A Mesmerizing Book

HYPNOSIS IN THE RELIEF OF PAIN Ernest R. Hilgard and Josephine R. Hilgard Brunner/Maze!, Inc., New York 1994, paperback, $28 .95, 294 pgs

Complementary medicine in chronic cancer care

Although advancements in cancer care have led to increased cure rates and survival times, those coping with the long-term sequelae of a cancer diagnosis often report high levels of distress, poor health-related quality of life, and unmet psychosocial needs. The shortcomings of the conventional biomedical system at sufficiently addressing these chronic illness issues are a primary reason that many patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Although patients usually use such treatments in addition to conventional care, they often do not discuss doing so with their conventional physicians, who are perceived as being unreceptive to the topic. Physicians may feel uninformed about CAM treatments, especially given the relatively small amount of data on the topic available in the medical literature. This article reviews a few CAM modalities commonly used by cancer survivors and those with chronic cancer illness, with a particular focus on familiarizing physicians with treatments that may potentially complement regular oncologic care by decreasing stress and enhancing health-related quality of life

Retrospective Evaluation of Clinical Experience With Intravenous Ascorbic Acid in Patients With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous ascorbic acid (IV AA) has been used extensively in cancer patients throughout the United States. Currently, there are limited data on the safety and clinical effects of IV AA. The purpose of this study was to expand the current literature using a retrospective analysis of adverse events and symptomatic changes of IV AA in a large sample of cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients receiving IV AA for cancer at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital over a 7-year period. We assessed all reports of adverse events, laboratory findings, and hospital or emergency department admissions. We also reviewed quality-of-life data, including fatigue, nausea, pain, appetite, and mood. RESULTS: There were 86 patients who received a total of 3034 doses of IV AA ranging from 50 to 150g. In all, 32 patients received only ascorbic acid as part of their cancer management (1197 doses), whereas 54 patients received ascorbic acid in conjunction with chemotherapy (1837 doses). The most common adverse events related to ascorbic acid were temporary nausea and discomfort at the injection site. All events reported in the ascorbic acid alone group were associated with less than 3% of the total number of infusions. Patients, overall, reported improvements in fatigue, pain, and mood while receiving ascorbic acid. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this retrospective analysis support the growing evidence that IV AA is generally safe and well tolerated in patients with cancer, and may be useful in symptom management and improving quality of life

Sinopsis de las Asteraceae de la Provincia de Catamarca

Fil: Freire, Susana Edith. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bayón, Néstor D.. Área de Botánica, Departamento de Ciencias Biológica Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Monti, Claudia. Área de Botánica. Departamento de Ciencias Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Giuliano, Daniel A.. Área de Botánica. Departamento de Ciencias Biológica. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ariza Espinar, Luis. Museo Botánico. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Sáenz, Alcides A.. División Plantas Vasculares. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Perea, Mario V.. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UNCA). San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca; ArgentinaFil: Delucchi, Gustavo. División Plantas Vasculares. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Desarrollo de una fuente sonora omnidireccional liviana para mediciones de campo.

Ponencia presentada en el IX Congreso Iberoamericano de Acústica. Valdivia, Chile. 2014En este trabajo se describe el diseño y construcción de una fuente sonora omnidireccional liviana y de reducidas dimensiones destinada principalmente para realizar mediciones de tiempo de reverberación y aislamiento acústico ?in situ?. La fuente sonora ha sido desarrollada en el Centro de Investigaciones Acústicas y Luminotécnicas (CIAL) dependiente de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Se aborda el problema a partir de un estudio de la geometría y las variables intervinientes, buscando equilibrar los requerimientos teóricos con las posibilidades económicas y técnicas. Se presentan en el trabajo las características constructivas generales, sistema de altavoces y respuesta final alcanzada. La configuración general está basada en un icosidodecaedro dividido en seis unidades independientes de dos altavoces cada una. En este sentido, se buscó definir un sistema de módulos emisores funcionando como cajas infinitas independientes y cuya geometría permitiera el ensamblado del conjunto. Se desarrollaron entornos de simulación para valorar resultados previsibles y de procesamiento de datos de medición para la evaluación del prototipo, de los módulos individuales y del conjunto ensamblado. Desde el punto de vista acústico, se adoptaron criterios preferenciales hacia el tratamiento de frecuencias medias y altas. Las características de omnidireccionalidad fueron evaluadas en cámara anecoica respondiendo a los criterios fijados por la ISO 3382 e ISO 140-3.Fil: Maristany, Arturo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño. Centro de Investigaciones Acústicas y Luminotécnicas; ArgentinaFil: Moyano, Daniel A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño. Centro de Investigaciones Acústicas y Luminotécnicas; ArgentinaFil: Méndez Monti, Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño. Centro de Investigaciones Acústicas y Luminotécnicas; ArgentinaOtras Ingenierías y Tecnología

