Making the connection: How membrane contact sites have changed our view of organelle biology.

The view of organelles and how they operate together has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The textbook view of organelles was that they operated largely independently and were connected by vesicular trafficking and the diffusion of signals through the cytoplasm. We now know that all organelles make functional close contacts with one another, often called membrane contact sites. The study of these sites has moved to center stage in cell biology as it has become clear that they play critical roles in healthy and developing cells and during cell stress and disease states. Contact sites have important roles in intracellular signaling, lipid metabolism, motor-protein-mediated membrane dynamics, organelle division, and organelle biogenesis. Here, we summarize the major conceptual changes that have occurred in cell biology as we have come to appreciate how contact sites integrate the activities of organelles.

Nursing careers for the homeless: a curriculum for success.

The Nursing Careers for Homeless People Project (NCHPP) is a comprehensive multi-dimensional academic and social strategy designed to assist homeless individuals who have an interest and aptitude for nursing to achieve career mobility in nursing. NCHPP is a 2-phase project: (1) a Pre-Admission Readiness Program (PRP) and (2) the Collegiate Phase. The 3-month PRP focuses on socialization to nursing, building self-concept, academic enhancement, and career exploration. The Collegiate Phase includes academic, social, and financial support, as well as assistance with job placement and follow-up. NCHPP has enrolled 96 students to the PRP since 1994 and graduated 70 students or 73%. Fifty-three percent of the PRP graduates were admitted to a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Associate of Science (AS) program in nursing, and 54% of the PRP graduates are employed in health oriented positions. Two students from the first group of PRP graduates are scheduled to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing in May 1999. There have not been any graduates from associate degree programs due to part-time attendance, long waiting lists for entry into the nursing program, and transfer of students from the AS program to the BS program. Although there are many challenges and obstacles faced by homeless people, the NCHPP has succeeded in decreasing welfare rolls, unemployment, and poverty.