Slit scanning of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells: quantification of asymmetric cell division and cell cycle progression in asynchronous culture.

Slit scanning flow cytometry has been applied to the analysis of the cell cycle and cell-cycle-dependent events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yielding information on the low-resolution spatial distribution of cellular components in single cells of unperturbed cell populations. Because this process is rapid, large numbers of cells can be analyzed to give distributions of parameters in a given population. To study asymmetric cell division and cell cycle progression, forward-angle light scattering (FALS) signals together with fluorescence signals from acriflavine-stained nuclei have been measured in cells from exponentially growing yeast populations. An algorithm has been developed that assigns the position of the bud neck in the FALS signals so that both FALS and DNA signals can be analyzed in terms of the contributions from the mother cell and the cell bud. The data indicate that mother cell FALS, on average, remains constant while FALS due to the cell bud increases as a cell progresses through the cell cycle. By identifying mitotic cells and measuring their properties, we have found that the coefficient of variation for the distribution of FALS is smallest within the dividing cell population and largest within the newborn cell population, in accordance with the critical size control mechanism of yeast cell growth. The use of this experimental approach to provide data for statistical population models is discussed.

Nursing and medical students' attitudes toward the rights of hospitalized patients.

A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure the attitudes of Israeli nursing and medical students toward the rights of hospitalized patients in a cross-sectional study of first and fourth year students. Mean attitude scores were high in all student groups showing strong agreement with theoretical rights. Senior nursing students showed significantly higher scores than first-year nursing students. Eighty-eight percent of all students and 100% of senior nursing students considered a blanket consent procedure inadequate for protecting patient's rights. Senior nursing students assigned responsibility for protecting patients' rights to nurses, doctors, hospital administration, and the patient/family with higher frequency than other student groups.

Family planning: beyond contraception.

PIP: Nurses at a community health center in Jerusalem, Israel, operated as a field teaching base of the Department of Community Medicine at Hadassah and the Hebrew University, broadened their counseling role from contraception to family planning values clarification. Eight registered public health nurses working in teams with physicians normally counsel pregnant and postpartum women until the child is 2 yr of age. Initially, staff nurses objected to presenting the subject of family goals, because they considered the topic too private. This difficulty was approached by discussions to clarify the nurses' own values as regards timing the next pregnancy. A counseling model of questions to be asked was proposed to the nurses, involving questions on number of children desired, timing of the next pregnancy, consequences of definite responses, and suggested factors to clarify a client's thinking after an indefinite response. The model was employed first in role playing practice, then informally with clients, and finally consistently incorporated into the patient service record. A year after being introduced the model was evaluated. After being offered the family planning model, 84% of postpartum women formulated definite family planning goals, compared to 69% of a similar group in 1977, and 54% of a group from a nearby community.^ieng

Technology-enhanced distance education: from experimentation to concerted action.

Despite the rush to embrace technology-enhanced learning (TEL), descriptions of how schools of nursing move toward systemwide implementation of this type of teaching are scarce. There is a wide gap between sporadic dabbling by individual instructors in specific courses and adoption and implementation of TEL throughout a program. This article describes the experiences of a group of nursing faculty who helped move one school of nursing from experimentation with TEL in distance education to concerted action toward a strategic schoolwide plan. J Prof Nurs 17:135-140, 2001.

Tobacco counseling practices of dentists compared to other health care providers in a midwestern region.

Tobacco counseling practices of dentists and other health care professionals in a predominantly rural region in the Upper Midwest were assessed to determine the need for professional education. A survey was mailed to all dentists, physicians, chiropractors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and public health nurses in a 16-county region. Half (51.9 percent) of providers returned usable surveys (n = 614). While dentists were more likely than physicians and other health professionals to accurately estimate their patients' tobacco use, they were less consistent than other professions in tobacco assessment and intervention, less supportive of tobacco intervention, less likely to report having strong tobacco cessation skill/knowledge levels, and more likely to perceive barriers to tobacco intervention. Three out of five dentists (61.1 percent) reported desire for further tobacco education. For dentists to effectively counsel patients regarding tobacco use, it is essential to integrate tobacco intervention education into dental school curricula and to offer continuing education regarding tobacco use intervention to practicing dentists. Recent state settlements with tobacco companies could provide funding for such education.

Family planning in a healthy, married population: operationalizing the human rights approach in an Israeli health service setting.

A community health center in Israel, delivering services to a geographically defined population, attempted to formulate goals for its postpartum family planning service. Taking into account the pronatalist climate in Israel along with the good health status of the population served by this center, it was decided that the community-wide goal of the family planning program was to ensure the rights of couples to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children. Specific process and outcome objectives were developed based on helping couples define and clarify their family planning goals, and assisting them to achieve these goals. Preliminary evaluation of the intervention based on the objectives showed that 84.0 per cent of the cohort of women who gave birth in 1980 (n = 212) had specific postpartum planning goals as opposed to 69.0 per cent of women who gave birth in 1977 (n = 242). The percentage of women experiencing unplanned pregnancies during the two years after birth was reduced by 46 per cent in the 1980 cohort (6.1 per cent of the women) as compared with the 1977 cohort (11.2 per cent).

Using historical data for bioprocess optimization: modeling wine characteristics using artificial neural networks and archived process information.

