Anti-listerial activity of bacteriocin-producing Lactobacillus curvatus CWBI-B28 and Lactobacillus sakei CWBI-B1365 on raw beef and poultry meat.

AIM: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the bacteriocins produced by Lactobacillus sakei CWBI-B1365 and Lactobacillus curvatus CWBI-B28 on the growth and survival of Listeria monocytogenes in raw beef and poultry meat. METHODS AND RESULTS: The sakacin P and sakacin G structural genes were identified in Lact. curvatus CWBI-B28 and Lact. sakei CWBI-B1365 using PCR amplification, respectively. The effect of the two bacteriocinogenic strains either alone or together, and that of the nonbacteriocin-producing strain Lact. sakei LMG17302, on the growth of L. monocytogenes was evaluated in beef and poultry meat. In raw beef, the pathogenic bacteria were inhibited by the bacteriocinogenic strains. The bacteriocinogenic strains had no activity in raw chicken meat when inoculated separately, while they showed a clear anti-Listeria effect when applied together. CONCLUSION: Sakacin G producing Lact. sakei and sakacin P producing Lact. curvatus may be applied in raw beef to inhibit L. monocytogenes. In poultry meat, the inhibition of L. monocytogenes could only be achieved by a combined application of these bacteriocin-producing strains. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In some meat products, the combined application of different class IIa bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacterium can enhance the anti-listerial activity.

Nursing and the next millennium.

On March 19, 1993, in Toronto, Canada, at Discovery International, Inc.'s, Biennnial Nurse Theorist Conference, five theorists participated in a panel discussion on: caring as an essence of nursing; the value of continuing to develop nursing theory; what constitutes nursing research; the role of advanced practice nurses. The theorists were Imogene M. King, Madeleine M. Leininger, Rosemarie Rizzo Parse, Hildegard E. Peplau, and Martha E. Rogers. Marlaine C. Smith was the moderator and presented the questions to the panel.

Nursing education: developing specification equations for selection and retention.

Because nursing is a professional area in which costs continue to rise faster than in other academic areas, it is imperative to provide quality education that is within the financial reach of those students who can benefit from it. This study sought to develop a specification equation that could be used to predict retention in the academic area and workplace.

Perspectives on health.

On May 12, 1989, in Pittsburgh, six nurse leaders participated in a panel discussion on health at Discovery International, Inc.'s Nurse Theorist Conference. The participants were Imogene King, Nola Pender, Betty Neuman, Martha E. Rogers, Afaf Meleis and Rosemarie Rizzo Parse. The goal of the conferences was to present views on the meaning of health from different perspectives. The panel discussion provided the nurse leaders with an opportunity to engage in a dialogue about health. Five of the participants answered the questions posed and the conference keynote speaker Afaf Meleis responded. Four questions were posed to the panel relating to the meaning of health, the uniqueness of nursing, and nurse-person relationships. The dialogue of the panel discussion follows.

Substance abusing nurses appearing before the Board of Nursing.

Substance abuse among nurses is a problem of growing concern. In an effort to explore this problem, the authors investigated 122 files of substance abuse cases from the Mississippi State Board of Nursing from 1956 to 1984. Results of this analysis are presented and recommendations are suggested. Substance abuse is one of the major problems facing the general public today (Jarvis, 1980). It has been postulated that individuals more likely to become involved with drugs are those experiencing high stress levels in work situations. Nursing is considered by some to be one of the most stressful of all the health care profession. That nurses may have a special problem with substance abuse is becoming more evident. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported 971 substance abuse actions during a period from September 1980 through August 1981 (More Help, 1983). This study attempts to develop a profile of the substance abusing nurse in one state who was found guilty of substance abuse charges by the Board of Nursing.