ABSTRACT. To evaluate the diversity of extended-spectrum -lactamases (ESBL) genes among food-producing animals, 48 isolates of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolates were obtained from rectal samples of broilers, layers, beef cattle and pigs, at the slaughterhouse level. ESBL-carrying E. coli were isolated from 60.0% of individual broiler rectal samples, 5.9% of layers, 12.5% of beef cattle and 3% of pigs. One ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from a broiler. The ESBL-positive E. coli isolates from broilers harbored various ESBL genes: bla , bla CTX-M-2 , bla CTX-M-14 , bla CTX-M-15 and bla CTX-M-44 . The plasmid DNAs were analyzed by restriction patterns. Homogeneous band patterns were yielded in those of K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates harboring the bla CTX-M-2 gene from different farms. No genetic relation between the 2 CTX-M-14 ESBL-producing strains was found by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, although 2 plasmids in these strains, obtained from different broiler farms, were similar to each other. This study provides evidence that the proliferation of CTX-M-producing E. coli is due to the growth of indigenous CTX-M-producing strains and the possible emergence of strains that acquired CTX-M genes by horizontal transfer in different broiler farms. CTX-M-producing coliforms in broilers should be controlled due to the critical importance of cephalosporins and the zoonotic potential of ESBL-producing bacteria.

We constructed an arm holder for muscle exercise from a forearm-shaped plastic shell and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging position markers and determined the echo time (39 ms) for T 2 -weighted spin-echo MR imaging from T 2 values of the exercised (50 ms) and resting (32 ms) muscle at 0.2 tesla. The smallest detectable muscle was the extensor digiti minimi muscle (cross-sectional area 25 mm 2 ). This combination could be useful to monitor finger exercise in patients undergoing physical therapy.

Purpose: We analyzed the anatomical structure of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and molecular weight dependency of synovial membrane permeability in mice using 7-tesla magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.Methods: We obtained 3-dimensional (3D) T 1 -weighted gradient echo (3D-T 1 W) and 3D T 2 -weighted rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (3D-T 2 W RARE) MR images of the TMJ of male C57BL6 mice with voxel resolution of 65 µm. Two-dimensional (2D) T 1 w images were measured every 45 s before and after bolus intravenous (IV) injection of contrast reagents: gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA; 0.5 kDa); oligomer-based contrast agent (CH3-DTPA-Gd; 2.1 kDa); gadolinium-labeled polylysine (Gd-polylysine; 10 kDa); and gadolinium-labeled albumin (Gd-albumin; 74 kDa).Results: T 1 W images depicted the temporal bone and mandibular condyle as regions with lower signal intensity and the disc as a region of intermediate intensity. In the Gd-DTPA-enhanced T 1 W and T 2 W images, the articular disc could be identified as a region with lower signal intensity than that of the upper and lower joint cavities. After IV injection of Gd-DTPA or CH3-DTPA-Gd, the signal intensity of the joint cavities increased within 10 min, but this increase was not shown with Gd-polylysine and Gd-albumin.Conclusion: The structural findings obtained by MR imaging agreed with those obtained by hematoxylin-eosin staining under light microscopy. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging suggested that smaller (<2.1 kDa) but not larger (>10 kDa) molecules can permeate the synovial membrane. Our results suggest the utility of MR imaging for analyzing the structure of the TMJ as well as permeability of the synovial membrane.

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