Information (and library) science at City University London; 50 years of educational development

The development of education for information and library science at City University London over a 50-year period is described in this article. The development of the Masters course in Information Science, and the later equivalent courses in Library Science and in Information Management in the Cultural Sector are described in detail, together with shorter-lived Masters courses in pharmaceutical and health information. The rationale for changes to the courses, and the influence of the professional and educational contexts, are analysed. Issues emerging from this analysis are discussed in seven themes: the nature of the discipline; the library/information spectrum; the student group; the academic/professional balance; curriculum design; local and global issues; and teaching methods. The discussions of the courses are set in the wider context of changes in library/information education over the period in the UK and worldwide

Use of Chemical Ecology for control of the cane toad

In 1935, 101 cane toads, B. marinus, were introduced into north Queensland, Australia in an attempt to control the greyback cane beetle, Dermolepida albohirtum, a pest of sugar cane fields. The cane toad was, however, completely unable to control the beetles and itself became a successful pest. Since their arrival, cane toads have been implicated in the population declines of many native frog species and mammalian and reptilian predators. These effects are through predation, competition and the toxic secretions produced by the toad, poisoning potential predators. While the toxic nature of their secretions has been long known, only a part of the chemical complexity of the secretion has been identified to a molecular level. Our study aims to look at how diverse the chemical composition of cane toad skin secretions is, as well as its variability across life-history stages, between individuals and also whether different populations of toads may show differences in their chemistry. Beyond this, the chemical ecology of the toad, which probably includes pheromonal communication, may offer opportunities for control of this pest