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Campeche, one of the Spanish Empire's main Mexican ports, was a place where previously distinct cultures and populations intermingled during the colonial era (AD 1540-1680). Investigation of the town's central plaza revealed a Hispanic cemetery of multi-ethnic burials. The authors combine previous analyses with newly generated genome-wide data from 10 individuals to trace detailed life histories of the mostly young, local Indigenous Americans and first-generation European and African immigrants, none of whom show evidence of genetic admixture. These results provide insights into the individual lives and social divides of the town's founder communities and demonstrate how ancient DNA analyses can contribute to understanding early colonial encounters. Keywords: Mexico, Campeche, Novohispanic society, ancient DNA, isotope analysis, genomics, Introduction Following their arrival in 1519, the Spanish conquistadors took less than two years to conquer Aztec central Mexico; however, it took a further two decades to secure their rule [...]

Recent genetic, isotopic and linguistic research has dramatically changed our understanding of how the Corded Ware Culture in Europe was formed. Here the authors explain it in terms of local adaptations and interactions between migrant Yamnaya people from the Pontic-Caspian steppe and indigenous North European Neolithic cultures. The original herding economy of the Yamnaya migrants gradually gave way to new practices of crop cultivation, which led to the adoption of new words for those crops. The result of this hybridisation process was the formation of a new material culture, the Corded Ware Culture, and of a new dialect, Proto-Germanic. Despite a degree of hostility between expanding Corded Ware groups and indigenous Neolithic groups, stable isotope data suggest that exogamy provided a mechanism facilitating their integration. This article should be read in conjunction with that by Heyd (2017, in this issue)., Introduction With recent resuhs from ancient DNA research showing an extensive incoming gene flow into Europe shortly after 3000 BC (Allentoft et al. 2015; Haak et al 2015), we are [...]

Ship burials are a well-known feature of Scandinavian Viking Age archaeology, but the discovery of 41 individuals buried in two ships in Estonia belongs to the Pre-Viking period and is the first of its kind in Europe. The two crews met a violent end around AD 750, and were buried with a variety of richly decorated weapons, tools, gaming pieces and animal bones. The rich grave goods suggest that this was a diplomatic delegation protected by a cohort of elite warriors. They were armed with swords of Scandinavian design, possibly from the Stockholm-Malaren region, and stable isotope analysis is consistent with that being the probable homeland of the crew. Keywords: Estonia, Pre-Viking Age, isotopic analysis, ship burial, grave goods, Introduction Salme is a small coastal village on the island of Saaremaa in western Estonia, on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea (Figure 1). In the summer of 2008, [...]

The Illerup Aadal weapon sacrifice mirrors the material world of a Germanic army from c. AD 210. Apart from the personal equipment and the weaponry of more than 400 warriors, it comprises four horses. The present paper gives the first conclusive analysis of the skeletal remains of these animals, involving osteological investigation and strontium isotope analysis. The results shed new light on the character of the sacrificial ceremonies which unfolded in the aftermath of Iron Age battles; on the nature of cavalry and its significance in Iron Age warfare; and on the much debated question as to where the army of Illerup Aadal had Keywords: Scandinavia, Denmark, Illerup Aadal, Roman Iron Age, horses, sacrifice, warfare, Introduction Since the late nineteenth century, more than 30 so-called weapon sacrifices dating from the period between the pre-Roman Iron Age and the Migration period (c. 350 BC-AD 600) have [...]

The circular fortress of Trelleborg on Zealand in Denmark is well known as a military camp with a key role in the formation of the Danish state under Harald Bluetooth in the tenth century AD. Taking a sample of 48 burials from the fort, strontium isotope analysis once again demonstrates its ability to eavesdrop on a community: at Trelleborg, the young men in its cemetery were largely recruited from outside Denmark, perhaps from Norway or the Slavic regions. Even persons buried together proved to have different origins, and the three females sampled were all from overseas, including a wealthy woman with a silver casket. Trelleborg, home of Harald Bluetooth's army, was a fortress of foreigners with vivid implications for the nature of his political mission. Keywords: southern Scandinavia, strontium isotopes, migration, bioarchaeology, Introduction As one of the most impressive archaeological monuments in Scandinavia, the tenth-century fortress at Trelleborg on the island of Zealand, Denmark (Figure 1), has played a central role in [...]