Optimization of fermentation processes is a difficult task that relies on an understanding of the complex effects of processing inputs on productivity and quality outputs. Because of the complexity of these biological systems, traditional optimization methods utilizing mathematical models and statistically designed experiments are less effective, especially on a production scale. At the same time, information is being collected on a regular basis during the course of normal manufacturing and process development that is rarely fully utilized. We are developing an optimization method in which historical process data is used to train an artificial neural network for correlation of processing inputs and outputs. Subsequently, an optimization routine is used in conjunction with the trained neural network to find optimal processing conditions given the desired product characteristics and any constraints on inputs. Wine processing is being used as a case study for this work. Using data from wine produced in our pilot winery over the past 3 years, we have demonstrated that trained neural networks can be used successfully to predict the yeast-fermentation kinetics, as well as chemical and sensory properties of the finished wine, based solely on the properties of the grapes and the intended processing. To accomplish this, a hybrid neural network training method, Stop Training with Validation (STV), has been developed to find the most desirable neural network architecture and training level. As industrial historical data will not be evenly spaced over the entire possible search space, we have also investigated the ability of the trained neural networks to interpolate and extrapolate with data not used during training. Because a company will utilize its own existing process data for this method, the result of this work will be a general fermentation optimization method that can be applied to fermentation processes to improve quality and productivity.

Differences in tobacco assessment and intervention practices: a regional snapshot.

BACKGROUND: This research describes tobacco attitudes and practices of health care providers in the Upper Midwest. A baseline measure of preventive practices by providers was needed to plan effective tobacco intervention education programs. METHODS: Health care providers in a 16-county region received a mailed survey regarding tobacco assessment practices, intervention practices, attitudes, skills/knowledge, barriers, and desire for tobacco education. The survey was sent to all chiropractors, dentists, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, physicians (primary care and specialist), and public health nurses in the region. A total of 51.9% (n = 614) of all providers returned usable surveys. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between provider groups on all measured concepts. Primary care physicians, nurse practitioners/physician assistants, and public health nurses were more likely than specialist physicians, dentists, and chiropractors to assess, intervene, be supportive of tobacco cessation, have skills/knowledge about cessation, perceive fewer barriers, and want further education. CONCLUSIONS: In this region, provider groups differed in tobacco use assessment and treatment. All provider groups desired education regarding tobacco intervention. Region-wide tobacco cessation educational initiatives need to take into account differences between provider groups.

Child safety seat misuse: home visiting assessment and intervention.

This project piloted the use of nurse-initiated home visits for child safety seat (CSS) assessment and intervention. Nurses made home visits to 149 rural and suburban Wisconsin women with children under 2 years of age, and assessed CSS misuse through observation and physical manipulation. Over three-quarters of CSSs were misused, although mothers were aware of only one-quarter of the instances of incorrect use. Nurses taught proper CSS use through verbal instruction, demonstration with parent's own vehicle and CSS, and supervised parental manipulation of CSS. While mothers were receptive to home visiting for CSS assessment and education, this project involved substantial nurse training. Because thorough CSS assessment and intervention during home visits is resource-intensive, other options for improving correct CSS use and parental awareness are discussed.

Linking high-risk, low-income, pregnant women to public health services.

Utilization of public health services by high-risk pregnant women is contingent on women's awareness of those services. This article reports on an evaluation of public health promotional methods and compares high-risk pregnant women users of public health services to eligible nonusers. For women who used public health services, the two most frequently reported sources of information were a public health nurse or a friend. Users of services in contrast with nonusers tended to have had fewer pregnancies, lower income, and use WIC. They were also less likely to attend church and to have more contact with their child's school. These findings can assist agencies in planning outreach activities.

The Bridge to Health Project: a collaborative model for assessing the health of a community.

The Bridge to Health Project, a collaborative effort of 70 health related organizations, was designed to collect population-based health status data about approximately a half million residents in a primarily rural region in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Funding and staff support were provided by a regional medical center. The importance of sound survey methodology, role clarification, adequate staff support, and a well organized process to foster collaboration have applicability to other regions considering a collaborative process of health status assessment.

Characterizing the production of a wild-type and benomyl-resistant Fusarium lateritium for biocontrol of Eutypa lata on grapevine.

Benomyl-resistant (BR) and wild-type (WT) strains of Fusarium lateritium were examined for their tolerance to benomyl on potato dextrose agar (PDA) containing benomyl and control of the Eutypa lata in grapevine bioassays. The WT strain grew on PDA containing 1 microg/ml benomyl at 13, 26 and 29 degrees C. The BR strain grew on PDA containing 10 microg/ml benomyl at 4 degrees C, on PDA containing 100 microg/ml benomyl at 29 degrees C, and on PDA containing 1,000 microg/ml benomyl at 13 degrees C and 26 degrees C. The BR strain was also able to colonize grapevine segments and control E. lata in the presence of 1,000 microg/ml benomyl. Both strains were amenable to production via liquid fermentation and both achieved 100% control of E. lata in grapevine bioassays. Neither the duration of fermentation nor incubation temperature during grapevine bioassays influenced the efficacy of either strain against E. lata. The results suggest that application of BR F. lateritium alone or in combination with benomyl may provide good control of E. lata.

Fulfilling regional needs for specialty nurses through limited-cohort graduate education.

The University of Minnesota has developed a limited-cohort distance education graduate program to overcome geographic barriers and address the shortage of master's-prepared specialty nurses in rural areas of the upper Midwest. Such a program offers graduate nursing education in various specialty areas to distance sites for a predetermined, relatively short period.