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Aims To estimate the short-term effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of a smoking cessation intervention (the i Quit system) that consists of tailored printed and Short Message Service ( SMS) text message self-help delivered as an adjunct to cessation support in primary care to inform the design of a definitive trial. Design A stratified two parallel-group randomized controlled trial comparing usual care (control) with usual care plus the i Quit system (intervention), delivered by primary care nurses/healthcare assistants who were blinded to the allocation sequence. Setting Thirty-two general practice ( GP) surgeries in England, UK. Participants A total of 602 smokers initiating smoking cessation support from their local GP surgery were randomized (control n = 303, intervention n = 299). Measurements Primary outcome was self-reported 2-week point prevalence abstinence at 8 weeks follow-up. Secondary smoking outcomes and feasibility and acceptability measures were collected at 4 weeks after quit date, 8 weeks and 6 months follow-up. Findings There were no significant between-group differences in the primary outcome [control 40.3%, i Quit 45.2%; odds ratio ( OR) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 0.88-1.69] or in secondary short-term smoking outcomes. Six-month prolonged abstinence was significantly higher in the i Quit arm (control 8.9%, i Quit 15.1%; OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.09-3.01). i Quit support took on average 7.7 minutes (standard deviation = 4.0) to deliver and 18.9% (95% CI = 14.8-23.7%) of intervention participants discontinued the text message support during the programme. Conclusions Tailored printed and text message self-help delivered alongside routine smoking cessation support in primary care does not significantly increase short-term abstinence, but may increase long-term abstinence and demonstrated feasibility and acceptability compared with routine cessation support alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third meeting of the European Social Forum (ESF) was held in London during October 2004 with a broad ranging formal agenda and a penumbra of affiliated workshops and cultural activities. We draw on participant observation in all sessions dealing with science and genomics and offer an evaluation of Rothman's (2000) argument that NGOs and protest movements have a vital role to play in consolidating and disseminating the UN Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights. The paper positions the ESF as a constituent part of the World Social Forum network, identifies the key ESF networks and actors concerned with science and genomics, and analyses the various action, grievance and mobilisation frames generated within the 2004 ESF. It concludes with a discussion of the potential of this networked movement milieu to realise the goals identified in Rothman's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our purpose was to investigate iron status parameters in preeclampsia with a view to exploring their possible contribution to the etiology.Study Design: In prepared serum samples from 40 preeclamptic women and matched pregnant control subjects at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, a number of iron status parameters were measured. Statistical analysis was by the Wilcoxon signed rank test and linear regression.Results: Serum iron concentration, ferritin, and percent saturation of transferrin were significantly higher in the preeclamptic patients than in control subjects, whereas unsaturated iron-binding capacity and apotransferrin levels were significantly lower. No difference was found in hemopexin concentrations in the two groups. Gestational age at the time of sampling was correlated (positively) with only two parameters, total and unsaturated iron-binding capacity, but only in the preeclampsia group. Eighteen percent of preeclamptic subjects had percent transferrin saturation levels in the region associated with iron overload.Conclusion: Released iron species in preeclampsia may contribute to the etiology and will exacerbate lipid peroxidation and endothelial cell injury. Given the high prevalence of heterozygosity for hemochromatosis with the associated reduced ability to exclude ingested iron, it would seem inadvisable, in the absence of evidence of iron deficiency, to give iron supplements to pregnant women at high risk for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the impact of economic crisis on health care finance in England. He comments that the economic meltdown is not caused by excessive greed and that health care systems are not melting down. He notes that it is necessary for people to recognize the danger involved in the economic crisis where there is high possibility for sabotage of publicly financed health care systems for personal gain.

Describes an epitaph appearing on the last end page of the Shakespeare Folio no. 26 in the collection of the Folger Library. Writing of the epitaph around 1625; Authentication of the epitaph; Evidence for the extremely high regard in which William Shakespeare was held by many of his contemporaries; Possibility that the epitaph's author may have been recalling the last two lines of Shakespeare's own Sonnet 55.

Aims: To estimate the short-term effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of a smoking cessation intervention (the iQuit system) that consists of tailored printed and Short Message Service (SMS) text message self-help delivered as an adjunct to cessation support in primary care to inform the design of a definitive trial., Design: A stratified two parallel-group randomized controlled trial comparing usual care (control) with usual care plus the iQuit system (intervention), delivered by primary care nurses/healthcare assistants who were blinded to the allocation sequence., Setting: Thirty-two general practice (GP) surgeries in England, UK., Participants: A total of 602 smokers initiating smoking cessation support from their local GP surgery were randomized (control n = 303, intervention n = 299)., Measurements: Primary outcome was self-reported 2-week point prevalence abstinence at 8 weeks follow-up. Secondary smoking outcomes and feasibility and acceptability measures were collected at 4 weeks after quit date, 8 weeks and 6 months follow-up., Findings: There were no significant between-group differences in the primary outcome [control 40.3%, iQuit 45.2%; odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.88-1.69] or in secondary short-term smoking outcomes. Six-month prolonged abstinence was significantly higher in the iQuit arm (control 8.9%, iQuit 15.1%; OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.09-3.01). iQuit support took on average 7.7 minutes (standard deviation = 4.0) to deliver and 18.9% (95% CI = 14.8-23.7%) of intervention participants discontinued the text message support during the programme., Conclusions: Tailored printed and text message self-help delivered alongside routine smoking cessation support in primary care does not significantly increase short-term abstinence, but may increase long-term abstinence and demonstrated feasibility and acceptability compared with routine cessation support alone., (© 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

The need for policy makers to understand science and for scientists to understand policy processes is widely recognised. However, the science-policy relationship is sometimes difficult and occasionally dysfunctional; it is also increasingly visible, because it must deal with contentious issues, or itself becomes a matter of public controversy, or both. We suggest that identifying key unanswered questions on the relationship between science and policy will catalyse and focus research in this field. To identify these questions, a collaborative procedure was employed with 52 participants selected to cover a wide range of experience in both science and policy, including people from government, non-governmental organisations, academia and industry. These participants consulted with colleagues and submitted 239 questions. An initial round of voting was followed by a workshop in which 40 of the most important questions were identified by further discussion and voting. The resulting list includes questions about the effectiveness of science-based decision-making structures; the nature and legitimacy of expertise; the consequences of changes such as increasing transparency; choices among different sources of evidence; the implications of new means of characterising and representing uncertainties; and ways in which policy and political processes affect what counts as authoritative evidence. We expect this exercise to identify important theoretical questions and to help improve the mutual understanding and effectiveness of those working at the interface of science and policy.