There is little information available on the bacteriological contamination of upper gastrointestinal fibreoptic endoscopes during routine use and the effects of 'disinfecting solutions'. A bacteriological evaluation was therefore made of cleaning an endoscope and its ancillary equipment with (1) water, (2) an aqueous solution of 1% cetrimide with 0.1% chlorhexidine, and (3) activated aqueous 2%...

The telecommunication industry is concerned about the energy costs of its operating infrastructure, and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. At present, more than half of the total energy consumption of data centers is for the power and cooling infrastructure that supports the storage and communication equipment. One method of reducing energy consumption is an approach called ―free air cool...

Boar semen is usually collected by the gloved hand method, allowing possibilities for bacterial contamination during the collection process as well as during the subsequent processing of the semen. Bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp., are found on the skin and mucosa of health animals as well as in the gut (e.g. enteric bacteria) and respiratory tract [1]. Personnel also repr...

For medical professionals involved in cancer chemotherapy, occupational exposure of anticancer agents is considered a health risk. Education about the handling of anticancer drugs and proper use of protective equipment are important for reducing occupational exposure of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, monitoring of the contamination level of anticancer drugs is important for determining the prop...

The objective of this study was to assess the presence of a Listeria monocytogenes-containing biofilm in milking equipment as a potential source of bulk tank milk contamination on a dairy farm where milk contamination had been previously documented. Samples were collected from milking equipment and milking parlor premises on 4 occasions and analyzed for the presence of L. monocytogenes. Pulsed-...

In 2000, shigellosis traced to a commercially prepared dip developed in 406 persons nationwide. An ill employee may have inadvertently contaminated processing equipment. This outbreak demonstrates the vulnerability of the food supply and how infectious organisms can rapidly disseminate through point-source contamination of a widely distributed food item.

Recently elevated concerns of environmental contamination with organophosphate (OP) insecticides and the possible use of OP nerve agents by terrorists have spurred interest in developing more accurate and sensitive methods for field detection and discrimination of these neurotoxic agents. The analysis of OP neurotoxins typically requires sophisticated equipment, extensive sample preparation tha...

In 2008 in Japan, 15/60 captive Japanese macaques died. Clostridium tetani was isolated from 1 monkey, and 11 had tetanus-specific symptoms. We conclude the outbreak resulted from severe environmental C. tetani contamination. Similar outbreaks could be prevented by vaccinating all monkeys, disinfecting housing areas/play equipment, replacing highly C. tetani-contaminated soil, and conducting ep...