Instructions: In this task, you are given a text of many news articles seperated by special token "|||||". Your task is to summarize them.
Input: 10 March 2014 
  
  
  
 Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to the findings of research carried out at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences. 
  
 The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the ‘5 second rule’ - the urban myth about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less. Although people have long followed the 5 second rule, until now it was unclear whether it actually helped. 
  
  
  
 The study, undertaken by final year Biology students and led by Anthony Hilton, Professor of Microbiology at Aston University, monitored the transfer of the common bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus from a variety of indoor floor types (carpet, laminate and tiled surfaces) to toast, pasta, biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds. 
  
 The results showed that: 
  
 Time is a significant factor in the transfer of bacteria from a floor surface to a piece of food; and 
  
 The type of flooring the food has been dropped on has an effect, with bacteria least likely to transfer from carpeted surfaces and most likely to transfer from laminate or tiled surfaces to moist foods making contact for more than 5 seconds. 
  
 Professor Hilton said: “Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time; however the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth. 
  
 "We have found evidence that transfer from indoor flooring surfaces is incredibly poor with carpet actually posing the lowest risk of bacterial transfer onto dropped food." 
  
  
  
 The Aston team also carried out a survey of the number of people who employ the five-second rule. The survey showed that: 
  
 87% of people surveyed said they would eat food dropped on the floor, or already have done so 
  
  
  
 55% of those that would, or have, eaten food dropped in the floor are women 
  
  
  
 81% of the women who would eat food from the floor would follow the 5 second rule 
  
  
  
 Our study showed that a surprisingly large majority of people are happy to consume dropped food 
  
  
  
 Professor Hilton added:“Our study showed that a surprisingly large majority of people are happy to consume dropped food, with women the most likely to do so. But they are also more likely to follow the 5 second rule, which our research has shown to be much more than an old wives' tale.” 
  
 Note: This research has not yet been peer-reviewed. If you would like a copy of the report or require further media information, please contact Jonathan Garbett, Aston University Communications on 0121 204 4552 or j.garbett@aston.ac.uk ||||| If you’ve ever consumed food after dropping it on floor and then wondered what sorts of diseases you might be contracting, here’s a new study that may put your mind at ease (or not). New research out of Aston University in the U.K. finds that there may be some truth to the old wives’ tale, often called the “five second rule,” which suggests that it’s ok to pick up dropped food as long as it’s within a five-second limit. Many people halfheartedly teach their kids this first “rule" of food safety, because, hey, it’s better to risk disease than to waste food. 
  
 But take this with a grain of salt. The study doesn't appear to be peer-reviewed or published anywhere. We need other researchers to have a chance to review these results and then re-do the experiment before we can be sure it's OK to eat that bagel you just picked up. 
  
 For the study, Anthony Hilton, a professor of Microbiology, and his students considered a variety of foods – toast, pasta, cookie, and a sticky candy – to see how much bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus) they attracted when allowed contact with the floor. They allowed the food to lie on various types of flooring – carpet, laminate, and tiles – for 3 seconds to 30 seconds. 
  
 Not surprisingly, the longer the food was allowed commune with the floor, the more bacteria it accumulated. And the surfaces differed in how likely they were to transfer the bacteria, with carpeting being the least likely, and tiled surfaces and laminate the most likely. “We have found evidence that transfer from indoor flooring surfaces is incredibly poor with carpet actually posing the lowest risk of bacterial transfer onto dropped food,” said Hilton in a news release. 
  
 The moister the food, the more likely it was to pick up bacteria. Again, an interesting but not surprising result. 
  
 But Hilton says to remain cautious. “Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk,” said Hilton, “as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time; however the findings of this study will bring some light relief to those who have been employing the five-second rule for years, despite a general consensus that it is purely a myth.” 
  
 And if you do pick up dropped food, you’re certainly not alone. The team found that of the people they polled, 87% of people happily consumed fallen foods, and 81% followed the five-second rule. A slight majority of the people who said they would eat dropped food were women (55%). 
  
 “Our study showed that a surprisingly large majority of people are happy to consume dropped food, with women the most likely to do so. But they are also more likely to follow the 5 second rule, which our research has shown to be much more than an old wives' tale.” 
  
 Whether scientists have really “proven” the legitimacy of the five-second rule is debatable, so it's fine to remain a little skeptical. If you’re partial to the practice, use your best guess about the risks: If your food is covered with fuzz after three seconds on the floor, you may just want to move on. 
  
 Follow me @alicewalton or find me on Facebook. 
  
 If you get confused, here's a nice graphic to help you decide: |||||
Output:
The five-second rule: old wives' tale or science? According to a professor of microbiology at Birmingham, England's Aston University, the answer is ... it depends on whether you're in your bedroom or kitchen. Anthony Hilton and his biology students looked at two types of bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) on three flooring options: carpet, laminate, tile. Toast, pasta, a cookie, and a "sticky sweet" were dropped on the various surfaces and rested there for 3 to 30 seconds. When it came to the transfer of bacteria, both time and flooring type played a role. Bacteria were least likely to hop aboard the fallen bite if carpet was involved; when "moist" foods hit laminate and tiled surfaces, bacteria was more likely to transfer when contact was made for more than 5 seconds. The upshot, per Hilton: "We have found evidence that transfer from indoor flooring surfaces is incredibly poor." That's likely welcome news to the 87% of people the students surveyed who reported a willingness to adhere to the five-second rule. Writing for Forbes, Alice Walton notes that the findings should be taken with a grain of salt—preferably one not dropped on the floor. She points out that the study doesn't seem to have been peer-reviewed or accepted for publication anywhere. (A previous report on the topic noted that food dropped on the sidewalk was likely safer to eat than that on the kitchen floor.)