Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Nursing Preceptorship: What Multimedia Participant Action Reveals (Défis et possibilités du préceptorat infirmier en milieu rural : ce qu’une participation multimédia révèle)

Background: Rural health care sites struggle to attract new nurses, owing to a widespread perception that the hardships of rural practice far outweigh the benefits. Preceptorships are a key means of recruiting nursing staff to rural locations, but innovative, firsthand messaging is needed to promote rural preceptorships and nursing careers. Objectives: The researchers sought to elicit compelling, multimedia, firsthand accounts of the challenges and opportunities of rural preceptorship through participant action. Additional goals were to explore the ways in which participants reify their experiences through digital media, and the potential for digitally-based participant action research to empower participants. Methods: The study was designed to engage participants in all phases of research: data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings. It comprised three phases, each employing participant action methodology: photovoice data collection, collaborative thematic analysis, and authorship of digital stories. Participants: Through purposive and snowball sampling, the researchers recruited seven nursing students and five rural, registered nurses assigned to precept them. Inclusion criteria for the students were enrolment in the senior (final) preceptorship course prior to graduation, and the choice of a rural, semirural or suburban site. No exclusion criteria were warranted owing to the limited cohort of participants. Settings: Data were collected at six acute care sites and one community care site. The sites were rural, semi-rural and suburban, serving populations ranging from 800 to 18,000, between 42 km and 416 km distant from the students’ primary place of study. Results: It was found that rural preceptorships teach students to accept and manage limitations, while appreciating and capitalizing on opportunities; this finding was equally true for nominally suburban and semi-rural sites included in the study. Emerging from the interviews, challenges, being more concrete, were reflected in photographic data, while opportunities were more abstract and relational. Citing time constraints, most participants declined to author their own digital stories. Conclusions: Digitally-based participant action enables nurse preceptors and their students to make a compelling case for rural preceptorships and rural careers. However, digital media may also distort these participants’ experiences, and their involvement in all phases of research may be more burdensome than empowering. Résumé Contexte : Les établissements de soins de santé ruraux peinent à attirer de nouvelles infirmières en raison d’une perception répandue voulant que les inconvénients de la pratique en milieu rural dépassent de loin ses avantages. Si les stages avec préceptorat représentent un moyen essentiel pour recruter de nouvelles infirmières en milieu rural, un message novateur, à partir de l’expérience vécue, est nécessaire pour promouvoir le préceptorat et la carrière dans ce milieu. Objectifs : L’étude avait pour but de recueillir des témoignages éloquents, livrés directement par les participantes au moyen de divers médias, sur les défis et les possibilités du préceptorat en milieu rural, selon une approche participative. Elle visait également à explorer les méthodes utilisées par les participantes pour rendre leurs expériences sur un support numérique, ainsi que le potentiel d’habilitation d’une recherche participative par voie numérique pour les participantes. Méthodologie : Le devis de l’étude favorisait l’engagement des participantes dans toutes les phases de la recherche, soit la collecte et l’analyse des données, ainsi que la diffusion des résultats. Elle comprenait trois phases, chacune étant menée selon l’approche de recherche participative : collecte de données par la méthode Photovoice, analyse thématique collaborative et rédaction comme auteures des récits numériques. Participantes : Par échantillonnage intentionnel et boule de neige, les chercheuses ont recruté sept étudiantes en sciences infirmières et leurs préceptrices, soit cinq infirmières pratiquant en milieu rural. Les critères d’inclusion des étudiantes comprenaient l’inscription au dernier stage avec préceptorat avant l’obtention du diplôme, ainsi que la sélection d’un établissement rural, semi-rural ou suburbain. Compte tenu du caractère limité de la cohorte de participantes, les chercheuses n’ont retenu aucun critère d’exclusion. Milieux : La cueillette des données s’est déroulée dans six établissements de soins de courte durée et un établissement de soins communautaires. Ces sites desservaient de 800 à 18 000 personnes et étaient établis en zone rurale, semi-rurale et suburbaine, de 42 à 416 km de l’établissement d’enseignement principal des étudiantes. Résultats : L’étude indique que le préceptorat rural apprend aux étudiantes à accepter et à gérer les contraintes tout en appréciant et en exploitant les possibilités; ce résultat s’est aussi avéré pour les emplacements suburbains et semi-ruraux inclus dans l’étude. Les défis soulevés dans les entrevues, plutôt concrets, ont été illustrés par les données photographiques, alors que les possibilités identifiées étaient de nature abstraite et relationnelle. Évoquant la contrainte de temps, la plupart des participantes ont décliné la rédaction de leur propre récit numérique. Conclusions : La recherche participative par voie numérique permet aux infirmières préceptrices et à leurs étudiantes de livrer un vibrant plaidoyer en faveur du préceptorat et de la carrière en milieu rural. Cependant, les médias numériques peuvent aussi altérer l’expérience des participantes, et leur implication dans toutes les phases de la recherche peut constituer un fardeau plutôt qu’un facteur d’habilitation

