Exposure workups

Exposure workups are an important responsibility for infection control personnel. A well-designed plan for investigating exposures, which includes appropriate algorithms, will enable infection control personnel to evaluate exposures rapidly and consistently so that nosocomial transmission is minimized. Infection control personnel should use their own data to develop policies and procedures that suit the needs of their facility. After they have implemented the plan, infection control personnel should continue to collect data on exposures so they can continuously improve their performance.     

Methods for investigation and estimation of individual chemosensitivity of tumors (review)

A review of the current methods for the estimation of tumor sensitivity to antiblastomic drugs is presented. Methods for the in vitro and in vivo cultivation of tumor cells are discussed. Among them the following methods are reviewed: the method for the cultivation of tumor heterotransplants in diffusion chambers and its various modifications, the method for the cultivation of human tumors under the kidney capsule, the method for the cell cultivation in primary short-term suspensions, the methods using enriched media, the methods for the cell cultivation on acetate cellulose fibres, in monolayers, etc.     

Reservoir competence of Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae) for Escherichia coli (Eubacteriales:Enterobacteriaceae)

Larval and adult lesser mealworms, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer), were found to harbor a Congo red-binding strain of Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani & Chalmers both on the external surface of their body and internally for 12 d. Thereafter, E. coli was not detected, even though the beetles were exposed continuously to a food source inoculated with the bacteria. Lesser mealworm larvae and adults discharge E. coli bacteria in their feces for up to 6 and 10 d, respectively. However, bacteria were no longer detected in their feces after larvae underwent a single molt to the next larval stage. This indicated there was no transstadial transmission of this strain of E. coli. Consumed infected larvae were found to cause more 1-d-old chicks to have positive cloacal swabs for Congo red-binding E. coli than consumed infected adults. The data indicated that the lesser mealworm may play a role in the direct transmission of E. coli and contribute to the spread of this bacteria in broiler production systems. This may be achieved by beetles being directly consumed by chickens or indirectly by spread of the bacteria throughout the broiler house by lesser mealworm feces.     

Women, alcohol and work: interactions of gender, ethnicity and occupational culture

Patterns of alcohol use are affected by culture and history and interwined with the rhythms of work life. The 20th century economic shift toward industrial and service jobs coupled with the increasing presence of women in the workplace has revolutionized U.S. women's domestic and public roles [1], and these changes have impacted their drinking behavior [2]. In addition, in a multicultural society like the United States, subcultures, ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, and even job categories have their own sets of gendered drinking norms. patterns of alcohol use among women can be better understood with consideration of intricate interactions among gender, ethnicity, class, employment, and alcohol consumption. Stepping up to the need to learn more about these factors, we have reviewed literature about ethnic, class, occupational, and gender influences on women's workplace-related drinking. This report on that review will show both the complexity of the phenomenon and the inconsistent, incomplete nature of existing information, as well as pointing out directions for future research. We begin with a general discussion of women and workplace drinking.