The axillary lymphoid organ - an external, experimentally accessible immune organ in the zebrafish.

Lymph nodes and other secondary lymphoid organs play critical roles in immune surveillance and immune activation in mammals, but the deep internal locations of these organs make it challenging to image and study them in living animals. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized external immune organ in the zebrafish ideally suited for studying immune cell dynamics , the axillary lymphoid organ (ALO). This small, translucent organ has an outer cortex teeming with immune cells, an inner medulla with a mesh-like network of fibroblastic reticular cells along which immune cells migrate, and a network of lymphatic vessels draining to a large adjacent lymph sac.

Gnrh2 maintains reproduction in fasting zebrafish through dynamic neuronal projection changes and regulation of gonadotropin synthesis, oogenesis, and reproductive behaviors.

Restricted food intake, either from lack of food sources or endogenous fasting, during reproductive periods is a widespread phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Considering previous studies show the canonical upstream regulator of reproduction in vertebrates, the hypothalamic Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gnrh), is inhibited in some fasting animals, we sought to understand the neuroendocrine control of reproduction in fasted states. Here, we explore the roles of the midbrain neuropeptide, Gnrh2, in inducing reproduction via its pituitary prevalence, gonadotropin synthesis, gametogenesis, and reproductive outputs in the zebrafish model undergoing different feeding regimes.

The gonadotropin-releasing hormones: Lessons from fish.

Fish have been of paramount importance to our understanding of vertebrate comparative neuroendocrinology and the mechanisms underlying the physiology and evolution of gonadotropin-releasing hormones (GnRH) and their genes. This review integrates past and recent knowledge on the Gnrh system in the fish model. Multiple Gnrh isoforms (two or three forms) are present in all teleosts, as well as multiple Gnrh receptors (up to five types), which differ in neuroanatomical localization, pattern of projections, ontogeny and functions.

Exploring the Attributes of Exemplary Facilitators in Family Medicine Residencies: Implications for Practice Transformation.

Background And Objectives: Facilitation is common in the era of practice transformation. Much of the literature on practice facilitators focuses on the role of external facilitators who come into a practice to aid in practice transformation efforts. Our study sought to better understand the attributes of exemplary facilitators.

Knockout of Gnrh2 in zebrafish (Danio rerio) reveals its roles in regulating feeding behavior and oocyte quality.

Many studies on Gnrh1, and the teleost Gnrh3, have elucidated the roles of these peptides in reproductive regulation. However, the role of the midbrain population of Gnrh, Gnrh2, has long been a mystery, despite its ubiquitous conservation in all jawed vertebrates except rodents. Previous behavioral studies in sparrows, musk shrews, mice, zebrafish, and goldfish show that Gnrh2 administrations both increase spawning behaviors and decrease feeding behaviors, suggesting a role of this peptide in metabolism regulation along with the canonical role in regulating reproduction.

Competencies to Guide a Leadership Curriculum for Family Medicine Chief Residents.

Background And Objectives: Chief resident leadership competencies are neither clear nor standardized. The goal of this project was to identify specific leadership skills for chief residents and to develop a self-assessment tool.

Methods: Chief residents from 10 family medicine residencies participated in focus groups to identify leadership skills required to be an effective chief resident.

Knockout of the Gnrh genes in zebrafish: effects on reproduction and potential compensation by reproductive and feeding-related neuropeptides.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) is known as a pivotal upstream regulator of reproduction in vertebrates. However, reproduction is not compromised in the hypophysiotropic Gnrh3 knockout line in zebrafish (gnrh3-/-). In order to determine if Gnrh2, the only other Gnrh isoform in zebrafish brains, is compensating for the loss of Gnrh3, we generated a double Gnrh knockout zebrafish line.

Mechanisms of human erythrocytic bioactivation of nitrite.

Nitrite signaling likely occurs through its reduction to nitric oxide (NO). Several reports support a role of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in nitrite reduction, but this remains controversial, and alternative reductive pathways have been proposed. In this work we determined whether the primary human erythrocytic nitrite reductase is hemoglobin as opposed to other erythrocytic proteins that have been suggested to be the major source of nitrite reduction.

How Lewis acidity of the cationic framework affects KNaNbOF(5) polymorphism.

The valence matching principle is used to explain the loss of inversion symmetry in the noncentrosymmetric (NCS) polymorph of KNaNbOF5 in comparison to its centrosymmetric (CS) polymorph. The [NbOF5](2-) anion has five contacts to both potassium and sodium in the NCS polymorph, whereas in the CS polymorph there are only four contacts to potassium and six contacts to sodium. The lower average Lewis acidity of the cationic framework in the NCS polymorph relative to the CS polymorph reflects the loss of inversion symmetry.