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Metrics for Earlier Identification of Pre-Diabetes: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Glycaemic variability and other metrics are not well characterised in subjects without diabetes. More comprehensive sampling as obtained with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may improve diagnostic accuracy of the transition from health to pre-diabetes. Our goal is to investigate the glycaemic system as it shifts from health to pre-disease in adult patients without diabetes using CGM metrics. New insights may offer therapeutic promise for reversing dysglycaemia more successfully with dietary, nutritional and lifestyle change before progression occurs to pre-diabetes and diabetes. Methods and analysis: This systematic review will include comprehensive searches of the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov databases, with restrictions set to studies published in the last 10 years in English and planned search date 10 March 2022. Reference lists of studies that meet eligibility criteria in the screening process will subsequently be screened for the potential inclusion of additional studies. We will include studies that examine CGM use and report diagnostic criteria such as fasting glucose and/or haemoglobin A1c such that we can assess correlation between CGM metrics and established diagnostic criteria and describe how CGM metrics are altered in the transition from health to pre-diabetes. The screening and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers using Covidence. All included papers will also be evaluated for quality and publication bias using Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tools. If there are two or more studies with quantitative estimates that can be combined, we will conduct a meta-analysis after assessing heterogeneity. Ethics and dissemination: The systematic review methodology does not require formal ethical review due to the nature of the study design. Study findings will be publicly available and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Prospero registration number: CRD42022308222

Revisión del género Pseudognaphalium (Asteraceae, Gnaphalieae) en Chile

The genus Pseudognaphalium is one of the largest genera of the tribe Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) with about 90 species with worldwide distribution. The vast majority of species are found in South, Central and North America, but some species also occur in Asia and Africa. This work includes the revision of 12 species of Pseudognaphalium from Chile, P. aldunateoides, P. cabrerae, P. cheiranthifolium, P. cymatoides, P. gayanum, P. lacteum, P. landbeckii, P. munoziae, P. psilophyllum, P. remyanum, P. tarapacanum, and P. viravira. A key is provided for their identification, as well as morphological description, illustration, geographic distribution and habitat, distribution maps, phenology, additional material examined, distinguishing characters and taxonomic affinities for each taxon. The new combination Pseudognaphalium cabrerae (S.E. Freire) S.E. Freire, N. Bayón, C. Baeza, Giuliano & C. Monti, is proposed. The following taxa are newly synonymized: Gnaphalium diminutivum, Pseudognaphalium perpusillum, with P. aldunateoides; G. canum, G. ulophyllum, P. moelleri with P. cymatoides; P. heterophyllum, P. heterotrichum, G. pseudohelichrysum, P. robustum with P. gayanum; P. glandulosum with P. psilophyllum; G. longifolium, G. subnudum, P. andicola, P. coquimbense, P. illapelinum, P. montevidense, P. pratense, with P. viravira. Lectotypes are newly designated for Gnaphalium acutifolium, G. araucanum, G. argyrolepis, G. canum, G. cymatoides, G. glandulosum, G. heterophyllum, G. illapelinum, G. lacteum, G. landbeckii, G. moelleri, G. ramosum, G. remyanum, G. subnudum, G. tarapacanum, G. ulophyllum, and G. viravira. A neotype is designated for G. psilophyllum.El género Pseudognaphalium, con cerca de 90 especies de distribución cosmopolita, es uno de los géneros de la tribu Gnaphalieae con mayor número de especies, principalmente distribuidas en América del Sur, Central y del Norte, aunque algunas también están presentes en Asia y África. Este trabajo comprende la revisión de 12 especies de Pseudognaphalium para Chile, P. aldunateoides, P. cabrerae, P. cheiranthifolium, P. cymatoides, P. gayanum, P. lacteum, P. landbeckii, P. munoziae, P. psilophyllum, P. remyanum, P. tarapacanum y P. viravira. Se incluye una clave para identificarlas y para cada una de las especies se brinda descripción, ilustración, fenología, distribución geográfica y hábitat, mapa de distribución, material adicional examinado y afinidades taxonómicas. Sobre la base del estudio de los materiales tipo, se establecen los siguientes nuevos sinónimos: Gnaphalium diminutivum, Pseudognaphalium perpusillum, con P. aldunateoides; G. canum, G. ulophyllum, P. moelleri con P. cymatoides; P. heterophyllum, P. heterotrichum, G. pseudohelichrysum, P. robustum, con P. gayanum; P. glandulosum con P. psilophyllum; G. longifolium, G. subnudum, P. andicola, P. coquimbense, P. illapelinum, P. montevidense, P. pratense, con P. viravira; se designan lectotipos para las siguientes especies: Gnaphalium acutifolium, G. araucanum, G. argyrolepis, G. canum, G. cymatoides, G. glandulosum, G. heterophyllum, G. illapelinum, G. lacteum, G. landbeckii, G. moelleri, G. ramosum, G. remyanum, G. subnudum, G. tarapacanum, G. ulophyllum, G. viravira y se designa el neotipo para G. psilophyllum

