Single-cell protein activity analysis identifies recurrence-associated renal tumor macrophages.

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is a heterogeneous disease with a variable post-surgical course. To assemble a comprehensive ccRCC tumor microenvironment (TME) atlas, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic subpopulations from tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue of treatment-naive ccRCC resections. We leveraged the VIPER algorithm to quantitate single-cell protein activity and validated this approach by comparison to flow cytometry. The analysis identified key TME subpopulations, as well as their master regulators and candidate cell-cell interactions, revealing clinically relevant populations, undetectable by gene-expression analysis. Specifically, we uncovered a tumor-specific macrophage subpopulation characterized by upregulation of TREM2/APOE/C1Q, validated by spatially resolved, quantitative multispectral immunofluorescence. In a large clinical validation cohort, these markers were significantly enriched in tumors from patients who recurred following surgery. The study thus identifies TREM2/APOE/C1Q-positive macrophage infiltration as a potential prognostic biomarker for ccRCC recurrence, as well as a candidate therapeutic target.

Characterization of Immunopathology and Small Airway Remodeling in Constrictive Bronchiolitis.

Rationale: Constrictive bronchiolitis (ConB) is a relatively rare and understudied form of lung disease whose underlying immunopathology remains incompletely defined. Objectives: Our objectives were to quantify specific pathological features that differentiate ConB from other diseases that affect the small airways and to investigate the underlying immune and inflammatory phenotype present in ConB. Methods: We performed a comparative histomorphometric analysis of small airways in lung biopsy samples collected from 50 soldiers with postdeployment ConB, 8 patients with sporadic ConB, 55 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 25 nondiseased control subjects. We measured immune and inflammatory gene expression in lung tissue using the NanoString nCounter Immunology Panel from six control subjects, six soldiers with ConB, and six patients with sporadic ConB. Measurements and Main Results: Compared with control subjects, we found shared pathological changes in small airways from soldiers with postdeployment ConB and patients with sporadic ConB, including increased thickness of the smooth muscle layer, increased collagen deposition in the subepithelium, and lymphocyte infiltration. Using principal-component analysis, we showed that ConB pathology was clearly separable both from control lungs and from small airway disease associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. NanoString gene expression analysis from lung tissue revealed T-cell activation in both groups of patients with ConB with upregulation of proinflammatory pathways, including cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions, NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB) signaling, TLR (Toll-like receptor) signaling, T-cell receptor signaling, and antigen processing and presentation. Conclusions: These findings indicate shared immunopathology among different forms of ConB and suggest that an ongoing T-helper cell type 1-type adaptive immune response underlies airway wall remodeling in ConB.

Nurses as bridge builders: Advancing nursing through the diffusion of knowledge.

AIMS: In 2001, the Institute of Medicine concluded that the American healthcare system failed in translating new knowledge into practice and applying for new technological advances. The Institute of Medicine suggested that knowledge dissemination in healthcare systems may never reach clinicians or patients because the available tools and incentives do not promote rapid dissemination efforts that improve clinical outcomes. This article describes a practical strategy that can bring the benefits of medical science and technology to all healthcare systems in the US and abroad. This involves building the capacity of thousands of new nurse doctors to use social network analysis and work as bridge builders in healthcare systems. BACKGROUND: Nurses have been working in research on evidence-based practice since the time of Florence Nightingale. Since then, there have been many challenges that have limited progress in disseminating nursing knowledge from research to practice. One limitation has been the underutilization of social network analysis, an inter-disciplinary approach used to leverage social structures and the linkages between "actors." DESIGN: The article includes a literature review of social network analysis in healthcare and dissertation formats used in nursing programs. METHODS: Literature review and analysis. RESULTS: Although the use of social network analysis in healthcare dates back to 1957, research has found that reference to social network analysis was rare in the nursing literature and that there was poor knowledge diffusion about social network analysis in the nursing profession. This represents an untapped potential to improve the dissemination of new knowledge in nursing. CONCLUSIONS: The use of social network analysis can help nurses advance care delivery, create more efficient healthcare facilities, and improve clinical outcomes. Nurse bridges represent ideal users of social network analysis because nurses enjoy a high level of interaction with patients, families, hospital personnel, and providers. To successfully build nursing's capacity as bridge builders, the nursing profession will need to change the traditional dissertation format to a publication format, build a new curriculum for nurses who will work as bridges in healthcare, and create a national academic-practice campaign focused on the diffusion of new knowledge in nursing.

