Quality assurance and cancer detection rates in a provincial screening mammography program. Work in progress

In 1990, a provincial screening program was inaugurated in Alberta, a Canadian province of 2.4 million people. The goal of the program is to decrease the number of deaths from breast cancer by 30% in women aged 50-69 years. In the first 18 months of program operations, efforts were concentrated on high levels of quality assurance in all areas of program activities. In particular, the abnormality referral rates, cancer detection rates, and size and stage of mammographically detected cancers were evaluated. Of the 9,553 women seen, 8,524 were between the ages of 50 and 69 years. Reported abnormality rates were initially more than 16%, but were brought down steadily to less than 5%. Cancer detection rates increased with age, ranging from 1.9 cancers detected per 1,000 women aged 40-49 years to 14.1 cancers per 1,000 women aged 70 years and older. Forty-one of the 61 cancers detected (67%) were less than 1.5 cm in diameter. Forty-three of the 52 cancers (83%) in which the nodal status was known were node negative. At the conclusion of the first 18 months of operation, interpretation parameters were within the target zones expected for a population-based screening program.     

Comparison of Viability and Heat Resistance of Clostridium sporogenes Stored at Different Temperatures

ABSTRACT:  The objective of this study was to determine the influence of storage temperature on the viability and heat resistance of Clostridium sporogenes spores. Spore suspension containing both spores and vegetative cells was divided into 3 groups to be stored at different temperatures of −20 (freezing), 4 (refrigerating), and 25 °C (ambient temperature). Samples stored for different times within the 2 mo were tested for viability by comparison of colony counts on plates and for heat resistance by determining D values at 121 °C. No significant differences were found in the viability of vegetative cells during the storage period, regardless of storage temperatures tested, while the viability of the spores stored for more than 4 wk was significantly higher at 4 °C than at −20 °C. The heat resistance of spores stored at 4 °C for more than 4 wk was remarkably higher than that at 25 °C, but similar to that at −20 °C throughout the storage period. Consequently, it turned out that a refrigerating temperature of 4 °C is satisfactory for storage of C. sporogenes spores in maintaining viability and heat resistance. This study suggests that storage temperature influences the viability and heat resistance of C. sporogenes spores.     

Occurrence of biogenic amines in Doubanjiang and Tofu

This study was performed to analyze biogenic amine contents and other parameters in doubanjiang and tofu. Through this study, it was found that doubanjiang contained considerably large amounts of most biogenic amines (>30 mg/kg of β-phenylethylamine in particular), and tofu had a relatively high level of spermidine (>20 mg/ kg). Therefore, the amounts of biogenic amines in the foods seem to be occasionally beyond the safe level for human consumption. Meanwhile, the biogenic amine contents in doubanjiang showed a good relationship with salt content (R²=0.89). The spermidine content in tofu samples was closely related to that in soybean, the raw material of tofu. There also appeared to be a good relationship (R²=0.82) between the biogenic amine contents and total plate counts in doubanjiang, but not in tofu. Most strains from the foods were capable of producing biogenic amines, and the identification revealed that bacterial ability to produce biogenic amines was determined at the level of strains rather than species. Taken together, it seems that biogenic amine contents in doubanjiang are mainly affected by fermentation processes, whereas those in tofu are primarily affected by raw materials.     

Paenibacillus tyraminigenes sp. nov. isolated from Myeolchi-jeotgal, a traditional Korean salted and fermented anchovy

A bacterial strain H3029, a gram-positive, rod-shaped, oxidase-negative, endospore-forming bacterium that characteristically produces tyramine from tyrosine, was isolated from a Myeolchi-jeotgal, a traditional Korean salted and fermented anchovy (Engraulis japonicus). The H3029 strain showed a high ability to produce 4140 microg/ml of tyramine from the culture broth containing 5000 microg/ml tyrosine. On the other hand, the strain produced a relatively low level of other putrefactive amines, at 973 microg/ml of putrescine and 147 microg/ml of cadaverine from the media, with each 5000 microg/ml of ornithine hydrochloride and lysine hydrochloride. The H3029 strain produced no detectable level of histamine (detection limit of 4 microg/ml) from the media containing 5000 microg/ml of histidine hydrochloride. Meanwhile, tyramine, the main product of the strain, showed the antimicrobial activity at the level of over 1 mg/disk against Staphylococcus aureus by agar diffusion test, and the mutagenicity in Ames test at 0.1 mg/plate using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA1535. On the basis of the polyphasic taxonomic study, the H3029(T) strain was assigned a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus as Paenibacillus tyraminigenes sp. nov. The type strain of which is strain H3029(T) (=KCTC 10694BP(T)).     

On the phases formation in the calcination process of ZnO varistor

The degree of phase formation was investigated by Sb₂O₃ behaviour in the calcination process, and the change of microstructure and breakdown properties due to the phases formation in ZnO varistor. The samples were calcined at several temperatures for 2 h and were sintered at 1150 to 1300 ° C, respectively, for 1 h. After that,V-I characteristics were investigated. Phase analysis by X-ray diffraction and microstructures observation by SEM were done. As a result, spinel phase was not formed and low nonlinear resistance was shown in the samples without Sb₂O₃. In the samples containing Sb₂O₃, it was shown that the pyrochlore and spinel phase are formed at the conventional calcination temperature or even below that temperature. This primary spinel phase and the spinel phase transformed from pyrochlore phase in sintering process inhibit ZnO grain growth, and so nonlinear resistances should be changed. Hence ZnO grain growth in ZnO-based varistor system is strongly dependent on the Sb₂O₃ behaviour in the calcination process.     

Grape seed extract inhibits lipid oxidation in muscle from different species during refrigerated and frozen storage and oxidation catalyzed by peroxynitrite and iron/ascorbate in a pyrogallol red model system

The antioxidant effect of grape seed extract (GSE) was determined by assessing the bleaching of pyrogallol red (PGR) by peroxynitrite or iron/ascorbate, and the formation of lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and thiobarbituric acid substances (TBARS) in raw or cooked ground muscle during refrigerated or frozen storage. In PGR models, GSE was more effective than gallic acid in inhibiting oxidation. The formation of LOOH and TBARS was inhibited by GSE (0.1% and 1.0%) compared to untreated controls and samples treated with sodium tripolyphosphate. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), alone or in combination with GSE, had no effect on LOOH or TBARS, which provides clues about the possible mechanism of action of GSE. These results show that GSE at concentrations as low as 0.1% is a very effective inhibitor of primary and secondary oxidation products in various muscle systems and has potential as a natural antioxidant in raw and cooked meat systems.     

The ability of Schisandra chinensis fruit to inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and the viability and heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of Schisandra chinensis fruit on the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria and on the viability and heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores. Schisandra chinensis fruit was extracted with one of three different solvents (50% ethanol, 100% ethanol and distilled water), and the extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the bacteria tested. Particularly, the ethanol extracts of S. chinensis fruit had the strongest activity, in a concentration‐dependent manner. Fractionation of extracts by ion chromatography revealed that the antimicrobial activity of S. chinensis fruit is mainly due to organic acids such as citric acid and malic acid. Meanwhile, S. chinensis fruit extract (10%) significantly reduced the viability and heat resistance of B. cereus spores. Therefore, this study suggests that S. chinensis fruit extract has potential as a natural food preservative and/or sanitising agent for the reduction of spoilage and pathogenic contamination.