Peer Mentoring as a Successful Retention Strategy for a Baccalaureate Nursing Program in a Historically Black College and University

A university-based, student-run nursing organization improved cultural awareness, academic environment, and performance for members of the organization. The International Student Nursing Organization sponsored cultural events and a peer mentoring program. Members who participated in the peer mentoring program were randomly matched as mentors (seniors) or mentees (juniors); mentors were awarded service hours. Statistical data was tracked over two semesters for the first cohort of students. Mentors had a higher aggregate score on their comprehensive exit and nursing licensure exams when compared to their graduating class as a whole. A collegial and learning environment was created that promoted students' professional and leadership skills.

An innovative, multidisciplinary strategy to improve retention of nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds

Nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds must overcome many barriers in order to succeed. This article will focus on how a multidisciplinary team helped 76 percent of these high-risk students persist in their nursing programs by addressing some of these barriers. Three baccalaureate nursing schools in the Texas Medical Center embarked on a three-year retention program designed to enhance the success of students identified by federal criteria as being at risk. Multidisciplinary teams led various activities, including a study skills component, which included preparing for lectures, taking notes, critical thinking, and test-taking strategies. Also addressed were written and oral communication skills, medical terminology, critical thinking, career coaching, and socialization activities. Collaboration among faculty and students at the three schools was key to the success of the program.

Cyclo-oxygenase-2, endothelium and aortic reactivity during deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced hypertension

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that the enhanced vascular responsiveness to norepinephrine that occurs during deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt induced hypertension is causally related to increased expression of cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 and oxidative stress, which diminishes the vasomodulatory influence of endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

METHODS

Four groups of age-matched, male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied: Sham (normotensive); DOCA-salt (hypertensive); DOCA-salt treated with manganese(III) tetra(4-benzoic acid) porphyrin chloride [MnTBAP, an antioxidant; 15 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 21 days]; DOCA-salt treated with {N-[2-(cyclohexyloxy)-4-nitrophenyl]-methane sulfonamide} (NS-398, a COX-2 selective blocker; 5 mg/kg i.p. for 7 days). Contraction and relaxation were measured with FT03 force transducers coupled to a Grass polygraph in aortic rings bathed with physiologic salt solution (37 degrees C) and bubbled with a 5%CO2/95%O2 gas mixture. Aortic sensitivities (pD2 values) to norepinephrine and serum isoprostanes (8-iso-prostaglandin F2alpha, a marker of oxidative stress) were measured for each experimental paradigm.

RESULTS

NS-398 significantly reduced maximal contractions in response to norepinephrine in aortic rings from Sham (44 +/- 3%) and DOCA-salt (96 +/- 2%) group rats. Expression of COX-2 protein increased significantly in vessels from DOCA-salt rats compared with those from Sham group rats. Treatment of DOCA-salt rats with either MnTBAP or NS-398 alleviated hypertension, normalized aortic pD2 values for norepinephrine and restored serum 8-isoprostane concentrations towards those observed in Sham group rats.

CONCLUSIONS

COX-2 expression increases during DOCA-salt hypertension, and mediates production of factors that enhance rat aortic contractility in response to norepinephrine. Our data also suggest a role for increased oxidative stress, which is at least in part dependent on enhanced COX-2 expression, in the mechanism(s) of enhanced aortic contractility in response to norepinephrine during DOCA-salt hypertension.

Assessment of the intraocular pressure-lowering activity of bicyclic derivatives of 1-substituted benzyloctahydroisoquinoline

In our study of IOP-lowering agents, we have synthesized several bicyclic analogs of 1-benzyloctahydroisoquinoline. The target molecules were synthesized in an eleven-step process. Structures were proved through spectrometry, elemental analysis and, in selected cases, high resolution mass spectrometry. The final products were secondary or tertiary amines containing a 1-benzyl moiety substituted at the p-position with a methoxy, methyl or chloro group. All target molecules were analyzed in 1% solution in distilled water in normotensive rabbits. After topical administration, IOP was monitored in both eyes for up to seven hours. The 1-p-methoxybenzyl molecule 2 was the most active, and caused a maximal IOP drop of 8.8 +/- 1.9 (n = 7) mm Hg in the ipsilateral eye at 4 hours post-administration, with only partial recovery at seven hours. All other compounds tested either showed very weak activity (3-6) or were inactive (1). All compounds produced a contralateral effect, and 5 induced rebound ocular hypertension. We conclude that selected tertiary bicyclic 1-p-methoxybenzyl-octahydroisoquinolines, particularly N-methylated structures, exhibit a significant IOP-lowering effect in normotensive rabbits.

Effect of reserpine pretreatment on avian erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase activation by isoproterenol

We studied the action of beta-adrenergic agonists on Japanese quail erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) in vitro. Earlier we had reported that epinephrine increased CA activity by 14%; the present study focused on an attempt to increase the size of this response. Washed erythrocytes from reserpine-treated (1 mg/kg daily i.m. for 3 days) and control birds were incubated for 40 min in the presence of isoproterenol 10(-6) mol/l. The activity of CA expressed as Wilbur-Anderson units/mg hemoglobin was increased by as much as 42% in reserpine-treated birds over the control depending on the conditions. Addition of 10(-5) mol/l of the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol inhibited the isoproterenol-induced effect in nonreserpinized birds. We conclude that pretreatment with reserpine, which was accompanied by a fall in plasma catecholamine levels, particularly epinephrine levels, enhanced the activation of CA by isoproterenol.

