synapse (01.16.14)

SynapseThursday, January 16, 2014 synapse.ucsf.edu Volume 58, Number 15

The UCSF Student Newspaper

IN THIS ISSUENews Briefs » PAGE 3Journal Club » PAGE 5Puzzles » PAGE 7

FOODThe Best Coffee – Home Brew EditionWe test three different DIY methods » PAGE 6

NEWSPaying It ForwardA new column on volun-teerism at UCSF » PAGE 1

CLINICAL CORNER » PAGE 3

PAYING IT FORWARD » PAGE 3

SPORTS

Fall Rec League Sports Champions Crowned

Photo courtesy of Fitness & Recreation Centers @ UCSF

First-year medical student team, Med '17 or Bust, defeated the School of Dentistry's Flossoraptors to capture the student basketball league crown.

SPORTS » PAGE 4

By Dennis ZhengStaff Writer

For the members of UCSF’s rec-reational sports leagues, the year 2014 presents new opportuni-

ties. Champions will either be toppled or continue their reign. Although the win-ter quarter leagues began last week, there’s still time to recognize the five winning

teams of the fall at the Parnassus campus. The student basketball league crown was captured by the first-year medical student squad, Med ’17 or Bust. Comprised of medi-cal students Norver Trinidad, Jackie DesJar-din, Jameze James, Stephen Brown, Ranvir Dhillon, John Bonano, Ruiji Jiang, Frank Lu, Dennis Zheng and physical therapy student Dorian Danic, the team won four of its sev-en regular-season games to enter the one-day playoffs as the second seed.

In the post-season semifinals, Med ’17 or Bust defeated its elders, the second-year med-ical team, We Get Buckets, before squeaking by the previously undefeated Flossoraptors of the dental school for the title.

“Stephen (Brown) and John (Bonano), both of whom are former Pac-12 athletes, were key to our ability to dominate the paint,” said team captain Norver Trinidad.

The Penetrators, made up of Brandon Chu, Terry Lee, Jun Loayza, Vannor Phan, John Kwon, Emmanuel Igbinosa, Ryan Satch-er and Gary Anderson, won the six-feet-and-under basketball league title.

After suffering only two losses — both of which came when short-handed — during its seven-game regular season, the group entered the one-day playoffs as the fourth seed of four teams but remained confident.

Down big in the first half of the semi-final game, the Penetrators fought back to win that game and the next for its sec-ond straight league title. A former Stan-ford walk-on, Igbinosa led his team by making plays on both ends of the floor.

NEWS

Paying It Forward at Cal Academy “Serving the community [is] ingrained in the ethos of UC San Francisco,” proudly proclaims the university web-site. Indeed, as members of a health sciences university, UCSF students and staff are devoted to improving the lives of people throughout the world. For many, this passion for public service extends beyond their career aspirations. This column highlights these altru-istic individuals as well as the organizations they serve. Please email [email protected] if you would like your organiza-tion to be featured in “Paying it Forward.”~ Jenny Qi Executive Editor

By Erin OswaldContributing Writer

During my first year in graduate school, I quick-ly learned that I needed

some sort of outside-of-lab activi-ty, or else I would go crazy. I tried a smattering of hobbies, from rock climbing to making wall art out of wire (that didn’t end well), but nothing ever stuck.

After TA-ing during my second year, I realized that I enjoy teaching. I like pre-paring lectures and invent-ing creative ways to explain

complex topics. And if I am to be completely honest, I feel en-couraged by having people actually listen to what I am saying.

Photo courtesy of Erin Oswald

NEWS

Clinical Corner: The General Appearance of PatientsBy Akshay GovindAssociate Editor

Clinicians in training are told that their assessment of a patient should begin the moment they enter a room. In

fact, if there are notable sounds or smells that can be appreciated from outside the patient’s room, this assessment can start even earlier.

It is often recommended that young cli-nicians go through a set checklist or fixed routine to ensure nothing is left out during data collection. Then, with all information gathered, one can go back, piece together a problem list, and try to think through all the possible explanations for these problems be-fore narrowing down the most likely causes and deciding how to address them.

As clinicians gain experience, these pro-cesses happen simultaneously, allowing in-terviewers to move various disease processes up and down their mental lists, driving the next lines of questioning or examination. A patient’s general appearance is among the first things a clinician should observe, and this can help to guide the entire clinical encounter. This skill, like anything, takes practice.

Several pieces may contribute to an in-dividual’s general appearance, including any signs of distress, such as sweating or labored breathing, level of consciousness or ability to interact, height, build, body odors, whether

they appear different from their chronologi-cal age, any obvious wounds, or even unusual jewelry or tattoos, to name a few.

One remarkably tangible item I find use-ful is a description of a person’s apparent state of health. From across a room, we really can tell in a fraction of a second if someone looks well, and if not, we can describe them as ap-pearing agitated, ill, in pain or frankly toxic.

Developing a rich vocabulary to de-scribe people’s general appearance in just a few words is well worth the effort. I learned my favorite exercise for practicing this from a class I took in dental school that used art to hone students’ skills in physical diagnosis.

