We appreciate the invaluable contributions of the following reviewers during the editing of Vol. 8 Nos. 1–2.

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the invaluable contributions of the following reviewers during the editing of Vol. 8 Nos. 1–2.     

Funding the NHS. Is the NHS sustainable?

The survival of the NHS lies largely in the hands of government, and this article suggests steps that it should take to deal with pressures on the NHS in terms of funding, managing efficiency, and demands. Changes to the system of funding may be unfeasible, but management could be improved by research to allow greater understanding of the local effects of national policies. Alternatively health authorities could be given more freedom to manage funds, although this would have to be accompanied by stiff sanctions for those who failed. Demand could be contained by strengthening policies to ensure that new technologies are cost effective. The government could try to reduce demands arising from increased expectations by encouraging informed public debate about priorities and influencing the availability of private health care. All these efforts should be guided by the values underpinning the NHS, which should be debated and decided collectively and confirmed in a new charter for NHS''s 50th anniversary in 1998.     

The ‘Embryonic moults’ of the milkweed bug as seen by the S.E.M.

Deposition, detachment and removal of the three embryonic cuticles are studied. The menbrane-like cuticle 1 covers the embryo during katatrepsis and ‘disappears’ thereafter. Cuticle 2 deposition starts shortly before dorsal closure. Its apolysis is accompanied by contractions of the embryo. Ecdysis of cuticle 2 takes place during hatching. Only cuticle 3 (= first larval cuticle) shows differentiations like sensilla and cornea. Peaks of ecdysteroid (and probably JH) titre are observed during apolysis of cuticle 1 and cuticle 2 (Dorn, 1981). Transition from ectoderm to epidermis proper takes place shortly before and during onset of cuticle 2 synthesis.     

A New Combination of the genus Zingiber—Z. ellipticum (S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia) Q. G. Wu et T. L. Wu and the Systematic Evidence

The distinct characters of the flower of Plagiostachys elliptica, S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia are: (1) each flower possesses two large lateral staminodes, which are adnate to the lip (labellum) to form a deeply 3 lobed labellum;(2) connective extends into a curved, beak like conspicuous appendage (anther crest) and envelops the upper part of style. In the Zingiberaceae, these characters are only present in the genus Zingiber.Furthermore, in Sect. Pleuranthesis of Zingiber the spike also arises from side of the leafy stem. Pollen grains of the species are with cerebelloid sculpture,that is the character of the Subtype Cerebelloid areolate in Zingiberaceae, and are similar to those sculpture and morphology of Sect. Zingiber of the genus Zingiber and differ from those of Plagiostachys, of which pollen grains are with longer spines and belong to the Group long spinate of Subtype spinate. The endotesta of seeds in this species is composed of one layer of brick shaped parenchymatous cells, which is similar to the parenchymatous endotesta of Zingiber seeds and obviously differs from that of seeds of Plagiostachys, which consists of one layer of sclereids. Therefore,Plagiostachys elliptica S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia should be transferred from Plagiostachys to the genus Zingiber, and a new combination——Zingiber ellipticum (S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia) Q. G. Wu et T. L. Wu is made in this paper.