Preceptor development. An opportunity to stimulate critical thinking

In this article, the authors describe a preceptor development program with several unique features. The program provides preceptors with strategies to promote critical thinking and has expanded content on feedback and evaluation processes. Ongoing professional development is continued through follow-up seminars. These seminars provided preceptors with an opportunity to share their experiences, which led to identification of important issues for further exploration. For example, preceptors need assistance developing teaching strategies to meet the needs of the middle-aged new graduate nurse.

On-line buffer removal and fraction selection in gradient capillary high-performance liquid chromatography prior to electrospray mass spectrometry of peptides and proteins

The technique for on-line removal of buffers and for fraction selection to eliminate source clogging and suppression of electrospray ionization by unwanted constituents consisted of: (i) selecting the initial mobile phase composition to retain analytes on top of a capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column; (ii) washing the buffer isocratically to waste, using a two-way micro dump valve; (iii) starting the gradient and switching the dump valve to introduce analytes into the source. Peptide and protein mixtures were prepared in 0.05-0.5 M phosphate and 0.55 mM tris-based buffers, and water. After buffer removal, chromatograms and electrospray spectra were indistinguishable from those of aqueous controls, down to 1 pmol (acidic fibroblast growth factor) consumed, and up to 78 kDa (bovine transferrin) molecular weight. Aided by the dump valve, 100 fmol of angiotensin could be fractionated and identified on the slope of a 10 x 10(6) fmol of leucine enkephalin HPLC peak. On-line buffer removal and fraction selection eliminate the need for additional preparation steps than can lead to excessive sample losses.

[The effect of standardized acupuncture programs in the after-care of accident patients]

153 patients suffering from pain, edematous conditions, and impaired movement following traumas sustained in accidents were treated or after-treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture was applied in adherence to a standardized program according to the individual types of injury. The stimulus was applied by means of steel needles inserted into body as well as ear acupuncture points. In all 9 groups, improvement of the painful condition was significant to highly significant as it was regarding improvement of the movement impairment, the latter not having been emphasized in the other 3 groups. Remaining complaints of long standing following accident traumas could also be positively influenced. Acupuncture proved itself to be an effective form of therapy for after-treatment of accident patients, presenting a valuable supplement to the field of rehabilitation, especially when combined with other physical therapeutic measures.

[Testing the effect of acupuncture in accident patients using skin temperature measurements]

Skin temperature was studied on a group of 54 patients suffering from accident traumas and 20 healthy probands during and after treatment. In all patients there was a very significant rise in skin temperature in the area of the lesion which persisted beyond the treatment period, and in some cases even increased. This effect was also observed to a lesser extent on the contralateral, untreated extremity. No change in skin temperature was observed in the healthy probands who were treated in the same manner. This leads to the conclusion that needle stimuli in the area of lesions have not only a local, hyperemic effect, but also demonstrate superregional actions; this is, however, dependent on the integrity of the organism.

[Treatment of whiplash injuries of the cervical spine with acupuncture]

30 patients with whiplash injuries were treated with aural-acupuncture. The points were chosen according to a special programme. Acupuncture proved an effective form of therapy for treatment of accident patients with whiplash injuries, representing a valuable supplement to the field of rehabilitation.

The black mink (Mustela vison). A natural model of immunologic male infertility

Breeding for fine black fur has generated a colony of mink wherein 20-30% of the males are infertile. Two clinical groups are distinguishable: one being infertile from the start (primary infertility), and the other infertile after one or more years of fertility (secondary fertility). Although the etiology of primary infertility is unknown, the available data indicate that secondary infertility is associated with an autoimmune disease of the testis. Thus, male mink with secondary infertility have (a) higher prevalence and levels of anti-sperm antibody when compared with animals with primary infertility, and the antibody prevalence varies with fur color; (b) severe monocytic orchitis (47%) and/or aspermatogenesis (75%) with negative cultures for bacterial, fungal, mumps, or Coxsackie B viral organisms; (c) massive and extensive granular deposits of mink IgG and/or C3 (71%), typical of immune complexes, along the basal lamina of seminiferous tubules; (d) testes that when eluted with buffer or low pH yielded IgG that was 10-fold enriched in anti-sperm antibody activity as compared with serum IgG; and (e) no immunopathologic evidence of Aleutian mink disease. Although the sperm antigen-antibody complexes in the testis may be important as a pathogenetic mechanism of the testicular disease, there is no correlation between fluorescent anti-sperm antibody detection in the serum and the infertile state. The infertile black mink is a new model of infertility associated with naturally occurring autoimmune disease of the testis.