Dysregulated liver lipid metabolism and innate immunity associated with hepatic steatosis in neonatal BBdp rats and NOD mice.

In a previous study we reported that prediabetic rats have a unique gene signature that was apparent even in neonates. Several of the changes we observed, including enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory genes and dysregulated UPR and metabolism genes were first observed in the liver followed by the pancreas. In the present study we investigated further early changes in hepatic innate immunity and metabolism in two models of type 1 diabetes (T1D), the BBdp rat and NOD mouse. There was a striking increase in lipid deposits in liver, particularly in neonatal BBdp rats, with a less striking but significant increase in neonatal NOD mice in association with dysregulated expression of lipid metabolism genes. This was associated with a decreased number of extramedullary hematopoietic clusters as well as CD68+ macrophages in the liver of both models. In addition, PPARÉ£ and phosphorylated AMPKα protein were decreased in neonatal BBdp rats. BBdp rats displayed decreased expression of antimicrobial genes in neonates and decreased M2 genes at 30 days. This suggests hepatic steatosis could be a common early feature in development of T1D that impacts metabolic homeostasis and tolerogenic phenotype in the prediabetic liver.

Traumatic diaphragmatic injury.

Traumatic diaphragmatic injury is a not uncommon accompaniment to blunt or penetrating trauma to the abdomen or thorax; it may present acutely with haemodynamic and respiratory compromise and be associated with significant injury to other organs or may not be diagnosed at the initial trauma at all and present later as a diaphragmatic hernia. This overview examines the incidence, pathophysiology and management of this condition.

Emergency thoracotomy--the indications, contraindications and evidence.

Emergency thoracotomy is a dramatic and controversial intervention which may be life saving after major torso trauma. Success rates are variable and differ widely according to mechanism of injury. This article outlines the current indications and contraindications to emergency thoracotomy and examines the evidence to support it accumulated over 40 years.

Testing leadership and management concepts. The relevancy factor.

To assist registered nurses returning for their baccalaureate degrees in learning concepts presented in a leadership and management course, a relevant take-home final examination was developed. The examination incorporated concepts presented in the course within a nursing process framework and was to be completed within the context of the individual student's place of employment. The development of the examination, an evaluation by the faculty and students, and recommendations for future use are described.

Perceived self-efficacy and language differences.

The relationship between language differences and perceived self-efficacy was examined for two different classes (ns = 89 and 66) of a linguistically diverse nursing student population. Sherer, et al.'s General Self-efficacy Scale was factor analyzed, producing two factors (subscales) labeled Tendency to Avoid/Give Up and Tendency to Persist. Students who were nonprimary speakers of English were more likely to avoid difficult tasks or give up because they believed they would fail than those students who were primary speakers of English. There were no significant differences between the groups on Tendency to Persist. Also, students' class level in the program was not related to self-efficacy.

A semantic differential measure of attitudes toward black American patients.

The development of an instrument measuring attitudes toward black American patients using a semantic differential technique is described. Subjects were 242 white senior students enrolled in baccalaureate degree, associate degree, and diploma nursing programs. The instrument consisted of 20 bipolar adjective scales for positive and negative racial stereotypes. A factor analysis resulted in five factors which accounted for the majority of the variance, with 30.2% for Factor I Evaluation. An alpha reliability of .84 for the same factor revealed a high level of internal consistency. To obtain an attitude score, the eight bipolar adjective scales comprising Factor I were summed and the scores obtained were in the neutral range. There were no significant differences among the attitudes of baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or diploma nursing students. Comparisons also were made between the perceptions of students toward black Americans and toward black American patients, with the latter perceived more favorably.

Selected correlates of white nursing students' attitudes toward black American patients.

Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationships between white nursing students' attitudes toward black American patients and variables selected within a theoretical framework of prejudice which included socialization factors and personality-based factors. The variables selected were: authoritarianism and self-esteem (personality-based factors), parents' attitudes toward black Americans, peer attitudes toward black Americans, interracial contact and socioeconomic status (socialization factors). The study also examined the differences in the relationship among white nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate degree, associate degree and diploma nursing programs. Data were collected from 201 senior nursing students enrolled in the three types of nursing programs in Rhode Island during the late fall and winter of 1979-1980. Although baccalaureate degree, associate degree and diploma students were similar in terms of peer attitudes toward black Americans, fathers' attitudes toward black Americans, self-esteem and attitudes toward black American patients, they were significantly different in terms of age, socioeconomic status, mothers' attitudes toward black Americans, interracial contact and authoritarianism. The major findings of this study indicate that the socialization explanation of prejudice is more significant than the personality-based explanation. The variables socioeconomic status, interracial contact and peer attitudes toward black Americans (all socialization variables) accounted for 22.0% of the total variance in attitudes toward black American patients for the total sample of nursing students. However, this relationship was not generalizable across the three different types of nursing programs.

Some further observations on the index of residential differentiation.

The relationship between the index of residential differentiation (RDI), a recently introduced measure of residential segregation which is designed to summarize the distribution of c social groups in a single index, and the indices of dissimilarity (D) and segregation (SI) is examined. It is demonstrated that RDI is a natural extension of D, and that when c = 2, RDI = D; when c greater than 2, it is possible to stipulate RDI in terms of SI, but it is not possible to stipulate RDI in a straightforward manner in terms of D. An adjusted RDI is then suggested in which random segregation rather than complete desegregation is used as the baseline.

Towards a fuller understanding of residential mobility: a case study in Northampton, England.

"This paper, which reports the results of two questionnaire surveys of residential mobility amongst owner-occupiers in Northampton [England,] is concerned with the reasons why households change their place of residence within an urban area.... The major focus of interest is the importance of changes in the family life cycle in promoting mobility as a consequence of changing housing needs."

Toxicity of antibiotic combinations for vitrectomy infusion fluid.

We have found that gentamicin 8 microgram/ml in various combinations with methicillin 25 microgram/ml, oxacillin 10 microgram/ml, clindamycin 10 microgram/ml and penicillin 80 microgram/ml to be nontoxic to the retina when used in vitreous replacement fluid.