Forensic dye analysis in cultural heritage: Unraveling the authenticity of the earliest Persian knotted-pile silk carpet.

The use of forensic dye analysis in the field of cultural heritage is introduced, and a case study is presented determining the dating of a potentially important textile fragment from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The fragment, attributed on stylistic grounds to the 15th century, is purportedly the oldest surviving example of a Persian knotted-pile silk carpet. Raman spectroscopy combined with liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry determined the dyes used in the fragment include Metanil yellow, Congo red, and indigo, possibly in its synthetic form.

Obesity as a defense mechanism.

Introduction: As the rate of obesity and bariatric surgery rise, various psychosocial etiologies contributing to obesity are being explored, and it is not uncommon to discover that a patient has been a victim of past abuse.

Presentation Of Case: A 37-year-old female was hospitalized for intractable nausea and vomiting following a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass performed a month and a half prior. After ruling out all medical etiologies, psychiatry was consulted due to a history of panic attacks, and to evaluate for a psychosomatic etiology.

Intralesional interferon-α for the treatment of bilateral conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

We describe a case of bilateral conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in a 14-year-old female treated with intralesional interferon-α. Interferon-α-2b was injected three times a week for 6 weeks, then once weekly for 12 weeks. Marked tumor reduction was observed by week 5 of treatment, with complete resolution by week 8.

Making sense of medical paternalism.

Why do we regulate the substances we can ingest, the advisors we can hear, and the products we can buy far more than similarly-important non-health choices? I review many possible arguments for such paternalistic policies, as well many possible holes in such arguments. I argue we should either be clearer about what justifies our paternalism, or we should back off and be less paternalistic.

Showing that you care: the evolution of health altruism.

Human behavior regarding medicine seems strange; assumptions and models that seem workable in other areas seem less so in medicine. Perhaps, we need to rethink the basics. Toward this end, I have collected many puzzling stylized facts about behavior regarding medicine, and have sought a small number of simple assumptions which might together account for as many puzzles as possible.

Rituximab (anti-CD20) adjunctive therapy for opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome.

Purpose: To determine if rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, reduces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) B-cell expansion in opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) and results in clinical improvement.

Methods: Sixteen children with OMS and increased % CD20 B-cells in CSF received 4 rituximab infusions (375 mg/m IV) as add-on therapy to corticotropin (ACTH), intravenous immunoglobulins, or both, and were reevaluated 6 months later. Outcome measures were clinical (motor function, behavior, sleep) and immunologic (CSF and blood immunophenotype and Ig levels).