Identity Crisis: First Amendment Implications of State Identification Card and Driver’s License Branding for Registered Sex Offenders

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act has been criticized since its inception as excessively punitive, a poor means of preventing sex crimes, and an invasion of basic privacy rights. There are currently eight states that require registered sex offenders to carry branded identification cards (IDs) that mark their registrant status. These markings range anywhere from a letter or symbol on the face of the card, to the words “SEXUAL OFFENDER” or “SEXUAL PREDATOR” in bright red or orange letters. Registrants are forced to share this private and harmful information to the unknowing and presumably uninterested public, including pharmacists, hotel concierge, and bank tellers. States have required their citizens to display information they would not otherwise display, thereby directly infringing on the First Amendment rights of registrants to be protected from compelled speech. As a result, registrants are shamed, humiliated, and denied their rights to privacy, thereby further isolating and ostracizing this already vulnerable group. This public labeling and shaming has the potential to increase recidivism rates by hindering opportunities for the rehabilitation and reintegration of registrants post-incarceration. This note argues that the Supreme Court’s failure to affirmatively hold these branded IDs as unconstitutional compelled speech promotes an acceptance and normalization of sex offender laws that have historically sought to shame registrants, hiding behind the guise of promoting safe communities. This note further proposes that all registration requirements that expose one’s registered status to the public, including branded IDs and community notification practices, should be repealed and replaced with discrete local law enforcement monitoring based on an individualized assessment of a registrant’s risk of reoffense, accompanied by community-based comprehensive reintegration plans

Zespół Rubinsteina-Taybiego związany z nowotworem piersi — opis przypadku

A number of cases of Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome associated with different neoplastic lesions have been reported since this syndrome was first named in 1963. This paper reports a case of Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome associated with breast cancer. Our aim is to share this finding and to emphasize how this case discussion allowed us to improve the management pathway in the future.Od 1963 roku odnotowano szereg przypadków zespołu Rubinsteina-Taybiego związanych z różnymi zmianami nowotworowymi. W poniższej pracy przedstawiono opis przypadku zespołu Rubinsteina-Taybiego związanego z nowotworem piersi. Celem pracy jest prezentacja wyników badań oraz ulepszenie zasad postępowania w podobnych przypadkach

Divergent effects of quercetin conjugates on angiogenesis

The present study reports the activities of quercetin and its main circulating conjugates in man (quercetin-3′-sulphate (Q3′S) and quercetin-3-glucuronide (Q3G)) on in vivo angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and examines the effects of these molecules on cultured endothelial cells. We found opposing effects of quercetin and its metabolites on angiogenesis. While quercetin and Q3G inhibited VEGF-induced endothelial cell functions and angiogenesis, Q3′S per se promoted endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The inhibitory effect elicited by Q3G was linked to inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation elicited by VEGF. The activation of endothelial cells by Q3′S was associated to stimulation of VEGF receptor-2 and to downstream signalling activation (phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt and nitric oxide synthase pathways), ultimately responsible for ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These data indicate that the effects of circulating quercetin conjugates on angiogenesis are different depending on the nature of the conjugate. Q3G andQ3′S are the two major conjugates in plasma, but their ratio is dependenton several factors, so thatinhibition or activation of angiogenesis could be subtly shifted as a result of metabolismin viv

Plant extracts as potential bioactive food additives

Plant extracts have been proposed as antimicrobial agents and health-promoters to be included in a variety of food products. In this sense, this work aimed to evaluate the bioactivities of infusions, decoctions and hydroethanolic extracts of six aromatic plants, namely, basil, lemon balm, lavender, sage, spearmint, and tarragon. The novelty of this study is related to the recent trend to replace chemical additives with more natural, plant-based ones, to meet consumers’ demands. The results highlighted the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects of several of these extracts, thus emphasising their capability to prevent food spoilage and promote health benefits. In this sense, our research revealed the potential of some plant extracts as potential food additives.The authors are grateful to the EU PRIMA program and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding the ArtiSaneFood project (PRIMA/0001/2018) and for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). This study was supported by FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (451-03-68/2020-14/200007).B.N.S. wishes to acknowledge the financial support provided by FCT through the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/137801/2018. R.C.C., L.B., U.G.-B. and J.P. (CEECIND/01011/2018) acknowledge the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the Institutional Scientific Employment Program contract. The project Healthy-PETFOOD is acknowledged, for the contract of C. Caleja (Healthy-PETFOOD (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-047073)), as well as the Project Mobilizador Norte-01-0247-FEDER-024479: ValorNatural®, for the contract of E. Pereira.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Primary lung cancer with metastasis to the ipsilateral breast-a case report

