Phagocytic ability of neutrophils and monocytes in neonates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infections by a variety of pathogens are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality during perinatal period. The susceptibility of neonates to bacterial infections has been attributed to immaturity of innate immunity. It is considered that one of the impaired mechanisms is the phagocytic function of neutrophils and monocytes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the phagocytic ability of neonates at birth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The phagocytic ability of neutrophils and monocytes of 42 neonates was determined using the Phagotest flow cytometry method, that assesses the intake of <it>E. Coli </it>by phagocytes, in cord blood and in peripheral blood 3 days after birth. Fifteen healthy adults were included in the study as controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The phagocytic ability of neutrophils in the cord blood of neonates was significantly reduced compared to adults. The 3^rdpostnatal day the reduction of phagocytic ability of neutrophils was no longer significant compared to adults. The phagocytic ability of monocytes did not show any difference from that of adults either at birth or the 3^rdpostnatal day.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings indicate that the intake of <it>E. Coli </it>by phagocytes is impaired at birth in both preterm and full term neonates compared to adults. This defect is transient, with the phagocytic ability in neonates reaching that of the adults 3 days after birth.</p

The political economy of greek policing:Between neo-liberalism and the sovereign state

This article interrogates historical developments, modern structures and future trends in Greek policing from the viewpoint of contemporary neo-liberal policing and social theory. We argue throughout this article that although neo-liberal thinking has indeed recently crept into the rhetoric and logics of Greek governance, the particular social, geographical and political history of the Hellenic Republic has muted these tendencies significantly for policing. Rather than reflecting changes toward post-Keynesian or postmodern policing, Greece (and Greek policing) is confronted by the basic modernist dilemma of ensuring state integrity both physically in the material military security of its borders and vast coastline, and ideologically in the battle for establishing public trust in the efficiency and effectiveness of government. This article analyzes relevant statutes and offers data on the growth of the Greek police and the relatively small private security sector. We conclude that while it is tempting to point to Greece as an exception to the general theoretical maxim that the provision of policing is fragmenting and de-centring as the state is shrinking, there are more and more examples of the recrudescence, re-emergence and continuing central relevance of the state for security provision in other national contexts