With respect to the compounds analyzed here, e-cigarettes have a more favorable toxicity profile than tobacco cigarettes.

TL provides sustained, long-term benefit in patients with medically refractory TLE. Seizure-free status at 2 years from the time of surgery is predictive of long-term remission.

BackgroundComplementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is increasingly popular with cancer patients and yet information provision or discussion about CAM by health professionals remains low. Previous research suggests that patients may fear clinicians' 'disapproval' if they raise the subject of CAM, and turn to other sources to acquire information about CAM. However, little empirical research has been conducted into how cancer patients acquire, and, more importantly evaluate CAM information before deciding which CAM therapies to try.MethodsQualitative study, comprising semi-structured interviews with 43 male cancer patients of varying ages, cancer type and stage of illness, 34 of whom had used CAM. They were recruited from a range of NHS and non-NHS settings in Bristol, England.ResultsAs a result of the lack of CAM information from health professionals, men in this study became either 'pro-active seekers' or 'passive recipients' of such information. Their main information resource was the 'lay referral' network of family, friends and acquaintances, especially females. 'Traditional' information sources, including books, magazines, leaflets and the media were popular, more so in fact than the internet. Views on the internet ranged from enthusiasm or healthy scepticism through to caution or disinterest. CAM information was generally regarded as 'empowering' as it broadened treatment and self-care options. A minority of participants were information averse fearing additional choices that might disrupt their fragile ability to cope. There was general consensus that CAM information should be available via the NHS, to give it a 'stamp of approval', which combined with guidance from informed health professionals, could help patients to make 'guided' choices. However, a small minority of these men valued the independence of CAM from the NHS and deliberately sought 'alternative' information sources and treatment options.Men were selective in identifying particular therapies to use and sceptical about others, basing their choices on forms of 'evidence' that were personally meaningful: personal stories of individuals who had been helped by CAM; the long history and enduring popularity of some therapies; the plausibility of the mechanism of action; a belief or trust in individual therapies or their providers; scientific evidence. Scientific evidence ranked low in the men's personal decision-making about CAM, while it was recognised as important for NHS support for CAM.ConclusionThese male cancer patients valued the support and guidance of 'trusted individuals' in making choices about CAM. Trusted health professionals could also play a significant role in helping patients to make informed choices. Any such dialogue must, however, acknowledge the different standards of evidence used by patients and clinicians to evaluate the benefits or otherwise of CAM therapies. Such open communication could help to foster an environment of mutual trust where patients are encouraged to discuss their interest in CAM, rather than perpetuate cov...

Homeopathic intervention offered positive health changes to a substantial proportion of a large cohort of patients with a wide range of chronic diseases. Additional observational research, including studies using different designs, is necessary for further research development in homeopathy.

No abstract

Six different substitution mutations were identified in four different amino acid residues of antithrombin strand 1C and the polypeptide leading into strand 4B (F402S, F402C, F402L, A404T, N405K, and P407T), and are responsible for functional antithrombin deficiency in seven independently ascertained kindreds (Rosny, Torino, Maisons-Laffitte, Paris 3, La Rochelle, Budapest 5, and Oslo) affected by venous thromboembolic disease. In all seven families, variant antithrombins with heparin-binding abnormalities were detected by crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and in six of the kindreds there was a reduced antigen concentration of plasma antithrombin. Two of the variant antithrombins, Rosny and Torino, were purified by heparin-Sepharose and immunoaffinity chromatography, and shown to have greatly reduced heparin cofactor and progressive inhibitor activities in vitro. The defective interactions of these mutants with thrombin may result from proximity of s1C to the reactive site, while reduced circulating levels may be related to siC proximity to highly conserved internal ft strands, which contain elements proposed to influence serpin turnover and intracellular degradation. In contrast, siC is spatially distant to the positively charged surface which forms the heparin binding site of antithrombin; altered heparin binding properties of siC variants may therefore reflect conformational linkage between the reactive site and heparin binding regions of the molecule. This work demonstrates that point mutations in and immediately adjacent to strand 1C have multiple, or pleiotropic, effects on this serpin, leading ultimately to failure of its regulatory function. (J.

word count: 297 Main text word count: 2999Page 2 of 16 ObjectivesTo report the frequency of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use by a population of pregnant women in the UK. DesignFour postal self-completion questionnaires completed at 8, 12, 18 and 32 weeks' gestation provided the source of CAMs used. Questions asked for written descriptions about the use of any treatments, pills, medicines, ointments, homeopathic medicines, herbal medicines, supplements, drinks and herbal teas. SettingAn observational, population-based, cohort study of parents and children of 14541 pregnant women residing within the former county of Avon in south-west England. Data was available for 14115 women. ResultsOver a quarter (26.7%; n=3774) of women had used a CAM at least once in pregnancy, the use rising from 6% in the 1 st trimester to 12.4% in the 2 nd to 26.3% in the 3 rd . Herbal teas were the most commonly reported CAM at any time in pregnancy (17.7%; n=2499) followed by homeopathic medicine (14.4%; n=2038) and then herbal medicine (5.8%; n=813). The most commonly used herbal product was chamomile used by 14.6% of women, the most commonly used homeopathic product was Arnica used by 3.1% of women. Other CAMs (osteopathy, aromatherapy, acupuncture/acupressure, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractic, cranial sacral therapy, hypnosis, non-specific massage and reflexology) accounted for less than 1% of users. ConclusionsCAM use in pregnancy, where a wide range of CAMs has been assessed, has not been widely reported. Studies that have been conducted report varying results to this study (26.7%) by between 13.3% and 87% of pregnant women. Survey results will be affected by a number of factors namely the inclusion/exclusion of vitamins and minerals, the timing of data collection, the country of source, the number of women surveyed, and the different selection criteria of either recruiting women to the study or of categorising and identifying a CAM treatment or product.

The authors' experience of conducting clinical trials in homeopathy and analysing data from these has drawn attention to a fundamental problem with the interpretation of results from placebo controlled trials in homeopathy: It is not reasonable to assume that the specific effects of homeopathic medicine and the non-specific effects of consultations are independent of each other-specific effects of the medicine (as manifested by patients' reactions) may influence the nature of subsequent consultations and the non-specific effects of the consultation may enhance or diminish the effects of the medicine. For clinical trials of homeopathy to be accurate representations of practice, we need modified designs that take into account the complexity of the homeopathic intervention. Only with such trials will the results be generalisable to homeopathic practice in the real world. The authors propose that comparative trials are a meaningful way of evaluating the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment.