Lessons of the month 2: Olanzapine-induced hypothermia and hand oedema.

Introduction: We describe a case of olanzapine-induced hypothermia and hand oedema in an older adult with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Case Presentation: An 82-year-old woman with hypothyroidism and dementia was reviewed by the geriatric team at a nursing home in view of lethargy and an unrecordable oral temperature. She was noted to have a bilateral hand oedema and right basal crackles.

Primary high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the glans penis.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the penis is a rare haematological malignancy, with less than 30 cases being reported in the literature. Our case mentions a 57-year-old man who presented with a penile lesion that was diagnosed as DLBCL on histological biopsy. Targeted investigation and proper diagnosis are essential to distinguish it from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the glans, which presents similarly.

Kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels and potential influential factors in subjects with COVID-19: A 11-month follow-up study.

We aim to study kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody levels in subjects with COVID-19 for up to 11 months and the potential influential factors. The study was a prospective longitudinal study. The analyses were based on 77 serum/plasma samples with a mean of 4 samples per participant (range 1 - 18) in 20 participants with at least one positive Polymerase Chain Reaction testing result from 19 March 2020 up to 10 February 2021.

Comparing the consistency of electrocardiogram interval measurements by resting ECG versus 12-lead Holter.

In clinical trials, traditionally only a limited number of 12-lead resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) can be recorded and, thus, long intervals may elapse between assessment timepoints and valuable information may be missed during times when patients' cardiac electrical activity is not being monitored. These limitations have led to the increasing use of Holter recorders which provide continuous data registrations while reducing the burden on patients and freeing up time for clinical trial staff to perform other tasks. However, there is a shortage of data comparing the two approaches.

POEMS syndrome: a unique presentation and a diagnostic challenge.

We present the case of a previously well, 70-year-old lady who presented with gait deterioration and a clinicoradiological picture of myositis with T2-enhancement on MRI of the distal lower limb muscles. A muscle biopsy pointed towards neurogenic amyotrophy and a mixed demyelinating and axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy was confirmed on nerve conduction studies. This was initially thought to be secondary to a myeloproliferative disorder but a positron emission tomography scan showed uptake in the left hip which corresponded to what was previously reported as a subchondral cyst on CT.

Memory and mental time travel in humans and social robots.

From neuroscience, brain imaging and the psychology of memory, we are beginning to assemble an integrated theory of the brain subsystems and pathways that allow the compression, storage and reconstruction of memories for past events and their use in contextualizing the present and reasoning about the future-mental time travel (MTT). Using computational models, embedded in humanoid robots, we are seeking to test the sufficiency of this theoretical account and to evaluate the usefulness of brain-inspired memory systems for social robots. In this contribution, we describe the use of machine learning techniques-Gaussian process latent variable models-to build a multimodal memory system for the iCub humanoid robot and summarize results of the deployment of this system for human-robot interaction.

iCub-HRI: A Software Framework for Complex Human-Robot Interaction Scenarios on the iCub Humanoid Robot.

Generating complex, human-like behavior in a humanoid robot like the iCub requires the integration of a wide range of open source components and a scalable cognitive architecture. Hence, we present the iCub-HRI library which provides convenience wrappers for components related to perception (object recognition, agent tracking, speech recognition, and touch detection), object manipulation (basic and complex motor actions), and social interaction (speech synthesis and joint attention) exposed as a C++ library with bindings for Java (allowing to use iCub-HRI within Matlab) and Python. In addition to previously integrated components, the library allows for simple extension to new components and rapid prototyping by adapting to changes in interfaces between components.

Pure red cell aplasia and myasthenia gravis: a patient having both autoimmune conditions in the absence of thymoma.

This is a patient who was presented initially with symptoms of malaise, tiredness and exertional dyspnoea and found to have a severe normocytic normochromic anaemia with low reticulocyte counts. Bone marrow confirmed the diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and at the time serology for recent parvovirus infection was positive. He was successfully treated with transfusions and intravenous Ig.

Achieving a satisfactory clinical and biochemical response in antiphospholipid syndrome and severe thrombocytopenia with rituximab: two case reports.

In AP syndrome (APS) with severe thrombocytopenia, rituximab represents a unique drug which can balance the effect of bleeding and thrombosis. By reducing the production of autoantibodies, rituximab can simultaneously raise the platelets and reduce the chance of thrombosis by suppressing APL antibodies. Rituximab can supersede splenectomy as second-line therapy in similar patients.

