Elements in rice on the Swedish market: part 2. Chromium, copper, iron, manganese, platinum, rubidium, selenium and zinc

A survey of the levels of some essential and non-essential trace elements in different types of rice available on the Swedish retail market was carried out in 2001-03. The types of rice included long and short grain, brown, white, and parboiled white. The mean levels found were: chromium (Cr) = 0.008 mg kg(-1), copper (Cu) = 1.9 mg kg(-1), iron (Fe) = 4.7 mg kg(-1), manganese (Mn) = 16 mg kg(-1), platinum (Pt) < 0.0003 mg kg(-1), rubidium (Rb) = 3.3 mg kg(-1), selenium (Se) =0.1 mg kg(-1); and zinc (Zn) = 15 mg kg(-1). Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the determination of Pt, Rb, and Se, after acid digestion. All other elements were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after dry ashing. Intake calculations were performed and it was concluded that rice may contribute considerably to the daily requirements of the essential elements Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn if rice consumption is high. The levels of some elements, e.g. Fe and Mn, were significantly higher in brown compared with white rice.     

Determination of toxic and essential elements in sunflower honey from Thrace Region,Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and selenium (Se) in sunflower honeys obtained from Thrace Region of Turkey. Trace and toxic element determination was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion. The accuracy of the method was checked by the standard reference material, NIST‐SRM 1515 Apple leaves. The maximum contents of trace and toxic elements in honey samples from Kesan (polluted area) were found as 0.46, 0.82, 1.98, 14.0, 9.86 μg kg^?1, 0.48 mg kg^?1, 137, 115 and 290 μg kg^?1 for Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni and Se, respectively.     

Toxic and micronutrient elements in organic,brown and polished rice in Brazil

Concentration levels of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Tl, Sn, Sb Co, Cu, Mn, Se, Zn, Cr, Ni and Mo in different types of rice cultivated in irrigated fields in Brazil were evaluated. Arsenic, Cd, Pb, Zn, Mn and Cu were found in higher concentrations in brown rice samples, suggesting the prevalence of these elements in the bran. Meanwhile, lower concentrations of Pb, Mo, Cr, Se and Co were found in parboiled rice. Organic rice did not differ of cultivated conventionally rice. Thallium, Hg and Sb were not detected in any rice sample whose limits of detection were 0.7 μg kg^?1, 2.5 μg kg^?1 and 8 μg kg^?1, respectively. The concentrations of the investigated elements were compared with those reported for polished rice and brown rice from other countries, unveiling concentrations in general at the same level for rice produced at non-contaminated sites.     

Survey of 13 trace elements of toxic and nutritional significance in rice from Brazil and exposure assessment

Twenty-seven rice samples from Brazil, four parboiled brown, seventeen white and six parboiled white were analysed by ICP-MS for trace element determination. Concentrations of arsenic varied from 58.8 to 216.9?ng?g^?1, for cadmium from 6.0 to 20.2?ng?g^?1, for antimony from 0.12 to 1.28?ng?g^?1, and for uranium from 0.025 to 1.28?ng?g^?1. The estimated daily intake through rice consumption was 9.5?µg for As, 2.4?µg for Cd, 0.029?µg for Sb, 0.013?µg for U, 3.1?µg for Co, 0.2?µg for Cu, 85.6?mg for Mg, 1.9?mg for Mn, 333?mg for P, 3.0?µg for Se, 1.6?mg for Zn, 0.9?mg for Rb, and 0.3?µg for V. Found values represent a considerable percentage of the dietary reference intakes and provisional tolerable daily intake for essential and toxic elements, respectively.     

Trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus,Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus)

Accumulation levels of trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus, Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus) from the Gulf of Antalya, Turkey were investigated. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The lowest Cu (1.33 mg kg^?1) and Cd (0.23 mg kg^?1) and highest Mn (1.52 mg kg^?1) concentrations were found in P. longirostris, the lowest Zn (6.25 mg kg^?1), Fe (1.84 mg kg^?1) and Mn (0.25 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. serratus and the highest Cu (6.19 mg kg^?1), Cd (2.36 mg kg^?1), Zn (30.84 mg kg^?1) and Fe (33.89 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. semisulcatus. The Cd levels detected in P. semisulcatus and P. serratus were above legislative limits. Our results show that there were significant differences in trace element concentrations among the three shrimp species. The highest levels of the five trace elements investigated, with the exception of Mn, were found in edible tissue of P. semisulcatus. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Survey of iron,zinc, calcium,copper, lead,and cadmium in rice samples grown in Iran

