A three-dimensional animation of the classical pathway of the complement cascade

This paper describes the creation of a three-dimensional animation showing the classical pathway of the complement cascade, made in Studio Strata Pro Blitz (v1.75+) on the Macintosh computer. An analysis of two dimensional depictions of the process from the chapters of current textbooks of immunology revealed inconsistencies; animation was used to demonstrate how these difficulties can be overcome.     

Assessing the risks of pesticide residues to consumers: recent and future developments

Assessing exposure of consumers to pesticide residues is an area of regulatory science that has rapidly developed over the last decade. From simplistic, deterministic models calculating lifetime exposure for adults only, assessment procedures have diversified so that more realistic estimates of long term exposures for adults, schoolchildren, toddlers and infants and short term exposures for adults and toddlers (who generally bound the more extreme consumer patterns) are now carried out. The final assessment of risk still remains a simplistic numeric comparison against hazard assessment based on a wide range of toxicity studies incorporating the appropriate safety or uncertainty factors. As development of risk assessments continues, the use of probabilistic models is becoming an invaluable information tool for quantitative risk management and aiding assessment of cumulative exposure. This paper examines the recent developments in risk assessment and consumer perception of the risks of pesticide residues, and speculates where the future developments in these areas may lie.     

Development of a hypermedia program designed to assist patients with localized prostate cancer in making treatment decisions

The Prostate Centre, a hypermedia program integrating CD-ROM and Internet technology, was developed to help patients with localized prostate cancer access detailed and current information about available treatment options. Personal interviews with ten patients confirmed the need for more specific information examining the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, as well as the suitability of computers for conveying this information. Sample screen designs effectively determined patients' visual preferences and were a useful springboard for conversation about a number of other relevant topics. Pilot testing of the resulting prototype elicited a positive response about the program from this sample audience. Patients regarded the program as useful, relevant to their needs, and navigable. Although the small sample size limited the study's generalizability, the method of involving patients in the design process successfully guided the program's development toward a greater fit with the users' needs.     

Organochlorine pesticide residues in breastmilk: difficulties in sample collection and in assessing intakes

Organochlorine pesticides are highly lipophilic and stable resulting both in their persistence in the environment and their tendency to pass up the food chain. Residues of these compounds are detectable in breastmilk and have been monitored since the 1950s. Samples can be collected using non-invasive techniques and the results are frequently used to assess degradation in the environment as well as risks to recipient infants. As a food, breastmilk is unique. It is manufactured entirely for an individual consumer with some of its constituents driven by its recipient. It can form the sole source of nutrition for a considerable period of an infant's life. Standard calculations of exposure to residues rely on consumption of 750-850ml breastmilk day^-1 containing 3.5% fat for a 5-kg infant. The fat content of breastmilk, however, is highly variable, which means that that using fixed breastmilk volumes and fat can lead to an imprecise calculation of individual risk. The fat concentration of breastmilk changes throughout a single feed, between feeds and as lactation progresses. This variation therefore raises the methodological problem of how to secure a representative sample of breastmilk. Furthermore, maternal factors such as age and parity also affect concentrations because of the persistence of organochlorine pesticide residues in maternal fat stores. It is therefore critical that samples are collected in a systematic manner taking account of these variables, particularly if the results not only are to be used for risk assessment, but also in comparing changes in environmental concentrations. Reviews of the literature have shown that these variables have often been disregarded in drawing up sampling strategies and methodologies are poorly reported in publications. The paper discusses the literature currently available on monitoring organochlorine pesticide residues in breastmilk and presents an overview of some of the factors that need to be taken into account when collecting samples and assessing infant exposure.     

Stakeholder Risk Assessment: An Outcome-Based Approach

Managing software projects can often degrade into fighting fires lit by the embers of unrecognized and unmanaged risks. Stakeholders are a recognized source of significant software project risk, but few researchers have focused on providing a practical method for identifying specific project stakeholders. Furthermore, no methods provide guidance in identifying and managing project risks arising from those stakeholders. We developed the outcome-based stakeholder risk assessment model to provide this practical guidance. OBSRAM offers the project team a step-by-step approach to identifying stakeholders during requirements engineering, identifying stakeholder influences on the project, identifying the project's impact on stakeholders, and assessing the risks that their potential negative responses pose. We illustrate OBSRAM using a case study of a simulated airline-crew-scheduling system project that aims to reduce aircraft ground turnaround time to 30 minutes or less     

Effect of a traditional and of a new nipple shield on sucking patterns and milk flow

The effect of a traditional (Mexican Hat) and of a new (Thin Latex) nipple shield on the sucking patterns and milk intake of 5-8-day-old babies was examined. Milk intake was determined accurately by test weighing using a Sartorius electronic balance with animal weighing keyboard, and sucking patterns by filming the mouth of the baby. The Mexican Hat reduced milk transfer by 58% (P is less than 0.01), and increased sucking rate (P is less than 0.05) and time spent resting (P is less than 0.01). The Thin Latex nipple shield reduced milk intake by a smaller amount (22%), and had no significant effect on sucking patterns.