Extensive phenotyping of individuals at risk for familial interstitial pneumonia reveals clues to the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease.

RATIONALE: Asymptomatic relatives of patients with familial interstitial pneumonia (FIP), the inherited form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, carry increased risk for developing interstitial lung disease. OBJECTIVES: Studying these at-risk individuals provides a unique opportunity to investigate early stages of FIP pathogenesis and develop predictive models of disease onset. METHODS: Seventy-five asymptomatic first-degree relatives of FIP patients (mean age, 50.8 yr) underwent blood sampling and high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) scanning in an ongoing cohort study; 72 consented to bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and transbronchial biopsies. Twenty-seven healthy individuals were used as control subjects. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eleven of 75 at-risk subjects (14%) had evidence of interstitial changes by HRCT, whereas 35.2% had abnormalities on transbronchial biopsies. No differences were noted in inflammatory cells in BAL between at-risk individuals and control subjects. At-risk subjects had increased herpesvirus DNA in cell-free BAL and evidence of herpesvirus antigen expression in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs), which correlated with expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress markers in AECs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell and AEC telomere length were shorter in at-risk individuals than healthy control subjects. The minor allele frequency of the Muc5B rs35705950 promoter polymorphism was increased in at-risk subjects. Levels of several plasma biomarkers differed between at-risk subjects and control subjects, and correlated with abnormal HRCT scans. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of lung parenchymal remodeling and epithelial dysfunction was identified in asymptomatic individuals at risk for FIP. Together, these findings offer new insights into the early pathogenesis of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and provide an ongoing opportunity to characterize presymptomatic abnormalities that predict progression to clinical disease.

Actinomycosis Mimicking Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome in a 6-Year-Old Boy: Case Report.

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is an idiopathic inflammatory process of the cavernous sinus or orbit manifesting as painful ophthalmoplegia. In this report, we detail the case of a 6-year-old boy who presented with several weeks of unilateral headache and diplopia. He was found to have an infiltrative process involving the bilateral cavernous sinuses and pituitary gland on MRI. Given a progressing infiltrative central nervous system process on repeat MRI and the development of cerebral salt wasting, a biopsy was performed revealing actinomycosis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of actinomycosis masquerading as Tolosa-Hunt syndrome in a child.

Blockade of the programmed death-1 pathway restores sarcoidosis CD4(+) T-cell proliferative capacity.

RATIONALE: Effective therapeutic interventions for chronic, idiopathic lung diseases remain elusive. Normalized T-cell function is an important contributor to spontaneous resolution of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Up-regulation of inhibitor receptors, such as programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand, PD-L1, are important inhibitors of T-cell function. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of PD-1 pathway blockade on sarcoidosis CD4(+) T-cell proliferative capacity. METHODS: Gene expression profiles of sarcoidosis and healthy control peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed at baseline and follow-up. Flow cytometry was used to measure ex vivo expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 on systemic and bronchoalveolar lavage-derived cells of subjects with sarcoidosis and control subjects, as well as the effects of PD-1 pathway blockade on cellular proliferation after T-cell receptor stimulation. Immunohistochemistry analysis for PD-1/PD-L1 expression was conducted on sarcoidosis, malignant, and healthy control lung specimens. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Microarray analysis demonstrates longitudinal increase in PDCD1 gene expression in sarcoidosis peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed increased PD-L1 expression within sarcoidosis granulomas and lung malignancy, but this was absent in healthy lungs. Increased numbers of sarcoidosis PD-1(+) CD4(+) T cells are present systemically, compared with healthy control subjects (P < 0.0001). Lymphocytes with reduced proliferative capacity exhibited increased proliferation with PD-1 pathway blockade. Longitudinal analysis of subjects with sarcoidosis revealed reduced PD-1(+) CD4(+) T cells with spontaneous clinical resolution but not with disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Analogous to the effects in other chronic lung diseases, these findings demonstrate that the PD-1 pathway is an important contributor to sarcoidosis CD4(+) T-cell proliferative capacity and clinical outcome. Blockade of the PD-1 pathway may be a viable therapeutic target to optimize clinical outcomes.

The Benefits of a Nurse-Driven, Patient- and Family-Centered Pediatric Palliative Care Program.

This article describes the program and outcomes of a nurse driven, patient- and family-centered pediatric advanced comprehensive care team (PACCT) palliative program. This care delivery model improved patient outcomes by providing care across the healthcare continuum for pediatric patients. Since the inception of PACCT, no child has died on a ventilator in the pediatric ICU associated with end-of-life-related issues.

Constrictive bronchiolitis in soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: In this descriptive case series, 80 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with inhalational exposures during service in Iraq and Afghanistan were evaluated for dyspnea on exertion that prevented them from meeting the U.S. Army's standards for physical fitness. METHODS: The soldiers underwent extensive evaluation of their medical and exposure history, physical examination, pulmonary-function testing, and high-resolution computed tomography (CT). A total of 49 soldiers underwent thoracoscopic lung biopsy after noninvasive evaluation did not provide an explanation for their symptoms. Data on cardiopulmonary-exercise and pulmonary-function testing were compared with data obtained from historical military control subjects. RESULTS: Among the soldiers who were referred for evaluation, a history of inhalational exposure to a 2003 sulfur-mine fire in Iraq was common but not universal. Of the 49 soldiers who underwent lung biopsy, all biopsy samples were abnormal, with 38 soldiers having changes that were diagnostic of constrictive bronchiolitis. In the remaining 11 soldiers, diagnoses other than constrictive bronchiolitis that could explain the presenting dyspnea were established. All soldiers with constrictive bronchiolitis had normal results on chest radiography, but about one quarter were found to have mosaic air trapping or centrilobular nodules on chest CT. The results of pulmonary-function and cardiopulmonary-exercise testing were generally within normal population limits but were inferior to those of the military control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In 49 previously healthy soldiers with unexplained exertional dyspnea and diminished exercise tolerance after deployment, an analysis of biopsy samples showed diffuse constrictive bronchiolitis, which was possibly associated with inhalational exposure, in 38 soldiers.

Pulmonary vascular disease in Veterans with post-deployment respiratory syndrome.

Exertional dyspnea has been documented in US military personnel after deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. We studied whether continued exertional dyspnea in this patient population is associated with pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). We performed detailed histomorphometry of pulmonary vasculature in 52 Veterans with biopsy-proven post-deployment respiratory syndrome (PDRS) and then recruited five of these same Veterans with continued exertional dyspnea to undergo a follow-up clinical evaluation, including symptom questionnaire, pulmonary function testing, surface echocardiography, and right heart catheterization (RHC). Morphometric evaluation of pulmonary arteries showed significantly increased intima and media thicknesses, along with collagen deposition (fibrosis), in Veterans with PDRS compared to non-diseased (ND) controls. In addition, pulmonary veins in PDRS showed increased intima and adventitia thicknesses with prominent collagen deposition compared to controls. Of the five Veterans involved in our clinical follow-up study, three had borderline or overt right ventricle (RV) enlargement by echocardiography and evidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on RHC. Together, our studies suggest that PVD with predominant venular fibrosis is common in PDRS and development of PH may explain exertional dyspnea and exercise limitation in some Veterans with PDRS.

Staging and defining characteristics of pressure ulcers using photographs by staff nurses in acute care settings.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine if a digital photograph obtained by a staff nurse in the acute care setting could be used to determine staging and wound characteristics of a pressure ulcer when viewed by a panel of wound experts as compared to a bedside assessment by a wound expert. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: One hundred digital photographs of pressure ulcers were obtained from 69 patients on general and critical care medical-surgical nursing units from 2 Magnet-designated hospitals belonging to a large Mid-Atlantic health care system. Four certified wound ostomy nurses (CWONs), 2 at each hospital site, identified patients with a pressure ulcer for bedside assessment and digital photography. METHODS: This multisite nonexperimental study compared bedside assessment of wound characteristics and staging of 100 pressure ulcers by the hospital CWON to assessment of the same wound by an expert panel of 3 CWONs via digital photography. This study examined 13 wound characteristics and a total score on the Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) as well as the staging of a pressure ulcer using the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel definitions. A nonprobability sampling plan used a convenience sample of 69 adult inpatients at the 2 hospitals to obtain photographs of 100 pressure ulcers. INSTRUMENT: : The BWAT, formerly the Pressure Sore Status Tool, was used by the bedside and expert panelists to assess the pressure ulcer characteristics. This tool assesses 13 wound characteristics from best to worst, using a modified Likert scale. Studies examining reliability and validity of the BWAT support it as an effective instrument. RESULTS: Interrater reliability among the hospital CWONs using bedside assessment and panelist CWONs using digital photography assessment for the BWAT 13 characteristics ranged from slight to fair agreement for skin color surrounding wound (κ range = 0.12-0.21, P ≤ .02) to fair to moderate agreement for necrotic tissue type (κ range = 0.37-0.60, P = .000). Only slight agreement for total BWAT score was found among on-site bedside CWONs and off-site expert panelist CWONs (κ range = 0.01-0.05, P ≤ .05). Results of the interrater analysis for staging of pressure ulcers had fair to moderate agreement (κ range = 0.39-0.58 (P = .000). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that a digital photograph alone cannot reliably convey the characteristics of a pressure ulcer. A digital photo, in combination with clinical information, may increase the accuracy of the assessment and documentation. Systems designed to provide digital photography wound measurements may improve consistency, along with the development of standardized education for examining digital photographs by wound experts.

