Publications

concentrations and hazard assessment of pcbs, organochlorine pesticides and mercury in fish species from the upper thames: river pollution and its potential effects on top predators.	aquatic environmental contamination levels of organochlorine pesticides (ocps), polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and heavy metals in the upper thames catchment area, uk were assessed on the basis of fish muscle analysis in wet weight, and their effects on top predators were assessed. the contamination levels of lead, cadmium, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (ddt) and its metabolites were found to be low (undetectable) in the area. average mercury contamination level varied between 55 and 342 m ...	2003	12656245
is bacterial vaginosis associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?	previous research has produced conflicting results regarding the association of bacterial vaginosis (bv) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (cin). these studies have been weakened in their conclusions mainly by failure to adequately control for the presence of sexually transmitted infections (stis). one proposed mechanism suggesting that carcinogenic nitrosamines acting either independently or via human papilloma virus (hpv) has not been fully tested previously. we undertook a prospective, c ...	2003	12657117
[cloning from the relational viewpoint].		2002	12645390
surveillance of influenza in the north-west region of england 2001-02.	a local sentinel network of general practitioners has been established in the north west of england for the surveillance of influenza. in the 2001-02 winter, consultation rates for influenza-like-illness (ili) were low but the surveillance network was able to demonstrate sub-regional variations in the timing of peak influenza activity, and the infection of different age groups. this suggests the network can contribute to better planning to winter pressures on the north west health service.	2002	12631983
the future of public health.	the scale of health inequalities in the uk is stark indeed: and their persistence has disfigured our society. can there be any room for complacency when we know that a male resident of manchester can expect to live over seven years less than his contemporary in barnet? or, that when it comes to healthy life expectancy the gap is even greater: the number of years of life in good health that a man can, on average, expect to live is almost 11 years better in surrey than in manchester. for women, th ...	2002	12602090
blood, politics, and social science. richard titmuss and the institute of economic affairs, 1957-1973.	long before his last book, the gift relationship: from human blood to social policy, was published in early 1971, richard m. titmuss (1907-1973), a professor of social administration at the london school of economics, had been a major figure in the debates over the welfare state. the gift relationship was the culmination of an eventful relationship with the institute of economic affairs, a think tank that advocated the extension of rational pricing to social services. by arguing that the british ...	2002	12592886
how much tissue is present in archival paraffin blocks and slides?	in order to inform the debate about tissue blocks and slides introduced by the retained organs commission, a study is undertaken to determine the percentage weight of tissue present in the surgical archive in the cellular pathology department of a district general hospital. when original, unprocessed tissue weight is expressed as a percentage, based on the weight of 100 archival paraffin blocks, values range from 0.2% to 41.5%. when the corresponding archival slides are also included, the values ...	2002	12572953
more than one reason to immunize health care workers.		2002	12546219
e. coli o157 phage type 21/28 outbreak in north cumbria associated with pasteurized milk.	in march 1999, a large community outbreak of escherichia coli o157 infection occurred in north cumbria. a total of 114 individuals were reported to the outbreak control team (oct); 88 had laboratory confirmed e. coli o157. twenty-eight (32%) of the confirmed cases were admitted to hospital, including three children (3.4%) with haemolytic uraemic syndrome. there were no deaths. a case-control study found that illness was strongly associated with drinking pasteurized milk from a local farm (p = <0 ...	2002	12558327
doncaster: the public health response to a local cluster of heterosexually acquired hiv infection.	in recent years, clusters of sexually transmitted hiv infection have attracted some media prominence in the uk. we describe our response to a local hiv cluster of five cases that acquired a high media profile. practical difficulties encountered included: ensuring medical confidentiality in an outbreak control team which included many professional groups; handling a large volume of helpline calls; differing views on how specific health promotion should be; and the impact of summer leave on the co ...	2002	12564239
collaborative investigation of an outbreak of salmonella enterica serotype newport in england and wales in 2001 associated with ready-to-eat salad vegetables.	in june 2001, as part of a microbiological study of bagged, ready-to-eat salad products, salmonella enterica serotype newport was isolated from a sample of pre-packed green salad distributed by a major supermarket retailer. the strain was characterised by phage typing, plasmid profile typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. other isolates of s. newport from cases of human infection in england and wales in the first six months of 2001 were similarly characterised. of 60 strains from cases of ...	2002	12564245
educational outreach to improve vaccination uptake.		2002	12528591
educational outreach to improve vaccination uptake.		2002	12528592
