In touch to teach: Do nurse educators need to maintain or possess recent clinical practice to facilitate student learning?

In recent years UK university-based nurse educators have seen a reduction in their responsibilities for nursing students' practice-based assessments. Many university-based nurse educators feel that this lack of input into students' clinical assessments leaves them open to criticism as they are perceived to be less "in-touch" with clinical practice and that their knowledge to teach nursing students is diminished as a result. This paper examines and debates some interpretations of the term "recent clinical practice" and challenges the misconception among many in the profession, as well as government and professional bodies, that university-based nurse educators require recent clinical practice to effectively teach students and enhance the student learning experience in the academic university setting.

The role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in prostate, pancreatic and stomach cancers.

The association of germline mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and the breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2) with the development of breast and ovarian cancers have been widely researched and recognised. It is known that these genes function at multiple sites in the body. Research has subsequently evolved into the connection of BRCA1/2 with cancers at other sites within the body.

Impact of counselling on quality of life and sleep in cancer patients.

It has been acknowledged that poor quality of sleep significantly correlates with poor quality of life; evidence suggests that counselling has a positive impact not only on the cancer patient's quality of life, but also on family members and friends. The aim of this service evaluation was to determine if there was an improvement in clients' quality of life and sleep patterns following counselling as offered by a local cancer charity. A total of 60 matched pre- and post-counselling questionnaires were completed and subjected to statistical analysis.

Understanding arterial blood gases.

This article examines acid-base balance and the interpretation of arterial blood gases (ABG). The article begins with a brief revision of related physiology followed by a description of the primary disorders of acid-base balance. The normal ranges and the significance of abnormal ABG results are explored.

Factors influencing participation in breast cancer screening.

Despite the efficacy of mammography and the widespread promotion of screening programmes, a significant number of eligible women still do not attend for regular breast screening. An integrative review methodology was considered the most appropriate means to critically analyse the available literature pertaining to factors which influence participation in breast cancer screening. From the extensive literature search, 12 selected core research papers met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated in the literature review.

c-FLIP: a key regulator of colorectal cancer cell death.

c-FLIP is an inhibitor of apoptosis mediated by the death receptors Fas, DR4, and DR5 and is expressed as long (c-FLIP(L)) and short (c-FLIP(S)) splice forms. We found that small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of c-FLIP induced spontaneous apoptosis in a panel of p53 wild-type, mutant, and null colorectal cancer cell lines and that this apoptosis was mediated by caspase-8 and Fas-associated death domain. Further analyses indicated the involvement of DR5 and/or Fas (but not DR4) in regulating apoptosis induced by c-FLIP siRNA.

Cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein regulates chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Combination treatment regimens that include topoisomerase-II-targeted drugs, such as doxorubicin, are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Previously, we showed that IFN-gamma and doxorubicin cotreatment synergistically induced apoptosis in MDA435 breast cancer cells in a signal transducer and activator of transcription 1-dependent manner. In this study, we found that this synergy was caspase-8 dependent.

STAT1: a modulator of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.

The anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin, are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Previously, we showed that these drugs could activate the transcription factor, nuclear factor kappaB, in a DNA damage-dependent manner. We now show that these drugs can potentiate the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in MDA-MB 435 breast cancer cells treated with IFN-gamma.