January 28, 2000
Volume XXXIII, No. 4

• Convocation ceremony features national speaker

• HSC obesity research benefiting from use of fMRI technique

• Media Report

• HSC surgeon honored nationally

• Allergy season may be breathable with medicine combinations

• AAUW scholarships available

• MacDougall is new associate dean for research in Dental School

• Fiesta de Tejas is right around the corner

• Health Science Center faculty-developed software eases medical search woes

• Making the Rounds

• Briefly

• Of Note

• Calendar

Convocation ceremony
features national speaker

The Health Science Center's annual convocation ceremony will include guest speaker Dr. Roger J. Bulger, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Academic Health Centers. Dr. Bulger will discuss the state of academic health centers in the United States.

The event is open to the public and is set for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, in the Medical School Auditorium with an awards presentation to follow.

Dr. Bulger, former president of the U.T. Health Science Center at Houston, is the author of numerous articles and books on medical science and health policy, including the 1998 release, The Quest for Mercy: The Forgotten Ingredient in Health Care Reform.

"Dr. Bulger is a gifted leader and speaker who will be able to share with us the challenges and opportunities facing academic health centers across the nation," said Dr. John P. Howe, III, president.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Bulger served as chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center at Worcester and dean of its medical school. He was the first executive officer of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and has held tenured posts in internal medicine, community medicine and public health in four different universities. The R.J. Bulger Professorship in the Health Sciences was established in 1988 at the U.T. Health Science Center at Houston in his honor.

Dr. Bulger has been a member of numerous national advisory committees and chaired an Institute of Medicine Committee examining the effects of medical liability on maternal and child health care delivery. He also chaired a second IOM committee on regional data networks. He served on the board of the Association for Health Services Research and is currently on the board of the American International Health Alliance. In 1998, Dr. Bulger was selected to serve as chairman of the Institute of Medicine's Committee to Study Leading Health Indicators for Healthy People 2010.

A recipient of an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Bulger also has received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Thomas Jefferson University, the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Western University of Health Sciences. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Family Practice President's Award, the Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Mary Switzer Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions. He was elected the Tanner Lecturer at Cambridge University in 1987.

Dr. Bulger's clinical research is focused on infectious diseases and the clinical pharmacology of antibiotics, and he is a fellow in the Infectious Disease Society of America, the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians.

Following Dr. Bulger's remarks, the Health Science Center's Presidential Awards for Teaching Excellence and Distinguished Scholar awards will be presented. Recognition also will be given to the recipients of the Barbara H. Bowman Post-Doctoral Research Scholarship, named for the former chair of the Health Science Center's Department of Cellular and Structural Biology.

HSC obesity research benefiting
from use of fMRI technique

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but what else does it do? How does the brain respond when the body takes in sugar?

Researchers at the Health Science Center aren't actually giving spoonfuls of sugar to laboratory rats, but they are administering glucose and monitoring the brain activity of the rats immediately afterward. By using an imaging technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), scientists at the Research Imaging Center (RIC) expect to better understand the brain's response to an intake of glucose. They also seek to understand why only some animals and humans develop obesity and diabetes.

They are concentrating their attention on the hypothalamus, an essential neural regulatory center in the brain. The hypothalamus is intimately involved in the maintenance of basic life processes such as feeding and drinking. In an article published in this month's issue of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the scientists report that they are the first to use fMRI in rats to examine the response of the hypothalamus to glucose administered into the abdominal cavity. fMRI of the brain is a non-invasive technique that records the brain's "dynamic activity" in response to both internal and external stimuli.

Drs. Srikanth Mahankali (from left), Jia-Hong Gao and Yonglin Pu of the Health Science Center published a paper in January on the brain's response to glucose. Dr. Gao supervised the study. Dr. Mahankali is a post-doctoral fellow at the Research Imaging Center, where Drs. Gao and Pu are faculty members.

The scientists are building on their earlier study, published last September in the journal Diabetes, that used fMRI to document significant differences in the hypothalamic response between lean and obese humans following oral glucose intake.

