Critical challenges in doctoral education: Highlights of the biennial meeting of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing, Tokyo, Japan, 2007

A number of issues and challenges in doctoral nursing education were presented at the biennial meeting of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing in June 2007. The themes addressed included: global health workforce shortages and the aging of the nursing workforce; the need for more nursing doctoral programs; strengthening of the research training in doctoral programs, and the need for increased involvement of nurse leaders in the health and social policy arena.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73347/1/j.1742-7924.2007.00081.x.pd

Nursing Science in the Global Community

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88189/1/ketefian-nursing_science_global.pd

Champagne Flutes and Brandy Snifters: Modelling Protostellar Outflow-Cloud Chemical Interfaces

A rich variety of molecular species has now been observed towards hot cores in star forming regions and in the interstellar medium. An increasing body of evidence from millimetre interferometers suggests that many of these form at the interfaces between protostellar outflows and their natal molecular clouds. However, current models have remained unable to explain the origin of the observational bias towards wide-angled "brandy snifter" shaped outflows over narrower "champagne flute" shapes in carbon monoxide imaging. Furthermore, these wide-angled systems exhibit unusually high abundances of the molecular ion HCO$^+$. We present results from a chemo-dynamic model of such regions where a rich chemistry arises naturally as a result of turbulent mixing between cold, dense molecular gas and the hot, ionized outflow material. The injecta drives a rich and rapid ion-neutral chemistry in qualitative and quantitative agreement with the observations. The observational bias towards wide-angled outflows is explained naturally by the geometry-dependent ion injection rate causing rapid dissociation of CO in the younger systems.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 12 pages, 8 Figure

The Partial Least Squares Approach for Causal Modeling in IS Research

Thc objective of the tutorial is to present a state of the art overview of &e Partial Least Squares method and position it among other analytic techniques as well as within IS research. Furthermore, this tutorial will highlight the philosophid and operational issues that should be considered when employing causa! modeling

‘Calcium bombs' as harbingers of synaptic pathology and their mitigation by magnesium at murine neuromuscular junctions

Excitotoxicity is thought to be an important factor in the onset and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Evidence from human and animal studies also indicates that early signs of ALS include degeneration of motor nerve terminals at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), before degeneration of motor neuron cell bodies. Here we used a model of excitotoxicity at NMJs in isolated mouse muscle, utilizing the organophosphorus (OP) compound omethoate, which inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity. Acute exposure to omethoate (100 μM) induced prolonged motor endplate contractures in response to brief tetanic nerve stimulation at 20–50 Hz. In some muscle fibers, Fluo-4 fluorescence showed association of these contractures with explosive increases in Ca(2+) (“calcium bombs”) localized to motor endplates. Calcium bombs were strongly and selectively mitigated by increasing Mg(2+) concentration in the bathing medium from 1 to 5 mM. Overnight culture of nerve-muscle preparations from Wld(S) mice in omethoate or other OP insecticide components and their metabolites (dimethoate, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexanol) induced degeneration of NMJs. This degeneration was also strongly mitigated by increasing [Mg(2+)] from 1 to 5 mM. Thus, equivalent increases in extracellular [Mg(2+)] mitigated both post-synaptic calcium bombs and degeneration of NMJs. The data support a link between Ca(2+) and excitotoxicity at NMJs and suggest that elevating extracellular [Mg(2+)] could be an effective intervention in treatment of synaptic pathology induced by excitotoxic triggers

Donepezil inhibits neuromuscular junctional acetylcholinesterase and enhances synaptic transmission and function in isolated skeletal muscle

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Donepezil, a piperidine inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) prescribed for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, has adverse neuromuscular effects in humans, including requirement for higher concentrations of non‐depolarising neuromuscular blockers during surgery. Here, we examined the effects of donepezil on synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in isolated nerve‐muscle preparations from mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: We measured effects of therapeutic concentrations of donepezil (10 nM to 1 μM) on AChE enzymic activity, muscle force responses to repetitive stimulation, and spontaneous and evoked endplate potentials (EPPs) recorded intracellularly from flexor digitorum brevis muscles from CD01 or C57BlWld(S) mice. KEY RESULTS: Donepezil inhibited muscle AChE with an approximate IC(50) of 30 nM. Tetanic stimulation in sub‐micromolar concentrations of donepezil prolonged post‐tetanic muscle contractions. Preliminary Fluo4‐imaging indicated an association of these contractions with an increase and slow decay of intracellular Ca(2+) transients at motor endplates. Donepezil prolonged spontaneous miniature EPP (MEPP) decay time constants by about 65% and extended evoked EPP duration almost threefold. The mean frequency of spontaneous MEPPs was unaffected but the incidence of ‘giant’ MEPPs (gMEPPs), some exceeding 10 mV in amplitude, was increased. Neither mean MEPP amplitude (excluding gMEPPs), mean EPP amplitude, quantal content or synaptic depression during repetitive stimulation were significantly altered by concentrations of donepezil up to 1 μM. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Adverse neuromuscular signs associated with donepezil therapy, including relative insensitivity to neuromuscular blockers, are probably due to inhibition of AChE at NMJs, prolonging the action of ACh on postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors but without substantively impairing evoked ACh release