We analyzed strontium isotopes in more than 500 samples of shell, bone, and dental enamel from modern and archaeological contexts throughout Mesoamerica. The results correspond closely with expectations based upon [...]

The archaeological site of Aztalan in southeastern Wisconsin is a large, palisaded complex of mounds and other structures along the banks of the Crawfish River in Jefferson County. The unusual nature of this settlement has been noted for many years and the origin of the inhabitants has been the subject of considerable debate. The similarities between the materials at Aztalan and other Mississippian period sites to the south in Illinois have long been noted. The largest center of the Mississippian culture at Cahokia near East St. Louis, Illinois, has often been cited as the likely home of the founders of Aztalan. Using strontium isotopes in human teeth and bone we examine the question of migration and the possibility of nonlocal individuals among the skeletal remains from Aztalan. Our results suggest that there were a number of foreign individuals among the locals. The isotopic signal for some of the foreigners matches values from Cahokia, but does not prove that this was their place of origin. El sitio arqueologico de Aztalan al sureste del estado de Wisconsin es un complejo grande de monticulos y otras estructuras palizadas ubicadas en las orillas del Rio Crawfish, en el condado Jefferson. El caracter inusual de este asentamiento se ha notado por muchos anos y el origen de sus habitantes ha sido motivo de un debate considerable. Semejanzas entre los materiales presentes en Aztalan y otros sitios del periodo Mississippian al sur de Illinois son de comun conocimiento. Cahokia, el centro mas grande de la cultura Mississippian al este de St. Louis, Illinois, ha sido frecuentemente citado como el origen mas probable de los fundadores de Aztalan. Usando los isotopos del estroncio en los dientes y huesos humanos, examinamos la cuestion de migracion y la posibilidad de individuos no locales entre los restos esqueletos de Aztalan. Nuestros resultados sugieren la presencia de algunos individuos extranjeros entre los locales. Aunque la senal isotopica de algunos extranjeros iguala las cifras encontradas en Cahokia, aun no podemos concluir que estos individuos se hubiesen originado en este sitio., The archaeological site of Aztalan in southeastern Wisconsin is one of the largest and most intriguing in the Great Lakes region. The site lies on the west bank of the [...]

The colonisation of the North Atlantic from the eighth century AD was the earliest expansion of European populations to the west. Norse and Celtic voyagers are recorded as reaching and settling in Iceland, Greenland and easternmost North America between c. AD 750 and 1000, but the date of these events and the homeland of the colonists are subjects of some debate. In this project, the birthplaces of 90 early burials from Iceland were sought using strontium isotope analysis. At least nine, and probably thirteen, of these individuals can be distinguished as migrants to Iceland from other places. In addition, there are clear differences to be seen in the diets of the local Icelandic peoples, ranging from largely terrestrial to largely marine consumption. Keywords: Iceland, colonisation, settlement, isotopes, strontium, human migration, enamel, Introduction An extraordinary series of events began in the North Sea and North Atlantic region around the eighth century AD. Norse raiders and settlers from Scandinavia, better known as the [...]

The 2005 articles by Stoltman et al. and Flannery et al. to which Neff et al. (this issue) have responded are not an indictment of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) [...]

Published by Cambridge University Press, 4 April 2017. In the article by Kristiansen et al. (2017), the funding information supplied was incorrect. The correct details are as follows: Research for [...]

Genetic studies of modern populations are raising many interesting questions about how far the modern gene pool is owed to incoming populations during the agricultural revolution in Neolithic Europe. But, as the authors show, studies of isotopic data from cemeteries reveal a picture of increasing subtlety at local level. While early farmers may have been initially newcomers in the upper Rhine they may also have soon intermarried with contemporary hunter-gatherers in the uplands. Keywords: European Neolithic agriculture, demography, stable isotope analysis, Studies of how agriculture spread from the Near East into Central Europe (ca. 7000 - 5000 BC) are essential to theories explaining the origins of the languages, genes and demography [...]