To do this exercise, go with a friend to your favorite museum, and venture into sep-arate wings that have paintings, photographs or sculptures filled with people. On a note-pad, describe seven or eight specific subjects in the works using just a few words.

Then find your friend, switch wings of the museum and notepads, and based on each other’s descriptions, find the people your friend picked out.

Of course, you can do the same with real people from your social cir-cles or celebrities, but I always enjoy a reason to get out and view some art. B e l o w a r e a f e w q u i c k e x a m -p l e s o f p a t i e n t s I h a v e s e e n :

2 | January 16, 2014 | synapse.ucsf.edu

EVENTS

Journal Club

MISSION BAY EVENTSSTEVE BURRILL’S STATE OF THE LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRYThursday, Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m., Genentech Auditorium, Mission BaySteve Burrill, founder and CEO of the investment firm Burrill & Company, will deliver his respected annual analysis of the life science industry: opportunities, challenges and trends for the next year. Join us to learn what’s in store for the industry and where you should focus to take advantage of the opportunities.

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Friday, Jan .17, noon-1 p.m., Graduate Division. CC-310, Mission BaySynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. RSVP to [email protected].

MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES Friday, Jan. 17, 1-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.

MISSION BAY RIPSFriday, Jan. 17, 4-5 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission BayResearch In Progress Seminar is a seminar series at which one student and one postdoc present their current research. Talks are 15 minutes in length and are preceded by a 20-minute social. Snacks and beverages are provided.

STUDENT REGENT MEET & GREETTuesday, Jan. 21, 5-6 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission BayMeet your Student Regents to see how you can make a difference in the UC system. Enjoy delicious hors d'oeuvres and pick up an application to be the next Student Regent. http://bit.ly/UCstudentregent.

GSA MEETING: GRADUATE, NURSING & PTTuesday, Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m., Genentech Hall, N114, Mission BayMeet your executive board members at the monthly GSA meeting and be a part of the discussion on topics relating to student priorities. Visit the GSA website for more details and to RSVP. http://bit.ly/gsawebsite

WELLNESS EXPO AT MISSION BAYWednesday, Jan. 22, noon-2 p.m., Rutter Center lobby, Mission BayMore than 35 UCSF and external vendors will give away free information, fresh produce, snacks, free healthy lunch and hundreds of wellness resources. “Know Your Numbers” health assessments will also return, with a chance to earn $35 and chair massages. Please join us to celebrate wellness within the UCSF community. Complete the “Wellness Pledge Card” and turn it in for your free Wellness Lunch. livingwell.ucsf.edu/events/4th_annual_wellness_expo_save_the_date

GAME NIGHT AT MISSION BAYWednesday, Jan. 22, 6-9 p.m., Genentech Hall Atrium, Mission Bay

Bring your favorite board games to share. Enjoy free beverages, pizza, and raffle prizes provided by GSA & Student Life.

PARNASSUS EVENTS

CHANCELLOR’S CONCERT SERIESThursday, Jan. 16, noon-12:45 p.m. Cole Hall, Parnassus Violinist Melissa Kleinbart, cellist Tanya Tomkins and pianist Eric Zivian perform Schumann’s Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 63. The Chancellor’s Concert Series on Thursdays is a great place to take a break from classes while listening to classical music. Seating begins at noon. If you are unable to come, you can now listen to the music through live stream. This concert is free.

QUEER OPEN MIC EVENT: CAFÉ LEGAYThursday, Jan. 16, 5-7 p.m., Multicultural Resource Center, ParnassusAttention artists, writer, singers, filmmakers! The Office of Diversity and Outreach is looking for performers/presenters for the upcoming open mic night. If you would like to sign up to perform at this open mic or have questions about the event, please email [email protected].

PAT-BING-SU NIGHTThursday, Jan. 16, 5-7:30 p.m., Nursing Mezzanine, ParnassusThe Korean American Health Professional Students Association will be preparing the ingredients needed to make pat-bing-su, traditional Korean shaved ice. Participants will get to grind their own ice and customize their toppings, which include red bean, condensed milk, grain powder, fruits, rice cake and jellies.

MR. PHARMACYThursday, Jan. 16, 5-9 p.m., Cole Hall, ParnassusThis annual event, held by the second-year School of Pharmacy class cabinet, brings the School of Pharmacy together through a friendly competition. A nominee from each class will compete for the title of “Mr. Pharmacy,” by presenting their skills and participating in various games.

MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES Friday, Jan. 17, 1-2 p.m. , Medical Sciences, 163, Parnassus The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Come join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.

CAMPUS EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIPFriday, Jan. 17, 7-10:30 p.m., Nursing, 517, ParnassusJoin the Campus Evangelistic Fellowship for their weekly meeting with Bible study, hymn singing and fellowship.

