Iron-overload cardiomyopathy is a restrictive cardiomyopathy that manifests itself as systolic or diastolic dysfunction secondary to increased deposition of iron in the heart and occurs with common genetic disorders such as primary hemochromatosis and beta-thalassemia major. Although the exact mechanism of iron-induced heart failure remains to be elucidated, the toxicity of iron in biological systems is believed to be attributed to its ability to catalyze the generation of oxygen-free radicals. In the current investigation, the dose-dependent effects of chronic iron-loading on heart tissue concentrations of iron, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, free-radical production, and cardiac dysfunction were investigated in a murine model of iron-overload cardiomyopathy. It was shown that chronic iron-overload results in dose-dependent (a) increases in myocardial iron burden, (b) decreases in the protective antioxidant enzyme GPx activity, (c) increased free-radical production, and (d) increased mortality. These findings show that the mechanism of iron-induced heart dysfunction involves in part free radical-mediated processes.

Framed by role congruity and ambivalent sexism, the current study is designed to investigate perceptions of male and female nurses. Specifically, 167 Canadian undergraduates from Southern Ontario viewed a potential nursing recruitment advertisement (female nurse, male nurse, or masculinity emphasized male nurse), reported their perceptions of the nurse in the advertisement, and rated the appropriateness of nursing as a career for men and women. MANOVAs revealed that participants viewed the male nurses more negatively (less competent and more deviant) in the masculinity emphasized condition than the male nurse condition, which is consistent with role congruity theory. Correlations further revealed that men in the male nurse condition and women in the masculinity emphasized condition who were higher in hostile sexism were more likely to rate the depicted male nurse as deviant than their lower scoring peers. Female participants rated nursing as a more appropriate career for men than did male participants, suggesting that resistance toward male nurses may stem primarily from other men. The ambivalent sexism scores of men and women related differently in each condition to ratings of the appropriateness of nursing as a career for men and women, suggesting a complex relationship between sexism and acceptance of male nurses. The findings imply that attempts to challenge current stereotypes by emphasizing the masculinity of men in female dominated careers may instead lead to perceptions of greater role incongruity-and more negative perceptions of men in these careers. Moreover, ambivalent sexism may be contributing to resistances toward men in nursing.

Future studies are warranted to assess the quality of life of caregivers of stroke survivors with and without aphasia.

Early development and an accelerated course of diabetic nephropathy in iron-loaded patients with beta-thalassemia are observed. These findings may be attributed to high oxidative stress in these patients, which is secondary to iron-derived free radicals and to the patients' diminished antioxidant reserves.