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Self-report measures of empathy and emotional intelligence have frequently revealed significant gender differences, with females typically scoring higher than males on these dimensions. In this study, we investigated whether, in line with a social identity approach, manipulating the gender normativity of empathy and emotional intelligence would ameliorate typically observed differences. Male and female participants (N = 330) were randomly assigned to read one of three narratives comprising fictitious neurological research evidence which claimed that males (Condition 1) or females (Condition 2) or neither males nor females (Condition 3) scored higher on measures of empathy and emotional intelligence. Results indicated that, in Conditions 2 and 3, females scored significantly higher than males on self-reported empathy. However, when information suggested that males were superior to females (Condition 1), no significant gender differences in self-reported empathy were observed. A similar pattern was found for emotional intelligence, however the predicted interaction effect failed to reach significance. The role of social context in determining gender differences in emotional functioning is discussed with particular reference to gender differences in motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have often revealed differences between the acknowledgment of same-sex attraction and rates of bisexual or homosexual identification. This study contends that social influences (including the perception that same-sex sexual attraction is not gender normative) as well as prejudice toward bisexual persons (biphobia), may help explain this discrepancy. In this study, the authors tested whether, in line with a social identity approach, manipulating social factors regarding the gender normativity of bisexuality influenced participants’ self-perceptions of their sexualities and expression of biphobia. Male and female participants (N = 416) were randomly assigned to read one of two narratives comprising fictitious neurological research evidence, which claimed that their own gender was more naturally bisexual than the other gender (Condition 1), whereas a control group (Condition 2) did not receive any information regarding the gender normativity of bisexuality. Results indicated that men endorsed significantly more same-sex attraction when bisexuality was presented as being more normative for their gender. Gender-normative information produced no significant difference in terms of men's sexual behavior and identity, or women's sexual attraction, behavior, and identity. Results also indicated no significant differences between conditions in biphobia toward bisexual persons of either gender. Irrespective of condition, male and female participants endorsed significantly more biphobia toward bisexual men than bisexual women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-developed synthetic chemistry of ruthenium, particularly with ammine, amine and imine ligands, provides for many approaches to innovative new metallopharmaceuticals. Advantages of utilizing ruthenium am(m)ine complexes in drug development include, (1) reliable preparations of stable complexes with predictable structures; (2) the ability to tune ligand affinities, electron transfer and substitution rates, and reduction potentials; and (3) an increasing knowledge of the biological effects of ruthenium complexes. Many Ru(II) and Ru(III) am(m)ine complexes selectively bind to imine sites in biomolecules. Collectively, these lend ruthenium complexes to redox-activation and photodynamic approaches to therapy as well as the development of radiopharmaceuticals containing one of several radionuclides of ruthenium. Ruthenium red and the related Ru360 strongly inhibit calcium ion uptake in the mitochondria. A number of ruthenium compounds with anticancer activity appear to penetrate tumors through a transferrin-mediated process and bind to cellular DNA following intracellular activation by reduction. Ruthenium complexes exhibit both nitric oxide release and scavenging functions that can affect vasodilation and synapse firing. Simple ruthenium complexes are unusually effective in suppressing the immune response by inhibiting T cell proliferation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The well-developed synthetic chemistry of ruthenium, particularly with ammine, amine and imine ligands, provides for many approaches to innovative new metallopharmaceuticals. Advantages of utilizing ruthenium am(m)ine complexes in drug development include, (1) reliable preparations of stable complexes with predictable structures; (2) the ability to tune ligand affinities, electron transfer and substitution rates, and reduction potentials; and (3) an increasing knowledge of the biological effects of ruthenium complexes. Many Ru(II) and Ru(III) am(m)ine complexes selectively bind to imine sites in biomolecules. Collectively, these lend ruthenium complexes to redox-activation and photodynamic approaches to therapy as well as the development of radiopharmaceuticals containing one of several radionuclides of ruthenium. Ruthenium red and the related Ru360 strongly inhibit calcium ion uptake in the mitochondria. A number of ruthenium compounds with anticancer activity appear to penetrate tumors through a transferrin-mediated process and bind to cellular DNA following intracellular activation by reduction. Ruthenium complexes exhibit both nitric oxide release and scavenging functions that can affect vasodilation and synapse firing. Simple ruthenium complexes are unusually effective in suppressing the immune response by inhibiting T cell proliferation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary. This report presents a historical and descriptive account of randomized trials in childhood leukaemia since the earliest such studies in the 1960s. It focuses on trials that began before 1988, making use of the register of trials developed for a systematic review of treatments for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children. The number of randomized trials starting each year increased from one or two in the 1960s to an annual average of five or six in the 1980s. However trials remained relatively small, with more than half of all randomizations accruing less than 200 patients and only five having more than 1000. Most trials were published more than once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which focused on the mechanistic approaches to chemotherapeutic anticancer drugs involving non-platinum metal ion complexes. Application of transition-metal antitumor agents in clinical tests; Impact of Gallium in clinical treatment of soft tissue tumors; Correlation between cytotoxicity and DNA; Conclusion.

