Maple Syrup

Dr. Lisa Mitchell, Associate Professor of South Asia Studies, has guided her students to create voiceover videos as class assignments for a large undergraduate class (ANTH 063 / SAST 063 / HIST 087) in South Asia Studies. Her class focuses on how the desire to possess and consume commodities has shaped cultures. In addition to the commodities studied by the full class, each student researches a commodity for an individual presentation. Projects from the 2012 spring semester include some integration of video content in addition to stills. Students in all six sections of the course viewed the videos, and chose winners at the section and course levels. This video earned an honorable mention. Benedict, Aaditya, and Luke examine the history and production of maple syrup, as well as ways in which the production process has changed. Learn about: Effects of production inefficiency on commodity price Competition between maple sugar and cane sugar The emergence of maple syrup as a breakfast condiment View curriculum and materials for this coursehttps://repository.upenn.edu/showcase_videos/1049/thumbnail.jp

Is Bariatric Procedure Type Associated With Morbidity in Transplant Patients?

INTRODUCTION: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) has been associated with increased weight loss but more complications when compared with sleeve gastrectomy (SG). However, a direct comparison between RYGB and SG has never been performed in patients with a history of solid organ transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the association between procedure type and surgical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with a history of solid organ transplantation were identified in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation Quality Improvement Project Participant Use File database from 2017 to 2018. Procedure type (SG versus RYGB) was used to stratify patients. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regressions were used, and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Of 678 cases identified, 80% (n = 542) underwent an SG and 20% (n = 136) had an RYGB. Patients differed significantly (P \u3c 0.05) by multiple demographic variables. Multivariable regression revealed RYGB to be associated with higher overall morbidity (odds ratio [OR] 1.98; P = 0.012), morbidity related to surgery (OR 2.47; P = 0.002), unplanned readmissions (OR 2.48; P = 0.002), and readmissions related to surgery (OR 2.32; P = 0.016). After propensity score matching, RYGB, compared with SG, was also associated with higher morbidity (14% versus 7.4%; P = 0.077) and readmissions (13% versus 6.6%; P = 0.099) related to surgery, although this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a history of solid organ transplant, RYGB was associated with increased morbidity and readmissions compared with SG

Multiple Origins of Virus Persistence during Natural Control of HIV Infection

Targeted HIV cure strategies require definition of the mechanisms that maintain the virus. Here, we tracked HIV replication and the persistence of infected CD4 T cells in individuals with natural virologic control by sequencing viruses, T cell receptor genes, HIV integration sites, and cellular transcriptomes. Our results revealed three mechanisms of HIV persistence operating within distinct anatomic and functional compartments. In lymph node, we detected viruses with genetic and transcriptional attributes of active replication in both T follicular helper (TFH) cells and non-TFH memory cells. In blood, we detected inducible proviruses of archival origin among highly differentiated, clonally expanded cells. Linking the lymph node and blood was a small population of circulating cells harboring inducible proviruses of recent origin. Thus, HIV replication in lymphoid tissue, clonal expansion of infected cells, and recirculation of recently infected cells act together to maintain the virus in HIV controllers despite effective antiviral immunity

Multiple Origins of Virus Persistence during Natural Control of HIV Infection

Targeted HIV cure strategies require definition of the mechanisms that maintain the virus. Here, we tracked HIV replication and the persistence of infected CD4 T cells in individuals with natural virologic control by sequencing viruses, T cell receptor genes, HIV integration sites and cellular transcriptomes. Our results revealed three mechanisms of HIV persistence operating within distinct anatomic and functional compartments. In lymph node, we detected viruses with genetic and transcriptional attributes of active replication in both T follicular helper (T(FH)) cells and non-T(FH) memory cells. In blood, we detected inducible proviruses of archival origin among highly differentiated, clonally expanded cells. Linking the lymph node and blood was a small population of circulating cells harboring inducible proviruses of recent origin. Thus, HIV replication in lymphoid tissue, clonal expansion of infected cells, and recirculation of recently infected cells act together to maintain the virus in HIV controllers despite effective antiviral immunity