FILM SCREENING: COLORBLIND: THE RISE OF POST-RACIAL POLITICS AND THE RETREAT FROM RACIAL EQUITYTuesday, Jan. 21, 5:15-7 p.m., Nursing, 225, ParnassusTim Wise offers an incisive critique of colorblind race logics in U.S. politics. To be

blind to color, he argues, is to be blind to the consequences of color, making it impossible to effectively address racial inequality. After watching the film, students can discuss the consequences of denying the existence of race. Sponsored by the UCSF Multicultural Resource Center.

PARNASSUS FARMERS’ MARKET Wednesday, Jan 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ACC, 400 Parnassus Ave. Shop the Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays to pick up locally grown produce and more. Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Wednesday, Jan. 22, noon-1 p.m., Millbery Union 123W, ParnassusSynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. Email for more information and to RSVP: [email protected].

WINTER HUMP DAY: LETTING GO OF PERFECTIONISMWednesday, Jan. 22, noon-1 p.m., Nursing, 217, ParnassusTake a mid-week break and join Student Health and Counseling for the Winter Hump Day Student Wellness Series. Topics focus on staying well throughout the year. Talks will occur every Wednesday at Parnassus in N-217, with the exception of the March 12 talk, which will be held at Mission Bay in Rock Hall 102. Free lunch at all talks for students with RSVP. Led by Felicia De La Garza Mercer, Ph.D. For more information or to RSVP, contact [email protected].

UCSF RUN CLUB Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Millberry Union Central Desk, ParnassusPlease drop by and join UCSF Fit & Rec for a run. Each Wednesday night, the Run Club runs various distances (from 3-6 miles) at 9 to 11 minutes per mile.

ENGLISH CORNERWednesday, Jan. 22, 6-8:30 p.m., Clinical Sciences, 130, ParnassusEnglish Corner is an informal conversational English class given as a free community service and provided on a voluntary basis by both people born and raised in the United States as well as many people who have, at one time in their lives, experienced life as a new immigrant to the United States.

OFF-CAMPUSOFF THE GRID: UPPER HAIGHT Thursday, Jan. 9, 5-9 p.m., Stanyan and Waller Streets, SFOff the Grid is a roaming mobile food extravaganza that travels to different locations daily to serve delicious food, with a free side of amazing music, craft and soul.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: MIND & BODY NIGHTLIFE Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate ParkImmerse yourself in cerebral science this week as NightLife gets inside your head. In the Planetarium, join a guided meditation led by neuroscience guru Dr. Philippe Goldin of Stanford University and get a closer perspective on human brains (even your own!) with a special fulldome audiovisual presentation at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 pm. Use your brain to power the sights and sounds of NeuroDisco, a mind-controlled music, light and sculpture installation. Catch a special set by turntable master and hip-hop pioneer DJ Qbert, hailed as one of the most prolific DJs of all time. http://bit.ly/NightLifeTickets, http://bit.ly/CLSDiscounts.

SEEKING UCSF STUDENT MENTORSThe Center for Science Education and Opportunity is looking for 20 UCSF students to serve as mentors to small groups of 10th-graders from San Francisco's Burton High School. The Burton students will be doing the research on health topics with your guidance, developing an interactive activity/discussion that will be presented to the school community and families. The students will also design an educational brochure and create a large informational poster. Please contact Anthea Lim for more information. mailto:[email protected]

ENVISIONING HUMAN RIGHTS CALL FOR ENTRY: DEADLINE JAN. 28The Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley and the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) are sponsoring a juried exhibition of student artwork. Students from all University of California campuses are invited to submit their works to be considered for the exhibition, addressing critical human rights issues. callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=1671

ASUC AND GSA FORMAL: PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 p.m-1 a.m., Westin St. Francis, SF Purchase your tickets today and get ready to enjoy a night of dancing, desserts and photo booths. http://bit.ly/1fP97KX

APPLY TO BE THE 2015-16 UC STUDENT REGENT!The Student Regent is a voting member of the Regents of the University of California, attends all meetings of the Board and its Committees and serves for two years (one year as a designate and one year as a voting member) commencing July 1. All mandatory University fees and tuition are waived for the Student Regent during the academic years in which he or she serves as a Regent-designate and as a member of the Board. Submit applications by Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/about/members-and-advisors/student-regent.html

FIRST GENERATION TO COLLEGE COMMUNITY: RSVP BY JANUARY 22 Wednesday, Jan. 29, 5- 6:30 p.m., RSVP for location, Parnassus Are you of the first generation in your family to attend college? You are not alone! Please join fellow UCSF first-generation-to-college students, residents, postdocs, fellows, faculty and alumni at this community reception. Refreshments and opportunities to connect with first-gen role models included. Registration: http://bit.ly/1cEEbNc

FREE SYNAPSE CLASSIFIEDSUCSF students and staff can now post online classified ads for free on the Synapse website. All you need is an @ucsf.edu email account. Try it out! synapse.ucsf.edu/classifieds.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAY CHEESE!

SYNAPSE WANTS YOUR BEST PHOTOS FOR OUR

PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE!

Submit photos and captions to Synapse by February 7.

