Blessed are the Peacekeepers?

[Blessed are the poor in spirit].

Blessed are the pure in heart.

Are UN peacekeepers at risk for suicide?

Media reports connecting UN peacekeeping duties by Canadian soldiers to their subsequent suicide prompted this study of peacekeeping as suicide risk. In a case-control design we retrospectively compared 66 suicides in the Canadian military between 1990 and 1995 with two control groups: (a) 2,601 controls randomly selected from the electronic military database and (b) 66 matched controls with co...

Inside Out: blessed are the machines that allow us to see

Throughout my life I have been radiographed, sonographed, scanned, and had my blood pressure, bone structure, muscular mass and heart beats measured... I keep myself safe. Any strange anomaly can be detected, photographed and analysed. Surveillance is needed. Technology is needed for surveillance to persist. In the name of health and well-being, one is advised to watch, to prevent and obey medi...

Xanthine derivatives in the heart: blessed or cursed?

Methylxanthines, such as theophylline, have been used to treat cardiorespiratory disorders, whereas caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive agent in various soft drinks. Because of the worldwide use of these drugs and the recently synthesized xanthine derivatives, an intensive research on the cardiac actions of these substances is under progress. This review focuses on the molecular m...