bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Particularities of Moral Contexts
Authors: Christensen Anne-Marie Søndergaard
Published: December 2020

We can only become competent moral thinkers by engaging in our community, but even if our communal practices and language in this way provide us with the resources necessary for moral thought, they may also be the source of moral bias, distortion, and corruption, a problem which is explored in this chapter with the aim of understanding the connection between moral thought and moral context. In opening, the chapter addresses the question of whether the embeddedness of the moral subject in a particular context or community challenges the possibility of moral responsibility, but its main part is devoted to the question of how context influences our moral thought and responsibility. An investigation of cases of changes in language use and linguistic practices demonstrates how we face a twofold moral responsibility, both for what we say and do and for the practices in which these sayings and doings are embedded. A further discussion of moral practices leads to the insight that even if particular practices can inhibit or distort moral thought, they cannot make certain moral thoughts or judgements inaccessible to us. Nonetheless, even if we in principle may think any moral thought in any context, context still greatly influences what thoughts we have reason to think, making some moral insights readily accessible while hiding or marginalising others. This again points to a general moral responsibility for critical moral reflection on context.
The Metaphysics of Original Sin
Authors: Rea Michael C.
Published: December 2020

This chapter argues that there is no straightforward conflict between the doctrine of original sin (construed as including the doctrine of original guilt) and the following thesis, which is taken to be the primary source of philosophical objection to that doctrine: (MR) A person P is morally responsible for the obtaining of a state of affairs S only if S obtains (or obtained) and P could have prevented S from obtaining. After surveying a variety of different construals of the doctrine of original sin, the chapter shows that the main source of tension with MR is the further assumption that no human being who was born after the commission of first sin could have done anything to prevent that first sin; and no human being who is born corrupt could have done anything to prevent her own corruption. The chapter then discusses different ways in which this assumption might be resisted.
The Transformational Role of Technology
Authors: Treadgold Alan , Reynolds Jonathan
Published: December 2020

This chapter focuses on the transformational impacts of technology both in the hands of shoppers and within retail enterprises themselves. There are, we believe, very compelling opportunities for businesses to develop much closer and more personal relationships with shoppers through the use of technology in customer-facing roles to enhance efficiency, experience, and engagement for the shopper. However, the challenges for enterprises of actually realizing all of the potential benefits from technology, especially in the form of highly nuanced shopper information, are considerable. This chapter is as concerned with the unexpected eddies as it is with the main transformational currents of technology change. It begins with a brief exploration of the main themes of change, then turns to some of the obstacles that have prevented many retailers from intelligently exploring technological opportunities, before considering the most relevant application areas for customer-facing technology.
Bonds and Currencies, 2007–20
Authors: Michie Ranald C.
Published: December 2020

Though markets are normally associated with regulated institutions such as exchanges of far greater importance was that trading which took place outside them. Ranked among the largest and most active financial markets in the world were those involving fixed income financial instruments and currencies, where trading took place through direct contact between buyers and sellers, the intermediation of inter-dealer brokers and, increasingly, the use of electronic platforms that matched sales and purchases. These markets were essential tools used by banks in their constant adjustment of assets and liabilities across time and space, as well as type, or the lending and borrowing they did between each other so as to profitably employ the resources at their command. This was a world in flux that was pushing traditional exchanges and the voice brokers towards oblivion, though leaving a role for those who negotiated bespoke deals or handled complex products. That was the position on the eve of the Global Financial Crisis, and then resumed thereafter. The advance of the electronic trading platforms proved unstoppable, sweeping away all rivals that failed to embrace the revolution taking place.
“Epitome of America”
Authors: Abzug Robert H.
Published: December 2020

Rollo May was born and raised in what once was considered the American heartland, the small-town Protestant Midwest. However, his family life was extremely troubled. His father was a YMCA field secretary and his mother a devout Methodist who had a stormy and ultimately dysfunctional family life. Rollo sought escape in nature and tried to fulfil especially his mother’s sense of her son’s destiny. He was shy, resentful of his family’s relative poverty, and felt caught between the battles his father and mother constantly waged. Still, he saw his future in “religious work” and being a “friend to man.”
Interspecific variation in spruce constitutive and induced defenses in response to a bark beetle–fungal symbiont provides insight into traits associated with resistance
Authors: Ott Daniel S , Davis Thomas Seth , Mercado Javier E
Published: December 2020

