Sex determination of human blood micro-stains and single hairs using specific DNA amplification with polymerase chain reaction

Amplification of Y chromosome specific DNA in vitro enables a rapid and reliable sex determination of human minute traces such as blood stains and hairs. In presence of male DNA a band of 154 bp is visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis after amplification, this band is lacking in case of female DNA alone. Amplification of a sex independent DNA locus (such as a fragment from the alcohol dehydrogenase gene) generates identical reaction products for both sexes. This shows that the absence of a band is not due to the lack of trace DNA. It is possible to perform this technique with as little as 0.5 microliters of blood or with a single hair.     

Taking Stock of the Kaiser Permanente Partnership Story

The success of the 2000 interest-based contract negotiation at Kaiser Permanente (KP) does not mean that future challenges to this approach to negotiation have evaporated. Among the factors that contributed to the success thus far were: establishing buy-in to what was a new approach for many people; effective coordination in a complex environment; deadline pressure; managing internal negotiations; effective leadership; an investment in training; facilitation; creative brainstorming; and establishing ground rules. In addition to reviewing the KP experience, the authors focus on lessons learned and guidelines for future negotiations, as well as the role of interest-based processes in an organization's daily routine.     

Rapid isolation with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges and wide-bore capillary gas chromatography of organophosphate pesticides

A simple and rapid method for isolation of eleven organophosphate pesticides with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges from human urine and plasma, is presented. The detection of the pesticides was made by wide-bore capillary gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection. The pesticide-containing samples, after mixing with water, were directly applied to the cartridges and eluted with chloroform/isopropanol (9:1). The recoveries with use of the cartridges were excellent for most pesticides. Separation of each pesticide peak from each other and from impurities on the gas chromatograms was also satisfactory with use of non-polar and slightly polar capillary columns. The isolation method with use of the cartridges, together with the wide-bore capillary GC, seems very useful in forensic and environmental chemistry and clinical toxicology.