic Products Regulation, where the current definitions of nanomaterial will come under discussion regarding how they should be adapted in light of this new definition.

Current challenges in detecting food allergens by shotgun and targeted proteomic approaches: a case study on traces of peanut allergens in baked cookies.

There is a need for selective and sensitive methods to detect the presence of food allergens at trace levels in highly processed food products. In this work, a combination of non-targeted and targeted proteomics approaches are used to illustrate the difficulties encountered in the detection of the major peanut allergens Ara h 1, Ara h 2 and Ara h 3 from a representative processed food matrix. Shotgun proteomics was employed for selection of the proteotypic peptides for targeted approaches via selective reaction monitoring.

On-road emissions of light-duty vehicles in europe.

For obtaining type approval in the European Union, light-duty vehicles have to comply with emission limits during standardized laboratory emissions testing. Although emission limits have become more stringent in past decades, light-duty vehicles remain an important source of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide emissions in Europe. Furthermore, persisting air quality problems in many urban areas suggest that laboratory emissions testing may not accurately capture the on-road emissions of light-duty vehicles.

A physiologically based approach for degree-day calculation in pest phenology models: the case of the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.) in Northern Italy.

Phenological models based on degree-day accumulation have been developed to support the integrated pest management of many insects. Most of these models are based on linear relationships between temperature and development, and on daily time step simulations using daily minimum and maximum temperatures. This approach represents an approximation that does not take into account the insect physiological response to temperature, and daily temperature fluctuations.

Cyclotron production of radioactive CeO(2) nanoparticles and their application for in vitro uptake studies.

Nowadays, a wide variety of nanoparticles (NPs) are applied in different fields such as medical science and industry. Due to their large commercial volume, the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (NMs) has proposed to study a set of 14 nanomaterials, one of which being cerium oxide (CeO(2)). In particular, CeO(2) based NPs are widely used in automotive industry, healthcare, and cosmetics.

Comparison of two methods for in vivo estimation of the glenohumeral joint rotation center (GH-JRC) of the patients with shoulder hemiarthroplasty.

Determination of an accurate glenohumeral-joint rotation center (GH-JRC) from marker data is essential for kinematic and dynamic analysis of shoulder motions. Previous studies have focused on the evaluation of the different functional methods for the estimation of the GH-JRC for healthy subjects. The goal of this paper is to compare two widely used functional methods, namely the instantaneous helical axis (IHA) and symmetrical center of rotation (SCoRE) methods, for estimating the GH-JRC in vivo for patients with implanted shoulder hemiarthroplasty.

Status of the European indoor radon map.

Since 2006 a European map of indoor radon (Rn) concentration is in the making. So far 20 countries have contributed with national data, allowing a fair coverage of parts of Europe. This paper presents the current (September 2010) state of the map, discusses its rationale, presents some statistical findings and addresses a few problems which arose during the work.

Assessing the impact of Cross Compliance measures on nitrogen fluxes from European farmlands with DNDC-EUROPE.

We investigated the effects of the agricultural Cross Compliance measures for European cultivated lands, focusing on nitrogen (N) fluxes from corn fields. Four scenarios have been designed according to some conservation farming practices, namely no-till, max manure, catch crop and N splitting. Results indicated that (1) in the no-till scenario the N(2)O fluxes are decreased during the first simulated years, with a return to default fluxes in following years; no-till particularly decreased N(2)O emission in the dryer and colder simulation spatial units (HSMUs); (2) the no-till and the N splitting scenarios slightly increased the N surplus because of a decrease in plant uptake; (3) introducing a rotation with alfalfa decreased the N leaching in the corn crops following the catch crops; and (4) the application of fertilizer and manure during the cold and wet seasons led to an increase of N leaching.

Review of carbon nanotubes toxicity and exposure--appraisal of human health risk assessment based on open literature.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess many unique electronic and mechanical properties and are thus interesting for numerous novel industrial and biomedical applications. As the level of production and use of these materials increases, so too does the potential risk to human health. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and challenges associated with conducting a human health risk assessment for carbon nanotubes based on the open literature, utilising an approach similar to that of a classical regulatory risk assessment.

PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB profiles in soils amended with sewage sludge, compost, farmyard manure, and mineral fertilizer since 1962.

Background, Aim, And Scope: Biowaste contains compounds of agricultural value such as organic carbon, nutrients, and trace elements and can partially replace mineral fertilizer (MIN) and improve the physical properties of the soil. However, the obvious benefits of land spreading need to be carefully evaluated against potential adverse effects on the environment and human health. Environmental contamination resulting from biowaste application is one of the key variables when assessing cost/benefits.

Review of fullerene toxicity and exposure--appraisal of a human health risk assessment, based on open literature.

Fullerenes have gained considerable attention due to their anti-oxidant and radical scavenging properties. Their current applications include targeted drug delivery, energy application, polymer modifications and cosmetic products. The production of fullerenes and their use in consumer products is expected to increase in future.

