The acquisition of noun inflection in Northern Pame (Xi'iuy): Comparing whole word and minimal word accounts.

The study used naturalistic data on the production of nominal prefixes in the Otopamean language Northern Pame (autonym: Xi'iuy) to test Whole Word (constructivist) and Minimal Word (prosodic) theories for the acquisition of inflection. Whole Word theories assume that children store words in their entirety; Minimal Word theories assume that children produce words as binary feet. Northern Pame uses obligatory portmanteaux prefixes to inflect nouns for class, number, animacy and possessor.

Alleviating pain with delta opioid receptor agonists: evidence from experimental models.

The use of opioids for the relief of pain and headache disorders has been studied for years. Nowadays, particularly because of its ability to produce analgesia in various pain models, delta opioid receptor (DOPr) emerges as a promising target for the development of new pain therapies. Indeed, their potential to avoid the unwanted effects commonly observed with clinically used opioids acting at the mu opioid receptor (MOPr) suggests that DOPr agonists could be a therapeutic option.

Modified Eversion Carotid Endarterectomy (mECEA): Analysis of Clinical and Financial Outcomes.

Background: Several carotid endarterectomy techniques have been described, including conventional carotid endarterectomy (CCEA) performed with patch repair and eversion carotid endarterectomy (ECEA) performed with transection of the internal carotid artery. We describe our simplified technique of modified eversion carotid endarterectomy (mECEA) with longitudinal arteriotomy limited to the carotid bulb, without transection of the internal carotid artery and present our analysis of its safety, efficacy, and cost effectiveness.

Methods: A retrospective review of all carotid endarterectomies performed by 3 vascular surgeons over a 3-year period was completed.

The positive predictive value of paramedic versus emergency physician interpretation of the prehospital 12-lead electrocardiogram.

Background: Obtaining a prehospital 12-lead ECG may improve triage and expedite care of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Whether the ECG should undergo physician review prior to activation of a percutaneous intervention (PCI) team is unclear.

Objective: To document the positive predictive value (PPV) of the prehospital 12-lead ECG when interpreted by paramedics versus emergency physicians.

Factors influencing the decision to practise obstetrics among Québec medical students: a survey.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to track changes in medical students' interest in obstetrics from the beginning of their studies in medicine to the end of their pre-clinical clerkships and to identify factors that influenced this interest.

Methods: This was a cohort study of all Québec medical students who, in 2003, were about to begin their clerkships (n = 500). A questionnaire was administered at this time (T1) and at the end of the clerkship (T2).

Discovery of non-peptidic P2-P3 butanediamide renin inhibitors with high oral efficacy.

A new series of non-peptidic renin inhibitors having a 2-substituted butanediamide moiety at the P2 and P3 positions has been identified. The optimized inhibitors have IC50 values of 0.8 to 1.

Novel small renin inhibitors containing 4,5- or 3,5-dihydroxy-2-substituted-6-phenylhexanamide replacements at the P2-P3 sites.

Renin inhibitors containing a 4,5- or a 3,5-dihydroxy-2-substituted-6-phenylhexanamide fragment at the P2-P3 sites have been prepared and evaluated. The four possible diastereomeric diols of the two series of inhibitors were synthesized to determine the optimal configuration of the carbinol centers for these replacements. The most potent inhibitors of each series, la and 2c have a molecular weight of only 503 and IC50 values of 23 and 20 nM in a human plasma renin assay at pH 6.

Child life intervention in the emergency department.

Since 1979, the Child Life Department of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario has provided 75 hours per week of Child Life intervention for children and parents in the emergency department. Factors that would influence a child's ability to master an emergency experience have been identified through a review of the literature. The protocol for Child Life intervention in frequent emergency situations is described.

Practice settings and prescribing profiles: the simulation of tension headaches to general practitioners working in different practice settings in the Montreal area.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether physicians practicing in one type of setting manage a medical problem differently than those practicing in another type of setting. The investigation took the form of presenting physicians with a simulated case of tension headache with a history going back three years, for which diazepam had been taken daily for the past year. Four simulated patients (aged 20-23) visited a stratified random sample of 111 general practitioners practicing in health centers funded by government (CLSCs) and in private group practice clinics in the Montreal area.