MicroRNA-214 targets PTK6 to inhibit tumorigenic potential and increase drug sensitivity of prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men with African American men disproportionally suffering from the burden of this disease. Biomarkers that could discriminate indolent from aggressive and drug resistance disease are lacking. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that affect numerous physiological and pathological processes, including cancer development and have been suggested as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-214 on prostate cancer cell survival/migration/invasion, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. miR-214 was differentially expressed between Caucasian and African American prostate cancer cells. Importantly, miR-214 overexpression in prostate cancer cells induced apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation and colony forming ability. miR-214 expression in prostate cancer cells also inhibited cell migration and 3D spheroid invasion. Mechanistically, miR-214 inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation by targeting protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6). Restoration of PTK6 expression attenuated the inhibitory effect of miR-214 on cell proliferation. Moreover, simultaneous inhibition of PTK6 by ibrutinib and miR-214 significantly reduced cell proliferation/survival. Our data indicates that miR-214 could act as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer and could potentially be utilized as a biomarker and therapeutic target

A Sweeping Jet Application on a High Reynolds Number Semispan Supercritical Wing Configuration

The FAST-MAC circulation control model was modified to test an array of unsteady sweeping-jet actuators at realistic flight Reynolds numbers in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. Two types of sweeping jet actuators were fabricated using rapid prototype techniques, and directed over a 15% chord simple-hinged flap. The model was configured for low-speed high-lift testing with flap deflections of 30 and 60, and a transonic cruise configuration with a 0 flap deflection. For the 30 flap high-lift configuration, the sweeping jets achieved comparable lift performance in the separation control regime, while reducing the mass flow by 54% as compared to steady blowing. However, the sweeping jets were not effective for the 60 flap. For the transonic cruise configuration, the sweeping jets reduced the drag by 3.3% at an off design condition. The drag reduction for the design lift coefficient for the sweeping jets provided only half the drag reduction shown for the steady blowing case (6.5%), but accomplished this with a 74% reduction in mass flow

Quality Measures for Hospice and Palliative Care: Piloting the PEACE Measures

Background: The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence launched the PEACE project in 2006, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to identify, develop, and pilot test quality measures for hospice and palliative care programs

Site-specific relationships between algal biomass and floating photovoltaic solar energy in human-made bodies of water

Eutrophication and climate-driven warming are degrading aquatic ecosystems by promoting harmful algal and cyanobacterial growth, while global decarbonization efforts are intensifying land-use conflicts for renewable energy. Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems—solar panels installed on human-made waterbodies—offer a potential solution, yet their effects on algae and water quality remain poorly understood. We assessed algal biomass and water quality beneath FPVs and in open water at four FPV-hosting ponds across the United States, spanning a range of FPV coverage levels, trophic states, climates, and bathymetry. Sampling occurred twice daily across all seasons from 2021 to 2022. Results showed minimal overall differences in phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and temperature between FPV-covered and open-water areas, though some site-specific trends emerged. At one mesotrophic site (4.8% coverage), chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin were significantly lower beneath FPVs in multiple seasons, with up to 80% reductions in chlorophyll-a observed in spring. In contrast, at a eutrophic site (22% coverage), chlorophyll-a was occasionally higher beneath FPVs, while two mesotrophic sites with high coverage (60–71%) showed no consistent differences. Dissolved oxygen and temperature exhibited limited site-specific variations but no consistent trends across FPVs. Overall, within-pond differences in algal biomass and water quality between FPV-covered and open-water areas were largely minimal, underscoring the need for further research with more FPV sites, before–after control–impact designs, and high-frequency monitoring to better understand FPV–algae interactions and potential water quality benefits

Use of Electronic Documentation for Quality Improvement in Hospice

Little evidence exists on the use of electronic documentation in hospice and its relationship to quality improvement practices. The purposes of this study were to: (1) estimate the prevalence of electronic documentation use in hospice; (2) identify organizational characteristics associated with use of electronic documentation; and (3) determine whether quality measurement practices differed based on documentation format (electronic vs. nonelectronic). Surveys concerning the use of electronic documentation for quality improvement practices and the monitoring of quality-related care and outcomes were collected from 653 hospices. Users of electronic documentation were able to monitor a wider range of quality-related data than users of nonelectronic documentation. Quality components such as advanced care planning, cultural needs, experience during care of the actively dying, and the number/types of care being delivered were more likely to be documented by users of electronic documentation. Use of electronic documentation may help hospices to monitor quality and compliance

Micro-Ethical Decision Making Among Baccalaureate Nursing Students: A Qualitative Investigation

