Serving community : prosocial engagement in educational administration

The rise of managerialism in the 1990s entrenched bureaucratic practices as core education and training for educational administrators. As the educational divide between those who achieve and those who fall short continues to problematize the success of educational reforms, the work of administrators becomes critical to review. The current challenge for educational administration is to provide an environment that genuinely serves the interests of complex diversity and social justice in education systems by building the frameworks that respects differences, protects the weak, and regulates the strong. By taking a more prosocial stance with issues relating to cultural diversity, equity, and democracy, educational administration can transform society, the school, and the classroom, through humanistic and interpretive management practices, and influencing pedagogy, curriculum, educator training, and the socio-political system.

Multifactorial influences on and deviations from medication administration safety and quality in the acute medical/surgical context

Background and Aims: Although numerous factors influence medication administration, our understanding of the interplay of these factors on medication quality and safety is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the multifactorial influences on medication quality and safety in the context of a single checking policy for medication administration in acute care.

Approach: An exploratory/descriptive study using non-participant observation and follow-up interview was used to identify factors influencing medication quality and safety in medication administration episodes (n = 30). Observations focused on nurses’ interactions with patients during medication administration, and the characteristics of the environment in which these took place. Confirmation of observed data occurred on completion of the observation period during short semi-structured interviews with participant nurses.

Findings: Findings showed nurses developed therapeutic relationships with patients in terms of assessing patients before administering medications and educating patients about drugs during medication administration. Nurses experienced more frequent distractions when medications were stored and prepared in a communal drug room according to ward design. Nurses deviated from best-practice guidelines during medication administration.

Implications: Nurses’ abilities and readiness to develop therapeutic relationships with patients increased medication quality and safety, thereby protecting patients from potential adverse events. Deviations from best-practice medication administration had the potential to decrease medication safety. System factors such as ward design determining medication storage areas can be readily addressed to minimise potential error.

Conclusions: Nurses displayed behaviours that increased medication administration quality and safety; however, violations of practice standards were observed. These findings will inform future intervention studies to improve medication quality and safety.

A critical role for the parabrachial nucleus in generating central nervous system responses elicited by a systemic immune challenge

Using Fos immunolabelling as a marker of neuronal activation, we investigated the role of the parabrachial nucleus in generating central neuronal responses to the systemic administration of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (1 μg/kg, i.a.). Relative to intact animals, parabrachial nucleus lesions significantly reduced the number of Fos-positive cells observed in the central amygdala (CeA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the ventrolateral medulla (VLM) after systemic interleukin-1β. In a subsequent experiment in which animals received parabrachial-directed deposits of a retrograde tracer, it was found that many neurons located in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and the VLM neurons were both retrogradely labelled and Fos-positive after interleukin-1β administration. These results suggest that the parabrachial nucleus plays a critical role in interleukin-1β-induced Fos expression in CeA, BNST and VLM neurons and that neurons of the NTS and VLM may serve to trigger or at least influence changes in parabrachial nucleus activity that follows systemic interleukin-1β administration.

Reported medication errors after introducing an electronic medication management system

Aims and objectives
To explore the effects of introducing an electronic medication management system on reported medication errors.
Background
Computerised medication management systems have been found to improve medication safety; however, introducing medication management system into healthcare environments can create unanticipated or new problems and opportunities for medication error.
Design
Descriptive analysis of medication error reports.
Methods
This was a retrospective analysis of 359 incident reports drawn from the period of 1 May 2005–30 April 2006 across two hospital sites of a single not-for-profit private health service located in metropolitan Melbourne. Site A used a conventional pen and paper system for medication management, and Site B had introduced a computerised medication management system.
Results
Most medication errors occurred at the nurse administration (71·5%) and prescribing (16·4%) stages of delivery. The most common medication error type reported at Site A was omission (33%), and at Site B was wrong documentation (24·2%). A higher proportion of errors at the prescribing phase, and less nurse administration errors, were detected at Site B where the medication management system was in use. The incidence of other, less frequent errors was similar across the two hospital sites.
Conclusions
This examination of medication error reports suggests there are differences in the types of medication errors that are reported in association with the introduction of electronic medication management system compared to pen and paper system systems. The findings provide a new insight into the effects of introducing an electronic medication management system on the types of medication errors reported.
Relevance to clinical practice
The findings provide a new insight into the types of medication errors that are reported during implementation of an electronic medication management system. Extra support for physicians prescribing practices should be considered.

