Narrative dynamics in social groups: A discrete choice model.

Individuals follow different rules for action: they react swiftly, grasping the short-term advantages in sight, or they waste cognitive resources to complete otherwise easy tasks, but they are able to plan ahead future complex decisions. Scholars from different disciplines studied the conditions under which either decision rule may enhance the fitness of its adopters, with a focus on the environmental features. However, we here propose that a crucial feature of the evolution of populations and their decision rules is rather inter-group interactions. Indeed, we study what happens when two groups support different decision rules, encapsulated in narratives, and their populations interact with each other. In particular, we assume that the payoff of each rule depends on the share of both social groups which adopt such rules. We then describe the most salient dynamics scenarios and identify the conditions which lead to chaotic dynamics and multistability regimes.

Rapid reduction of platelet numbers in thrombocytosis.

Thrombocytosis has been reported during chemotherapy with gemcitabine (GEM). A 71-year-old male patient who developed asymptomatic thrombocytosis (1,749 x 10(3)/microl), secondary to GEM chemotherapy for lung carcinoma, was submitted to therapeutic plateletpheresis (TP). We adapted the software of the productive dual-needle plateletpheresis of our cell separator in order to reduce the procedure time and the plasma volume harvested. With 2 low-volume TP in 24 h, we achieved a 55% global reduction of the platelet count. While there are no accepted indications for prophylactic plateletpheresis in asymptomatic patients and the measured count should not, by itself, determine whether platelet reduction is indicated, a drastic reduction of an extremely high platelet count, especially if obtained with a relatively short procedure, can be important to prevent acute severe sequelae.

[Plasmapheresis and high-dose immunoglobulins in the treatment of acute demyelinating polyneuropathy]. / Plasmaferesi ed immunoglobuline ad alte dosi nel trattamento della polineuropatia acuta demielinizzante.

The authors report two clinical cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, treated with contemporaneous use of plasmapheresis and high dose gammaglobulin. An early diagnosis and immediate application of such a therapeutic association, are of paramount importance in order to obtain remission of the neurologic symptomatology within a short time. They report the therapies carried out to avoid complications connected with this syndrome as well as cause which led to quit steroid use in these patients.