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Genital herpes simplex virus infections are among the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections in the United States. It continues to be a public health concern because of its recurrent nature and potential for complications. Treatment is not curative, but rather serves to shorten the duration of symptoms and improve quality of life. Current therapies include episodic treatment and chronic suppressive therapy and are generally well tolerated and effective.

The US industrial revolution led to a significant increase in the amount of dietary sugar consumed annually. The impact has become a public health crisis over the past several decades. The consequences are seen in the dramatic rise in rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease.

Students who participate in the Vanderbilt Program for Interprofessional Learning are required to attend Immersion, our program of orientation for teams of interprofessional students. Medical, advanced practice nursing, pharmacy, and social work students coming from different institutions are required to complete the 4 day “Immersion” before beginning in their respective academic programs, as a way to decrease the development of professional bias. Many of the students are also new to the Nashville area, and the Immersion program introduces the students to the community and the populations they will be serving in professional school and beyond. Immersion includes a range of activities, including community tours, poverty simulations, creation of life maps, personality identification, team building, patient storytelling, and introduction to professional life. Each day has a specific theme: Self, Community, Professions and the Patient. Student evaluations for Immersion are overwhelmingly positive. The focus of this paper is to describe the curricular design of the Immersion week, report student feedback, and discuss lessons learned that might provide guidance for other educational programs.

Adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) and Cushing's syndrome are rare disorders characterized by abnormal secretion of adrenal hormones. All patients with adrenal insufficiency and many with Cushing's syndrome require life-long therapy with the potential to impact the quality of life. Management requires gain of a significant amount of knowledge related to treatment, self-care, and how to react quickly in critical situations. Knowledge deficits related to management may cause patients to become critically ill and may even cause death. Ongoing patient/family teaching is crucial for proper disease management and sustaining the quality of life.

Sample preparation is a leading bottleneck in rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria. Here, we use Lyse-It® for bacterial cellular lysis, genomic DNA fragmentation, and protein release and degradation for both Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio cholerae. The concept of Lyse-It® employs a conventional microwave and Lyse-It® slides for intensely focused microwave irradiation onto the sample. High microwave power and a