Nursing students frequently encounter micro-ethical nursing practice problems during their clinical experience. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of senior-level baccalaureate students faced with making micro-ethical clinical decisions in practice settings. A descriptive qualitative design was used, and five central themes emerged. A dominant finding was the experience of unapplied and forgotten ethics education revealing a mismatch between what faculty perceived was taught and students’ experiences of that education. When faced with micro-ethical decisions, participants trusted and deferred to staff nurse recommendations, even if the advice contradicted best-practice standards. Contextual naivete was brought out of concealment, contributing to the experience of moral disequilibrium (i.e., students felt conflicted about what they learned in school as best practice and what they observed being role modeled in the clinical environment). This study resulted in theory-guided implications for nursing education and recommendations for future study

Differences in Assisted Living Staff Perceptions, Experiences, and Attitudes

Research within residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) settings has shown that the attitudes of personal care (PC) staff towards their organization, and its residents and families, can affect the quality of resident care. This paper describes the perceptions, experiences, and attitudes of PC staff and their supervisors and considers these data in the context of non-hierarchical staffing patterns – a philosophically expected, yet unproven tenet of RC/AL. Using data collected from 18 RC/AL communities, these analyses compared the characteristics, perceptions, experiences, and attitudes of PC staff (N=250) and supervisors (N=30). Compared to supervisors, PC staff reported greater burden, frustration, depersonalization, hassles, and feeling significantly more controlling of, and less in partnership with, families (p<0.05). Because the PC staff experience is crucial for their and resident outcomes, more work is needed to create a work environment where PC staff are less burdened and have better attitudes towards work and families

Site-specific relationships between algal biomass and floating photovoltaic solar energy in human-made bodies of water

Eutrophication and climate-driven warming are degrading aquatic ecosystems by promoting harmful algal and cyanobacterial growth, while global decarbonization efforts are intensifying land-use conflicts for renewable energy. Floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems—solar panels installed on human-made waterbodies—offer a potential solution, yet their effects on algae and water quality remain poorly understood. We assessed algal biomass and water quality beneath FPVs and in open water at four FPV-hosting ponds across the United States, spanning a range of FPV coverage levels, trophic states, climates, and bathymetry. Sampling occurred twice daily across all seasons from 2021 to 2022. Results showed minimal overall differences in phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and temperature between FPV-covered and open-water areas, though some site-specific trends emerged. At one mesotrophic site (4.8% coverage), chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin were significantly lower beneath FPVs in multiple seasons, with up to 80% reductions in chlorophyll-a observed in spring. In contrast, at a eutrophic site (22% coverage), chlorophyll-a was occasionally higher beneath FPVs, while two mesotrophic sites with high coverage (60–71%) showed no consistent differences. Dissolved oxygen and temperature exhibited limited site-specific variations but no consistent trends across FPVs. Overall, within-pond differences in algal biomass and water quality between FPV-covered and open-water areas were largely minimal, underscoring the need for further research with more FPV sites, before–after control–impact designs, and high-frequency monitoring to better understand FPV–algae interactions and potential water quality benefits

Dementia in Relation to Family Caregiver Involvement and Burden in Long-Term Care

To better understand the process and outcomes of family involvement for long-term care residents with varying stages of dementia, we analyzed family and staff data for 467 residents of 24 residential care/assisted living and nursing home settings. Adjusted analyses found that although the amount of family visitation did not significantly vary by resident cognitive status (15 versus 20 visits/month to persons with and without dementia, respectively), the nature of the visit did. Families of cognitively intact residents spent more time in activities related to social and community engagement, such as taking residents on trips and calling and writing letters (p<0.001), while families of more impaired residents spent more time on care-related activities, including tasks related to nutrition (p<0.027), mobility (p=0.001), and discussing care with staff (p=0.007), the latter of which was associated with greater burden (p<0.001). Staff identified similar patterns, but perceived less family involvement

In vitro assessment of antibiotic-resistance reversal of a methanol extract from Rosa canina L.

The crude methanol extract of Rosa canina (RC) fruit was tested against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus SA1199B, EMRSA16 and XU212 harbouring NorA, PBP2a and TetK resistance mechanisms, respectively, as well as S. aureus ATCC25923, a standard antimicrobial susceptible laboratory strain. The inhibition of the conjugal transfer of plasmid PKM101 and TP114 by the RC extract was also evaluated. The RC extract demonstrated a mild to poor antibacterial activity against the panel of bacteria having MIC values ranging from 256 to >512 μg/mL but strongly potentiated tetracycline activity (64-fold) against XU212, a tetracycline-effluxing and resistant strain. Furthermore, the extract showed moderate capacity to inhibit the conjugal transfer of TP114 and PKM101; transfer frequencies were between 40% and 45%. Cytotoxicity analysis of the RC extract against HepG2 cells line showed the IC50 > 500 mg/L and, thus, was considered non-toxic towards human cells. Phytochemical characterisation of the extracts was performed by the assessment of total phenolic content (RC: 60.86 mg TAE/g) and HPLC fingerprints with five main peaks at 360 nm. The results from this study provide new mechanistic evidence justifying, at least in part, the traditional use of this extract. However, the inhibition of bacterial plasmid conjugation opens the possibility of combination therapies to overcome antibiotic resistance