Focuses on the obtainment of data from randomized controlled trials. Need for reliable and informative meta-analysis; Consideration of the meta-analysis of individual patients as a gold standard approach; Minimization of biases and random errors.

Describes the hierarchy of evidence needed to determine treatment efficacy from case reports. Information on case reports, case series, comparison with historical groups, randomized trials and systematic reviews; Hierarchy of evidence on ovarian ablation for breast cancer; Conclusions.

Editorial. Examines the discrepancies of meta-analyses using aggregate data from literature (MAL) and individual patient data (MAP). Key characteristics of MAPs; Importance of individual patient data; Precaution on the use of reviews.

Summary A case of uterine arteriovenous malformation following a dilatation and curettage is presented. Initial diagnosis with colour and pulsed Doppler ultrasound and treatment with transcatheter arterial embolization are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angioplasty and stenting emerged as the less invasive treatment options compared to open surgical revascularization for the management of patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). However, endovascular techniques may not achieve symptomatic relief in many patients with CMI. We report our results from the endovascular management of patients with CMI. Data were reviewed from 45 patients undergoing celiac and/or mesenteric angioplasty and stenting for CMI, from October 2006 to January 2016. Angioplasty and stenting of celiac and/or mesenteric arteries were successful in relieving symptoms completely in 29 of 45 and partially in 6 of 45 patients. Only 10 of 45 patients mentioned no improvement, while symptom recurrence occurred in another 3 of 45 patients between 3 and 36 months postprocedurally due to stent occlusion. Angioplasty and stenting of celiac and/or mesenteric arteries provide symptomatic relief in a considerable percentage of patients with CMI. If symptoms fail to improve, an open surgical revascularization procedure should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 27-year-old Filipino woman who complained of a three-day history of colicky right-sided abdominal pain. The use of computed tomography (CT) revealed that there is a large, right-sided ileo-colonic intussusception along her mid-transverse colon. She was prepared for laparoscopic surgery after knowing it was adult intussusception. Her case illustrated that rapid CT diagnosis followed by laparoscopic surgery is an effective care for cases of intussusception.

