Objective: To report a case of severe Guillain-Barré syndrome in a 32-year old female patient diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who was on chemotherapy. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: The patient received chemotherapy including vincristine and steroids according to the Medical Research Council United Kingdom Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia-12 (MRC UKALL-12) protocol. On the 21st day of the first induction course she developed acute fulminant quadriparesis with total areflexia. The clinical features, nerve conduction and the cerebrospinal fluid studies were consistent with acute Guillain-Barré syndrome. She was treated with a 5-day course of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) that resulted in only partial improvement. A second course of IVIG was given 2 weeks later that improved her condition slowly and steadily over a period of 12–16 weeks; the patient was able to walk with minimal support. Conclusion: The fulminant neuropathy was most likely due to the association between Guillain-Barré syndrome and leukaemia rather than vincristine neurotoxicity. IVIG was an effective and non-invasive treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with the malignancy.

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Purpose The study aims to assess the journal packing density (JPD) of the research journals published across different subject discipline at the global level. The concept of JPD is aimed to compute the average number of research articles published per volume or per issue of a research journal in any given subject discipline. The study also discusses about the leading research journals publishing countries and continents across the world and their average JPD. An attempt has also been made to identify the leading research counties having maximum JPD in any given subject discipline. Design/methodology/approach The study covers 27 major research subject disciplines widely popular all across the globe. To undertake the present study, data were retrieved from SCImago Journal and Country Ranking. Findings In all, 36,081 research journals were indexed by Scopus across 27 major subject disciplines at the global level till 2015. During the period 2013-2015, 11,023,122 research articles were published in 36,081 research journals across 27 major subject disciplines at the global level at an average of 101.84 research articles per journal per volume. This means the average JPD of the research journals at the global level is 101.84 research articles per journal per volume. Chemistry, physics and astronomy and multidisciplinary journals are the three leading subject disciplines to have the maximum JPD, namely, 266.66, 253.92 and 242.53 research articles per journal per volume. JPD of research journals published in the sciences is higher than the JPD of research journals published in the social sciences and humanities. Business, management and accounting, social sciences and arts and humanities are three subject disciplines having lowest JPD, namely, 44.26, 35.68 and 32.66 research articles per journal per volume, respectively. China, Ireland and The Netherlands recorded the highest average JPD in the research journals published from these counties, namely, 213.39, 178.44 and 135.31 research articles per journal per volume, respectively. Research limitations/implications Countries from where a lesser number of research journals are indexed by the popular indexes, such as Scopus, Web of Science, etc., face greater pressure of publishing. To ooze out this pressure, there is need to index more and more research journals from these countries and that can be done only by improving and maintaining the research standard over a period. Originality/value The study is original and the first of its kind undertaken at the global level across all the major subject disciplines.

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Purpose This study aims to find out the India’s research contribution to world Library and Information Science (LIS) literature from 2011 to 2020. Attempt has been made to reflect both the number of research articles published by the Indian LIS researchers during the past decade and the percentage share of Indian LIS researchers to the world LIS literature. Attempt has also been made to reflect the 20 leading LIS researchers from India, 20 leading LIS journals in which Indian LIS researchers mostly prefer to publish their research results and leading LIS research institutions and more. Design/methodology/approach The scope of the study is limited to library and information research undertaken across the world in general and India in particular during the past decade, viz., 2011–20. To undertake the present study, data were retrieved from SCOPUS data source. The data were retrieved keeping in view the objectives of the study; accordingly, key words were framed and used to search the relevant data. Findings Overall 77,659 research articles were published in the subject discipline of LIS across the world during the past decade, viz., 2011 through 2020. During the period of study, LIS researchers from India contributed 3,562 research articles constituting 4.59% of the total global LIS research output. The USA emerged the leading LIS research country with 33.03% research contribution, while India emerged as the fifth largest LIS research country in the world. A total of 12.85% research articles from India were contributed by 20 leading researchers. Only two LIS research journals from India were found indexed in the SCOPUS, in which 18.10% research articles were published by Indian LIS researchers during the period of study. More than 80% research results produced by Indian LIS researchers were published in foreign LIS research journals, mostly published from the USA and the UK. A good lot of Indian LIS researchers prefer to publish their research results in open access research journals. Library professionals, teachers and scholars from University of Delhi and University of Kashmir were found more active in LIS research in India. Research limitations/implications India is one of the world’s popular LIS academic, research and practicing country and has more responsibility toward world LIS research, whereby India, apart from fulfilling its own LIS research requirements, has to meet out the global LIS research demand. Thereon, if it lacks on research front, which otherwise acts as a backbone in the survival of a subject discipline, the survival of subject discipline may become difficult. Social implications India is one of the most progressive LIS research countries in the world and is about to play a far greater role in propagating newer and modern library practices and services in the years to come. Originality/value Quantification of research output at regional level or country level is very common among LIS professionals; accordingly, the existing study adds to existing world LIS literature about the India’s contribution to world LIS research during the past decade.

A sample of 100 consecutive febrile neutropenic episodes in cancer patients in Kuwait was studied. Acute leukaemias (44%) and lymphomas (29%) were the most frequent underlying cancers; 21 bacteraemis (gram-positive 10, gram-negative 9, polymicrobial 2) were encountered. Staphylococcous epidermidis and Escherichia coli were the commonest organisms. Urinary tract infection occurred in 30% of the microbiologically documented cases. A total of 84 episodes responded to therapy and 9 of the 14 deaths were secondary to infection.

Purpose The present study aims to determine the prevailing trend of self-citations across 27 major subject disciplines at global level. The study also examines the aspects like percentage of self-citations in each individual subject discipline and the average number of self-citations per publication across different subject disciplines. The study also investigates self-citation percentage of research articles published from the 20 leading research countries of the world and across the continents. Design/methodology/approach The study is supported by empirical findings undertaken on secondary data retrieved from SCImago Journal and Country Ranking, which is entirely based on the SCOPUS data source (SCImago, 2014). Findings In all, 76,634,557 citations were received by as many as 14,946,975 research articles published from 2008-2012 at an average of 5.12 citations per article. Of the total citations received, 26,404,609 (34.45 per cent) were self-citations, which means that of the total citations received by each research article, 1.76 are self-citations. Compared to subject disciplines falling under social and humanistic sciences, pure and applied sciences have shown a greater trend of self-citation. On average, 4.18 self-citations were observed in each research article published in multidisciplinary subject disciplines. Of the total citations received by research articles published in the discipline of Psychology, 43.69 per cent are self-citations, the highest among all the subject disciplines under study. Of the total self-citations received by all the subject disciplines under study, 18.43 per cent were received alone in medicine, highest among all, whereas Social and Humanistic sciences received less than 1.00 per cent self-citations, the lowest among all the subject disciplines. Originality/value This study is original and first of its kind covering each individual subject discipline having global scope.