Spousal homicide perpetrators are much more likely to be men than women. Accordingly, little research has focused on delineating characteristics of women who have committed spousal homicide. A retrospective clinical review of coroners' files containing all cases of spousal homicide occurring in Quebec over a 20-year period was carried out. ...

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is a cool-season vegetable normally classified as a biennial species, requiring vernalization to induce flowering. Nevertheless, some cultivars adapted to warmer climates require less vernalization and can be classified as annual. Most modern carrot cultivars are hybrids which rely upon cytoplasmic male-sterility for commercial production. One ...

BACKGROUND: The 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) cancer staging manual incorporates tumor grade and location for staging pT2-3N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with pT3N0M0, classified as stage IIa according to the 6th edition of the AJCC cancer staging manual, can now be classified as ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) ion channel TRPA1 is a key player in pain pathways. Irritant chemicals activate ion channel TRPA1 via covalent modification of N-terminal cysteines. We and others have shown that 15-Deoxy-Delta12, 14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) similarly activates TRPA1 and causes channel-dependent nociception. Paradoxically, 15d-PGJ2 can also ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Negative psychological outcomes occur frequently after stroke; however, there is uncertainty regarding the occurrence of anxiety disorders and anxiety symptoms after stroke. A systematic review of observational studies was conducted that assessed the frequency of anxiety in stroke patients using a diagnostic or screening tool. SUMMARY OF ...

Much effort has been devoted to understanding the function of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) for ant-plant-herbivore interactions. However, the pattern of evolution of such structures throughout the history of plant lineages remains unexplored. In this study, we used empirical knowledge on plant defences mediated by ants as a theoretical framework to ...

Sequential monitoring of efficacy and safety data has become a vital component of modern clinical trials. It affords companies the opportunity to stop studies early in cases when it appears as if the primary objective will not be achieved or when there is clear evidence that the primary objective has ...

Irinotecan eluting embolization beads (DEBIRI) are currently being evaluated in the clinic for the treatment of colorectal cancer metastases to the liver. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and pharmacokinetics associated with two cycles of hepatic embolization using DEBIRI followed by intravenous administration of irinotecan. Pigs ...

Inheritance of nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSR) has been proved to be a powerful tool to verify or uncover the parentage of grapevine cultivars. The aim of the present study was to undertake an extended parentage analysis using a large sample of Vitis vinifera cultivars held in the INRA "Domaine de ...

We evaluated the potential of apple to reduce inflammation. Phenolic compounds and triterpenes were analysed in 109 apple cultivars. Total phenolics ranged from 29 to 7882 µg g-1 of fresh weight (FW) in the flesh and from 733 to 4868 µg g-1 FW in the skin, with fla-vanols including epicatechin ...

A simple 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (receptor ) serves as a selective chemosensor for Al(3+) based on chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF). The receptor exhibited a high association constant with micromolar detection for Al(3+) in EtOH-H(2)O solution.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a major ailment that motivates individuals to look for treatment. Despite its enormous clinical relevance, very little is known about the factors that influence our preference of an analgesic (or pain-relieving treatment). The current study investigated the influence of the information regarding the probability and the magnitude ...

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare self-estimates of the physical, psychological, and general well-being of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their next of kin with the assessment of the nurses and physician of these participants. Method: The well-being of 35 pairs of patients and their ...

Exposure to aluminum at work is widespread, and people are exposed to several species of aluminum, which differ markedly as to the kinetics and toxicity. Especially welding of aluminum is widely applied and continuously expanding. Inhalation of fine particles of sparsely soluble aluminum results in the retention of deposited particles ...

The development of new drugs using stem cells has become a clinic alternative for the treatment of different diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and myocardial infarction. Similar to conventional medicines, stem cells as new medicinal products for cell therapy are subjected to current legislation concerning their manufacture process. Besides, their ...

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the colon-targeted Irinotecan Hydrochloride (ITC-HCl) loaded microspheres by pharmacokinetic and biochemical studies. The microspheres were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation method with natural polymer Assam Bora rice starch. The microspheres were characterized for their micromeritics properties, incorporation efficiency, in vitro and ...

PURPOSE: A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with primary localised osteosarcoma. METHODS: Serum VEGF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in blood samples collected prechemotherapy, postchemotherapy, and postsurgery in 40 ...

Corneal ulcer is a devastating corneal disease which is potentially sight-threatening and conventionally is treated by topical antibiotics and in some cases with more invasive procedures such as keratoplasty. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking in resistant corneal ulcers. Ten patients with ...

