Evaluating an intervention of telehealth education and simulation for advanced practice registered nurse students: A single group comparison study.

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve and expand, nurse educators must prepare advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students to use telehealth technology safely, effectively, and confidently. The aims of this study were to describe APRN students' beliefs and confidence regarding the delivery of care via telehealth in their future practice. To evaluate these aims, a single group comparison study was conducted.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Using Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Justice Professionals to Support their Educational Needs.

Background: People with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can be involved in high risk, socially unacceptable and harmful behaviours and are at high risk of engaging with the justice system.

Objective: To obtain baseline data on Western Australian justice professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practice relating to FASD to inform the development of FASD resources.

Methods: Cross sectional study using on-line survey methods, descriptive analysis of quantitative data and content analysis methods for qualitative data.

Development of a scale to evaluate midwives' beliefs about assessing alcohol use during pregnancy.

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure is an important modifiable cause of adverse fetal outcomes during and following pregnancy. Midwives are key providers of antenatal care, and it is important to understand the factors which influence their ability to provide appropriate advice and support to women about alcohol use in pregnancy. The main aim of this study was to develop a psychometrically valid scale to evaluate midwives' beliefs about assessing alcohol use during pregnancy.

Midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practice about alcohol exposure and the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Background: Midwives are an influential profession and a key group in informing women about alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its consequences. There are no current quantitative Australian data on midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practice in relation to alcohol consumption during pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. We aimed to reduce this knowledge gap by understanding midwives' perceptions of their practice in addressing alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: development of consensus referral criteria for specialist diagnostic assessment in Australia.

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is known to be under-recognised in Australia. The use of standard methods to identify when to refer individuals who may have FASD for specialist assessment could help improve the identification of this disorder. The purpose of this study was to develop referral criteria for use in Australia.

Recommendations from a consensus development workshop on the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia.

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are underdiagnosed in Australia, and health professionals have endorsed the need for national guidelines for diagnosis. The aim of this study was to develop consensus recommendations for the diagnosis of FASD in Australia.

Methods: A panel of 13 health professionals, researchers, and consumer and community representatives with relevant expertise attended a 2-day consensus development workshop to review evidence on the screening and diagnosis of FASD obtained from a systematic literature review, a national survey of health professionals and community group discussions.

Involving consumers and the community in the development of a diagnostic instrument for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia.

Background: Australia's commitment to consumer and community participation in health and medical research has grown over the past decade. Participatory research models of engagement are the most empowering for consumers.

Methods: As part of a project to develop a diagnostic instrument for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Australia (FASD Project), the Australian FASD Collaboration (Collaboration), including a consumer advocate and two consumer representatives, was established.

A modified Delphi study of screening for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia.

Background: There is little reliable information on the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Australia and no coordinated national approach to facilitate case detection. The aim of this study was to identify health professionals' perceptions about screening for FASD in Australia.

Method: A modified Delphi process was used to assess perceptions of the need for, and the process of, screening for FASD in Australia.

Consensus diagnostic criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia: a modified Delphi study.

Objective: To evaluate health professionals' agreement with components of published diagnostic criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in order to guide the development of standard diagnostic guidelines for Australia.

Design: A modified Delphi process was used to assess agreement among health professionals with expertise or experience in FASD screening or diagnosis. An online survey, which included 36 Likert statements on diagnostic methods, was administered over two survey rounds.

Health professionals' perceptions about the adoption of existing guidelines for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia.

Background: Despite the availability of five guidelines for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), there is no national endorsement for their use in diagnosis in Australia. In this study we aimed to describe health professionals' perceptions about the adoption of existing guidelines for the diagnosis of FASD in Australia and identify implications for the development of national guidelines.

Methods: We surveyed 130 Australian and 9 international health professionals with expertise or involvement in the screening or diagnosis of FASD.

An NH2-terminal multi-basic RKR motif is required for the ATP-dependent regulation of hIK1.

We previously demonstrated that the ATP/PKA-dependent activation of the human intermediate conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ channel, hIK1, is dependent upon a C-terminal motif. The NH2-terminus of hIK1 contains a multi-basic 13RRRKR17 motif, known to be important in the trafficking and function of ion channels. While individual mutations within this domain have no effect on channel function, the triple mutation (15RKR17/AAA), as well as additional double mutations, result in a near complete loss of functional channels, as assessed by whole-cell patch-clamp.

Automated neuropsychological assessment metrics (ANAM) and Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability: a concurrent validity study.

This study examines the relationship between a computerized neuropsychological assessment battery, the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) and a widely used ability measure, Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-III). Results indicated substantial relationship between the ANAM throughput (accuracy/response time) scores and the WJ-III Cognitive Efficiency cluster. An unexpectedly strong relationship was evident between accuracy scores on the ANAM Logical Reasoning scale and the WJ-III General Intellectual Ability score, purporting to measure the g factor.

Role of an S4-S5 linker lysine in the trafficking of the Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels IK1 and SK3.

We have investigated the role of the S4-S5 linker in the trafficking of the intermediate (human (h) IK1) and small (rat SK3) conductance K(+) channels using a combination of patch-clamp, protein biochemical, and immunofluorescence-based techniques. We demonstrate that a lysine residue (Lys(197)) located on the intracellular loop between the S4 and S5 domains is necessary for the correct trafficking of hIK1 to the plasma membrane. Mutation of this residue to either alanine or methionine precluded trafficking of the channel to the membrane, whereas the charge-conserving arginine mutation had no effect on channel localization or function.

Evaluation of plasma resistant hollow fiber membranes for artificial lungs.

Hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) used in artificial lungs (oxygenators) undergo plasma leakage (or wetting) in which blood plasma slowly fills the pores of the fiber wall, plasma leaks into gas pathways, and overall gas exchange decreases. To overcome this problem plasma resistant fibers are being developed that are skinned asymmetric or composite symmetric versions of microporous oxygenator fibers. This report evaluates several candidate plasma resistant HFMs in terms of their gas permeance and plasma resistance as measured in a surfactant wet out test.

Role of the NH2 terminus in the assembly and trafficking of the intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel hIK1.

The role of the NH(2)-terminal leucine zipper and dileucine motifs of hIK1 in the assembly, trafficking, and function of the channel was investigated using cell surface immunoprecipitation, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), immunoblot, and whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Mutation of the NH(2)-terminal leucine zipper at amino acid positions 18 and 25 (L18A/L25A) resulted in a complete loss of steady-state protein expression, cell surface expression, and whole-cell current density. Inhibition of proteasomal degradation with lactacystin restored L18A/L25A protein expression, although this channel was not expressed at the cell surface as assessed by cell surface immunoprecipitation and whole-cell patch clamp.

Trafficking of the Ca2+-activated K+ channel, hIK1, is dependent upon a C-terminal leucine zipper.

We demonstrate that the C-terminal truncation of hIK1 results in a loss of functional channels. This could be caused by either (i) a failure of the channel to traffic to the plasma membrane or (ii) the expression of non-functional channels. To delineate among these possibilities, a hemagglutinin epitope was inserted into the extracellular loop between transmembrane domains S3 and S4.

Release of ATP during host cell killing by enteropathogenic E. coli and its role as a secretory mediator.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) causes severe, watery diarrhea in children. We investigated ATP release during EPEC-mediated killing of human cell lines and whether released adenine nucleotides function as secretory mediators. EPEC triggered a release of ATP from all human cell lines tested: HeLa, COS-7, and T84 (colon cells) as measured using a luciferase kit.