Differences in defensive traits of tree species may predict why some conifers are susceptible to bark beetle–fungal complexes and others are not. A symbiotic fungus (Leptographium abietinum (Peck) M.J. Wingf.) associated with the tree-killing bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) is phytopathogenic to host trees and may hasten tree decline during colonization by beetles, but defense responses of mature trees to the fungus have not been experimentally examined. To test the hypothesis that interspecific variation in spruce resistance is explained by defense traits we compared constitutive (bark thickness and constitutive resin ducts) and induced defenses (resin flow, monoterpene composition, concentration, phloem lesion formation and traumatic resin ducts) between two sympatric spruces: Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.—a susceptible host) and blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.—a resistant host) in response to fungal inoculation. Four central findings emerged: (i) blue spruce has thicker outer bark and thinner phloem than Engelmann spruce, which may restrict fungal access to phloem and result in less beetle-available resource overall; (ii) both spruce species induce monoterpenes in response to inoculation but blue spruce has higher constitutive monoterpene levels, induces monoterpenes more rapidly, and induces higher concentrations over a period of time consistent with spruce beetle attack duration; (iii) Engelmann and blue spruce differed in the monoterpenes they upregulated in response to fungal inoculation: blue spruce upregulated α-pinene, terpinolene and γ-terpinene, but Engelmann spruce upregulated 3-carene and linalool; and (iv) blue spruce has a higher frequency of constitutive resin ducts and produces more traumatic resin ducts in annual growth increments than Engelmann spruce, though Engelmann spruce produces more resin following aseptic wounding or fungal inoculation. These findings suggest that higher constitutive resin duct densities and monoterpene concentrations, as well as the ability to rapidly induce specific monoterpenes in response to L. abietinum inoculation, are phenotypic traits associated with hosts resistant to spruce beetle colonization.
Actinomycetoma laboratory-based diagnosis: a mini-review
Authors: Siddig Emmanuel Edwar , van de Sande Wendy W J , Fahal Ahmed Hassan
Published: December 2020

Mycetoma is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease that is caused either by fungi (eumycetoma) or bacteria (actinomycetoma). The latter is caused by various actinomycetes of the genera Nocardia, Streptomyces and Actinomadura. They have different geographical distributions within mycetoma-endemic regions. In parts of Latin America, Nocardia species are more often encountered while in Africa, Streptomyces species dominate. For instituting a proper patient treatment plan, accurate identification of the causative organism is vital. For actinomycetoma, different laboratory-based techniques have been developed during recent decades. These include direct microscopy, cytology, histopathology and serology. More recently, different molecular techniques and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry have been included as diagnostic methods for actinomycetoma. In this review, an update on the laboratory techniques currently in use for the identification of actinomycetoma-causative agents to the species level is presented.
Quantum Physics
Authors: Raymer Michael
Published: December 2020

Around 1900, physicists started to discover particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons, and with these discoveries they believed they could predict the internal behavior of the atom. However, once their predictions were compared to the results of experiments in the real world, it became clear that the principles of classical physics and mechanics were far from capable of explaining phenomena on the atomic scale. With this realization came the advent of quantum physics, one of the most important intellectual movements in human history. Today, quantum physics is everywhere: it explains how our computers work, how radios transmit sound, and allows scientists to predict accurately the behavior of nearly every particle in nature. Its application led to the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson, and continues to be fundamental in the investigation of the broadest and most expansive questions related to our world and the universe. However, while the field and principles of quantum physics are known to have nearly limitless applications, the reasons why this is the case are far less understood. In “Quantum Physics: What Everyone Needs to Know,” Michael Raymer distills the basic principles of such an abstract field, and addresses the many ways quantum physics is a key factor in today’s scientific climate and beyond. The book tackles questions as broad as the definition of a quantum state and as specific and timely as why the British government plans to spend 270 million GBP on quantum technology research in the next five years. Raymer’s list of topics is diverse, and showcases the sheer range of questions and ideas in which quantum physics is involved. From applications like data encryption and micro-circuitry to principles and concepts like Absolute Zero and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle, “Quantum Physics: What Everyone Needs to Know” is wide-reaching introduction to a nearly ubiquitous scientific topic.
Privacy
Authors: Francis Leslie P. , Francis John G.
Published: December 2020

We live more and more of our lives online; we rely on the internet as we work, correspond with friends and loved ones, and go through a multitude of mundane activities like paying bills, streaming videos, reading the news, and listening to music. Without thinking twice, we operate with the understanding that the data that traces these activities will not be abused now or in the future. There is an abstract idea of privacy that we invoke, and, concrete rules about our privacy that we can point to if we are pressed. Nonetheless, too often we are uneasily reminded that our privacy is not invulnerable-the data tracks we leave through our health information, the internet and social media, financial and credit information, personal relationships, and public lives make us continuously prey to identity theft, hacking, and even government surveillance. A great deal is at stake for individuals, groups, and societies if privacy is misunderstood, misdirected, or misused. Popular understanding of privacy doesn’t match the heat the concept generates, though understandably. With a host of cultural differences as to how privacy is understood globally and in different religions, and with ceaseless technological advancements, it is an increasingly slippery and complex topic. In this clear and accessible book, Leslie and John G. Francis guide us to an understanding of what privacy can mean and why it is so important. Drawing upon their extensive joint expertise in law, philosophy, political science, regulatory policy, and bioethics, they parse the consequences of the forfeiture, however great or small, of one’s privacy.
Advertising
Authors: Einstein Mara
Published: December 2020