Effect of levamisole hydrochloride on the guinea-pig atrium

The effects of levamisole on the guinea-pig atrial preparation were determined. At 3 micrograms/ml, levamisole and lignocaine prevented electrically induced arrhythmia in 3 and 5 out of 5 preparations respectively. It was concluded that levamisole at the therapeutic anthelmintic dose would not abolish clinical atrial arrhythmia. Levamisole even at 3 micrograms/ml had definite salutary effect on the hypodynamic state induced by continuous electrical stimulation. The dose-related positive inotropic effect of levamisole 5-200 micrograms/ml was not antagonised by practolol but was absent in atria from reserpinized animals. Therefore, cAMP may not be involved in the positive inotropic effect. Levamisole antagonised verapamil-induced negative inotropic effect and no positive inotropic effect was observed when the Ca2+ content of the Ringer-Locke solution was below normal. These suggested that Ca2+ must be involved in the inotropic effect. The negative chronotropic effect due to levamisole was not antagonised by hexamethonium but was antagonised by atropine, thus indicating that stimulation of M1 or M2 receptors in the atria may be responsible.

Electrocardiographic changes induced by levamisole hydrochloride in the guinea-pig

The effects of various i.v. doses of levamisole on the ECG of the anaesthetized guinea-pigs were determined. At 6 mg/kg there were no changes in the heart rate, P-R and Q-T intervals and no cardiotoxic effects were observed. At 10 and 20 mg/kg these parameters were affected little but cardiotoxic effects, mainly ventricular extrasystoles lasting from a few seconds to several minutes, were observed in five out of 10 animals that received either of the two doses. No animal died during the 1 h period of observation. It would appear that levamisole is much less toxic to the guinea-pig heart than to the heart of the rat.

Electrocardiographic changes induced by levamisole hydrochloride in the rat

The acute electrocardiographic effects of levamisole hydrochloride (2, 6, 10 and 20 mg/kg) were examined in the anaesthetized rat. Levamisole caused a fall in heart rate which was greatest at 20 mg/kg. The P-R interval was increased and was longest during the first 2 min after administration of the drug. The Q-T interval, corrected for rate (QTc), was little affected but at 20 mg/kg, 2 of the 5 rats presented 58% and 94% increases over the value at equilibration. Widening of the QRS complex did not occur at 2 and 6 mg/kg, but at 10 and 20 mg/kg a marked widening occurred in 1 out of 4 and 3 out of 5 rats, respectively. Cardiac dysrhythmias occurred even at 2 mg/kg. Severe bradycardia from sino-atrial depression or from A-V block, including Mobitz Type II A-V block, as well as ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation were observed.

Comparative local anaesthetic and antiarrhythmic actions of levamisole hydrochloride and lignocaine hydrochloride

Using the guinea-pig wheal preparation for determining the degree of infiltration anaesthesia, lignocaine was found to be 2 times more potent than levamisole. Lignocaine was, however, 1.27 times more toxic than levamisole in the mouse. It is suggested that levamisole could be used as a local anaesthetic agent for infiltration anaesthesia. As regards surface anaesthesia, lignocaine was 16.6 times more potent than levamisole. Levamisole would, therefore, not be of use in surface anaesthesia. Levamisole was more effective than lignocaine in protecting toads against deaths due to the minimum dose of ouabain which caused 100% mortality. The therapeutic indices for levamisole and lignocaine were 4.57 and 1.58 respectively. Unlike with lignocaine it was possible to achieve more than 50% protection with levamisole. Levamisole was, however, only marginally more effective than lignocaine in reverting to sinus rhythm, barium chloride-induced ventricular dysrhythmia in the rat. It is suggested that levamisole could have potential value as an antiarrhythmic agent.

Comparative antiarrhythmic and local anaesthetic effects of piperazine citrate and lignocaine hydrochloride

The effect of pretreatment with lignocaine hydrochloride (0.1 mg/g body weight) and piperazine citrate (1 mg/g body weight) on the number of deaths due to ouabain (0.02-0.12 mg/g body weight) was determined in the toad. Lignocaine was at least 10 times more potent than piperazine. Considering the doses that gave 50% protection from the 100% deaths due to ouabain (0.09 mg/g), lignocaine was 14.8 times more potent, but it was 56-60 times more toxic than piperazine as shown by the LD50s in the mouse and toad. Lignocaine was also about 10 times more potent than piperazine in preventing electrically-induced arrhythmia in the isolated guinea-pig atrium suspended in low potassium Ringer-Locke solution. With regard to infiltration anaesthesia, lignocaine was about 158 times more potent than piperazine. Therefore the relative potencies of the antiarrhythmic activities of piperazine and lignocaine do not correlate with the relative local anaesthetic potencies. It was concluded that, although lignocaine is 10-15 times more potent than piperazine as an antiarrhythmic agent, piperazine should be a much safer drug and could have potential utility as a substitute for lignocaine as an antiarrhythmic agent.