The single-patient room in the NICU: maternal and family effects.

OBJECTIVE: To explore differences in maternal factors, including visitation and holding, among premature infants cared for in single-patient rooms (SPR) compared with open-bay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 81 premature infants were assigned to a bed space in either the open-bay area or in a SPR upon NICU admission, based on bed space and staffing availability in each area. Parent visitation and holding were tracked through term equivalent, and parents completed a comprehensive questionnaire at discharge to describe maternal health. Additional maternal and medical factors were collected from the medical record. Differences in outcome variables were investigated using linear regression. RESULT: No significant differences in gestational age at birth, initial medical severity, hours of intubation or other factors that could affect the outcome were observed across room type. Significantly more hours of visitation were observed in the first 2 weeks of life (P=0.02) and in weeks 3 and 4 (P=0.02) among infants in the SPR. More NICU stress was reported by mothers in the SPR after controlling for social support (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: Increased parent visitation is an important benefit of the SPR, however, mothers with infants in the SPR reported more stress.

Nonsaponifiable lipid components of the pollen of elder (Sambucus nigra L.).

Pollen of the elder (Sambucus nigra L.) was extracted with chloroform-methanol. The extract was separated by column chromatography into the following groups of compounds: hydrocarbons (8.7%). polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (0.2%), complex esters (5.2%), triglycerides (18.7%), hydroxy esters (27.9%), free fatty acids and alcohols (16.8%), free sterols (6.8%), and triterpenic alcohols (4.0%). The nonsaponifiable components (hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols, and sterols) were examined in detail using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods (IR spectroscopy, GC, and GC-MS). The identified compounds were characterized by their mass spectra and Kováts retention indices. The double bond positions and their configurations in unsaturated compounds are also reported.

Lipase-mediated hydrolysis of blackcurrant oil.

Four commercially available lipases, both free and immobilized, were tested for their ability to catalyze hydrolysis of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) oil using two different approaches. The lipase from Mucor miehei was studied free and immobilized in two different ways. The former series of enzymic reactions were performed in tap water at 40 degrees C, but the latter series of enzymic processes were carried out in mixtures of isooctane and phosphate buffer (in a typical 2/1 ratio of the components) at 30 degrees C. These conditions were optimized to increase and/or to maximize the yields of the products, which were priority targets in this study. A rate of hydrolysis and a selective preference of the hydrolytic enzymes towards fatty acids, with a special focus on enrichment of alpha-linolenic acid and/or gamma-linolenic acid, were studied. Higher rates of hydrolysis of the blackcurrant oil in the former series of reactions were observed with the immobilized lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia used as biocatalyst. In the latter approach, the most favorable results of the rate of hydrolysis of the target blackcurrant oil were achieved with the immobilized lipase from Mucor miehei employed as biocatalyst. Only three lipases, selected from a series of lipases tested during this investigation, displayed specificity towards alpha-linolenic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, i.e. the immobilized lipase from P. cepacia, lipase from M. miehei and lipase from P. fluorescens.

Composition of lipid A in the S and R forms of Shigella dysenteriae serovar 1.

A chemical analysis was performed of lipid A, isolated by acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide from the S and R forms of Shigella dysenteriae serovar 1. Differences in the moiety of both lipids and sugars were compared. The lipid portion consisted of a homologous series of fatty acids ranging from C12:0 to C18:0 (predominant homologues, C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0) and the homologous series of 3-hydroxy acids ranging from C12:0 to C16:0 (predominant homologue, 3-OH-C14:0). The major sugar portion consisted of D-glucosamine. The toxicity of lipid A in mice (LD50) ranged between 300-400 micrograms/mouse, and values from the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay were recorded as titres of 10(-5) to 10(-6) mg/ml.

Trapping system for trace organic volatiles.

A technique is described for the collection and concentration of volatile compounds produced by plants, insects, animals and other materials. The method is a modification of the continuous-flow system based on absorption of volatiles in a low amount of solvent at low temperature. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique used are described in detail.