3000. That's the number of marketing messages the average American confronts on a daily basis from TV commercials, magazine and newspaper print ads, radio commercials, pop-up ads on gaming apps, to pre-roll on YouTube videos and native advertising on mobile news apps. These commercial messages are so pervasive that we cannot help but be affected by perpetual come-ons to keeping buying. Over the last decade, advertising has become more devious, more digital, and more deceptive, with an increasing number of ads designed to appear to the untrained eye to be editorial content. It's easy to see why. As we have become smarter at avoiding ads, advertisers have become smarter about disguising them. Mara Einstein exposes how our shopping, political and even dating preferences are unwittingly formed by brand images and the mythologies embedded in them. Advertising: What Everyone Needs to Know® helps us combat the effects of manipulative advertising, and enables the reader to understand how marketing industries work in the digital age, particularly in their uses and abuses of Big Data. Most importantly, it awakens us to advertising's subtle and not so subtle impact on our lives-both as individuals and as a global society. What ideas and information are being communicated to us-and to what end?
Terrorism
Authors: Sandler Todd
Published: December 2020

The causes and consequences of terrorism are matters of considerable debate and great interest. Spectacular events are recognized by their dates, including the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington and the 7/7 London bombings. Many other attacks, including those in non-Western countries, receive far less attention even though they may be more frequent and cumulatively cause more casualties. In Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to KnowRG, leading economist Todd Sandler provides a broad overview of a persistently topical topic. The general issues he examines include what terrorism is, its causes, the roles of terrorist groups, how governments seek to counter terrorism, its economic consequences, and the future of terrorism. He focuses on the modern era and how specific motivations, ranging from nationalism/separatism to left- or right-wing extremism or religious ideals, and general conditions, such as poverty and inequality or whether a country is democratic or authoritarian, affect the frequency and costs of terrorism. The diversity of terrorist groups and type of attacks can be overwhelming, and Sandler provides a unifying framework to generate insight: strategic interaction. That is, like other organizations, terrorist groups organize to pursue goals and respond in an optimal fashion to a risky environment that can influence the group's size, its diversity of attacks, its regional location, its host country's characteristics, and the group's ideology. Terrorists also responded to enhanced security measures by altering their tactics, targets, and location. As such, they are formidable opponents to their stronger government adversaries. Governments, in turn, pursue various costly strategies to prevent terrorism, including passive barriers and active attacks against terrorists, their resources, and those who support them. Terrorism covers numerous questions on the subject and sheds lights on a wide-range of theoretical and empirical research.
Eating Disorders
Authors: Walsh B. Timothy , Attia Evelyn , Glasofer Deborah R.
Published: December 2020

Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening psychiatric illnesses commonly accompanied by serious medical problems. They typically appear during adolescence or early adulthood, a time when young people are heading to college or interviewing for a first job. Many people recover fully from eating disorders, but others become chronically ill, and symptoms can continue into middle age and beyond. Written by leading authorities in eating disorders research and treatment, Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know answers common questions about eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well as a newly described condition, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Practical yet authoritative, the book defines the eating disorders, explains what we know about them based on the latest science, and describes how treatment works. Importantly, the book dispels common myths about eating disorders, such as the notion that they occur only amongst the affluent, that they affect only girls and women, or that they simply result from environmental factors such as the fashion industry and society's obsession with thinness. In reality, as the book explains, there is substantial evidence that eating disorders are brain-based illnesses that do not discriminate, and that they have been around for a very long time. Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know is essential reading for those seeking authoritative and current information about these often misunderstood illnesses.
Spain
Authors: Chislett William
Published: December 2020

Spain has undergone significant transformations over the past three decades, from a dictatorship to a democracy and from a mostly local and agriculture-based economy to one of the biggest financial systems in the EU and internationally. Until 2008, it enjoyed a major influx of foreign investment and the most rapid economic growth of any of the countries in the EU, resulting in half of the new jobs created during the early days of the Union. Yet, it now faces the highest rate of unemployment in Europe and slow growth for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the country faces internal strife from the separatist Catalan region and stringent austerity measures. In Spain: What Everyone Needs to Know, veteran journalist William Chislett recounts the country's fascinating and often turbulent history, beginning with the Muslim conquest in 711 and ending with the nation's deep economic crisis, sparked by the spectacular collapse of its real estate and construction sectors. He explains how some of the ghosts of the 1936-39 Civil War were laid to rest and the country moved to democracy, and covers issues such as the devolution of power to the country's 17 regions, the creation of a welfare state, the influx of several million immigrants over a very short time span, the religious cleavage, the strengths and weaknesses of the economy and how the country can create a more sustainable economic model. What happens in Spain matters. As Chislett shows, the country is much more than bullfighting and flamenco. It is an international economic power, and its future will significantly shape that of the European Union.
The Association of Scoliosis and NSD1 Gene Deletion in Sotos Syndrome Patients
Authors: Machida Masafumi , Katoh Hiroyuki , Machida Masayoshi , Miyake Atsushi , Taira Katsuaki , Ohashi Hirofumi
Published: December 2020

