A Crisis in Scope: Recruitment and Retention Challenges Reported by VA Gastroenterology Section Chiefs.

Background: Having a sufficient number of gastroenterologists is important for protecting the digestive health of veterans. However, gastroenterology is among the most difficult medical specialties for recruitment at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Methods: We surveyed VA gastroenterology section chiefs to learn about current barriers to recruitment and retention and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Angiotensin II-regulated transcription regulatory genes in adrenal steroidogenesis.

Transcription regulatory genes are crucial modulators of cell physiology and metabolism whose intracellular levels are tightly controlled in response to extracellular stimuli. We previously reported a set of 29 transcription regulatory genes modulated by angiotensin II in H295R human adrenocortical cells and their roles in regulating the expression of the last and unique enzymes of the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid biosynthetic pathways, 11β-hydroxylase and aldosterone synthase, respectively, using gene expression reporter assays. To study the effect of this set of transcription regulatory genes on adrenal steroidogenesis, H295R cells were transfected by high-efficiency nucleofection and aldosterone and cortisol were measured in cell culture supernatants under basal and angiotensin II-stimulated conditions.

Modulation of fetal hemoglobin in sickle cell anemia.

A partial understanding of the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease has suggested one means of treatment-increasing the distribution and concentration of fetal hemoglobin in sickle erythrocytes. Although this can be accomplished clinically with drugs like hydroxyurea, a complete understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of fetal hemoglobin regulation may suggest new and better ways of attaining this goal.

Specificity of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Homing to Bone Marrow: A Perspective; Subject Heading.

Little is known about the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell membrane recognition and adhesion molecules which mediate their specific patterns of movement into and out of the marrow compartment during steady state hematopoiesis and during pathological conditions. Implicit in the cellular targeting of these cells to marrow stroma, or "homing", is a high degree of molecular specificity. Identification of homing determinants and knowledge of their function in conferring specificity to these events may provide new insight into the localization of hematopoietic stem cells within the bone marrow, directly impacting clinical stem cell transplantation.

Gene expression profiling during erythroid differentiation of K562 cells.

We studied the temporal changes in gene expression in K562 cells at intervals from 2 to 48 h following induction using differential display polymerase chain reaction and gene expression arrays. More than 110 cDNA fragments representing 86 unique mRNAs were either up- or downregulated during erythroid differentiation. Sixty-one of the differentially expressed cDNA fragments had more than 95% homology to known GenBank sequences; 21 represented cDNA sequences with only dbEST or high-throughput gene-screening database matches.

Specificity of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Homing to Bone Marrow: A Perspective.

Little is known about the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell membrane recognition and adhesion molecules which mediate their specific patterns of movement into and out of the marrow compartment during steady state hematopoiesis and during pathological conditions. Implicit in the cellular targeting of these cells to marrow stroma, or "homing", is a high degree of molecular specificity. Identification of homing determinants and knowledge of their function in conferring specificity to these events may provide new insight into the localization of hematopoietic stem cells within the bone marrow, directly impacting clinical stem cell transplantation.

Induction of globin synthesis in K562 cells is associated with differential expression of transcription factor genes.

Globin gene switching may be mediated by proteins expressed during different stages of development. Their identification may clarify the mechanisms of the conversion from fetal to adult globin production and lead to new approaches to reversing or retarding the gamma- to beta-globin gene switch. To explore this hypothesis, K562 erythroleukemia cells were induced to differentiate with 1.