Low Gut Microbial Diversity Augments Estrogen-driven Pulmonary Fibrosis in Female-Predominant Interstitial Lung Disease.

Although profibrotic cytokines such as IL-17A and TGF-ß1 have been implicated in interstitial lung disease (ILD) pathogenesis, interactions between gut dysbiosis, gonadotrophic hormones and molecular mediators of profibrotic cytokine expression, such as phosphorylation of STAT3, have not been defined. Here we show by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis of primary human CD4+ T cells that regions within the STAT3 locus are significantly enriched for binding by the transcription factor estrogen receptor alpha (ERa). Using the murine model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, we found significantly increased regulatory T cells compared to Th17 cells in the female lung. Genetic absence of ESR1 or ovariectomy in mice significantly increased pSTAT3 and IL-17A expression in pulmonary CD4+ T cells, which was reduced after repletion of female hormones. Remarkably, there was no significant reduction in lung fibrosis under either condition, suggesting that factors outside of ovarian hormones also contribute. Assessment of lung fibrosis among menstruating females in different rearing environments revealed that environments favoring gut dysbiosis augment fibrosis. Furthermore, hormone repletion following ovariectomy further augmented lung fibrosis, suggesting pathologic interactions between gonadal hormones and gut microbiota on lung fibrosis severity. Analysis in female sarcoidosis patients revealed a significant reduction in pSTAT3 and IL-17A levels and a concomitant increase in TGF-ß1 levels in CD4+ T cells, compared to male sarcoidosis patients. These studies reveal that estrogen is profibrotic in females and that gut dysbiosis in menstruating females augments lung fibrosis severity, supporting a critical interaction between gonadal hormones and gut flora in lung fibrosis pathogenesis.

Low Gut Microbial Diversity Augments Estrogen-Driven Pulmonary Fibrosis in Female-Predominant Interstitial Lung Disease.

Although profibrotic cytokines, such as IL-17A and TGF-ß1, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung disease (ILD), the interactions between gut dysbiosis, gonadotrophic hormones and molecular mediators of profibrotic cytokine expression, such as the phosphorylation of STAT3, have not been defined. Here, through chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis of primary human CD4+ T cells, we show that regions within the STAT3 locus are significantly enriched for binding by the transcription factor estrogen receptor alpha (ERa). Using the murine model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, we found significantly increased regulatory T cells compared to Th17 cells in the female lung. The genetic absence of ESR1 or ovariectomy in mice significantly increased pSTAT3 and IL-17A expression in pulmonary CD4+ T cells, which was reduced after the repletion of female hormones. Remarkably, there was no significant reduction in lung fibrosis under either condition, suggesting that factors outside of ovarian hormones also contribute. An assessment of lung fibrosis among menstruating females in different rearing environments revealed that environments favoring gut dysbiosis augment fibrosis. Furthermore, hormone repletion following ovariectomy further augmented lung fibrosis, suggesting pathologic interactions between gonadal hormones and gut microbiota in relation to lung fibrosis severity. An analysis of female sarcoidosis patients revealed a significant reduction in pSTAT3 and IL-17A levels and a concomitant increase in TGF-ß1 levels in CD4+ T cells compared to male sarcoidosis patients. These studies reveal that estrogen is profibrotic in females and that gut dysbiosis in menstruating females augments lung fibrosis severity, supporting a critical interaction between gonadal hormones and gut flora in lung fibrosis pathogenesis.