[email protected]

synapse.ucsf.edu | January 16, 2014 | 3

STAFFYi Lu | EDITOR

Jenny Qi | EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alexandra Greer | SCIENCE EDITOR

Angela Castanieto | ASSOCIATE EDITORAkshay Govind | ASSOCIATE EDITORSteven Chin | MANAGING EDITOR

Victoria Elliott | COPY EDITORAbout Synapse is the UCSF student-run weekly newspaper, which runs on Thursdays during the academic year and monthly during the summer. Synapse seeks to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.

Submissions Announcements and letters should be submitted six days before publication. All submissions can be either emailed or mailed. All material is subject to editing. Letters to the Editor must be signed by the author.Subscriptions Subscriptions cost $20/year ($40/outside US).

Advertising Paid advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Synapse. Synapse and its editorial board reserve the right to decline advertisements promoting false or misleading claims, known health risks, or content deemed by the editors to be antithetical to the interests of UCSF students or the UCSF community. Synapse does not accept advertisements from tobacco or alcohol manufacturers, or sexually oriented personal ads. Synapse reserves the right to run any ad with a disclaimer.

500 Parnassus Ave. Millberry Union 108W

San Francisco, CA 94143tel: (415) 476-2211 | fax: (415) 502-4537

[email protected]

SynapseThe UCSF Student Newspapersynapse.ucsf.edu

NEWS BRIEFSUCSF and Quest Diagnostics Collaborate to Advance Field of Precision Medicine

UCSF and Quest Diagnostics, the world’s

leading provider of diagnostic information services, have formed a collaboration to ac-celerate the translation of biomedical research into advanced diagnostics in the field of pre-cision medicine, for improved patient care, treatment and outcomes.

Initial clinical areas of focus include au-tism, oncology, neurology and women’s health. The collaboration, which combines the research discoveries and capabilities of UCSF with the national testing database and technical and clinical development capability of Quest Diagnostics, has an overarching aim of enabling holistic and integrated diagnostic solutions that close gaps in care or enable new clinical value.Under the terms of the agree-ment, scientists will jointly research, develop and validate diagnostic innovations to solve specific clinical problems and provide action-able information to improve patient care.

Research Shows How Household Dogs Protect Against Asthma, Infection

Children’s risk for developing allergies and asthma is reduced when they are exposed in early infancy to a dog in the household, and now researchers have discovered a reason why.

Exposure of mice to dust from houses where canine pets are permitted both indoors and outdoors can reshape the community of microbes that live in the mouse gut — col-lectively known as the gastrointestinal micro-biome — and also diminish immune system reactivity to common allergens, according to a new study by researchers led by Susan Lynch, PhD, associate professor with the Division of Gastroenterology at UCSF, and Nicholas Lu-kacs, PhD, professor with the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan.

The scientists also identified a specific bacterial species within the gut that is criti-cal to protecting the airways against both al-lergens and viral respiratory infection. The study, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is published online in the Proceedings of the Na-tional Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Stem Cells Used to Model Disease that Causes Abnormal Bone Growth

Researchers have developed a new way to study bone disorders and bone growth, using stem cells from patients afflicted with a rare genetic bone disease. The approach, based on Nobel-Prize winning techniques, could help shed light on a disorder in which muscles and tendons progressively turn into bone. It also addresses a similar destructive process that af-flicts a growing number of veterans who have suffered blast injuries — including traumatic amputations or injuries to the brain and ner-vous system.

The disease model, described in a new study by a UCSF-led team, involves taking skin cells from patients with the bone dis-ease, reprogramming them in a lab dish to their embryonic state, and deriving stem cells from them. Once the team derived the stem cells, they identified a cellular mechanism that drives abnormal bone growth in the thus far untreatable bone disease, called fibrodyspla-siaossificans progressiva (FOP). Furthermore, they found that certain chemicals could slow abnormal bone growth in the stem cells, a dis-covery that might help guide future drug de-velopment.

» FROM HOME PAGE

NEWSQB3 Registration for Small Business Grant Workshops Is Open

Clinical Corner

Staff Report

Life-science startup companies face unique challenges compared to tech startups.

For instance, they need initial access to capital for obtaining proof-of-concept data or for developing a prototype. Their depen-dence on space and facilities increases the ini-tial financial commitment, and entrepreneurs have little control over the scientific phenom-ena driving success or failure.

For these reasons, a logical first step for scientist-entrepreneurs starting a company is an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research grant) application.

SBIRs are grants awarded by government agencies, and have frequently become the funds that bring new science-based business-es to life as an important part of a successful “lean biotech” startup strategy.

However, the logistical and mechanical challenges of the application often put some of these new teams at a disadvantage.

For example, familiarity with the mechan-ical aspects of the application is necessary to make sure that an application does not land on the pile of the 20 percent of applications that are rejected for technical reasons before even being reviewed.

For over three years, QB3 has been run-ning 15-hour workshops focused on helping entrepreneurs file successful applications.

These workshops focus on crafting a well-structured research plan, getting persuasive letters of support, crafting an efficient budget and helping teams anticipate reviewers’ com-ments.

Students who have participated in the workshop obtain grants with twice as much success than the national average.

