The Clinical Nurse Specialist: A Valuable Asset to a High-Reliability Healthcare Organization.

High-reliability organizations aim to achieve zero harm. The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice RN who adds value to the leadership team. The CNS is proficient in influencing care delivery across the continuum and the master of developing collaborative relationships that aid in the discovery of deficiencies in care and generation of innovative ideas to minimize deficiencies.

Relativism or tolerance? Defining, assessing, connecting, and distinguishing two moral personality features with prominent roles in modern societies.

Objective: This work disentangles moral tolerance from moral relativism and reveals their distinct personological meanings. Both constructs have long been of interest to moral philosophers, moral psychologists, and everyday people, and they may play prominent roles in the feasibility of modern diverse societies. However, they have been criticized as devaluing morality and as producing overly permissive societies.

Obtaining continuous BrAC/BAC estimates in the field: A hybrid system integrating transdermal alcohol biosensor, Intellidrink smartphone app, and BrAC Estimator software tools.

Biosensors have been developed to measure transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC), but converting TAC into interpretable indices of blood/breath alcohol concentration (BAC/BrAC) is difficult because of variations that occur in TAC across individuals, drinking episodes, and devices. We have developed mathematical models and the BrAC Estimator software for calibrating and inverting TAC into quantifiable BrAC estimates (eBrAC). The calibration protocol to determine the individualized parameters for a specific individual wearing a specific device requires a drinking session in which BrAC and TAC measurements are obtained simultaneously.

Effects of Intraventricular Methotrexate on Neuronal Injury and Gene Expression in a Rat Model: Findings From an Exploratory Study.

Central nervous system (CNS)-directed treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, used to prevent disease recurrence in the brain, is essential for survival. Systemic and intrathecal methotrexate, commonly used for CNS-directed treatment, have been associated with cognitive problems during and after treatment. The cortex, hippocampus, and caudate putamen, important brain regions for learning and memory, may be involved in methotrexate-induced brain injury.

Agreement on the perception of moral character.

This study tested for inter-judge agreement on moral character. A sample of students and community members rated their own moral character using a measure that tapped six moral character traits. Friends, family members, and/or acquaintances rated these targets on the same traits.

The structure of borderline personality disorder symptoms: a multi-method, multi-sample examination.

We examined the factor structure of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms by using a multimethod, multisample approach. The factorial structure of BPD has previously been examined through the lens of broad retrospective reports of symptoms without directly contrasting results from different samples of participants, with studies producing inconsistent patterns of results. We go beyond previous work by examining symptoms from multiple timeframes and by examining results across and within 2 diagnostic groups-individuals with and without BPD.

Composite hydrogel scaffolds with controlled pore opening via biodegradable hydrogel porogen degradation.

Poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) biodegradable hydrogel systems have garnered much attention in recent years due to their appealing properties for biomedical applications. These hydrogel systems exhibit properties similar to natural soft tissue, degrade in aqueous environments, and have easily tunable properties that have been well studied and understood. In most cases, tissue engineering scaffolds must possess a three-dimensional interconnected porous network for tissue ingrowth and construct vascularization.

Magnetic nanocomposite sol-gel systems for remote controlled drug release.

The remote heating of iron oxide nanoparticles in an alternating magnetic field is used to drive a thermoresponsive sol-gel block copolymer, Pluronic® F-127, through the upper phase transition temperature. This phase change triggers an accelerated release rate of a model drug. Actuation and return to baseline levels are demonstrated for multiple AMF doses.

The theory of planned behavior and helmet use among college students.

Objectives: To assess undergraduate helmet use attitudes and behaviors in accordance with the theory of planned behavior (TPB). We predicted helmet wearers and nonwearers would differ on our subscales.

Methods: Participants (N=414, 69% female, 84% white) completed a survey.

Titanium vs carbon coated ceramic breast tissue marker clips: 3T MR susceptibility artifact and local signal disturbance.