[nobel prize for physiology or medicine 2002 is awarded for research into the genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death].	the human body consists of hundreds of cell types, all originating from one fertilized egg. during the embryonic and foetal periods, the number of each cell type increases dramatically. the cells mature and become specialised to form the various tissues and organs of the body. large numbers of cells are also formed in the adult body. cell death is a normal process, which runs parallel to this generation of new cells. it takes place in both the foetus and adult, thereby maintaining the appropriat ...	2002	12532662
renal papillary necrosis.	renal papillary necrosis (rpn) is a significant problem in human beings, especially in england and in australia where it has been reported to account for 15% to 20% of patients needing renal transplants. many compounds, including aspirin, phenacetin, phenylbutazone, indomethacin, mefenamic acid, flufenamic acid, fenoprofin, naproxen, and ibuprofen have been linked to renal papillary necrosis in human beings. although the exact mechanism of rpn is unknown, there are several theories that have goo ...	2002	12512867
human papillomavirus infections and risks of cervical cancer: what do women know?	human papillomavirus (hpv) is now known to be a risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. this study examines women's knowledge of cervical screening and dysplasia and hpv. the entire female work force of a medium-sized uk university received a questionnaire concerning knowledge of cervical screening, treatment for abnormalities and hpv. four hundred women returned completed questionnaires. knowledge of early cervical cancer detection and screening methods was good. however, risk facto ...	2002	12507346
transforming a run down general practice into a leading edge primary care organisation with the help of the efqm excellence model.	this article explains how a primary care team transformed a run down general practice into a leading edge healthcare organisation by adopting the principles of the efqm excellence model. the decisions surrounding the choice of approach, challenges faced, benefits achieved and lessons learned are all described in such a way that the reader may appreciate the issues which faced the members of the 15-man team. in particular, the practice team found that describing indicators of quality and gatherin ...	2002	12500651
impact of nhs direct on general practice consultations during the winter of 1999-2000: analysis of routinely collected data.		2002	12480857
air pollution. counting the cost of london's killer smog.		2002	12481106
a view from the bodies corporate. 2. orthoworld 2000 ltd.	north london may seem an unlikely venue for a discussion about orthodontics which takes us as far afield as south africa and the usa, but edgware is where i find the head office of orthoworld. at the time of writing orthoworld are the only specialist body corporate in the uk. i am meeting dr. morris fine, director of operations, a quietly spoken orthodontist - and still practising - with what turns out to be strong views and clear convictions. orthoworld had its beginnings 'four and a half years ...	2002	12481180
from photography to cinematography: recording movement and gait in a neurological context.	the major challenge of photography has been freezing movement, to transform it into a fixed image or series of images. very soon, photographers became interested in movement itself and tried to use photography as a tool to analyze movement. at the early stages, physicians interested in movement, perhaps surprisingly, made important technical contributions. mécanisme de la physionomie humaine, by duchenne, the first book with physiological experiments illustrated by photographs, is a landmark in ...	2002	12481476
stable isotope (13c, 15n and 34s) analysis of the hair of modern humans and their domestic animals.	relationships between dietary status and recent migration were examined by delta(13)c, delta(15)n and delta(34)s analysis of hair samples from 43 modern humans living in a rural community in sw england. the isotopic content of 38 'local' hair samples was compared with that of five recently arrived individuals (from canada, chile, germany and the usa). hair samples from domestic animals (i.e. mainly cats, dogs, cows and horses) were analysed to examine the difference in delta(13)c, delta(15)n and ...	2002	12442295
age-restricted cervical screening: hpv testing at age 50 identifies a high risk group for cervical disease.	changes to the present age policy of cervical screening are currently under consideration. we conducted a retrospective matched case-control study and cost analysis study to identify risk factors for the development of an abnormal smear after age 50 and to determine the impact of age-restricted cervical screening on the annual cost of the screening program. all women (229) from an 11-year birth cohort who developed an abnormal smear at age 50 or over were age-matched for two controls with negati ...	2002	12445251
multiple genetic typing of salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium isolates of different phage types (dt104, u302, dt204b, and dt49) from animals and humans in england, wales, and northern ireland.	salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium is a common cause of salmonellosis among humans and animals in england, wales, and northern ireland. phage types dt104 and u302 were the most prevalent types in both livestock and humans in 2001. in addition, salmonella serotype typhimurium dt204b was responsible for a recent international outbreak involving england. a total of 119 isolates from humans (n = 28) and animals or their environment (n = 91), belonging to dt104 (n = 66), u302 (n = 33), dt204b ( ...	2002	12454135