PURPOSE: Recently, a single-stapled technique (SST) was performed instead of the conventional double-stapled technique (DST) in laparoscopic low anterior resection for anastomosis, by placement of intracorporeal purse-string sutures on the distal rectum with transanal specimen extraction. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes between the two anastomotic techniques. METHODS: ...

A 76-year-old male was referred for the treatment of liver tumors detected by abdominal computed tomography (CT). Dynamic CT revealed a low-density tumor with an irregularly enhanced rim in the left lateral sector, and a highly enhanced, well-circumscribed tumor in the caudate lobe, accompanied by dilation of the intrahepatic biliary ...

Recovery from mental illness is a complex journey that is greatly facilitated when client and professional helper collaborate in the decision making process. It is further aided when the latter has an empathetic awareness of the client's experience, especially with regard to the impact of pharmacological treatment. The following article ...

An important proportion of transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke is attributable to moderate or severe (50-99%) atherosclerotic carotid stenosis or occlusion. Platelet biomarkers have the potential to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of vascular events in this patient population. A detailed systematic review was performed to collate all ...

The term "ictal epileptic headache" has been recently proposed to classify the clinical picture in which headache is the isolated ictal symptom of a seizure. There is emerging evidence from both basic and clinical neurosciences that cortical spreading depression and an epileptic focus may facilitate each other, although with a ...

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a treatment option for patients with poor-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Sequential use of chemotherapy and reduced-intensity conditioning has been proposed to improve the treatment outcomes. Fludarabine (30 mg/m(2)/day) and cytarabine (2 g/m(2)/day) for 4 days (combination of fludarabine with cytarabine; FAraC) were used for cytoreduction. After ...

Targeted therapies using the anti-EGFR antibodies panitumumab (Pmab) or cetuximab (Cmab) are currently restricted to patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma whose tumours do not show a mutation in KRAS. However, recent retrospective studies indicated that patients with tumours mutated in codon 13 of KRAS may benefit from treatment with Cmab ...

The three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs (anti-TNFs) for Crohn's disease (CD) have not been directly compared. To compare the efficacy of the three anti-TNFs for CD in clinical practice. Retrospective review of patients initiated on anti-TNF between 2004 and 2008. Disease activity, quality of life, ...

Summary This article documents understandings and responses to mass drug administration (MDA) for the treatment and prevention of lymphatic filariasis among adults and children in northern coastal Tanzania from 2004 to 2011. Assessment of village-level distribution registers, combined with self-reported drug uptake surveys of adults, participant observation and interviews, revealed ...

Pre-clinical data suggest that combining imatinib with traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy may improve imatinib efficacy. We conducted a Phase I study of imatinib in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Patients were accrued to the study in a standard 3 + 3 design. Patients were restaged ...

A new and efficient method to produce a large quantity of high-quality and non-oxidized graphene flakes from powdered natural graphite by using a high-intensity cavitation field in a pressurized ultrasonic reactor is demonstrated. TEM and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed the ordered graphite crystal structure of graphene. Atomic force microscopy ...

Ascorbic acid (AA) is required for normal human health and development. Human intestine expresses two sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (hSVCT-1 and -2) that mediate cellular AA transport, with hSVCT1 targeting to the apical membrane of polarized epithelia. Studies have shown a role for the Rab8a in the apical membrane targeting ...

The somatodendritic release of dopamine within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta activates inhibitory postsynaptic D2-receptors on dopaminergic neurons. The proposed mechanisms that regulate this form of transmission differ between electrochemical studies using rats and guinea pigs and electrophysiological studies using mice. This study examines the ...

We report the genetic map location of 14 genes involved in the inflammatory response to salmonid bacterial and viral pathogens, which brings the total number of immune genes mapped in rainbow trout (RT, Oncorhynchus mykiss) to 61. These genes were mapped as candidate genes that may be involved in resistance ...

Hypertension (HTN) causes concentric left ventricular remodeling, defined as an increased relative wall thickness or overt left ventricular hypertrophy, and associated diastolic dysfunction. HTN and concentric remodeling are also common precursors to heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction. It is not known whether the myofilament contributes to diastolic dysfunction ...

Early drug discovery laboratories often call for the precise weighing of 1- to 5-mg solids into 4- to 5-g glass vials. For the balance used in this study (Mettler Toledo XP205), the manufacturer rates its accuracy at ±0.01 mg over the working range of 1 mg to 220 g and ...

