The Communist problem in post-war France.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Rhodotorula fungaemia: a life-threatening complication of indwelling central venous catheters

Eine 30-jÄhrige Frau, wegen einer intestinalen MotilitÄtsstÖrung Über einen zentralvenÖsen Verweilkatheter vollstÄndig parenteral ernÄhrungspflichtig, entwickelte Fieber, Tachykardie, Tachypnoe und Hypotonie. Aus mehrmaligen Blutkulturen, Über den Katheter vor dem Auftreten dieser Symptome gewonnen, sowie aus einer davor angelegten peripheren Blutkultur wurde die rote Hefe Rhodotorula rubra angezÜchtet. Die Patientin verblieb Über einen Monat lang in kritischem Zustand, erholte sich jedoch unter Therapie mit den systemischen Antimykotika Amphotericin B und Flucytosin und nach Entfernung des Katheters. Obgleich Rhodotorula allgemein als nur geringgradig pathogen angesehen wird, belegt dieser Fall den ernsthaften Charakter der Rhodotorula -Sepsis sowie die Notwendigkeit der systemischen Antimykotika-Therapie und der Entfernung des Katheters. Summary . A 30-year-old woman receiving total parenteral nutrition via an indwelling central venous catheter for an intestinal motility disorder developed fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, and hypotension. Multiple blood cultures drawn through the catheter prior to these events, as well as a peripheral blood culture obtained earlier, grew the red yeast Rhodotorula rubra . The patient was critically ill for over one month but eventually recovered with therapy including the systemic antifungal agents amphotericin B and flucytosine and removal of the catheter. Although Rhodotorula has generally been regarded as having low pathogenicity, this case emphasizes the serious nature of Rhodotorula sepsis and suggests the need for both systemic antifungal therapy and removal of a colonized indwelling catheter.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73949/1/j.1439-0507.1992.tb00882.x.pd

Academic achievement on the National Higher Diploma in Emergency Medical Care : the role of personality and study attitudes

This study undertook to examine factors potentially contributing to a high rate of attrition experienced on the National Higher Diploma in Emergency Medical Care (EMC) at the Witwatersrand Technikon. The sample group consisted of students currently registered for the EMC course who wished to participate. The total group consisted of 53 students (n=53), 30 of which were first year students, eight were second year students and 15 were third year students. Using the 16 PF and SSHA as assessment tools, this study assessed the role of personality and study habits and attitudes on academic achievement on this course. Initial Kruskal-Wallis analyses of the scores for the three-year groups on a selected number of factors from these instruments showed no significant statistical difference between the groups. Subsequent analyses were consequently performed on the whole group. Five factors were found to be significant in relation to academic achievement on this course. These included abstract, verbal reasoning, levels of anxiety, levels of extraversion, work methods and year level of study. Of the personality factors, two are in accordance with findings of previous research. The findings of this study included comments and recommendations for amendments to the current National Higher Diploma EMC selection procedure.Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Psychologyunrestricte

Elevated Blood Lead Concentrations and Vitamin D Deficiency in Winter and Summer in Young Urban Children

BACKGROUND: It is widely recognized that blood lead concentrations are higher in the summer than in winter. Although the effects of some environmental factors such as lead in dust on this phenomenon have been studied, relationships to sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis have not been adequately investigated. Vitamin D status is influenced by the diet, sunlight exposure, age, skin pigmentation, and other factors, and may modify gastrointestinal lead absorption or release of lead stored in bones into the bloodstream. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: We collected paired blood samples from 142 young, urban African-American and Hispanic children in the winter and summer to study the seasonal increase in blood lead and its relationships to vitamin D nutrition, age, and race. RESULTS: A winter/summer (W/S) increase in blood lead concentrations of 32.4% was found for children 1–3 years of age. There was a smaller W/S increase of 13.0% in children 4–8 years of age. None of the 51 Hispanic children had an elevated blood lead concentration (≥ 10 μg/dL) during the winter, and only one had an elevated summertime concentration. In contrast, elevated blood lead concentrations were frequent in the 91 African-American children, especially those 1–3 years of age. For the latter, the percentage with elevated blood lead levels increased from 12.2% in winter to 22.5% in summer. A 1.2% W/S increase in serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (serum 25-OH-D) concentrations was found for children 1–3 years of age. However, in children 4–8 years of age the W/S increase in serum 25-OH-D was much larger—33.6%. The percentages of children with low (< 16 μg/L) serum 25-OH-D concentrations were 12.0% in winter and 0.7% in summer and were consistently greater in African-American than in Hispanic children. The seasonal increases in blood lead and serum 25-OH-D in children 4–8 years of age were significantly associated. CONCLUSION: The higher summertime serum 25-OH-D concentrations for the 4- to 8-year-old children are likely caused by increased sunlight-induced vitamin D synthesis and may contribute to the seasonal increase in blood lead. Age and race are key factors that affect blood lead and vitamin D nutrition, as well as their interactions, in young urban children