Do Generalist Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Females Select Dark Green Leaves Over Yellowish – Or Reddish-Green Leaves for Oviposition?

In late August and September, using leaves from the same branches, the polyphagous North American swallowtail butterfly species Papilio glaucus L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) is shown to select mature dark green leaves of their host plants white ash, Fraxinus americana L. (Oleaceae) and tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera L. (Magnoliaceae) rather than the pale green or yellowish- green mature leaves in laboratory oviposition arenas. In early August, similar results were observed for black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae). Dark green leaves were preferred over light green and yellowish green leaves. These green leaves of black cherry were the most nutritious leaves for larval growth indicating a clear correlation between adult preference and larval performance on this plant. However, tulip tree leaves in the summer did not elicit different oviposition responses between green and light green leaves. A field evaluation of oviposition preferences for young expanding reddish leaves of red bay, Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng (Lauraceae) versus slightly older expanded green leaves of the same branch also suggested avoidance of “young” red leaves in Florida by Papilio troilus L. and Papilio palamedes Drury during the spring season (March-April)

Do Generalist Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Females Select Dark Green Leaves Over Yellowish – Or Reddish-Green Leaves for Oviposition?

In late August and September, using leaves from the same branches, the polyphagous North American swallowtail butterfly species Papilio glaucus L. (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) is shown to select mature dark green leaves of their host plants white ash, Fraxinus americana L. (Oleaceae) and tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera L. (Magnoliaceae) rather than the pale green or yellowish- green mature leaves in laboratory oviposition arenas. In early August, similar results were observed for black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. (Rosaceae). Dark green leaves were preferred over light green and yellowish green leaves. These green leaves of black cherry were the most nutritious leaves for larval growth indicating a clear correlation between adult preference and larval performance on this plant. However, tulip tree leaves in the summer did not elicit different oviposition responses between green and light green leaves. A field evaluation of oviposition preferences for young expanding reddish leaves of red bay, Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng (Lauraceae) versus slightly older expanded green leaves of the same branch also suggested avoidance of “young” red leaves in Florida by Papilio troilus L. and Papilio palamedes Drury during the spring season (March-April)

The Benefits of Being a buddy : Exploring the Medical Student Experience As Mentor to Minority High-School Students

Purpose: The Aspiring Doctors Precollege Program at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine serves to introduce underrepresented minority (URM) high-school students to careers in health care as well as introducing URM high-school students to medical student mentors. Each month, medical students and their student mentees connect through a variety of activities on the medical college campus. While the program has significant benefit for the mentees, it also provides professional development opportunities for the medical students as mentors. Many researchers have written on the value of mentored relationships between medical students and established physicians; however, exploring the benefits of medical student mentorship has yet to be discussed in the literature. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study are to understand medical student perceptions of being a mentor and describe the contributions to their medical education. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with student mentors regarding their experiences serving in this program. These interviews were inductively coded for significant ideas, themes, and patterns. Results: A series of 12 research interviews were conducted with medical students who have participated in The Aspiring Doctors program for at least three semesters. Major themes that emerged from the analysis include the following: the importance of guidance in medicine through person-to-person mentoring, and identification of future career aspirations. Summary/Conclusions: Medical student mentors found this program to be a valuable addition to their educational experience. Mentoring URM high-school students offers pre-clinical medical students the opportunity to connect with their community and envision themselves serving as physicians in underresourced communities. Simultaneously, it provides a meaningful way of paying-it-forward during their education. Further studies can be done to track the outcomes of the medical students with respect to their designations stated while participating in this program, the role of mentorship on professional identity development, and possible effects on preventing/mitigating burnout

Heart to Heart Discussions: Characterizing Goals of Care Conversations for Advanced Heart Failure Patients Initiating Palliative Inotropes

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend goals of care conversations (GOCC) and specialty palliative care at the time of initiation of palliative inotropes for advanced heart failure patients. The extent to which GOCC are occurring, the content of the GOCC and the frequency of palliative care involvement is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients discharged from a tertiary medical center between October 2015 and April 2020 initiated on continuous palliative inotropes. RESULTS: We identified 53 patients who were discharged on continuous palliative inotropes. Most patients (46/53; 87%) had a documented GOCC including discussions around preferences for life-sustaining treatments, hospice, and/or prognosis. However, just over half (55%; 15/27) of patients with an ICD had a documented discussion regarding preferences for ICD deactivation. Patients seen by palliative care were more likely to have a documented discussion about ICD deactivation (68% vs 0%; p-value = 0.0098). Frequency of palliative care consultation and documented GOCC conversations increased over time. CONCLUSION: Although we observed overall high rates of documented GOCC, there is room for improving the rate of discussions with patients about whether they wish to have their ICD deactivated. Future research should test interventions to improve frequency of ICD discussions

Unfreezing the Flexnerian Model: introducing longitudinal integrated clerkships in rural communities.

INTRODUCTION: Physician shortages in rural areas remain severe but may be ameliorated by recent expansions in medical school class sizes. Expanding student exposure to rural medicine by increasing the amount of prolonged clinical experiences in rural areas may increase the likelihood of students pursuing a career in rural medicine. This research sought to investigate the perspective of rural physicians on the introduction of a rurally based nine-month Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC). METHODS: In this mixed-methods study, nine physician leaders were interviewed from five Maine, USA, rural hospitals participating in an LIC. Semi-structured interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to code the transcripts and develop themes. Forty-seven participating rural LIC preceptors were also surveyed through an online survey. RESULTS: Four major themes related to implementing the LIC model emerged: (1) melting old ways, (2) overcoming fears, (3) synergy of energy, and (4) benefits all-around. The faculty were very positive about the LIC, with increased job satisfaction, practice morale, and ongoing learning, but concerned about the financial impact on productivity. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of these themes and perceptions are discussed within the three-stage model of change by Lewin. These results describe how the innovative LIC model can conceptually unfreeze the traditional Flexnerian construct for rural physicians. Highlighting the many stakeholder benefits and addressing the anxieties and fears of rural faculty may facilitate the implementation of a rural LIC. Given the net favorable perception of rural faculty of the LIC, this educational model has the potential to play a major role in increasing the rural workforce