The rise in patient numbers and increase in patient acuity in recent decades have stressed the ability of nurses to provide optimal care. The number of patients each nurse is assigned per shift can be referred to as the “staffing ratio.” 1

Do improvements in the nurse staffing ratio have a positive effect on nurses and patient outcomes?

Literature synthesis included a majority of quantitative research articles from medical and nursing journals within the past 5 years.

Genomic engineering is direct manipulation of an organism’s genome (DNA) to alter its characteristics. It enables scientists to

• Study gene functions

• Model human diseases

• Correct mutations in diseased cells and tissues

• Control infectious diseases • Increase crop production…

The Challenge

• Most multicellular organisms’ genomes are vast. For example, each human cell contains ~ 6 billion base- pairs of DNA!

• It’s extremely time-consuming and expensive to generate precise and targeted modifications in complex genomes using conventional tools

Introduction: People often report that they experience personal growth following traumatic events, but most research to date has relied on retrospective reports of growth months or years after an event. This study examines gender differences in reports of stress and growth in a stressful experimental situation. Method: To create a stressful situation, illness cognition was manipulated using a paradigm developed by Croyle and Ditto (1990), which altered subjective health status. Participants were 144 undergraduates (85% Caucasian; 73% female). Results: An analysis of variance indicated that females reported significantly more stress (mean = 3.89) than did males (mean = 2.83), F (1, 128) = 7.56, p = .007. There was no difference in personal growth for females (mean = 3.81) and males (mean = 3.66). When examining links between stress and quality of life, partial correlations indicated that more perceived stress reported by females, but not males, was related to worse physical and mental health, more negative affect, and lower self-esteem (all r’s > +/- .23, all p’s ≤ .024). By contrast, partial correlations examining links between personal growth and quality of life revealed one difference, but three similarities. More specifically, for females, more growth was related to better physical health; for both males and females, more growth was related to better mental health, more positive affect, and higher self-esteem (all r’s > .45, all p’s ≤ .030). Discussion: Taken together, the current findings suggest that only in some cases are males and females more similar than different.

Harmful algal blooms are a large amount of microscopic photosynthesizing aquatic organisms that produce biotoxins. This type of vibrant green algae contains cyanobacteria and eukaryotic taxa. It also produces a visible algal scum on the surface of the water and causes taste and odor issues in drinking water. Cyanobacteria found in this algae can contribute to human health problems, such as, skin irritations from contact, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurological issues. It is also harmful to animals, mainly canines and livestock. The main causes of these algal blooms are fertilizers used in agricultural practices, urban runoff, and improper treatment of wastewater. Also, zebra and quagga mussels that have selective water filtration. In addition to the main causes, precipitation, wind, and temperature can aid in the growth of algal blooms. As these blooms decompose the water is depleted of oxygen, which results in fish mortalities. Although not all algal blooms are harmful, Lake Erie has become well known for its harmful algal bloom events that occur mostly in the Western basin of the lake. Researchers continue to test and monitor the water in effort to predict the blooms and prevent the harmful effects caused by it.