The concept of social pharmacy

The 13th International Social Pharmacy Workshop will be held in Malta in July 2004. The Social Pharmacy Workshops are international conferences for research in social and behavioural pharmacy. Meetings are held every second year and participation has grown steadily since the first Workshop was held in Helsinki, Finland, in 1980. Following the successful 2002 conference in Sydney, Australia, the 2004 meeting in Malta will be the first one held in the Mediterranean area!peer-reviewe

Delaunay triangulation and computational fluid dynamics meshes

In aerospace computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations, the Delaunay triangulation of suitable quadrilateral meshes can lead to unsuitable triangulated meshes. Here, we present case studies which illustrate the limitations of using structured grid generation methods which produce points in a curvilinear coordinate system for subsequent triangulations for CFD applications. We discuss conditions under which meshes of quadrilateral elements may not produce a Delaunay triangulation suitable for CFD calculations, particularly with regard to high aspect ratio, skewed quadrilateral elements

Yanagi: Transcript Segment Library Construction for RNA-Seq Quantification

Analysis of differential alternative splicing from RNA-seq data is complicated by the fact that many RNA-seq reads map to multiple transcripts, and that annotated transcripts from a given gene are often a small subset of many possible complete transcripts for that gene. Here we describe Yanagi, a tool which segments a transcriptome into disjoint regions to create a segments library from a complete transcriptome annotation that preserves all of its consecutive regions of a given length L while distinguishing annotated alternative splicing events in the transcriptome. In this paper, we formalize this concept of transcriptome segmentation and propose an efficient algorithm for generating segment libraries based on a length parameter dependent on specific RNA-Seq library construction. The resulting segment sequences can be used with pseudo-alignment tools to quantify expression at the segment level. We characterize the segment libraries for the reference transcriptomes of Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of quantification using a segment library based on an analysis of differential exon skipping in Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens. The notion of transcript segmentation as introduced here and implemented in Yanagi will open the door for the application of lightweight, ultra-fast pseudo-alignment algorithms in a wide variety of analyses of transcription variation

An electrochemical comparison of thiolated self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) formation and stability in solution on macro‐ and nanoelectrodes

Thiolated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed on metal electrodes have been a topic of interest for many decades. One of the most common applications is in the field of biosensors, where this is a growing need for functionalising nanoelectrodes to realise more sensitive and implantable sensors. For all these applications the SAM functionalised nanoelectrodes will need to make reliable and interpretable electrochemical measurements. In this work, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is used to monitor both the formation and subsequent stability of 6-mercaptohexan-1-ol SAMs on macro and nanoelectrodes and compares the two. To develop effective devices, it is crucial to understand both SAM formation and the resulting signal stability on nanoscale surfaces and this is done by comparing to behaviours observed at the well understood macroscale. We report an initial stochastic binding event and subsequent re-arrangement of the SAMs for both electrode types. However, this re-arrangement takes hours on the macro scale electrodes but only seconds on the nanoelectrodes. This is proposed to be due to the different structure of the SAMs on the electrodes predominantly driven by their bulk to edge ratios. After formation, the SAMs formed on both macro and nanoelectrodes exhibit significant instability over time. The reported results have practical implications for the construction of SAM based biosensors on macro and nanoscale electrodes

An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer experiment for the Shuttle Get Away Special Program

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer experiment operated successfully during the STS-7 mission in an experiment to measure the global and diurnal variation of the EUV airglow. The spectrometer is an F 3.5 Wadsworth mount with mechanical collimator, a 75 x 75 mm grating, and a bare microchannel plate detector providing a spectral resolution of 7 X FWHM. Read-out of the signal is through discrete channels or resistive anode techniques. The experiment includes a microcomputer, 20 Mbit tape recorder, and a 28V, 40 Ahr silver-zinc battery. It is the first GAS payload to use an opening door. The spectrometer's 0.1 x 4.2 deg field of view is pointed vertically out of the shuttle bay. During the STS-7 flight data were acquired continuously for a period of 5 hours and 37 minutes, providing spectra of the 570 A to 850 A wavelength region of the airglow. Five diurnal cycles of the 584 A emission of neutral helium and the 834 A emission of ionized atomic oxygen were recorded. The experiment also recorded ion events and pressure pulses associated with thruster firings. The experiment is to fly again on Mission 41-F

Scientific Statistical and Methodology and the Doctrine of Reasonable Doubt in Criminal Law; (With Specific Reference to the Breath Analysis for Blood Alcohol) Empirical Fact or Legal Ficton?

