Despite official reassurances to the contrary, fear spread that if cattle could contract mad cow disease from eating sheep parts, people could contract it from eating beef.

As a union chief, Ms. Johnson finds herself caught between trying to see to the morale of workers and debunking the sort of official reassurances that caught the Brentwood workers off guard.

He says unwillingness to accept official reassurances is attributable to public cynicism about the Bush administration's case for war in Iraq.

This conflicts with official reassurances, quoted in the newspapers, to the effect that there isn't the slightest danger to a single precious underground formation.

Despite official reassurances, several people described the ordeal of extremely thick smoke billowing through the neighborhood and said they remained worried about the health consequences.

Having no resources, she put her newborn son, named Lamont, into the same foster care system that had so disserved her, with official reassurance that he would be adopted soon.

Despite official reassurances, when the sub was brought back to its base there was widespread panic in the neighboring cities.

Despite official reassurances, the families residing in the batey, or mill village, nestled in the shadow of Aguacate's smokestacks are worried.

Other analysts, however, do not entirely accept official reassurances.

That ought to ease the minds of expectant mothers like Masuyama and Ishimori, but they - like many in Japan - are sceptical of official reassurances.