risk assessment as collective clinical judgement.	introduction: risk assessment occupies an increasingly important position in psychiatry. this paper contends that collective judgement is the optimal method of assessing risk. the meaning of risk: risk has a dual meaning: emotional and judgemental. risks faced by staff: assaults, threats and survival anxiety. the effects of danger on the group: staff wariness and resistance, attribution of blame. the ambiguous task: for a group to function well it must have a clear task. custodial roles can lead ...	2002	12459817
restoration of ldl receptor function in cells from patients with autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia by retroviral expression of arh1.	familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomal dominant disorder with a gene-dosage effect that is usually caused by mutations in the ldl receptor gene that disrupt normal clearance of ldl. in the homozygous form, it results in a distinctive clinical phenotype, characterized by inherited hypercholesterolemia, cholesterol deposition in tendons, and severe premature coronary disease. we described previously two families with autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia that is not due to mutations in t ...	2002	12464675
the anatomical exhibition of real human bodies.	it is impossible not to be stunned, and dwarfed, and inspired, and horrified, and amazed by the sight of the horse, complete with human rider, rearing high above your head. it is not so much the size of the model--more that both horse and man are real.	2002	12465470
social roles, context and evolution in the origins of depression.	this paper reviews the author's research on the social origins of depression begun in the early 1970s. it emphasizes the importance of taking account of the context and meaning of proximal causal factors by the use of investigator-based ratings using intensive interviews and the need to extend research to cover a whole lifetime. the implications of the research program that has involved some twenty inquiries in a variety of cultural settings is discussed in terms of the importance of both a comp ...	2002	12467252
regulation of therapeutic cloning in the uk.	the history and responsibilities of the british human fertilisation and embryology authority are described. its establishment by law in 1990 and its duties of licensing clinics, issuing a code of practice, maintaining a register of treatments, giving advice and licensing new treatments are traced. although research on embryos was legalized in the uk in 1990, a change in the law was required in 2001 to permit therapeutic cloning and research on embryos for the purposes of seeking treatments for s ...	2002	12470538
"i" and "we": a concordancing analysis of how doctors and patients use first person pronouns in primary care consultations.	it is widely accepted that "partnership" with patients is desirable, and that patients should be enabled to participate in decisions, but it is not clear to what extent doctor-patient interactions represent partnership in action.	2002	12356699
remediation of contaminated land and groundwater: experience in england and wales.	remediation of contaminated land and groundwater is of common international concern. the context and approach taken to the problem are, however, country-specific. a survey of remedial activity occurring within england and wales over the period 1996-1999 was commissioned by the environment agency (for england and wales) to establish a baseline against which future trends in remedial activity could be judged. this paper: explains the context of contaminated land and groundwater remediation in engl ...	2002	12357658
considering the care of the suicidal client and the case for 'engagement and inspiring hope' or 'observations'.	psychiatric/mental health (p/mh) nursing has rightly been described as a 'broad church', and one that contains many contested matters and areas of differing opinion. one such contested matter is that of the appropriate care for the person who is at risk of suicide. recent, albeit limited, debate of this issue has taken place, and the literature, such as it is, indicates two principal (though linked) positions. these can be summarized as the 'engagement and hope inspiration' position and the 'obs ...	2002	12358715
multiple realities in a study of medical consultations.	a study of doctor-patient communication offers convincing arguments for using multiple methods of data collection incorporating both meanings and practices. multiple realities emerged clearly that would have remained invisible had only one data source been used. two case studies illustrate how four factors interact to produce different versions of reality: setting, participants, time, and forms of data recording. the author discusses the apparent markedly different realities of doctors and patie ...	2002	12365590
human genome pioneers are awarded nobel prize.		2002	12376428
scientific contributions of a. v. hill: exercise physiology pioneer.	beginning in 1910, a. v. hill performed careful experiments on the time course of heat production in isolated frog muscle. his research paralleled that of the german biochemist otto meyerhof, who measured the changes in muscle glycogen and lactate during contractions and recovery. for their work in discovering the distinction between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, hill and meyerhof were jointly awarded the 1922 nobel prize for physiology or medicine. because of hill's interest in athletics, h ...	2002	12381740
the outcome of pediatric cadaveric renal transplantation in the uk and eire.	an analysis of all pediatric cadaveric renal transplant recipients in the uk and eire was undertaken to review the outcomes of pediatric cadaveric renal transplantation and to consider the implications for organ allocation procedures for pediatric recipients. factors influencing the outcome of 1,252 pediatric cadaveric renal transplants in the uk and eire in the 10-yr period from 1 january 1986 to 31 december 1995 were analyzed by cox proportional hazards regression, including analysis of four d ...	2002	12390422
