The evidence of after-death survival of human consciousness according to the winners of the Bigelow contest: a scientific examination

The aim of this study was to examine the strength of scientific evidence, reproducibility and replicability of the 29 essays of the winners of the Bigelow contest.Six essays (20.5%) were included in the category with the high strength of scientific evidence. Four essays (14%) were included in the category with medium strength of scientific evidence and the remaining 19 essays (65.5%) in the category with low strength of scientific evidence. The overall agreement between our strength of scientific evidence categories and the Bigelow ones, was only 48.8%, sufficient to demonstrate a clear difference between our scientific criteria and those adopted by the judges of the Bigelow contest.The essays that obtained the highest strength of scientific evidence level were related to near-death experiences and mental mediumship.For other phenomena, more studies with refined experimental designs are necessary to increase the evidence of the survival of human consciousness.

Management of Ascending Aorta and Aortic Arch: Similarities and Differences Among Cardiovascular Guidelines

Background: Ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases have an increasing interest among cardiovascular specialists regarding diagnosis and management. Innovations in endovascular surgery and evolution of open surgery have extended the indications for treatment in patients previously considered unfit for surgery. The aim of this systematic review of the literature was to present and analyze current cardiovascular guidelines for overlap and differences in their recommendations regarding ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases and the assessment of evidence. Methods: The English medical literature was searched using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from January 2009 to December 2020. Recommendations on selected topics were analyzed, including issues from definitions and diagnosis (imaging and biomarkers) and indications for treatment to management, including surgical techniques, of the most important ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases. Results: The initial search identified 2414 articles. After exclusion of duplicate or inappropriate articles, the final analysis included 5 articles from multidisciplinary, cardiovascular societies published between 2010 and 2019. The definition of non-A-non-B aortic dissection is lacking from most of the guidelines. There is a disagreement regarding the class of recommendation and level of evidence for the diameter of ascending aorta as an indication. The indication for treatment of aortic disease may be individualized in specific cases while the growth rate may also affect the decision making. The role of endovascular techniques has not been established in current guidelines except by 1 society. Supportive evidence level in the management of aortic arch diseases remains limited. Conclusion: In current recommendations of cardiovascular societies, the ascending aorta and aortic arch remain a domain of open surgery despite the introduction of endovascular techniques. Recommendations of the included societies are mostly based on expert opinion, and the role of endovascular techniques has been highlighted only from 1 society. The chronological heterogeneity apparent among guidelines and the inconsistency in evidence level should be also acknowledged. More data are needed to develop more solid recommendations for the ascending aorta and aortic arch diseases.

Graphic Representation of The Degree of Historical-Archaeological Evidence: The 3D Reconstruction of The “Baker’s House”

Over the years, the methodologies used for graphic representation in archaeology have evolved. The substantial change in representation was achieved with the use of computer software. Currently, sketch scanning and photogrammetry are predominating tools used in this field. A new methodology, i.e., the use of the historical-archaeological evidence level scale, has entered this discipline to show the veracity of archaeological studies, as well as that of the vestiges found. The present study is focused on the virtual reconstruction of the ‘Baker’s House’ in the archaeological site of Torreparedones (Córdoba, Spain). The main aim of this study was to show and identify the veracity of the obtained reconstruction, through the use of the historical-archaeological evidence scale. The methodology used shows the evidence level employed by experts in the creation of virtual representations. The dissemination of the proposed historical-archaeological evidence scale entails the graphical identification of the veracity of reconstructions in this type of representations, always complying with the scientific quality criteria established by the Seville Letter.

Bröstrom Repair Review

Since its introduction in 1966, the Bröstrom repair has been the workhorse for the treatment of chronic ankle instability. The procedure has expanded with the advent of arthroscopy, ultrasound, and other techniques. Because chronic ankle sprains/instability pose a barrier to athletes who perform high-level activities for a living, discussions concerning postoperative recovery and return to play criteria are important. Here we present an update on the Bröstrom-Gould procedure from preoperative management to return to play. Level of Evidence: Level V

A Comprehensive Summary of Systematic Reviews on Sports Injury Prevention Strategies

