Preoperative gynecology conference: the impact on resident management of surgical patients

Objective: To determine if a preoperative conference impacts the resident recommended surgery on gynecology patients seen in continuity clinics. Study Design: A twice monthly preoperative conference was initiated in January of 2009 where residents presented their proposed surgical intervention. A retrospective review of the first 100 preoperative conference submission forms was performed and analysis made on how often the type or route of surgery was changed based on conference discussion and if further work up or tests were requested prior to scheduling surgery. Results: Discussion of patients through a preoperative conference venue resulted in a surgical management change in 36% of patients and further medical management prior to surgery was recommended in 29%. Conclusions: A preoperative gynecology conference does impact the chosen surgery for resident patients. This venue may be a valuable tool for teaching residents optimization of the preoperative evaluation and selection of the appropriate surgical intervention

GIRK2 and GABABR1 Downregulate in Response to TTX as GIRK2, GABABR1, and GABABR2 Are Not Affected by BC Treatment

Homeostatic plasticity is the response neurons undergo to regulate changes in excitability levels and bring the cells back to homeostasis. Research on homeostatic plasticity at the molecular level can lead to improved treatments for neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer\u27s, and schizophrenia. The research featured in this poster looks at the response of GIRK (G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium) channels and GABAb (gamma-amniobutyric acid) receptors to neurotoxins, tetrodotoxin (TTX) or bicuculline (BC). Prolonged activity blockade of 48 hour TTX treatment significantly reduced GABABR1 and GIRK2 expression. This supports the idea that because these two proteins inhibit action potentials, there will be fewer of them found in the cell to offset the inhibition caused by TTX. However, there was no change in expression for GABABR2. In order to function, GABABR2 and GABABR1 rely on one another. Perhaps the decrease in GABABR1 expression is enough to offset the inhibition by TTX. Prolonged activity excitation of 48 hour BC treatment resulted in no significant change for GABABR1, GABABR2, and GIRK2 expressions. Although their expressions may not have changed, it is possible that their activity could still be increased

When Hope Grows Weary: Treating Hopelessness in Older Adults

Hopelessness is associated with suicidal ideation and completion, poor physical health, and poor quality of life, and is an important and little- discussed dimension of the experience of older adults. However, hopelessness is not an inevitable part of the aging process. The present paper analyzes the construct of hopelessness specifically in the context of the aging population, discusses measuring and treating hopelessness, and makes recommendations, based on existing models of care, for how targeted services can be created to address this problem

Methods for Testing the Quality Attributes of Plant-Based Foods: Meat- and Processed-Meat Analogs

The modern food system is seeing a change in consumption patterns provoked by several drivers—including ethical, health, and environmental concerns—that are increasing the sales of meat analog foods. This change is accompanied by increased research and development activities in the area of plant-based meats. The aim of the present review is to describe methods that are being employed by scientists to analyze and characterize the properties of meat alternatives and to propose standardized methods that could be utilized in the future. In particular, methods to determine the proximate composition, microstructure, appearance, textural properties, water-holding properties, cooking resilience, and sensory attributes, of plant-based meat are given. The principles behind these methods are presented, their utility is critically assessed, and practical examples will be discussed. This article will help to guide further studies and to choose appropriate methods to assess raw materials, processes, products, and consumption behavior of meat analog

Functional and morphological evolution in gymnosperms : a portrait of implicated gene families

Gymnosperms diverged from their sister plant clade of flowering plants 300 Mya. Morphological and functional divergence between the two major seed plant clades involved significant changes in their reproductive biology, water‐conducting systems, secondary metabolism, stress defense mechanisms, and small RNA‐mediated epigenetic silencing. The relatively recent sequencing of several gymnosperm genomes and the development of new genomic resources have enabled whole‐genome comparisons within gymnosperms, and between angiosperms and gymnosperms. In this paper, we aim to understand how genes and gene families have contributed to the major functional and morphological differences in gymnosperms, and how this information can be used for applied breeding and biotechnology. In addition, we have analyzed the angiosperm versus gymnosperm evolution of the pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) gene family with a wide range of functionalities in plants' interaction with their environment including defense mechanisms. Some of the genes reviewed here are newly studied members of gene families that hold potential for biotechnological applications related to commercial and pharmacological value. Some members of conifer gene families can also be exploited for their potential in phytoremediation applications

Mechanisms of Surface Antigenic Variation in the Human Pathogenic Fungus <i>Pneumocystis jirovecii</i>.

Microbial pathogens commonly escape the human immune system by varying surface proteins. We investigated the mechanisms used for that purpose by &lt;i&gt;Pneumocystis jirovecii&lt;/i&gt; This uncultivable fungus is an obligate pulmonary pathogen that in immunocompromised individuals causes pneumonia, a major life-threatening infection. Long-read PacBio sequencing was used to assemble a core of subtelomeres of a single &lt;i&gt;P. jirovecii&lt;/i&gt; strain from a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimen from a single patient. A total of 113 genes encoding surface proteins were identified, including 28 pseudogenes. These genes formed a subtelomeric gene superfamily, which included five families encoding adhesive glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoproteins and one family encoding excreted glycoproteins. Numerical analyses suggested that diversification of the glycoproteins relies on mosaic genes created by ectopic recombination and occurs only within each family. DNA motifs suggested that all genes are expressed independently, except those of the family encoding the most abundant surface glycoproteins, which are subject to mutually exclusive expression. PCR analyses showed that exchange of the expressed gene of the latter family occurs frequently, possibly favored by the location of the genes proximal to the telomere because this allows concomitant telomere exchange. Our observations suggest that (i) the &lt;i&gt;P. jirovecii&lt;/i&gt; cell surface is made of a complex mixture of different surface proteins, with a majority of a single isoform of the most abundant glycoprotein, (ii) genetic mosaicism within each family ensures variation of the glycoproteins, and (iii) the strategy of the fungus consists of the continuous production of new subpopulations composed of cells that are antigenically different. &lt;b&gt;IMPORTANCE&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pneumocystis jirovecii&lt;/i&gt; is a fungus causing severe pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals. It is the second most frequent life-threatening invasive fungal infection. We have studied the mechanisms of antigenic variation used by this pathogen to escape the human immune system, a strategy commonly used by pathogenic microorganisms. Using a new DNA sequencing technology generating long reads, we could characterize the highly repetitive gene families encoding the proteins that are present on the cellular surface of this pest. These gene families are localized in the regions close to the ends of all chromosomes, the subtelomeres. Such chromosomal localization was found to favor genetic recombinations between members of each gene family and to allow diversification of these proteins continuously over time. This pathogen seems to use a strategy of antigenic variation consisting of the continuous production of new subpopulations composed of cells that are antigenically different. Such a strategy is unique among human pathogens