A Case of Internal Carotid Artery Thrombosis associated with Thalidomide Administration in Multiple Myeloma.

Unlabelled: Thalidomide is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used to achieve remission in multiple myeloma. However, its administration is associated with several adverse effects including venous thromboembolism, while arterial thrombosis has also, although rarely, been described in the literature. We report a case of internal carotid artery occlusion within 1 week of starting thalidomide with prophylactic low molecular weight heparin in a patient who had no other prothrombotic risk factors.

Primary Bilateral Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Adrenal Gland Presenting as Incidental Adrenal Masses.

Although lymphoma may occasionally involve the adrenal glands as part of a generalized disease process, primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is a rare disease. We present a case of a 62-year-old woman with a history of mild/moderate hereditary spherocytosis with a well-compensated baseline haemoglobin, who presented with rapidly progressive symptomatic anaemia. During the diagnostic workup, imaging revealed bilateral large adrenal masses and she was later diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL), with the adrenal glands being the dominant site of the disease.

A feasibility study on the effects of Triton X-100 for the in vitro inactivation of Ebola virus on haematological assays.

Aims: The aim of this study was to check the effect of Triton X-100 on various, commonly used haematology test parameters.

Methods: Anonymised blood samples were treated with 10 µL of 10% Triton X-100 per 1 mL of blood. Treated and untreated samples were tested in parallel for blood film morphology, complete blood counts (CBCs), flow cytometry, blood grouping and antibody screens.

Laryngeal lymphoma: the high and low grades of rare lymphoma involvement sites.

The larynx is an extremely rare site of involvement by lymphomatous disease. We present two cases of isolated laryngeal high-grade and another low-grade lymphoma, together with a literature review of laryngeal lymphoma management.

Lymphoma of the cervix.

Primary non-Hodgkins lymphoma of the uterine cervix is a very rare diagnosis. A 54-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of postmenopausal bleeding per vaginum. On examination, a friable, fungating lesion was seen on the cervix.

Successful management of severe hyponatraemia during continuous renal replacement therapy.

Rapid correction of chronic hyponatraemia can lead to osmotic demyelination syndrome. Ensuring a gradual correction can be difficult, especially in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). A 43-year-old renal transplant patient presented with severe chronic hyponatraemia.

Intermediate dose gemcitabine-cisplatin combination chemotherapy without treatment delay for cytopenia followed by autografting--a new standard of care in relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma?

Ten percent to 20% of patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) are refractory to first-line therapy or relapse. Existing salvage regimens have response rates of 60-85%, considerable toxicity and frequent treatment delay or dose reduction. We report a gemcitabine, cisplatin, and dexamethasone regimen (GemCis) with intensive growth factor and platelet support and no treatment delay.

Primary health care for Korean immigrants: sustaining a culturally sensitive model.

This report describes a 4-year long bilingual interdisciplinary primary health care project that was designed to make culturally sensitive services available to underserved Korean immigrants in Chicago. It also describes some of the particular needs of this population and the strategies that the project staff adopted to identify and address the population's mental health needs. The project reflected the successful collaborative efforts of four participating principals: the Korean community, the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and the W.

Comparing public and private hospital care service quality.

The study applies the principles behind the SERVQUAL model and uses Donabedian's framework to compare and contrast Malta's public and private hospital care service quality. Through the identification of 16 service quality indicators and the use of a Likert-type scale, two questionnaires were developed. The first questionnaire measured patient pre-admission expectations for public and private hospital service quality (in respect of one another).

Information sharing concerning schizophrenia in a family member: adult siblings' perspectives.

Content analysis of 11 in-depth interviews of adult siblings having a brother or sister with schizophrenia shows a variation in families' needs and desire for information about the illness. Families who do not seek information appear to be in denial, whereas those who can be classified as withholding information realize the significance of illness but are reluctant to share information. Information provided by mental health professionals is thought to be scarce and frequently confusing.

Sibling perspectives on schizophrenia and the family.

Intensive audiotaped interviews with 14 adult siblings of schizophrenia patients were used to explore their experiences. Interviews focused on the ways adult siblings define and experience their sibling's mental illness and their participation in illness management. Cross-case analysis revealed that recognition of schizophrenia in a brother or sister was characterized by a pivotal, reorganizing event that redefined behavior previously viewed as difficult or different.