"This rat study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using an animal model to perform fMRI experiments in the fields of obesity and diabetes," said Dr. Srikanth Mahankali, post-doctoral fellow at the RIC and lead author of the Magnetic Resonance in Medicine article. "Such experiments are impractical to perform in humans because they require the administration of appetite-regulating hormones, such as leptin and neuropeptide Y, which are involved in the regulation of feeding behavior."

While leptin decreases appetite, neuropeptide Y increases it.

"Leptin and neuropeptide Y cannot be administered safely to humans, which makes the rat model invaluable in designing future fMRI experiments involving obesity and diabetes," said Dr. Jia-Hong Gao, associate professor of radiology and chief of the MRI Division at the Research Imaging Center. Both the human and animal fMRI studies were conducted under his supervision. Data acquisition for the rat study was accomplished by Dr. Yonglin Pu, assistant professor of radiology at the RIC.

In the present experiment, six male, non-diabetic rats of varying age and weight were injected with glucose into the abdominal cavity. "Though all the rats showed an appetite-inhibiting response in the hypothalamus after glucose injection, the magnitude and rate of response varied with the age and weight of the animals, suggesting that these were key elements in modulating feeding behavior," Dr. Gao said.

The earlier human study showed a difference in hypothalamic function in the brains of 10 lean vs. 10 obese individuals. A quicker and more sustained response by the hypothalamus was noted in lean patients after oral glucose administration as compared to the response observed in obese individuals. No diabetic patients were enrolled.

The human study was a collaborative effort between Dr. Gao and Dr. Ralph DeFronzo, chief of the Division of Diabetes in the Health Science Center's Department of Medicine. Dr. DeFronzo also is a staff physician at University Hospital and the Audie Murphy Division of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.

History Channel features
HSC microbiologist
in Shroud of Turin story

National & International

Brides Magazine interviewed Dr. Deborah Conway, obstetrics and gynecology, for an article on menstrual cramps. The History Channel filmed

Dr. Stephen Mattingly, microbiology, for a story on the Shroud of Turin.

Dr. Gregory Mundy, medicine, and his study on statin drugs' effects on bone growth were the subject of articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and USA Today and featured on CNN's Web sites.

State

The Austin American-Statesman interviewed Dr. Michael Vaughn, medicine, on cedar pollen allergy. The Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Austin American-Statesman, Orange Leader, Bryan-College Station Eagle, Borger News Herald, Snyder Daily News, Beaumont Enterprise and Sherman Herald Democrat all covered Dr. Greg Mundy's research on statin drugs.

Dr. Steven Wartman's recent appointment as Medical School dean was covered in the Austin American-Statesman, Huntsville Item, Bryan-College Station Eagle and Tyler's Courier Times-Telegraph. The Brownsville Herald ran a column by State Sen. Eddie Lucio on the Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC). Articles on the Health Science Center's research grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute appeared in the Saint Augustine Tribune and the Whitesboro News Record.

Dr. Thomas Deahl, dental diagnostic science, was interviewed for a story on chocolate addiction in the Harlingen-based Valley Morning Star. A piece in the Wilson County News covered a health needs assessment conducted by Health Science Center graduate students supervised by Dr. Frank Moore and Olive Roen of the School of Public Health, San Antonio campus.

The Health Science Center was mentioned in the Carrizo Springs Javelin as a sponsor of the Second Annual Health Occupation Planning Exposition in Laredo. The RAHC was the subject of an article in the newsletter Rio Grande Valley Business.

San Antonio Express-News

The daily ran a front-page story on Dr. Greg Mundy's work with statin drugs and their possible effect on osteoporosis. Dr. Mundy's presentation before the 22nd San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium was also featured in a story on the reasons why breast cancer cells travel so frequently to bone.

Dr. Bankole Johnson, psychiatry, was interviewed for an article on promising new drug treatments for alcoholism. Biochemist Dr. Sanford Miller, dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was quoted in a piece on the increase in obesity among Americans.

An article on the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, quoted Dr. Celia Kaye, pediatrics chair. Dr. John P. Howe, III, president, was mentioned in a piece on the search for a successor to John Guest, University Health System president. In addition, Dr. Howe was quoted in an article about the appointment of Dr. Steven Wartman.

A local research study on Gulf War illness was the subject of a story quoting Dr. Joel Baseman, microbiology.