Rationale And Objectives: Spectroscopy signal of a breast lesion may be disrupted by the presence of metal from a biopsy marking clip. This study compares the size of magnetic resonance (MR) susceptibility artifacts and degree of local spectroscopy signal disturbance created by conventional titanium tissue marker clips to that of a novel carbon coated ceramic breast tissue marker clip.

Materials And Methods: Five breast tissue marker clips were embedded in a gelatin breast phantom.

Synthesis and analysis of degradation, mechanical and toxicity properties of poly(β-amino ester) degradable hydrogels.

Biodegradable hydrogels have been studied extensively in recent years for biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and drug delivery, due to their tunable properties and similarities to natural soft tissue. In this work, two poly(β-amino ester) biodegradable hydrogel systems were synthesised and studied in vitro. Different degradation profiles were observed, ranging from 7 h to 4 months, and the compressive modulus was shown to decrease as degradation proceeded.

Nanocomposite degradable hydrogels: demonstration of remote controlled degradation and drug release.

Purpose: To demonstrate remote controlled degradation of degradable nanocomposite hydrogels by application of an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Further, it was desired to study the AMF effect on the drug release properties of these systems.

Methods: Degradable nanocomposite hydrogels were synthesized by incorporating iron oxide nanoparticles into a degradable hydrogel that exhibited temperature dependent degradation.

Maturing responsibility in young teens participating in an asthma camp: adaptive mechanisms and outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe adolescent adaptation in the four adaptive modes of the Roy Adaptation Model in campers attending a Young Teen Asthma Camp and relate that adaptation to the acquisition of asthma responsibility.

Design And Methods: The camp experience included asthma education and an opportunity to grow socially. A quasi-experimental design investigated ratings of self-efficacy and responsibility from before to after camp.

Knowledge, resilience, and effectiveness of education in a young teen asthma camp.

A young teen asthma camp was developed as a 3-day residential experience in a traditional camp setting offering activities such as swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, ropes, course crafts, and games. The overall purpose, goals and plans for the camp experience were developed by a team of nurse educators, nurse practitioners, clinicians (nurses and physicians) with experience in asthma management, and camp directors. Feasibility and outcomes were measured for the camp using materials in the Power Breathing Program for teens developed by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and questionnaires developed by the Consortium of Children's Asthma Camps.

Tumor-associated down-regulation of 15-lipoxygenase-1 is reversed by celecoxib in colorectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the role of celecoxib on 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) expression, protein levels, and rates of apoptosis in colorectal cancer cell lines. Also, to evaluate the expression of 15-LOX-1 in human normal mucosa, adenoma, and carcinoma with correlation to overall survival.

Summary Background Data: The function of 15-LOX-1 is to maintain normal rates of apoptosis (programmed cell death).

The impact of combined trauma and burns on patient mortality.

Background: Combined trauma and burn injuries are uncommon and seldom studied. There is a presumption that these patients fare worse than their trauma- and burn-only counterparts, but the mortality risk has not been quantified.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using the 1994 to 2002 National Trauma Data Bank.

Mechanisms of resistance to Erbitux (anti-epidermal growth factor receptor) combination therapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.

We previously demonstrated that pancreatic adenocarcinoma BxPC-3 xenografts display resistance to treatment with Erbitux, gemcitabine, and radiation, whereas MIA PaCa-2 xenografts are highly sensitive to the same therapy. Here, we elucidate in vitro mechanisms that may explain the observed differential response of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expressing pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenografts to Erbitux-based combination therapy in vivo. MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 protein lysates were probed with antibodies to EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4.

Percutaneous CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of renal neoplasms: factors influencing success.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the success rate for radiofrequency ablation of renal tumors and to determine the risk of serious complications.

Conclusion: No serious complications occurred after 27 CT-guided radiofrequency ablation sessions in 22 patients. In total, no residual tumor was detected on follow-up contrast-enhanced CT or MRI 1-35 months (mean, 7 months) after final tumor ablation in 20 (91%) of 22 patients.