"Healing Can Be a Very Jagged Line": Reflections on Life as a COVID-19 Long Hauler

"Long COVID" - a term referring to COVID-19-associated symptoms and conditions (ie, sequelae) that remain or emerge after resolution of a SARS-CoV-2 infection - is a multifaceted condition about which little is known. As part of formalized patient-engaged research at a large Midwestern health system, patient stakeholders with long COVID (N=5) wrote stories based on their lived experience, as this was their preferred format for detailing their experience with the condition. These patient stakeholders reviewed one another's stories, identified relevant quotes, and provided opportunities for elaboration. Independently, a trained researcher extracted quotes from the stories, identified themes, and wove the quotes together to share the independent, yet similar, stories. Emergent themes were that of uncertainty about the symptomatology of long COVID and its effects on patients' mental health, physical functioning, family unit, self-identity, and future outlook. Further patient-engaged research on understanding the lived experience of long COVID may serve to advance knowledge and treatment. Health care providers caring for those with long COVID can benefit from listening and validating the stories of individuals suffering from this condition.

Integrating emergency services in an urban health system

When planning for growth and management efficiency across urban health systems, economic and market factors present significant service line challenges and opportunities. This article describes the evolutionary integration of emergency services in St John Health System, a large, religious-sponsored health care system located in Detroit, Michigan. Critical business elements, including the System's vision, mission, and economic context, are defined as the framework for site-specific and System-wide planning. The impact of managed care and market changes prompted St John's clinicians and executives to explore how integrating emergency services could create a competitive market advantage.

Testicular protein kinases. Characterization of multiple forms and ontogeny

Protein phosphokinase activity from the cytosol (105,000 X g soluble fraction) of testes from sexually mature rats has been resolved be DEAE-cellulose chromatography in three forms of protein kinase, cAMP-dependent protein kinases I and II and cAMP-independent protein kinase III. Adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-binding activity (cAMP-binding activity) was associated with protein kinases I and II but not with protein kinase III. Protein kinases I, II, and III exhibited different pH optima, cyclic nucleotide dependency, and relative substrate specificity. Protein kinases I and II were inhibited by a heat-stable protein inhibitor from rat skeletal muscle, whereas protein kinase III was not inhibited. According to previously established criteria (Traugh, J. A., Ashby, C.D., and Walsh D. A. (1974) Methods Enzymol. 38, 290-299) protein kinases I and II can be classified as cAMP-dependent holoenzymes consisting of regulatory and catalytic subunits. Protein kinase III is a cAMP-independent protein kinase.