Dr. Robert A. Clark, Department of Medicine chair, was interviewed for a brief on the recent $1.6 million research grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

The paper listed December graduates from the School of Nursing.

Dr. David Espino, family practice, was quoted in an article on the new Spanish-language edition of the Merck Manual of Medical Information Home Edition. Dr. John Howe, Dr. Gustavo Román, medicine, and Dr. Divina Grossman, chronic nursing care, were pictured in the On the Scene section at the opening reception for the Health Science Center's Memory Disorders Clinic at Villa Serena.

Area Media

Nutritionist Dr. Connie Mobley, community dentistry, was interviewed for a story on longevity in the South Texas Fitness &Heath news magazine. The San Antonio Business Journal ran a story on Dr. Greg Mundy and his biotech company OsteoScreen. The opening of the new Memory Disorders Clinic at Villa Serena and Dr. Gustavo Román were the subject of an article in the Informer.

A major story on Gulf War illness in the Medical Gazette quoted Dr. Joel Baseman. The Gazette included Dr. Nicolas Walsh, rehabilitation medicine, and his work with the United Nations Bone and Joint Decade in its Town Rounds column. Also appearing in Town Rounds were Drs. Robert Clark and Sunil Ahuja, medicine, on the Howard Hughes grant.

Peggy Campbell, Kris Doyle, Ralph Kaster, Fayerene Nelson and Paul Summer, Employee Excellence Award winners, were listed in the Medical Gazette. The Gazette also ran notices on the new appointees to the Nursing Advisory Council; School of Nursing Dean Dr. Janet Allan's appointment to the Governing Council of the American Academy of Nursing; and Dr. Morris Franklin, surgery, who was the only Texas surgeon invited to attend a surgery competence workshop in the United Kingdom. Also featured was Dr. Russel J. Reiter, cellular and structural biology, who was awarded an honorary doctorate of medicine from the University of Granada in Spain.

Area Television

KENS-TV, Channel 5, interviewed Dr. John Howe on the success of the Gifts for Children program; Dr. Connie Mobley on calcium and colon cancer; and Dr. Stephen Shanfield, psychiatry, on depression during the holidays. Drs. Brian Herman and Victoria Frohlich, cellular and structural biology, discussed the department's new Optical Imaging Center on KENS.

Also appearing on KENS were Dr. Bankole Johnson, who discussed new blood-alcohol limits; Dr. Charles Leach, pediatrics, who talked about the flu drug Tamiflu; and Dr. Robert Nolan, pediatrics, on fevers in children.

Dr. Ian Thompson, surgery, spoke with KENS about a new study examining the relationship between Vitamin E and prostate cancer; Dr. David Shelledy, respiratory care, discussed asthma inhaler usage and Tom Darm, rehabilitation medicine, spoke about a new computer-based system of making prosthetic limbs.

KENS also interviewed Dr. William Lloyd, ophthalmology, on the tissue analyzer donated to the department by the Lions Site Research Foundation; Dr. Joel Baseman on his Gulf War study, and Dr. Ron Grimwood, dermatology, on psoriasis.

KLRN -TV, Channel 9, spoke with Dr. Robert Siegle, radiology, on a project with the Witte Museum studying mummies. KSAT-TV, Channel 12, interviewed Dr. Daniel Hale, pediatrics, on Type 2 diabetes in young children and possible sources for information on the condition. KABB-TV, Channel 7, interviewed Dr. Bankole Johnson about his drug addiction study.

Area Radio

Dr. Terry LeGrand, respiratory care, discussed the correct way to use an asthma inhaler on WOAI-AM, 1200. The station also interviewed Dr. Charles Leach on Tamiflu and Dr. Connie Mobley on calcium and colon cancer.

KSTX-FM, 89.1, spoke with Patricia J. Kelly, family nursing care, about her work to prevent teen pregnancy.

Dr. Stephen Mattingly, microbiology, demonstrates how bacteria from the skin may transfer to cloth. Dr. Mattingly conducted the demonstration for the History Channel for a story on the Shroud of Turin.

