High-resolution eye-tracking via digital imaging of Purkinje reflections.

Reliably measuring eye movements and determining where the observer looks are fundamental needs in vision science. A classical approach to achieve high-resolution oculomotor measurements is the so-called dual Purkinje image (DPI) method, a technique that relies on the relative motion of the reflections generated by two distinct surfaces in the eye, the cornea and the back of the lens. This technique has been traditionally implemented in fragile and difficult to operate analog devices, which have remained exclusive use of specialized oculomotor laboratories.

Antihyperalgesia by α2-GABAA receptors occurs via a genuine spinal action and does not involve supraspinal sites.

Drugs that enhance GABAergic inhibition alleviate inflammatory and neuropathic pain after spinal application. This antihyperalgesia occurs mainly through GABAA receptors (GABAARs) containing α2 subunits (α2-GABAARs). Previous work indicates that potentiation of these receptors in the spinal cord evokes profound antihyperalgesia also after systemic administration, but possible synergistic or antagonistic actions of supraspinal α2-GABAARs on spinal antihyperalgesia have not yet been addressed.

U.S. graduate medical education and physician specialty choice.

Purpose: The United States is facing a critical physician shortage. It will only get worse as many more Americans gain insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act and as additional millions enter the Medicare system. There is a serious concern that the pipeline for the production of the physician workforce is inadequate to meet future needs.

Selective distribution of GABA(A) receptor subtypes in mouse spinal dorsal horn neurons and primary afferents.

In the spinal cord dorsal horn, presynaptic GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs) in the terminals of nociceptors as well as postsynaptic receptors in spinal neurons regulate the transmission of nociceptive and somatosensory signals from the periphery. GABA(A)Rs are heterogeneous and distinguished functionally and pharmacologically by the type of α subunit variant they contain. This heterogeneity raises the possibility that GABA(A)R subtypes differentially regulate specific pain modalities.

First-year residents who began their graduate medical education in 2009-2010 and found their positions within and outside the NRMP match.

Purpose: Analysts who assess trends in medical specialty choice often use statistics published by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), but a substantial minority of new residents find their positions outside of the NRMP. Rule changes to be implemented by the NRMP in 2013 may have a substantial impact on this behavior.The author quantified and characterized residents who found their positions outside of the NRMP.

Presynaptic alpha2-GABAA receptors in primary afferent depolarization and spinal pain control.

Spinal dorsal horn GABA(A) receptors are found both postsynaptically on central neurons and presynaptically on axons and/or terminals of primary sensory neurons, where they mediate primary afferent depolarization (PAD) and presynaptic inhibition. Both phenomena have been studied extensively on a cellular level, but their role in sensory processing in vivo has remained elusive, due to inherent difficulties to selectively interfere with presynaptic receptors. Here, we address the contribution of a major subpopulation of GABA(A) receptors (those containing the α2 subunit) to spinal pain control in mice lacking α2-GABA(A) receptors specifically in primary nociceptors (sns-α2(-/-) mice).

Participation in U.S. graduate medical education by graduates of international medical schools.

Purpose: International medical graduates (IMGs) are an important part of U.S. graduate medical education (GME) and medical practice.

A virus-like particle-based anti-nerve growth factor vaccine reduces inflammatory hyperalgesia: potential long-term therapy for chronic pain.

Chronic pain resulting from inflammatory and neuropathic disorders causes considerable economic and social burden. For a substantial proportion of patients, conventional drug treatments do not provide adequate pain relief. Consequently, novel approaches to pain management, involving alternative targets and new therapeutic modalities compatible with chronic use, are being sought.

Three pathways to a physician career: applicants to U.S. MD and DO schools and U.S. Citizen applicants to international medical schools.

Purpose: To determine the size of the overall applicant pool for medical education (applicants to U.S. MD schools and DO schools, and to international medical schools) and to determine the degree of overlap of the three types of applicants.

Lhx2 selector activity specifies cortical identity and suppresses hippocampal organizer fate.

The earliest step in creating the cerebral cortex is the specification of neuroepithelium to a cortical fate. Using mouse genetic mosaics and timed inactivations, we demonstrated that Lhx2 acts as a classic selector gene and essential intrinsic determinant of cortical identity. Lhx2 selector activity is restricted to an early critical period when stem cells comprise the cortical neuroepithelium, where it acts cell-autonomously to specify cortical identity and suppress alternative fates in a spatially dependent manner.

Medical school tuition and young physicians' indebtedness.

Medical school tuition and medical student debt have increased dramatically during the past two decades, but loans are available on favorable terms, which makes it possible for students without personal or family means to get a medical education. As an investment, medical education is an excellent choice; its net present value is more than a million dollars. Cost is nevertheless a strong deterrent to potential applicants, especially minority applicants.