From Toyota to the bedside: nurses can lead the lean way in health care reform.

The advent of health care reform means new pressures on American hospitals, which will be forced to do more with less. In the next decade, increased use of "Lean" principles and practices in hospitals can create real value by reducing waste and improving productivity, costs, quality, and the timely delivery of patient care services. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine recommended that nurses lead collaborative quality improvement efforts and assume a major role in redesigning health care in the United States. In this article, we provide an overview of the use of Lean techniques in health care and 2 case studies of successful, nurse-directed Lean initiatives at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The article concludes with some lessons we have learned and implications for nursing education in the future that must include the concepts, tools, and skills required for adapting Lean to the patient care environment.

Nondiagnostic category of Milan System for Reporting Pediatric Salivary Gland Cytopathology: outcomes and root cause analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) results classified as the nondiagnostic category of the Milan system for reporting salivary gland cytopathology (MSRSGC) may be infrequently encountered in children. Clinical management may be challenging due to lack of data regarding outcomes and underlying causes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 106 consecutive pediatric salivary gland FNAs (2000-2020; 45% performed under image guidance). The outcomes of patients with nondiagnostic results were analyzed. Clinical parameters, FNA procedural parameters, and histopathologic parameters were compared between diagnostic and nondiagnostic cases. A root cause analysis was performed using the fishbone diagram and the 5 Whys method. RESULTS: A total of 103 initial FNAs were identified. The nondiagnostic rates for initial and repeat biopsy were 16% (16/103) and 67% (2/3), respectively. Initial nondiagnostic FNAs were most frequently managed by clinical/radiologic follow-up only (56%, 9/16), followed by direct surgery (19%, 3/16) and repeat FNA (19%, 3/16). By histologic and clinical/radiologic follow-up, the risk of malignancy for nondiagnostic cases was zero. Palpation guidance (P < .05), inadequate sampling determined by rapid on-site evaluation (P < .01), and lesions with cystic, vascular, or diffuse nature (P < .05) were significantly associated with nondiagnostic results. By root cause analysis, proceduralist sampling error and lack of ultrasound guidance were the most common primary and secondary causes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric salivary gland lesions of the nondiagnostic MSRSGC category have minimal risk of malignancy and may be successfully managed by clinical/radiologic follow-up. The root causes for nondiagnostic results were often multifactorial and primarily related to proceduralist sampling, characteristics of the lesions, and lack of ultrasound guidance.

CD19 + CD21lo/neg cells are increased in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The purpose of this study was to examine recirculating lymphocytes from SSc patients for potential biomarkers of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with SSc and healthy controls enrolled in the Vanderbilt University Myositis and Scleroderma Treatment Initiative Center cohort between 9/2017-6/2019. Clinical phenotyping was performed by chart abstraction. Immunophenotyping was performed using both mass cytometry and fluorescence cytometry combined with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding analysis and traditional biaxial gating. This study included 34 patients with SSc-ILD, 14 patients without SSc-ILD, and 25 healthy controls. CD21lo/neg cells are significantly increased in SSc-ILD but not in SSc without ILD (15.4 ± 13.3% vs. 5.8 ± 0.9%, p = 0.002) or healthy controls (5.0 ± 0.5%, p < 0.0001). While CD21lo/neg B cells can be identified from a single biaxial gate, tSNE analysis reveals that the biaxial gate is comprised of multiple distinct subsets, all of which are increased in SSc-ILD. CD21lo/neg cells in both healthy controls and SSc-ILD are predominantly tBET positive and do not have intracellular CD21. Immunohistochemistry staining demonstrated that CD21lo/neg B cells diffusely infiltrate the lung parenchyma of an SSc-ILD patient. Additional work is needed to validate this biomarker in larger cohorts and longitudinal studies and to understand the role of these cells in SSc-ILD.

Breaking the fall.

