Laboratory managers' perceptions of the impact of teaching on the clinical laboratory.

OBJECTIVE: To determine managers' perceptions of the impact of teaching students on the clinical laboratory, including: productivity, costs, recruitment/new employee orientation, staff morale/attitude, and staff professionalism. Managers' views on responsibility for teaching and reasons for not having students were also determined. DESIGN: Written survey, randomized sampling. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred laboratory managers certified by the National Credentialing Agency. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed a forced-choice written survey consisting of demographic information and statements assessing the impact of teaching. RESULTS: Managers agreed with impact statements on professionalism, recruitment, and new employee orientation. They were also in agreement that clinical teaching is essential. Neutral responses were obtained for impact statements related to laboratory productivity, costs, and staff morale and attitude. Over 90% of respondents who presently had students or who had had students at one time indicated that they hired their graduates. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory managers understand the importance of clinical education and the benefits to recruitment, new employee orientation, and staff professionalism. Managers are undecided about the effects of teaching on laboratory costs and staff productivity.     

A population-based case-control study of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and breast cancer: The impact of duration of use, cumulative dose and latency

Background  

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a popular class of antidepressants, may increase breast cancer risk by stimulating the secretion of prolactin, a potential tumour promoter. We evaluated the effects of duration of SSRI use, cumulative dose, and latency on the risk of breast cancer by conducting a population-based case-control study utilizing Saskatchewan health databases.     

A novel modular device for 3-D bone cell culture and non-destructive cell analysis

Synthetic materials have emerged as bone substitutes for filling bone defects of critical sizes. Because bone healing requires a mechanically resistant matrix (scaffold) attractive to osteogenic cells and must allow revascularization for nutrient and oxygen supply, scaffold-based strategies focus on the further development of chemical and physical qualities of the material. Cellular ingrowth towards the scaffold center is critical; therefore selective information from inner regions, in particular from the central part, is essential.In this paper we introduce a novel modular in vitro system for three-dimensional (3-D) in vitro bone cell cultures. This 3-D system is developed exclusively for in vitro research purposes, with special emphasis on the geometrical scaffold design (pore size, pore design). The system is composed of a stack of titanium slices which are mounted on a clamp and which enable the separate monitoring of cell growth patterns on every single slice of the slide stack. In this way we are able to gain selective information about the regulation of the cell physiology in the inner part of the 3-D construct which can be used for the development of an optimized scaffold design for orthopedic implants.     

Appropriateness in acquiring a family caregiver interview from older adults with suspected cognitive impairment

This study attempted to identify the factors associated with the completion of a family caregiver interview among a sample of older adults with suspected cognitive impairment. From a random-digit dial methodology, we identified 3,726 individuals ≥ 70 years of age with a family caregiver living in Arkansas. Of that number, 730 (19.6%) screened positive for suspected cognitive impairment. Of those who screened positive, we collected complete data on 532 (73% completion rate). Of these 532 participants, we gathered complete data on 376 of their family caregivers (71% completion rate).We developed a multivariate logistic regression model that estimated correlates (sociodemographic, accessibility, awareness, and utilization of services, and health status characteristics) of the older adults with suspected cognitive impairment and a family caregiver who completed an interview. Multivariate analysis found that a complete caregiver interview was associated with being male, engaging in more face-to-face contact with family members other than the family caregiver, having more visits to the physician (excluding a psychiatrist) and having more difficulties performing instrumental activities of daily living. This paper discusses the implications of using telephone interviews to collect and evaluate data on the health status and health service needs of older adults with suspected cognitive impairment. Findings suggest the importance of completing a concomitant interview with a family caregiver. Health care policymakers and providers may want to pay particular attention to older adults with fewer family contacts when planning access to care services.     

Eighteen-month incidence of tooth loss among older adults in North Carolina.

This study investigated tooth loss in North Carolina adults 65 years of age or older. A random sample of 335 Blacks and 284 Whites participated in dental examinations and interviews at baseline and again after 18 months. Blacks were more likely than Whites to lose at least one tooth (36% vs 19%), and they lost more teeth on average (1.0 vs 0.4). Several oral disease conditions and symptoms were related to tooth loss, but many other hypothesized factors were not. Risk models were inconclusive in the identification of factors related to risk of tooth loss.     

Invariant natural killer T cells are not affected by lysosomal storage in patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a specialised subset of T cells that are restricted to the MHC class I like molecule, CD1d. The ligands for iNKT cells are lipids, with the canonical superagonist being α-galactosylceramide, a non-mammalian glycosphingolipid. Trafficking of CD1d through the lysosome is required for the development of murine iNKT cells. Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by dysfunction in either of two lysosomal proteins, NPC1 or NPC2, resulting in the storage of multiple lipids, including glycosphingolipids. In the NPC1 mouse model, iNKT cells are virtually undetectable, which is likely due to the inability of CD1d to be loaded with the selecting ligand due to defective lysosomal function and/or CD1d trafficking. However, in this study we have found that in NPC1 patients iNKT cells are present at normal frequencies, with no phenotypic or functional differences. In addi-tion, antigen-presenting cells derived from NPC1 patients are functionally competent to present several different CD1d/iNKT-cell ligands. This further supports the hypothesis that there are different trafficking requirements for the development of murine and human iNKT cells, and a functional lysosomal/late-endosomal compartment is not required for human iNKT-cell development.