In the present study ninety nine polished white rice samples were collected in three areas, all over Lorestan Province located in the west of Iran, and analysed for six elements by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). For individual elements, Zinc (Zn) showed the highest concentration among the analysed essential elements with a mean of 28.6 mg kg^?1 and next to copper (Cu) of 22.8 mg kg^?1. Analysis of the essential and toxic elements for possible inter-area variation by ANOVA showed that there are significant differences between the areas. There was no significant difference between areas for Zn concentrations. Most of the samples nearly contained world wide average concentration of iron (Fe) and Zn in rice grains that were reported by various researches. But, the content of calcium (Ca) in the rice samples produced in Lorestan Province were much lower than other countries, meanwhile Cu concentrations were much higher than other studies. Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) concentrations in the sampled rice were lower in comparison with their upper limits (0.1 and 0.2 mg kg^?1 for Cd and Pb, respectively) approved by Iranian Ministry of Health. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is no health problems result from Lorestan rice consumption, for these two elements.     

Elemental composition of commercial sea cucumbers (holothurians)

Toxic and essential elements in 11 different sea cucumber species were determined and compared with daily intake recommendations and maximum allowed levels. The contents of macro-elements contents in dried sea cucumber samples were found to be 25,000–152,000?mg?kg^–1 for Na, 4000–8600?mg?kg^?1 for Mg, 1100–5200?mg?kg^?1 for K, 15,000–68,000?mg?kg^?1 and 36,300–251,000?mg?kg^?1 for Cl. Trace element concentrations in dried sea cucumber samples were found to be 11–100?mg?kg^?1 for Zn, 41–660?mg?kg^?1 for Fe, 3–74?mg?kg^?1 for Cu, 1.1–16?mg?kg^?1 for Mn, 1.4–3.7?mg?kg^?1 for Se, 1.1–9.6?mg?kg^?1 for Cr, and 0.3–5.1?mg?kg^?1 for Ni. All sea cucumber species were rich sources of Na, Cl, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, Se and Cr for human consumption. Regarding contaminants, As, Cd and Pb concentrations in dried sea cucumbers were in the ranges of 1.1–6.1, 0.03–0.06 and 0.11–0.69?mg?kg^?1, respectively. Moreover, Hg values of 11 sea cucumbers were below the detection limit (0.01?mg?kg^?1).     

Influence of organic selenium supplementation on the accumulation of toxic and essential trace elements involved in the antioxidant system of chicken

The aim of the study was to investigate the interactions between selenium (Se) and various trace elements, both toxic and essential, involved in the antioxidant system. A total of 128?day-old chicks (Gallus gallus, broilers) were used to investigate the effect of Se yeast supplementation on the accumulation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). There were four replicates of four dietary treatments: T1 (basal diet with no added Se, analyzed to contain 0.21?mg?kg^?1), T2 (T1 with 0.15?mg?kg^?1 Se added), T3 (T1 with 0.3?mg?kg^?1 Se) and T4 (T1 with 3.0?mg?kg^?1 Se). At week 4 and 6, two chickens per replicate pen were sacrificed for whole blood, breast muscle and liver sampling. Samples were analyzed by ICP–MS. Supplementation with Se-yeast, not only increased Se concentration but also reduced Cd concentration in the tissues. Selenium was negatively correlated with Cd and positively correlated with Zn, Cu and Fe. Cadmium was negatively correlated with Zn and Cu. Zinc was positively correlated with Cu. Iron was negatively correlated with Cu and uncorrelated with Zn and Cd. The balance between Se, Cu, Fe and Zn is important for proper antioxidant defense since they are an integral part of various antioxidant enzymes.     

Genotypic variation of iron partitioning in rice grain

The present study investigates the variation of Fe concentration and partitioning in different grain tissues, particularly in the endosperm (white rice) among different rice cultivars from diverse genetic backgrounds. Iron concentration ranged from 10 to 20 mg kg^?1 in brown rice and 3–11 mg kg^?1 in white rice. Iron concentration in white rice was not correlated with that in brown rice. Polishing removed 25–84% of Fe from the brown rice, resulting in a low Fe concentration in the white rice and changed the ranking order for Fe concentration among the cultivars tested. Total Fe content in the whole grain including husk (r = 0.28, NS) and total Fe content in brown rice (r = 0.09, NS) was not significantly correlated with Fe concentration in white rice. Iron content in white rice was found to vary between 0.05 and 0.2 µg grain^?1 among cultivars tested, with the highest Fe content in cv. Sakha. Iron concentration in white rice was negatively correlated with total Fe content in the bran fraction, which is lost during the polishing process to produce white rice from brown rice (r = ? 0.82**). The partitioning of Fe between the endosperm and bran seemed to play a key role in achieving high Fe concentration in the white rice. The surface cell layers of the caryopsis appeared to be the main resistance of Fe partitioning into the endosperm (white rice) as there was a significantly negative correlation between Fe concentration in the white rice and Fe content in the bran, which is lost during the polishing process. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Iron fortification and parboiled rice quality: appearance,cooking quality and sensory attributes