HSC surgeon honored nationally

Dr. Basil Pruitt Jr., clinical professor of surgery at the Health Science Center, will be honored with the 2000 Distinguished Investigator Award from the American College of Critical Care Medicine in February.

Dr. Pruitt, who served as commander and director of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (ISR) in San Antonio will be honored Feb. 12 in Orlando, Fla., during the college's annual convention.

The selection panel evaluated nominees' contributions to critical care research as shown by publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals, presenting research data at scientific meetings and lecturing on research findings.

Dr. Pruitt, a 1952 graduate of Harvard College and a 1957 graduate of the Tufts University School of Medicine, recently assumed the presidency of the prestigious American Surgical Association and is gathering data for his presidential address set for April 2000 in Philadelphia.

The ISR operates the world-renowned Army Burn Center in San Antonio. Research put into clinical practice at the center has led to great advances, including refined fluid therapy for burn patients and other patients, and effective treatment for inhalation injury and burn wound infections.

Dr. Pruitt praised the research collaboration between the ISR, co-located with Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, and the Health Science Center's Department of Surgery.

Allergy season may be breathable
with medicine combinations

Sneezes, coughs and wheezes are common sounds in most homes and offices around San Antonio lately. Allergy season is well under way, but there is relief.

To halt the onslaught of allergy symptoms, Health Science Center allergist Dr. Michael Vaughn, recommends a combination of prescription nasal steroid spray and non-sedating antihistamine/decongestant medications.

"There are some very good medications out there that control allergy symptoms in at least 80 percent of allergy sufferers," said Dr. Vaughn, a clinical instructor in the Department of Medicine. "The other 20 percent of patients should speak with an allergist about other options, including allergy shots."

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, allergies affect about 38 percent of all Americans, but many people often mistake allergy symptoms for a cold or the flu. Hayfever, said Dr. Vaughn, is actually a misnomer and is not associated with fever.

Allergies are the immune system's response to an exposure to antigens, such as the pollen of plants and trees. The antigens activate antibodies in the white blood cells, releasing an excess of histamines that produce symptoms such as itchy eyes and a stuffy nose. If left untreated, allergies tend to become more severe each year a person is exposed. Both blood and skin testing can be performed to identify which allergens may be a problem.

Dr. Vaughn said suburban sprawl is one of the reasons the city has seen an increase in the number of people suffering from allergies, specifically to mountain cedar.

"San Antonio sprawl is growing out into the Hill Country," said Dr. Vaughn. "People are moving out into the country and they are leaving the cedar trees on the property. There is a higher exposure out in the Hill Country than in the city."

People can take several precautions to help with exposure to antigens. Special pillowcases and mattress covers alleviate dust mite problems, and Dr. Vaughn suggests using electrostatic air filters in the heating system rather than fiberglass filters. The electrostatic filters collect dust and pollen better than fiberglass and can be washed and used repeatedly. These filters can be found at most hardware stores.

"You can't really avoid pollen exposure unless you stay inside, and I don't think anyone wants to do that," said Dr. Vaughn. "The things you can avoid are dust mites and pet allergies."

MacDougall is new associate dean
for research in Dental School

Dr. Mary J. MacDougall, professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has been named associate dean for research in the Dental School. In her new position, Dr. MacDougall is overseeing the research activities in the Dental School, coordinating grant applications and establishing collaborative research activities.

Current major programs at the school include development of new restorative dental materials that could be used as replacements for amalgam, and a newly funded five-year study involving the regulation and function of matrix proteins during tooth formation.

Dr. MacDougall has been with the Health Science Center since 1993. Before joining the Dental School, she was on the faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry in the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology.

She received her Ph.D. in craniofacial molecular genetics from the dental school at USC and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California San Diego, Revelle College.

Dr. MacDougall will continue her teaching and research activities while serving in the Office of the Dean on a part-time basis.

 

Making the Rounds Congratulations to Lidia Chandler, ophthalmology, who gave birth to a 7 pound, 3 ounce boy, Mark Anthony, on Jan 1. Sympathies to Dr. John Mangos, pediatrics, for the loss of his wife, Rae Carol Mangos, who passed away Dec. 30. Condolences to Sallie Riester, anesthesiology, on the loss of her husband, Dr. Albert Riester, former associate professor at the Health Science Center, who passed away on Nov. 24.

