Microbiological meat quality in high- and low-capacity slaughterhouses in Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial count on beef and pork carcasses, a comparison being made between different-sized slaughterhouses in Sweden. Samples were taken from the flank and sternum of 200 beef and 200 pork carcasses, with half of the samples being collected from low-capacity slaughterhouses. Sampling was carried out at the end of the slaughter-line from 25 beef carcasses and/or 25 pork carcasses in each abattoir. Analyses were performed of the aerobic microorganisms, coliform bacteria, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and presumptive Escherichia coli. No significant differences were found in the amount of aerobic microorganisms between pork carcasses from low- and high-capacity slaughterhouses. In beef carcasses, however, there was a significantly greater amount of aerobic microorganisms in beef carcasses slaughtered at low-capacity slaughterhouses. Within the group of high-capacity abattoirs there was a very small variation in the amount of aerobic bacteria between the different slaughterhouses that could be explained by their having almost the same evisceration technique. The evisceration technique differs more among the low-capacity slaughterhouses, which is probably the main reason for the wide variation in the amount of aerobic bacteria. Coliform bacteria, coagulase-positive staphylococci, and presumptive E. coli were more common on pork carcasses than on beef carcasses. There were also significantly higher amounts of these bacteria in pork carcasses from the high-capacity slaughterhouses.

A comparison of analogue and digital techniques in upper gastrointestinal examinations: absorbed dose and diagnostic quality of the images.

This study was performed to investigate whether patient exposure and diagnostic quality of the image is significantly influenced by the introduction of digital image acquisition techniques. Evaluation was performed for three different techniques (analogue, analogue fluoro + digital radiography, digital) in examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The evaluation was done from data acquired in three different departments. Patient exposure was recorded as KERMA-area product (KAP) and the individual patient readings were normalised to a standard size patient. Image quality was assessed using visual grading with a reference image. The recorded KAP values were significantly higher (22.3 Gycm2) for the fully digital technique compared to the others (analogue 6.8 Gycm2, analogue + digital 3.6 Gycm2). This was due mostly to an increased number of exposures. The diagnostic quality of the image was, however, also regarded to be slightly lower for the technique giving the lowest patient dose with the smallest number of exposures (analogue + digital). The digital examination technique, as used in this study, thus resulted in significantly higher patient dose without any significant gain in diagnostic quality of the image.

A dynamic phantom for generation of contrast bolus curves for the evaluation of digital subtraction angiography systems.

A solid dynamic phantom has been constructed, which allows quantitative measurements of the signal-to-noise ratios in processed images from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) units. Profiles of silicone rubber placed in concentric circles on a plate which is rotated in the image plane generates bolus curves with five different transit times in each examination. The phantom is suited for measurement on DSA units working with matched or recursive filtering.