Medicine
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Post-stroke depression is a common and serious complication after stroke. Its main clinical manifestations are depression or instability, loss of interest, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, pessimism, and unworthiness, and even suicidal tendencies. Auricular therapy (AT), as part of traditional Chinese acupuncture, has achieved good results in the treatment of depression, but different clinical studies have shown mixed results. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of AT for post-stroke depression. ⋯ The conclusions of our study will provide an evidence to judge whether AT is an effective and safe intervention for patients with post-stroke depression.
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Real-world evidence on a potential statin effect modification by sex is inconclusive, especially for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to quantify the differences in the effect of statins on lipid parameters between men and women. The PharmLines Initiative linked the Lifelines Cohort Study and the IADB.nl prescription database. ⋯ There was no significant sex difference in other parameters, nor in the proportion of men and women who achieved LDL-C ≤2.5 mmol/L. Statins appear to have a greater effect on increasing HDL-C levels in women than men while showing similar effect on other lipid parameters in both sexes. Men should not be treated differently than women.
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The most significant clinical challenges in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are decline in CD4+ T helper cells and abnormal weight reduction. Consequently, PLWHA who are on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) or Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) are usually predisposed to coronary artery diseases due to abnormal weight gain (lipohypertrophy), though with improved and unstable Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) counts.The main aim of this study was to compare the effects of 6 weeks progressive resistance exercise (PRE) and moderate intensity aerobic exercise (MIAE) on CD4 count, and weight of PLWHA in Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Ebonyi State. ⋯ Health promotion policy maker's arm of the government and Healthcare givers should integrate and enforce the use of exercises either as a single regimen or combined exercises into the management plan of PLWHA for greater boost in absolute CD4 count bearing in mind that both have positive effects. Physiotherapist should be integrated in the managements of PLWHA for appropriate prescription and education of therapeutic exercises for body weight.
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Case Reports
Evolution of an invasive ductal carcinoma to a small cell carcinoma of the breast: A case report.
Small cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer and presents a complex diagnostic and treatment challenge, due to paucity of data. To the best of our knowledge, most cases of breast SCC reported in the literature describe a de novo breast primary. Our case is unique as it describes the evolution of an invasive ductal carcinoma after treatment into a SCC of the breast. ⋯ We speculate that the initial treatment allowed a minority of treatment-resistant neuroendocrine cells to grow and become the dominant face of the tumor. Our patient had an excellent response to carboplatin/etoposide and consolidative locoregional radiotherapy but presented with an early intracranial recurrence. This is a similar pattern of metastases as seen in lung SCC and highlights a potential role for prophylactic cranial irradiation in breast SCC. Further studies are needed to better understand the biology and treatment of breast SCC which continues to present a challenge for clinicians.
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Pantoea dispersa belongs to the genus Pantoea, which is isolated from Enterobacteriaceae. It has been reported to cause some kinds of infections, but there are few detailed studies on it, especially its characteristics and identification methods, which has caused a lot of trouble in clinical work. ⋯ P dispersa, a gram-negative bacterium rod, were facultative anaerobic, which displayed yellow pigmentation, round, raised, smooth on culture plates. Conventional analysis was difficult to complete its identification. With biochemical tests, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis and 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, P dispersa can be accurately identified. It will help physicians understand the related clinical manifestations and make timely and effective treatment for patients.