Teams filing these applications are com-monly graduate students or postdocs who join their venture full-time upon funding, so this makes a nice way to line up a job.

The spring session for the course starts on January 22. For more information, please visit qb3.org/startups/box/sbir

1. Caucasian man in his 40s with leathery skin, smelling strongly of body odor and alco-hol, devil horns tattooed on forehead. Lying in bed with eyes closed.

2. Pale, elderly Caucasian woman, looking unwell, lying in bed, trembling but alert. Blood splattered on her ankles and shoes.

3. Young Middle Eastern man of college age, appearing healthy, talkative and friend-ly but visibly anxious. Fidgets and paces occa-sionally.

4. Elderly Asian-American woman, finely dressed and neatly made up, quietly sitting in a chair, knitting.

5. Indian man in his 60s, lying in bed intu-bated, opens eyes to voice and makes eye con-tact before falling back asleep.

In the above examples, I might prioritize a mental status exam and a toxin screen in Pa-tient 1 and a vascular exam and blood counts in Patient 2. Patient 3 may need reassurance

before being interviewed, while Patient 4 may require close attention to detail with each rec-ommendation. Patient 5 will likely not par-ticipate much in his examination, but he can hear and comprehend and will benefit from

After the quarter was over, I saw that the California Academy of Sciences was looking for new volunteer docents. After a few quick interviews, I was accepted into the program, given a huge binder of reading materials and enrolled in a series of training lectures.

The lectures covered a wide range of top-ics, from the history of the Academy to how fossils are dated. Even with a science back-ground, I learned a lot of new information, including ways to engage visitors in scien-tific conversations without being overbear-ing or over-boring.After the training, I was able to work on the floor as a docent. New docents are asked to volunteer for 10.5 hours per month (split into three shifts).

During a shift, my duties include helping guests understand the exhibits and encour-aging them to think about how they relate to the animal or information they are observing.

Many docents refer to themselves as “in-teractive signs” that assist in making the mu-seum more relatable.

I claim I am there to make guests active-ly think, instead of mindlessly wandering around looking at dead things. Whether or not I actually accomplish this goal, or just an-noy people, is an entirely different story.

I would highly recommend the docent program to any creative individuals who have an interest in improving the way they teach to both scientists and non-scientists.

Perks of being a volunteer docent include access to a tremendous community of na-ture enthusiasts with a lot of great life advice (most of them are retirees from quite success-ful careers), invites to all the fancy parties held at the Academy (as a guest, not a volun-teer!) and a plethora of fun facts to impress your friends with.

More information on being a docent and other volunteer opportunities at the Academy can be found under the “Get Involved” tab on the California Academy of Sciences website (calacademy.org/).

Erin Oswald is a third-year graduate student in the Biomedical Sciences.

being told out loud what is happening. When communicating about patients verbally, de-scribing the general appearance allows listen-ers to get a mental picture of the patient as a whole before going into the system-by-system details.

In an ideal world, we ask every patient ev-ery question under the sun and closely exam-ine every part of the body, but limited time and resources require clinicians to use their time with patients wisely.

Noting a patient’s general appearance al-lows a clinician to be thoughtful and direct-ed about each encounter, and developing this skill can be fun and gratifying. Perhaps I’ll see you this weekend at the De Young’s Da-vid Hockney exhibit.

Akshay Govind is a third-year resident in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

» FROM HOME PAGE

Paying It Forward

David Hockney's current collection at the de Young Museum includes decades worth of portraits on which to practice descriptions of people's general appearance.


Come and see the results of biomedical research

The Moscone Center · San Francisco, California, USA

BiOS EXPOEXHIBITION IS FREE

BiOS Expo, 1 - 2 February 2014, is the world’s largest biomedical optics and biophotonics exhibition. Come walk the fl oor and see the latest technologies for your lab, clinic, or research project. The future of healthcare is on the fl oor at BiOS Expo.

Technical ConferenceREGISTRATION FEES VARY

Attend BiOS 2014, the world’s largest biomedical optics conference, and learn the latest results in bioscience, diagnostics and therapeutics, biophotonics, new imaging modalities, optical coherence tomography, neurophotonics, optogenetics, tissue optics, biomedical optics, biomedicine, and translational research. More than 2,000 presentation on the results of biomedical research.

Part of SPIE Photonics West 20141–2 February 2014

SPIE Photonics West is the most infl uential conference for biophotonics and biomedical optics, high-power laser manufacturing, optoelectronics, and microfabrication.

R. Rox Anderson, M.D.Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard School of Medicine (USA)

James Fujimoto Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)

· 20,000 attendees· 2 free exhibitions· 1,225 exhibiting companies· 4,600 technical sessions· 17 plenary presentations· 40 technical and networking events· 70 courses, and more

Symposium Chairs

www.spie.org/biosexpo

1-2 February 2014 1-2 February 2014

Saturday Hot Topics · 7:00 to 9:00 pmFinancing Life Sciences and Healthcare VenturesThe Moscone Center, Room 130, Exhibit Level Saturday 1 February 2014 · 3:30 to 5:00 pm

Panel ModeratorLinda Smith Ceres Tech Advisors


UCSF JOURNAL CLUBRecent research by UCSF scientistsBy Taylor LaFlamStaff Writer

BIOCHEMISTRY: Heat shock transcription factor σ³² co-opts the signal recognition particle to regulate protein homeostasis in E. coli. Lim, B., et al. (Gross). PLoS Biol. 2013. 11(12):e1001735.