historical perspective milestones in the evolution of lumbar spinal postural health in seating.	the best knowledge on seated posture before the enlightenment was not scientific, but influenced by sociocultural, economic, and manufacturing factors. although the pursuit of knowledge related to spinal postural health was advanced with the advent of empirico-analytic research, academic opinion continued to be influenced by unsubstantiated information, often resulting in incorrect advice to the public. only in the past decade has advice on "correct" seated posture, spanning the time from the hi ...	2002	12394936
a pharmacogenetic study to investigate the role of dietary carcinogens in the etiology of colorectal cancer.	susceptibility to colorectal cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in the western world, has been associated with several environmental and dietary risk factors. dietary exposure to food derived heterocyclic amine carcinogens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been proposed as specific risk factors. many polymorphic phase i and phase ii drug metabolizing enzymes are responsible for the metabolism and disposition of these compounds and it is therefore possible that inheritance of ...	2002	12419832
the number of markers of pancreatic autoimmunity is proportional to the risk for type 1 diabetes mellitus in italian and english patients with organ-specific autoimmune diseases.	an 11-year prospective study was carried out in 226 patients with organ-specific autoimmune disease (osad) coming from northern italy and southern england. patients were investigated for diabetes-related autoantibodies (icas, gadabs, and ia2abs) in order to evaluate the best immunological combination in predicting type 1 dm. one hundred twenty-eight patients were ica positive (77 italian and 51 english), and 98 were ica negative. icas were detected by immunofluorescence technique on human pancre ...	2002	12021123
the impact of the european convention on human rights on medical law.		2002	12024878
the nhs plan: nurse satisfaction, commitment and retention strategies.	the nhs plan envisages a paradigm shift from a centralized, producer-led national health service (nhs) to a devolved, patient-centred health care service, fuelled by a substantial investment in human resources, beds, hospitals and infrastructure. the planned net increase of 20,000 nurses by 2004 is examined in the light of findings from a qualitative study of nurse satisfaction, commitment or intention to leave their hospital, nursing or the nhs, involving 124 nurses in four london hospitals. th ...	2002	12028798
faecal carriage of verocytotoxin-producing escherichia coli o157 in cattle and sheep at slaughter in great britain.	a 12-month abattoir survey was conducted between january 1999 and january 2000, to determine the prevalence of faecal carriage of verocytotoxin-producing escherichia coli o157 (vtec o157) in cattle and sheep slaughtered for human consumption in great britain. samples of rectum containing faeces were collected from 3939 cattle and 4171 sheep at 118 abattoirs, in numbers proportional to the throughput of the premises. the annual prevalence of faecal carriage of vtec o157 was 4.7 per cent (95 per c ...	2002	12036241
more than 4000 children are missing out on hormone treatment.		2002	12039814
excess winter mortality. method of calculating mortality attributed to influenza is disputed.		2002	12039836
virus isolation data from water of some european rivers: an overview.	the present overview is the result of our scrutiny of data concerning the presence of viruses in the water of diverse european rivers. these data were assembled from the published literature--articles, doctoral theses and reports from investigations conducted by environmental virologists beginning during the final years of the sixth decenium of the twentieth century, first in france, czechoslovakia, romania, ukraine, u.s.a. then in other european and countries worldwide. the overview covers the ...	2002	12096684
the big brown eyes of samuel pepys.	samuel pepys (1633-1703) is known for writing the finest diary in the english language. he was a man of remarkable accomplishments who transformed the english navy, was president of the royal society, and was a member of the british parliament. he survived the great plague and imprisonment in the tower of london. during the years when he was writing the diary, pepys began to experience great pain in his eyes when reading and writing and from photophobia, which caused him to give up writing the d ...	2002	12096971
preventing drug-related morbidity--determining valid indicators.	to describe the process that is being undertaken to validate a series of indicators for preventable drug-related morbidity - originally developed in the us - for application in the uk health care system.	2002	12108529
crossed wires: interpreters, translators, and bilingual workers in cross-language research.	increasingly, researchers are undertaking studies involving people who do not speak the same language as they do. sociologists have long argued that language constructs the social world at the same time as it describes it. however, the implications of this for cross-language research are rarely considered. employing interpreters/translators and "cultural brokers" in research raises methodological issues around the meanings of concepts and how to convey difference. using a project that employed t ...	2002	12109728
support for students with academic difficulties.	the human and financial costs of academic failure amongst medical students are extremely high. often, remedial support is infrequently available or is available only for students failing their final examinations. we describe the design, implementation and preliminary evaluation of a remedial programme (rp) for students who experience academic difficulties.	2002	12109986