BACKGROUND: Iron (Fe) fortification of parboiled rice increases both Fe concentration and bioavailability in milled grains (i.e. white rice). The aim of the present study was to evaluate parboiled rice fortified with 250 and 450 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice for its pre‐cooking appearance, cooking quality, basic sensory attributes and overall acceptance in comparison with unfortified parboiled rice in Thailand and local parboiled rice in Bangladesh. RESULTS: Fe fortification at 250 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice significantly elevated Fe concentration in white rice to as high as 19.1 mg Fe kg^?1 white rice, compared with 6.2 mg Fe kg^?1 white rice for unfortified parboiled rice, without any adverse impact on consumer acceptance based on the current preliminary assessment. The added Fe was well retained in the cooked rice, with significant residual value for human intake. Panellists in Thailand and Bangladesh did not detect significant differences in the acceptability of parboiled rice fortified at 250 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice compared with unfortified and local parboiled rice respectively. However, Fe fortification of parboiled rice at the higher level of 450 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice significantly intensified the yellow colour of the grain and changed the off‐flavour, chewiness and flakiness of the cooked Fe‐fortified parboiled rice. This resulted in a low acceptability ranking of parboiled rice fortified at 450 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice by panellists in both Thailand and Bangladesh. CONCLUSION: Fe fortification of parboiled rice at an appropriate level (e.g. 250 mg Fe kg^?1 paddy rice) is dosage‐effective and acceptable to rice consumers. Consumer acceptability of Fe‐fortified parboiled rice is closely related to pre‐cooking appearance, cooking quality and sensory attributes. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemical characterisation of Nephrops norvegicus from Portuguese coast

BACKGROUND: Among seafood products, crustaceans are an important group owing to their nutritional benefits and high market value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proximate composition as well as essential and non‐essential elements in the edible muscle of Nephrops norvegicus (Norway lobster). RESULTS: The studied crustacean showed a high protein level of about 210 g kg^?1 and a mineral level of about 24 g kg^?1. The pattern for the elements studied was Cl > Na > K > P > S > Ca > Mg > Br > Fe > Sr ≈ Zn > Cu > Mn > Rb > Se > Ni > Cr. Regarding non‐essential elements, the average total Hg content was 0.40 mg kg^?1, but two samples exceeded the legal limit set by the European Union (EU) for Hg in crustaceans (0.50 mg kg^?1). The levels of Pb and Cd found in all samples were below the EU limits (0.50 mg kg^?1 for both metals). CONCLUSION: Nephrops norvegicus is a good source of protein and contains most minerals at levels sufficient to satisfy the dietary reference intake. The amounts of Pb and Cd are not a concern. Hg levels indicate some contamination; however, taking into account the type of consumption of this species, it can be concluded that this does not represent a risk in terms of the human diet. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Comparative study of the mineral composition of several varieties of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) from different countries cultivated in Canary Islands (Spain)

Potatoes are a basic component of human diets worldwide being an excellent source of minerals linked the maintenance of health. Contents of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), cupper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) in seventy‐four fresh potato samples from different varieties consumed in Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain) were determined by flame atomic absorption spetrometry (FAAS). The mean concentrations were 60.1 mg kg^?1, 222 mg kg^?1, 5047 mg kg^?1, 125 mg kg^?1, 1.69 mg kg^?1, 8 mg kg^?1, 1.70 mg kg^?1, 3.88 mg kg^?1, 62.7 μg kg^?1 and 19.9 μg kg^?1 for Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni and Cr, respectively. The varieties of local potatoes presented higher mineral contents than imported potatoes. Potassium presented the highest contents in all varieties of potatoes. Iron was the most abundant microelement. Local potatoes offer greater nutritional contributions to the recommended intakes than imported varieties. Within the macrominerals, the highest contribution to the intakes was observed for K, while Fe was the trace element with the largest contribution to the proposed intake.     