AAUW scholarships available

The San Antonio branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is offering scholarship awards for eligible women enrolled in graduate programs.

To be eligible for the award, students must be enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited college or university in Texas, be a student in good standing, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0, be registered for a minimum of six graduate semester hours, be a resident of Bexar County for a minimum of two years and be able to document a need for financial aid.

The award must be used for tuition, fees and books. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 11 and are available in each of the individual deans' offices and on the Internet at http://www.homestead.com/aauw_san_antonio/Index1.html.

Health Science Center
faculty-developed software
eases medical search woes

Health Science Center researcher Dr. Robert Badgett, associate professor in the Department of Medicine, has developed a new computer software program designed to ease the process of searching for medical information on the Internet.

The software, SUMSearch, is a search engine that simultaneously queries multiple, high-quality Internet resources. Students and staff may enter a query on the automated search form and SUMSearch begins looking at multiple sites for the most relevant entries.

"What makes it unique is its contingency searching feature," said Dr. Badgett. Without the user's input, SUMSearch will analyze the search results and will do multiple "contingency searches" until the best results are produced. SUMSearch may be the only search software of its kind to incorporate this process, which may afford Dr. Badgett the opportunity to patent that function within the program.

SUMSearch provides users with an analysis and suggestions on how to do a better search when the query process fails. Included in the program is a feature designed to manage online passwords for various journals and sites, with a function that detects when the user is going to a specific journal site and then automatically provides the correct password. The software also logs user preferences, including which query words are used and which sites the user visits.

Dr. Badgett initially developed the software after teaching a course on how to search for medical knowledge more quickly and effectively on the Internet. He conducted a research study and found that students were not using the technology any more frequently than they did before taking the class.

"We theorized that students did not like searching for this knowledge because conducting the search was difficult and time consuming," Dr. Badgett said. "Sometimes it can take close to an hour to do a search on some of the medical search engines and then there is only a 50 percent chance of getting the information you need."

In an effort to cut down on the time involved and improve the accuracy of the search, Dr. Badgett developed SUMSearch and brought it online in October 1998 with the help of Dr. Cynthia Mulrow, a professor in the Department of Medicine; Linda Levy, a librarian at the Health Science Center's Dolph Briscoe Jr. Library; and Jennifer Arterburn, Department of Medicine.

During the past year Dr. Badgett has been working on updating features and encouraging students to use SUMSearch. The site now has up to 2,000 hits a month and the number of users is slowly growing.

The program is free, no passwords are involved and anyone can make use of the search software at http://SUMSearch.uthscsa.edu.

 

Briefly Information needed for resource directory The Health Science Center's International Relations Committee is updating the campus language resources directory and is looking for faculty and staff who can speak languages other than English. Those persons also must be available to volunteer as translators for campus visitors once or twice a year. For more information, or to fill out a resource directory form, contact Dr. Jan Hu in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at ext. 7-3554. Clinical teaching workshop scheduled The Division of Educational Research and Development (ERD) will conduct its annual professional development course, "Effective Clinical Teaching," from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24-25 in the School of Nursing auditorium. Several hundred Health Science Center faculty members have completed this course and taken advantage of the opportunity to practice hands-on clinical teaching skills. The practice session includes small feedback groups for participants to critique videotaped examples of student and teacher interactions. Participants will identify effective and ineffective educational strategies. Health Science Center faculty may attend at no cost. To register, contact Gloria Nuckols in ERD at ext. 7-2282 or by e-mail at nuckols@uthscsa.edu. For more information about the course, call Bill Hendricson at ext. 7-2813 or by e-mail at hendricson@uthscsa.edu.

Fiesta de Tejas is right around the corner

Fiesta faces One young Fiesta de Tejas fan gets her face painted during the 1999 celebration. More than 12,000 people attended the Health Science Center's festivities. The annual event is a family affair, with a children's area and plenty of food and drink.

The first Fiesta de Tejas of the new century will kick off Thursday, April 27, with a traditional array of booths, food and entertainment. The event, which will celebrate its 16th year, is moving to a new location that will include the recreational areas and the pavilion.

