Long-term complications of continent catheterizable channels: a problem for transitional urologists.

A majority of the transitional urology patient population have neurogenic bladder and many of these patients have undergone creation of continent catheterizable channels (CCCs) to facilitate bladder emptying. Transitional urologists will be faced with revision of these channels due to a variety of possible complications. We performed a comprehensive literature review to the data regarding the incidence, timing, and predisposing factors that lead to complications of CCCs as well as surgical revision techniques and their outcomes. Long-term channel complications and related revisions are common (25-30%) and likely underestimated. While many predictors for revision have been posited, the only predictor that has been significant in robust multivariable analysis is channel type, with appendicovesicostomies having a lower chance of requiring revision compared to Monti channels. Channels created in adults have high likelihood of requiring revision, even within a relatively short follow-up period. We review techniques for management of channel complications and their outcomes. As patients with congenital urologic conditions requiring CCCs are gaining longer lifespans, transitional urologists will be faced with revision and/or replacement of these channels. While some of these patients may require supravesical diversion in the future, data show that revision is feasible with good outcomes. Longer-term follow-up data is needed to understand the life-span and best practices of new CCCs created among the transitional population

Development of Secretory Lactococcus Lactis Vectors with Characterized Heterologous Signal Peptide from Pediococcus Pentosaceus

Lactococcus lactis, the model of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) organism and one of the most widely used LAB in the food industry. The potential application of Lactococcus lactis as a live vehicle for the production and delivery of heterologous protein for industrial and medical applications are on the rise. Investigation of heterologous protein production in different location of L. lactis revealed that secretion is preferable to cytoplasmic production. Although considerable attentions have been given to the development of efficient gene expression and protein secretion systems, however, there is still an acute lack of system to secrete heterologous proteins in L. lactis. The Gram-positive low GC content bacterium, Pediococcus pentosaceus was isolated from a local herbal plant Polygonum minus and identified by biochemical and 16S rRNA sequencing. The nucleotide sequence of the cell wall binding protein from P. pentosaceus was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned into Zero Blunt® TOPO® plasmid and transformed into Escherichia coli. The coding region of signal peptides (SP) SPK1 and SPK3 were amplified from the cell wall binding proteins of P. pentosaceus and studied by in silico analysis. The in silico analysis of signal peptide revealed that SPK1 has higher hydrophobicity, GRAVY index, aliphatic index and more stability compared to SPK3 and USP45. The gene coding region of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and L. lactis signal peptide USP45 were then amplified by using Pfu DNA polymerase. Secretion cassettes were constructed using GFP as the reporter protein and USP45 as the control. Then, the SP-GFP cassette was cloned into L. lactis expression vectors pNZ8084 and pMG36e (inducible and constitutive) resulting in pNZK801, pNZK803, pNZU801 and pMGK36e1, pMGK36e3, pMGU36e1, respectively. The constructed plasmids were electro-transformed into L. lactis strain MG1363 and NZ9000 as host. Recombinant plasmids were identified by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analyses. Western blot and ELISA analysis of transformants indicated the potential of the signal peptides SPK1 and SPK3 from P. pentosaceus to be used as a secretory signal for heterologous protein secretion in L. lactis

It\u27s Time For a Public Option in Banking

Associate Professor Mehrsa Baradaran published this article in The Harvard Law Record on November 16, 2015. It discusses how post offices can provide ordinary citizens with banking services

Commentary: Why We Need to Stop Fining Big Banks Like Wells Fargo

When big banks behave badly, they know that the worst thing they’ll get is a fine; no one is going to end up in jail. Instead, shareholders end up paying the cost, not the bank employees responsible. Shareholders are a diffuse group of investors, many of whom hold shares as a part of a diverse portfolio. They are not the ones who commit such fraud, nor do they have much power to change the bank’s day-to-day operations. Clearly fines don’t work to prevent misconduct. We should instead rely on the constitutional method of dealing with wrongdoing: the criminal justice system

Banking and the Social Contract

This Article asserts that there are three major tenets of the social contract: (1) safety and soundness, (2) consumer protection, and (3) access to credit. Regulators can and should require banks to meet standards in these areas to benefit society even if these measures reasonably reduce bank profits. Implicit in the social contract is the idea that each party must give up something in the exchange. This Article provides policymakers not only the appropriate narrative and justifications needed to frame their regulatory philosophy, but it also provides important textual support from the most prominent acts of banking legislation to give regulators the authority and charge to ensure that banks fulfill the public’s needs. In Part I, this Article provides a historical background of the social contract and demonstrates that the social contract between banks and the government has existed since the inception of banking in this country and has changed several times to meet changing circumstances and needs. In Part II, the Article describes the various governmental measures that protect banks and essentially serve as a safety net and why this government support justifies imposing public obligations on banks. Part III defines the critical elements of any social contract going forward, such as safety and soundness, consumer protection, and access to credit. Part IV demonstrates how regulators can build on existing language and tests in banking legislation to recognize and enforce banking’s social contract

Payday lending isn’t helping the poor. Here’s what might

This article appearing in the Washington Post on June 28, 2016 by Mehrsa Baradaran, J. Alton Hosch Associate Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law explores how postal banking could benefit the poor and reduce their reliance on payday lending