Lessons Learned in Virtual Launch of an Antenatal Opioid Exposure Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted researchers to develop new ways to design and launch studies and recruit and retain participants. Pregnant women and infants are considered vulnerable populations in research, and families affected by substance use are particularly difficult to recruit and retain. Recruitment for studies involving medical technologies such as MRI can also be difficult due to misconceptions and fear of the technologies.

Human Articular Chondrocytes Retain Their Phenotype in Sustained Hypoxia While Normoxia Promotes Their Immunomodulatory Potential.

Objective: To assess the phenotype of human articular chondrocytes cultured in normoxia (21% O) or continuous hypoxia (2% O).

Design: Chondrocytes were extracted from patients undergoing total knee replacement ( = 5) and cultured in ~21% (normoxic chondrocytes, NC) and 2% (hypoxic chondrocytes, HC) oxygen in both monolayer and 3-dimensional (3D) pellet culture and compared with freshly isolated chondrocytes (FC). Cells were assessed by flow cytometry for markers indicative of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), chondrogenic-potency and dedifferentiation.

Are mentors ready to make a difference? a survey of mentors' attitudes towards nurse education.

This paper reports on a survey of practitioners who act as mentors to student nurses from a Higher Education Institution in Northern England. The aims of the survey were to gain a profile of mentors, and to seek their views regarding their degree of support in undertaking the mentoring role, and their experience of mentors' update sessions. Respondents were experienced as mentors.