Educational administration and the management of knowledge: 1980 revisited

This paper revisits the thesis of a 1980 paper that suggested a new approach to educational administration based upon the New Sociology of Education. In particular it updates answers to the six key questions asked by that paper: what counts as knowledge; how is what counts as knowledge organised; how is what counts as knowledge transmitted; how is access to what counts as knowledge determined; what are the processes of control; what ideological appeals justify the system. These questions were foundational in the development of a socially critical perspective and a cultural approach to educational leadership and administration.

Anti-microbial activities of novel nanoformulated lactoferrin through oral administration

A biomolecular delivery system consisting of a novel alginate enclosed, chitosan coated ceramic antimicrobial nanocarrier containing lactoferrin (AEC-CP-Fe-bLf) and development of this multifunctional bovine iron saturated lactoferrin nanotechnology based drug delivery systems for finding treatment to parasitic and bacterial diseases was prepared. Since lactoferrin is a naturally occurring molecule its clinical application would be welcome.

Oral administration of iron-saturated bovine lactoferrin-loaded ceramic nanocapsules for breast cancer therapy and influence on iron and calcium metabolism

We determined the anticancer efficacy and internalization mechanism of our polymeric-ceramic nanoparticle system (calcium phosphate nanocores, enclosed in biodegradable polymers chitosan and alginate nanocapsules/nanocarriers [ACSC NCs]) loaded with iron-saturated bovine lactoferrin (Fe-bLf) in a breast cancer xenograft model. ACSC-Fe-bLf NCs with an overall size of 322±27.2 nm were synthesized. In vitro internalization and anticancer efficacy were evaluated in the MDA-MB-231 cells using multicellular tumor spheroids, CyQUANT and MTT assays. These NCs were orally delivered in a breast cancer xenograft mice model, and their internalization, cytotoxicity, biodistribution, and anticancer efficacy were evaluated. Chitosan-coated calcium phosphate Fe-bLf NCs effectively (59%, P≤0.005) internalized in a 1-hour period using clathrin-mediated endocytosis (P≤0.05) and energy-mediated pathways (P≤0.05) for internalization; 3.3 mg/mL of ACSC-Fe-bLf NCs completely disintegrated (~130-fold reduction, P≤0.0005) the tumor spheroids in 72 hours and 96 hours. The IC50 values determined for ACSC-Fe-bLf NCs were 1.69 mg/mL at 10 hours and 1.62 mg/mL after 20 hours. We found that Fe-bLf-NCs effectively (P≤0.05) decreased the tumor size (4.8-fold) compared to the void NCs diet and prevented tumor recurrence when compared to intraperitoneal injection of Taxol and Doxorubicin. Receptor gene expression and micro-RNA analysis confirmed upregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor and transferrin receptor (liver, intestine, and brain). Several micro-RNAs responsible for iron metabolism upregulated with NCs were identified. Taken together, orally delivered Fe-bLf NCs offer enhanced antitumor activity in breast cancer by internalizing via low-density lipoprotein receptor and transferrin receptor and regulating the micro-RNA expression. These NCs also restored the body iron and calcium levels and increased the hematologic counts.

Um modelo de EIS - enterprise information system - que identifica características para comportamentos proativos na recuperação de informações

Este documento constitui uma dissertação de mestrado, requisito parcial para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Administração pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. O tema da pesquisa é o relacionamento existente entre as características técnicas de um projeto de sistema de informação e apoio à decisão e os comportamentos dos usuários no seu uso. O objetivo é desenvolver e apresentar um modelo conceitual de EIS (“Enterprise Information Systems”), a partir da literatura, das tendências tecnológicas e de estudos de caso, que identifique características para comportamentos proativos dos usuários na recuperação de informações. Adotou-se o conceito de comportamento proativo na recuperação de informações como a combinação das categorias exploração de dados e busca focada. Entre os principais resultados, pode-se destacar a definição de categorias relacionadas com as características dos sistemas - flexibilidade, integração e apresentação - e de categorias relacionadas com os comportamentos dos usuários na recuperação de informações - exploração de dados e busca focada, bem como a apresentação de um modelo conceitual para sistemas EIS. Pode-se destacar também a exploração de novas técnicas para análise qualitativa de dados, realizada com o objetivo de buscar uma maior preservação do contexto nos estudos de caso.

