The effect of racial and gender concordance between physicians and patients on the assessment of hospitalist performance: a pilot study.

Background: Lack of racial concordance between physicians and patients has been linked to health disparities and inequities. Studies show that patients prefer physicians who look like them; however, there are too few underrepresented minority physicians in the workforce. Hospitalists are Internal Medicine physicians who specialize in inpatient medicine.

Inflammatory transcriptome profiling of human monocytes exposed acutely to cigarette smoke.

Background: Cigarette smoking is responsible for 5 million deaths worldwide each year, and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and lung diseases. Cigarette smoke contains a complex mixture of over 4000 chemicals containing 10(15) free radicals. Studies show smoke is perceived by cells as an inflammatory and xenobiotic stimulus, which activates an immune response.

Antagonism of the human epidermal growth factor receptor family controls disease severity in murine collagen-induced arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic potential of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family inhibitor, herstatin, in an animal model of arthritis.

Methods: Constructs of herstatin and modified tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-herstatin were expressed in HEK 293T cells, and secreted protein was analyzed by Western blotting. Tissue PA-herstatin adenovirus (Ad-tPA-Her) was prepared, and titers established.

Novel splice variants derived from the receptor tyrosine kinase superfamily are potential therapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis.

Introduction: Despite the advent of biological therapies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, there is a compelling need to develop alternative therapeutic targets for nonresponders to existing treatments. Soluble receptors occur naturally in vivo, such as the splice variant of the cell surface receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)--a key regulator of angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis. Bioinformatics analyses predict that the majority of human genes undergo alternative splicing, generating proteins--many of which may have regulatory functions.

Root cap specific expression of an endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanase (cellulase): a new marker to study root development in Arabidopsis.

The sloughing of root cap cells from the root tip is important because it assists the growing root in penetrating the soil. Using a promoter-reporter (GUS) and RT-PCR analysis, we identified an endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (AtCel5) of Arabidopsis thaliana that is expressed exclusively in root cap cells of both primary and secondary roots. Expression is inhibited by high concentrations of IAA, both exogenous and internal, as well as by ABA.