Shariant platform: Enabling evidence sharing across Australian clinical genetic-testing laboratories to support variant interpretation.

Sharing genomic variant interpretations across laboratories promotes consistency in variant assertions. A landscape analysis of Australian clinical genetic-testing laboratories in 2017 identified that, despite the national-accreditation-body recommendations encouraging laboratories to submit genotypic data to clinical databases, fewer than 300 variants had been shared to the ClinVar public database. Consultations with Australian laboratories identified resource constraints limiting routine application of manual processes, consent issues, and differences in interpretation systems as barriers to sharing.

Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Quick Guide.

Vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, have been the anticoagulants of choice for many years for patients with AF and other thrombotic conditions. The introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) as alternatives represents a major advance in anticoagulation. DOACs have been found to be at least as safe and effective as vitamin K antagonists in randomised, controlled trials for stroke prevention in AF and the management of venous thromboembolism, with real-world data showing similar outcomes.

Practical uses of clinical hypnosis in enhancing fertility, healthy pregnancy and childbirth.

The following article identifies practical uses of hypnosis within midwifery. The author and her team teaches clinical hypnosis at 11 medical schools in the UK.

Effect of caricapryl-99 seed alkaloid extract on the serum levels of sex hormones and pituitary gonadotrophins in male albino rats.

Activity of alkaloid extract of caricapryl-99 seeds [Carica papaya Linn seeds] on the serum levels of steroid hormones was studied in adult male albino rats. Three tolerated doses obtained from the graph of percentage toxicity [10, 50 and 150 mg/kg] were separately administered orally, daily for three days to three groups of male rats [n=5] while group four of 5 rats received the vehicle [corn oil] as control. The results showed that 10 mg/kg/d caused increase serum levels of FSH and estrogen but decrease in the serum levels of LH and testosterone compared to control; 50 mg/kg/d elevated the serum levels of FSH, estrogen but inhibited testosterone; while 150 mg/kg/d pretreatments caused a significant decrease [p<0.