Examining the causal genetic effects of substance use on aging.

Substance use shortens lifespan, impedes health, and accelerates the biological aging process. We found widespread genetic correlations between alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and opioid use and use disorders with indices of aging across the lifespan. There was evidence of tobacco and alcohol use and use disorders causally impacting physical, cognitive, and biological aging, with the effects of alcohol being more dependent on quantity of consumption; evidence of reverse causality was scant.

From crisis management to multi-level interinstitutional partnerships: Development of the southeastern conference deans nursing coalition.

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) Nursing Dean's Coalition is a purposeful alliance organized to collaboratively address several challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last three years, this strategic team of academic leaders has evolved from a crisis response team to a multidimensional support team, leveraging both individual and collective strengths, to provide several benefits to the dean members, as well as other SEC nursing faculty members, students, and institutions. Participation has grown from the original 12 deans to engage a broader team of associate deans and nurse leaders in faculty development, research, service, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Correction: Aboriginal artefacts on the continental shelf reveal ancient drowned cultural landscapes in northwest Australia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Associations Between Cannabis Use, Polygenic Liability for Schizophrenia, and Cannabis-related Experiences in a Sample of Cannabis Users.

Background And Hypothesis: Risk for cannabis use and schizophrenia is influenced in part by genetic factors, and there is evidence that genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with subclinical psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). Few studies to date have examined whether genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with cannabis-related PLEs.

Study Design: We tested whether measures of cannabis involvement and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for schizophrenia were associated with self-reported cannabis-related experiences in a sample ascertained for alcohol use disorders (AUDs), the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA).

Multi-trait genome-wide association study of opioid addiction: OPRM1 and beyond.

Opioid addiction (OA) is moderately heritable, yet only rs1799971, the A118G variant in OPRM1, has been identified as a genome-wide significant association with OA and independently replicated. We applied genomic structural equation modeling to conduct a GWAS of the new Genetics of Opioid Addiction Consortium (GENOA) data together with published studies (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Million Veteran Program, and Partners Health), comprising 23,367 cases and effective sample size of 88,114 individuals of European ancestry. Genetic correlations among the various OA phenotypes were uniformly high (r > 0.

The Role of Technology in Health Professions Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked radical shifts in the ways that both health care and health professions education are delivered. Before the pandemic, some degree programs were offered fully online or in a hybrid format, but in-person learning was considered essential to the education and training of health professionals. Similarly, even as the use of telehealth was slowly expanding, most health care visits were conducted in-person.

Dynamic muscle-tendon length following zone 2 calf lengthening surgery in two populations with equinus gait: Idiopathic Toe Walkers and Cerebral Palsy.

Background: Two populations commonly presenting with equinus gait are Idiopathic Toe-Walkers and children with Cerebral Palsy. Surgical intervention to treat equinus is defined by three zones. Zone three surgery, performed at the Achilles tendon, is most commonly used clinically.

Aboriginal artefacts on the continental shelf reveal ancient drowned cultural landscapes in northwest Australia.

This article reports Australia's first confirmed ancient underwater archaeological sites from the continental shelf, located off the Murujuga coastline in north-western Australia. Details on two underwater sites are reported: Cape Bruguieres, comprising > 260 recorded lithic artefacts at depths down to -2.4 m below sea level, and Flying Foam Passage where the find spot is associated with a submerged freshwater spring at -14 m.

Retrospectively assessed subjective effects of initial opioid use differ between opioid misusers with opioid use disorder (OUD) and those who never progressed to OUD: Data from a pilot and a replication sample.

Attempts to identify opioid users with increased risk of escalating to opioid use disorder (OUD) have had limited success. Retrospectively assessed subjective effects of initial opioid misuse were compared in a pilot sample of opioid misusers (nonmedical use ≤60 times lifetime) who had never met criteria for OUD (N = 14) and heroin-addicted individuals in treatment for OUD (N = 15). Relative to opioid misusers without a lifetime OUD diagnosis, individuals with OUD reported greater euphoria and other positive emotions, activation, pruritus, and internalizing symptoms.

A call to action: Building evidence for use of simulation in nurse practitioner education.

Leaders from national nursing organizations, nursing schools, and health care simulation vendors convened in early 2019 to discuss simulation in nurse practitioner (NP) education. Nurse practitioner clinical education needs a more standardized, efficient, and sustainable model to prepare NPs to provide quality care in complex health care systems. Currently, a major shortage of clinical sites and preceptors to educate students creates challenges for NP programs and nursing faculty.

Professor José Miguel Barea (1942-2018): a tribute to an inspiring scientist.

The mycorrhiza and, more generally, soil microbiology research communities recently have lost one of their most ardent scientists. José Miguel Barea was a world leader of arbuscular mycorrhiza research and pioneered the establishment of such studies in Spain and Latin American. He was a prolific publisher, enthusiastic teacher of many graduate students and a genial host to visitors of his beloved Granada.

Health Information Technology Scholars Program: From Implementation to Outcomes.

Aim: This article reports the development, implementation, and outcomes of the Health Information Technology Scholars (HITS) program.

Background: HITS is one of nine faculty development collaborative projects funded by the Health Resource Service Administration to integrate information and other technologies in nursing education and practice.

Method: In addition to evaluating the content and context of the program, the evaluation includes descriptive statistics, goal attainment scaling, diffusion of innovation index, utilization of knowledge survey, and exemplars from scholars.

The academic-practice gap: Strategies for an enduring problem.

The academic-practice gap in nursing is well documented. Academe is criticized for producing nurses insufficiently prepared to fully participate in patient care. Practice settings are criticized for having unrealistic expectations of new graduates.

Volar locking distal radius plates show better short-term results than other treatment options: A prospective randomised controlled trial.

Aim: To compare the outcomes of displaced distal radius fractures treated with volar locking plates and with immediate postoperative mobilisation with the outcomes of these fractures treated with modalities that necessitate 6 wk wrist immobilisation.

Methods: A prospective, randomised controlled single-centre trial was conducted with 56 patients who had a displaced radius fracture were randomised to treatment either with a volar locking plate ( = 29), or another treatment modality ( = 27; cast immobilisation with or without wires or external fixator). Outcomes were measured at 12 wk.

The Use of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi to Improve Strawberry Production in Coir Substrate.

Strawberry is an important fruit crop within the UK. To reduce the impact of soil-borne diseases and extend the production season, more than half of the UK strawberry production is now in substrate (predominantly coir) under protection. Substrates such as coir are usually depleted of microbes including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and consequently the introduction of beneficial microbes is likely to benefit commercial cropping systems.

Enhancing Empathy in Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Experiential Ostomate Simulation.

Aim: The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate an experiential learning simulation created to enhance nursing students' empathy during patient care encounters.

Background: The investigators proposed that an ostomy simulation experience would be an efficient method for providing this educational content.

Method: Content analysis was conducted on essays using Krippendorff's technique to quantify the simulation.

The National League for Nursing Project to Explore the Use of Simulation for High-Stakes Assessment: Process, Outcomes, and Recommendations.

Aim: This project was designed to explore the feasibility of using simulation for high-stakes assessment in pre-licensure RN programs.

Method: A think tank of experts recommended simulation scenarios suitable for assessing students at the end of their program. Two teams were formed: one to design the simulations, the other to develop the evaluation plan.

Simulation exercise to improve retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation priorities for in-hospital cardiac arrests: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Traditional American Heart Association (AHA) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) curriculum focuses on teams of two performing quality chest compressions with rescuers on their knees but does not include training specific to In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests (IHCA), i.e. patient in hospital bed with large resuscitation teams and sophisticated technology available.