Effects of Double Testing on course grades in an undergraduate nursing course

Testing can measure students' knowledge levels, identify learning deficits, and correct knowledge errors. This article describes an analysis of a Double Testing approach to evaluating student knowledge. Under this approach, each student takes course examinations twice, first individually and then with a group of classmates. Students' final test grades are the average of their individual and group examination scores. Using the Double Testing approach, students' test scores and final course grades increased.     

Trauma and traumatized populations in Israel: the Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 1963-2002

In Europe and the U.S., awareness of interpersonal traumatization has disappeared and reappeared, seemingly connected to socio-historical conditions. The authors wanted to explore this phenomenon in Israel, a complex, multicultural, society that has yet to know peace. Content analysis of a professional journal, the Israel Journal of Psychiatry, was the method of choice. This journal has existed since the fifteenth year of Israel's existence and, because it is published in English, is in active dialogue with the rest of the world. Striking parallels were found between the timing and focus on traumas in the published articles and the socio-cultural context.     

Visual perceptual impairment in children at 5 years of age with perinatal haemorrhagic or ischaemic brain damage in relation to cerebral magnetic resonance imaging

Children with perinatally acquired parenchymal haemorrhage are thought to have better visual perceptual skills than those with leukomalacia. We examined seven prematurely born children with parenchymal haemorrhage and 14 with grades 2-4 leukomalacia, at the age of 5 years. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging parameters were related to visual perceptual performance assessed with the L94, using performance age. Belonging to the leukomalacia group, the inability to walk, a diminished peritrigonal white matter, a high degree of gliosis and cortical damage were associated with poorer visuo-perceptual skills. Enlarged lateral ventricles, confirming the findings of Melhelm (Radiology 214 (2000) 199), were associated with both cognitive, perceptual and motor problems and probably reflect the considerable extent of the brain damage. Specific factors protecting against visual perceptual impairment were a preserved volume of the right optical radiation and of the splenium of the corpus callosum. Children with leukomalacia are at considerable risk of visual perceptual impairment. Children with right-sided parenchymal haemorrhages also appear to be at risk although they function much better due to better motor and cognitive skills.     

Hypothyroidism after combined therapy of laryngeal cancer

The hormonal function of the thyroid gland in patients with laryngeal cancer, treated with combined method, has been discussed. The first group of them was having one of the thyroid lobes used for reconstruction of the structural defects following partial laryngectomy, the second one, for oncologic reasons--part or the whole gland--excised. Hormonal dysfunction of the thyroid gland was present in 7/10 of the treated patient. In 2 of them the full hypofunction (FH) of the thyroid gland could be observed. Most likely the hypothyreosis was the result of the surgical interference in the thyroid gland (disorders in blood supply in translocated for larynx repair thyroid lobe, excision of the lobe/s for oncological reasons) and degenerative process due to the external irradiation. The monitored hormonal function of the thyroid gland revealed the possibility of transformation of subclinical hypofunction (SH) into FH even after long period of therapy termination. The obligatory monitoring of the thyroid gland hormonal activity for many years has been stressed, as well as the necessity of supplementary therapy at the time of SH.     

Heme proteins and nitric oxide (NO): the neglected,eloquent chemistry in NO redox signaling and regulation

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in cellular physiology and signaling has been an important aspect in biomedical science over the last decade. As NO is a small uncharged radical, the chemistry of NO within the redox environment of the cell dictates the majority of its biological effects. The mechanisms that have received the most attention from a biological perspective involve reactions with oxygen and superoxide, despite the rich literature of metal-NO chemistry. However, NO and its related species participate in important chemistry with metalloproteins. In addition to the well known direct interactions of NO with heme proteins such as soluble guanylate cyclase and oxyhemoglobin, there is much important, but often underappreciated, chemistry between other nitrogen oxides and heme/metal proteins. Here the basic chemistry of nitrosylation and the interactions of NO and other nitrogen oxides with metal-oxo species such as found in peroxidases and monoxygenases are discussed.     

TR(beta)1 protein is preferentially expressed in the pericentral zone of rat liver and exhibits marked diurnal variation

We investigated the distribution and diurnal variation of TR(beta)1 protein expression in liver with specific antibodies against TR(beta)1. Immunohistochemistry showed a zonal distribution of TR(beta)1 with maximum expression in the pericentral zone matching some known T(3)-responsive enzyme activities in the liver, such as glutamine synthetase, cholesterol 7alpha- hydroxylase, and spot 14. Combining immunohistochemistry and image analysis we found and quantified the same zonal distribution for 5'-deiodinase type 1 as for TR(beta)1. Western blot analysis revealed a profound diurnal variation for TR(beta)1 protein expression, with highest levels at the beginning of the dark period. TR(beta)1 diurnal variation partly overlaps with the T(3)-responsive genes, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and spot 14. Furthermore, TR(beta)1 distribution along the porto-central axis does not change during the day, indicating that the zonal expression of TR(beta)1 is stable. This is the first time that zonal distribution in liver has been demonstrated for a member of the nuclear receptor family. This finding together with the observed diurnal rhythm has major implications for interpreting and timing experiments concerning the TR and its downstream actions in liver.     

Intra-procedural coronary intervention planning using hybrid 3-dimensional reconstruction techniques

Rationale and Objectives. The purpose of this study was to develop a method to assist the cardiologist in planning an interventional procedure while the patient is on the catheterization table.

Materials and Methods. A rotational single plane x-ray system is used to acquire images while rapidly rotating the C-arm around the patient. Based on electrocardiogram-selected projections, both a volumetric cone-beam reconstruction of the coronary tree as well as a three-dimensional model of the vessel segment of interest is generated. This information is used to compute the appropriateness of a range of different viewing angles with respect to the overlap and foreshortening of the vessel segment of interest during the cardiac cycle which results in an interactive optimal view map.

Results. The proposed method has been tested on patient data and several phantom objects. The results show that both an accurate 3D model of a vessel segment of interest and its associated optimal view map can be generated to predict an appropriate gantry angle for subsequent image acquisition.

Conclusion. The method provides an appropriate and feasible tool to assist interventional cardiologists in planning a coronary intervention while the patient is still on the catheterization table following diagnostic coronary angiography.     

Developing a community nursing center

With the move to community-based nursing education, schools of nursing are seeking ways to implement high-quality clinical experiences for undergraduate and graduate students in partnership with the community. The author presents ten tips for the development of a community nursing center that accomplishes this goal.     

Pluraflavins, potent antitumor antibiotics from Saccharothrix sp. DSM 12931.

The new pluramycin-type antibiotics pluraflavin A, C43H54N2O14, pluraflavin B, C43H56N2O15, and pluraflavin E, C36H41NO14 were isolated from cultures of the Saccharothrix species DSM 12931. The structures of the novel compounds were elucidated with the aid of 2D NMR and mass spectrometric investigations. The characteristic structural element of pluraflavins A and B is an additional 4-epi-vancosamine unit at position 13 of the anthraquinone-gamma-pyrone ring system. Pluraflavin E has a carboxyl group in this position. Pluraflavin A has a reactive dimethyl epoxide side chain at position 2 of the anthraquinone-gamma-pyrone aglycon, which may explain the high activity of the antibiotic. The outstanding biological characteristic of pluraflavin A is its powerful, organ-dependent cytostatic action: the IC50 in the colon carcinoma proliferation assay is in the subnanomolar range.