Health-care providers' views of menopause and its management: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore Australian health-care providers' knowledge of menopause and its consequences, and their views about menopause-related health care. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study of Australian general practitioners (GPs), gynecologists (GYs) and pharmacists (PHs). Recruitment was ultimately achieved through professional networks and cold calling. RESULTS: There were equal numbers of GPs, GYs and PHs, and equal numbers of males and females in each group. All participants demonstrated sound understanding of menopause and its consequences. A strong theme was recognition of high usage of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) by women for menopausal symptoms. Most participants highlighted lack of efficacy evidence for most CAMs, but the majority of GPs and PHs considered CAMs to 'have a role'. Most supported menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) when symptoms impaired quality of life. Limitations to comprehensive care included knowledge gaps and lack of time. CONCLUSIONS: Australian health-care providers appeared knowledgeable about menopause, but uncertain about its management. MHT prescription appeared limited to women with severe symptoms despite lifestyle modification and a trial of CAMs. The upskilling of clinicians providing care for women at midlife, with respect to the indications for and prescribing of MHT, urgently needs to be addressed.

Comparing surface properties of melanoma cells using time of flight secondary ions mass spectrometry.

Various techniques have been already reported to differentiate between normal (non-malignant) and cancerous cells based on their physico-chemical properties. This is relatively simple when studied cancerous cells originate from distant stages of cancer progression. Here, studies on chemical properties of two closely related human melanoma cell lines are presented: WM115 melanoma cells were taken from the vertical growth phase while WM266-4 from the skin metastatic site of the same patient. Their chemical properties were studied by two techniques, namely time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectra (ToF SIMS) and photothermal microspectroscopy (PTMS), used to record mass and photothermal spectra of cells, respectively. In our approach, independently of the spectra type, its full range, i.e. masses and wavenumbers within the range 0-500 kDa and 500-4000 cm-1, underwent a similar methodology for principal component analysis (PCA). PCA outcome shows results groupped depending on the sample type (either WM115 or WM266-4 cells). The results are independent of the method applied to study chemical properties of melanoma cells, indicating that cancer-related changes are large enough to be identified with these techniques and to differentiate between cells originating from vertical growth phase and skin metastatis.

Self-assembled hexagonal ordering of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO(2) nanodots.

Highly dense hexagonally ordered two-dimensional arrays of Si nanocrystals embedded in SiO(2) nanodots were fabricated on a silicon substrate by using a self-assembled porous anodic alumina thin film as a masking layer through which electrochemical oxidation of the Si substrate and ultralow energy Si implantation took place. After removal of the alumina film and high temperature annealing of the samples, hexagonally ordered Si nanocrystals embedded within SiO(2) nanodots were obtained, having sizes in the few tens of nanometer range. The fabricated ordered structures show significant potential for applications either in basic physics experiments or as building blocks for nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices.

The development of microthermal analysis and photothermal microspectroscopy as novel approaches to drug-excipient compatibility studies.

The use of microthermal analysis as a novel means of assessing chemical incompatibility between drugs and excipients is assessed using magnesium stearate and acetylsalicylic acid as a model system. Localised thermomechanical analysis (L-TMA), localised differential thermal analysis (L-DTA), nanosampling, thermally assisted particle manipulation (TAPM) and photothermal microspectrometry (PTMS) are developed as a means of allowing extremely small quantities of drug and excipient to be heated in close proximity to each other. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), hot stage microscopy (HSM) and temperature controlled attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) FTIR were used as supportive techniques. L-TMA and macroscopic TMA of magnesium stearate indicated that the endothermic DSC peak normally associated with melting does not correspond to significant liquefaction. An optimised method for detecting the interaction at a particulate level of scrutiny was developed whereby the drug is placed on the excipient surface via TAPM and the construct heated, allowing the interaction to be detected in both the L-TMA and L-DTA signal. PTMS allowed spectra to be obtained on nanogram-sized samples and also allowed the interaction to be detected. The study has therefore demonstrated the potential for using TAPM with PTMS for studying interactions at an individual particle level.

Progress in near-field photothermal infra-red microspectroscopy.

Near-field photothermal Fourier transform infra-red microspectroscopy, which utilizes atomic force microscopy (AFM)-type temperature sensors, is being developed with the aim of achieving a spatial resolution higher than the diffraction limit. Here we report on a new implementation of the technique. Sensitivity of the technique is assessed by recording infra-red spectra from small quantities of analytes and thin films. A photothermomechanical approach, which utilizes conventional AFM probes as temperature sensors, is also discussed based on preliminary results. Early indication suggests that the photothermal approach is more sensitive than the thermomechanical one.

Two new microscopical variants of thermomechanical modulation: scanning thermal expansion microscopy and dynamic localized thermomechanical analysis

We describe two ways in which thermomechanical modulation may be used in conjunction with scanning thermal microscopy, in order to distinguish between different components of an inhomogeneous sample. The sample is subjected to a modulated mechanical stress, and the heating is supplied locally by the probe itself. Scanning thermal expansion microscopy is an imaging mode, in which an imposed localized temperature modulation is used to generate thermal expansion, which in turn produces mechanical strain and gives thermal expansion contrast images. We present results using two types of active thermal probe. For polymer/resin samples, the depth of material contributing to the measured thermal expansion is typically a few micrometres. Under certain conditions we observe a reversal in contrast as the frequency of the temperature modulation is increased. In dynamic localized thermomechanical analysis, the modulated stress is applied directly, and accompanied by a localized temperature change, as used in other forms of localized thermal analysis. The resulting modulated lateral force signals are obtained. The glass transition of polystyrene is detected, and shows a significant variation with frequency. The amplitude or phase signal may be used to obtain image contrast for inhomogeneous samples.