The movement of people in the past - via marriage, migration, conquest, colonization is an important topic in archaeology. The arrival of new people has often been used to explain [...]

Continuing isotopic investigation of the sacrificial burials and trophies beneath the Feathered Serpent Pyramid (Temple of Quetzalcoatl) in ancient Teotihuacan, Mexico, has produced new results. Isotopic proveniencing using bioapatite strontium and structural carbonate oxygen isotopes in tooth enamel was applied to 39 samples, 24 from the sacrificial victims and 15 from the trophy jaws. Both the strontium and oxygen isotope ratios suggest that most or all of the sacrificial victims came from the central highlands of Mexico, which includes the area of Teotihuacan. In this sense, we find somewhat less multiethnicity represented among the military at Teotihuacan than previously thought. Analysis of carbon isotope ratios in enamel structural carbonate indicated a childhood diet dominated by maize, relatively homogeneous among the victims at the pyramid, and typical for much of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a revised chronology for the Linearbandkeramik and strontium isotope measurements of human skeletal material from two cemeteries which indicate a high incidence of migration. It appears that LBK farmers were highly migratory and interacted with surrounding communities. Key-words: Linearbandkeramik, strontium isotope analysis, migration, Rhine Valley, Neolithic, The Linearbandkeramik (LBK), dating from approximately 5700 to 5000 BC,(1) has traditionally been regarded as the initial phase of the Neolithic of Central Europe and a classic example of prehistoric [...]

Isotopic investigations of human burials from excavations of the Autonomous University of Campeche (CIHS) at the prehispanic Maya capital of Calakmul in southeastern Mexico, near the border with Guatemala, include determination of radiocarbon dates; carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in collagen; and strontium, carbon, and oxygen isotope ratios in tooth enamel. A total of 22 human and 5 faunal samples analyzed for strontium isotopes reveal a narrow range of variation in values, pointing to the likely local origin of over two-thirds of the central population of Calakmul, including two of its rulers. Carbon and nitrogen data confirm a typical Classic Maya diet at the site and identify a diet high in meat consumption for one dynastic individual. Interpreted jointly, the isotopic information offers new perspectives on the provenience and lifestyles of the residents of Calakmul, including a potential place of origin for the royal occupant of chamber tomb Burial VII-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reviewed by T. Douglas Price, University of Wisconsin-Madison. This volume is a compilation of 33 papers and even more paper abstracts in 357 pages. The quality of the papers varies [...]

Human sacrifice in ancient Mesoamerica was strongly linked with ritual behaviour and mythical beliefs. Yet it is rarely possible to explain the mythical associations of archaeological deposits derived from human sacrifice. In this article, we integrate archaeological, taphonomic and isotopic analysis to reconstruct the ritual behaviour that resulted in the formation of a partially cremated primary burial at the Lowland Maya city of Tikal. Taphonomic reconstruction reveals details about the form of death and combustion of two males, while isotopic studies hint at their probable geographic origin. To explain this ritual, we assess the relevance of widespread Mesoamerican mythical beliefs about the origin of the sun and the moon, and discuss the theoretical and methodological issues involved in this comparison. The burial's association with an E-Group compound makes it significant for the interpretation of these specialized architectural arrangements in southern Mesoamerica. It also pertains to a critical period in Tikal's history, marked by intensified cultural and political interaction with the highland Mexican city of Teotihuacan, manifest in this burial by the presence of imported green obsidian spear points. We propose that this unique context resulted from a sacrificial reenactment of the mythological birth of the sun and the moon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Anchored in archaeological, bioarchaeological, and chemical research conducted at the coastal enclave of Xcambo, this paper examines Classic period Maya coastal saline economic production and exchange, along with the lifestyle, ethnicity, and mobility of the traders. Nestled in the coastal marshlands of the northern Yucatan, Mexico, Xcambo functioned as a salt production center and port during its occupation, maintaining long-reaching ties with other parts of the Maya world and Veracruz. Considered together, the different data sets document a reorientation in Xcambo's exchange routes and connections, which are echoed by increasingly diverse cultural affiliations and an increasing geographic mobility of Xcambo's merchants. This new information confirms the known pattern of gradually intensifying, though still relatively independent, trade dynamics along the Maya coast in the centuries leading up to the so-called “Maya collapse” and the rise of a new merchant league under the control of Chichen Itza. It was this new order that probably led to the swift end of Xcambo soon after a.d. 700. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundParent and teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms yield high estimates of heritability whereas self-ratings typically yield lower estimates. To understand why, the present study examined the etiological overlap between parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms in a population-based sample of 11–12-year-old twins.MethodParticipants were from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) hyperactivity scale completed by parents, teachers and children. Structural equation modeling was used to examine genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variance/covariance.ResultsThe broad-sense heritability of ADHD symptoms was 82% for parent ratings, 60% for teacher ratings and 48% for self-ratings. Post-hoc analyses revealed significantly higher heritability for same-teacher than different-teacher ratings of ADHD (76% v. 49%). A common pathway model best explained the relationship between different informant ratings, with common genetic influences accounting for 84% of the covariance between parent, teacher and self-rated ADHD symptoms. The remaining variance was explained by rater-specific genetic and non-shared environmental influences.ConclusionsDespite different heritabilities, there were shared genetic influences for parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms, indicating that different informants rated some of the same aspects of behavior. The low heritability estimated for self-ratings and different-teacher ratings may reflect increased measurement error when different informants rate each twin from a pair, and/or greater non-shared environmental influences. Future studies into the genetic influences on ADHD should incorporate informant data in addition to self-ratings to capture a pervasive, heritable component of ADHD symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass grave found near Talheim in southern Germany dates to approximately 7000 years ago and contains the skeletal remains of 34 individuals from the Early Neolithic period, associated with what is known as the Linearbandkeramik culture. These individuals appear to have been the victims of a massacre, based on the presence of numerous lethal head wounds, several arrow wounds, and the placement of all of these individuals in the same burial pit. The burials are considered to likely represent members of the same community attacked and executed by another group. In this study we examine the remains from the mass grave at Talheim for information on migration and community structure using strontium isotope ratios in tooth enamel. In essence, strontium isotope ratios are signatures of different rock types. The food chain moves these atoms into the human skeleton from bedrock through water, soils, plants, and herbivores. Because human tooth enamel does not change after formation, it provides a stored signal of the strontium isotopes of the place of birth. If the strontium isotope ratio of the place of death is different, the individual under study must have moved from one geology to another during his or her lifetime. Isotopic provenancing shows that several of the individuals in the group at Talheim were born in a different geological location. We discuss the results of the analysis and its significance in terms of questions of migration and community structure in the Early Neolithic of prehistoric Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the second case of primary synchronous bilateral tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma reported in the English literature and evaluate the role of fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography scanning in the search for the occult primary tumour in a patient presenting with metastatic nodal disease in the head and neck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's experience of transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy under local anaesthetic in an out-patient setting. This was a clinical observational study using a patient questionnaire and visual analogue score. Subjects were 50 patients seen in the hospital's ENT outpatient clinic between March and August 2004 in whom transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy was performed and who completed pain discomfort questionnaires. Any patient undergoing transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy, for either diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, was included in the study. Patients in whom transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy was not necessary as part of their investigation or treatment were excluded. Patients completed a questionnaire, providing a simple visual analogue score for discomfort during the procedure. Any operative complications were noted by the surgeon. All patients completed transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy, and the upper aerodigestive tract was clearly visualized. The procedure is well tolerated, with mean score of <1 out of 10 for all forms of discomfort. There was a complication rate of 2 per cent (one patient with epistaxis); no other complications occurred. Transnasal flexible laryngo-oesophagoscopy is a new diagnostic and therapeutic technique which is well tolerated