Study Design

A retrospective comparative study.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the NSD1 abnormalities in patients diagnosed with Sotos syndrome and its correlation with the presence, severity, and progression of associated scoliosis.

Summary of Background Data

Scoliosis has been reported in approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with Sotos syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, learning disability, and overgrowth. Sotos syndrome is mainly attributed to NSD1 haploinsufficiency, but with ethnical differences in genetic profile: NSD1 microdeletions are frequently identified in Japanese Sotos patients whereas intragenic mutations are more frequently found in non-Japanese patients. Although possible genotype–phenotype correlations have been proposed, the genotype of Sotos syndrome patients suffering from scoliosis has not been examined.

Methods

The medical records and spinal radiographs of 63 consecutive Sotos syndrome patients at a single center were reviewed. Fluorescent in situ hybridization or microarray comparative genomic hybridization and DNA sequencing or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification were performed to detect 5q35 microdeletion involving the NSD1 gene and intragenic mutations of the NSD1 gene, respectively. The phenotypes of all cases and radiological assessments for the presence and progression of scoliosis were studied.

Results

NSD1 abnormalities were identified in 55 patients (87%): microdeletion in 34 patients (54%) and intragenic mutation in 22 patients (33%). Scoliosis was observed in 26 patients (41%), with a significantly higher ratio of microdeletions than mutations. The 10 patients with progressive scoliosis all had NSD1 microdeletions.

Conclusion

Scoliosis was a common phenotypical trait in children with Sotos syndrome and its presence as well as progression were higher in cases with NSD1 microdeletions. Although all Sotos syndrome patients should be monitored for scoliosis, clinicians should be made aware that patients with NSD1 microdeletions have a higher probability of scoliosis development and progression that may require early intervention.

Level of Evidence: 3
Nationwide Outcomes of Advanced Melanoma According to BRAFV600 Status
Authors: van Breeschoten Jesper , Wouters Michel W.J.M , de Wreede Liesbeth C. , Hilarius Doranne H. , Haanen John B. , Blank Christian U. , Aarts Maureen J.B , van den Berkmortel Franchette W.P.J. , de Groot Jan-Willem B. , Hospers Geke A.P. , Kapiteijn Ellen , Piersma Djura , van Rijn Rozemarijn S. , Suijkerbuijk Karijn P.M. , Blokx Willeke A.M. , ten Tije Albert J. , van der Veldt Astrid A.M. , Vreugdenhil Gerard , Boers Marye J. , van den Eertwegh Alfons J.M.
Published: December 2020

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) of patients with BRAFV600 wild-type and BRAFV600-mutant advanced melanoma in the Netherlands.

Methods:

We selected patients of 18 years and over, diagnosed between 2016 and 2017 with unresectable stage IIIC or IV melanoma, registered in the Dutch Melanoma Treatment Registry. To assess the association of BRAFV600-mutation status with OS we used the Cox proportional-hazards model.

Results:

A total of 642 BRAFV600 wild-type and 853 mutant patients were included in the analysis. Median OS did not differ significantly between both groups, 15.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.2-19.2) versus 20.6 months (95% CI: 18.3-25.0). Survival rates at 6 and 12 months were significantly lower for BRAFV600 wild-type patients compared with BRAFV600-mutant patients, 72.0% (95% CI: 68.6-75.6) and 56.0% (95% CI: 52.2-60.0) versus 83.4% (95% CI: 80.9-85.9) and 65.7% (95% CI: 62.6-69.0). Two-year survival was not significantly different between both groups, 41.1% (95% CI: 37.2-45.3) versus 47.0% (95% CI: 43.6-60.6). Between 0 and 10 months, BRAFV600 wild-type patients had a decreased survival with a hazard ratio for OS of 2.00 (95% CI: 1.62-2.46) but this effect disappeared after 10 months. At 12 months, BRAFV600-mutant patients had started with second-line systemic treatment more often compared with BRAFV600 wild-type patients (50% vs. 19%).

Conclusion:

These results suggest that advanced BRAFV600 wild-type melanoma patients have worse survival than BRAFV600-mutated patients during the first 10 months after diagnosis because of less available treatment options.
ICU preparedness in pandemics: lessons learned from the coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak
Authors: Harris Gavin , Adalja Amesh
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

The worldwide SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on ICUs worldwide. This review expounds on lessons learned for ICU preparedness during the pandemic and for future mass casualty events.