Evaluation of the accuracy of serum MMP-9 as a test for colorectal cancer in a primary care population

Background Bowel cancer is common and is a major cause of death. Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials estimates that screening for colorectal cancer using faecal occult blood (FOB) test reduces mortality from colorectal cancer by 16%. However, FOB testing has a low positive predictive value, with associated unnecessary cost, risk and anxiety from subsequent investigation, and is unacceptable to a proportion of the target population. Increased levels of an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) have been found to be associated with colorectal cancer, and this can be measured from a blood sample. Serum MMP-9 is potentially an accurate, low risk and cost-effective population screening tool. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of serum MMP-9 as a test for colorectal cancer in a primary care population. Methods/Design People aged 50 to 69 years, who registered in participating general practices in the West Midlands Region, will be asked to complete a questionnaire that asks about symptoms. Respondents who describe any colorectal symptoms (except only abdominal bloating and/or anal symptoms) and are prepared to provide a blood sample for MMP9 estimation and undergo a colonoscopy (current gold standard investigation) will be recruited at GP based clinics by a research nurse. Those unfit for colonoscopy will be excluded. Colonoscopies will be undertaken in dedicated research clinics. The accuracy of MMP-9 will be assessed by comparing the MMP-9 level with the colonoscopy findings, and the combination of factors (e.g. symptoms and MMP-9 level) that best predict a diagnosis of malignancy (invasive disease or polyps) will be determined. Discussion Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Most colorectal cancers arise from adenomas and there is a period for early detection by screening, but available tests have risks, are unacceptable to many, have high false positive rates or are expensive. This study will establish the potential of serum MMP-9 as a screening test for colorectal cancer. If it is confirmed as accurate and acceptable, this serum marker has the potential to assist with reducing the morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer

A critical examination of developments in nursing doctoral education in the United States

;La educación de enfermería en los Estados Unidos está experimentando grandes transformaciones, como consecuencia de factores tanto dentro de la enfermería como en la sociedad en general.;;;OBJETIVO:;; En este trabajo los autores examinan las tendencias y los factores que están influyendo en los cambios, especialmente en la educación de doctorado, para el científico enfermero que requiere una preparación práctica avanzada.;;;;CONCLUSIÓN:;; El documento proporciona un fondo que sirve de contexto, se da una visión general de los estudios de doctorado y los grados de DNP, centrándose en los cambios recientes y la identificación de los problemas y preocupaciones más apremiantes, termina con una serie de recomendaciones.;;;Graduate nursing education in the United States is undergoing major transformations, as a result of factors both within nursing and in the larger society.;;;OBJECTIVE:;; In this paper the authors examine the trends and factors that are influencing the changes, especially in doctoral education, for both nurse scientist and advanced practice preparation.;;;;CONCLUSION:;; The paper provides a background that serves as context, it gives an overview of the PhD and the DNP degrees, focusing on the recent changes and identifying the most compelling issues and concerns, ending with a series of recommendations.;;;A graduação em enfermagem nos Estados Unidos está passando por grandes transformações, como resultado de fatores, tanto dentro da enfermagem como na sociedade em geral.;;;OBJETIVO:;; Neste trabalho os autores examinam as tendências e fatores que estão influenciando as mudanças, especialmente na educação de doutorado, tanto para o cientista em enfermagem como para a preparação prática avançada.;;;;CONCLUSÃO:;; O documento fornece um fundo que serve de contexto e apresenta uma visão geral dos títulos em PhD e DPE (Doutor na Prática de Enfermagem), com foco nas mudanças recentes, identificando as questões e preocupações mais interessantes, terminando com uma série de recomendações.;

Arbitrary multi-site two-photon excitation in four dimensions

We demonstrate dynamic and arbitrary multisite two-photon excitation in three dimensions using the holographic projection method. Rapid response (fourth dimension) is achieved through high-speed noniterative calculation of the hologram using a video graphics accelerator board. We verify that the projected asymmetric spot configurations have sufficient spatiotemporal photon density for localized two-photon excitation. This system is a significant advance and can be applied to time-resolved photolysis of caged compounds in biological cells and complex neuronal networks, nonlinear microfabrication and volume holographic optical storage.Comment: 10 pages including 4 figure