Emotional intelligence and its role in recruitment of nursing students

This article considers the concept of emotional intelligence and how it can be used in the recruitment and development of nursing students. The links between emotional intelligence and the qualities of compassion and caring are examined. The ethical difficulties surrounding the use of emotional intelligence tests are explored and the value of using a variety of recruitment methods is emphasised. The article suggests that emotional intelligence is an ability which may be developed through nurse education programmes, even if not fully present at interview. The contribution of service users to the recruitment of nursing students is examined, suggesting that they offer some important observations about interviewees. These observations may be more valid than the insights gained from the use of emotional intelligence tests

MF1062

Some information is adapted from The Farmer in Distress: How the Veterinarian Can Help Out, Roger T. Williams, University of Wisconsin-Madison.Charles L. Griffin, Elaine M. Johannes and Joyce C. Powell, Assist by caring today: what you can do to help farm families in distress, Kansas State University, January 1993

Factors that Influence Insured Patients' Use of Emergency Departments for Primary Care

Paper submitted to the University of Kansas School of Nursing in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Nursing Honors Program.The University of Kansas School of Nursing Bachelor of Science Nursing Honors Progra

Kentucky Youth At Risk Transitions: A Report to the Commonwealth

In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, there are over 22,000 youth being educated in programs that are funded, operated or contracted by state agencies. These state agency children come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and bring a multiplicity of social, psychological, behavioral and educational problems that challenge teachers and staffs. These particular Kentucky students, more than any others, are at the greatest risk of not making successful transitions into adulthood. It is critical that all such young people be afforded the highest quality of transition planning and support so that they can become successful and productive adults. This report is a detailed and comprehensive account of a year-long study that identified and described key elements of student transition in education programs for state agency children in Kentucky. The study included all 105 non-traditional education programs funded and supervised by the Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children (KECSAC). The study design used a mixed methods approach that included input from state agency youth and administrators

ERK and p38MAPK combine to improve survival in patients with BRAF mutant colorectal cancer

Background In colorectal cancer (CRC), BRAF mutations influence tumour progression. In mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumours, BRAF mutations are associated with a good prognosis, whereas in MMR-competent tumours, they are detrimental. The differential expression of the downstream MAPK pathway members, which are constitutively activated in BRAF mutant patients, may account for these differences. Methods Phosphorylation of ERK, p38MAPK and JNK was assessed by immunohistochemistry, utilising CRC tissue microarrays. A discovery cohort (n = 187) and a validation cohort (n = 801) were analysed for associations with BRAF mutations, clinicopathological characteristics and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results In 801 CRC patients, nuclear ERK phosphorylation (HR 0.65 95% CI 0.48–0.88, p = 0.004) and the combined nuclear pERK/p-p38 score (HR 0.61 95% CI 0.45–0.82, p = 0.001) were independently associated with CSS, and were further associated with increased BRAF mutations (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002). When stratified for BRAF status, only MMR-competent patients harbouring the mutation and a strong combined nuclear pERK/p-p38 score (HR 0.49 95% CI 0.27–0.89, p = 0.016) demonstrated improved CSS. This improvement in CSS was specific to stage III CRC (HR 0.25 95% CI 0.10–0.64, p = 0.002). Conclusions MMR-competent stage III tumours harbouring BRAF mutations have an improved prognosis when strong nuclear phosphorylation of both ERK and p38MAPK is present

Controlled release of Dextrin-conjugated growth factors to support growth and differentation of neural stem cells

An essential aspect of stem cell in vitro culture and in vivo therapy is achieving sustained levels of growth factors to support stem cell survival and expansion, while maintaining their multipotency and differentiation potential. This study investigated the ability of dextrin (~74,000 g/mol; 27.8 mol% succinoylation) conjugated to epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; or FGF-2) (3.9 and 6.7% w/w protein loading, respectively) to support the expansion and differentiation of stem cells in vitro via sustained, controllable growth factor release. Supplementation of mouse neural stem cells (mNSCs) with dextrin-growth factor conjugates led to greater and prolonged proliferation compared to unbound EGF/bFGF controls, with no detectable apoptosis after 7 days of treatment. Immunocytochemical detection of neural precursor (nestin) and differentiation (Olig2, MAP2, GFAP) markers verified that controlled release of dextrin-conjugated growth factors preserves stem cell properties of mNSCs for up to 7 days. These results show the potential of dextrin-growth factor conjugates for localized delivery of bioactive therapeutic agents to support stem cell expansion and differentiation, and as an adjunct to direct neuronal repair

Linking the oceans to public health : current efforts and future directions

© 2008 Author et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License The definitive version was published in Environmental Health 7 (2008): S6, doi:10.1186/1476-069X-7-S2-S6.We review the major linkages between the oceans and public health, focusing on exposures and potential health effects due to anthropogenic and natural factors including: harmful algal blooms, microbes, and chemical pollutants in the oceans; consumption of seafood; and flooding events. We summarize briefly the current state of knowledge about public health effects and their economic consequences; and we discuss priorities for future research. We find that: • There are numerous connections between the oceans, human activities, and human health that result in both positive and negative exposures and health effects (risks and benefits); and the study of these connections comprises a new interdisciplinary area, "oceans and human health." • The state of present knowledge about the linkages between oceans and public health varies. Some risks, such as the acute health effects caused by toxins associated with shellfish poisoning and red tide, are relatively well understood. Other risks, such as those posed by chronic exposure to many anthropogenic chemicals, pathogens, and naturally occurring toxins in coastal waters, are less well quantified. Even where there is a good understanding of the mechanism for health effects, good epidemiological data are often lacking. Solid data on economic and social consequences of these linkages are also lacking in most cases. • The design of management measures to address these risks must take into account the complexities of human response to warnings and other guidance, and the economic tradeoffs among different risks and benefits. Future research in oceans and human health to address public health risks associated with marine pathogens and toxins, and with marine dimensions of global change, should include epidemiological, behavioral, and economic components to ensure that resulting management measures incorporate effective economic and risk/benefit tradeoffs.Funding was provided in part by the NSF-NIEHS Oceans Centers at Woods Hole, University of Hawaii, University of Miami, and University of Washington, and the NOAA Oceans and Human Health Initiative Centers of Excellent in Charleston, Seattle and Milwaukee, the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the WHOI Marine Policy Center. Grant numbers are: NIEHS P50 ES012742 and NSF OCE-043072 (HLKP, RJG, PH); NSF OCE 0432368 and NIEHS P50 ES12736 (LEF); NIEHS P50 ES012762 and NSF OCE-0434087 (EMF, AT, LRY); NSF OCE04-32479 and NIEHS P50 ES012740 (BAW