The generation and interpretation of positional information within the vertebrate myotome

How somitic cells become restricted to the muscle fate has been investigated on a number of levels. Classical embryological manipulations have attempted to define the source of inductive signals that control the formation of the myotome. Recently, these studies have converged with others dissecting the role of secreted proteins in embryonic patterning to demonstrate a role for specific peptides in inducing individual cell types of the myotome. Collectively, these investigations have implicated the products of the Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh) and Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) gene families as key myogenic regulators; simultaneously controlling both the initiation of myogenesis and the fate of individual myoblasts.     

Even-weighted codes for error detection

For a binary symmetric channel, a code V with only evenweighted words performs better than a corresponding code V? with both odd- and even-weighted words, from the point of the probability of undetected errors. We derive an estimate of the improvement in the performance.     

Randomized trial of brief motivational treatments for pathological gamblers: More is not necessarily better.

The efficacy of brief treatments for media-recruited pathological gamblers was tested in a randomized clinical trial design (N = 314). Two self-directed motivational interventions were compared with a 6-week waiting list control and a workbook only control. Brief motivational treatment involved a telephone motivational interview and a mailed self-help workbook. Brief motivational booster treatment involved a telephone motivational interview, a workbook, and 6 booster telephone calls over a 9-month period. Primary outcomes were gambling frequency and dollar losses. As hypothesized, brief and brief booster treatment participants reported less gambling at 6 weeks than those assigned to the control groups. Brief and brief booster treatment participants gambled significantly less often over the first 6 months of the follow-up than workbook only participants. However, the workbook only participants were as likely to have significantly reduced their losses over the year and to have not met criteria for pathological gambling. Contrary to the hypothesis, participants in the brief booster treatment group showed no greater improvement than brief treatment participants. These results provide further support for the value of brief motivational treatments for pathological gambling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pitfalls in the management of preauricular sinuses

A total of 159 operations for the excision of a preauricular sinus carried out in 117 patients over an 8-year period were reviewed. Previous excision, the use of a probe to delineate the sinus and operating under local anaesthesia all increased the chance of recurrence. The condition recurred more often in patients who developed post-operative wound sepsis than in those who healed primarily. Means of decreasing the recurrence rate include: (1) meticulous dissection of the sinus by an experienced head and neck surgeon under general anaesthesia; (2) the use of an extended preauricular incision; (3) clearance down to the temporalis fascia to ensure complete removal of all epithelial components; (4) avoidance of sinus rupture; and (5) closure of wound dead space.     

Fabrication and characterization of a linear mode confinementmodulator on GaAs

An electrooptic modulator based on GaAs is proposed. The configuration as well as the operating principle yield high packing density and insensitivity to the material variation. One configuration has been fabricated and characterized. Its linear modulation characteristic has been measured, and a modulation depth of more than 70% has been obtained with a device length of only 1.5 mm. Several improvements are proposed to reduce the driving voltage and the excess losses. For example, a modified electrode structure can improve the beam shaping in the connecting guide and thus increase the transmission when the device is in the `on' state     

Implementation of a community pharmacy-based influenza vaccination program

OBJECTIVE: To increase accessibility of influenza vaccine in a rural community by establishing a community pharmacy-based influenza vaccination program. SETTING: An independent pharmacy in a rural eastern Iowa community of 5,000 people. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Protocols for identification and screening of patients, administration of vaccine, and treatment of emergencies were developed by the pharmacist and approved by the county health department medical director. Administration of vaccine began October 15, 1996, and was completed on December 6, 1996. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Patients were prospectively and retrospectively identified to receive the vaccination. Informed consent was obtained. Vaccine was administered by the pharmacist after screening for contraindications and counseling the patient. Weekly vaccination records were forwarded to the collaborating physician to update patient charts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: To determine whether accessibility of influenza vaccine in the community was increased through pharmacist administration, the proportion of patients immunized in the pharmacy who were not vaccinated the previous year was determined. RESULTS: The pharmacist administered 343 doses of vaccine. Two-thirds of the immunized patients (67.9%) reported also being immunized the previous year. These patients were generally older (65 years of age +/- 13) than the previously nonimmunized patients (54 years of age +/- 16). However, 60.8% of the patients not immunized the previous year reported either they would not have gone elsewhere for the immunization (45.3%), or were unsure (25.5%). CONCLUSION: The data collected suggest that pharmacist administration of influenza vaccination in a rural community pharmacy increases access and, possibly, immunization rates. This may be especially true among high-risk younger adults who are often overlooked and would not normally have received the immunization.     

Paradoxical effects of institutionalisation on the strategic awareness of technology in organisations

Much of the IS literature focuses on the positive impacts of the institutionalisation of IT in business routines; that is it assumes that it is good for IT to become embedded within an organisation. In this paper, however, we explore the ‘dark side’ of such institutionalisation, demonstrating how a technology once institutionalised can become invisible to management so that its strategic potential is under-exploited while at the same time business risks associated with the IT are ignored. We demonstrate this through an in-depth longitudinal case study which follows the development of an intranet in a bank in the UK over a period of 5 years. By following changes to the management of the intranet and its continuous embedding in work practices, the paper identifies six characteristics of institutionalised systems and highlights five risks for a business. The paper contributes to the literature in IS by exploring the impact for businesses from the apparent paradox between institutionalisation and awareness of the strategic value of technology in organisations.