A Frizzled4-LRP5 agonist promotes blood-retina barrier function by inducing a Norrin-like transcriptional response.

Norrin (NDP) and WNT7A/B induce and maintain the blood-brain and blood-retina barrier (BBB, BRB) by stimulating the Frizzled4-LDL receptor related protein 5/6 (FZD4-LRP5/6) complex to induce beta-catenin-dependent signaling in endothelial cells (ECs). Recently developed agonists for the FZD4-LRP5 complex have therapeutic potential in retinal and neurological diseases. Here, we use the tetravalent antibody modality F4L5.

Safety and Feasibility of Research Lumbar Puncture in Huntington's Disease: The HDClarity Cohort and Bioresource.

Background: Biomarkers are needed to monitor disease progression, target engagement and efficacy in Huntington's disease (HD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an ideal medium to research such biomarkers due to its proximity to the brain.

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of research lumbar punctures (LP) in HD.

Enroll-HD: An Integrated Clinical Research Platform and Worldwide Observational Study for Huntington's Disease.

Established in July 2012, Enroll-HD is both an integrated clinical research platform and a worldwide observational study designed to meet the clinical research requirements necessary to develop therapeutics for Huntington's disease (HD). The platform offers participants a low-burden entry into HD research, providing a large, well-characterized, research-engaged cohort with associated clinical data and biosamples that facilitates recruitment into interventional trials and other research studies. Additional studies that use Enroll-HD data and/or biosamples are built into the platform to further research on biomarkers and outcome measures.

The Psychometric Properties of the Universal Design in Healthcare Education Instrument.

Background And Purpose: Universal design (UD) teaching approaches provide access to learning environments for diverse postsecondary students; however, UD practices in healthcare education have rarely been examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the revised Universal Design in Healthcare Education (UDinHE) instrument.

Methods: The exploratory structural equation model (ESEM).

Trainee participation during screening colonoscopy does not affect ADR at subsequent surveillance, but may result in early follow-up.

Training future endoscopists is essential to meet rising demands for screening and surveillance colonoscopies. Studies have shown conflicting results regarding the influence of trainees on adenoma detection rates (ADR). It is unclear whether trainee participation during screening adversely affects ADR at subsequent surveillance and whether it alters surveillance recommendations.

Teaching Online Graduate Nursing Students Cultural Diversity From an Ethnic and Nonethnic Perspective.

Nursing programs requiring a short-term cultural diversity immersion experience can impose financial, family, and work schedule hardships for graduate students. This study aimed to measure changes in cultural practice, awareness, sensitivity, and behaviors before and after completing an online cultural diversity course without travel. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design collected data from a convenience sample of graduate nursing students ( = 37) enrolled in a 16-week online course using the Cultural Competency Assessment (CAS/CCB), Culturally Congruent Care for Advanced Nursing Course Objectives (CCCAN-CLO) and Teaching/Assignment Inventory tools.

Mindful leadership for personal and organisational resilience.

Given that the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (i.e., "VUCA" nature) of our world will likely continue to increase over time, it is clear that learning how to develop our inner capabilities of mindfulness and resiliency is of the utmost priority for us as individuals, organisations, communities, and nations.

Polarization-dependent non-uniform rotation rates of rhombohedral calcite.

We demonstrate the polarization-dependent torque on rhombohedral calcite in an optical trap. Our precipitate technique produces regular crystals approximately 10μm on all edges. The regularity of the crystal shape makes it possible to visually identify the optical axis as well as the orientation of the polarization axes.

Influence of Storage Temperature, Moisture Content, and Physical Impurities on the Distribution and Survival of Salmonella enterica in Poultry Fat Intended for Pet Food Use.

Contamination of rendered products with Salmonella is a concern for the rendering industry, particularly when those products are intended for use in other foodstuffs, such as pet food. This study was conducted to understand the influence of compositional variation on the location and survivability of Salmonella in a poultry fat matrix. Specifically, this study aimed to (i) assess the influence of postinoculation time and moisture content on the distribution of Salmonella in rendered poultry fat and (ii) evaluate the impact of postinoculation time and physical parameters (i.

Universal Design for Instruction in Nursing Education: An Integrative Review.

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the use of universal design for instruction (UDI) in nursing education.

Background: Educators seek to employ innovative pedagogies accessible to diverse learners across learning environments. UDI, an inclusive strategy for meeting this goal is not well known in nursing education.

National Beef Quality Audit-2016: Phase 1, Face-to-face interviews.

The National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) is conducted every 5 yr and was most recently again conducted in 2016. Face-to-face interviews gauged progress in quality associated with live cattle production using procedures first utilized in NBQA 2011. The 2016 NBQA was the first in which interviews concerning fed steers and heifers were combined with an audit of market cow and bull beef.

Development and Psychometric Examination of the Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education Instrument.

Background And Purpose: Nurse educators might be unknowingly excluding learners secondary to teaching practices. Universal design for instruction (UDI) prepares and delivers accessible content and learning environments for diverse learners; however, it is not well known in nursing education. The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education (ITSinNE) 55-item instrument.

Service Dogs in the Perioperative Setting.

Service dogs are critical for the independence of individuals with disabilities because they assist with daily living activities and help these individuals navigate society. Perioperative nurses need a working knowledge of disability laws pertaining to service dogs to provide patient-centered care for individuals using service dogs. This article provides information on the Americans With Disabilities Act regulations regarding service dogs, makes recommendations for the care of patients with service dogs across the perioperative continuum, and offers policy directives to ensure that safe, high-quality care is delivered to patients using service dogs.

Measuring Nurse Educators' Willingness to Adopt Inclusive Teaching Strategies.

Aim: The purpose of the study was to examine the characteristics and relationships of nurse educators' teaching practices, knowledge, support, and willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies (WillAdITS).

Background: Adopting more inclusive teaching strategies based on universal design for instruction is an innovative way for educators to reach today's diverse student body. However, the pedagogy has not diffused into nursing education.

Utility of liquid-based cytologic examination of distal esophageal brushings in the management of Barrett esophagus: a prospective study of 45 cases.

Introduction: The goal of Barrett esophagus surveillance is to identify high-grade dysplasia (HGD) for eradication. Surveillance programs currently rely on limited histologic sampling; however, the role of cytology in this setting is not well studied.

Materials And Methods: From December 1, 2011 to March 30, 2014, 45 patients underwent 4 circumferential brushings of the distal tubular esophagus followed by standard 4-quadrant biopsies.

Videoconferencing expands nursing students' cultural realm.

Nurse educators struggle to provide culturally diverse community health clinical placements that cultivate cultural awareness, knowledge, and competence among baccalaureate nursing students. Public health nurses observe that many new nursing graduates lack the fundamental knowledge, skills, and affective behaviors necessary to work with culturally diverse populations. To address this, nursing faculty from two schools partnered to strategize, design, implement, and evaluate a community health assessment project using the instructional method of videoconferencing.

The role of vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and migration during uterine spiral artery remodeling in normal human pregnancy.

During human uterine spiral artery (SpA) remodeling, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are lost and replaced by fibrinoid, incorporating extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells. The aim of the current study was to determine the relative contributions of apoptosis and migration to VSMC loss during SpA remodeling. Immunohistochemistry (Apoptag, active caspase 3, lamin) of placental bed biopsies (8-20 wk gestation) demonstrated apoptotic cells in all samples; double immunolabeling identified these as trophoblasts, leukocytes, and endothelial cells.