A chronic high alcohol intake was induced in rats through the use of two procedures: the schedule-induced polydipsia technique and the liquid diet technique. Rats consumed 11-12 g of ethanol per kilogram body weight per day for 16 to 18 weeks. Morphologic evidence of a mild distal axonal neuropathy in the ventral caudal nerve was proposed. The red blood cell transketolase levels were normal, indicating that the rats were not deficient in thiamine and suggesting that the axonal degeneration was due to the direct toxic effect of alcohol. Axonal transport studies demonstrated a significant increase in the amount of acetylcholinesterase transported in an orthograde direction in the sciatic nerves of alcohol-exposed rats, and indicated no change in the transport of choline acetyltransferase or in the specific binding of colchicine by neurotubulin.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Muramyl peptides and the functions of sleep.

Muramyl peptides (MPs) are bacterially derived sleep factors which stimulate slow wave sleep. In the neonate, MPs are capable of inducing quiet sleep and suppressing active sleep. Given that active sleep is thought to be important for brain development during this period, the possibility that changes in the availability of MPs in the neonate may affect brain development was examined. Rat pups were given muramyl dipeptide (MDP) twice daily for the first 14 days post partum. It was hypothesised that MDP would stimulate quiet sleep at the expense of active sleep as has been shown in the young rabbit. There was no effect on neonatal levels of quiet sleep or active sleep. There was, however, a variety of effects, apparently unrelated to the sleep functions of MDP. These effects were changes in adult learning, serotonin metabolism and brain anatomy. The function of sleep in the mediation of the sleep-independent effects of MPs was examined, in particular the opposite effects of MDP on host immunity depending on the sleepiness of the host. In this light sleep does indeed serve to mediate the effects of MPs and it is speculated that many of the effects observed here may change in response to sleep levels in individuals. The notion that autonomic signalling between brain and spleen is more efficient during sleep is presented as an example of a function of sleep that may modulate the immunological effects of MPs.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An evaluation of facial expression displayed by patients with chest pain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patterns of facial expressions of patients complaining of chest pain can aid in the diagnosis of myocardial infarctions. DESIGN: Exploratory. SETTING: Southeastern university medical center emergency department (ED). PATIENTS: Twenty-eight patients in the ED who presented with chest pain. Age range was 40 to 84 years, with a mean of 65.4 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: Common patterns of facial expressions among patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction. INTERVENTION: On admission to the ED, patients were videotaped during physical examination. Videotapes were reviewed to code the facial action units exhibited by the patients. The presence or absence of creatine kinase (CK) enzymes was determined; these results were blinded to the coders until after all facial actions were coded. RESULTS: With use of the Facial Action Coding System, 4 facial expressions were found to be associated with true myocardial infarction: lowering the brow, pressing the lips, parting the lips, and turning the head left. CONCLUSION: Additional research with a larger sample of patients presenting with chest pain is needed to validate the findings of this study. However, if these findings are supported, instruction regarding assessment of specific facial expressions in clinical settings may be warranted.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pressure ulcers: one bed or another?

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Beds↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transfusion-acquired cytomegalovirus infection in neonates. A prospective study.

The incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was determined in 114 transfused neonates of any birthweight born to CMV antibody-negative mothers. In a second phase of this study, an additional 28 transfused infants weighing less than 1250 g, born to both CMV antibody-negative and antibody-positive mothers, were followed. All infants underwent weekly virus culture and monthly serology during hospitalization and at 6 to 12 weeks after their last transfusion. Only one of 126 (0.8%) seronegative infants and one of 16 (6.3%) seropositive infants developed CMV infection. If the assumption is made that the CMV-infected infant received only 1 unit of infectious blood, the risk of transfusion-acquired CMV infection to seronegative infants is 0.16 percent per cellular unit transfused or 0.37 percent per seropositive cellular unit transfused. Despite similarities in the prevalence of CMV antibody in the donor population, the age of blood products used, and the mean number of donor exposures, a significantly lower incidence of CMV infection was found in the seronegative transfused infants than that in two previously published studies (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.001). Because no mortality and very little morbidity could be attributed to transfusion-acquired CMV infection in the nurseries, the authors can see no justification for the provision of specialized blood components for the prevention of CMV infection in this patient population.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Steam sterilization of cordless surgical instruments.

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Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The faculty advisor role: an imperative for student retention.

The decline in applicants to schools of nursing emphasizes the importance of retaining those students who do enroll. The authors review factors affecting student attrition and retention in academic settings. They then present an ideal model for enhancing student retention through effective, individualized, and consistent student advising.

Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate↗