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Surveys of the public's and general practitioners' knowledge of colorectal cancer, and their views on screening for the disease, were conducted. There were gaps in knowledge in both groups. Most general practitioners were not in favour of screening by means of faecal occult blood testing (haemoccult). Nearly 18,000 men and women aged between 40 and 70 years, registered with 41 general practitioners, took part in a randomised trial of compliance with screening for colorectal cancer using haemoccult. There was a significant (p < 0.001) difference in compliance between the three methods of invitation which were studied. Compliance was highest (57%) in the group who were offered the test by their general practitioner during a routine consultation, compared with sending a letter and test (38%) or sending a letter with an appointment to attend the surgery (49%). Giving half each group an educational booklet about bowel diseases and screening had no effect on compliance. Compliance was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the older (55-70) age group, in women, in households in which two or more people were offered screening, and in one of the two study areas. A sample of those who had been offered the haemoccult test, and half of the one per cent of positive cases, were followed up. The majority of respondents, who had received a letter of invitation from their general practitioner, had not been upset or offended. The majority of the positive cases interviewed were pleased they had done the test, but some criticisms were expressed of their hospital management.

Traditionally, timber-frame connections use hardwood pegs to hold the main member within the joint. Currently the end and edge distance criteria for these connections have either been established by tradition or by an equivalent steel bolt diameter approximation. The object of this research is to determine a more specific method to establish the end and edge distances for wood pegs in wood connections. This investigation entails two separate tests that were developed from the standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing methods for steel bolds in wood members. End and edge distance tests were performed on ¾ inch and 1 inch diameter Red Oak and White Oak pegs. The test method simulated a tenon joint. Main member species tested were Southern Pine and Douglas Fir. These combinations of material thus generated eight sets of data depicting behavior at various edge and end distances. Analysis of these test data resulted in recommending the following end and edge distances in order to develop the full shear strength of the peg. For 1 inch diameter pegs, the recommended edge distance is approximately 2.6 diameters from the edge. For 1 inch diameter pegs loaded in the end direction, the recommended end distance is approximately 2.8 diameters from the end. For ¾ inch diameter pegs, the recommended edge distance is approximately 3 diameters and the recommended end distance is approximately 2.5 diameters.