Regeneration through long nerve grafts in the swine model

Salmonella is a Gram-negative bacterium that has been implicated in several food-borne poisoning outbreaks. Poultry products are considered to be the major vehicles of food-borne poisoning caused by Salmonella. The resistance of Salmonella, isolated from different stages in a local poultry abattoir, to hypochlorous acid (HOCl) was studied. Isolates cultured in quarter strength Tryptone Soya Broth were treated with 72 ppm HOCl, incubated at 30 degrees C with shaking, and absorbance was measured at 660 nm every 20 min. A number of resistant isolates, which carried on growing following HOCl addition, were obtained. All the isolates from the bleeding stage were sensitive to HOCl, whereas those from the scalding stage were resistant to HOCl. Other stages had a population of resistant and sensitive isolates. It is evident that some Salmonella will grow in the presence of concentrations of HOCl deemed to be inhibitory. Hence, an effective concentration of HOCl must be applied in poultry abattoirs to ensure that all the Salmonella are eradicated.     

Ultrasound determination of size and calcium content of gallstones

In a prospective study, ultrasound examinations of the gallbladder as well as cholecystocholangiography were carried out in 77 patients with solitary stones and the ultrasound stone symptoms were compared with the x-ray findings. The ultrasound stone reflex as well as the wideness of the sonic-shadow correlated significantly with the size of the stones. The stone size can be approximately calculated from the wideness of the sonic shadow. On the other hand dependence of the ultrasound stone symptoms and the radiographic defined calcium was not evident. While the stone size can be sonographically defined, the indentification of calcium in gallstones continues to remain a domain of radiographic methods.