Recent findings

In the 21st century, there have already been several outbreaks of infectious diseases that have led to mass casualties creating ICU strain, providing multiple opportunities for hospitals and hospital systems to prepare their ICUs for future events. Unfortunately, the sheer scale and rapidity of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to overwhelming strain on every aspect of ICU disaster preparedness. Yet, by analyzing experiences of hospitals throughout the first 7 months of the current pandemic in the areas of infection control, equipment preparedness, staffing strategies, ICU spatial logistics as well as acute and postacute treatment, various important lessons have already emerged that will prove critical for successful future ICU preparedness.

Preemptive planning, beginning with the early identification of staffing resources, supply chains and alternative equipment sources, coupled with strong infection control practices that also provide for the flexibility for evolving evidence is of utmost importance. However, there is no single approach that can be applied to every health system.
Three metachronous primary lung cancers in a chronic smoker
Authors: Damania Dushyant , Chow Lillian , Betancourt Boris , Mahoney James , Haseeb M.A. , Jabbar Absia , Gupta Raavi , Sidhu Gurinder
Published: December 2020

Rationale:

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Smoking is major risk factor for initial and subsequent lung cancer especially in active smokers. Treatment of subsequent lung cancer depends on whether it is synchronous or metachronous. We report a rare case of triple metachronous lung cancer and review of literature of patients with triple metachronous cancers. This will be the second case reported of triple metachronous lung cancer.

Patient concerns:

A 60-year-old male, active smoker with diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peripheral arterial disease presented with cough and hemoptysis. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan showed right upper lobe spiculated mass.

Diagnosis:

He underwent transthoracic needle biopsy for right upper lobe mass, showing primary lung adenocarcinoma (ADC)-Stage-IIIA. He continued to smoke and 9-years later had new left upper lobe spiculated nodule, which on surgical resection showed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-Stage-IA1. Despite counselling on smoking cessation, he was unable to quit. Six months later, he presented with shortness of breath and CT chest showing right hilar adenopathy in right upper and lower lobes. He underwent transbronchial biopsies of lesion which showed small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).

Interventions:

His initial lung ADC-Stage-IIIA, was treated with chemotherapy, weekly thoracic radiation and additional chemotherapy cycles. Nine years later, his left upper lobe mass showing SCC-Stage-IA1 was deemed curative after apical resection and he was kept on surveillance. Six months later, after diagnosis of SCLC in right upper and lower lobe, patient was not a candidate for systemic chemotherapy due to poor performance status and opted for hospice care.

Outcomes:

His initial lung ADC-Stage-IIIA showed complete radiological response with chemotherapy and radiation. Subsequent SCC-Stage-IA1 was deemed curative after resection. Due to his poor performance status, he was not a candidate for chemotherapy for SCLC and patient opted for hospice care.

Lessons:

Smoking is a major risk factor for developing lung cancer and with continued smoking, patients are at higher risk for developing subsequent primary lung cancers. We recommend, patients with lung cancer must quit smoking, and those who do not, should remain on long-term surveillance.
Diagnostic value of microRNA-25 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer in Chinese population
Authors: Li Chang , Sun Lin , Zhou Hongbin , Yang Ying , Wang Yong , She Min , Chen Jianguo
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Previous studies have shown that microRNA-25 (miR-25) plays a key role in the occurrence and development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Many studies have shown that there is a significant increment of miR-25 in circulating blood of patients with NSCLC. The meta-analysis aims to explore diagnostic value of miR-25 in NSCLC in Chinese population.

Methods:

PubMed, Web of science, Excerpta Medica Database, China national knowledge infrastructure and China Wanfang database were searched to collect studies upon correlation between miR-25 and diagnosis of the patients with NSCLC until April 2020. Combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and area under receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated by Stata 15.0 software. Literature assessment was conducted according to quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies, and documents with scores above or equal to 11 were included in this meta-analysis.

Results:

Six studies were included, including 480 cases with NSCLC and 451 healthy controls. The combined sensitivity (0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69∼0.80), specificity (0.81, 95% CI: 0.76∼0.86), positive likelihood ratio (4.04, 95% CI: 3.14∼5.20), negative likelihood ratio (0.31, 95% CI: 0.25∼0.37), diagnostic odds ratio (13.09, 95% CI: 9.37∼18.29) and area under curve (0.85, 95% CI: 0.82∼0.88) indicated that miR-25 had desirable diagnostic accuracy for NSCLC.

