Nurse Prescribing-Readiness of Polish Nurses to Take on New Competencies-A Cross-Sectional Study.

From January 2016, nurses in Poland received new competencies for prescribing. The work is the first in Poland to elaborate on the subject of nurses' readiness to learn and develop in the context of new nursing rights regarding autonomous prescription of medication and continuation of the prescription for medication. The aim of the study is to analyze the readiness of Polish nurses to learn and develop in the context of new competencies to write prescriptions. The research was conducted among 756 nurses. The standardized questionnaire (Readiness of Employees for Learning and Development) was used. For all subscales of readiness for learning and development, average scores prevailed. The readiness to write prescriptions was significantly related to the level of openness to changes in the work environment (A1 scale), self-evaluation of past educational development (C5 scale) and educational and professional goals alignment- employee and company (scale D2) and increasing the readiness of nurses to practice all of the aforementioned agents, in particular medical devices. The readiness of nurses to learn and develop at all levels of the subscales was on an average level. Younger nurses, with a shorter seniority, having higher education and additional qualifications had a higher readiness to prescribe medications and write prescriptions. The higher readiness for learning and development was matched by a greater readiness to prescribe. The results obtained can be used to plan training and courses, as well as to create special pro-development programs, which may increase the nurses' involvement in personal and professional development.

Analysis of Determinants of Readiness for Professional Development Among Polish Nurses.

The continuous development of medical sciences and the introduction of new diagnostic methods and treatment with the use of specialized equipment means that the knowledge and skills acquired during university studies are no longer sufficient. This obliges nursing staff to raise their professional qualifications in order to provide the appropriate quality of medical services. The aim of the study was an analysis of nurses readiness for learning and development and factors determining this readiness. The study was conducted among 756 nurses. The questionnaire method adopted was the readiness of employees for learning and development (RELD) standardized questionnaire, and a questionnaire containing sociodemographic data of the respondents. For the subscales of readiness for learning and development, average results were predominant and concerned in particular the level of openness to changes in environment (A1 scale), and self-evaluation of past educational development (C5 scale). The readiness of the nurses examined to learn and develop was on an average level for all the subscales. Younger nurses, with a lower seniority, having higher education and additional qualifications had a higher readiness for learning and development.

Green tea protects against ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation in rat organs.

Ethanol metabolism is accompanied by generation of free radicals, which stimulates lipid peroxidation. Natural antioxidants are particularly useful in such a situation. The current study was designed to investigate the efficacy of green tea, as a source of water-soluble antioxidants (catechins), on lipid peroxidation in liver, brain, and blood induced by chronic (4 weeks) ethanol intoxication in rats. Feeding of ethanol led to a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, as measured by increased concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides, 4-hydroxynonenal, and malondialdehyde. Feeding of ethanol also changed the glutathione-dependent lipid hydroperoxide decomposition system, resulting in a decrease in both reduced glutathione concentration and activity of glutathione peroxidase. Observed changes were statistically significant in all examined tissues. Enhancement in lipid peroxidation was associated with disruption of hepatocyte cell membranes, as observed through electron microscopic evaluation. Green tea protects phospholipids from enhanced peroxidation and prevents changes in biochemical parameters and morphologic changes observed after ethanol consumption. These results support the suggestion that green tea protects membranes from peroxidation of lipids associated with ethanol consumption.

Pyrrole analogues of chloramphenicol. III. Synthesis and antibacterial activity of DL-threo-1-(1-methylsulfonylpyrrole-3-yl)-2-dichloroacetamidopropane-1,3-diol.

A seven-stage synthesis of a pyrrole analogue of chloramphenicol (9) is described. The compound exhibits a significant antibacterial activity, over the 3% to 50% range of the chloramphenicol activity: over the 6% to 100% range of the thiamphenicol activity and florfenicol.

New carbocyclic analogues of netropsin: synthesis and inhibition of topoisomerases.

A series of carbocyclic analogues of netropsin were synthesized and evaluated for their capacity to inhibit human topoisomerases I and II in vitro. The compounds are oligopeptides containing 1,4-di- and 1,2,5-trisubstituted benzene rings and unsubstituted N-terminal NH2 groups. Compounds 4-7 consist of two netropsin-like units linked by aliphatic (tetra- and hexamethylene) chains. In the topoisomerase I and II assay, the relaxation of pBR322 plasmid was inhibited by compounds 4-7 at 100 microM concentration.

Synthesis and biological activity of carbocyclic lexitropsins with a bioreductive fragment.

Carbocyclic oligopeptides containing of two, three or four aromatic rings with N,N-dimethylpropyl-1,3-diamine group as C-terminus fragment of compounds and 5-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]-2,4-dinitrobenzamide as N-terminal were synthesized. These lexitropsins present antitumour activity on the neoplastic cells hepatoblastoma HEP G2. These experiments were evaluated in hypoxic and oxygen conditions. Significant differences of activity in oxygen and hypoxic conditions were shown only in compound, N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-([3-[5-bis(2-chlorethyl)amino]-2,4-dinitrobenzamide])-phenyl]urea dihydrochloride 1 (IC50 = 8545 nM in oxygen vs. IC50 = 710 nM in hypoxia). The rest of compounds (2-6) do not indicate differences of activity in oxygen and hypoxia.