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Objectives: Sludge cake produced in paper mill industries is disposed into a landfill and may cause the environmental and health problems. Now many researchers have tried to recycle rigid materials from it for the purpose of decreasing its volume. The aims of this study were to clarify three hypotheses: (1) whether a flower pot would be economically made from sludge cake, (2) whether it would be safe for environment, and (3) when vegetables would grow enough in it, whether they would be safe for human consumption., Methods: Sludge cake was mixed with soil (soil texture: heavy clay). The circular plaster mold was used as a fixed mold. As the toxicological testing, leaching test and seed germination test were used. Heavy metal concentrations in vegetables grown in the flower pot were measured., Results: The flower pot was sufficiently formed by drying in natural open air. The results of leaching test showed three heavy metals, lead, nickel and copper, were lower than the standard in Thailand. The seed germination test suggested no negative effects of the flower pot on the germination of Chinese kale. Lead concentrations in the Chinese kale were higher than the recommended maximum level in leafy vegetables., Conclusion: The new flower pot can be made from sludge cake with soil. It has the possibility to have no negative effect on the environment. Although the vegetables grown in this flower pot are not suitable to eat, this flower pot has the possibility to solve the environmental and health problems.

Objectives: Now, a lot of researchers have tried to make recycled rigid materials from the sludge cake produced in paper mill industries for the purpose of decreasing its volume. In this study, the researchers tried to make economically a disposable bin and to examine whether it is toxic or not to the outside environment., Methods: To make a disposable bin, the researchers used the sludge cake, a plastic basket, as a fixed mold, white cloth or newspaper, as a removable supporter for wrapping around the mold, and latex or plaster, as a binder. The strength of the samples was measured by tensile-stress testing. The water absorption was evaluated by Cobb test. As toxicological tests, leaching test and seed germination test were selected., Results: It was possible to form the disposal bin from the cleaned sludge cake. They seemed safe to carry garbage in the industry judging from the results of tensile-stress testing. Some of them showed less water absorptiveness (higher water resistance) in the results of Cobb test. The results of leaching test showed small values of three heavy metals, lead, nickel and copper, in the leachate. The seed germination test suggested no adverse effects of the bins in the clay and sand on the tomato growth., Conclusions: The results of these tests suggest that the bins have good strength, sufficient water resistance and no toxicological effect on the environment. This new recycled bin has the possibility to solve the environmental and health problems at disposing the sludge cake.

Objective: To detect inducible clindamycin (CL) resistance in staphylococci by disk diffusion induction test (D-test)., Material and Method: One thousand one hundred eighty clinical isolates of staphylococci were tested for inducible CL resistance by placing erythromycin (E) disk and clindamycin disk 12 mm apart (edge to edge) on Mueller-Hinton agar plate inoculated with staphylococci. The flattening of CL zone (D-shaped zone) near E disk indicated an inducible CL resistance was observed after 18-24 h of incubation., Results: Inducible CL resistance was detected in 9.9% of staphylococci isolates. It was found in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) more than methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) 35.9%, 4.7%, and 5.5%, respectively., Conclusion: To avoid misinterpretation of CL result, D-test is recommended for routine detecting of inducible CL resistance in staphylococci. It provides the confident laboratory report of CL as resistant (D-shaped zone positive) or as susceptible (D-shaped zone negative) particular for E resistant isolates.

A total of 493 stool samples from diarrheal patients in Songklanagarind Hospital, in southern Thailand, were examined for Escherichia coli O157 by the culture method combined with an immunomagnetic separation (IMS) technique. E. coli O157 was not found, although the IMS-based method could detect 10(2)-10(3) CFU of artificially inoculated O157/g of stool samples. Polymerase chain reaction was also used for the detection and identification of diarrheagenic E coli from 530 stool samples. The target genes were eae for enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), stx for enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), elt and est for enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), ipaH for enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), and aggR for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC). Fifty-eight diarrheagenic E. coli strains were detected in 55 stool samples (10%) from 32 children and 23 adults. These included 31 EAggEC strains (5.8%), 13 ETEC strains (2.5%), 13 EPEC strains (2.5%), and one EIEC strain (0.2%). EHEC was not detected. The diarrheagenic E. coli strains were found mainly in children under 2 years of age (24 of 32 children). EAggEC strains and ETEC strains were susceptible to several antibiotics whereas the EPEC strains exhibited resistance to these antibiotics.

A simple purification method using DEAE cellulose column chromatography and immunoaffinity column chromatography was developed for purifying Shiga-like toxin produced by Escherichia coli O157:H7. About 0.75 mg of purified toxin was obtained from 5 liters of culture (62% recovery). The purified toxin was demonstrated to be immunologically, biologically and structurally indistinguishable from Shiga toxin. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for detection of Shiga-like toxin. In the ELISA assay, Shigella dysenteriae type 1, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and some strains of Escherichia coli isolated from traveller's diarrhea were positive. Shiga toxin-resistant Vero cells were isolated by treatment of the cells with nitrosoguanidine. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the mutant Vero cells had lost toxin binding capacity. Samples of S. dysenteriae type 1 and E. coli O157:H7 showed cytotoxicity to the parent cells, but not to the mutant cells. Samples of other organisms showed either no cytotoxicity or cytotoxicity to both cell lines. The results suggested that (1) the presence of a receptor for Shiga-like toxin on Vero cells is essential for expression of cytotoxicity of the toxin, (2) the mutant Vero cells could be used to identify Shiga-like toxin producing organisms.

Hearing loss induced by noise exposure in a large scale textile mill (number of workers = 1,611) in Thailand was investigated on the basis of interviews, noise measurements, and audiometric tests. The frequency of subjective symptoms relating to noise exposure was higher in the weavers than among other mill workers and office workers. The average noise levels in the weaving sections and other sections were 101.3 +/- 2.7 dBA and 89.8 +/- 5.3 dBA, respectively. The results of the audiometric tests revealed the significantly higher noise-induced hearing loss among workers in the weaving section compared to other mill workers and office workers (P less than 0.01). Among weavers, hearing levels decreased with the longer years of work. Concerning personal noise protective devices, 38.6% of the weavers never used them. It was concluded that hearing loss status in the workers of the mill was serious. Improvements by means of integrated work organization activities were recommended.

7 out of 534 South Vietnamese males showed erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, giving a 1.31% incidence of G-6-PD deficiency. Partially purified erythrocyte enzyme was studied in 6 of the 7 G-6-PD deficient males. Three variants were found: G-6-PD Mahidol (3), Canton (2), and Long Xuyen (1).

The bacteriologic study of the cervical flora in 50 healthy women revealed that 70% harbored mixed aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Aerobic organisms alone were recovered in 15 women (30%). Polymicrobial organisms were found in all but five women (in these only one aerobe was isolated per patient). The majority of patients had 1-2 anaerobes, with more than two aerobes. The common aerobes were alpha-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus epidermidis and lactobacilli. The most common anaerobes were Peptococcus asaccharolyticus isolated in 21 women (42%), P prevotii in 13 (26%) and Bacteroides in 10 (20%). These organisms are frequently found in pelvic infection, suggesting the pathogenic potential of the normal flora of the cervix.