Brief Report: Dynamic calcium signals mediate the feeding response of the carnivorous sundew plant

Some of the most spectacular examples of botanical carnivory—in which predator plants catch and digest animals presumably to supplement the nutrient-poor soils in which they grow—occur within the Droseraceae family. For example, sundews of the genus Drosera have evolved leaf movements and enzyme secretion to facilitate prey digestion. The molecular underpinnings of this behavior remain largely unknown; however, evidence suggests that prey-induced electrical impulses are correlated with movement and production of the defense hormone jasmonic acid (JA), which may alter gene expression. In noncarnivorous plants, JA is linked to electrical activity via changes in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺. Here, we find that dynamic Ca²⁺ changes also occur in sundew (Drosera spatulata) leaves responding to prey-associated mechanical and chemical stimuli. Furthermore, inhibition of these Ca²⁺ changes reduced expression of JA target genes and leaf movements following chemical feeding. Our results are consistent with the presence of a conserved Ca²⁺-dependent JA signaling pathway in the sundew feeding response and provide further credence to the defensive origin of plant carnivory.     

Cardiothoracic surgery in South Africa: a history

Cardiothoracic surgery in South Africa began in Cape Town spreading to the rest of the country, and since the end of apartheid slowly reaching other sub-Saharan African countries. It is a story of brilliant innovators, of the evils of the disease of apartheid but also of what is possible if you are determined and prepared to work hard. The early leaders came from the University of Cape Town (UCT) with Christiaan Barnard, Donald Ross and Rodney Hewitson all in the same class of 1946 with Ben Le Roux and Bob Frater soon after. It is a story of world class professionals in a sea of poverty. The heart transplants performed by Barnard stimulated the whole university and eventually had an effect in raising the standard of medicine in South Africa. Despite the apartheid laws at the time the cardiac unit at UCT was run as multiracial as it was possible at the time with all patients receiving the same care. Apartheid also had an effect on the emigration of many highly talented graduates to other countries. The end of apartheid caused great changes to healthcare in the country, many of great benefit but also some not so good. As UCT influenced the rest of South Africa, the South African medical fraternity can affect the rest of sub-Saharan Africa to the benefit of all its people.     

A systematic approach for identifying and presenting mechanistic evidence in human health assessments

Clear documentation of literature search and presentation methodologies can improve transparency in chemical hazard assessments. We sought to improve clarity for the scientific support for cancer mechanisms of action using a systematic approach to literature retrieval, selection, and presentation of studies. The general question was “What are the mechanisms by which a chemical may cause carcinogenicity in the target tissue?”. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was used as a case study chemical with a complex database of >3000 publications. Relevant mechanistic events were identified from published reviews. The PubMed search strategy included relevant synonyms and wildcards for DEHP and its metabolites, mechanistic events, and species of interest. Tiered exclusion/inclusion criteria for study pertinence were defined, and applied to the retrieved literature. Manual curation was conducted for mechanistic events with large literature databases. Literature trees documented identification and selection of the literature evidence. The selected studies were summarized in evidence tables accompanied by succinct narratives. Primary publications were deposited into the Health and Environmental Research Online (http://hero.epa.gov/) database and identified by pertinence criteria and key terms to permit organized retrieval. This approach contributes to human health assessment by effectively managing a large volume of literature, improving transparency, and facilitating subsequent synthesis of information across studies.     

Suprapubic Cystotomy

Suprapubic cystotomy is a simple but practical means of bladder drainage in the postoperative gynecologic surgical patient. The two technics described here are open direct cystotomy in the abdominal procedure and blind transabdominal cystotomy in the vaginal procedure. These approaches reduce morbidity, use of sedation, need for antibiotics, postoperative nursing care, and hospitalization time.     

Lymph node non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidentally discovered during a nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

We report the case of a left laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with the incidental discovery of a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in one of the lymph nodes of the renal hilum. A laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was decided on for a 64-year-old man. Renal cell carcinoma in the kidney and one lymph node of the renal hilum with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was found. Chemotherapy was not started for the lymphoma discovery. There are no signs of relapse after two years of follow up. Coexistence in the same patient is an extremely rare condition. We review the literature about this issue to clarify this association.