Abstract-In this Focus article, the authors ask a seemingly simple question: Are harmful algal blooms (HABs) becoming the greatest inland water quality threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems? When HAB events require restrictions on fisheries, recreation, and drinking water uses of inland water bodies significant economic consequences result. Unfortunately, the magnitude, frequency, and duration of HABs in inland waters are poorly understood across spatiotemporal scales and differentially engaged among states, tribes, and territories. Harmful algal bloom impacts are not as predictable as those from conventional chemical contaminants, for which water quality assessment and management programs were primarily developed, because interactions among multiple natural and anthropogenic factors determine the likelihood and severity to which a HAB will occur in a specific water body. These forcing factors can also affect toxin production. Beyond site-specific water quality degradation caused directly by HABs, the presence of HAB toxins can negatively influence routine surface water quality monitoring, assessment, and management practices. Harmful algal blooms present significant challenges for achieving water quality protection and restoration goals when these toxins confound interpretation of monitoring results and environmental quality standards implementation efforts for other chemicals and stressors. Whether HABs presently represent the greatest threat to inland water quality is debatable, though in inland waters of developed countries they typically cause more severe acute impacts to environmental quality than conventional chemical contamination events. The authors identify several timely research needs. Environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, and risk-assessment expertise must interface with ecologists, engineers, and public health practitioners to engage the complexities of HAB assessment and management, to address the forcing factors for HAB formation, and to reduce the threats posed to inland surface water quality. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:6-13. # 2015 SETAC

Background: Relatives looking after a terminally ill family member at home face numerous

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Middle Devonian articulate brachiopods (Ludlowville and Moscow Formations, Hamilton Group, New York) have external tapered holes with a central boss that are indistinguishable from drillholes of naticid gastropods that are known from the Triassic and later. Drillholes are specific to prey (ribbed shells were avoided) and specific to sites on prey. Healed drillholes suggest penetration of live prey. As many as 44 percent of the preferred prey are drilled, indicating a level of predation that has been reported only from post-Paleozoic strata.

Listeria monocytogenes, in fresh and ready‐to‐eat produce such as whole fresh apples, is of concern as there is no “kill step” in their packing process that would eliminate the pathogenic bacteria. Recent listeriosis outbreaks revealed that insufficient cleaning and sanitation practices in fresh apple packing houses may lead to contamination of fruit with L. monocytogenes. This article discusses three fundamental aspects for ensuring microbiological safety of fresh apples: protection of fresh apples from microbial contamination during the packing process, decontamination intervention techniques, and the challenges in removal of L. monocytogenes from fresh apples. Currently used and novel methods of fresh produce decontamination are discussed and evaluated on their usefulness for the apple packing process. Additionally, present regulatory requirements, possible routes of produce contamination, and bacteria attachment and survival mechanisms are described. Optimum methods for microbial decontamination of whole fresh apples are still to be determined. Critical aspects that should be considered in developing the interventions include apple morphology, conditions and scale of the packing process, and influence of the interventions on apple quality. Evaluation of the currently used and emerging decontamination methods indicated that the hurdle technology and rotating use of sanitizers to avoid development of bacterial biofilm resistance may give the best results, although not conclusively.

High vegetable and fruit (V&F) intake has been associated with a lower risk of many cancers. However, the specific V&F, the active compounds present in V&F, and the dose at which they confer protection are unknown. Standard methods for assessing, classifying, and quantifying V&F exposures in epidemiologic studies have not been established. Differences among studies occur due to inherent differences among V&F, and across dietary assessment methods, study populations, etiologic hypotheses, and analytic methods. The V&F classification scheme presented here characterizes and quantifies V&F consumption for elucidating risk relationships, identifying chemopreventive compounds present in V&F, and facilitating identification of potential biomarkers of V&F intake. Broad criteria define which plant foods count as V&F. Formation of food groups is based on proposed biological mechanisms of action. Five main groups are included: Total V&F; Total Vegetables; Total Fruits; and two groups orthogonal to these -- the Botanical and Phytochemical groups. Subgroups are specified within each main group. V&F exposure is quantified as the absolute amount consumed (weight) or as the number of household servings. This classification scheme has public health applications and may be used to examine associations with chronic diseases other than cancer.

Dealing with difficult patients can represent a significant burden in the life of doctors. It is more productive, however, to view this burden as a product of the interaction between doctor and patient, for which both have a responsibility, rather than attributing any problems encountered to shortcomings of the patient alone. There is a significant risk in such situations of potentially harmful over-medicalisation. It behoves doctors, therefore, to try to prevent such problems becoming established, or make some attempt to rectify matters if they have already become so. Much is known about the factors that contribute to successful and unsuccessful clinical transactions. The awareness of what doctors bring both as professionals and as individual people to this interaction, will count as much as the practical clinical efforts made towards helping patients.

Proper food safety training is essential to decrease incidences and overall rates of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. Though many commercial restaurants should provide proper food safety training to food handler employees, this training is not always offered or effective. Here, we summarize the results of a primary literature study concerning the effectiveness of food safety training in commercial settings. The literature chosen for review contained only studies with experimental food safety training, with before and after training data. Through evaluation of these studies, the best practice for ensuring effective training and follow‐through were the use of food safety training programs, which incorporated both knowledge and behavior‐based training. Practical Application Food safety managers in food service establishments may consider reevaluating their current food safety training program to incorporate behavioral‐based food safety training in addition to knowledge‐based training.