Genotypic variation of mineral elements contents in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

Mineral nutrition of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) are important for human health. The method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed to determinate the contents of K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in milled rice (Oryza sativa L.) of 274 rice genotypes. The results showed that the visible difference could be found for the contents of eight elements in milled rice among rice genotypes studied. It existed the possibility to select the genotype(s) with abundant of mineral nutrient from the genetic resource. Meanwhile, the contents of mineral elements in brown rice were significantly higher than those in milled rice. The averages of K, Mn and Cu contents of indica rice were significantly lower than those of japonica rice, while no significant difference was found for other five element contents between indica and japonica rice genotypes. The average contents of Na and Cu in non-glutinous rice genotypes were higher than those in glutinous ones, whereas the averages of K and Mn contents in non-glutinous rice genotypes were lower in present experiment. Additionally, the K, Ca and Mg contents of milled rice from white brown rice were significantly higher than those from red brown rice, and Ca content of milled rice from white brown rice was also visibly higher than that from black brown rice. For microelements, significant difference was observed for Zn content between milled rice from red and white brown rice, or between milled rice from red and black brown rice. Some genotypes with abundant mineral nutrient in milled rice had been selected and could be used in rice nutrient breeding.     

Mycotoxins,trace elements,and phthalates in marketed rice of different origin and exposure assessment

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine levels of 11 mycotoxins, 10 trace elements, and 6 phthalates in rice samples from Serbian and Chinese market. Mycotoxins were not detected in any of the analysed rice samples. Results revealed similar median levels for following elements: Mn, 17.5 and 15.7 mg kg^?1; Fe, 2.47 and 2.12 mg kg^?1; Cu, 1.95 and 1.59 mg kg^?1 in marketed samples from Serbia and China, respectively. Median concentration of Ni in Serbian marketed samples was 1.9 times higher than in Chinese ones. The median levels (µg kg^?1) of phthalates ranged from 1.2 (benzylbutyl phthalate [BBP]) – 566 (di(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate [DEHP]) and 1.7 (BBP) – 348 (DEHP) in Serbian and Chinese marketed samples, respectively. The results were used to assess daily exposure of Serbian and Chinese adult consumers. The calculated target hazard quotients indicated that the potential risk attributable to the analysed contaminants in rice samples should not be of concern neither for the Serbian nor the Chinese consumers.     

Characterization and prediction by near-infrared reflectance of mineral composition of rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa and Eruca vesicaria subsp. vesicaria)

BACKGROUND: Minerals are essential for human nutrition and must be obtained from our diet. Crucifer vegetables are a good source of these nutrients. Our objectives were to determine the genetic variability for mineral content and to evaluate the use of near‐infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) for prediction of ashes and minerals among and within the rocket species Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa and vesicaria. The minerals studied were iron (Fe), copper (Cu), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn). RESULTS: The maximum mean values obtained for all the accessions (mean ± SE) were 235.5 ± 1.5 mg ashes kg^?1, 273.3 ± 4.2 mg Fe kg^?1, 18.1 ± 0.4 mg Cu kg^?1, 2.8 ± 0.1 g Na kg^?1, 71.6 ± 1.0 g K kg^?1, 64.6 ± 1.2 g Ca kg^?1, 6.8 ± 0.1 g mg kg^?1, 101.6 ± 1.2 mg Mn kg^?1, and 67.1 ± 0.4 mg Zn kg^?1 of dry weight. CONCLUSION: The statistical analysis showed significant differences for all the minerals, except Ca, for each accession studied individually and for accessions grouped within countries. The results indicate that NIRS can be used as a rapid screening method for determining total mineral, Fe, Na, K, and Zn in rocket. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Elements in rice from the Swedish market: 1. Cadmium,lead and arsenic (total and inorganic)

A survey of the levels of cadmium, lead and arsenic in different types of rice available on the Swedish retail market was carried out in 2001–03. The types of rice included long and short grain, brown, white, and parboiled white rice. The mean levels found were as follows: total As: 0.20 mg kg^?1, inorganic As: 0.11 mg kg^?1; Cd: 0.024 mg kg^?1; and Pb: 0.004 mg kg^?1. ICP-MS was used for the determination of As (total and inorganic) after acid digestion. Lead and cadmium were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after dry ashing. In countries where rice is a staple food, it may represent a significant contribution in relation to the provisional tolerable weekly intake for Cd and inorganic As.     

