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The purpose of this pilot study was to explore differences in clinical diagnoses, clinical assessment data needed to support the diagnoses, and potential interventions using a case-based clinical learning activity involving a think-aloud process for nursing and physical therapy students. This study utilized a sample of convenience of 40 physical therapy students and 60 nursing students from southwest Virginia. To assist the students with communication of their perspectives on patient care through the use of the think-aloud process, a clinical reasoning activity was instituted. By considering each other's perspectives on care priorities, the students were able to collaborate in developing a care plan that holistically addressed the health conditions of a geriatric patient in the home health setting. Providing healthcare students insight into the distinguishing perceptions of patient care associated with each profession may improve future communication, coordination, and collaboration to provide quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe their job-sharing experience, which involved marketing themselves as a single employee for a single position, rather than looking separately for part-time work. Discussion focuses on communication and scheduling.

A modified capillary tube chemotaxis assay for Borrelia burgdorferi that enumerates cells by flow cytometry is presented. The method identified specific chemical attractants for Borrelia burgdorferi and the use of flow cytometry for spirochete enumeration that could also be applied to assay other slow-growing prokaryotic species and in specific environments in nature.

Irofulven (6-hydroxymethylacylfulvene, HMAF, MGI 114) is one of a new class of anticancer agents that are semisynthetic derivatives of the mushroom toxin illudin S. Preclinical studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that irofulven is effective against several tumor types. Mechanisms of action studies indicate that irofulven induces DNA damage, MAPK activation, and apoptosis. In this study we found that in ovarian cancer cells, CHK2 kinase is activated by irofulven while CHK1 kinase is not activated even when treated at higher concentrations of the drug. By using GM00847 human fibroblast expressing tetracycline-controlled, FLAG-tagged kinase-dead ATR (ATR.kd), it was demonstrated that ATR kinase does not play a major role in irofulven-induced CHK2 activation. Results from human fibroblasts proficient or deficient in ATM function (GM00637 and GM05849) indicated that CHK2 activation by irofulven is mediated by the upstream ATM kinase. Phosphorylation of ATM on Ser1981, which is critical for kinase activation, was observed in ovarian cancer cell lines treated with irofulven. RNA interference results confirmed that CHK2 activation was inhibited after introducing siRNA for ATM. Finally, experiments done with human colon cancer cell line HCT116 and its isogenic CHK2 knockout derivative; and experiments done by expressing kinase-dead CHK2 in an ovarian cancer cell line demonstrated that CHK2 activation contributes to irofulven-induced S phase arrest. In addition, it was shown that NBS1, SMC1, and p53 were phosphorylated in an ATM-dependent manner, and p53 phosphorylation on serine 20 is dependent on CHK2 after irofulven treatment. In summary, we found that the anticancer agent, irofulven, activates the ATM-CHK2 DNA damage-signaling pathway, and CHK2 activation contributes to S phase cell cycle arrest induced by irofulven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]