OBJECTIVE: There is a growing interest in developing a scientific research metric to assess the level of palliative care (PC) development in countries. This study assesses a metric based on publishing in specialised PC journals as an indicator for the level of PC development.

METHODS: A 3-year average articles per million population per year (3y-AAMY) metric was calculated using documents published in 19 specialised PC journals indexed in Scopus database. Countries were categorised into six levels starting with level '0' with no publications then levels Q1 to Q5 according to the 3y-AAMY quintiles (Q5=best performance). The relationship between the 3y-AAMY and the level of PC development in countries and opioid consumption figures was tested.

RESULTS: During 2016-2018, 6610 eligible documents were published in the selected 19 journals. The median (IQR) 3y-AAMY of 191 countries was 0.0123 (0-0.237). The 3y-AAMY differed significantly among the levels of PC development, being 0 (IQR:0-0) for category 1 (no known activity) countries and 1.129 (IQR:0.286-4.625) for category 4B (advanced integration) countries (Kruskal-Wallis test p<0.000001 and Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test p<0.00001). The correlation between the 3y-AAMY and average opioid consumption was a highly significant positive one (Spearman's ρ=0.681, p<0.0001). Furthermore, opioid consumption differed significantly between the 3y-AAMY categories being highest for Q5 countries (Kruskal-Wallis test p<0.000001 and Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test p<0.00001).

CONCLUSION: A metric based on publishing in specialised PC journals correlates significantly with the levels of PC development and opioid consumption in countries and may be used alongside other indicators for the assessment of PC development.

Hospital length of stay (LoS) may be used to assess end-of-life care aggressiveness and health care delivery efficiency. We describe the terminal hospitalization LoS of patients with cancer managed by a hospital-based palliative care (PC) program comprising a palliative care consultation (PCC) service and an inpatient palliative care unit (PCU). A total of 328 in-hospital cancer deaths were divided into 2 groups. The PCU group included patients admitted by the PC team directly to the PCU. The PCC group included patients admitted by other specialties and referred to the PCC team. The LoS of the PCU group was significantly shorter than that of the PCC group (9.9 [±9.4] vs 17.8 [±19.7] days, respectively; P < .001). Direct terminal hospitalization to PCU is not associated with longer LoS among cancer deaths managed by a hospital-based PC service.

The hydrolysis of amino acid ester is promoted by the palladium(II) complex [Pd(Pic)]2+ (Pic = 2-picolylamine). The reaction has been studied by pH-stat technique. The overall PdII chelate promoted hydrolysis of the amino acid esters as glycine and alanine ethyl esters may be accounted by inter- and intramolecular mechanisms. The kinetic data for histidine and methionine methyl esters are fitted assuming that hydrolysis proceeds by intermolecular mechanism only. The rate enhanecement compared with the free ester is discussed in terms of the structure of the complex. Activation parameters associated with the hydrolysis have been determined and discussed.

(1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)-(4-methoxyl-phenyl)- amine (L1), (1H-benzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)-(4-methyl-phenyl)-amine (L2) and their Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes have been synthesized as potential anticancer compounds and their structures were elucidated using a variety of physico-chemical techniques. Theoretical calculations invoking geometry optimization, vibrational assignments, 1H-NMR, charge distribution and molecular orbital description HOMO and LUMO were done using density functional theory. Natural bond orbital analysis (NBO) method was performed to provide details about the type of hybridization and the nature of bonding in the studied complexes. Strong coordination bonds (LP(1)N11??*(M-Cl22)) and (LP(1)N21? ?*(M-Cl23)) (M = Pd or Pt) result from donation of electron density from a lone pair orbital on the nitrogen atoms to the acceptor metal molecular orbitals. The experimental results and the calculated molecular parameters revealed square-planar geometries around the metallic centre through the pyridine-type nitrogen of the benzimidazole ring and secondary amino group and two chlorine atoms. The activation thermodynamic parameters were calculated using non-isothermal methods. The synthesized ligands, in comparison to their metal complexes were screened for their antibacterial activity. In addition, the studied complexes showed activity against three cell lines of different origin, breast cancer (MCF-7), Colon carcinoma (HCT) and human heptacellular carcinoma (Hep-G2) comparable to cis-platin.