No abstract

Ozone (O,), the major oxidant of photochemical smog, is thought to be genotoxic and a potential respiratory carcinogen or promoter of carcinogenic processes. Because of oxidative reactions with the mucus in the upper airway, 0, reaction products are able to penetrate into the tracheobronchial epithelial (TE) cells. The carcinogenic effects of 0, on the TE cells are especially of interest since most previous studies have focused on the morphology or permeability changes of tracheas only. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the potential 0, genotoxicity in TE cells after an in vivo exposure, using DNA strand breaks as an index. Two-month-old male Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs, specific pathogen free, 4 in each group, were exposed to 1.0 ppm 0, for 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, or 96 h. Animals exposed to filtered air without 0, exposure were used as controls. After 0, exposure, the trachea with two main bronchi was removed from each animal, and TE cells were isolated and employed for determination of DNA strand breaks by fluorometric analysis of DNA unwinding (FADU). The statistical significance level was set at a = .05. Compared with controls, ozone exposure did not alter the TE cell yield or viability, but caused an increase in protein content in tracheal lavage and an increase in DNA strand breaks. The amount of DNA left in the alkali lysate of TE cells found at 72 h exposure was significantly decreased from controls for 3 different alkali incubation times. An increase of the double-stranded DNA left in the alkali lysate of TE cells was observed at 96 h of exposure and approached the value of 24 h of exposure. The same pattern was seen with all 3 different alkali incubation times at lS°C. One Q, unit was estimated to correspond to 100 strand breaks per cell. The Q, was also used as an indicator for 0, damage. Compared to controls, the Q, increases significantly after I ppm 0, exposure for 72 h, regardless of the alkali incubation time at 15°C.

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of work environment characteristics across employee groups in a rural hospital to determine if authentic leadership and management practices were perceived to be actualized in the organization. Creating a healthy work environment through authentic leadership practices is critical to sustaining care quality improvements (QIs) and patient safety. In light of fewer financial and educational resources, an academic-practice partnership provides evidencebased support for administrators in rural hospitals. This mixed methods study involved the following measures: 1) Descriptive cross-sectional survey of hospital employees regarding work environment characteristics (N = 139/188; 74% response rate), yielding statistical power of .95, and 2) multiple qualitative focus groups with employees (N = 37) to explore contextual factors potentially influencing perceptions of work environment. There were statistically significant differences among perceived levels of vitality for hospital administrative staff compared to clinical and ancillary staff (p < .000 – p < .026). Thematic content of qualitative data revealed issues regarding a perceived lack of authentic leadership and management behaviors. Adopting best practices related to QIs may first require a paradigm shift by hospital leadership and management through conscious promotion of mutual trust and healthy work behaviors. An academic-practice partnership can provide data-based insights into work environment characteristics that may need attention so that the hospital administrator may empower staff-driven, collaborative QIs from an evidence-based stance.

Two-month-old male guinea pigs (Dunkin-Hartley strain, specific pathogen free), 4 in each group, were exposed to 0.00, 0.45, and 1.00 ppm O3 for 72 h. The trachea with two main bronchi was removed from each animal after O3 exposure. The trachea lavage fluid was used to measure the protein content as an index of altered tracheobronchial epithelial (TE) cell membrane permeability after O3 exposure. The TE cells were isolated and employed for the determination of DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) by fluorometric analysis of DNA unwinding (FADU). The statistical significance level was set at alpha =.05. The results show that neither the yield nor the viability of the TE cell from various O3 treatment groups was different from that of controls. Compared to controls, the protein content was elevated significantly after 0.45 ppm O3 exposure; however, the amount of DNA SSBs was not. The number of DNA SSBs increased significantly in the 1.00 ppm O3 exposure group when compared to controls. Regardless of the alkali incubation time at 15 degrees C, the double-stranded DNA left in the alkali TE cell lysate was a linear function of O3 exposure concentrations.

Alcohol and drug misuse continue to result in negative outcomes in the United States. Training nurses in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has been proposed as one approach to mitigating those harms. Such training can lead to improved attitudes and intention to use SBIRT in clinical practice, but whether those outcomes manifest similarly for distance or face-to-face learning has not been investigated. The current study is a quasi-experimental comparison of face-to-face and distance SBIRT education for undergraduate nursing students performed in Fall 2019. No differences in attitudes or intentions were observed between face-to-face and distance learning approaches. Self-reported competence meaningfully increased in both study arms, and there was some evidence of additional increases in perceived role legitimacy and intention to use SBIRT. To the degree that benefits are observed for SBIRT training, they may not vary between face-to-face and distance learning implementations of the same curriculum. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60 (8), 46–51.]