Occurrence of pathogens in raw and ready-to-eat meat and poultry products collected from the retail marketplace in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

A total of 800 meat and poultry products were purchased from the retail marketplace in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The products consisted of raw ground beef, chicken legs, pork chops, and ready-to-eat fermented sausage, roast beef, processed turkey breast, chicken wieners, and beef wieners. The samples were analyzed to determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 022: H8 was found in one raw ground beef sample. Salmonella and Campylobacter were found in 30 and 62% of raw chicken legs, respectively. L. monocytogenes was found in 52% of raw ground beef, 34% of raw chicken legs, 24% of raw pork chops, 4% of fermented sausages, 3% of processed turkey breast, 5% of beef wieners, and 3% of chicken wieners. The occurrence of pathogens in this study is similar to that in retail products in many other international locales.

Introduction of migration indices for identification: chiral separation of some beta-blockers by using cyclodextrins in micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.

Because of the different physiological impact that stereoisomers may have, it is often vital to separate these forms from one another. Because of their structural similarity, the separation is usually difficult to achieve and zones may elute very close to each other. This is a particular problem in capillary electrophoresis, where the repeatability of absolute migration times is fairly poor, mainly due to the irreproducibility of the electroosmotic flow. The separation is usually repeatable, however, and when the disturbing effects are eliminated by using a migration index system incorporating two marker compounds the identification of the enantiomers becomes extremely good. Relative standard deviation (RSD) values less than 0.1% for the migration index of each enantiomer were obtained in both intra-day and day-to-day (6 days) studies. The best separation was achieved with the electrolyte solution made of 40 mM borate, 32 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 12 mM beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), and 6 mM alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) at pH 9.3.

Highly presumptive identification of bacterial isolates associated with the recent Canada-wide mastitis epizootic as Nocardia farcinica.

A highly presumptive identification of Nocardia farcinica was made of 47 bacterial isolates. Fifteen isolates from Alberta, 9 from Ontario, and 2 each from New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia were from clinical cases involved in the Canadian mastitis epizootic. Seventeen additional isolates from Alberta were recovered from farm milk bulk tanks from herds found to have cows involved in the epizootic. All isolates were shown by high-performance liquid chromatography to possess mycolic acids of a size consistent with the genus Nocardia. All isolates were resistant to a concentration of 5 micrograms/mL of mitomycin C. Forty-five isolates grew well and 2 showed reduced growth in the presence of 50 micrograms/mL of kanamycin acid sulfate. Forty-six isolates were resistant to 5-fluorouracil at a concentration of 20 micrograms/mL. All isolates were resistant to lysozyme. Resistance to these compounds supported the placement of the isolates in the genus Nocardia. Thirty-five isolates produced strong beta-galactosidase reactions and 12 showed weak reactions. The demonstration of beta-galactosidase activity further supports the identification of the isolates as nocardiae. Attempts to identify the bacteria to species by high-performance liquid chromatography of mycolic acid esters were frustrated, since two species of Nocardia were found to have indistinguishable mycolic acid patterns. The physiological and growth characteristics of the isolates were consistent with Nocardia farcinica.

Comparison in men of physiological responses to exercise of increasing intensity at low and moderate ambient temperatures.

In six male subjects the sweating thresholds, heart rate (fc), as well as the metabolic responses to exercise of different intensities [40%, 60% and 80% maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)], were compared at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 5 degrees C (LT) and 24 degrees C (MT). Each period of exercise was preceded by a rest period at the same temperature. In LT experiments, the subjects rested until shivering occurred and in MT experiments the rest period was made to be of exactly equivalent length. Oxygen uptake (VO2) at the end of each rest period was higher in LT than MT (P less than 0.05). During 20-min exercise at 40% VO2max performed in the cold no sweating was recorded, while at higher exercise intensities sweating occurred at similar rectal temperatures (Tre) but at lower mean skin (Tsk) and mean body temperatures (Tb) in LT than MT experiments (P less than 0.001). The exercise induced VO2 increase was greater only at the end of the light (40% VO2max) exercise in the cold in comparison with MT (P less than 0.001). Both fc and blood lactate concentration [1a]b were lower at the end of LT than MT for moderate (60% VO2max) and heavy (80% VO2max) exercises. It was concluded that the sweating threshold during exercise in the cold environment had shifted towards lower Tb and Tsk. It was also found that subjects exposed to cold possessed a potentially greater ability to exercise at moderate and high intensities than those at 24 degrees C since the increases in Tre, fc and [1a]b were lower at the lower Ta.

Thermoregulatory responses to exercise at low ambient temperature performed after precooling or preheating procedures.

