Brian Theodore Wicks.

As a vet working in mixed practice, he relished the camaraderie of working with colleagues, farmers and clients, and developed a special interest in cattle fertility. He was considered to be a ray of sunshine.

Alcoholics Anonymous in Ireland: AA's first European experience.

Aims: To trace the evolution of Alcoholics Anonymous in Ireland from its establishment there in 1946, focusing on the efforts of early members to publicize the fellowship and negotiate a role for themselves in relation to existing religious and healthcare institutions.

Methods: Archival research, drawing mainly on primary sources in AA archives in New York and Dublin.

Results: Anticipated tensions between this fellowship, which had its roots in Evangelical Protestantism, and the politically powerful Roman Catholic Church in Ireland were skillfully avoided; initial hostility from the medical profession quickly dissipated; and AA distanced itself from policy debate on the wider topic of alcoholism as disease.

Frequency, viral loads, and serotype identification of enterovirus infections in Scottish blood donors.

Background: Enteroviruses are non-enveloped, frequently pathogenic RNA viruses infecting humans. Infection is potentially transmissible through blood or blood component transfusion from donor in the viremic phase before seroconversion for antibody. To investigate the threat to blood safety from enteroviruses, a large-scale survey of frequency and levels of viremia in blood donors was conducted.