Toxic and essential elements in five tree nuts from Hangzhou market,China

In this study, a total of 35 tree nut samples of walnut, pecan, pine seed, hickory nut and torreya were obtained from 5 farm product markets in Hangzhou, China, and investigated for essential (Cr, Mn, Fe, Mo, Cu, Zn, Se and Sr) and toxic (Al, As, Cd and Pb) elements by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy. Mean elemental concentrations of different tree nuts were in the following ranges: Cr 0.26–0.78 mg kg^–1, Mn 42.1–174 mg kg^–1, Fe 33.7–43.9 mg kg^–1, Mo 0.11–0.48 mg kg^–1, Cu 10.3–17.6 mg kg^–1, Zn 21.6–56.1 mg kg^–1, Se 0.015–0.051 mg kg^–1, Al 1.44–37.6 mg kg^–1, As 0.0062–0.047 mg kg^–1, Cd 0.016–0.18 mg kg^–1 and Pb 0.0069–0.029 mg kg^–1. The estimated provisional tolerable daily intake of Al, As, Cd and Pb was much lower than the provisional tolerable daily intake.     

Toxic and essential elements in butter from the Black Sea region,Turkey

In this study, 88 randomly selected samples of butter produced in the Black Sea region of Turkey were purchased from different retail markets during different periods and investigated for toxic and essential elements content. Quantitative analyses of elements in the samples were performed using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Mean concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn in the butter samples were 18.93, 100.32, 384.66, 4199.1, 887.47, 168.64, 56.13, 16.34 and 384.66 µg kg^?1, respectively. Cd and Co were detected in 19 (mean content 0.29 µg kg^?1) and 81 (mean content 3.81 µg kg^?1) samples of 88 butter samples, respectively. However, the dietary intake of these elements by the population of the Black Sea region is currently well below the dietary reference intake (DRI) and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) levels of essential and toxic elements.     

Iron,zinc and phytic acid content of selected rice varieties from China

Rice is the major Chinese staple food (per capita approx 250 g day^?1) and, as such, is an important source of essential minerals. However, due to a number of factors the bio‐availability of these minerals is limited. In this study, the variation of phytic acid (PA), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) levels in 56 varieties of Chinese rice was investigated. The samples included in this study were collected in proportion to the importance of the rice‐growing regions in China. Fe levels showed the biggest variation (9–45 mg kg^?1) and were not related with PA content or grain shape although growing locations were identified yielding higher (25.2 mg kg^?1) and lower (14.2 mg kg^?1) Fe levels. Zn showed a moderate variability (13–39 mg kg^?1), which was narrower than for Fe, while broader than for PA (7.2–11.9 g kg^?1). Zn content is correlated (R² = 0.5; P < 0.01) with PA content, and shows a relation with growing region and kernel shape. Variation of PA content is the least among the three components. Molar ratios of PA to Fe and Zn ranged from 15 to 105 and 27 to 67, respectively. The results of the mineral contents and PA content can be interpreted in terms of expected bio‐availability. This study shows that the mineral bio‐availability of Chinese rice varieties will be <4%. Despite the variation in mineral contents, in all cases the PA present is expected to render most mineral present unavailable. We conclude that there is scope for optimisation of mineral contents of rice by matching suitable varieties and growing regions, and that rice products require processing that retains minerals but results in thorough dephytinisation. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Toxic (Pb,Cd, Hg) and essential (Fe,Cu, Zn,Mn) metal content of liver tissue of some domestic and bush animals in Ghana

Accumulation of toxic metals in liver, a rich natural source of essential elements, can present health risks to regular consumers of liver. A total of 35 fresh liver samples of cow, sheep, goat, pig, grass-cutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), gaint rat (Cricetomys gambianus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), chicken and antelope (Antilocapra americana) were obtained from three different markets in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry and an automatic mercury analyzer. Levels of iron in the grass-cutter and pig of 500.5–645.4 mg kg^?1 were the highest in the animal livers examined. Mn concentrations were highest in grass-cutter and rat liver, ranging 16.5–30.2 mg kg^?1. The safe Cu and Zn permissible limits of 20 and 50 mg kg^?1 were exceeded in 70 and 75% of the liver samples, respectively. Generally, for each animal group studied, at least 50% of the sample livers exceeded the Cd permissible limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1. The levels of Pb, which ranged 1.3–13.8 mg kg^?1, exceeded the proposed European Commission (EC) limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1. Care must be taken by regular consumers of the iron-rich animal livers of grass-cutter, pig and rat because they also had the highest levels of Pb (in grass-cutter and pig) and Cd (in grass-cutter, rat and pig). The liver samples analyzed for Hg had values far below the permissible limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1.