Lawyers pride themselves on being men of reason. After all, they postulate, it is the reasonable man who is enshrined at the apex of the Anglo-American legal system in the adjudication of civil disputes; it is the legally trained mind that proves so finely honed a tool in the area of problem solving in private practice; the rational decisional process is the hallmark of the judicial mind. Where the life or liberty of an individual is in contention this expert sense of reason is brought one step further - the criminal law, with few exceptions, will not countenance a mere preponderance of evidence or balance of probabilities in the establishment of the burden of proof; there must be a greater degree of certitude. This latter goal is attained through the application of the doctrine of reasonable doubt . The parameters with which we need be concerned, at least in the context of the imprecise social organism that constitutes law, are thus obvious. It is something less than absolute certainty. 1 The necessary legal goal will have been attained once any arbiters in the criminal decisional process have reached an abiding conviction to a moral certainty as to the guilt of an accused person

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SELF-DISCLOSURE AND PLAYFULNESS IN ADULT ATTACHMENT RELATIONSHIPS

This study utilized attachment theory as a framework for investigating aspects of relationship adjustment and emotional exploration, including self-disclosure and playfulness, in the romantic relationships of adults. 132 participants completed an online survey that included measures of adult attachment, relationship adjustment, playfulness, self-disclosure to partner, generalized exploration, and social desirability. Participants were also given the opportunity to write about dimensions of play behaviors in their relationships. A series of hierarchical linear regressions indicated that attachment orientation may be related in important ways to playfulness and self-disclosure, while these variables serve an important role in the successful adjustment of adult attachment relationships. The data suggested that avoidant attachment was negatively related to the intent, honesty, depth, amount and valence of self-disclosure while anxious attachment was positively related to the depth of self-disclosure. Additional regression analyses determined that avoidant attachment was also negatively related to playfulness with one's partner. Both avoidance and anxiety were found to contribute significantly to poor relationship adjustment, while playfulness and all dimensions of self-disclosure except intent were positively related to overall relationship adjustment. The present study also utilized a cluster analysis to identify ways that natural groupings of individuals formed on the variables of interest. The clusters indicated that people in better-adjusted relationships tended to be more playful with their partners on a more consistent basis and reported greater honesty, depth and amount self-disclosure relative to those in less well-adjusted relationships. The valence of self-disclosure had a particularly strong relationship with adjustment such that those who disclosed more positive information were also those found in well-adjusted relationships. The area of adult attachment is still in its early stages of development, but helping individuals understand developmental relationship patterns and the impact of "working models" may be of great importance for individuals' psychological and emotional well-being. The findings of this study support the importance of using attachment theory as a model for understanding the ways that behavioral systems, such as exploration, may play a role in the development and maintenance of adult romantic relationships

Impedimetric measurement of DNA–DNA hybridisation using microelectrodes with different radii for detection of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Due to their electroanalytical advantages, microelectrodes are a very attractive technology for sensing and monitoring applications. One highly important application is measurement of DNA hybridisation to detect a wide range of clinically important phenomena, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), mutations and drug resistance genes. The use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for measurement of DNA hybridisation is well established for large electrodes but as yet remains relatively unexplored for microelectrodes due to difficulties associated with electrode functionalisation and impedimetric response interpretation. To shed light on this, microelectrodes were initially fabricated using photolithography and characterised electrochemically to ensure their responses matched established theory. Electrodes with different radii (50, 25, 15 and 5 µm) were then functionalised with a mixed film of 6-mercapto-1-hexanol and a thiolated single stranded ssDNA capture probe for a specific gene from the antibiotic resistant bacterium MRSA. The complementary oligonucleotide target from the mecA MRSA gene was hybridised with the surface tethered ssDNA probe. The EIS response was evaluated as a function of electrode radius and it was found that charge-transfer (RCT) was more significantly affected by hybridisation of the mecA gene than the non-linear resistance (RNL) which is associated with the steady state current. The discrimination of mecA hybridisation improved as electrode radius reduced with the RCT component of the response becoming increasingly dominant for smaller radii. It was possible to utilise these findings to produce a real time measurement of oligonucleotide binding where changes in RCT were evident one minute after nanomolar target addition. These data provide a systematic account of the effect of microelectrode radius on the measurement of hybridisation, providing insight into critical aspects of sensor design and implementation for the measurement of clinically important DNA sequences. The findings open up the possibility of developing rapid, sensitive DNA based measurements using microelectrodes

Class I Gap-formation in Highly-viscous Glass-ionomer Restorations: Delayed vs Immediate Polishing

This in vitro study evaluated the effects of delayed versus immediate polishing to permit maturation of interfacial gap-formation around highly viscous conventional glass-ionomer cement (HV-GIC) in Class I restorations, together with determining the associated mechanical properties. Cavity preparations were made on the occlusal surfaces of premolars. Three HV-GICs (Fuji IX GP, GlasIonomer FX-II and Ketac Molar) and one conventional glass-ionomer cement (C-GIC, Fuji II, as a control) were studied, with specimen subgroups (n=10) for each property measured. After polishing, either immediately (six minutes) after setting or after 24 hours storage, the restored teeth were sectioned in a mesiodistal direction through the center of the model Class I restorations. The presence or absence of interfacial-gaps was measured at 1000× magnification at 14 points (each 0.5-mm apart) along the cavity restoration interface (n=10; total points measured per group = 140). Marginal gaps were similarly measured in Teflon molds as swelling data, together with shear-bond-strength to enamel and dentin, flexural strength and moduli. For three HV-GICs and one C-GIC, significant differences (p<0.05) in gap-incidence were observed between polishing immediately and after one-day storage. In the former case, 80–100 gaps were found. In the latter case, only 9–21 gaps were observed. For all materials, their shear-bond-strengths, flexural strength and moduli increased significantly after 24-hour storage.</p