Pancreatic Cancer—Could It Be that Simple? A Different Context of Vulnerability

Large simple trials: really, it can't be that simple!

In this issue of the European Heart Journal, Calvo et al. present another plea for simplified approaches to clinical trials evaluating cardiovascular therapies. In the interest of disclosure, I note that I work closely with many of the authors of this article. Dr Christopher Granger, in particular, is a long-time collaborator and senior investigator in my own institution. The thesis advanced by...

Staphylococcus lugdunensis; a pathogen that should be considered in Iran

Background: Staphylococcus lugdunensis is Gram-positive cocci of the staphylococcaceae family. S. lugdunensis despite having a clotting factor (wall coagulase), was classified in the coagulase negative staphylococcus group (CoNS) for lack of free coagulase. Although this bacterium is part of the human normal flora, in terms of virulence, S. lugdunensis is in second place after S. aureus. S. lug...

“Not Everything That Is Faced Can Be Changed, but Nothing Can Be Changed Until It Is Faced”: A Response to Recent Commentaries

It Doesn't Have to Be Like This: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Trends

It often seems that every newly announced major data breach sets a record for the depth and size of impact. Internet users, nearly everyone these days, naturally wonder: Why is this happening, and how much worse can it get? In the inaugural article for this column, published in January 2009, we reviewed trends in vulnerabilities for the previous eight years [2]. Our goal, then as well as now, i...

A case of acute rheumatic fever with new criteria, a disease that needs to be considered

Introduction: Acute rheumatic fever is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects the large joints. Early treatment of a throat infection following group A streptococcus prevents of acute rheumatic fever. Given the low prevalence of the disease, especially in a situation where there is excessive use of antibiotics in Iran, this study intends to report a patient with Acute rheumatic fever with mi...