sero-epidemiological patterns of epstein-barr and herpes simplex (hsv-1 and hsv-2) viruses in england and wales.	the aim was to carry out a population-based sero-prevalence survey of epstein-barr virus (ebv) across a wide age range in england and wales and to identify any associations between ebv and herpes simplex virus types one and two (hsv-1 and 2). sera from an age-stratified sample of 2,893 individuals, submitted for diagnostic purposes to 15 public health laboratories in england and wales in 1994, were tested for immunoglobulin g (igg) antibody to ebv. the samples had been tested previously for igg ...	2002	12115998
seroprevalence of antibodies to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 among two sexually active female populations in middlesbrough, england.	herpes simplex virus (hsv) infection occurs worldwide but its epidemiology varies between different countries and between groups of individuals. seroprevalence of hsv-1 and hsv-2 antibodies is a more accurate method of determining epidemiology of this infection. in this cross-sectional study, 467 blood samples were obtained from women attending the genitourinary medicine clinic (gum) and antenatal clinic (anc) in middlesbrough, england. analysis of their blood samples showed that 69.5% gum patie ...	2002	12134761
thomas stephenson, dsc, phc, frsedin, fcs: a man of parts.		2002	12138907
local irbs fail to assess remote human studies.		2002	12042790
impact of the insect biting nuisance on a british youth expedition to alaska.	the morbidity and nuisance factor associated with bites from mosquitoes and other insects are one of the many hazards faced by travelers, including those to the arctic. a predeparture literature review suggested that insect bites were such a large problem in the area to be visited that they would probably have a significant impact on expedition activities. therefore, we set out to assess the extent of the insect biting nuisance, focussing particularly on interference with expedition activities, ...	2002	12044274
constructing vital statistics: thomas rowe edmonds and william farr, 1835-1845.	this paper describes the role of these two english statisticians in establishing mortality measurements as means of assessing the health of human populations. key to their innovations was the uses for the law of mortality edmonds claimed to have discovered in 1832. in reality he had merely rediscovered a relationship between aging and mortality first described mathematically by benjamin gompertz a decade earlier. during the 1830s edmonds attempted to interest the medical profession in his discov ...	2002	12050933
perceptions of influenza and influenza vaccination in patients attending hospital outpatient clinics.	influenza remains a major cause of morbidity and disruption to health services during winter. annual vaccination of risk groups is the mainstay of influenza management policy. despite much national publicity, vaccine uptake remains below desired levels. we investigated the perceptions of influenzal illness and opinions on vaccination in hospital outpatients attending clinics associated with risk and non-risk (i.e. control) morbidities. there were 270 recruited patients in risk groups: 90 each fr ...	2002	12070969
local surveillance of influenza in the united kingdom: from sentinel general practices to sentinel cities?	surveillance of influenza in england and wales utilises a disparate geographical network of general practices to provide clinical data in the form of weekly consultation rates for influenza and 'influenza-like illness'. this network accurately detects and monitors seasonal influenza activity at national and supra-regional levels. localised regional and sub-regional epidemics are less easily detected. we describe a localised epidemic of influenza affecting a deprived urban community in the north ...	2002	12070970
the man who saved us all.		2002	12082340
the use of the portable ergonomic observation method (peo) to monitor the sitting posture of schoolchildren in the classroom.	contrary to common belief, back pain amongst young people is a frequent phenomenon. epidemiological studies have found high prevalence rates of back pain amongst schoolchildren. the investigation reported here aims to validate children's self-reporting and the observation of sitting postures to establish the intensity, duration and frequency of exposure in the classroom. the sitting postures of 18 children were recorded using three methods, the portable ergonomic observation method (peo), video ...	2002	12160340
antimicrobial susceptibility of streptococcus suis isolated from swine in france and from humans in different countries between 1996 and 2000.	the susceptibility of 135 streptococcus suis strains isolated from pigs (n = 110) and from humans (n = 25) to 13 antimicrobial agents was studied by microdilution and disc diffusion methods using mueller-hinton agar ii (mh) supplemented with either defibrinated sheep blood (mhsb) or horse serum (mhhs). results were similar for both methods used except for penicillin g whose zone diameters were reduced with mhsb compared with mhhs. when mh was supplemented with sheep blood, 39% of s. suis strains ...	2002	12161400
mrs pretty and ms b.		2002	12161565
birth weight, childhood socioeconomic environment, and cognitive development in the 1958 british birth cohort study.	to examine the combined effect of social class and weight at birth on cognitive trajectories during school age and the associations between birth weight and educational outcomes through to 33 years.	2002	12169505
western medicine and marketing: construction of an inadequate milk syndrome in lactating women.	i conducted a longitudinal phenomenological study in england to explore the perceptions of 10 lactating women related to the nature of their breast milk and their ability to exclusively breast-feed their babies. the women viewed breast-feeding as a mechanical manufacturing process, and they carefully monitored the output of breast milk. health care professionals contributed to the women's perceptions and displayed mechanistic assumptions in relation to breastfeeding, reflecting their enculturati ...	2002	12171699
human metapneumovirus as a cause of community-acquired respiratory illness.	human metapneumovirus (hmpv) is a recently identified paramyxovirus first isolated from hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infections (arti). we sought evidence of hmpv infection in patients who had visited general practitioners, had influenzalike illnesses (ili), and had negative tests for influenza and human respiratory syncytial virus (hrsv). as part of national virologic surveillance, sentinel general practices in england and wales collected samples from patients of all ages ...	2002	12194763
a comparison of different biogeographical classifications of europe, great britain and spain.	various biogeographical and bioclimatic classifications of a number of regions, countries and continents have been created to meet different objectives. a policy maker might ask the question 'why is there no single accepted classification and how do the different classifications compare with one another?' in order to answer these two questions three classifications created by different methods for great britain and two for spain are compared using the kappa statistic. all of the classifications ...	2002	12197075
implications of the mental health act 1983 (remedial) order 2001.		2002	12201063
mycobacterium microti infection (vole tuberculosis) in wild rodent populations.	mycobacterium microti (vole tuberculosis) infections in small wild mammals were first described more than 60 years ago in several populations in great britain. few studies of vole tuberculosis have been undertaken since then, and little is known about the relationship between m. microti isolates originating from different populations or at different times or of the prevalence of this infection in wild rodent populations, despite human cases of m. microti infections being increasingly reported. i ...	2002	12202566
investigation of the link between visceral surface rib lesions and tuberculosis in a medieval skeletal series from england using ancient dna.	seven human skeletons from a large assemblage from a rural english medieval burial site show lesions, predominantly proliferative in nature, on the visceral surfaces of the ribs. in order to investigate whether these rib lesions were regularly associated with tuberculous infection, these individuals, together with a group of age- and sex-matched control skeletons without bony signs of infection, were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays aimed at detecting traces of dna from infect ...	2002	12209571
monoclonal anti-d development programme.	administration of anti-d immunoglobulin to d- women after delivery of a d+ infant has dramatically reduced the number of immunised women and cases of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. the use of monoclonal anti-d might alleviate some of the pressures on maintaining adequate supplies of plasma sourced anti-d. two human monoclonal antibodies, brad-3 (igg1) and brad-5 (igg3), with proven activity in in vitro functional (immunological) assays with cells bearing igg fc receptors (fc gammar ...	2002	12216950
epidemiology of variant cjd.	there are 100 confirmed cases of variant cjd (vcjd) in the u.k., with four cases in other countries (france and the republic of ireland). in the u.k., the mean age of onset is 28 years (range 12-74) with a median duration of 13 months (range 6-39). there are reported regional variations in incidence in the u.k., with a north/south difference and a 'cluster' of cases in one county, leicestershire. the incidence of cases in the u.k. is rising. there are concerns about the possibility of secondary, ...	2002	12220145
paget's disease of bone in lancashire and arsenic pesticide in cotton mill wastewater: a speculative hypothesis.	a 1974 survey of paget's disease of bone in 31 uk towns identified a cluster of six lancashire former cotton mill towns with the highest prevalence rates of the disease and noted a link with the cotton industry. the two highest-prevalence towns are situated on estuaries and are jointly the smallest of the six by the size of their former cotton industry. the two lowest-prevalence towns of the six are highest above sea level and jointly the largest by the size of their former cotton industry. this ...	2002	12231419
boosting uptake of influenza immunisation: a randomised controlled trial of telephone appointing in general practice.	immunisation against influenza is an effective intervention that reduces serologically confirmed cases by between 60% and 70%. almost all influenza immunisation in the uk is done within general practice. current evidence on the effectiveness of patient reminders for all types of immunisation programmes is largely based on north american studies.	2002	12236273
improving uptake of influenza vaccination among older people: a randomised controlled trial.	the uptake of influenza vaccination among older people is suboptimal. contact with a doctor or nurse is associated with older people deciding to accept influenza vaccination.	2002	12236274
cluster randomised controlled trial of an educational outreach visit to improve influenza and pneumococcal immunisation rates in primary care.	improvement in the delivery of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations to high-risk groups is an important aspect of preventive care for primary healthcare teams.	2002	12236277