Examining the Relevancy and Utility of the American Fisheries Society Certification Program to Prepare Future Fisheries Professionals

Fisheries science is a diverse field that requires individuals to be knowledgeable in many disciplines in addition to fisheries (e.g., economics, sociology, political science, chemistry; Kelso and Murphy 1988). This challenges students attempting to enter a career in fisheries, as well as academic institutions and eventual employers, to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge needed to succeed in the profession (Oglesby and Krueger 1989). The preparedness and competency of young professionals entering the workforce has long been a problem (Stauffer and McMullin 2009). Several constraints and ongoing challenges facing the profession have continued to magnify these issues over time (McMullin et al., this issue). These issues stem from the diversity of skills required or expected across employer groups (e.g., government agencies, private sectors, nongovernment organizations) and degree levels sought (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.), complexity of fisheries-related problems, and balancing a broad academic focus with specific training. Additionally, employers perceive that students lack welldeveloped critical thinking, communication, and statistical skills that are highly desired in any area of fisheries. The American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) mission of preparing and promoting the development of fisheries professionals has been addressed in many ways, including development of the AFS Professional Certification Program in 1963. This program provides minimum standards for which fisheries professionals are recognized across government, academic, and nongovernment entities. The certification program fosters greater recognition that fisheries professionals are well equipped and prepared to act on the public’s behalf concerning fisheries-related issues. Two tiers of certification exist, with first-tier certification (Associate Fisheries Professional) contingent upon the completion of higher education courses in six broad subject areas. In this article, we focus on the first tier of certification, the basic education determined by AFS to be critical in preparing young professionals for a career in fisheries

Are We Preparing the Next Generation of Fisheries Professionals to Succeed in their Careers?: A Survey of AFS Members

Natural resource professionals have frequently criticized universities for poorly preparing graduates to succeed in their jobs. We surveyed members of the American Fisheries Society to determine which job skills and knowledge of academic topics employers, students, and university faculty members deemed most important to early-career success of fisheries professionals. Respondents also rated proficiency of recently hired, entry-level professionals (employers) on how well their programs prepared them for career success (students and faculty) in those same job skills and academic topics. Critical thinking and written and oral communication skills topped the list of important skills and academic topics. Employers perceived recent entry-level hires to be less well-prepared to succeed in their careers than either university faculty or students. Entry-level hires with post-graduate degrees rated higher in proficiency for highly important skills and knowledge than those with bachelor’s degrees. We conclude that although universities have the primary responsibility for developing critical thinking and basic communication skills of students, employers have equal or greater responsibility for enhancing skills of employees in teamwork, field techniques, and communicating with stakeholders. The American Fisheries Society can significantly contribute to the preparation of young fisheries professionals by providing opportunities for continuing education and networking with peers at professional conferences. ¿Estamos preparando a la siguiente generación de profesionales en pesquerías para que tengan éxito en sus carreras?: una encuesta a miembros de la AFS Los profesionales de los recursos naturales, con frecuencia, han criticado a las universidades por la preparación deficiente de los graduados para tener éxito en sus trabajos. En este trabajo se encuestaron a miembros de la Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías para determinar qué conocimiento de tópicos académicos y habilidades laborales consideran los empleados, estudiantes y miembros de facultades universitarias como las más importantes en los profesionales de las pesquerías para tener éxito al inicio de sus carreras. Los encuestados también reconocieron las habilidades de los profesionistas regresados y contratados (empleados) o qué tan bien sus programas académicos los preparaban para tener éxito en sus carreras (estudiantes y facultad) en las mismas habilidades laborales y tópicos académicos. El pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación oral y escrita encabezaron la lista de habilidades y tópicos académicos importantes. Los empleadores percibieron a las contrataciones recientes como menos preparadas para tener éxito en sus carreras que los miembros de la facultad o los propios estudiantes. Los individuos recién contratados con posgrado fueron mejor calificados en cuanto a poseer el conocimiento y las habilidades más importantes que los titulados de licenciatura. Concluimos que si bien las universidades tienen la responsabilidad primordial de desarrollar el pensamiento crítico y las habilidades de comunicación en los estudiantes, los empleadores tienen la misma o mayor responsabilidad para fomentar las habilidades de sus trabajadores en lo referente a trabajo en equipo, técnicas de trabajo en campo, y comunicación con los involucrados en las pesquerías. La Sociedad Americana de Pesquerías puede contribuir significativamente a preparar a los jóvenes profesionistas de las pesquerías mediante el otorgamiento de oportunidades para continuar con su educación y el establecimiento de redes de contactos, durante conferencias, con pares y profesionales. Préparons-nous la prochaine génération de professionnels de la pêche à réussir leur carrière?: Un sondage auprès des membres AFS Les professionnels des ressources naturelles ont fréquemment critiqué les universités, car elles préparent mal les diplômés à réussir leur carrière. Nous avons interrogé les membres de l’American Fisheries Society pour déterminer quelles compétences professionnelles et quelles connaissances académiques les employeurs, étudiants et membres du corps professoral des universités jugent les plus importantes pour le succès des professionnels de la pêche au début de leur carrière. Les répondants ont également évalué l’aptitude des professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail (employeurs) ou dans quelle mesure les programmes les ont préparés à réussir leur carrière (étudiants et professeurs) dans ces mêmes compétences professionnelles et sujets académiques. La pensée critique, les compétences en communication écrite et orale étaient en tête de la liste des compétences et des sujets académiques importants. Les employeurs ont perçu les professionnels récemment entrés sur le marché du travail moins bien préparés pour réussir dans leur carrière que les professeurs d’université ou les étudiants. Les employés au niveau d’entrée possédant des diplômes postuniversitaires étaient mieux notés dans la maîtrise des compétences et des connaissances très importantes que ceux ne possédant que des diplômes de baccalauréat. Nous concluons que, bien que les universités aient la responsabilité principale de développer la pensée critique et les compétences en communication de base des étudiants, les employeurs ont la responsabilité égale ou supérieure d’améliorer ces compétences dans le travail d’équipe, les techniques de terrain et la communication avec les parties prenantes. L’American Fisheries Society peut contribuer de manière significative à la préparation des jeunes professionnels de la pêche en offrant des possibilités de formation continue et de réseautage avec des pairs lors de conférences professionnelles