Conclusion:

MiR-25 can be applied in diagnosis of NSCLC and has potential of becoming a biomarker for detection of patients with early NSCLC in Chinese population.
Kikuchi's disease with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Duan Wei , Xiao Zheng-Hui , Yang Long-Gui , Luo Hai-Yan
Published: December 2020

Introduction:

Kikuchi's disease (KD) is a rare form of necrotizing lymphadenitis that rarely occurs in association with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in children.

Patient concerns:

We report the case of a 4-year-5-month-old boy who suffered from fever, cervical lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, hypertriglyceridemia, splenomegaly, low NK cell activity.

Diagnoses:

A diagnosis of KD with HLH was made based on the results of biopsy of cervical lymph node and HLH-2004 trial guidelines.

Interventions:

The patient was treated with corticosteroids, cyclosporine, etoposide, continuous hemodiafiltration (HDF), and plasma exchange (PE).

Outcomes:

He showed a complete response to therapy, and his condition gradually improved. He was discharged on day 45 after admission due to his good recovery status.

Conclusion:

HLH can be associated with KD, especially in childhood, and may have an aggressive clinical course. Continuous HDF and PE and chemotherapy should be reserved for those patients who fail to respond to IVIG and corticosteroids.
Is acupuncture effective and safe for prophylaxis of vestibular migraine?
Authors: Hu Tianye , Zhang Aijun , Jiang Bin , Shen Fengfei , Hu Jin
Published: December 2020

Background:

Increasing studies indicate that acupuncture can be used for treating vestibular migraine (VM), but current evidence remains inconclusive. Thus, this protocol aims to evaluate the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

Studies will be retrieved by searching electronic databases from their inception to December 2020, including EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP). Eligible randomized controlled trials involving acupuncture for VM prophylaxis will be included. Study screening, data collection, and assessment for risk of bias will be executed by 2 independent reviewers. Meta-analyses will be conducted, followed by subgroup analysis if significant heterogeneity is detected. Sensitivity analysis and summary of the strength of the evidence will also be performed.

Results:

The results of the present systematic review and meta-analysis will verify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis.

Conclusion:

This review will determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on VM prophylaxis. The findings are expected to verified whether acupuncture can be an alternative treatment for VM prophylaxis.

Ethics and dissemination:

Given that a systematic review and meta-analysis will not involve private information of individuals, ethical approval is not required. Relevant results and findings will be submitted to an academic journal for peer reviews.

PROSPERO registration number:

CRD42020202588.
Exploring the neural correlates of self-related names in healthy subjects
Authors: Li Ran , Du Jubao , Chen Weiguan , Zhang Ye , Song Weiqun
Published: December 2020

Objectives:

This study aimed to clarify the neural correlates and underlying mechanisms of the subject's own name (SON) and the unique name derived from the SON (SDN).

Methods:

A name that was most familiar to the subject (SFN) was added as a self-related reference. We used 4 auditory stimuli—pure tone (1000 Hz), SON, SDN, and SFN—to evaluate the corresponding activated brain areas in 19 healthy subjects by using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Results:

Our results demonstrated that pure tone activated the fewest brain regions. Although SFN was a very strong self-related stimulus, it failed to activate many midline structures. The brain regions activated by SON and SDN were very similar. SFN as a self-related stimulus was less self-related compared with SDN. What's more, the additionally activated fusiform gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus of SDN might revealed its processing path.

Conclusions:

SDN, which has created by us, is a new and self-related stimulus similar to SON. They might provide a useful reference for consciousness assessment with SON and SDN.
A multifaceted study of hospital variables and interventions to improve inpatient satisfaction in a multi-hospital system
Authors: Puppala Mamta , Ezeana Chika F. , Alvarado Miguel Valdivia Y. , Goode Kimberly N. , Danforth Rebecca L. , Wong Solomon S.Y. , Vassallo Mark L. , Wong Stephen T.C.
Published: December 2020

Knowing the areas of service, actions, and parameters that can influence patient perception about a service provided can help hospital executives and healthcare workers to devise improvement plans, leading to higher patient satisfaction.

To identify inpatient satisfaction determinants, assess their relationships with hospital variables, and improve patient satisfaction through interventions.

We studied the inpatient population of an eight-hospital tertiary medical center in 2015. The satisfaction determinants were based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey answers and included clinical and organizational variables.

Interventions began at the end of 2016 included bedside care coordination rounds (BCCR), medications best practices alert (BPA), connect transitions post-discharge calls (CONNECT Transitions) and a framework for provider-patient interactions called AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explain, and Thank). Substantial impact upon patient satisfaction was observed after the introduction of these interventions.

Three groups were identified:

Significant improvements in the 3 groups were achieved with interventions that optimize care provider interactions with patients and their families.

