Froom and Froom call attention to referral bias as a frequent cause for misinterpreting the medical literature. This is particularly a source of false certainty, and therefore false science, in U.S. practice, where referral centers are often seen as the only legitimate source of medical knowledge and where primary care is discounted as a source of scientific observations. Appreciation of the primary care setting is therefore a critical element in theoretical understanding of medical epistemology.

Humans↗

PubMed1992

CMAP: contig mapping and analysis package, a relational database for chromosome reconstruction.

In the contig mapping and analysis package, CMAP, we provide a foundation for reverse genetics by organizing information about DNA fragments obtained from an organism's genome into a physical map. The user can store information about a particular segment of DNA. This information can be both descriptive, such as any genes contained in a particular DNA fragment, or experimental, such as hybridization profiles or restriction digest patterns for comparison with other fragments. The package can then be instructed to update the physical map or provide information on a DNA fragment within the map, such as its location. The user interface is designed to minimize the learning curve associated with database usage, while eliminating the possibility of entering data outside the ranges of fields through error-checking protocols. Queries are currently accomplished by the use of dynamic SQL (structured query language), which gives the user the ability to build queries based on any combination of the attributes contained within the database without requiring that all possible queries be permanently programmed within the query software. In order to eliminate the need for knowledge of SQL, an interface was designed to allow users to build queries by menu choices. Thus, CMAP is a software package supporting a database for both the production and storage of a physical map as well as being the first step toward the production of a physical mapping workstation.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1992

The aging brain.

A recent interest in aging of the nervous system is related to the remarkable increase in the numbers of elderly persons throughout the world. As a reflection of the added years, pathologies in the older person have also increased. Primary among those which affect the activities and behavior of these people are the dementias, especially Alzheimer's Disease. To focus on such problems, however, requires an understanding of the changes which take place in the normal aging nervous system. This paper reviews some of the accepted criteria for these changes as well as the possible attempts by the nervous system to alter its structure in response to these changes.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Chromosome-specific recombinant DNA libraries from the fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

Development of physical genomic maps is facilitated by identification of overlapping recombinant DNA clones containing long chromosomal DNA inserts. To simplify the analysis required to determine which clones in a genomic library overlap one another, we partitioned Aspergillus nidulans cosmid libraries into chromosome-specific subcollections. The eight A. nidulans chromosomes were resolved by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and hybridized to filter replicas of cosmid libraries. The subcollections obtained appeared to be representative of the chromosomes based on the correspondence between subcollection size and chromosome length. A sufficient number of clones was obtained in each chromosome-specific subcollection to predict the overlap and assembly of individual clones into a limited number of contiguous regions. This approach should be applicable to many organisms whose genomes can be resolved by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

PubMed1991

Literature and bioethics: different approaches?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Bioethics↗