C6-ceramide synergistically potentiates the anti-tumor effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors via AKT dephosphorylation and α-tubulin hyperacetylation both in vitro and in vivo

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have shown promising anti-tumor effects for a variety of malignancies, however, many tumors are reportedly resistant to them. In this study, we made a novel discovery that co-administration of HDACIs (Trichostatin A (TSA) and others) and exogenous cell-permeable short-chain ceramide (C6) results in striking increase in cancer cell death and apoptosis in multiple cancer cells. These events are associated with perturbations in diverse cell signaling pathways, including inactivation of Akt/mTOR and increase in α-tubulin acetylation (both in vivo and in vitro). TSA interacts in a highly synergistic manner with C6-ceramide to disrupt HDAC6/protein phosphatase 1 (PP1)/tubulin complex, to induce α-tubulin hyperacetylation, and to release and activate PP1, which then leads to AKT dephosphorylation and eventually causes cancer cell death. Interestingly, TSA itself results in short-term ceramide accumulation, which as a result of metabolic (glycosylation) removal, does not result in evident increase of cancer cell death. However, adding C6-ceramide led to a very pronounced increase in ceramide level and marked increase in cell death. Importantly, the effective synergistic anti-tumor activity of TSA plus C6-ceramide is also seen in in vivo mice xenograft pancreatic and ovarian cancer models, indicating that this regimen (HDACI plus C6-ceramide) may represent a more effective form of therapy against pancreatic and ovarian carcinoma

piggyBac is an effective tool for functional analysis of the Plasmodium falciparum genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Much of the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>genome encodes hypothetical proteins with limited homology to other organisms. A lack of robust tools for genetic manipulation of the parasite limits functional analysis of these hypothetical proteins and other aspects of the <it>Plasmodium </it>genome. Transposon mutagenesis has been used widely to identify gene functions in many organisms and would be extremely valuable for functional analysis of the <it>Plasmodium </it>genome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we investigated the lepidopteran transposon, <it>piggyBac</it>, as a molecular genetic tool for functional characterization of the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>genome. Through multiple transfections, we generated 177 unique <it>P. falciparum </it>mutant clones with mostly single <it>piggyBac </it>insertions in their genomes. Analysis of <it>piggyBac </it>insertion sites revealed random insertions into the <it>P. falciparum </it>genome, in regards to gene expression in parasite life cycle stages and functional categories. We further explored the possibility of forward genetic studies in <it>P. falciparum </it>with a phenotypic screen for attenuated growth, which identified several parasite genes and pathways critical for intra-erythrocytic development.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results clearly demonstrate that <it>piggyBac </it>is a novel, indispensable tool for forward functional genomics in <it>P. falciparum </it>that will help better understand parasite biology and accelerate drug and vaccine development.</p

