Investigation for Pu-Erh Tea Contamination Caused by Mycotoxins in a Tea Market in Guangzhou
Pages 349-356
Jin-Yin Wu, Guang-Yu Yang, Jian-Ling Chen, Wen-Xue Li, Jun-Tao Li, Chuan-Xi Fu, Gao-Feng Jiang and Wei Zhu

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.46

Published: 11 August 2014

Abstract: Objective: The purpose of the present study is to provide raw data for the development of guidelines for tea production and management, as well as relevant health standards. To investigate the mycotoxin contamination in the wet stored Pu-erh tea in a tea market in Guangzhou, we measured the concentrations of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2 toxin in 70 tea samples.

Methods: 70 samples of wet stored Pu-erh tea were randomly chosen in the market. Following crushing, brewing, and filtration of the samples, the contaminations of FB₁, DON, or T-2 toxin were assayed by ELISA detection kits, and the contamination of AFB₁ was measured by the IAC-HPLC method.

Results: We found that all tea samples were safe regarding FB₁ and T-2 toxin (safety limit, 1 mg/kg and 0.1×10^-3 mg/kg, respectively). However, 8 out of 70 samples displayed higher AFB₁ concentrations compared to the safety limit (5×10^-3 mg/kg). Surprisingly, 63 out of 70 samples have exceeded the safety limit for DON (1 mg/kg).

Conclusion: Our survey was the first time to find AFB₁ and DON contaminations in the wet stored Pu-erh tea in this tea market. Although the FB₁ and T-2 toxin in these tea samples has not yet exceeded the safety limits, they were still detectable, which should cause more concern.

Factors Determining Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among Low Income Women: Focus Group Findings from Rural, Urban, and Peri-Urban Women Groups in Lilongwe District-Malawi
Pages 306-316
Marisen Mwale

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.40

Published: 18 July 2014

Abstract: Most high prevalence sub-Saharan African countries tend to over-emphasize fidelity and condom use as major preventative measures relative to HIV and AIDS prevention. Studies of behavior change that focus exclusively on these strategies of most interest to the prevention community bias examinations of behaviour change downward by ignoring other potentially effective ways of limiting the epidemic. Regardless of the dearth in efficacy, as well as tolerance bottlenecks; the prevailing debate over provider initiated testing in Malawi may depict a shift towards HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) prevention. The current study examines factors that determine VCT uptake among low income women in the Lilongwe district. A qualitative paradigm- the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was utilized to inform the study. Convenient sampling was used to isolate three women groups namely; St John Nsamba, Women of Action, and National Association of People Having AIDS in Malawi (NAPHAM) support group as participants. The first two groups were sampled as primary groups, the former representing the urban domain with the later representing the rural domain respectively. Between 10 – 15 participants from each group, approximately within the age category 20-49 were involved. Findings suggest socio-cultural gender stereotypes inhibiting negotiating testing with partners as well as the social comparison or optimistic bias motivating ordinary women to underestimate their risk of contracting HIV relative to significant others as major barriers. Recurrent illnesses was considered the major motivator, downplaying the empirical impression about access to treatment as major incentive. The methodical conclusion drawn from the study is that VCT has the potential to mitigate the spread of HIV but for the preventative measure to be successful there is need to surmount various ethnographic and socio-cultural constraints currently impeding the intervention.

Grafting of Cellulose Extracted from Kenaf Using Xanthate Method
Pages 339-343
Sherif M.A.S. Keshk

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.44

Published: 21 July 2014

Abstract: Mass spectra of reconstructed ion chromatogram (MRIC) technique are used to follow up the grafting copolymerization of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (VP), 1-vinyl-3-anisylidine-2-pyrrolidinone (VAP) and ethylmethacrylate (EMA) and cellulose extracted from kenaf using xanthate method. Grafting is carried out under ionic and/or free radical mechanism conditions. Factors affecting grafting yield such as temperature, sodium hydroxide concentration, liquor ratio, carbon disulfide concentration, monomer and grafting time have been studied.

Detecting Intraspecific Character Displacement by Morphological Markers in Riverine-Dwelling Invertebrate Larvae: The Case Study of Head Shape Variability in Leuctra fusca (Plecoptera: Leuctridae)
Pages 317-320
Raffaella Bravi, Lorenzo Traversetti and Massimiliano Scalici

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.6000/1927-5129.2014.10.41

Published: 19 July 2014

Abstract: Since morphological markers are recognized as useful tools to evaluate events of anthropic disturbances, we performed a preliminary study on head shape variability in the riverine-dwelling Leuctra fusca larvae as early alarm systems in running waters. Particularly, heads of 32 larvae were collected from two localities of River Aniene (central Italy) and photographed for digitizing landmarks and semilandmarks. The Cartesian x-y coordinates of all points were firstly converted to shape coordinates by Procrustes superimposition, and then analyzed for exploring the full potential of the application of geometric morphometric techniques. Where the principal component analysis revealed a clear pattern of variation between the 2 sampling sites, the Procrustes ANOVA highlighted this variation as highly associated with fluctuating asymmetry, the latter being traditionally connected with developmental accidents due to environmental conditions. No directional asymmetry was observed. Finally we didn’t find any pattern of allometric variation in the studied structure. Our study indicates that further studies ought to be employed to use geometric morphometrics as a valid tool for detecting and describing morphological variation as biomarkers in invertebrate organism such as stoneflies.