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S E Peterson

Publications and source records attributed to S E Peterson.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Identification of high-copy disruptors of telomeric silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The ends of chromosomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae initiate a repressive chromatin structure that spreads internally and inhibits the transcription of nearby genes, a phenomenon termed telomeric silencing. To investigate the molecular basis of this process, we carried out a genetic screen to identify genes whose overexpression disrupts telomeric silencing. We thus isolated 10 DOT genes (disruptor of telomeric silencing). Among these were genes encoding chromatin component Sir4p, DNA helicase Dna2p, ribosomal protein L32, and two proteins of unknown function, Asf1p and Ifh1p. The collection also included genes that had not previously been identified: DOT1, DOT4, DOT5, DOT6, and TLC1, which encodes the RNA template component of telomerase. With the exception of TLC1, all these genes, particularly DOT1 and DOT4, also reduced silencing at other repressed loci (HM loci and rDNA) when overexpressed. Moreover, deletion of the latter two genes weakened silencing as well, suggesting that DOT1 and DOT4 normally play important roles in gene repression. DOT1 deletion also affected telomere tract length. The function of Dot1p is not known. The sequence of Dot4p suggests that it is a ubiquitin-processing protease. Taken together, the DOT genes include both components and regulators of silent chromatin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Management of blood-drawing fears in adolescents with comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders.

As more pharmacologic treatment and research on child and adolescent psychiatric patients are conducted, the common problem of blood-drawing fears will need to be addressed. Avoidance of blood-drawing could jeopardize an individual's physical and mental health, and inhibit the collection of data aimed at furthering the study of psychiatric disorders in youth. This report describes the naturalistic application of specific techniques for managing severe blood-drawing fears in adolescent subjects undergoing a clinical trial. The adolescents (ages 12-18) were 44 consecutive school refusers with comorbid anxiety and major depressive disorders. Of the school-refusing adolescents, 27% (12 of 44) were observed to have a severe fear of blood-drawing. A management strategy comprised of providing information, distraction, supportive reassurance, and exposure appeared successful in managing the fears of blood-drawing in all of the adolescents, except two. These 2 adolescents refused to enter the treatment study due to a marked fear of blood-drawing. All 10 subjects who exhibited a fear of blood-drawing and were able to complete the initial blood test, using the interventions noted, were able to obtain subsequent venipunctures with minimal or no avoidance behavior. These preliminary findings suggest that blood-drawing fears can be effectively managed in most cases, though controlled studies of these interventions are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Muscular strength and bone density with weight training in middle-aged women.

Previous research has demonstrated positive correlations between bone mass and both physical activity and muscular strength. There is a paucity of information describing the specific type of exercise which most benefits the human skeleton. The effects of a 1 yr weight training program on 18 middle-aged women participating in an endurance dance program (E + W) compared with 17 other women in the endurance dance program only (E) and with 19 sedentary controls (C) were studied by measuring muscular strength and bone mineral density (BMD). Eighteen women in the E + W group demonstrated increases in all strength measurements, whereas the E and C groups either had smaller increases or had declined. A significant group x test interaction term, indicating that groups responded differently over time, was observed for nondominant isokinetic elbow flexion measured through the range of motion at a constant velocity of 60 degrees.s-1 (P less than 0.05), nondominant isokinetic elbow extension at 180 degrees.s-1 (P less than 0.01), and nondominant isokinetic elbow flexion at 180 degrees.s-1 (P less than 0.05). BMD did not change significantly except that a significant group x test interaction term appeared for the radius ultradistal site (P less than 0.01). BMD of the humerus and femoral Ward's triangle increased nonsignificantly in both E and E + W over the year. This weight training program increased muscular strength but did not increase measured bone mass.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Prudent laboratory usage, cost containment, and high quality medical care: are they compatible?

Inappropriate laboratory use by physicians is partly responsible for the rapid rise in health care costs. This use falls into three categories--over-, under-, and misutilization. Overuse creates information overload for the physician and has a detrimental effect on patient care. Abnormal results are frequently obscured by massive amounts of requested information. Studies show that laboratory use is greater for younger physicians and that increased use is not associated with better outcome of care. Overuse ranges from 26 per cent to 98 per cent for selected tests. Unnecessary tests can be eliminated with no adverse effect on quality. Laboratory use can be improved by a variety of approaches including education, feedback, implementation of administrative changes and, finally, financial incentives or disincentives; the last has proven the most effective. All the approaches should be reinforced by cost-conscious clinical settings that foster a "why" rather than a "why not" philosophy. Improving laboratory use may reduce costs and maintain quality.

Cost Control↗
PubMed1987

Survey of combined residency programs in internal medicine and pediatrics on curricula.

Combined residency programs in internal medicine and pediatrics began to emerge during the past decade. Combined programs provide four years of training that leads to board eligibility in both disciplines. To learn more about the curricula of these programs, the authors sent a questionnaire to the directors of the 81 known combined programs. Sixty-eight such programs were active as of July 1986. Of these, 54 had been active in the 1985-86 academic year and had a total enrollment of 390 residents, an average of 7.2 residents per program. Fourteen new programs were activated in July 1986 and enrolled 46 residents, with an average of 3.3 residents per program. Virtually all the programs emphasized training in primary care and included the use of outpatient clinics where residents often work with nonphysician health-care providers. Many programs provided instruction in the use of community resources, preceptorships, and outpatient-oriented conferences and emphasized data-gathering skills. Areas that need to be addressed by program directors and the accrediting organizations are discussed by the authors.

Ambulatory Care↗
PubMed1983

GMENAC report on U.S. physician manpower policies: recommendations and reactions.

After four years of study in the United States, the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee (GMENAC) concluded that an excess of approximately 70,000 physicians will exist in 1990. Faced with a future surplus, GMENAC recommends that U.S. medical schools decrease enrollment levels by 10 percent relative to the 1978-79 level and severely restrict entrance of foreign medical graduates. Flaws identified in the GMENAC approach relate to the use of the delphi technique, the future role of nonphysician providers, and a lack of reliable data. The GMENAC report may provide impetus for an abrupt shift from expansionism to reductionism in U.S. physician manpower policy. Long range physician manpower planning has erred in the past, necessitating periodic reevaluation of national policy. A continuing balance between supply and demand, although ideal, can probably never be attained. Thus small adjustments in total supply and specialty mix will always be necessary. The GMENAC report, which is the most comprehensive study of U.S. physician manpower to date, requires serious consideration in this context.

Delphi Technique↗