Exogenous Administration of 15d-PGJ(2)-Loaded Nanocapsules Inhibits Bone Resorption in a Mouse Periodontitis Model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Host-guest system of 4-nerolidylcatechol in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin: preparation, characterization and molecular modeling

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Preliminary Study of the Gastric Acidity in Thoroughbred Horses at Rest after Enteral Administration of Esomeprazole Magnesium (Nexium)

The regulation of gastric secretion is of crucial importance to the equilibrium of the gastroenteric system. Despite the large number of factors involved in the causes of peptic illnesses, pH = 4 is considered the threshold between physiologic and deleterious effects of stomach acid secretion. With the aim of maintaining pH greater than 4, proton-pump inhibitors, such as esomeprazole magnesium (NEXIUM), have shown excellent results in the control of acid secretion. Aimed at examining the action of this drug in the control of pH levels of gastric secretion in thoroughbreds, a single dose of 40 or 80 mg of esomeprazole magnesium was administered daily, and pH was determined serially for 5 consecutive days. The results obtained corroborated the efficacy of esomeprazole magnesium in the control of gastric pH at both doses tested, with 100% of the mean pH being greater than 5. Moreover, no statistical difference was noted between the two doses tested.

Effect of the Single or Combined Administration of Cocaine and Testosterone on Cardiovascular Function and Baroreflex Activity in Unanesthetized Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Stress-induced cross-sensitization to amphetamine is related to changes in the dopaminergic system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Role of nitric oxide and beta-adrenoceptors of the central nervous system on the salivary flow induced by pilocarpine injection into the lateral ventricle

Our studies have focused on the effect of L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and L-arginine, the substrate of NOS, on salivary secretion induced by the administration of pilocarpine into the lateral cerebral ventricle (LV) of rats. The present study has also investigated the role of the beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonist injected into LV on the salivary secretion elicited by the injection of pilocarpine into LV. Male Holtzmann rats with a stainless-steel cannula implanted into the LV were used. The amount of salivary secretion was studied over a 7-min period after injection of pilocarpine, isoproterenol, propranolol, salbutamol, salmeterol, L-NAME and L-arginine. The injection of pilocarpine (10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mug/mul) into LV produced a dose-dependent increase in salivary secretion. The injection of L-NAME (40 mug/mul) into LV alone produced an increase in salivary secretion. The injection of L-NAME into LV previous to the injection of pilocarpine produced an increase in salivary secretion. L-Arginine (30 mug/mul) injected alone into LV produced no change in salivary secretion. L-Arginine injected into LV attenuated pilocarpine-induced salivary secretion. The isoproterenol (40 nmol/mul) injected into LV increased into LV increased the salivary secretion. When injected previous to pilocarpine at a dose of 20 and 40 mug/mul, isoproterenol produced and additive effect on pilocarpine-induced salivary secretion. The 40-nmol/mul dose of propranolol injected alone or previous to pilocarpine into LV attenuated the pilocarpine-induced salivary secretion. The injection of salbutamol (40 nmol/mul), a specific beta-2 agonist, injected alone into LV produced no change in salivary secretion and when injected previous to pilocarpine produced and increase in salivary secretion. The 40-nmol/mul dose of salmeterol, a long-acting beta-2 agonist, injected into LV alone or previous to pilocarpine produced no change in salivary secretion. The results have shown that central injections of L-NAME and L-arginine interfere with the salivary secretion, which implies that might participate in pilocarpine-induced salivary secretion. The interaction between cholinergic and beta-adrenergic receptors of the central nervous system (CNS) for the control of salivary secretion can also be postulated. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.