Based on the HCAHPS-based analysis, we implemented new measures and programs for addressing coordination of care, improving patient safety, reducing the length of stay, and ultimately improving patient satisfaction.
Accuracy of initial psychiatric diagnoses given by nonpsychiatric physicians
Authors: AlSalem Moayyad , AlHarbi Majed A. , Badeghiesh Ahmad , Tourian Leon
Published: December 2020

Despite the increased morbidity and mortality associated with psychiatric illnesses, there remains a substantial level of inaccuracy of the initial psychiatric diagnoses given by nonpsychiatric physicians. This study examines the accuracy of initial psychiatric diagnoses by non-psychiatric physicians at the McGill University Health Center (MUHC).

We conducted a retrospective chart review for all consultations requested from the consultation-liaison psychiatry service at MUHC. We included all the consultations from January 1, 2018, to December 30, 2018, and excluded patient data with established psychiatric diagnoses. In all requested consults, each diagnosis of a referring physician was compared with the final diagnosis given by the C-L psychiatry team. Conformity between the 2 was validated as accurate.

Of the 980 referred inpatients, 875 were enrolled. Patients ranged in age and those older than 70 years constituted the largest group: 54.4% were male. For 467 patients (55.20%), the initial diagnostic impression given by the referring physicians agreed with the final diagnosis made by the C-L psychiatry team, while in 379 patients (44.80%), the initial diagnostic impression was not consistent with the final diagnosis made by the C-L team.

Diagnostic impressions of neurocognitive and substance use disorders were highly accurate, but this was not the case when the referring physicians suspected depression or bipolar, personality, or psychotic disorders. This study shows that around half of the referrals were accurately diagnosed, which evinces that nonpsychiatric physicians’ knowledge regarding psychiatric conditions is not optimal and that might negatively impact screening and treating these conditions.
Pulmonary edema following shoulder arthroscopy under general anesthesia with nerve block
Authors: Zhang Gang , Wan Qihai , Huang Xiaoyan , Shui Yunhua , Luo Chunqiong , Su Li , Jiang Xue , Zhang Lan
Published: December 2020

Shoulder arthroscopy requires a large of irrigation for a better surgical view, leading circulatory overload. This study was performed to prove whether pulmonary edema will be lead by a large of irrigation.

General anesthesia with interscalene block was induced before operation. The primary outcome was ultrasound evaluation of B lines from the time before nerve block to the time 10 hours after operation. The secondary outcomes included oxygenation index, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, visual analogue scale, muscle strength grade.

A total of 93 patients were evaluated. Before surgery, B lines failed to be detected. While the highest total incidence of B lines was 49.4%, occurred at 4 hours after surgery. The highest incidences of severe and moderate pulmonary edema were 3.2% (P = .081) and 9.7% (P = .002), respectively. B lines were also found on both the affected and healthy side. During operation, the incidence of type 1 respiratory failure was 5.4% (P = .023) and that of both type 1 and 2 respiratory failure were 6.5% (P = .013). Pain was relieved in 6 hours after surgery (VAS < 3). At 12 hours after operation, the VAS of resting and motion were 4.68 ± 2.27, 6.90 ± 2.43, respectively. While the grade of muscle strength was 4.48 ± 0.51 at 12 hours after operation.

There is a high incidence of pulmonary edema in shoulder arthroscopy, and ultrasound is a convenient tool to evaluate this complication. Pain is relieved in 6 hours after surgery by nerve block. While muscle strength can also recover at 12 hours after surgery.
Treating the primary in low burden metastatic prostate cancer
Authors: Luo Hua-Chun , Fu Zhi-Chao , Wang Xin-Peng , Cai Lv-Juan , Wang Feng-Mei , Yin Qin , Lin Guishan , Chen Zhong-Hua , Liao Shao-Guang
Published: December 2020

On the basis of endocrine therapy for patients with low burden metastatic prostate cancer (LBMP), the clinical efficacy and quality of life were compared between prostate-only directed radiotherapy (PODT) and prostate and metastasis radiotherapy (PMRT).

From November 2009 to November 2015, total 91 patients newly diagnosed with LBMP were retrospectively analyzed, of which 52 patients received PODT and 39 patients received PMRT. The biochemical failure free interval (IBF), prostate specific survival (PCSS), and overall survival (OS) time were compared between the 2 groups, and expanded prostate cancer index composite (EPIC) scale was used to evaluate the difference in quality of life between the 2 groups.

The median IBF of the PODT group was 31 months, which was significantly lower than the 39 months of the PMRT group (P < .05); the 5-year OS and PCSS were 58.9%, 65.3% in PODT group, and 58.9%, 71.79% in PMRT group, respectively. There was no significant between the 2 groups (P > .05); the side effects of acute radiotherapy in PMRT group were significantly higher than PODT group (P < .05), especially in bone marrow suppression and gastrointestinal reactions; The scores of urinary system function and intestinal system function in PMRT group were significantly higher than PODT group at the end of radiotherapy, 3 months after radiotherapy, and 6 months after radiotherapy (P < .05). The score of sexual function in PMRT group was significantly lower than that in PODT group after radiotherapy (P < .05), and higher than that in PORT group at other follow-up time points (P < .05). The hormone function was decreased at each follow-up time point in 2 groups, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (P > .05).