Background: A large volume of systematic reviews and meta-analyses has been published on the effectiveness of sports injury prevention programs. Purpose: To provide a qualitative summary of published systematic reviews and meta-analyses that have examined the effectiveness of sports injury prevention programs on reducing musculoskeletal injuries. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: We searched the PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases for systematic reviews and meta-analyses that evaluated the effectiveness of sports injury prevention programs. We excluded published abstracts, narrative reviews, articles not published in English, commentaries, studies that described sports injury prevention strategies but did not assess their effectiveness, studies that did not assess musculoskeletal injuries, and studies that did not assess sports-related injuries. The most relevant results were extracted and summarized. Levels of evidence were determined per the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, and methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews, revised version). Results: A total of 507 articles were retrieved, and 129 were included. Articles pertaining to all injuries were divided into 9 topics: sports and exercise in general (n = 20), soccer (n = 13), ice hockey (n = 1), dance (n = 1), volleyball (n = 1), basketball (n = 1), tackle collision sports (n = 1), climbing (n = 1), and youth athletes (n = 4). Articles on injuries by anatomic site were divided into 11 topics: general knee (n = 8), anterior cruciate ligament (n = 34), ankle (n = 14), hamstring (n = 11), lower extremity (n = 10), foot (n = 6), groin (n = 2), shoulder (n = 1), wrist (n = 2), and elbow (n = 1). Of the 129 studies, 45.7% were ranked as evidence level 1, and 55.0% were evidence level 2. Based on the AMSTAR-2, 58.9% of the reviews reported a priori review methods, 96.1% performed a comprehensive literature search, 47.3% thoroughly described excluded articles, 79.1% assessed risk of bias for individual studies, 48.8% reported a valid method for statistical combination of data (ie, meta-analysis), 45.0% examined the effect of risk of bias on pooled study results, and 19.4% examined the risk for publication bias. Conclusion: This comprehensive review provides sports medicine providers with a single source of the most up-to-date publications in the literature on sports injury prevention.

One-Stage Lengthening and Minimally Invasive Distal Metatarsal Metaphyseal Osteotomy (DMMO) for Brachymetatarsia

Level of Evidence: Level V.

Esthetics outcomes in patients submitted to pterional craniotomy and its variants: A scoping review

Background: Highly performed nowadays, the pterional craniotomy (PC) has several widespread variants. However, these procedures are associated with complications such as temporalis muscle atrophy, facial nerve frontal branch damage, and masticatory difficulties. The postoperative cranial aesthetic is, nonetheless, the main setback according to patients. This review aims to map different pterional approaches focusing on final aesthetics. Methods: This review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Studies were classified through the Oxford method. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from January 1969 to February 2021 for cohorts and randomized clinical trials that met our inclusion criteria. Results: 1484 articles were initially retrieved from the databases. 1328 articles did not fit the inclusion criteria. 118 duplicates were found. 38 studies were found eligible for the established criteria. 27 (71.05%) were retrospective cohorts, with low evidence level. Only 5 (13.15%) clinical trials were found eligible to the criteria. The majority of the studies (36/38) had the 2B OXFORD evidence level. A limited number of studies addressed cosmetic outcomes and patient satisfaction. The temporal muscle atrophy or temporal hollowing seems to be the patient’s main complaint. Only 17 (44.73%) studies addressed patient satisfaction regarding the aesthetics, and only 10 (26.31%) of the studies reported the cosmetic outcome as a primary outcome. Nevertheless, minimally invasive approaches appear to overcome most cosmetic complaints and should be performed whenever possible. Conclusion: There are several variants of the classic PC. The esthetic outcomes are poorly evaluated. The majority of the studies were low evidence articles.

What Can We Learn About Therapeutic Change From Case History Data? The Research Jury Method with the Couple Case of "Carl" and "Sandra"

The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of using case history data to assess change in psychotherapy. This was a follow up to previous investigations utilizing a "research jury method" to evaluate psychotherapy outcome. Three judges studied the critical first five sessions of a ten session video of emotionally focused therapy with a couple, Carl and Sandra. They took intensive notes and then functioned as a "jury"” to evaluate the evidence. They concluded that the evidence from within the case history is strong that the couple changed for the better. The evidence also supported the conclusion that therapy contributed to the change, although, by their judgment, at the "preponderance of evidence" level. Finally, the evidence was used to evaluate how therapy contributed to change. It was concluded that the most likely factors contributed by the therapist were her helping the couple see that each other’s underlying intentions were positive, and by fostering their hope. Evidence also supported the contributions the clients themselves made through their taking responsibility for themselves, through their exploring their past experiences, and through their creativity. Limitations are discussed and conclusions for the evaluation of psychotherapy are drawn.