Towards a Buddhist systems methodology (BSM): developing the theory of BSM and testing it in a Taiwanese Buddhist organization

In the twentieth century, systems thinking developed in the West from a recognition that a new way of thinking was needed to deal with complexity. In the East, Buddhism offers a powerful perspective to observe the world and its problems, and has been successfully helping people in their daily lives for nearly two thousand five hundred years. This research develops and tests a new perspective for problem solving and problem prevention by integrating selected ideas from Buddhist thinking and systems thinking. The purpose is to generate a methodology of specific relevance to Buddhist organizations in Taiwan. Similarities and differences between aspects of Buddhist thinking and systems thinking are examined to reveal potential synergies. However, difficulties in integrating various Buddhist and systems perspectives are also identified. The chosen solution is to establish synergies via the "systemic intervention" perspective that provides a rationale for allowing theoretical and methodological pluralism in the development of locally relevant approaches to intervention. Therefore a Buddhist Systems Methodology (BSM) is proposed which combines systemic intervention with Buddhist concepts and which appears to offer a new systemic perspective for problem solving and problem prevention in organizations in Taiwan. The BSM methodology is field tested by carrying out an intervention in Buddha's Light International Association, Republic of China (BLIA, R. O. C. ). The intervention identifies and tackles an issue of major concern to the organization. An evaluation of the BSM intervention by stakeholders, carried out six months after implementation, reveals significant progress towards resolution of the issue and wide acceptance of the usefulness of the BSM

Developing a Systemic Problem Structuring Method for Use in a Problem- Avoiding Culture

This paper presents a Buddhist systems methodology (BSM) designed for use in Taiwanese Buddhist organisations. The authors argue that the BSM has advantages in Taiwanese contexts compared with Western systemic problem structuring methods, which mostly require participants to identify and explore problems or problematic situations. In Taiwanese Buddhist culture, identifying problems is regarded negatively because it could lead to individual blame and threaten organisational harmony. Unlike many Western approaches, the BSM uses Buddhist concepts that are closely associated with the practice of harmonious living. Thus, it reframes systemic problem structuring as the exercise of Buddhist discipline applied to organisational life, which is likely to be viewed as a co-operative and culturally valued endeavour. A BSM intervention is described in which the authors tackled a significant conflict (and issues underlying this) that threatened the future of a large non-governmental Buddhist organisation. An evaluation of the intervention demonstrated significant positive impacts

From Acupuncture to Interaction between δ

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting about 1% of population. Although the precise mechanism of its pathophysiological changes in the brain is unknown, epilepsy has been recognized as a disorder of brain excitability characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures that result from the abnormal, excessive, and synchronous activity of clusters of nerve cells in the brain. Currently available therapies, including medical, surgical, and other strategies, such as ketogenic diet and vagus nerve stimulation, are symptomatic with their own limitations and complications. Seeking new strategies to cure this serious disorder still poses a big challenge to the field of medicine. Our recent studies suggest that acupuncture may exert its antiepileptic effects by normalizing the disrupted neuronal and network excitability through several mechanisms, including lowering the overexcited neuronal activity, enhancing the inhibitory system, and attenuating the excitatory system in the brain via regulation of the interaction between δ-opioid receptors (DOR) and Na+ channels. This paper reviews the progress in this field and summarizes new knowledge based on our work and those of others

Reasons and clinical managements of canalicular laceration in 78 cases

AIM:To analyze the reason of canalicular laceration, and to explore the methods and techniques to raise the success rate of lacrimal canaliculi laceration anastomosis. <p>METHODS: Seventy-eight cases(78 eyes)with canalicular underwent lacrimal canaliculi laceration anastomosis through catheter support under microscope at I stage.<p>RESULTS: The operation was successful in all cases. The extubation time was at 3 months after operation. After one-year follow-up, lower lacrimal canaliculi were all unobstructed. <p>CONCLUSION: The causes of canalicular laceration laceration mostly were frustrated laceration. Receiving anastomosis under microscope at I stage was preferred and necessary. Searching nasal stump, implanting epidural catheter and anatomical reduction of the inner canthus were the keys to make the operation successful. Fake tears could also drain tear

