Purpose This paper reports an evaluation of the usability and acceptability of a computer-based decision support program (EMPOWER TM ) for cardiovascular risk from the perspectives of both general practitioners (GPs) and consumers. Methods A qualitative research design utilised semi-structured telephone interviews to assess the program from participants' perspectives. Qualitative approaches included the use of purposeful sampling, the collection of open-ended data, and the analysis of text and personal interpretation of findings. The theoretical foundations for the methods chosen are explained. Results Consumers enjoyed being involved in the study and thought the program had benefits for encouraging confidence in seeking health care. Consumers reported feeling reassured about the processes followed during consultation. GPs found the application of the software program increased demands on their time but admired several features of the program, especially its educational advantages. Participants were of the opinion that the program would be of particular benefit to inexperienced GPs and newly diagnosed patients. Conclusion Computer decision support programs are becoming more prevalent, but little is known about their usability and acceptability to both health professionals and consumers. The complexities of cardiovascular risk assessment and management can be adequately managed with such programs. As a contemporary report this study contributes to the growing knowledge required for developers of medical software and decision support systems to better understand the needs of endusers.

This paper describes the use of one-step growth conditions to study the kinetics of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) replication in primary duck hepatocytes. Synchronized infection was achieved using partially purified DHBV virions at an m.o.i. of 640 DHBV DNA-containing virions per cell, and these conditions were shown to produce a single cycle of infection. In this model, input purified DHBV DNA was rapidly internalized by cells at 0n5 h, and localized to the nucleus by 4 h, but both covalently closed circular (CCC) DNA and single-stranded DNA were not detected until 48 h postinoculation (p.i.), suggesting that there was a 40 h delay between DHBV localization to the nucleus and formation of CCC DNA. In contrast, CCC DNA can be first detected in hepatocytes at 6 h p.i. in in vivo infection of ducks with the same DHBV strain. In an analysis of the nuclear transport of the DHBV genome, release of nuclear viral DNA from a particulate form to a soluble nucleoplasmic form was only 50 % complete by 48 h p.i. However, this process occurred simultaneously with genome uncoating since all soluble nucleoplasmic DHBV DNA was free of nucleocapsid material ; this suggests that nucleocapsid disassembly and genome uncoating may occur at the nuclear membrane and not within the nucleus. Quantitative analysis demonstrated inefficiency in a number of steps including virus uptake and internalization, translocation of nucleocapsid across the nuclear membrane and antigen expression from intranuclear viral DNA.

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