Besides traditional chemical stabilizers, polymer emulsion that is considered as a nontraditional
chemical stabilizer had been introduced recently. Among polymer emulsions, Canlite and
Probase have been widely used for soil stabilization. The aim of this paper is to investigate the
effectiveness of Laterite soil stabilization treated by Canlite-liquid and Probase-liquid soil stabilizers.
A testing program, scheduled to achieve the overall objectives of this study was conducted to
determine the basic properties of Laterite soil, establish the relationship between the compaction
characteristics (maximum dry density and optimum moisture content) with the amount of polymer
emulsion and last but not least to compare the strength of the Canlite-treated and Probase-treated
Laterite soil. The effects of both polymer soil stabilizers – Canlite and Probase – were examined. The
optimum moisture content of the mixtures was used as a reference to determine the water content for
the preparation of all the specimens and later used in the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test.
The laboratory test results showed that the additional amount of Canlite and Probase have improved
the physical properties, liquid limit and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the Laterite soil.
The compressive strength of the treated Laterite was found varied and depends on the type of
stabilizers, quantity of additives and curing time. From the UCS tests, it was found that Probase
improves the strength of the Laterite more than Canlite.
Borderline oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (BORSA) are mecA-negative strains with oxacillin minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC) close to the resistance breakpoint of ≥ 4μg/mL. Instead of producing penicillin-binding protein with low affinity to methicillin (oxacillin) mediated by mecA gene as in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), BORSA strains are characterised by the hyperproduction of β-lactamase enzymes, thus able to break down methicillin. Common laboratory methods to detect MRSA such as cefoxitin disk diffusion alone may fail to detect methicillin resistance due to BORSA. We report five cases of BORSA blood-stream infections in a university teaching hospital. All isolates were found to be susceptible to cefoxitin using disk diffusion, resistant to oxacillin using automated MIC method, and did not harbour mecA gene. All patients were suscessfully treated with anti-MRSA antibiotics, and removal of primary sources were done if identified. A more cost-effective method for screening and diagnosis of BORSA is needed in addition to cefoxitin disk diffusion test, in order to monitor the spread, and to enable routine detection and treatment of this pathogen.
Clostridum difficile (C. difficile) infection is increasingly seen among hospitalised patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus but its rate and associated risk factors are not known. We aimed to determine the rate and characteristics of hospital-acquired C. difficile infection in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted into acute medical wards.
Solid-pseudopapillary tumour (SPT) is a rare exocrine tumour of the pancreas and is considered to have low malignant potential. Few morphological criteria are used to predict malignant behaviour such as equivocal perineural invasion, angioinvasion and invasion to surrounding tissue, and should be designated as solid-pseudopapillary carcinoma (SPC). We report a case of SPC. Clinical and radiological findings are typical for SPT with no metastatic disease. There is no tumour recurrence after 4 months postresection. Clinical history and radiological findings were retrieved from the patient's record sheet and Viarad system. H&E staining and few immunoproxidase staining were reviewed by several pathologists. The histological findings are typical for SPT, with additional perineural invasion. There is no angioinvasion or capsular invasion identified. This is our first experience in diagnosing and managing SPC. We look forward to seeing the patient's disease status during her next routine follow-up. We expect good disease-free survival and very low risk of tumour recurrence, in view of only one risk factor (perineural invasion) and uninvolved surgical margins by the tumour.