Seven male skiers exercised for 30 min on a cycle ergometer at 50% of maximal oxygen uptake and an ambient temperature of 5 degrees C. The exercise was preceded either by cold exposure (PREC) or active warming-up (PREH). The data were compared with control exercise (CONT) performed immediately after entering the thermal chamber from a thermoneutral environment. Cold exposure resulted in negative heat storage (96.1 kJ.m-2, SE 5.9) leading to significantly lower rectal, mean body and mean skin temperatures at the onset of exercise in PREC, as compared to PREH and CONT. The PREC-PREH temperature differences were still significant at the end of the exercise period. During exercise in the PREC test, oxygen uptake was higher than in PREH test (32.8 ml.kg-1.min-1, SE 1.5 vs 30.5 ml.kg-1.min-1, SE 1.3, respectively). Heart rate showed only a tendency to be higher in PREC than in PREH and CONT tests. In the PREH test skin and body temperatures as well as sweat rate were already elevated at the beginning of exercise. Exercise-induced changes in these variables were minimal. Heat storage decreased with the duration of the exercise. Exercise at low ambient temperature preceded by a 30-min rest in a cold environment requires more energy than the same exercise performed after PREH.

On-line determination of anaerobic threshold with rms-EMG.

1. On-line monitoring of surface rms-EMG for detecting the anaerobic threshold during a cycle ergometer test was evaluated and compared with blood lactate and ventilatory parameters in 12 healthy icehockey players. 2. Dislinearity of increase in blood lactate level, ventilatory parameters and myoelectrical activity was observed at the mean work level of 300 (range 270-330) watts in each case. 3. The linearity disappeared at the same time in the rms-EMG-load ratio in working quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles while also in nonworking frontalis muscle a change in EMG level was noticed. 4. The break point in rms-EMG did not correlate with the changes in skin humidity and temperature. No change was observed in spectral properties of the myoelectrical signals. 5. The rms-EMG follow-up is easier to perform than measurements of blood lactate and ventilatory parameters in the determination of anaerobic threshold.

Pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from animals and humans.

Fourteen isolates of Campylobacter jejuni of different serotypes and one Campylobacter coli isolate, from various human and animal sources, were tested for potential pathogenic mechanisms. Enterotoxin production was not detected in the infant mouse test or by calf and piglet ligated intestinal loop studies. Isolates were not invasive by the Sereny test. All isolates associated with and penetrated HeLa cells, although both actions occurred generally in a minor way under the conditions of our study. The C. coli isolate showed extensive HeLa cell association, but three other C. coli isolated tested did not. None of the 15 isolates produced diarrhea or death in 3-day-old chickens inoculated orally and observed for 3 days, nor did they consistently produce diarrhea and death in 9- to 10-day-old infant mice over a 3-day period after oral inoculation. Diarrheal disease and mortality were not observed when 3-day-old gnotobiotic chickens were infected with one of five isolates and observed over a 2-week period.

Campylobacter jejuni colitis in gnotobiotic dogs.

Campylobacter jejuni of human and canine origin was inoculated orally into six gnotobiotically reared Beagle puppies and reactions were compared with two controls. Inoculated dogs developed transient lassitude, inappetence, mild diarrhea and tenesmus during the period 36-72 hours after inoculation. Pairs of dogs killed 43 hours, and five and seven days after inoculation had lesions limited to typhlitis and colitis. Congestion of colonic mucosa, associated loss of goblet cells, attenuation and exfoliation of surface epithelium with microerosions, hypertrophy of glands and neutrophil infiltration of lamina propria were seen during the acute phase. Less severe surface and inflammatory lesions were evident at five and seven days, with hyperplasia of the proliferative compartment in mucosal glands. Campylobacter established at over 10(10) organisms per gram of colonic content but did not invade the mucosa. It was concluded that the gnotobiotic dog may be a suitable model for investigation of the pathogenesis of Campylobacter colitis.

Audiological and vestibular findings in long-term hormonal treatment.

93 patients receiving long-term hormonal treatment at the Hormonal Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Gynecology were examined audiologically and electronystagmographically. The patients had different hormonal disturbances including Turner's syndrome. Electronystagmography showed normal values with the exception of lower slow-component speeds in Turner syndrome patients and a shift of all directional preponderances to the left. Audiologically 13% showed pathological values in the filtered speech test. This phenomenon may be partially connected to a central gnostic hearing lesion. More studies on sensitized speech tests are necessary in patients using steroid hormones.

Sizes of deciduous teeth in 45,X females.

Deciduous teeth of eleven Finnish 45,X females were examined, and their tooth sizes were found to be smaller than those of control females. This finding might be explained by the decreased amount of the products of the growth-promoting factors located in the X and Y chromosomes.