Plasmodium falciparum merozoites have a variable surface protein of about 195,000 molecular weight which may be involved in strain-specific immunity. We have cloned and sequenced a major portion of the gene encoding this antigen from the CAMP strain and have located sites of preferred mung bean nuclease cleavage around the gene. These sites depend on reaction conditions, but at 40% formamide and 2 units of mung bean nuclease per pg DNA, the intact gene was excised from the chromosome. Comparison of the CAMP strain gene with the same gene from other strains of P. falciparum by matching available DNA sequences and by DNA hybridization revealed five regions of homology separated by divergent segments. Two of the variable regions encoded three amino acid repeats, predominantly Ser-Gly-Thr and ThrGlu-Glu. Implications of these findings on the function of the antigen, and possible mechanisms for generation of variants are discussed.

Although cfDNA is superior in detecting T21 cases, sequential screening is superior when considering all aneuploidies detectable. The cost increase with universal cfDNA is significant, and is not justified with small improvements in the performance.

The objective was to quantify resources devoted to quality and patient safety initiatives, to document the development and use of key performance indicator reports regarding patient outcomes and patient feedback, and to assess the culture of safety within academic obstetrics and gynecology departments. Chairs of academic obstetrics and gynecology departments were asked to complete a quality and safety assessment survey. Surveys were distributed to 138 departments, yielding 52 completed responses (37.7%). Five percent of departments reported including a patient representative on a quality committee. Most committee leaders (60.5%) and members (67.4%) received no compensation. Formal training was required in 28.8% of responding departments. Most departments monitored key performance metrics for inpatient outcomes (95.9%). Leaders scored their departments’ culture of safety highly. Most departments provided no protected time to faculty devoted to quality efforts, generation of key performance indicators for inpatient activities was prevalent and integrating patient and community input remain unrealized opportunities.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, we reviewed the difficulties reformists overcame in passing the 19th Amendment and discuss the similarities to current challenges in providing evidence-based, affordable, accessible women's health care. Many current health care problems arise from systemic, not medical, issues, and we can better focus on them through the lenses of the social determinants of health and reproductive justice. Addressing systemic inadequacies and injustices requires policy implementation and legislative activism, like that pursued by the suffragists. We propose that, ultimately, voting is our professional, fundamental duty to make the desired changes. We then present advocacy avenues and opportunities available to all women's health care specialists.