Classroom-Based Learning in an Academic Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Training Program.

Objectives: Classroom-based learning such as academic half days (AHDs) are complementary to workplace learning in postgraduate medical education. This study examined three research questions: the purpose of AHDs, elements of an effective AHD, and factors that make AHD sustainable. Methods: We conducted a case study of the AHD in a large Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program at the University of British Columbia. Residents were interviewed in 2013 (n = 11) and 2018 (n = 7) and the program administrator was interviewed in 2018. The themes in each research question were identified by modified inductive analysis. Results: Residents expressed that the purposes of AHD included: providing organization and an overview for their knowledge acquisition; preparation for their Royal College specialty exam; and to provide a venue for peer support and mentorship. Elements of an effective AHD include the repetition of key concepts; formative assessments such as quizzes, a suitable balance of faculty input and resident active participation, and protection from clinical duty during AHD. Regarding the sustainability of AHD, themes included: addressing barriers to faculty participation, providing administrative support for logistical needs, and providing feedback to faculty. Conclusions: This work provides important insights into the purpose, effectiveness, and sustainability of AHDs for those who design and implement classroom learning for residents.

Neuroligin 2 is required for synapse development and function at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.

Neuroligins belong to a highly conserved family of cell adhesion molecules that have been implicated in synapse formation and function. However, the precise in vivo roles of Neuroligins remain unclear. In the present study, we have analyzed the function of Drosophila neuroligin 2 (dnl2) in synaptic development and function. We show that dnl2 is strongly expressed in the embryonic and larval CNS and at the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). dnl2 null mutants are viable but display numerous structural defects at the NMJ, including reduced axonal branching and fewer synaptic boutons. dnl2 mutants also show an increase in the number of active zones per bouton but a decrease in the thickness of the subsynaptic reticulum and length of postsynaptic densities. dnl2 mutants also exhibit a decrease in the total glutamate receptor density and a shift in the subunit composition of glutamate receptors in favor of GluRIIA complexes. In addition to the observed defects in synaptic morphology, we also find that dnl2 mutants show increased transmitter release and altered kinetics of stimulus-evoked transmitter release. Importantly, the defects in presynaptic structure, receptor density, and synaptic transmission can be rescued by postsynaptic expression of dnl2. Finally, we show that dnl2 colocalizes and binds to Drosophila neurexin (dnrx) in vivo. However, whereas homozygous mutants for either dnl2 or dnrx are viable, double mutants are lethal and display more severe defects in synaptic morphology. Altogether, our data show that, although dnl2 is not absolutely required for synaptogenesis, it is required postsynaptically for synapse maturation and function.

Fire exit is a potential four transmembrane protein expressed in developing Drosophila glia.

Glia from many diverse organisms play a number of important roles during the development of the nervous system. Therefore, knowing the molecules that control glial cell function will further our understanding of the mechanisms that control nervous system development. We have isolated a novel gene in Drosophila melanogaster that is expressed in a subset of the peripheral glia. We call this gene "Fire exit" (Fie), as the glia that express this gene do so during a time when they mark the entry and exit point of axons at the CNS/PNS boundary. This subset of peripheral glia act as intermediate targets during pathfinding and migration of the sensory axons in particular. Fire exit has been cloned and found to encode a novel transmembrane protein. Fire exit belongs to a group of proteins identified in the Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae databases which contain four predicted transmembrane domains and a shared intracellular motif. Mutations that remove the fire exit protein have no obvious disruption to glial function. On the other hand, glia expressing the Fire exit gene bridge the transition zone between CNS and PNS and play a role in sensory axon guidance. Therefore, it appears that, while the glia that express this protein mediate axon guidance, Fire exit itself plays a nonessential part in this function. A role for Fire exit in glial development may be suggested by its evolutionary relationship to a family of lysosome-associated proteins called LAPTMs and suggests that Fire exit may function in intracellular transport during glial development.