The influence of extracellular and phagolysosomal pH changes on the bactericidal activity of bovine neutrophils against Staphylococcus aureus.

The influence of the pH of suspending medium on bovine neutrophil (PMN) function was assessed in tests of phagocytosis and killing of Staphylococcus aureus. Intracellular killing was markedly inhibited by moderate extracellular acidification whereas phagocytosis was little affected, except at the lowest pH level (pH 5.0).

Tactile/kinesthetic stimulation effects on preterm neonates.

Tactile/kinesthetic stimulation was given to 20 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 31 weeks; mean birth weight, 1,280 g; mean time in neonatal intensive care unit, 20 days) during transitional ("grower") nursery care, and their growth, sleep-wake behavior, and Brazelton scale performance was compared with a group of 20 control neonates. The tactile/kinesthetic stimulation consisted of body stroking and passive movements of the limbs for three, 15-minute periods per day for a 10 days. The stimulated neonates averaged a 47% greater weight gain per day (mean 25 g v 17 g), were more active and alert during sleep/wake behavior observations, and showed more mature habituation, orientation, motor, and range of state behavior on the Brazelton scale than control infants.

Effects of ultrasound feedback on pregnancy anxiety, fetal activity, and neonatal outcome.

A group of pregnant women received video and verbal feedback during three ultrasound examinations. This group was compared with a no-feedback group on measures of pregnancy anxiety, fetal activity, and neonatal outcome. The feedback appeared to reduce pregnancy anxiety and fetal activity, particularly for the primiparous women.

Intra-abdominal abscess unassociated with prior operation.

During the past five years, 65 patients were treated for intra-abdominal abscesses unassociated with prior operation. Radiologic tests proved quite accurate in confirming the diagnosis. Abdominal x-ray films were abnormal in 25 (57%) of 44 patients, as were ultrasonograms in 33 (89%) of 37 patients, computed tomography scans in 13 (100%) of 13 patients, and gallium scans in five (100%) of five patients.

Technology under Medicare diagnosis-related groups prospective payment. Implications for medical intensive care.

Medicare prospective payment by diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) has intensified the debate over the use and costs of medical technology. In this study, we examine the financial impact of DRG payment for medicare patients receiving medical intensive care. During a one-year period, payment for 446 Medicare patients receiving medical intensive care at a large teaching hospital was calculated to be +4.

Pacifying effects of nonnutritive sucking on term and preterm neonates during heelstick procedures.

Behavioral state, heart rate, and respiration were monitored during heelstick procedures in samples of healthy, term neonates (N = 48) and preterm neonates treated in minimal care (N = 48) and intensive care (N = 48) nurseries. The treated infants who were given pacifiers spent significantly less time fussing and crying during and following the heelstick procedures. Physiologic arousal was monitored in both preterm groups but was attenuated only in the preterm infants who received pacifiers (minimal care group).

Children's responses to separation from mother during the birth of another child.

Preschool children's behavioral and physiological responses to separation were monitored before, during, and after their mothers' hospitalization for the birth of a sibling. During these 3 periods, play sessions were videotaped simultaneous with activity level and heart rate monitoring, nighttime sleep was time-lapse videotaped, and the parents were administered questionnaires on changes in their child's behaviors. Increases in fantasy play across these periods were interpreted as active coping both with the stress of separation and the altered interactions following the arrival of a new sibling.

Leave-takings and reunions of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their parents.

The leave-taking and reunion behaviors of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their parents were observed as the children were "dropped off" and "picked up" at their nursery school each day. On arrival at their classroom, infants and toddlers related primarily to their parents, whereas preschoolers related to their teachers. Girls more frequently engaged in interaction with their teachers, and boys more frequently approached the children's play activities.

Increase in specific opsonic activity in bovine milk following experimental Escherichia coli mastitis.

An infection in a single bovine mammary quarter with a capsulated Escherichia coli stimulated a long lasting opsonic activity for the phagocytosis and killing of the homologous strain by polymorphonuclear leucocytes. The induced activity was associated with increases in the IgM fraction and an appearance of activity in the IgG2 fraction. The capsular polysaccharide was the major inducing antigen, with the immune whey showing opsonic activity for other strains of E coli with antigenically similar capsules.

Discrimination and imitation of facial expression by neonates.

Human neonates (average age, 36 hours) discriminated three facial expressions (happy, sad, and surprised) posed by a live model as evidenced by diminished visual fixation on each face over trials and renewed fixations to the presentation of a different face. The expressions posed by the model, unseeen by the observer, were guessed at greater than chance accuracy simply by observing the face of the neonate, whose facial movements in the brow, eyes, and mouth regions provided evidence for imitation of the facial expressions.

Respiratory distress syndrome: perinatal prediction of one year development outcome.

A number of perinatal variables were entered into multivariate regression analyses to determine which variables predicted the one-year Bayley Mental and Motor scores of 46 infants surviving the respiratory distress syndrome. Significant predictors were gestational age, 5 minute Apgar scores, obstetric complications, duration of IPPV and intensive care. Although gestational age was the strongest single predictor of developmental outcome, its predictive power was enhanced by the addition of the other significant perinatal variables.

Discrimination of facial expressions by preschool children.

This study investigated preschool children's ability to discriminate and categorize facial expressions. Children were shown drawings of persons with expressions of joy, sadness, surprise, and anger and asked to choose from an array of drawings the face that felt "the same" as the standard. The choice array varied on 1 or more features of the standard's expression or had identical key facial elements.

Production and discrimination of facial expressions by preschool children.

Production and discrimination of the 8 basic facial expressions were investigated among 34 3-5-year-old preschool children. The children's productions were elicited and videotaped under 4 different prompt conditions (imitation of photographs of children's facial expressions, imitation of those in front of a mirror, imitation of those when given labels for the expressions, and when given only labels). Adults' "guesses" of the children's productions as well as the children's guesses of their own expressions on videotape were more accurate for the happy than afraid or angry expressions and for those expressions elicited during the imitation conditions.

Immediate and long-term outcome of acute arterial occlusion of the extremities. The effect of added vascular reconstruction.

Patients with acute arterial occlusion in immediate danger of limb loss, are frequently high-risk surgical candidates, yet a simple balloon thromboembolectomy often does not suffice for limb salvage. With this in mind, we studied 61 male patients with acute arterial occlusions to assess the effects of added vascular procedures at the time of initial thromboembolectomy. Forty-three patients had only thromboembolectomy, but 18 required additional vascular reconstructive procedures.

Nonnutritive sucking during tube feedings: effects on preterm neonates in an intensive care unit.

Preterm neonates (mean 32 weeks' gestation, 1,300 gm birth weight) were provided a pacifier for nonnutritive sucking during tube feedings in the intensive care nursery. Their clinical course, subsequent bottle feeding behavior, and performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment scale were compared with those of control group infants. The infants provided with pacifiers averaged 27 fewer tube feedings, started bottle feeding three days earlier, averaged a greater weight gain per day, and were discharged eight days earlier for an average hospital cost savings of approximately $3,500.