This year's celebration begins at 5 p.m. and will include live music, dancing and a variety of activities. The event will have an expanded children's area with several new games and the ever popular face painting booth. As always, plenty of food and drink will be available while parents browse the various booths for arts and crafts items.

Volunteers are needed for the event and booths are still available. For information on volunteer opportunities, contact Maria Montez at ext. 7-4799 or by e-mail at montez@uthscsa.edu.

For information regarding booth prices and availability, contact Paul Crouser at ext. 7-2927 or by e-mail at crouser@uthscsa.edu.

Calendar for Jan. 31 - Feb. 6

7:00 a.m. Orthopaedic Teaching Conf. "Supracondylar Humerus Fractures" (MED: 309L)

7:30 a.m. Neurosurgery Grand Rounds "Intraoperative Awareness," Dr. Tod Sloan (MED: 444B)

8:00 a.m. Rehab Medicine Lecture Series "Traction," Drs. Mark Fredrickson & Michael Salas (UH: Reeves Rehab Center 3rd-floor classroom)

TUESDAY, FEB. 1

6:30 a.m. Podiatry Grand Rounds "Tumors of Soft Tissue," Dr. Mohammad Sharif (LEC: 2.010)

8:00 a.m. Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery "Advances in ATLS," Dr. David Hayes, Brooke Army Medical Center (MED: 444B)

11:00 a.m. TNT "Blood Banking: Altering Antibody Identification Protocols," Sue Johnson, The Blood Center of Southeastern Milwaukee (call ext. 2700 for information)

Noon. Medicine Research Conf. "General Support, Paroxetine or Psychotherapy for Mild Depression? Results from a Multicenter Trial," Dr. John Williams, & "Clinical Epidemiology of Medical Complications after Hip Fracture Repair: Incidence & Outcomes," Dr. Valerie Lawrence (MED: 209L)

12:30 p.m. TNT "Clinical Chemistry & Toxicology: Effects of Cocaine on Fetal-Neonatal Health & Development," Dr. Jimmie Valentine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (call ext. 2700 for information)

4:00 p.m. Molecular Medicine Seminar Series "Estrogen & Progesterone as Major Determinants of Breast Cancer Risk: Implications for Design of Hormonal Contraceptives & Hormone Replacement Therapy," Dr. Malcolm Pike, University of Southern California (IBT: 3.002)

4:00 p.m. Cardiovascular Pathobiology Research Conf. "Deadly Liaisons: Oliomerization of Bcl-2 Family Proteins," Dr. Pothana Saikumar (LEC: 331.5B)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2

6:30 a.m. Podiatry Case Conf. (MED: 309L)

7:00 a.m. Vascular Surgery Grand Rounds, Dr. Mellick Sykes (MED: 209L)

8:00 a.m. Medical Grand Rounds "Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke," Dr. Oscar Benavente (MED: 409L)

9:00 a.m. Surgery Trauma M&M Conf., Dr. Ronald Stewart (MED: 309L)

Noon. Pharmacology Seminar Series "Molecular Analysis of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Expression," Dr. Paul Gardner (MED: 444B)

THURSDAY, FEB. 3

7:30 a.m. Thoracic Surgery Resident Teaching Conf. (VA: 4th-floor CT Library A404)

Noon. Pulmonary, Thoracic & Oncology Conf. (MED: 309L)

Noon. Microbiology Seminar Series "SV40: A Human Pathogen?" Dr. Janet Butel, Baylor University (MED: 444B)

Noon. TNT "Primary Care Forum: Child Sexual Abuse & Differential Diagnosis," Dr. Nancy Kellogg (call ext. 2700 for information)

4:00 p.m. Surgery Tumor Conference, Dr. Anatolio Cruz (MED: 209L)

FRIDAY, FEB. 4

7:30 a.m. Pediatric Grand Rounds "Nitric Oxide," Dr. Alvin Head, Massachusetts General Hospital (MED: 409L)

SATURDAY, FEB. 5

7:15 a.m. Surgical Physiology Conf., Dr. Kenneth Sirinek (MED: 209L)

9:00 a.m. General Surgery Grand Rounds, Dr. Wayne Schwesinger (MED: 209L)