The role of technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile scintigraphy in predicting the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy against nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The authors prospectively evaluated the correlation between technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile ( 99m Tc-MIBI) accumulation in tumors and response to induction chemotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Eighty-six patients with locally advanced NPC underwent single-photon emission computed tomography 15 minutes after an intravenous injection of 740 megabecquerels (20 mCi) 99m Tc-MIBI before chemotherapy. The tumor uptake ratio (TUR) was calculated. Two weeks after the second cycle of combined chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (DDP), the tumor response rate was evaluated. The correlation between 99m Tc-MIBI accumulation in tumors and response to chemotherapy with 5-FU/DDP was examined. RESULTS: Positive accumulation of 99m Tc-MIBI in tumors was observed in 76 patients (88.4%). The tumor response was a complete response (CR) in 8 patients, a partial response (PR) in 68 patients, stable disease (SD) in 9 patients, and progressive disease (PD) in 1 patient. The response rate (CR and PR) to 5-FU/DDP chemotherapy in patients who had positive 99m Tc-MIBI accumulation (tumor uptake ratio [TUR] >1.1) was higher than that in patients who had negative 99m Tc-MIBI accumulation (TUR ≤1.1; 98.7% vs 10%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with negative 99m Tc-MIBI accumulation were resistant to 5-FU/DDP chemotherapy. 99m Tc-MIBI imaging in patients with NPC was capable of predicting tumor response to chemotherapy with 5-FU/DDP and can help in the selection of patients for induction chemotherapy. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84384/1/25802_ftp.pd

Intelligence Deficits in Chinese Patients with Brain Tumor: The Impact of Tumor Resection

Background. Intelligence is much important for brain tumor patients after their operation, while the reports about surgical related intelligence deficits are not frequent. It is not only theoretically important but also meaningful for clinical practice. Methods. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was employed to evaluate the intelligence of 103 patients with intracranial tumor and to compare the intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ (VIQ), and performance IQ (PIQ) between the intracerebral and extracerebral subgroups. Results. Although preoperative intelligence deficits appeared in all subgroups, IQ, VIQ, and PIQ were not found to have any significant difference between the intracerebral and extracerebral subgroups, but with VIQ lower than PIQ in all the subgroups. An immediate postoperative follow-up demonstrated a decline of IQ and PIQ in the extracerebral subgroup, but an improvement of VIQ in the right intracerebral subgroup. Pituitary adenoma resection exerted no effect on intelligence. In addition, age, years of education, and tumor size were found to play important roles. Conclusions. Brain tumors will impair IQ, VIQ, and PIQ. The extracerebral tumor resection can deteriorate IQ and PIQ. However, right intracerebral tumor resection is beneficial to VIQ, and transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection performs no effect on intelligence

Downregulated expression of HSP27 in human low-grade glioma tissues discovered by a quantitative proteomic analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heat shock proteins (HSPs), including mainly HSP110, HSP90, HSP70, HSP60 and small HSP families, are evolutionary conserved proteins involved in various cellular processes. Abnormal expression of HSPs has been detected in several tumor types, which indicates that specific HSPs have different prognostic significance for different tumors. In the current studies, the expression profiling of HSPs in human low-grade glioma tissues (HGTs) were investigated using a sensitive, accurate SILAC (stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture)-based quantitative proteomic strategy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The five HSP family members were detected and quantified in both HGTs and autologous para-cancerous brain tissues (PBTs) by the SILAC-based mass spectrometry (MS) simultaneously. HSP90 AB1, HSP A5(70 KDa), and especially HSP27 were significantly downregulated in HGTs, whereas the expression level of HSPA9 (70 KDa) was little higher in HGTs than that in PBTs. It was noted that the downregulation ratio of HSP27 was 0.48-fold in HGTs <it>versus </it>PBTs, which was further validated by results from RT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we detected HSP27 expression changes along with cell growth under heat shock treatment in glioma H4 cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The SILAC-MS technique is an applicable and efficient novel method, with a high-throughput manner, to quantitatively compare the relative expression level of HSPs in brain tumors. Different HSP family members have specific protein expression levels in human low-grade glioma discovered by SILAC-MS analysis. HSP27 expression was obviously downregulated in HGTs <it>versus </it>PBTs, and it exhibited temporal and spatial variation under heat shock treatment (43°C/0-3 h) <it>in vitro</it>. HSP27's rapid upregulation was probably correlated with the temporary resistance to heat shock in order to maintain the survival of human glioma cells.</p