AIMS: To compare the pharmacodynamic properties of insulin detemir (detemir) and neutral protamine lispro insulin (NPL) using a euglycaemic glucose clamp. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a double-blind, crossover study, thirty patients with C-peptide negative type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to a single dose (0.4 U/kg) of detemir and NPL. ...

We report a case with a very rare complication of transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Rupture of the NovaFlex balloon (Edwards transfemoral balloon catheter) occurred during the inflation of the Edwards SAPIEN valve, resulting in dissection of the right common and external iliac arteries during withdrawal of the balloon catheter. The ...

AIMS: To evaluate the interaction between yeasts and bacteria and associate their metabolic activity with secondary cucumber fermentation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Selected yeast and bacteria, isolated from cucumber secondary fermentations, were inoculated as single and mixed cultures in a cucumber juice model system. Our results confirmed that during storage of ...

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), interacting with its receptor (FSHR), participates in the production of spermatozoa and androgens. Androgens exert their effects on male sex determination, development and sperm production by binding to androgen receptor (AR). In the present study, we sought to explore the potential synergistic effects of FSHR and AR ...

Factor IXa (FIXa) is a vitamin K-dependent coagulation serine protease which binds to factor VIIIa (FVIIIa) on negatively charged phospholipid vesicles (PCPS) to catalyse the activation of factor X (FX) to factor Xa (FXa) in the intrinsic pathway. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies have indicated that the Gla-domain-dependent interaction ...

Graph-theoretic matrix representations constitute the most popular and significant source of topological molecular descriptors (MDs). Recently, we have introduced a novel matrix representation, named the duplex relations frequency matrix, F, derived from the generalization of an incidence matrix whose row entries are connected subgraphs of a given molecular graph G. ...

The article accepted for publication in Indoor Air suggesting an association between polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring and uptake of phthalates in infants (Carlstedt et al. accepted May 7, 2012) furthers a disturbing trend of advocacy masquerading as science. What makes this article of particular concern is the significant amount of ...

The editors asked the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, to describe their health care platforms and their visions for the future of American health care. Their statements follow. From the moment I took office, the central challenge we have confronted as ...

Endocannabinoid signaling has been shown to mediate synaptic plasticity by retrogradely inhibiting presynaptic transmitter release in several systems. We found that endocannabinoids act tonically to regulate AMPA miniature postsynaptic current (mPSC) frequency in embryonic motor circuits of the chick spinal cord. Further, strong postsynaptic depolarizations also induced a short-lived endocannabinoid-mediated ...

The interaction of BeX(2) (X = H, F) with water molecules has been analyzed at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. The formation of strong beryllium bonds between water molecules and the BeX(2) derivative triggers significant electron density redistribution within the whole system, resulting in significant changes in the proton donor ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare prevalence of problems with body weight, eating and exercise (past or present) of female psychiatric inpatients with routine care, gynaecological and obstetric female outpatients, and eating disorder inpatients. METHOD: One thousand and thirty-eight females aged 18-55 years from routine care (n=99), gynaecological (n=263) and obstetric (n=271) outpatient ...

The ring-shift isomerization of sym-octahydrophenanthrene (sym-OHP) to sym-octahydroanthracene (sym-OHA) catalyzed by acidic zeolites (Mordenite (MOR) and Faujasite (FAU)) was investigated by the ONIOM(DFT:UFF) and DFT approaches. A "five-membered ring" mechanism through carbocation rearrangement via 1-2 migration was proved to be kinetically favored over a "six-membered ring" mechanism through Friedel-Crafts reactions. ...

Reversible covalent chemistry (RCC) adds another dimension to commonly used sample preparation techniques like solid-phase extraction (SPE), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) or immuno-affinity cleanup (IAC): chemical selectivity. By selecting analytes according to their covalent reactivity, sample complexity can be reduced significantly, resulting in enhanced analytical performance for ...

Abstract If we eventually discover extraterrestrial life, do we have any moral obligations for how to treat the life-forms we find; does it matter whether they are intelligent, sentient, or just microbial-and does it matter that they are extraterrestrial? In this paper, I examine these questions by looking at two ...

Sex-ratio adjustments are commonly observed in haplodiploid species. However, the underlying proximate mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated these mechanisms in Tetranychus urticae, a haplodiploid spider mite known to adjust sex ratio in response to the level of local mate competition (LMC). In this species, egg size determines fertilization probability, with ...

Gene therapy is a field which offers hope and promise for treatment of diseases and traumas both of a genetic nature and otherwise. However, progress towards the clinic has been delayed due to concerns over the safety of viral vectors and the efficacy of safer non-viral systems, which have low ...