Using predesigned tetrahedral quadridentate linker tetrakis(4- pyridyloxymethylene)methane (TPOM) as the organic linker, tetrahedral P1 clusters ([Cd[sub8]S(SPh)[sub16]][sup2-]) and C1 clusters ([Cd[sub17]S[sub4](SPh)[sub28]][sup2-]) have been assembled into beltlike (MCOF-9) or chainlike (MCOF-1O) configurations, as determined by single- crystal X-ray diffraction. The onset of optical absorptions of MCOF-9 and MCOF-1O is around 400 and 420 nm, respectively. The thermal analysis shows that both materials are stable up to 250 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The series of nitrosyl complexes trans-[Ru(NH3)4L(NO)]Cl3, L=caffeine, theophylline, imidazole and benzoimidazole in position trans to NO were prepared and their photochemical properties studied. All complexes showed nitric oxide (NO) release under light irradiation at 330–440nm. Quantum yields for [Ru(NH3)4L(H2O)]3+ formation (ϕ Ru(III)) were sensitive to the natures of L, λ irr and pH. The major product of the irradiation of trans-[Ru(NH3)4L(NO+)]3+ is the trans-[RuIII(NH3)4L(Cl)]2+ and NO as suggested by UV–Vis, electrochemical, and FTIR techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The synthesis, characterization and reactivity of are presented. The X-ray structure of trans-[Ru(NH3)4P(OEt)3NO](CF3COO)3 ·3CF3COOH indicates coordination of the nitrosyl as NO with a Ru–N–O angle of 175.1(8)° and a Ru–NO bond length of 1.774(8) Å. Loss of from trans-[Ru(NH3)4P(OEt)3NO]3+ is pH dependent with k obs (s−1)=(k 0 K a + k 1[H+])/([H+]+ K a)], where k 0 =2×10−5 s−1, k 1 =0.40±0.03 s−1, and pK a =8.6±0.3. The nitrosyl complex undergoes a one-electron reduction (E 0 =0.14 V versus NHE) involving the coordinated nitrosyl group followed by dissociation of NO, which is facilitated by the phosphito ligand (k −NO =0.97 s−1 at 25 °C and pH 5.0). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ruthenium(II/III) complexes able to bind and release NO• were tested in vivo, in conscious Wistar rats instrumented for continuous blood pressure (BP) measurement and administration of in bolus injections (5 to 100 nmol/Kg i.v.) of trans-[RuIICl(NO+)(cyclam)](PF6)2 (cyclam-NO) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP). For normotensive rats, cyclam-NO produced a sustained 10% BP reduction of basal MAP during 7 ± 0.4 to 11 ± 0.3 min. In acute hypertensive rats, cyclam-NO produced BP reduction 3-fold larger than in normotensive rats and similar to that of SNP (maximal effect: 41 ± 1.3 vs. 45 ± 2.2 mmHg, respectively). However, the duration of the effect of cyclam-NO was 13 to 21-fold longer than that of SNP. The hypotensive effect of cyclam-NO was fully blocked in presence of continuous infusion of a NO• scavenger, carboxy-PTIO (6 mmol/Kg/min), or of the inhibitor of cGMP activation, methylene blue (83 nmol/Kg/min), or of the cyclam-NO precursor, trans-[RuCl(tfms)(cyclam)](tfms) (cyclam-tfms) (500 mmol/Kg/min). The long lasting BP reduction of cyclam-NO can be interpreted in terms of a slower rate of NO• release (k-NO = 2.2 × 10−3 s−1 at 35 °C) following chemical reduction (E0′ = 0.10 V vs NHE). In summary, cyclam-NO showed an hypotensive effect around 20 times longer than SNP in either normotensive or hypertensive rats, which was completely inhibited by methylene blue or carboxy-PTIO. Continuous infusion of cyclam-tfms completely blocked the hypotensive effect of cyclam-NO by scavenging the NO• released by the reduced cyclam-NO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on pentaammineruthenium moves on ambidentate nitrogen heterocycles by rotation and linkage isomerization. Biological activity of ruthenium metallopharmaceuticals; Occurrence of linkage isomerization in transition metal complexes; Exocyclic nitrogens of isocytosine.

A series of Pt-based catalysts were synthesised and investigated for ambient temperature CO oxidation with the aim to increase catalytic activity and improve moisture resistance through support modification. Initially, bimetallic PtPd catalysts supported on alumina were found to exhibit superior catalytic activity compared with their monometallic counterparts for the reaction. Following an investigation into the effect of Pt/Pd ratio, a composition of 0.1% Pt/0.4% Pd was selected for further studies. Following this, SnO2/Al2O3 supports were synthesised from a variety of tin oxide sources. Catalytic activity was improved using sodium stannate and tin oxalate precursors compared with a traditional tin oxide slurry. Catalytic activity versus tin concentration was found to vary significantly across the three precursors, which was subsequently investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]