Temporal Dynamics of Cyanobacterial Bloom Community Composition and Toxin Production from Urban Lakes.

With a long evolutionary history and a need to adapt to a changing environment, cyanobacteria in freshwater systems use specialized metabolites for communication, defense, and physiological processes. However, the role that these metabolites play in differentiating species, maintaining microbial communities, and generating niche persistence and expansion is poorly understood. Furthermore, many cyanobacterial specialized metabolites and toxins present significant human health concerns due to their liver toxicity and their potential impact to drinking water. Gaps in knowledge exist with respect to changes in species diversity and toxin production during a cyanobacterial bloom (cyanoHAB) event; addressing these gaps will improve understanding of impacts to public and ecological health. In the current project, we utilized a multiomics strategy (DNA metabarcoding and metabolomics) to determine the cyanobacterial community composition, toxin profile, and the specialized metabolite pool at three freshwater lakes in Providence, RI during summer-fall cyanoHABs. Species diversity decreased at all study sites over the course of the bloom event, and toxin production reached a maximum at the midpoint of the event. Additionally, LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking identified new toxin congeners. This work provokes intriguing questions with respect to the use of allelopathy by organisms in these systems and the presence of emerging toxic compounds that can impact public health.

A contemporary reassessment of the US surgical workforce through 2050 predicts continued shortages and increased productivity demands.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to predict practicing surgeon workforce size across ten specialties to provide an up-to-date, national perspective on future surgical workforce shortages or surpluses. METHODS: Twenty-one years of AMA Masterfile data (1997-2017) were used to predict surgeons practicing from 2030 to 2050. Published ratios of surgeons/100,000 population were used to estimate the number of surgeons needed. MGMA median wRVU/surgeon by specialty (2017) was used to determine wRVU demand and capacity based on projected and needed number of surgeons. RESULTS: By 2030, surgeon shortages across nine specialties: Cardiothoracic, Otolaryngology, General Surgery, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Plastics, Urology, and Vascular, are estimated to increase clinical workload by 10-50% additional wRVU. By 2050, shortages in eight specialties are estimated to increase clinical workload by 7-61% additional wRVU. CONCLUSIONS: If historical trends continue, a majority of surgical specialties are estimated to experience workforce deficits, increasing clinical demands substantially.

The role of education, occupational match on job satisfaction in the behavioral and social science workforce.

While many studies that have been conducted in recent years examining the education and workforce outcomes of STEM graduates, few have focused on the behavioral and social sciences (BSS). Federal agencies, such as National Institutes of Health (NIH), are implementing policies to foster multidisciplinary research in an effort to find more effective solutions to complex problems. As a result, there is growing interest in the career pathways of BSS scientists. This study seeks to increase our understanding of how BSS graduates, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, transition to employment within their respective fields. The focus of this research is the impact of horizontal mismatch, defined as the misalignment between a worker's degree and occupational fields, on job satisfaction and wage outcomes. This analysis of returns to education when mismatch occurs, including a comparison among majors and various demographic groups, provides insights into the labor market experiences of these scientists. Mismatched graduates were found to be much more vulnerable, earning less, and having lower job satisfaction, than their counterparts employed in jobs that aligned with their field of study. Additional job-related training was found to have a positive influence on these outcomes. Also of interest in this study were variations in wage penalties and job satisfaction between groups having different gender and race diversity characteristics. These findings are useful to human resource development (HRD) professionals, governmental policymakers, and other stakeholders seeking strategies to improve the workforce outcomes of BSS scientists.

Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation over a period of 119 years (1895-2013) during which average annual temperatures have increased in the region. We quantified the effects of late winter/early spring temperatures, averaged annually across the region, on dates of occurrence of adults, taking into account the effects of elevation, latitude, and longitude. We assessed whether species-specific phenological responses varied with adult flight season and larval diet breadth. Collection dates were significantly earlier in warmer years for 36.3% of moth species, and later for 3.7%. Species exhibited an average phenological advance of 1.9 days/°C, but species-specific shifts ranged from an advance of 10.3 days/°C to a delay of 10.6 days/°C. More spring-flying species shifted their phenology than summer- or fall-flying species. These responses did not vary among groups defined by larval diet breadth. The highly variable phenological responses to climate change in Pacific Northwest moths agree with other studies on Lepidoptera and suggest that it will remain difficult to accurately forecast which species and ecological interactions are most likely to be affected by climate change. Our results also underscore the value of natural history collections as windows into long-term ecological trends.