Cluster M Mycobacteriophages Bongo, PegLeg, and Rey with Unusually Large Repertoires of tRNA Isotopes

Genomic analysis of a large set of phages infecting the common hostMycobacterium smegmatis mc2155 shows that they span considerable genetic diversity. There are more than 20 distinct types that lack nucleotide similarity with each other, and there is considerable diversity within most of the groups. Three newly isolated temperate mycobacteriophages, Bongo, PegLeg, and Rey, constitute a new group (cluster M), with the closely related phages Bongo and PegLeg forming subcluster M1 and the more distantly related Rey forming subcluster M2. The cluster M mycobacteriophages have siphoviral morphologies with unusually long tails, are homoimmune, and have larger than average genomes (80.2 to 83.7 kbp). They exhibit a variety of features not previously described in other mycobacteriophages, including noncanonical genome architectures and several unusual sets of conserved repeated sequences suggesting novel regulatory systems for both transcription and translation. In addition to containing transfer-messenger RNA and RtcB-like RNA ligase genes, their genomes encode 21 to 24 tRNA genes encompassing complete or nearly complete sets of isotypes. We predict that these tRNAs are used in late lytic growth, likely compensating for the degradation or inadequacy of host tRNAs. They may represent a complete set of tRNAs necessary for late lytic growth, especially when taken together with the apparent lack of codons in the same late genes that correspond to tRNAs that the genomes of the phages do not obviously encode

Identification of Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Resting State Functional MRI and Machine Learning Techniques

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a major public health concern that can result in a broad spectrum of short-term and long-term symptoms. Recently, machine learning (ML) algorithms have been used in neuroscience research for diagnostics and prognostic assessment of brain disorders. The present study aimed to develop an automatic classifier to distinguish patients suffering from chronic mTBI from healthy controls (HCs) utilizing multilevel metrics of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Sixty mTBI patients and forty HCs were enrolled and allocated to training and testing datasets with a ratio of 80:20. Several rs-fMRI metrics including fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), degree centrality (DC), voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC), functional connectivity strength (FCS), and seed-based FC were generated from two main analytical categories: local measures and network measures. Statistical two-sample t-test was employed comparing between mTBI and HCs groups. Then, for each rs-fMRI metric the features were selected extracting the mean values from the clusters showing significant differences. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) models based on separate and multilevel metrics were built and the performance of the classifiers were assessed using five-fold cross-validation and via the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Feature importance was estimated using Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values. Among local measures, the range of AUC was 86.67-100% and the optimal SVM model was obtained based on combined multilevel rs-fMRI metrics and DC as a separate model with AUC of 100%. Among network measures, the range of AUC was 80.42-93.33% and the optimal SVM model was obtained based on the combined multilevel seed-based FC metrics. The SHAP analysis revealed the DC value in the left postcentral and seed-based FC value between the motor ventral network and right superior temporal as the most important local and network features with the greatest contribution to the classification models. Our findings demonstrated that different rs-fMRI metrics can provide complementary information for classifying patients suffering from chronic mTBI. Moreover, we showed that ML approach is a promising tool for detecting patients with mTBI and might serve as potential imaging biomarker to identify patients at individual level. Clinical trial registration: [clinicaltrials.gov], identifier [NCT03241732]