Inadequate career advice for students.
Abstract Students would benefit from advice on the wide scope of career opportunities available within the pharmaceutical industry
A survey of the content of BSc courses in pharmacology in UK universities--is it time for a core curriculum?
The 18 UK universities offering three--of four--year BSc pharmacology courses were surveyed by questionnaire to determine course content, laboratory-practical content and project or dissertation requirements. In this article David Dewhurst and Clive Page provide an overview of the study, which highlighted the fact that there is no core curriculum. There was considerable variation in course content [only a limited number of common topics were taught in depth (> 15 h timetabled time)] and the time spent doing 'wet' laboratory practicals varied considerably (range 0-145 h). A research project in the final year was the norm (although the time allocation varied considerably), but some universities used a library-based dissertation as an alternative.
Silica in Soils1
Publisher Summary Silica in free and combined forms is a dominant component of the solid material of many soils, and dissolved silica is commonly a major solute of soil solutions. Breakdown of primary silicates, translocation of silica in solution, and deposition of secondary silica-containing substances are involved in the development of soils. Ions essential for the growth of plants are released to the soil solution as silicates weather, and these ions may be held against leaching at exchange sites on other silicates. Silica is absorbed in appreciable quantities by some plants and is returned to the surface of the soil as the plants decay. The nature and transformations of silica and silicates in soil are, thus, fundamental to an understanding of many aspects of soil and plant sciences.