by patients. It compares favourably with other flexible endoscopic techniques. This report documents for the first time a detailed description of patients' experience of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human skeletal remains from Bell Beaker graves in southern Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary were analyzed for information on human migration. Strontium isotope ratios were measured in bone and tooth enamel to determine if these individuals had changed ‘geological’ residence during their lifetimes. Strontium isotopes vary among different types of rock. They enter the body through diet and are deposited in the skeleton. Tooth enamel forms during early childhood and does not change. Bone changes continually through life. Difference in the strontium isotope ratio between bone and enamel in the same individual indicates change in residence. Results from the analysis of 81 Bell Beaker individuals indicated that 51 had moved during their lifetime. Information on the geology of south-central Europe, the application of strontium isotope analysis, and the relevant Bell Beaker sites is provided along with discussion of the results of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Natural-abundance 13C NMR spectroscopy is a non-invasive technique that enables in vivo assessments of muscle and/or liver glycogen concentrations. Over the last several years, 13C NMR has been developed and used to obtain information about human glycogen metabolism with diet and exercise. Since NMR is non-invasive, more data points are available over a specified time course, dramatically improving the time resolution. This improved time resolution has enabled the documentation of subtleties of muscle glycogen re-synthesis following severe glycogen depletion that were not previously observed. Muscle and liver glycogen concentrations have been tracked in several different human populations under conditions that include: (1) muscle glycogen recovery from intense localized exercise with normal insulin and with insulin suppressed; (2) muscle glycogen recovery in an insulin-resistant population; (3) muscle glycogen depletion during prolonged low-intensity exercise; (4) effect of a mixed meal on postprandial muscle and liver glycogen synthesis. The present review focuses on basic 13C NMR and gives results from selected studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety-three patients with acute stroke lesions restricted to the right hemisphere were examined for the presence of mood changes. While 46 patients showed no mood changes, 19 were unduly cheerful, 17 had developed major depression, and 11 had developed minor depression. Although there were no significant between-groups differences in other demographic variables, neurological deficits, activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, or quality of social support, patients with major depression had a significantly higher frequency of familial history of psychiatric disorder and lesions of the parietal cortex than patients with either no mood change or major depression following left-hemisphere lesions. On the other hand, undue cheerfulness was significantly associated with lesions of the right frontal operculum. These findings suggest that major depression following right-hemisphere lesions may have a different aetiology and mechanism than major depression following left frontal or basal ganglia lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with ischaemic lesions of the left cerebral hemisphere were examined for depression and intellectual impairment: in non-depressed patients, the severity of impairment was related to both lesion volume and location, as assessed by CT scan analysis. Cognitive impairment in patients with major depression was greater than predicted by lesion volume alone, and when patients were matched for severity of impairment, depressed patients had smaller lesion volumes than the non-depressed. After six months, non-depressed patients had significantly less cognitive impairment than depressed patients who showed no improvement. Both depression and lesion volume were significantly and independently related to cognitive impairment. These findings suggest that post-stroke depression can produce a true dementia in its own right, and that treatment of post-stroke depression might benefit cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are conducting a two year longitudinal study of mood disorders in a group of 103 stroke patients. During the first six month period following the stroke the prevalence of symptoms of major depression increased from 23 per cent to 34 per cent while the frequency of symptoms of dysthymic depression increased from 20 per cent to 26 per cent. In addition, 10 of 13 patients who had major depressive symptoms during the initial evaluation continued to have these symptoms at six months follow-up and 4 of 9 patients who had minor depression in hospital developed major depression, while 5 of 9 continued to have minor depressive symptoms. Thus, the duration of depression following stroke is more than six months and the prevalence of major depressive symptoms increases steadily for the first half year after a cerebral hemorrhage or ischemic lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen patients with bilateral hemisphere brain injury secondary