Comparison of Essential Oils Obtained from Different Extraction Techniques as an Aid in Identifying Aroma Significant Compounds of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans).

Distribution of volatile constituents in the essential oil of nutmeg obtained by simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), high vacuum distillation (HVD) and super critical fluid extraction (SFE) was compared with reduced pressure distillation (RPD) and head space (HS) analysis. HS and RPD volatiles were characterized by a high content of sabinene, followed by α-pinene and β-pinene. Interestingly, unlike the SDE, HVD and SFE oils, distillates from HS and RPD were marked by the absence of phenolic ethers namely myristicin, elemicin and safrole.

The expanding role of primary care in cancer control.

The nature of cancer control is changing, with an increasing emphasis, fuelled by public and political demand, on prevention, early diagnosis, and patient experience during and after treatment. At the same time, primary care is increasingly promoted, by governments and health funders worldwide, as the preferred setting for most health care for reasons of increasing need, to stabilise health-care costs, and to accommodate patient preference for care close to home. It is timely, then, to consider how this expanding role for primary care can work for cancer control, which has long been dominated by highly technical interventions centred on treatment, and in which the contribution of primary care has been largely perceived as marginal.

Novel imaging approaches in adult asthma and their clinical potential.

Currently, imaging in asthma is confined to chest radiography and CT. The emergence of new imaging techniques and tremendous improvement of existing imaging methods, primarily due to technological advancement, has completely changed its research and clinical prospects. In research, imaging in asthma is now being employed to provide quantitative assessment of morphology, function and pathogenic processes at the molecular level.

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma in Central America: A Report From the Central American Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (AHOPCA).

Background: Although anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is curable in high-income countries (HIC), data from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are lacking. We therefore conducted a retrospective study of the Central American Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology (AHOPCA) experience in treating ALCL.

Procedure: We included all patients age <18 years newly diagnosed with ALCL treated between 2000 and 2013 in seven AHOPCA institutions.

Treatment of young children with CNS-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia without cranial radiotherapy.

Background: Due to the long-term sequelae of cranial radiotherapy (CRT), contemporary treatment protocols for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) aim to limit the use of prophylactic CRT. For patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement with ALL at diagnosis, the use of CRT remains common. Children <5 years of age are a particularly challenging subgroup in whom the consequences of CRT can be devastating.

Bridging the Distance in the Caribbean: Telemedicine as a means to build capacity for care in paediatric cancer and blood disorders.

Over the past 50 years, survival for children in high-income countries has increased from 30% to over 80%, compared to 10-30% in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Given this gap in survival, established paediatric cancer treatment centres, such as The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) are well positioned to share clinical expertise. Through the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI) was launched in March 2013 to improve the outcomes and quality of life for children with cancer and blood disorders in the Caribbean.

Mechanical and barrier properties of guar gum based nano-composite films.

Guar gum based nano-composite films were prepared using organically modified (cloisite 20A) and unmodified (nanofil 116) nanoclays. Effect of nanoclay incorporation on mechanical strength, water vapor barrier property, chromatic characteristics and opacity of films was evaluated. Nano-composites were characterized using X-ray scattering, FTIR and scanning electron microscopy.

Dermatosis neglecta in schizophrenia: a rare case report.

Dermatosis neglecta is a chronic, dermatologic disorder results in ignored, neglected body parts due to chronic disability or painful conditions. There is scarcity of literature supporting the existence of dermatosis neglecta in the context of psychiatric illnesses. In this case report, we attempts to highlight, dermatosis neglecta in a homeless patient suffering from schizophrenia.

Sorafenib treatment following hematopoietic stem cell transplant in pediatric FLT3/ITD acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: FLT3/ITD is associated with poor outcomes in adult and pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can improve cure rates, however relapse is still common. Recent studies demonstrate the activity of FLT3 inhibitors, including sorafenib, in targeting the underlying mutation.

Predictors of diagnostic interval and associations with outcome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: Little is known about diagnostic interval lengths in childhood cancer, their predictors or impact upon survival. To date, studies have relied on questionnaires or chart abstraction. We aimed to construct and validate a diagnostic interval measure using health services data among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in order to determine predictors of prolonged intervals and associations with event-free survival (EFS).

A case of etizolam dependence.

Etizolam is a thienodiazepine anxiolytic which is said to have lower dependence potential than other benzodiazepines. We report a case of etizolam dependence in a young male with social anxiety disorder and moderate depression. This case report highlights the fact that the same caution be exercised while prescribing etizolam with respect to its potential to cause dependence as with any other benzodiazepine.

The Initiative to Maximize Progress in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Therapy (IMPACT) Cohort Study: a population-based cohort of young Canadians with cancer.

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in adolescents and young adults (AYA). Annual improvements in AYA cancer survival have been inferior to those observed in children and older adults. Prior studies of AYA with cancer have been limited by their focus on patients from select treatment centres, reducing generalizability, or by being population-based but lacking diagnostic and treatment details.

Impact of Ethnicity on Donor Search Results for Children Requiring Stem Cell Transplantation.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be curative for children with various malignant and nonmalignant conditions. Access to suitable unrelated living donors (ULDs) or unrelated cord blood (UCB) may be limited for certain ethnic backgrounds. We therefore determined the impact of ethnicity upon donor availability in a pediatric cohort referred for allogeneic HSCT to a single Canadian transplant center.

Role of coronoidectomy in increasing mouth opening.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of coronoidectomy in advanced (stage III-IV) oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis.

Materials And Methods: Five patients clinically diagnosed as grade III/IV OSMF (group 1) and seven patients clinically and radiographically confirmed as TMJ ankylosis (group 2) underwent surgery entailing coronoidectomy in addition to conventional surgical procedures required in both the conditions followed by vigorous mouth opening exercises. The results were evaluated using the interincisal distance at maximum mouth opening as the objective outcome over a follow-up period of 2 months.

Socioeconomic status and event free survival in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a population-based cohort study.

The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) upon childhood cancer outcomes has not been extensively examined. Our objective was to determine the association between SES and event-free survival (EFS) among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) diagnosed in Ontario, Canada from 1995-2011 (N=1541) using Cox proportional hazards. Neither neighborhood-level median income quintile, distance from tertiary center, or rural residence significantly predicted EFS in the context of a universal healthcare system.

Reversible bilateral sensori-neural hearing loss due to olanzapine in a male suffering from bipolar affective disorder.

An elderly male with Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) developed reversible ototoxicity, manifesting as bilateral sensory-neural hearing loss (SNHL) with administration of olanzapine.

Pediatric oncology as the next global child health priority: the need for national childhood cancer strategies in low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Sumit Gupta and colleagues discuss the need for national cancer strategies for children in low- and middle-income countries and suggest how such strategies could be implemented.

Magnetic resonance imaging of penile cancer.

Penile cancer is a rare neoplasm that, although rare in the developed world, has devastating physical and psychological consequences for the patient. Novel MR imaging techniques such as lymphotropic nanoparticle-enhanced MR imaging may help identify metastatic lymph node disease. This article reviews the normal penile anatomy and MR imaging techniques and features of primary and metastatic penile cancer.