In female mammals, increased ovarian estradiol (E(2)) secretion triggers GnRH release from neurons in the basal forebrain, which drives LH secretion from the pituitary and subsequently induces ovulation. However, the neural circuits that activate this preovulatory GnRH/LH surge remain unidentified. Neurotensin is expressed in neurons of the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), a region thought to be critical for generating the preovulatory GnRH/LH surge. E(2) induces neurotensin (Nts) gene expression in this region, and blockade of neurotensin signaling reduces the LH surge in the rat. We postulated that neurotensin signaling plays a similar role in generating the E(2)-induced GnRH/LH surge in mice. We used in situ hybridization (ISH) to determine whether E(2) induces Nts expression in the mouse and found evidence to support this proposition. Next, we determined that the neurotensin receptor (Ntsr2) is present in many GnRH-expressing neurons. Since the kisspeptin gene (Kiss1) is expressed in the AVPV and is responsive to E(2), we predicted that some neurons in this region express both Kiss1 and Nts; however, by double-label ISH, we observed no coexpression of the two mRNAs. We also postulated that Nts mRNA expression would increase in parallel with the E(2)-induced LH surge and that the central (icv) administration of neurotensin would stimulate LH secretion and activation of GnRH neurons but found no evidence to support either of these hypotheses. Together, these findings suggest that, although neurotensin neurons in the AVPV are targets for regulation by E(2), neurotensin does not appear to play a direct role in generating the GnRH/LH surge in the mouse.

Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused unprecedented challenges within medical centers, revealing inequities embedded in the medical community and exposing fragile social support systems. While faculty and staff faced extraordinary demands in workplace duties, personal responsibilities also increased. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal and professional activities of faculty and staff in order to illuminate current challenges and explore solutions. Methods Qualitative, semi-structured group interviews involved faculty and staff at four affiliate sites within the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine. Focus groups addressed the impact of COVID-19 on (1) Changes to roles and responsibilities at work and at home, (2) Resources utilized to manage these changes and, (3) Potential strategies for how the Department could assist faculty and staff. Thematic analysis was conducted using an inductive method at the semantic level to form themes and subthemes. Results Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts revealed themes of: (1) Challenges and disparities experienced during the pandemic, (2) Disproportionate impact on women personally and professionally, (3) Institutional factors that contributed to wellness and burnout, and (4) Solutions and strategies to support faculty and staff. Within each of these themes were multiple subthemes including increased professional and personal demands, concern for personal safety, a sense of internal guilt, financial uncertainty, missed professional opportunities, and a negative impact on mentoring. Solutions were offered and included an emphasis on addressing preexisting inequities, the importance of community, and workplace flexibility. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic created burdens for already challenged faculty and staff in both their personal and professional lives. Swift action and advocacy by academic institutions is needed to support the lives and careers of our colleagues now and in the future.

Background There are limited competency-based educational curricula for transitions of care education (TOC) for internal medicine (IM) residency programs. The University of Colorado implemented a virtual interdisciplinary conference call, TEAM (Transitions Expectation and Management), between providers on the inpatient Acute Care of the Elder (ACE) unit and the outpatient Seniors Clinic at the University of Colorado Hospital. Residents rotating on the ACE unit participated in weekly conferences discussing Seniors Clinic patients recently discharged, or currently hospitalized, to address clinical concerns pertaining to TOC. Our goals were to understand resident perceptions of the educational value of these conferences, and to determine if these experiences changed attitudes or practice related to care transitions. Methods We performed an Institutional Review Board-approved qualitative study of IM housestaff who rotated on the ACE unit during 2018–2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand perceptions of the value of TEAM calls for residents’ own practice and the impact on patient care. Data was analyzed inductively, guided by thematic analysis. Results Of the 32 IM residents and interns who rotated on ACE and were invited to participate, 11 agreed to an interview. Three key themes emerged from interviews that highlighted residents’ experiences identifying and navigating some of their educational ‘blind spots:’ 1) Awareness of patient social complexities, 2) Bridging gaps in communication across healthcare settings, 3) Recognizing the value of other disciplines during transitions. Conclusions This study highlights learner perspectives of the benefit of interdisciplinary conference calls between inpatient and outpatient providers to enhance transitions of care, which provide meaningful feedback and serve as a vehicle for residents to recognize the impact of their care decisions in the broader spectrum of patients’ experience during hospital discharge. Educators can maximize the value of these experiences by promoting reflective debriefs with residents and bringing to light previously unrecognized knowledge gaps around hospital discharge.

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Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused unprecedented challenges within medical centers, revealing inequities embedded in the medical community and exposing fragile social support systems. While faculty and staff faced extraordinary demands in workplace duties, personal responsibilities also increased. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal and professional activities of faculty and staff in order to illuminate current challenges and explore solutions. Methods:This is a multi-methods, prospective, observational study of faculty and staff within the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine, comprised of four separate sites. Participants received a preliminary department-wide survey followed by an invitation to participate in focus groups addressing: (1) the impact on personal and professional activities, on (2) career advancement and promotion, and (3) potential strategies to assist faculty and staff. Qualitative analysis was performed for thematic content of the focus groups.Results: One hundred and fifty-one faculty and staff responded to the initial survey (11%), 28 faculty and staff participated in focus groups. Prior to the pandemic, male respondents spent 20.5 hours (+/- 18.2) on home responsibilities while women spent 28.8 hours (+/-17.9), and since, time spent on these responsibilities rose to 32.4 hours (+/- 18.4) and 49.6 hours (+/-29.0), respectively. Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts revealed thematic domains: (1) changing domestic responsibilities, (2) changing workplace expectations, (3) the untenable nature of a return to “normal,” (4) an opportunity to address pre-existing inequities and (5) internal conflict and guilt. Solutions were offered and included an emphasis on the importance of community.Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic created burdens for already challenged faculty and staff in both their personal and professional lives, and for women in particular. Swift action and advocacy by academic institutions is needed to support the lives and careers of our colleagues.

"Background/aims: Reliable biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity and the potential to discriminate precancerous or early lesions from oral cancer improve scientific assessment and early detection. Dysregulated circRNAs play a critical role in the occurrence and progression of malignant biological behaviors of OSCC. The study of potential diagnostic roles of hsa_circ_0064357 and hsa_circ_0064358 in early diagnostic of precancerous lesions such as OLP to OSCC as the most common type of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was the focus of present research. Methods: The differential expression of hsa_circ_0064357, hsa_circ_0064358, and RAF1 target gene predicted using CircInteractome and Circbase databases between OSCC (n=30), OLP (n=10) tissues and their adjacent normal tissues were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The potential diagnostic value of circRNAs was identified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: hsa_circ_0064357 and hsa_circ_0064358 were identified to be lowly expressed, while RAF1 was upregulated in OSCC and OLP tissues more than adjacent normal tissues. Low expression of circRNAs was markedly correlated with TNM stages of OSCC patients. ROC analysis revealed AUC of 0.962 and 0.965 for hsa_circ_0064357 and hsa_circ_0064358, respectively, suggesting that circRNAs can serve as novel diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of OSCC. Conclusion: hsa_circ_0064357 and hsa_circ_0064358 might be involved in the progression and metastasis of OSCC and could be used as promising novel biomarkers for early diagnosis and the clinical monitoring of the malignant transformation of OLP into OSCC. Keywords: hsa_circ_0064357, hsa_circ_0064358, OSCC, OLP, RAF1 gene"