An STS-based map of the human genome.

A physical map has been constructed of the human genome containing 15,086 sequence-tagged sites (STSs), with an average spacing of 199 kilobases. The project involved assembly of a radiation hybrid map of the human genome containing 6193 loci and incorporated a genetic linkage map of the human genome containing 5264 loci. This information was combined with the results of STS-content screening of 10,850 loci against a yeast artificial chromosome library to produce an integrated map, anchored by the radiation hybrid and genetic maps.

Chemiluminescent detection of DNA probes in forensic analysis.

The conditions for hybridization and detection of enzyme-labeled probes have been optimized in our laboratory for use with oligonucleotides coupled to alkaline phosphatase. We have examined several enzyme-linked probe which are complimentary to commonly used variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) loci to determine the feasibility of using chemiluminescence for routine application in forensic DNA analysis. It was found that a chemiluminescent detection system employing an alkaline phosphatase activated dioxetane in the presence of chemiluminescent enhancers provides a high degree of sensitivity in hybridization protocols with a significant savings in overall filter processing time.

Induction at high incidence of ductal prostate adenocarcinomas in NBL/Cr and Sprague-Dawley Hsd:SD rats treated with a combination of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta or diethylstilbestrol.

This study determined the incidence of prostate adenocarcinoma following long-term treatment of NBL and Sprague-Dawley rats with estradiol-17 beta or diethylstilbestrol (DES) plus testosterone and it defined the origin of these tumors. NBL and Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with two Silastic tubing implants (i.d.

Differential response to pain by very premature neonates.

The ability of very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants to respond differentially to real versus a sham heelstick conditions was examined in this crossover study. Using a multidimensional assessment of responses of premature infants (n = 48) between 26 and 31 weeks gestational age (GA) at the time of the study, it was found that they respond differentially to real versus sham heelstick both behaviourally and physiologically. The multivariate effect of condition (real/sham) was significant with maximum heart rate and upper facial action (lower facial action was not scored) contributing significantly to the main effect.

G1 cyclins control the retinoblastoma gene product growth regulation activity via upstream mechanisms.

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) occurs concomitant with the appearance of its hyperphosphorylated form in mid to late G1. Multiple cyclin/CDK complexes are implicated in the cell cycle phosphorylation of pRb. Using in vivo expression systems, we show that cyclins A, E, D1, D2, and D3 each function to phosphorylate and inactivate pRb.

Diverting managed care Medicaid patients from pediatric emergency department use.

Objective: To evaluate the health outcomes of managed care Medicaid children with non-emergent conditions who were not authorized to be seen in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) by their primary care provider.

Design: Consecutive case surveillance from 6/29/92 to 2/2/93.

Setting: University based PED (17,500 visits/year) in inner city Baltimore.

Factors that influence the behavioral pain responses of premature infants.

The responses of preterm neonates to acute tissue-damaging stimuli have been described. However, factors which influence these responses have received little attention. In this study, we observed 124 premature infants before, during and after a routine heel lance and determined how two contextual variables (severity of illness and behavioral state) influenced their behavioral responses.

Do provider practices conform to the new pediatric immunization standards?

Objective: Standards for pediatric immunization practices were issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga, in May 1992. This article provides baseline data on immunization practices related to eight of the standards.

Design: Survey of pediatric providers before publication of the standards.

Efficacy of albuterol in the management of bronchiolitis.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of albuterol (0.15 mg/kg per dose) in the management of bronchiolitis.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled outpatient clinical trial utilizing four study groups: neubulized albuterol, nebulized saline, oral albuterol, and oral placebo.

Use of the electrocardiogram in a pediatric emergency department.

Objective: To ascertain the quality of electrocardiogram (ECG) use in a pediatric emergency department (PED).

Research Design: Patient series.

Setting: Pediatric emergency department in a university-based hospital.

Expansion of a hospital-based service systems to support a satellite clinic network.

The activities documented in this case study arose as a result of a decision by hospital administration that it would be more cost effective to provide services with in-house departments rather than through outside vendors. The clinic administrator was charged with coordinating the implementation of these services in the clinics by the hospital support departments. This article will explore service delivery problems and resolutions.

Platelet adhesion to cyanogen-bromide fragments of collagen alpha 1(I) under flow conditions.

The aim of this investigation was to identify domains of collagen type I that can support platelet adhesion under flow conditions. Four cyanogen bromide (CB) fragments composing 87% of the collagen alpha 1(I)-chain were studied under static and flow conditions. Under static conditions, bovine and human collagen fragment alpha 1(I)CB3 induced aggregate formation, whereas alpha 1(I)CB7 and alpha 1(I)CB8 supported adhesion of dendritic and contact platelets.

Multidimensional pain assessment in premature neonates: a pilot study.

Objective: To describe the physiologic and behavioral responses of premature neonates to a painful stimulus.

Design: Descriptive.

Setting: Secondary-level neonatal unit in a large metropolitan university teaching hospital.

Malignant melanoma of penis and male urethra. Is it a difficult tumor to diagnose?

Two cases of malignant melanoma of the penis and male urethra are presented in which the diagnosis was difficult to make clinically and histopathologically. Our findings support the general opinion that melanomas at this site have a poor prognosis.

Perceptions of vaccine efficacy, illness, and health among inner-city parents.

A resurgence of measles in the past decade has focused attention on the limitations of current immunization programs, particularly for inner-city, low-income populations. As part of a larger study of immunization rates, we discussed perceptions of disease severity and vaccine efficacy, as well as the prioritization of the tasks of parenthood, with 40 parents of infants living in inner-city Baltimore to discover their beliefs about immunization. Vaccines were considered only partly successful; susceptibility to chickenpox after vaccination was repeatedly cited as evidence of vaccine failure.

Developing a mission-compatible, time-of-service collections program.

Linda Horton's article explores the reasons why a comprehensive, time-of-service collection program was the desired goal of her organization. Horton, FACMGA, also describes the process used to select, develop and implement a collections program that blended prudent policies with the group's mission to service the underserved.

Biological function of the retinoblastoma protein requires distinct domains for hyperphosphorylation and transcription factor binding.

Despite the importance of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene to tumor growth control, the structural features of its encoded protein (pRb) and their relationship to protein function have not been well explored. We constructed a panel of deletion mutants of pRb expression vectors and used a biological assay for pRb that measures growth inhibition and morphologic changes in pRb-transfected Saos-2 cells to correlate structural alterations of the pRb coding region with function. We tested the deleted proteins for the ability to bind to viral oncoprotein E1A and to the transcription factor E2F.

Impalpable breast lesions: marking of surgical specimens for pathology.

A simple method is described to indicate the abnormal area in breast biopsy specimens excised following mammographic localization of impalpable lesions. A hypodermic needle is inserted into the specimen through the abnormality immediately following specimen radiography, removing the need to radiograph individual tissue slices. The technique has proved successful in 121 out of 122 specimens.

Mucin depletion in inflammatory bowel disease.

The mucin and gland content of 26 rectal biopsy specimens--five normal specimens, 10 from patients with ulcerative colitis, and 11 from patients with Crohn's disease--were measured using a Quantimet image analyser. There was significantly less mucin in the groups with ulcerative colitis compared with either those with Crohn's disease or the normal controls. The difference in the gland content between the groups with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and between the group with Crohn's disease and the normal controls did not reach significance.