Recent trends in the U.S. Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) workforce.

While behavioral and social sciences occupations comprise one of the largest portions of the "STEM" workforce, most studies of diversity in STEM overlook this population, focusing instead on fields such as biomedical or physical sciences. This study evaluates major demographic trends and productivity in the behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) workforce in the United States during the past decade. Our analysis shows that the demographic trends for different BSSR fields vary. In terms of gender balance, there is no single trend across all BSSR fields; rather, the problems are field-specific, and disciplines such as economics and political science continue to have more men than women. We also show that all BSSR fields suffer from a lack of racial and ethnic diversity. The BSSR workforce is, in fact, less representative of racial and ethnic minorities than are biomedical sciences or engineering. Moreover, in many BSSR subfields, minorities are less likely to receive funding. We point to various funding distribution patterns across different demographic groups of BSSR scientists, and discuss several policy implications.

Improvement of hypothyroidism after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) has been very effective in managing a broad range of morbid obesity-related co-morbidities. We report a beneficial effect of LRYGBP that has not been previously observed. METHODS: Between December 1999 and September 2002, 224 patients underwent LRYGBP. Preoperative assessment for hypothyroidism and follow-up data were prospectively collected in our database. Improved thyroid function (ITF) or unchanged thyroid function (UTF) was determined by comparison of preoperative and postoperative thyroxine requirements. RESULTS: 23 of 224 patients (10.3%) were treated preoperatively for hypothyroidism. During a median follow-up of 17 months, hypothyroidism was improved in 10/23 patients (43.5%). 2 patients had complete resolution, and the remaining 8 had reduction (14%-50%) of their thyroxine requirements. ITF occurred at a mean follow-up of 8.9 months and at a mean excess weight loss (EWL) of 57%. 6 of the 8 patients (75%) with ITF >or= 25% had EWL >90% at last follow-up, compared to 1 out of 15 patients (6.6%) with UTF or <25% improvement (P =0.001). Comparison of patients with ITF and UTF over time during a 20-month follow-up, showed no significant difference in mean body mass index (BMI) and mean percentage of EWL. CONCLUSION: Improvement of hypothyroidism may be an additional benefit of bariatric surgery that has not been previously reported. Reduction of thyroxine requirements is most likely the result of the decrease in the BMI.

Laparoscopic reoperation for early complications of laparoscopic gastric bypass.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) is a popular operation for morbid obesity. Early complications can be treated successfully with a laparoscopic approach. We reviewed our experience with laparoscopic re-exploration in the early postoperative period. METHODS: The initial 85 patients who underwent LRYGBP by two surgeons at a training hospital were reviewed. All patients who required re-exploration within the first 60 days postoperatively were considered. RESULTS: Nine patients underwent ten laparoscopic explorations. Mean BMI was 50 kg/m2. One patient underwent revision for proximal anastomotic obstruction at 58 days postoperatively. Three patients developed obstruction at the level of the transverse mesocolon secondary to cicatrix and required laparoscopic release of the scar tissue. Two patients required revision of the jejuno-jejunostomy. Internal hernia through the mesenteric defect at the level of the transverse mesocolon was the cause of bowel obstruction in two patients. One patient underwent lysis of adhesions between the left colon and the transverse mesocolon at 6 days postoperatively. One out of the ten laparoscopic re-explorations was negative for any findings. Eight patients recovered without further complications and one patient required endoscopic dilatations of the proximal anastomosis. CONCLUSION: In the course of treating morbid obesity with laparoscopic intervention, complications will arise. Laparoscopic exploration for early complications is a safe and feasible option.