Patients with LBMP receiving PMRT can improve IBF, but cannot increase PCSS and OS, and increase the incidence of acute radiation injury.
Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Authors: Ren Xuetong , Di Zirui , Zhang Zhe , Fu Bingqian , Wang Yuman , Huang Chongxin , Du Yanru
Published: December 2020

Background:

Chinese medicine has a unique theory and the Chinese herbal medicine treatment is based on the integral concepts and syndrome differentiation of the Traditional Chinese Medicine system. Although antibiotics remain the mainstay of SIBO treatment, various alternative or adjunctive therapies are available, including prokinetic agents, dietary interventions, probiotics, and herbal combinations. There is accumulating evidence demonstrating the antimicrobial properties of a growing number of herbs including garlic, black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, all-spices, bay leaves, mustard, and rosemary. This has prompted an interest in herbal therapy for the treatment of SIBO. Currently, there is no systematic review focusing on efficacy of CHM in the treatment of SIBO with PCOS, so our meta-analysis aims to comprehensively explore it. Meanwhile we will provide high-quality evidence to help patients, clinicians as well as health policymakers select better treatment strategy of PCOS.

Methods:

We will search the following sources without restrictions for date, language, or publication status: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) Cochrane Library, EMBASE and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will apply a combination of Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) and free-text terms incorporating database-specific controlled vocabularies and text words to implement search strategies. We will also search the ongoing trials registered in the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Besides, the previous relevant reviews conducted on CHM for SIBO and reference lists of included studies will also be searched.

Results:

This study will provide a reliable basis for the treatment of SIBO with CHM.

Conclusions:

The findings will be an available reference to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM in the treatment of SIBO.

Registration number:

INPLASY202080004.
Pediatric Tuina (massage) for primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Liu Muqing , Li Yingying , Xian Jin , Yang Wenlong , Gao Qing , Yu Juan
Published: December 2020

Background:

Primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis is one of the common diseases of preschool and school-age children and it will cause adverse effects on the healthy growth. Pediatric Tuina (massage) has been widely used in the treatment of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in China. The study is conducted to summarize the current evidence on the effects and safety of Pediatric Tuina (massage) therapy for the treatment of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in children.

Methods:

The following electronic databases will be searched from establishment to December, 2019: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan-fang database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Databases (CBM), and other databases, without any language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials about this theme will be retrieved. Independent reviewers will operate literature retrieval, duplication removing, screening, quality evaluation, data analyses by EndNote (X9), and Review Manager (5.3). Meta-analysis, subgroup analysis, and/or descriptive analysis will be performed based on the included data form.

Results:

High-quality synthesis and/or descriptive analysis of current evidence will be provided from improvement of nocturia frequency, improvement of sleep wakefulness disorder, and total efficiency.

Conclusion:

This review will provide evidence of whether Pediatric Tuina (massage) is an effective and safe intervention for primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis in children.

Trail registration number:

This protocol of systematic review has been registered on PROSPERO website (No. CRD42020165107).
Acupuncture and related therapies for stable angina pectoris
Authors: Xue Yixuan , Zhang Xiaolei , Yang Qiqi , Zhang Yanji , Liu Zhenzhen , Lu Wei , Huang Wei
Published: December 2020

Background:

Stable angina pectoris (SAP) is one of the important causes and harbingers of disability and mortality worldwide in the cardiovascular diseases. Acupuncture has been widely applied in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in recent years. This systematic review protocol aims to analyze different acupuncture and related therapies to treat SAP, with a view to providing an evidence-based basis for clinical implementation of treatment for patients with SAP.

Methods and analysis:

The electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and China Biology Medicine Database (CBM) will be searched from inception to November 2020. The outcome measures were angina attack frequency, ECG changes, angina pain intensity, performance on the Six-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) and reported adverse events. Study inclusion, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. STATA 14.0 will be used to perform pairwise meta-analysis. STATA 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 will be used to perform pairwise meta-analysis and will be used to conduct network meta-analyses.

Results:

The results of this review will generate a comprehensive review of current evidence and be published on a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusions:

The result of this network meta-analysis is expected to provide a possible ranking for acupuncture treatment methods of stable angina pectoris and offer better options for patients with stable angina pectoris.

Ethics and dissemination:

Ethical approval is not necessary since this protocol is only for systematic review and does not involve privacy data or conduct an animal experiment. This protocol will be disseminated by a peer-review journal or conference presentation.

Trial registration number:

INPLASY2020110035.