Synergistic interaction of 3 M KCl-extracted donor antigens (e-HAg) with cyclosporine or cyclosporine/sirolimus for prolongation of rat heart allograft survival

This article examines the attaching and detaching experience of a mother encountering the perinatal death of a twin. Her experience is related to the relevant theoretical and research literature pertaining to prebirth and postbirth maternal-infant attachment and detachment (grieving). Literature for both single infants and twins is considered. The experience of this mother suggests that elements of postbirth attachment may have been accelerated into the prebirth period. In addition, her postbirth attaching and detaching experience suggests that an attachment and detachment to the twins as a unit preceded detachment from the twin who died. The health care provider's role in promoting maternal well-being, and indirectly the well-being of the surviving infant, is described.     

Bacterial and Ureaplasma colonization of the airway: radiologic findings in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

OBJECTIVE: We designed this retrospective study to compare radiologic findings in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in whom gram-positive cocci (GPC), gram-negative bacilli (GNB), or Ureaplasma urealyticum were colonized. Another objective was to correlate the radiologic findings of these patients with the clinical severity of BPD. STUDY DESIGN: We correlated serial tracheal aspirates with radiographic findings from 183 infants whose birth weight was < or = 1250 gm. BPD severity was assessed by oxygen dependency at 36 weeks of postconceptional age (36 w PCA) and at the time of discharge. Two radiologists independently scored films taken at birth and 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days of life. RESULTS: Of the study population, 55% were male and 35% were black; 80% received surfactant and 69% received dexamethasone; 91% survived. GPC isolates from throat cultures were mainly Staphylococcus [corrected] epidermidis and Streptococcus haemolyticus. A superimposed GNB colonization was present in 37% of these infants. Most common isolates were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Escherichia coli. Sepsis caused by GPC developed in 16% of all patients; 7% had sepsis caused by GNB. Infants infected with GNB remained receiving oxygen at 36 w PCA and at the time of discharge twice as often as those noninfected. RADIOLOGIC FINDINGS: Hyperinflation, interstitial changes, and generalized or localized emphysema were prominent features throughout. Mean radiologic scores increased over time in a pattern similar among GPC, GNB, and U. urealyticum infected and noninfected infants. High radiologic scores were not predictive at any time of infants who needed supplemental oxygen at 28 days and at 36 w PCA. Infants infected with U. urealyticum were neither clinically nor radiologically different than noncolonized neonates. CONCLUSION: GPC, GNB, and U. urealyticum airway colonization is not associated with particular radiographic changes at any time. GNB-infected infants had the most severe BPD course, and yet they were radiologically indistinguishable from the other patients. U. urealyticum colonization does not result in more clinically severe BPD or demonstrate a unique radiologic course.     

Anticonvulsant and antibiotic prophylaxis in head injury

The evidence for and against the prophylactic use of anticonvulsants and antibiotics in head injury is reviewed. There is a lack of blinded placebo-controlled trials in this area. On balance there is no compelling evidence to support the use of either anticonvulsant or antibiotic prophylaxis in head injury, with the possible exception of antibiotic prophylaxis in compound depressed skull fractures and penetrating brain injuries.     

Eyedness

Study of the activities of hyaluronidase, lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme-X and the dehydrogenases of sorbitol, alpha-glycerophosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, malate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and isocitrate in the testes of mice of different ages showed that the changes were correlated with the stages of spermatogenic cell differentiation. The first 4 enzymes had activities which were low in newborn mice and high in adults; this pattern was reversed for the other enzymes.     

Studies of the spatial distribution of firearms discharge residues

Fingerprint lifting tape has been applied to the lifting of firearms discharge residue from various surfaces. Lifting efficiencies from coarse fabric ranged from 30 to 70%. Use of the technique has been demonstrated in identifying a bullet hole and in measuring residue patterns on floor and firing hand surfaces. In hand lifts it has been shown that autoradiography alone does not uniquely distinguish the hand of someone who has fired a revolver from the hand of someone who has not. Neutron activation analysis of lifts from selected hand areas may, however, provide such a distinction.     

A biophysically based and objective satellite seasonality observation method for applications over the Arctic

Despite wide applications of remote-sensing data with high temporal resolution for monitoring phenology, two persistent problems have prevented the realization of their full potential. The first is the subjectivity in defining thresholds for a phenological event (e.g. the start or end of growing season ? SOS or EOS). The second is the use of various arbitrarily selected filtering and smoothing algorithms for constructing vegetation index seasonal profiles in order to reduce the noise caused by residue cloud contamination and aerosol variations. In this study, we addressed both problems by developing a biophysically based and objective satellite seasonality observation method (BLOSSOM) for application over Canada’s Arctic. Application of the BLOSSOM method to three northern Canadian national parks (Ivvavik, Wapusk, and Sirmilik) proved that the method is operational. Using the uncertainties in the vegetation index and its threshold, we estimated the overall mean uncertainties as being ?5.3 to 3.4 days, ?4.2 to 5.2 days, and ?6.2 to 8.4 days, respectively, for SOS, EOS, and growing season length (GSL). Further independent tests against SOS, determined using records of snow cover at nearby climate stations (as ‘truth’), indicate that the mean absolute error is less than 3.6 ± 0.2 days.