Active surveillance for asymptomatic carriers of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a hospital setting.

The spread of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPKP) is a challenging public health threat. Early identification and isolation of infected patients and carriers are key measures of control. This study describes a CPKP screening strategy in a tertiary Italian hospital. During the five-month study period, 1687 patients were screened by rectal swabs. Of these, 65 (3.9%) tested positive for CPKP; 5.1% of case contacts tested positive. Screening case contacts appears to be the essential surveillance component for detecting asymptomatic carriers of CPKP. The added value of selective CPKP screening on hospital admission depends on the frequency of carriers among incoming patients.

Thermoluminescence analysis of irradiated oyster shells.

This paper reports the thermoluminescence (TL) analysis performed on the oyster shells powder. TL response of (60)Co gamma-rays irradiated samples were studied in the range from 80 Gy to 8 kGy doses. TL signal of irradiated shell powder was higher as compared to the unirradiated control samples, which allowed to identify the irradiated oysters. Results show that the oyster shells have good TL properties and can be useful for the identification of irradiated seafood as well as for the evaluation of the treatment dose.

Postobstructive pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema is a potentially life-threatening complication of acute airway obstruction. It develops rapidly, without warning, in persons who are otherwise well. Two forms of postobstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) have been identified. POPE I follows sudden, severe upper airway obstruction. POPE II occurs following surgical relief of chronic upper airway obstruction. Treatment for both is supportive. Full and rapid recovery can be expected with appropriate management.

Mildly mentally retarded and nonretarded children's learned helplessness.

The relationship among four measures identified as operational definitions of learned helplessness was assessed in 44 mildly mentally retarded and 44 nonretarded children of equivalent mental age. Assessment of perseverance, response initiation, teacher perception of helplessness, and attributions for positive and negative achievement outcomes revealed an absence of corroboration in the two subgroups. The findings suggest that ability grouping and instrumentation are meaningful variables when evaluating learned helplessness in retarded and nonretarded students.

Demographic influences on perceptions of school psychological services.

This study examined the influence of demographic variables on the perceptions of 191 teachers, 90 administrators, and 51 school psychologists when establishing preference rankings in five areas of school psychological services: priority for referral, information-gathering techniques, utilization of the school psychologist, effectiveness with exceptional children, and strategies of remediation employed. A nonparametric analysis of rank indicated contradictory perceptions among the respondents. Age, sex, degree, experience, and level of assignment affected the subjects' perceptions variously. Explanations were proposed.

Moral judgment in retarded and nonretarded school age children.

The moral judgment of 135 normal, educable retarded, and trainable retarded boys and girls (ages 6-10, 11-13, and 14-16) was individually assessed to determine the significance of chronological age and IQ on moral development. The results indicated significant differences in mean normal judgment between the groups and each age level. The findings were interpreted as substantiating Piaget's stage theory of moral development and suggesting that within the retarded population, level of intellectual ability is also significantly related to moral judgment.

New substrate for fluorometric determination of gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in serum.

We describe the preparation of a new substrate, N-gamma-L-glutamyl-5-aminoisophthalic acid dimethyl ester hydro-chloride, for the fluorometric determination of gamma-glutamyltransferase activity in serum by the "front-surface" technique. Details of the resulting method are provided. The final reaction mixture contains 4 mmol of the substrate per liter of tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (100 mmol/liter) and glycylglycine (75 mmol/liter) at pH 8.2 (25 degrees C).

Cyclic oxonium ions and related structures.

This paper describes the preparation by several methods of trialkyloxonium ions containing five-membered rings and the study of their structures by observing the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra in several solvents. This provides independent evidence for these compounds, whose existence has been shown by kinetic, preparative, and stereochemical studies.The following SbCl(6) oxonium salts have been prepared, isolated, and characterized as crystalline solids: the 1,2,5-trimethyltetrahydrofuranium (IIa), the 1,2,2,5-tetramethyl (IIb), the trans-1-methylperhydrobenzofuranium (IVa), the trans-1,2-dimethyl (IVb), and the trans-1,2,2-trimethyl (IVc) compounds. The trifluoroacetate salts IIc, IId, IVd, and IVe have been made in acid solution, and all the salts II and IV have been characterized by their NMR spectra as cyclic oxonium salts, with the charged 1-CH(3) group downfield from an uncharged -OCH(3). Spectra of all the SbCl(6) salts in nitrobenzene solution are reported. Further evidence for the cyclic structure is given by the identification of 2,2,5-trimethyltetrahydrofuran (VIII) from the action of pyridine and lithium chloride on the 1,2,2,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuranium salt IIb. Solvolysis of this salt by ethanol gave 2-ethoxy-2-methyl-5-methoxyhexane (VII) by attack at the tertiary carbon of the oxonium ion. The structure of VII was established by its synthesis and that of the other possible isomer. The trifluoroacetate oxonium ion (IVe) gave, after three days in 5 per cent sulfuric-trifluoroacetic acid, trans-2,2-dimethylperhydrobenzofuran and methyl trifluoroacetate.