Stressful conditions that threaten protein stability, such as a rapid increase in temperature, lead to activation of the heat shock response (HSR), which features increased expression of proteins such as chaperones, which help other proteins fold.

In E. coli, the protein σ³² plays a critical role in the HSR by targeting RNA polymerase to HSR genes. Although many aspects of the regulation of σ³² have been determined, questions remain, including over the role of an essential piece of σ³² and how σ³² regulates intramem-brane proteins.

In this report, members of the Gross laboratory answered both questions. They showed that the signal recognition particle and its receptor, previously known to direct proteins to the plasma membrane, regulate σ³². The signal recognition particle binds σ³² and leads it to the membrane, allowing for it to respond to membrane-associated triggers.

CELL SIGNALING: Cytoneme-mediated contact-dependent transport of the Drosophila decapentaplegic signaling protein. Roy, S., Huang, H., Liu, S., Kornberg, T.B. Science. 2014 Jan 2. [Epub ahead of print]

More than a decade ago, the Kornberg lab observed thin, lengthy projections of certain cells of the developing fruit fly wing that extended towards cells that produce factors regulat-ing their development. They hypothesized that these projections, which they called cytonemes, were important for this regulation.

In this paper, researchers presented data supporting this hypothesis, showing the transfer of an important signaling protein, Dpp, from the producing cell to the cytoneme and transport of Dpp back along the cytoneme. They further showed that several mutations that interfere with cytoneme development also result in disruptions in Dpp signaling.

Cytonemes have been observed in a variety of cell types in various species, and the authors suggest cytonemes may facilitate cell-cell communication in many settings.

ONCOLOGY: Mutational analysis reveals the origin and therapy-driven evolution of recurrent glioma. Johnson, B.E., Mazor, T., et al. (Costello). Science. 2014. 343(6167):189-193.

Tumors show both genetic heterogeneity and evolution. Previous research has explored this in hematological malignancies and solid tumor metastases but not in local recurrence in the brain.

In this study, the authors compared the exomes (the expressed portion of the genome) of low-grade gliomas and their eventual recurrences. These included some tumors from patients treated with temozolomide (TMZ), a chemotherapeutic that is a known mutagen.

Surprisingly, they found that in nearly half of 23 cases, at least half of the mutations ob-served in the initial tumor were absent in the recurrence, suggesting that the originating cell of the recurrence originated early in the tumor’s evolution. They also found that the recurrences of patients treated with TMZ showed evidence of TMZ-induced mutagenesis and an alterna-tive path to becoming high-grade tumors.

NEUROSCIENCE: Mutant LRRK2 toxicity in neurons depends on LRRK2 levels and synuclein but not kinase activity or inclusion bodies. Skibinski, G., Nakamura, K., Cookson, M.R., Finkbeiner, S. J Neurosci. 2014. 34(2):418-433.

Most instances of Parkinson’s disease have no identifiable cause, but a minority are genetic, most commonly from mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). The prevailing expla-nation for disease in these patients has been that mutant LRRK2 is toxic through its increased activity and aggregation into inclusion bodies.

In this paper, the authors challenged this hypothesis. They used a microscope that allows the tracking of thousands of individual neurons to monitor over time neurons induced from cells from human patients and rats with mutant LRRK2.

They found that inhibition of LRRK2 kinase activity appears to prevent toxicity to a degree that corresponds with the degree of reduction in the amount of LRRK2 protein present. They also unexpectedly found that reducing α-synuclein, another protein associated with Parkin-son’s disease, decreased LRR2-mediated toxicity.

Taylor LaFlam is a fifth-year MSTP student. For comments or paper suggestions, email [email protected].

» FROM HOME PAGESPORTS

Photos courtesy of Fitness & Recreation Centers @ UCSF

The Penetrators won the "6' and under" basketball title.

“He’s six feet, so that helps,” captain Chu said. “He might be 6’1 or 6’2, but every team in this league has at least one person pushing the limits.”

Finally, the champions of the Monday in-termediate basketball league were the Threat Matrix, led by captain Christopher Knight.

The volley-ball league at Parnassus was won by Joyce L i n , K r i s t e n Honma, Helen Lam, Carl Are-valo, Alvin Woo and Brian Koga, who collectively made up the Gi-ant Warriors, a team of former pharmacy stu-dents and non-UCSF affiliates.

T h e y e n -tered the playoffs with a 6-1 record, hav-ing lost only to the overall No. 1 seed, Two Dink Minimum, during the regular sea-son. But once they were in the playoffs, the Warriors, whose core has been together since 2008, found themselves playing their

best volleyball of the season and cruised to their fifth championship in six tries. “Every team that we’ve played has said we’re very consistent,” said first-time captain Koga. “Without good team passing and de-fense, our hitting and offense wouldn’t be as effective.”