Mechanisms of hemolysis-associated platelet activation.

Background: Intravascular hemolysis occurs after blood transfusion, in hemolytic anemias, and in other conditions, and is associated with hypercoagulable states. Hemolysis has been shown to potently activate platelets in vitro and in vivo, and several mechanisms have been suggested to account for this, including: (i) direct activation by hemoglobin (Hb); (ii) increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS); (iii) scavenging of nitric oxide (NO) by released Hb; and (iv) release of intraerythrocytic ADP.

Objective: To elucidate the mechanism of hemolysis-mediated platelet activation.

Cation-anion interactions and polar structures in the solid state.

Complicated structures where oxygen and fluorine are found together in one framework, where deviations from Pauling's second crystal rule (PSCR) are expected, often result in structures with important physical properties. The [NbOF5]2- anion and therefore all the individual Nb-O and Nb-F bonds are ordered in noncentrosymmetric KNaNbOF5 and centrosymmetric CsNaNbOF5. The Na/K- and Na/Cs-O/F interactions in these phases, in particular the expected deviations from PSCR and the bond valence model, reveal the essential role of the small potassium cations in the acentric packing of the [NbOF5]2- anion.

Structure and magnetic properties of Pb2Cu3B4O11: a new copper borate featuring [Cu3O8]10- units.

Pb2Cu3B4O11 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/n (No. 13) with a = 6.8016(15) A, b = 4.

Synthesis, crystal structure, and nonlinear optical properties of Li6CuB4O10: a congruently melting compound with isolated [CuB4O10]6- units.

Single crystals of Li(6)CuB(4)O(10) have been synthesized, and its crystal structure has been determined. Li(6)CuB(4)O(10) crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric triclinic space group P1 (No. 1).

Assessing communication competence: a review of current tools.

Background: The assessment of communication competence has become a major priority of medical educational, policy, and licensing organizations in the United States and Canada. Multiple tools are available to assess communication competence, but there are few studies that compare the tools.

Methods: A consensus panel of six family medicine educators evaluated 15 instruments measuring the physician-patient interview.

Priorities in behavioral science education: views of practicing family physicians.

Background And Objectives: The behavioral science curriculum in family practice residency programs consists of a wide range of diverse topics. Because of time limitations, not all topics receive equal emphasis. The goal of the present study was to replicate a previous study with family physicians practicing in a different geographical area.

Does Presenting Patients BMI Increase Documentation of Obesity?

Purpose: Despite the associated health consequences, obesity is infrequently documented as a problem in medical charts. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a simple intervention (routine listing of the BMI on the medical chart) will increase physician documentation of obesity in the medical record.

Methods: Participants were resident physicians in a family medicine residency program.

Synthesis of a new hollandite-type manganese oxide with framework and interstitial Cr(III).

Hollandite with Cr(III) in both tunnel and framework sites has been prepared hydrothermally from layered manganese oxide precursors.

Chemistry and properties of cycloheptatetraene in the inner phase of a hemicarcerand.

Low-temperature photolysis of phenyldiazirine, incarcerated inside a hemicarcerand which is built from two cavitands connected by four butane-1,4-dioxy linker groups, yields transient phenylcarbene; this carbene then undergoes ring photochemical expansion to cycloheptatetraene in low yield. Competitively, the transiently formed phenylcarbene reacts with the surrounding hemicarcerand. The yield of the photochemical ring expansion was increased when the photolysis was carried out inside a partially deuterated hemicarcerand.

Affinity labeling of the androgen receptor with nonsteroidal chemoaffinity ligands.

We synthesized a series of potential chemoaffinity ligands for the androgen receptor (AR) by means of structural modifications of bicalutamide, a known nonsteroidal antiandrogen used in the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer. We determined AR binding affinities of these ligands, identified chemoaffinity ligands by exchange assays, and confirmed irreversible binding to the AR by Scatchard analyses. AR binding affinity was determined in a competitive binding assay with a radiolabeled high-affinity AR ligand, [3H]mibolerone ([3H]MIB).

Soliciting the patient's agenda: have we improved?

Context: Previous research indicates physicians frequently choose a patient problem to explore before determining the patient's full spectrum of concerns.

Objective: To examine the extent to which experienced family physicians in various practice settings elicit the agenda of concerns patients bring to the office.

Design: A cross-sectional survey using linguistic analysis of a convenience sample of 264 patient-physician interviews.