Decreased cerebral Irp-1B limits impact of social isolation in wild type and Alzheimer's disease modeled in Drosophila melanogaster.

Environmental factors, such as housing conditions and cognitively stimulating activities, have been shown to affect behavioral phenotypes and to modulate neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting cognitive functions. Epidemiological evidence and experimental studies using rodent models have indicated that social interaction reduces development and progression of disease. Drosophila models of Aß42-associated AD lead to AD-like phenotypes, such as long-term memory impairment, locomotor and survival deficits, while effects of environmental conditions on AD-associated phenotypes have not been assessed in the fly. Here, we show that single housing reduced survival and motor performance of Aß42 expressing and control flies. Gene expression analyses of Aß42 expressing and control flies that had been exposed to different housing conditions showed upregulation of Iron regulatory protein 1B (Irp-1B) in fly brains following single housing. Downregulating Irp-1B in neurons of single-housed Aß42 expressing and control flies rescued both survival and motor performance deficits. Thus, we provide novel evidence that increased cerebral expression of Irp-1B may underlie worsened behavioral outcome in socially deprived flies and can additionally modulate AD-like phenotypes.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass used to treat critically ill patients with severe but reversible cardiac and/or respiratory failure. The severity of their symptoms, the rapid deterioration in their conditions, the difficulty in mechanical transportation, and the risks of traveling with an ECMO circuit often prohibit cannulation in an operating room. Cannulation for and decannulation after ECMO therapy can be safely accomplished in the intensive care unit by utilizing experienced perioperative nurses.

Ethical issues in pediatric perioperative nursing.

Pediatric perioperative nurses often face ethical issues in their daily practice. Some of these issues require the ability to make a quick decision. Resources and mechanisms nurses can use to gain the knowledge required for ethical decision making are to attend ethical, legal, and clinical conferences, read ethical articles in nursing, medical, legal and ethical journals, and discuss issues with colleagues. Consultation can be obtained through ethics advisory committees and ethicists or people knowledgeable about ethics. Nurses must be able to identify ethical issues and how ethical decisions are made in order to analyze arguments critically, reflect on decisions, and examine positions. Nurses must have the ability to acknowledge and identify a conflict that exists between personal and professional values and to attempt to resolve the conflict. Perioperative nurses need to accept responsibility for their actions and take reactions based on ethical reasoning when providing patient care. By being knowledgeable of ethical issues and how to address them, pediatric perioperative nurses are better prepared to provide comprehensive nursing care to all patients and families.