to thromboembolic stroke or trauma were evaluated for depression, cognitive impairment, and functional physical impairment. Analysis of CT scans and standardized mood scales revealed that patients with left anterior brain injury were significantly more depressed than patients without such injury. Depression severity was directly and significantly correlated with left lesion proximity to the frontal pole. Left lesion age, lesion temporal sequence, right lesion location, cognitive impairment, and functional physical impairment did not significantly correlate with depression. Depressive symptomatology previously shown to be associated with single left frontal lobe lesions appeared to dominate post-brain injury psychopathology regardless of location or temporal sequence of other brain lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of Preston enrichment broth to isolation of ‘thermophilic’ campylobacters from water has been investigated. Enrichment substantially increased the yield of such organisms. The optimum timing for subculturing the broth was after 48 h incubation. Despite the addition of aerotolerant supplement to the broth the number and variety of isolates was greater when the broth was incubated microaerically than when it was incubated in air. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Faeces samples enriched for salmonellas in selenite F broth incubated at 43°C were subcultured to brilliant green MacConkey agar after 6 h. Four platings were made. As a control technique, each sample was enriched in selenite F incubated at 37°C for 24 h and subcultured once to brilliant green MacConkey agar. Of the specimens plated at 6 h, out of a total of 25 positive samples, 6 required more than a single subculture to reveal the presence of salmonellas. Twenty-four positive isolations were made from the selenite broths incubated at 37°C for 24 h and subcultured once only. All faecal samples positive by enrichment were also positive by direct plating. Nine samples seeded by 6 h produced only 1–2 salmonella colonies per plate. Convalescent specimens are, therefore, unlikely to be efficiently diagnosed by early subculture even if it is combined with multiple plating.River Taff samples, after pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water, were enriched in Rappaport's medium at 37°C for 6 h. Subcultures were made to four plates of brilliant green MacConkey agar. A control subculture was made at 24 h to a single plate of brilliant green MacConkey. Although multiple subculture at 6 h improved salmonella isolation, the method was not as efficient as a single plating from the same enrichment culture at 24 h. There was no evidence that subculture at 6 h combined with multiple plating had a value either for faecal examination or for the isolation of salmonellas from sewage-polluted natural water.Samples of other natural waters submitted routinely by Environmental Health Officers were pre-enriched in buffered peptone water before subculture to Rappa port's medium. The enrichment cultures were incubated at 37°C for 24 h and duplicate platings were made to brilliant green MacConkey agar. By double plating at 24 h, a gain of 16% in salmonella recovery was made. This compares favourably with the gain obtained by subculture from Rappaport after 24 and 48 h incubation. It also saves 24 h in examination time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The development of Rappaport's enrichment medium and elevated temperature incubation as methods of salmonella isolation is traced. The recent recording of a merger of the two techniques by means of Rappaport–Vassiliadis medium is noted (RV medium).In Cardiff, we have found an earlier modification of Rappaport's enrichment (R25) by Vassiliadis to be efficient in salmonella recovery from environment samples. The current study compares the two media using sewage polluted natural water as test material. Under the conditions of experiment, R25 was more successful in salmonella isolation than RV, although the latter medium inhibited competitive organisms better.R25 is a convenient enrichment broth for routine use. In combination with pre-enrichment it allows the use of a loop for subculture rather than a pipette. This increases safe manipulation. It also produces a high proportion of positive isolations at the 24 h subculture time in contrast to other enrichment broths. For these reasons it forms an integral part of salmonella isolation methodology in our laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stools, known to have contained salmonellas were cultured in three enrichment media on arrival at the laboratory. The three media were laboratory prepared selenite F, laboratory prepared Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate and commercially obtained Oxoid Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate (CM343). Where faecal samples were sufficiently large, they were stored at room temperature and re-examined using the same three enrichment broths. Whether fresh or stored stools were investigated, the laboratory prepared media were significantly more efficient than the commercial medium. In a straight comparison of the two laboratory prepared media, no significant difference in efficiency was evident with fresh stool samples. With stored specimens, however, Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate was significantly better than selenite F. This finding might be relevant in examining samples delayed in the post. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A short study of salmonella isolation from reptile faeces is described. The samples came from the reptile house at the Bristol Zoological Gardens. The wide range of salmonella serotypes present in the material, including representatives of all four subgenera, is noted. The important factors in the technique of isolation are discussed. These are choice of inoculum, enrichment medium, and plating Medium, useof multiple subculture and serological isolation. If the number of samples available is scanty, an extended technique will probably yield more information than a simple method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relation of salmonella isolation efficiency and the size of inoculum introduced from a buffered peptone water culture of sewage polluted water into strontium chloride B medium was investigated. Two separate studies were made, one using enrichment at 37°C, the other at 43°C. From these trials, two inocula suitable for efficient salmonella isolation were determined. Using this information, strontium chloride B medium was compared with modified Rappaport's broth (R25). The inoculum used with R25 was 0·005 ml, determined in an earlier study. Two incubation temperatures were employed with strontium chloride enrichment (37 and 43°C). Rappaport's medium was incubated at 37°C only. Elevated temperature enrichment at 43°C improved the performance of strontium chloride B, but Rappaport's broth still gave significantly better results. This supports earlier studies on simplification of salmonella isolation and standardization of routine technique on a single enrichment medium: Rappaport broth (R25) incubated at 37°C. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The influence of multiple plating of fluid cultures on salmonella isolation from animal feeding stuffs was examined. Four platings were made from broth culture after 24 h at 37 °C and four platings from selenite enrichment from 24 h at 43 °C. Selenite enrichment followed broth culture which was used as a pre-enrichment stage. Brilliant green MacConkey agar plates were employed for broth subculture and brilliant green MacConkey and desoxycholate citrate agars for selenite subculture. The eight brilliant green plates subcultured from broth and selenite were examined for salmonellas after incubation for 24 h at 37 °C. The four desoxycholate citrate agars after 24 h at 37 °C were used for motility enrichment. The food sample size was a single 100 g instead of 4 x 25 g cultured in an earlier study. This pooling of samples aimed at technical economy. Quadruple plating played an important part in salmonella isolation from 100 g specimens. The combination of multiple plating with motility enrichment was the most successful technique used. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Six hundred and eighty three samples of chicken giblets were examined for salmonellas. Three hundred and forty nine of these were neck and crop specimens and 334 were combined liver and heart samples. Two hundred and ten, in all, contained salmonellas.The technique of examination included pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water at 37 °C for 18 h and subculture to three enrichment media: Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate, selenite F and Rappaport's magnesium chloride malachite green broth. Inocula from buffered peptone water to 10 ml of tetrathionate and selenite were 1 ml in each case. The inoculum from the pre-enrichment medium to 10 ml of Rappaport was 0·005 ml. Tetrathionate and selenite were incubated at 43 °C for 48 h. Rappaport's medium was incubated at 37 °C for 48 h. Subcultures from all three enrichment broths were made at 24 h and 48 h to brilliant green MacConkey agar. Selective agars were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h.The most successful technique for salmonella isolation used Rappaport's medium, which was significantly more efficient than either tetrathionate or selenite. This finding reinforces results obtained using sewage polluted natural water as test material and it is suggested that routine examination of environment samples for salmonellas could be based on Rappaport's medium alone.If S. typhi, S. dublin or subgenus III salmonellas were likely to be present in the sample, the technique described here would require modification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The family consisted of two parents and five children. While the father remained in Cardiff, the mother and all the children visited Rawalpindi, Pakistan, for 6 weeks to stay with relatives. Travel was by flight from Heathrow airport to Pakistan and by a short road journey to Rawalpindi. Mrs M. – the mother – as a guest, did no cooking on the holiday. The house which they were living in had a piped water supply, thought to be treated. There was no flush toilet but a commode was available and was emptied daily. All the children had gastro-enteritis symptoms for 2–3 days after arrival. Ru M. – a daughter – had the most severe illness and was treated by a local doctor. Diarrhoea in the three girls persisted on return to U.K. A faecal swab from Ru M. showed her to be excreting S. typhi (degraded Vi