OBJECTIVE: : The Helping Hands program is a nurse-directed falls prevention program designed to support a hospital-wide culture of safety and reduce harm from falls. BACKGROUND: : Patient falls and the associated morbidity and mortality represent a significant risk for patients and healthcare facilities. Age-adjusted fatalities from falls increased significantly from 1993 to 2003. By 2020, the annual cost of injuries from falls is expected to exceed $40 billion. METHODS: : Components of the Helping Hands falls prevention program worked synergistically to support the development of a culture of safety at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The program consisted of nursing assessment of fall risk with the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool; reviews of fall risk and intervention efficacy; creation of communication mechanisms, reporting processes, and change champion roles; engagement of patients and families in falls prevention; increased public awareness of fall risk through signage; nursing interventions; and utilization of nursing performance improvement analysts. RESULTS: : Over 3 years, 65% (N = 7,900) of more than 12,000 patients assessed were at risk of falling. Most falls caused no or little harm, and at 3 years of follow-up, total falls decreased by 16.6 %, and severe falls accounted for 0.009 % (n = 2) of all falls. CONCLUSIONS: : The data offer a hopeful perspective on the role of nursing engagement in developing a hospital-wide culture of safety and protecting patients from permanent harm caused by fall events.

Professional development for nurses: mentoring along the u-shaped curve.

Shortages of nurses are expected to continue throughout the coming decade. To meet the demand, nursing leaders must develop creative approaches for nurturing and sustaining nursing talent. Traditionally, nursing has embraced a variety of development strategies to enhance the leadership abilities of nurses and to fill the leadership ranks with top talent. We describe the rationale, design, and impact of a 3-pronged organizational approach to mentoring nursing talent at Georgetown University Hospital, the first Magnet hospital in Washington, District of Columbia. The design of these programs was driven by the demographics of our nursing staff. Analysis of length of tenure revealed a modified "U-shaped curve" with the majority of new nurses with tenure less than 5 years, few in the middle between 5 and 15 years, and a moderate number with 15 or more years. Investment in all our nurses' leadership development required integrating a diverse developmental process into our organizational culture, which values personal growth and mastery. A strong mentoring program makes good business sense in terms of employee job satisfaction, improved cost control, and better patient outcomes. Our experience suggests that voluntary mentoring programs work synergistically to further the development of a mentoring culture in today's hospitals.

Postdeployment Respiratory Syndrome in Soldiers With Chronic Exertional Dyspnea.

After deployment to Southwest Asia, some soldiers develop persistent respiratory symptoms, including exercise intolerance and exertional dyspnea. We identified 50 soldiers with a history of deployment to Southwest Asia who presented with unexplained dyspnea and underwent an unrevealing clinical evaluation followed by surgical lung biopsy. Lung tissue specimens from 17 age-matched, nonsmoking subjects were used as controls. Quantitative histomorphometry was performed for evaluation of inflammation and pathologic remodeling of small airways, pulmonary vasculature, alveolar tissue and visceral pleura. Compared with control subjects, lung biopsies from affected soldiers revealed a variety of pathologic changes involving their distal lungs, particularly related to bronchovascular bundles. Bronchioles from soldiers had increased thickness of the lamina propria, smooth muscle hypertrophy, and increased collagen content. In adjacent arteries, smooth muscle hypertrophy and adventitial thickening resulted in increased wall-to-lumen ratio in affected soldiers. Infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes was noted within airway walls, along with increased formation of lymphoid follicles. In alveolar parenchyma, collagen and elastin content were increased and capillary density was reduced in interalveolar septa from soldiers compared to control subjects. In addition, pleural involvement with inflammation and/or fibrosis was present in the majority (92%) of soldiers. Clinical follow-up of 29 soldiers (ranging from 1 to 15 y) showed persistence of exertional dyspnea in all individuals and a decline in total lung capacity. Susceptible soldiers develop a postdeployment respiratory syndrome that includes exertional dyspnea and complex pathologic changes affecting small airways, pulmonary vasculature, alveolar tissue, and visceral pleura.

Rigor in PhD dissertation research.

Recent reports from the Institute of Medicine document the increase in the number of nurses enrolled in doctoral education preparing for nurse scientist and leadership roles in the transformation of health care. This means that many doctoral students will acquire a knowledge of the research process, learn how to review and critique relevant literature, select appropriate research designs, and with the guidance of their dissertation chair and committee, design and conduct high quality, scholarly research studies that culminate in successfully defended doctoral dissertations. The health care profession expects that these dissertations, which include quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, will contribute to the knowledge base of the nursing profession and advance improvement in clinical and public health outcomes in the populations served by the nursing profession. This article reviews the concept of rigor in research, the rationale for rigor, various approaches that increase rigor, and the associated concepts that strengthen a research study.