Tracy B. Fulton

Identification of Kluyveromyces lactis Telomerase: Discontinuous Synthesis along the 30-Nucleotide-Long Templating Domain

ABSTRACT Telomeres in the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactisconsist of perfectly repeated 25-bp units, unlike the imprecise repeats at Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomeres and the short (6- to 8-bp) telomeric repeats found in many other eukaryotes. Telomeric DNA is synthesized by the ribonucleoprotein telomerase, which uses a portion of its RNA moiety as a template. K. lactistelomerase RNA, encoded by the TER1 gene, is ∼1.3 kb long and contains a 30-nucleotide templating domain, the largest ever examined. To examine the mechanism of polymerization by this enzyme, we identified and analyzed telomerase activity from K. lactiswhole-cell extracts. In this study, we exploited the length of the template and the precision of copying by K. lactistelomerase to examine primer elongation within one round of repeat synthesis. Under all in vitro conditions tested, K. lactistelomerase catalyzed only one round of repeat synthesis and remained bound to reaction products. We demonstrate that K. lactistelomerase polymerizes along the template in a discontinuous manner and stalls at two specific regions in the template. Increasing the amount of primer DNA-template RNA complementarity results in stalling, suggesting that the RNA-DNA hybrid is not unpaired during elongation in vitro and that lengthy duplexes hinder polymerization through particular regions of the template. We suggest that these observations provide an insight into the mechanism of telomerase and its regulation.

Toward Defining the Foundation of the MD Degree: Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency.

Currently, no standard defines the clinical skills that medical students must demonstrate upon graduation. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education bases its standards on required subject matter and student experiences rather than on observable educational outcomes. The absence of such established outcomes for MD graduates contributes to the gap between program directors’ expectations and new residents’ performance. In response, in 2013, the Association of American Medical Colleges convened a panel of experts from undergraduate and graduate medical education to define the professional activities that every resident should be able to do without direct supervision on day one of residency, regardless of specialty. Using a conceptual framework of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), this Drafting Panel reviewed the literature and sought input from the health professions education community. The result of this process was the publication of 13 core EPAs for entering residency in 2014. Each EPA includes a description, a list of key functions, links to critical competencies and milestones, and narrative descriptions of expected behaviors and clinical vignettes for both novice learners and learners ready for entrustment. The medical education community has already begun to develop the curricula, assessment tools, faculty development resources, and pathways to entrustment for each of the 13 EPAs. Adoption of these core EPAs could significantly narrow the gap between program directors’ expectations and new residents’ performance, enhancing patient safety and increasing residents’, educators’, and patients’ confidence in the care these learners provide in the first months of their residency training.

The design and utility of institutional teaching awards: a literature review.

Background: Institutional teaching awards have been used widely in higher education since the 1970s. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of the literature on such awards has not been published since 1997. Aim: We conducted a literature review to learn as much as possible about the design (e.g., formats, selection processes) and utility (e.g., impact on individuals and institutions) of teaching awards in order to provide information for use in designing, implementing, or evaluating award programs. Methods: We searched electronic databases for English-language publications on awards for exemplary teaching. Targeted publications included descriptions and/or investigations of award programs, their impact, and theoretical or conceptual models for awards programs. Screening was conducted by dual review; a third reviewer was assigned for disagreements. Data were analyzed qualitatively. Results were summarized descriptively. Results: We identified 1302 publications for initial relevancy screening by title and abstract. We identified an additional 23 publications in a follow-up search. The full text of 126 publications was reviewed for further relevance. A total of 62 publications were identified as relevant, and of these 43 met our criteria for inclusion. Of the 43, 19 described the design features of 24 awards; 20 reports discussed award utility. Nomination and selection processes and benefits (e.g., plaques) varied as did perceived impact on individuals and institutions. Conclusion: Limited evidence exists regarding design and utility of teaching awards. Awards are perceived as having potential for positive impact, including promotions, but may also have unintended negative consequences. Future research should investigate the impact of awards on personal and professional development, and how promotion and tenure committees perceive awards.

Learning Objectives in Radiology Education. Why You Need Them and How to Write Them.

Learning objectives are a critical step in the creation and implementation of a radiology curriculum. Their use is mandated by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education, and the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education, but more importantly they can have a significant beneficial impact on quality of radiology education programs. Learning objectives guide student learning, help clarify our teaching goals, and simplify learner testing and evaluation. This article will review the components of a proper learning objective and provide a simple, straightforward approach to writing them effectively.