The Pathway to Detangle a Scrambled Gene

Programmed DNA elimination and reorganization frequently occur during cellular differentiation. Development of the somatic macronucleus in some ciliates presents an extreme case, involving excision of internal eliminated sequences (IESs) that interrupt coding DNA segments (macronuclear destined sequences, MDSs), as well as removal of transposon-like elements and extensive genome fragmentation, leading to 98% genome reduction in Stylonychia lemnae. Approximately 20-30% of the genes are estimated to be scrambled in the germline micronucleus, with coding segment order permuted and present in either orientation on micronuclear chromosomes. Massive genome rearrangements are therefore critical for development.To understand the process of DNA deletion and reorganization during macronuclear development, we examined the population of DNA molecules during assembly of different scrambled genes in two related organisms in a developmental time-course by PCR. The data suggest that removal of conventional IESs usually occurs first, accompanied by a surprising level of error at this step. The complex events of inversion and translocation seem to occur after repair and excision of all conventional IESs and via multiple pathways.This study reveals a temporal order of DNA rearrangements during the processing of a scrambled gene, with simpler events usually preceding more complex ones. The surprising observation of a hidden layer of errors, absent from the mature macronucleus but present during development, also underscores the need for repair or screening of incorrectly-assembled DNA molecules

Chronic Alcohol Exposure Alters Behavioral and Synaptic Plasticity of the Rodent Prefrontal Cortex

In the present study, we used a mouse model of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure to examine how CIE alters the plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In acute slices obtained either immediately or 1-week after the last episode of alcohol exposure, voltage-clamp recording of excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) in mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons revealed that CIE exposure resulted in an increase in the NMDA/AMPA current ratio. This increase appeared to result from a selective increase in the NMDA component of the EPSC. Consistent with this, Western blot analysis of the postsynaptic density fraction showed that while there was no change in expression of the AMPA GluR1 subunit, NMDA NR1 and NRB subunits were significantly increased in CIE exposed mice when examined immediately after the last episode of alcohol exposure. Unexpectedly, this increase in NR1 and NR2B was no longer observed after 1-week of withdrawal in spite of a persistent increase in synaptic NMDA currents. Analysis of spines on the basal dendrites of layer V neurons revealed that while the total density of spines was not altered, there was a selective increase in the density of mushroom-type spines following CIE exposure. Examination of NMDA-receptor mediated spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) showed that CIE exposure was associated with altered expression of long-term potentiation (LTP). Lastly, behavioral studies using an attentional set-shifting task that depends upon the mPFC for optimal performance revealed deficits in cognitive flexibility in CIE exposed mice when tested up to 1-week after the last episode of alcohol exposure. Taken together, these observations are consistent with those in human alcoholics showing protracted deficits in executive function, and suggest these deficits may be associated with alterations in synaptic plasticity in the mPFC

Reward-Related Dorsal Striatal Activity Differences between Former and Current Cocaine Dependent Individuals during an Interactive Competitive Game

Cocaine addiction is characterized by impulsivity, impaired social relationships, and abnormal mesocorticolimbic reward processing, but their interrelationships relative to stages of cocaine addiction are unclear. We assessed blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal in ventral and dorsal striatum during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in current (CCD; n = 30) and former (FCD; n = 28) cocaine dependent subjects as well as healthy control (HC; n = 31) subjects while playing an interactive competitive Domino game involving risk-taking and reward/punishment processing. Out-of-scanner impulsivity-related measures were also collected. Although both FCD and CCD subjects scored significantly higher on impulsivity-related measures than did HC subjects, only FCD subjects had differences in striatal activation, specifically showing hypoactivation during their response to gains versus losses in right dorsal caudate, a brain region linked to habituation, cocaine craving and addiction maintenance. Right caudate activity in FCD subjects also correlated negatively with impulsivity-related measures of self-reported compulsivity and sensitivity to reward. These findings suggest that remitted cocaine dependence is associated with striatal dysfunction during social reward processing in a manner linked to compulsivity and reward sensitivity measures. Future research should investigate the extent to which such differences might reflect underlying vulnerabilities linked to cocaine-using propensities (e.g., relapses)