Glycine inhibition on-off directionally selective retinal ganglion cells.

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are a group of over 40 different types that use both GABAergic and Glycenergic inhibition. There are four different types of Glycine receptors (GlyRs) known as GlyRα1, GlyRα2, GlyRα3, and GlyRα4 (Sanes & Masland, 2015; C. Zhang & McCall, 2012). Electrophysiological data has supported the theory that the RGC cell type On-Off directionally selective (ooDS) cells express both GlyRα4 and GlyRα2. If ooDS cells do express only GlyRα4 and GlyRα2, an immunohistochemical analysis of these cells should support this theory. By comparing the expression of GlyRα4 and GlyRα2 in Glra4-/- , Glra2-/- Glra4-/- , and Glra2-/- the expression we can support or weaken the findings made by previous electrophysiological data. Comparing cell images of colocalized dendrites and GlyRα4 or GlyRα2 in an original and randomized orientation can determine if an immunohistochemical analysis confirms the presence of GlyRα4 and GlyRα2 on ooDS RGCs. Our findings confirmed that both GlyRα4 and GlyRα2 are expressed on ooDS RGCs.https://ir.library.louisville.edu/uars/1030/thumbnail.jp

Dynamics of carbon-concentrating mechanism induction and protein relocalization during the dark-to-light transition in synchronized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

In the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) is induced under low CO2 in the light and comprises active inorganic carbon transport components, carbonic anhydrases, and aggregation of Rubisco in the chloroplast pyrenoid. Previous studies have focused predominantly on asynchronous cultures of cells grown under low versus high CO2. Here, we have investigated the dynamics of CCM activation in synchronized cells grown in dark/light cycles compared with induction under low CO2. The specific focus was to undertake detailed time course experiments comparing physiology and gene expression during the dark-to-light transition. First, the CCM could be fully induced 1 h before dawn, as measured by the photosynthetic affinity for inorganic carbon. This occurred in advance of maximum gene transcription and protein accumulation and contrasted with the coordinated induction observed under low CO2. Between 2 and 1 h before dawn, the proportion of Rubisco and the thylakoid lumen carbonic anhydrase in the pyrenoid rose substantially, coincident with increased CCM activity. Thus, other mechanisms are likely to activate the CCM before dawn, independent of gene transcription of known CCM components. Furthermore, this study highlights the value of using synchronized cells during the dark-to-light transition as an alternative means of investigating CCM induction.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final published version can be found in Plant Physiology via http:/​/​dx.​doi.​org/​10.​1104/​pp.​114.​24691

Pyrenoid loss impairs carbon-concentrating mechanism induction and alters primary metabolism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) enable efficient photosynthesis and growth in CO2-limiting environments, and in eukaryotic microalgae localisation of Rubisco to a microcompartment called the pyrenoid is key. In the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Rubisco preferentially relocalises to the pyrenoid during CCM induction and pyrenoid-less mutants lack a functioning CCM and grow very poorly at low CO2. The aim of this study was to investigate the CO2 response of pyrenoid-positive (pyr+) and pyrenoid-negative (pyr-) mutant strains to determine the effect of pyrenoid absence on CCM induction and gene expression. Shotgun proteomic analysis of low-CO2-adapted strains showed reduced accumulation of some CCM-related proteins, suggesting that pyr- has limited capacity to respond to low-CO2 conditions. Comparisons between gene transcription and protein expression revealed potential regulatory interactions, since Rubisco protein linker (EPYC1) protein did not accumulate in pyr- despite increased transcription, while elements of the LCIB/LCIC complex were also differentially expressed. Furthermore, pyr- showed altered abundance of a number of proteins involved in primary metabolism, perhaps due to the failure to adapt to low CO2. This work highlights two-way regulation between CCM induction and pyrenoid formation, and provides novel candidates for future studies of pyrenoid assembly and CCM function

Physician Perspectives on Medical Care Delivery in Assisted Living

OBJECTIVES—To describe the provision of medical care in assisted living (AL) as provided by physicians who are especially active in providing care to older adults and AL residents; to identify characteristics associated with physician confidence in AL staff; and to ask physicians a variety of questions about their experience providing care to AL residents and how it compares with providing care in the nursing home and home care settings. DESIGN—Cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING—AL communities in 27 states. PARTICIPANTS—One hundred sixty-five physicians and administrators of 125 AL settings in which they had patients. MEASUREMENTS—Interviews and questionnaires containing open- and close-ended questions regarding demographics, care arrangements, attitudes, and behaviors in managing medical problems. RESULTS—Most respondents were certified in internal medicine (46%) or family medicine (47%); 32% were certified in geriatrics and 30% in medical directorship. In this select sample, 48% visited the AL setting once a year or less, and 19% visited once a week or more. Mean physician confidence in AL staff was 3.3 (somewhat confident), with greater confidence associated with smaller AL community size, nursing presence, and the physician being the medical director. Qualitative analyses identified differences between settings including lack of vital sign assessment in the home setting, concern about the ability of AL staff to assess and monitor problems, and greater administrative and regulatory requirements in AL than in the other settings. CONCLUSION—Providing medical care for AL residents presents unique challenges and opportunities for physicians. Nursing presence and physician oversight and familiarity and communicating with AL staff who are highly familiar with a given resident and can monitor care may facilitate care

