Association of Nurse Engagement and Nurse Staffing on Patient Safety.

Background: Nurse engagement is a modifiable element of the work environment and has shown promise as a potential safety intervention.

Purpose: Our study examined the relationship between the level of engagement, staffing, and assessments of patient safety among nurses working in hospital settings.

Methods: A secondary analysis of linked cross-sectional data was conducted using survey data of 26 960 nurses across 599 hospitals in 4 states.

Pericytes on the tumor vasculature: jekyll or hyde?

The induction of tumor vasculature, known as the 'angiogenic switch', is a rate-limiting step in tumor progression. Normal blood vessels are composed of two distinct cell types: endothelial cells which form the channel through which blood flows, and mural cells, the pericytes and smooth muscle cells which serve to support and stabilize the endothelium. Most functional studies have focused on the responses of endothelial cells to pro-angiogenic stimuli; however, there is mounting evidence that the supporting mural cells, particularly pericytes, may play key regulatory roles in both promoting vessel growth as well as terminating vessel growth to generate a mature, quiescent vasculature.

The spectrum of resistance in SR/CR mice: the critical role of chemoattraction in the cancer/leukocyte interaction.

Background: Spontaneous regression/complete resistance (SR/CR) mice are a unique colony of mice that possess an inheritable, natural cancer resistance mediated primarily by innate cellular immunity. This resistance is effective against sarcoma 180 (S180) at exceptionally high doses and these mice remain healthy.

Methods: In this study, we challenged SR/CR mice with additional lethal transplantable mouse cancer cell lines to determine their resistance spectrum.

Cancer resistance of SR/CR mice in the genetic knockout backgrounds of leukocyte effector mechanisms: determinations for functional requirements.

Background: Spontaneous Regression/Complete Resistant (SR/CR) mice are a colony of cancer-resistant mice that can detect and rapidly destroy malignant cells with innate cellular immunity, predominately mediated by granulocytes. Our previous studies suggest that several effector mechanisms, such as perforin, granzymes, or complements, may be involved in the killing of cancer cells. However, none of these effector mechanisms is known as critical for granulocytes.

Impact of sex, MHC, and age of recipients on the therapeutic effect of transferred leukocytes from cancer-resistant SR/CR mice.

Background: Spontaneous Regression/Complete Resistant (SR/CR) mice are resistant to cancer through a mechanism that is mediated entirely by leukocytes of innate immunity. Transfer of leukocytes from SR/CR mice can confer cancer resistance in wild-type (WT) recipients in both preventative and therapeutic settings. In the current studies, we investigated factors that may impact the efficacy and functionality of SR/CR donor leukocytes in recipients.

Transferable anticancer innate immunity in spontaneous regression/complete resistance mice.

Spontaneous regression/complete resistance (SR/CR) mice resist very high doses of cancer cells that are lethal to WT mice even at low doses. In this study, we show that this resistance is mediated by rapid infiltration of leukocytes, mostly of innate immunity, in both primary and repeated challenges. Formation of rosettes with infiltrating natural killer cells, neutrophils, and macrophages was required for the subsequent destruction of cancer cells through rapid cytolysis.