First steps towards a European atlas of natural radiation: status of the European indoor radon map.

Within the context of its institutional scientific support to the European Commission, in 2005 the Radioactivity Environmental Monitoring (REM) group at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, started to explore the possibility of mapping indoor radon in European houses as a first step towards preparing a European Atlas of Natural Radiations. The main objective of such an atlas is to contribute to familiarizing the public with its naturally radioactive environment. The process of preparing the atlas should also provide the scientific community with a database of information that can be used for further studies and for highlighting regions with elevated levels of natural radiation.

Aberration-free lithography setup for fabrication of holographic diffractive optical elements.

A holographic optical lithography setup with extremely small longitudinal spherical aberration is described. The setup is used for the fabrication of holographic diffractive optical elements intended to collect light emitted from a fluorescence spot located on a biochip surface. A key feature of the optical setup is its ability to simulate a point-source-like fluorescence spot.

Validity assessment of the detection method of maize event Bt10 through investigation of its molecular structure.

In March 2005, U.S. authorities informed the European Commission of the inadvertent release of unauthorized maize GM event Bt10 in their market and subsequently the grain channel.

Fabrication of holographic diffractive optical elements for enhancing light collection from fluorescence-based biochips.

An approach to enhancing the light collection from fluorescence emitters bound on the surface of a biochip is presented. It is based on the integration of diffractive optical elements on the underside of the chip that are essentially thick volume holograms written into a layer of photopolymer recording material. The high diffractive efficiency and angular selectivity of these types of diffractive elements make them very effective collectors of the spatially anisotropic light emitted by surface-bound fluorophores.

Digital micromirror device as a spatial illuminator for fluorescence lifetime and hyperspectral imaging.

Time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and hyper-spectral imaging (HSI) are two advanced microscopy techniques widely used in biological studies. Typically both FLIM and HSI are performed with either a whole-field or raster-scanning approach, which often prove to be technically complex and expensive, requiring the user to accept a compromise among precision, speed, and spatial resolution. We propose the use of a digital micromirror device (DMD) as a spatial illuminator for time-domain FLIM and HSI with a laser diode excitation source.

Atmospheric input of POPs into Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy): PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB profiles and fluxes in the atmosphere and aquatic system.

The delivery and accumulation of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) as recorded in sediments from the Lake Maggiore (LM) in Northern Italy and the influence of the atmosphere in contaminating this subalpine ecosystem were studied. PCDD/Fs (17 congeners) and DL-PCBs (12 congeners) concentrations, congener profiles and fluxes in air, bulk deposition, aquatic settling material and surface sediments are presented. Our strategy was to obtain surface sediment from areas near riverine inputs and in the depositional basins, settling material in sediment traps at one site and air, aerosol and bulk deposition profiles.

Real-time monitoring data for real-time multi-model validation: coupling ENSEMBLE and EURDEP.

The ENSEMBLE system has been considerably expanded and improved. The system that allows the real-time collection of atmospheric dispersion forecasts their real-time consultation and ensemble dispersion analysis has been coupled with the EUropean Radiological Data Exchange Platform (EURDEP) for the acquisition of real-time monitoring data on environmental (mainly in air) radiological measurements. This paper explains how the coupling has been realized and presents the potentials of this unique system that is presently in use in more than 25 countries around the world.

PCDD/F and PCB multi-media ambient concentrations, congener patterns and occurrence in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Etang de Thau, France).

Ambient concentrations, congener patterns and multi-media distribution of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were determined in air, water, sediment and mussels in a semi-enclosed marine ecosystem (Thau lagoon, France). Sigma2,3,7,8-PCDD/F and sigma7ICES PCB air concentrations (0.2-1.

Analytical screening of polyadipates and other plasticisers in poly(vinyl chloride) gasket seals and in fatty food by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Fourteen poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) gasket seals and 15 samples of pesto, tomatoes sauces, olive oil and olives in oil were analysed for the additives and plasticisers. The systematic screening of the representative samples revealed that epoxidised soybean oil (ESBO) was the principal plasticiser in eight gaskets and the concentrations of the substance ranged from 15% to 42%. Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) as main plasticiser was revealed in three samples and the amount ranged from 37 to 41%.

Solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME-GC) and sensors as rapid methods for monitoring lipid oxidation in nuts.

Dry foods with high fat content are susceptible to lipid oxidation, which involves a quality deterioration of the product, since this process is responsible for the generation of off-flavours. Hexanal is considered to be a good shelf-life indicator of such oxidation products. In addition, due to its high volatility, hexanal can be easily determined by fast headspace analytical techniques.

Flood risk mapping at European scale.

The aim of this article is to illustrate a framework for flood risk mapping at pan-European scale produced by the Weather-Driven Natural Hazards (WDNH) action of the EC-JRC-IES. Early results are presented in the form of flood risk index maps. We assess several flood risk factors that contribute to the occurrence of flood disasters.