Challenges of Antibiotic Prescribing for Assisted Living Residents: Perspectives of Providers, Staff, Residents, and Family Members

To better understand the antibiotic prescribing process in assisted living (AL) communities given the growing rates of antibiotic resistance

Perceptions of Informed Decision Making About Cancer Screening in a Diverse Primary Care Population

Objective—Our objective was to describe primary care patients’ perceptions of informed and shared decision making about cancer screening tests in a diverse sample. Methods—We administered a 33-item survey to 467 women and 257 men aged 50 years and older from seven practices in a family medicine practice-based research network. We used ordered logistic regression to assess the relationship between gender, race, education, marital status, and self-rated health with measures of patient-centered care relating to cancer screening tests, controlling for practice site. Results—Men had greater odds than women of reporting they did not know the benefits of cancer screening (1.46, 95% CI=1.08, 1.99). Compared to white respondents, black respondents reported greater odds of not knowing the benefits (1.70, 95% CI=1.23, 2.36) and risks (1.38, 95% CI=1.00, 1.90) of cancer screening, of not making informed choices (1.50, 95% CI=1.09, 2.07), and that their doctor did not give them some control over their cancer screening tests (1.57, 95% CI=1.12, 2.20). Low education level was also associated with lower perceptions of informed decision making. Conclusions—Patients with male sex, non-white race, and low education level reported more uncertainty about cancer screening tests and less patient-centered care

From ritual to drama

This thesis and its accompanying videocassette aim to teach evolution of Christian religious worship and medieval (religious) drama. Places a special focus on the development of tropes, especially the form known as Quem Quaeritis

Licensed Nurse Staffing and Health Service Availability in Residential Care and Assisted Living

To create data driven typologies of licensed nurse staffing and health services in residential care/assisted living (RC/AL)

A repeat protein links Rubisco to form the eukaryotic carbon-concentrating organelle.

Biological carbon fixation is a key step in the global carbon cycle that regulates the atmosphere's composition while producing the food we eat and the fuels we burn. Approximately one-third of global carbon fixation occurs in an overlooked algal organelle called the pyrenoid. The pyrenoid contains the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco and enhances carbon fixation by supplying Rubisco with a high concentration of CO2 Since the discovery of the pyrenoid more that 130 y ago, the molecular structure and biogenesis of this ecologically fundamental organelle have remained enigmatic. Here we use the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to discover that a low-complexity repeat protein, Essential Pyrenoid Component 1 (EPYC1), links Rubisco to form the pyrenoid. We find that EPYC1 is of comparable abundance to Rubisco and colocalizes with Rubisco throughout the pyrenoid. We show that EPYC1 is essential for normal pyrenoid size, number, morphology, Rubisco content, and efficient carbon fixation at low CO2 We explain the central role of EPYC1 in pyrenoid biogenesis by the finding that EPYC1 binds Rubisco to form the pyrenoid matrix. We propose two models in which EPYC1's four repeats could produce the observed lattice arrangement of Rubisco in the Chlamydomonas pyrenoid. Our results suggest a surprisingly simple molecular mechanism for how Rubisco can be packaged to form the pyrenoid matrix, potentially explaining how Rubisco packaging into a pyrenoid could have evolved across a broad range of photosynthetic eukaryotes through convergent evolution. In addition, our findings represent a key step toward engineering a pyrenoid into crops to enhance their carbon fixation efficiency

Hypertensive patients' use of blood pressure monitors stationed in pharmacies and other locations: a cross-sectional mail survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blood pressure (BP) monitors are commonly stationed in public places such as pharmacies, but it is uncertain how many people with hypertension currently use them. We sought to estimate the proportion of hypertensive patients who use these types of monitors and examine whether use varies by demographic or health characteristics.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a cross-sectional mail survey of hypertensive adults enrolled in a practice based research network of 24 primary care practices throughout the state of North Carolina. We analyzed results using descriptive statistics and examined bivariate associations using chi-square and independent associations using logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We received 530 questionnaires (76% response rate). Of 333 respondents (63%) who reported checking their BP in locations other than their doctor's office or home, 66% reported using a monitor stationed in a pharmacy. Younger patients more commonly reported using pharmacy monitors (48% among those < 45 years vs 35% of those over 65, p = 0.04). Blacks reported using them more commonly than whites (48% vs 39%, p = 0.03); and high school graduates more often than those with at least some college (50% vs 37%, p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, younger age (aOR 1.49; 95% CI 1.00–2.21 for those age 45 to 65 years vs those > 65 years old) and high school education (aOR 1.74; 95% CI 1.13–2.58) were associated with use of pharmacy-stationed monitors, but Black race was not. Patients with diabetes, heart disease, or stroke were not more likely to use pharmacy-stationed monitors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hypertensive patients' use of BP monitors located in pharmacies is common. Younger patients, Blacks, and those with high school education were slightly more likely to report using them. Because use of these monitors is so common, efforts to ensure their accuracy are important.</p