teen-aged mothers in contemporary britain.	this paper describes the circumstances of contemporary young mothers and their children from a nationally representative sample, and compares them to the circumstances of mothers who delayed childbearing beyond age 20.	2002	12236608
genital herpes: general practitioners' knowledge and opinions.	to evaluate gps' knowledge about genital herpes, especially recent information and to assess their attitudes towards serotesting.	2002	12238653
testimony in seventeenth-century english natural philosophy: legal origins and early development.	this essay argues that techniques for assessing testimonial credibility were well established in english legal contexts before they appeared in english natural philosophy. 'matters of fact' supported by testimony referred to human actions and events before the concept was applied to natural phenomena. the article surveys english legal views about testimony and argues that the criteria for credible testimony in both legal and scientific venues were not limited to those of gentle status. natural p ...	2002	12240684
contacts with varicella or with children and protection against herpes zoster in adults: a case-control study.	whether exogenous exposure to varicella-zoster-virus protects individuals with latent varicella-zoster virus infection against herpes zoster by boosting immunity is not known. to test the hypothesis that contacts with children increase exposure to varicella-zoster virus and protect latently infected adults against zoster, we did a case-control study in south london, uk.	2002	12241874
legal, ethical and human-rights issues related to the storage of oral history interviews in archives.	this paper provides some personal reflections that explore the legal, ethical and human rights issues of conducting oral history interviews with elderly retired nurses. the interviews are part of a research study into the history of nursing in the west yorkshire towns of halifax and huddersfield, uk, between 1870-1960. the merit of this research is that it provides a unique account of the development of nursing and can enrich our understanding of the implications for present-day practice within ...	2002	12243099
characterization of paub, a novel broad-spectrum plasminogen activator from streptococcus uberis.	a bovine plasminogen activator of atypical molecular mass ( approximately 45 kda) from streptococcus uberis strain sk880 had been identified previously (l. b. johnsen, k. poulsen, m. kilian, and t. e. petersen. infect. immun. 67:1072-1078, 1999). the strain was isolated from a clinical case of bovine mastitis. the isolate was found not to secrete paua, a bovine plasminogen activator expressed by the majority of s. uberis strains. analysis of the locus normally occupied by paua revealed an absenc ...	2002	11741851
independent genome-wide scans identify a chromosome 18 quantitative-trait locus influencing dyslexia.	developmental dyslexia is defined as a specific and significant impairment in reading ability that cannot be explained by deficits in intelligence, learning opportunity, motivation or sensory acuity. it is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in childhood, representing a major educational and social problem. it is well established that dyslexia is a significantly heritable trait with a neurobiological basis. the etiological mechanisms remain elusive, however, despite being the focus of ...	2002	11743577
a genomewide linkage screen for relative hand skill in sibling pairs.	genomewide quantitative-trait locus (qtl) linkage analysis was performed using a continuous measure of relative hand skill (pegq) in a sample of 195 reading-disabled sibling pairs from the united kingdom. this was the first genomewide screen for any measure related to handedness. the mean pegq in the sample was equivalent to that of normative data, and pegq was not correlated with tests of reading ability (correlations between minus sign0.13 and 0.05). relative hand skill could therefore be cons ...	2002	11774074
excess winter mortality: influenza or cold stress? observational study.		2002	11786453
a genomewide scan identifies two novel loci involved in specific language impairment.	approximately 4% of english-speaking children are affected by specific language impairment (sli), a disorder in the development of language skills despite adequate opportunity and normal intelligence. several studies have indicated the importance of genetic factors in sli; a positive family history confers an increased risk of development, and concordance in monozygotic twins consistently exceeds that in dizygotic twins. however, like many behavioral traits, sli is assumed to be genetically comp ...	2002	11791209
psychotic illness in people with prader willi syndrome due to chromosome 15 maternal uniparental disomy.	in a population-based study of prader willi syndrome (pws), we investigated the relation between genetic subtypes of the syndrome and psychiatric morbidity. of 25 patients aged 18 years or older, seven (28%) had severe affective disorder with psychotic features, with a mean age of onset of 26 years (sd 5.9). the seven people affected, all aged 28 years or older, included all five with disomies of chromosome 15, one with a deletion in this chromosome, and one with an imprinting centre mutation in ...	2002	11809260
a major marker for normal tension glaucoma: association with polymorphisms in the opa1 gene.	normal tension glaucoma (ntg) is a major form of glaucoma, associated with intraocular pressures that are within the statistically normal range of the population. opa1, the gene responsible for autosomal dominant optic atrophy represents an excellent candidate gene for ntg, as the clinical phenotypes are similar and opa1 is expressed in the retina and optic nerve. eighty-three well-characterized ntg patients were screened for mutations in opa1 by heteroduplex analysis and bi-directional sequenci ...	2002	11810296