phage type). She was admitted to hospital. Faecal samples from the remaining members of the family were taken and examined for entero-pathogens. The father, Fa. M., who had not left Cardiff, had negative stools and remained free from infection. All other family members were excreting one or more enteropathogens, including a Campylobacter sp., three types of Sh. flexneri and one type of Sh. boydii. A subsequent faecal sample revealed that one of the male children, A.M., was excreting S. typhi phage type B2. The two typhoid infections were apparently unconnected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ability of malachite green/magnesium chloride broth (Rappaport's medium) to isolate salmonellas from 25 ml quantities of sewage-polluted natural water was investigated. Samples were first pre-enriched in buffered peptone water and varying volumes of inoculum from the pre-enrichment culture were inoculated into Rappaport's broth. Inoculum ratios in the range 1:2000 to 1:10 were examined. The inoculum ratio denotes the ratio of the volume of inoculum to the volume of fluid medium into which it is introduced. Optimum results were obtained with the 1:2000 ratio, although the salmonella isolation rate was only slightly less with the 1:500 and 1:100 ratios. The 1:2000 inoculum ratio was obtained with a graduated loop holding approximately 0·005 ml of fluid. Use of a loop for inoculation has advantages in speed of performance and safety of manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Evidence of the presence of salmonellas in a paediatric ward, a special care baby unit, a maternity unit and a hospital kitchen was obtained by culture of sewer swabs, faeces and food samples. The survey was designed to cause as little administrative interference as possible. The technical aspects of the survey did not strain laboratory facilities. Minimal secondary spread of salmonella infection was experienced. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three enrichment broths, selenite F, Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate and Rappaport, were examined for their efficiency in salmonella isolation. The three media, prepared from single ingredients in the laboratory, were compared with their commercial equivalents. Laboratory-prepared media were more efficient for isolating salmonellas from sewage-polluted natural water samples. A pre-enrichment stage using buffered peptone water was employed throughout the investigation. The size of inoculum from the pre-enrichment medium was relevant to successful salmonella isolation. Inocula studied were 1 ml and one loopful (3 mm diameter loop). The smaller inoculum gave better results with Rappaport, the larger with selenite and tetrathionate. Using the optimal inocula, Rappaport was the most efficient enrichment broth of the three fluid media in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Between 1968 and 1975, well over 3000 samples of pig faeces and 407 samples of pig mesenteric glands were examined for salmonellas. A very wide range of serotypes was isolated. The material from this survey was used to evaluate certain aspects of salmonella isolations. The factors studied were: selective motility enrichment, size of inoculum of faeces, comparison of drain swab with animal sample and comparison of selenite F broth with Muller–Kauffmann tetrathionate broth. The conclusions drawn from these investigations allowed an efficient routine to be developed during the survey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Selenite F broth prepared in the laboratory from single ingredients was found to be significantly more efficient than nutrient broth in the isolation of Shigella sonnei from human faeces. It was more efficient than direct plating on deoxycholate citrate agar for diagnosing Sonne dysentery in a local outbreak. The difference was significant. There was, however, no significant advantage for enrichment over direct plating when stools posted from Bristol to Cardiff were examined.Laboratory prepared selenite F broth was preferable to the same medium purchased commercially from two different firms. The product of one firm was significantly better than that of the other.Two methods of sterilization of laboratory prepared selenite F broth were studied. Seitz filtered selenite was less inhibitory to the growth of small numbers of Shigella sonnei. Sterilization by heating in free steam for periods of 15 mm and over impaired the ability of selenite F broth to allow multiplication of small numbers of Shigella sonnei. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Selenite F broth and a modified Muller—Kauffmann tetrathionate broth were investigated using sewage-polluted natural water as inocula. The modification of the tetrathionate medium was necessary as commercial alternatives would not allow multiplication of small numbers of salmonellas.The wide range of molar concentrations in different tetrathionate broths was emphasized.Selenite F broth was more efficient than Muller—Kauffmann tetrathionate broth, in our hands, with the material tested. Direct inoculation of the enrichment media was used.Each of the two media examined had a bias towards selection of certain sero types. If possible, both enrichment broths should be used to obtain maximum information. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]