Reparation or retribution: an investigation into regulatory compliance in planning

It is an axiom of good planning practice that procedure is informed by up-to-date research. Consequently, it is surprising to discover that there remains a dearth of specialised planning-enforcement literature relating to theory and implementation. In this paper an evaluation is given of the effectiveness of planning enforcement in Britain by reviewing existing legislative mechanisms and strategies employed by officials. Theoretical perspectives are drawn upon to suggest how the system might be improved through attention to the structural factors underpinning it.

Third Party Rights of Appeal in Planning: Reflecting on the Experience of the Republic of Ireland

The potential introduction of third party planning appeals in the UK as a result of the Human Rights Act 1998 has increased interest in those countries that have established third party appeal procedures. The closest of these is the Republic of Ireland, which has had a third party right of appeal since 1963. This paper describes the impact these appeals have had on planning in the Irish Republic by explaining the appeal process, describing past trends and providing background information on the parties that engage in third party appeals. An overall assessment of the Republic’s experience is given and the paper concludes with a few comparative remarks relating this to planning and rights discourse in the UK

Antisense Bcl-2 Oligonucleotide Uptake in Human Transitional Cell Carcinoma.

Objectives; Antisense oligonucleotides (AO) downregulate Bcl-2 protein expression in various tumours if good target cell uptake is achieved. In this study, uptake of FITC labelled AO (FITC-AO) directed at Bcl-2 was examined in; (1) the RT4 bladder tumour cell line (2) normal pig urothelium and (3) human superficial bladder tumours. Methods; In the RT4 cell line, uptake of FITC-AO, FITC-scrambled and FITC-sense oligonucleotides were quantified by flow cytometry at 4h intervals over 24h. Uptake of FITC-AO was assessed in normal pig urothelium by flow cytometry after FITC-AO was infused for 1h. Uptake of FITC AO was assessed in samples from 14 human superficial bladder tumours which were maintained in an ex vivo model. In samples from 6 tumours, uptake at 4h was assessed using fluorescence microscopy. In samples from 8 separate tumours uptake every 4h within the first 24h incubation period was assessed by flow cytometry. Results; In the RT4 cell line the FITC-AO, FITC-scrambled and FITC-sense oligonucleotide uptake was similar. Disaggregated cells from the normal urothelium of the three pigs exhibited 33%, 46%, 51% of cells staining positively for FITC-AO as determined by flow cytometry. All 6 tumour samples had detectable intracellular FITC-AO by fluorescence microscopy at 4h. In the 8 tumours ,examined over the 24h incubation period, there was a range of percentages of positively staining cells. However, most tumours had a monotonic increase in intracellular fluorescence intensity that plateaued 16h post infusion. Conclusion; Antisense Bcl-2 oligonucleotides were readily taken up by superficial bladder cancer cells but the heterogenous uptake in tumour samples needs to be considered when assessing the bioavailability of these drugs.

Non-invasive in vivo imaging in small animal research

Non-invasive real time in vivo molecular imaging in small animal models has become the essential bridge between in vitro data and their translation into clinical applications. The tremendous development and technological progress, such as tumour modelling, monitoring of tumour growth and detection of metastasis, has facilitated translational drug development. This has added to our knowledge on carcinogenesis. The modalities that are commonly used include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), bioluminescence imaging, fluorescence imaging and multi-modality imaging systems. The ability to obtain multiple images longitudinally provides reliable information whilst reducing animal numbers. As yet there is no one modality that is ideal for all experimental studies. This review outlines the instrumentation available together with corresponding applications reported in the literature with particular emphasis on cancer research. Advantages and limitations to current imaging technology are discussed and the issues concerning small animal care during imaging are highlighted.