The metastasis of extra-mammary malignancy to breast is extremely rare; literature reports the incidence between 0.4-1.3%. Primary sites include the contralateral breast, leukaemia, lymphoma, malignant melanoma, sarcoma, lung, prostate, ovary, colon and the stomach. Here we present a rare case in which lung cancer was found to metastasise to the breast. Initially the patient presented with chest symptoms and a left breast lump was detected clinically. The radiological and histological investigations confirmed the diagnosis of primary lung cancer with breast metastases. Prognosis of such cases is generally poor

Phytochemical composition and bioactive potential of Melissa officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L. and Mentha spicata L. extracts

Plants are rich in bioactive phytochemicals that often display medicinal properties. These can play an important role in the production of health-promoting food additives and the replacement of artificial ones. In this sense, this study aimed to characterise the polyphenolic profile and bioactive properties of the decoctions, infusions and hydroethanolic extracts of three plants: lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.). Total phenolic content ranged from 38.79 mg/g extract to 84.51 mg/g extract, depending on the extract. The main phenolic compound detected in all cases was rosmarinic acid. The results highlighted that some of these extracts may have the ability to prevent food spoilage (due to antibacterial and antifungal effects) and promote health benefits (due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities) while not displaying toxicity against healthy cells. Furthermore, although no anti-inflammatory capacity was observed from sage extracts, these stood out for often displaying the best outcomes in terms of other bioactivities. Overall, the results of our research provide insight into the potential of plant extracts as a source of active phytochemicals and as natural food additives. They also support the current trends in the food industry of replacing synthetic additives and developing foods with added beneficial health effects beyond basic nutrition.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical profiles and bioactivities of polyphenolic extracts of Lavandula stoechas L., Artemisia dracunculus L. and Ocimum basilicum L

This study assessed the chemical profiles and bioactivities of the infusions, decoctions and hydroethanolic extracts of tarragon, basil and French lavender. The extracts were chemically characterised (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS) and their bioactivities were evaluated in vitro. All extracts revealed antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. French lavender extracts showed higher total phenolic content, regardless of the extraction method used, and antioxidant and antitumour capacities, but no anti-inflammatory action. All basil and two of the tarragon extracts revealed anti-inflammatory power. Thus, tarragon, basil and French lavender extracts may be considered for inclusion in foods, as preservatives or functional ingredients. Nonetheless, further studies must be conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of the bioactive compounds.The authors are grateful to the EU PRIMA program and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding the ArtiSaneFood project (PRIMA/0001/2018) and for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021). This study was supported by FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. This work has been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (451–03-68/2022–14/200007). B.N. Silva and A.K. Molina wish to acknowledge the financial support provided by FCT through the Ph.D. grants SFRH/BD/137801/2018 and 2020.06231.BD, respectively. E. Pereira (2021.03908.CEECIND), R.C. Calhelha, L. Barros and U. Gonzales-Barron acknowledge the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the Individual and Institutional Scientific Employment Program contract. C. Caleja thanks her contract through the project Healthy-PETFOOD (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-047073).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (quinoa) grains: A good source of phenolic compounds

The ingestion of bioactive compounds has revealed health benefits, namely in the prevention and/or treatment of several diseases. This work aims to characterize the phenolic profile of three colour varieties of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. grains (black, red and white), and also evaluate their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity. All varieties revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, namely, quercetin and kaempferol derivatives. In this study, quinoa grains did not reveal any anti-proliferative capacity in tumour cell lines, and, as expected, they were devoid of any toxicity. All of the analysed extracts possessed antibacterial and antifungal activities (inhibitory and bactericidal/fungicidal) against the microbial strains considered, exhibiting promising values of minimum bactericidal concentrations (mean MBC 0.153–0.916 mg/mL) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (mean MFC 0.211–0.884 mg/mL). Quinoa varieties represent a good source of bioactive compounds, interfering beneficially in the organism, specifically as antimicrobial agents. Thus, these extracts could be used in the development of bioactive ingredients.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E and TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P; and L. Barros, R. Calhelha, and Gonzales-Barron thank the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program contract. This work has also been supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (451-03-68/2020-14/200007).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Rare Diagnosis of Synchronous Breast and Colonic Cancers: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Any two or more primary malignant tumors, in which each tumor is not an extension, recurrence, or metastasis of the other lesion, are defined or described as multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMN). These tumors are increasingly diagnosed despite their rare occurrence rate. The term synchronous tumors is applied if two different tumors originating in the same patient are detected at the same time or within six months; if the second tumor is detected beyond six months, it is called metachronous. Aetiological factors that may predispose patients to MPMNs have been grouped into three broad categories: familial cancer syndromes and other genetic susceptibility factors, common exposures (e.g. tobacco), and carcinogenic effects of cancer treatment. The likelihood of missing asymptomatic synchronous tumors at the time of diagnosis is due to a lack of definitively set guidelines for synchronous tumors. Studying every individual case may aid us in understanding disease biology, developing diagnostic guidelines, and establishing patient-specific management strategies. We present a case report of synchronous breast and colonic cancer in a female patient