Team D2, featuring Zach Lee, Conrad Drinkwater, Sean Silvereo, Randy Rosales, Reina Kawazoe, Ricardo Jara, Fernando Var-gas and Ricardo Vargas, took home the title in the futsal recreational league. It was the group’s fourth consecutive championship, ac-

cording to captain Ricardo Vargas.

“We tend to slack a bit in the beginning of the season and then turn it on and re-ally click as a team toward the end of the season and during playoffs,” he said.

Dennis Zheng is a first-year medical student.

The Giant Warriors are the volleyball league champions.

Team D2 are the champions of the futsal recreational league for the fourth consecutive time.


THE STRENGTH TO HEAL

To learn more, call (650)347-3967 or visitSan Mateo Medical Recruiting Center400 S. El Camino Real, STE 450San Mateo, CA 94402Email: [email protected]

You can begin training for the career you’ve always dreamed of withfinancial assistance from the U.S. Army. Through the Health ProfessionsScholarship Program (HPSP)*, you could be eligible to receive a fulltuition scholarship for an accredited medical program.

The HPSP provides reimbursement for books, laboratory equipmentand academic fees. You’ll also receive a sign-on bonus of $20,000 and amonthly stipend of $2,157. During breaks, you’ll have the opportunity totrain alongside other members of our health care organization.

starts with our scholarship.

*Certain requirements and eligibility criteria apply.©2013. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved. Information subject to change.

www.goarmy.com/amedd.html

Capt. Ana Morgan, M.D., HPSP Medical RecipientBrooke Army Medical Center, Texas

The Best Coffee — Home Brew Edition

FOODBy Yi LuEditor

Back in my high school, making cof-fee was simple. I had a small Mr. Cof-fee machine on the far corner of my

desk, a gallon of generic bottled water under my chair and a bag of Maxwell Blend in my middle drawer.

This setup ensured that didn’t even have to get out of my chair to make myself a cup of coffee, a convenience that may have played a role in my four-cup-a-day habit, which I am still recovering from.

To my credit, high school was also the time when I stopped adding milk and sugar to my coffee, although this was entirely due to laziness, rather than my refined tastes. Why get out of your chair to get milk from the fridge when you can just drink your cof-fee straight from the carafe?

Now that I’m living in San Francisco, I’ve noticed that there are two topics of conver-sation that will inevitably pop up as party conversation starters and awkward first-date fillers.

The first is to complain about how expen-sive it is to live in San Francisco. “You think your place is expensive? My friend’s friend pays $2,000 a month to live in an outhouse in the Marina!”

The second is to talk about the obsession to find the “best of ” in The City: the best ice cream, the best breakfast pastry, the best no-tary public/bar mitzvah promoter.

In the quest to find the best coffee in San Francisco, I couldn’t ignore the burgeoning interest among the city’s elite (the big three — Mission unicyclists, English majors now working for tech companies and Tendernob gentrifiers) to make that perfect cup of cof-fee at home.

I completely sympathize — if I’m paying $30 a pound for organic fair-trade single- or-igin coffee made in a women’s co-op in Gua-temala, I’m sure as Fell Street not going to be using my Mr. Coffee.

But with the glut of different methods, from the swirl-and-chug to the $11,000 Clo-ver Coffee machine, what’s a discerning cof-feelitist to do?

This column is devoted to my exhaustive quest to determine the best way to prepare coffee at home.

I decided to test three different methods: the French Press, the Hario V60 and the Che-mex.

For those of you not among the coffee 1 percent, the Hario V60 is a cone used for pour-over coffee that has become the Ford Model T among San Francisco’s sizable pop-ulation of young bourgeois coffee snobs.

The Chemex is a popular alternative, an hour-glass-shaped contraption that can dou-ble as an Erlenmeyer flask in a pinch.

Because money is short (this ain’t the New York Times circa 1960), I only had the oppor-tunity to test one type of coffee, so no promis-es on the applicability of these results if you’re not making a cup of Coava Kochere from the Coffee Commissary in Los Angeles.

A short note on the methods — the coffee was precisely prepared according to the man-

ufacturer’s instructions and blind taste-tested in unadulterated form by three independent reviewers, who have a combined 50 years of coffee snobbery between them.

The winner? Two of the reviewers chose the Hario V60 as their favorite, noting how the coffee retained most of the notes that the bag told us we should note. In ad-dition, the coffee had a full-bodied flavor

The tools of the trade. Top right: French press. Middle right: Hario V60. Bottom right: Chemex.

Photo by Yi Lu/MS2

HOME BREW » PAGE 7


PUZZLES

Week of 1/13/14 - 1/19/14

ACROSS1 High, pricewise6 Clothed

12 Saharan sight14 Pertaining to

flight technology16 Insatiable greed17 Non-spiritual18 Tiny amount19 Carpenter's tool21 Oklahoma tribe22 Cold-shoulder24 Send payment26 Drops the ball27 Open, as a

bottle29 ____ as rain31 Hood's weapon32 Spanish rice

dish34 Something to

prove, in math36 Lacking, in Lyon38 Fork feature39 Continent carver DOWN42 Public standing 1 African plain 23 Modeler's wood 44 Ready for the 46 Mined find 2 Slander 25 1992 film, "A junkyard47 Kind of address 3 Place for a plug League of ____ 45 Weathered 49 Brake part 4 Sermon subject Own" away50 Pond dweller 5 Indiana hoopster 28 Come in second 46 Playful swimmer52 Wrapped up 6 Old street 30 Office supply 48 ____ and 54 Mambo's Puente fixture 33 Japanese bounds55 Turnstile feeder 7 Hail, to Caesar cartoons 51 Wrangler 57 June birthstone 8 Puerto ____ 35 Transplant a material59 Young fellow 9 Haul with tackle plant 53 Plastered60 Flow out 10 Supersize, say 37 "Milk" star 56 Blow the 62 Childish 11 Floor plan, e.g. 39 Ready for the whistle on64 Treatment plan 12 Diner bottle dog show 58 Boxer Spinks65 Nodded off 13 Emphatic refusal 40 Pipe problem 61 Tetley product66 Humiliate 15 Colgate 41 Carnival 63 Seafood 67 Struck with a alternative attraction delicacy

patella 20 Give off 43 Draw on

by Margie E. BurkeThe Weekly Crossword

Copyright 2014 by The Puzzle Syndicate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15

16 17

18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35

36 37 38

39 40 41 42 43 44 45

46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53 54

55 56 57 58 59

60 61 62 63

64 65

66 67

Week of 1/13/14 - 1/19/14

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku


Difficulty : Medium

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

title: "Taking stock" - originally published 12/16/2013

that managed to hold up even as it cooled. The third reviewer chose the Chemex, noting its clean taste and its ability to accen-tuate the acidity of the brew without making it overpowering.

The French press ended up last in our rankings, a surprise to one of the reviewers, who exclusively prepares coffee using this method. While the French press produced the fullest body, the bitterness overwhelmed the notes of the beans and became even more pronounced as the cup cooled, which didn’t do it any favors.

For those of you interested in follow-ing along at home, I should note that coffee snobbery doesn’t come cheap. A three-cup Chemex will run you $34, while a four-cup Bodum French press will set you back $38.

The Hario V60 is the cheapest among the op-tions, costing about $20 for a ceramic or glass model.

Of course, any self-respecting member of the coffeegentsia would not be caught dead pouring out hot water out of any old kettle, so make sure to set aside $48 for the Hario Bu-ono water kettle, with its swan-neck design, which maximizes control over the pour when using the Chemex or V60. Finally, don’t even think about using regular filters from Cost-co — both Hario and Chemex produce filters specifically for their products.

Sounds like too much? Would you rath-er eyeball your coffee grounds than pull out your calibrated kitchen scale to maintain that 1 gram:16 millileters coffee-to-water ratio? Have you decided that paying $100 for coffee equipment isn’t the best use of your student loans? After rereading this column, I don’t blame you.

Yi Lu is a second-year medical student.

Home Brew » FROM PAGE 6

Second-year medical students Eric Rider and Ethan Hua evaluate the three different brews.

Photo by Yi Lu/MS2

Parnassus PoetsSt. John's

blue scrubs, bowed heads, handshold offerings for the sickatheists and faithful alikeMuni train rattles stained glasslight falls on the Virgin of Gua-dalupe

~ Sarah Paris


Solutions

look sharper

VisionOpticalLook sharper. See better. Find us easier, too.Contemporary prescription glasses,sunglasses, and contact lens fitting

Millberry Union, B1For appointment & information 415.476.3100Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5:00 pm

Vision Optical

You’re Funding Fun! A portion of every dollar you spend at campus retail vendors helps support Arts & Events at UCSF


Parnassus: Millberry Union I Level, Parnassus, 415.661.0199Open Daily 7:00 am-10:00 pm

Mission Bay: 550-B Gene Friend Way, Mission Bay, 415.865.0423Mon-Fri 7:00 am-9:30 pm / Sat-Sun 8:00 am-9:00 pm

Open at Parnassus & Mission Bay Campusesbreakfast, lunch, or dinner…

for your convenience we accept: All major Credit Cards • Recharge for catering

Bear Hugs • UCSF Resident Meal Card


Get a gourmet taste of Italy. panini, insalate, zuppa, hot pasta, gelato, dolci

We offer student discounts.

Millberry Union, Plaza Level415.681.9925

Mon-Thu, 6:30 am-6:00 pmFri, 6:30 am-4:00 pmClosed Sat & Sun

Write for Synapse [email protected]

Free Online Classifieds for UCSF Students & Staff on Synapse

Who needs CraigsList when you can post FREE classified ads on the Synapse website?

All you need is a ucsf.edu email account.Go to synapse.ucsf.edu/classifieds to sign up today!

Week of 1/13/14 - 1/19/14

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku


Difficulty : Medium

synapse (01.16.14)

Documents