immunohistologic evidence of myocardial disease in apparently healthy relatives of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.	this study investigated whether apparently healthy relatives of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (dcm) who have left ventricular enlargement (lve) have biopsy evidence of underlying myocardial disease.	2002	11823084
old age psychiatry and the law.	old age psychiatry is no less subject to increasing legal and quasilegal restraint than other branches of the profession, but the emphases are different. two themes predominate: first, that of capacity or competence; and second, to what extent formal legal measures should be implemented in cases where incapacitated patients do not dissent from, as opposed to giving active consent to, admission to hospital or receiving treatment.	2002	11823319
association between two tumour necrosis factor intronic polymorphisms and hla alleles.	the gene for tumour necrosis factor (tnf) lies at the telomeric end of the class iii region of the major histocompatibility complex (mhc). polymorphisms within this gene have been implicated in the genetic background of a large number of common human diseases. recently two polymorphisms, tnf +489 and +691, have been described in the first intron of tnf (+489, g to a transition; +691, g deletion) and disease associations have been reported; however, the pattern of linkage disequilibrium with othe ...	2002	11841486
sir victor horsley (1857-1916): pioneer of neurological surgery.	immortalized in surgical history for the introduction of "antiseptic wax," sir victor horsley played a pivotal role in shaping the face of standard neurosurgical practice. his contributions include the first laminectomy for spinal neoplasm, the first carotid ligation for cerebral aneurysm, the curved skin flap, the transcranial approach to the pituitary gland, intradural division of the trigeminal nerve root for trigeminal neuralgia, and surface marking of the cerebral cortex. a tireless scienti ...	2002	11841730
changes in age related seroprevalence of antibody to varicella zoster virus: impact on vaccine strategy.	to study changes in the seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus (vzv) antibody over the past 25 years with a view to determining the target age group for any future vaccination strategy.	2002	11865016
the age pattern of mortality in the 1918-19 influenza pandemic: an attempted explanation based on data for england and wales.		2002	11877981
the workshop as an effective method of dissemination: the importance of the needs of the individual.	the workshop is one of a number of strategies that can be used to disseminate information. this study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop as a method of disseminating information which had as its aim the introduction of new practices. a series of workshops, attended by g and h grade nurses, were carried out in a large teaching hospital in england. the information which was disseminated concerned recruitment and retention activities for nurses which had been proposed in recent g ...	2002	11906600
howard florey, alexander fleming and the fairy tale of penicillin.	the public myth of the discovery of penicillin is an archetypal "quest story" of the type common to every human culture. but the real story of the discovery, testing and refinement of penicillin is a complex tale of accident, serendipity, oversight, conflict, the pressure of war, idiosyncratic personalities and even--the invention of history.	2002	11913920
the dental caries experience of 12-year-old children in england and wales. surveys coordinated by the british association for the study of community dentistry in 2000/2001.	this paper reports the results of standardised clinical caries examinations of 106,694 twelve-year-old children from england, wales, the isle of man and jersey. these 2000/01 coordinated surveys are the latest in a series which seek to monitor the dental health of children and to assess the delivery of dental services.	2002	11922413
structural biology and biochemistry. retrospective: max perutz (1914-2002).		2002	11923516
pilot study of 360 degrees assessment of personal skills to inform record of in training assessments for senior house officers.	the assessment of a trainee doctor's human skills, including teamworking, communication and maintaining trust, is difficult but necessary to confirm competence and to alert trainees and trainers of potential problems before they become intractable. this study used 360 degrees team observation reports for this purpose. the process was easy to administer and valued by trainees.	2002	11933823
infrared spectroscopy of the mineralogy of coprolites from brean down: evidence of past human activities and animal husbandry.	the mineralogy of 11 concretions from the bronze age settlement horizons at brean down near weston-super-mare, somerset, uk, has been examined by infrared spectroscopy. the concretions are found to contain calcite and apatite and, in some cases, quartz. four further concretions from the later iron age meare village, soil samples from brean down and mineralised samples of known faecal origin from a cesspit within the tudor merchant's house in tenby have been similarly examined. it is found that a ...	2002	11942402
the implications of the human rights act 1998 for the removal and detention of persons in need of care and attention.	the human rights act 1998 ('hra 1998') requires public authorities to act compatibly with the european convention on human rights ('echr'). the echr contains rights, inter alia, to liberty and to respect for private life. those rights--and, therefore, the hra 1998--may be breached by provisions in the national assistance act 1948 and the national assistance (amendment) act 1951 that enable persons in need of care and attention to be removed compulsorily to hospital. however, legal proceedings br ...	2002	11961681
james blundell: the first transfusion of human blood.		2002	11886727