Effect of meditation on intracerebral EEG in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy: A case report

Meditation has been deemed a miracle cure for a wide range of neurological disorders. However, it is unclear whether meditation practice would be beneficial for patients suffering from epilepsy. Here we report on the comparison of the effects of focused-attention meditation and a control task on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in a patient undergoing stereoencephalographic (SEEG) investigation for drug-resistant epilepsy. The patient routinely practiced focused-attention meditation and reported that she found it beneficial. During the SEEG investigation, intracerebral EEG data were recorded during meditation as well as during mind-wandering task. The EEG data were analyzed for type of electrical activity (labeled) by two expert epileptologists. We found that the proportion of EEG segments containing activity classified as interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs; abnormal electrical activity that occurs between seizures) increased significantly during meditation practice. Although the finding was surprising, this increase in IEDs may not correlate with an increase in seizure frequency, and the patient might still benefit from practicing meditation. The finding does, however, warrant further studies on the influence of meditation on epileptic activity.     

Utility of teledermatopathology for intraoperative margin assessment of melanoma in situ,lentigo maligna type: A 6 year community practice experience

BackgroundAchieving negative margins for melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type can be challenging, particularly on cosmetically sensitive areas.ObjectiveTo assess the utility of intraoperative frozen section margin assessment using a teledermatopathology system in the treatment of head and neck lentigo maligna.Methods and materialsOver a 6 year period, 96 patients with lentigo maligna had surgical excisions. The margins were assessed intraoperatively with frozen sections prepared in the manner used in Mohs surgery. The surgeon guided the frozen section slides around the margin while a dermatopathologist assessed the margin remotely.ResultsIn 2/96 (2.1%) cases, the safety margin was positive (frozen sections were false negative). In 1 further case (1%) there was a recurrence of the melanoma 13 months following the excision.ConclusionThe described method is effective in treating melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type with clearance rates similar to previous studies for Mohs surgery.     

The mediating role of emotional intelligence between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundPrevious studies have highlighted that negative life events and emotional intelligence are significant predictors of mental health. However, whether emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students have not been given adequate attention.ObjectivesTo explore the relationship among negative life events, emotional intelligence and psychological distress and to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in psychological distress among Chinese nursing students.DesignA cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling.Settings and ParticipantsA total of 467 nursing students who were enrolled in a university in mainland of China.MethodsA structured questionnaire was administered from September–November in 2013 to participants who consented to participate in the study. Independent variables were personal variables, emotional intelligence and negative life events. Outcome variable was psychological health. The means and standard deviations were computed. Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed, to test the differences among the demographic characteristics on the psychological distress scores. Pearson correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were performed.ResultsNegative life events were positively associated with psychological distress. Emotional intelligence was negatively associated with psychological distress and negative life events. Emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress.ConclusionsThe findings support the theory of Salovey and his colleagues, and provide evidence for emotional intelligence as a factor that buffers effects of negative life events on psychological distress.     

组合模型对乙肝发病趋势的预测研究

目的建立乙肝发病率(1/10万)的ARIMA-GM组合模型,并将其应用于乙肝发病率的预测,为及早发现疾病发展趋势和及时采取控制对策提供科学依据。方法收集河北省迁安市2004年1月-2012年12月的乙肝月发病率资料,应用SPSS 13.0软件进行ARIMA建模拟合;采用GM(1,1)模型对上述获得的带阈值的残差序列进行修正并构造出组合预测模型,利用此模型对该市2013年乙肝逐月发病率进行预测。结果 ARIMA(0,1,1)(0,1,1)12模型较好地拟合了乙肝的发病情况,模型的所有参数都通过统计学检验;采用阈值为3的GM(1,1)模型对残差序列进行修正,预测模型通过了精度检验(C=0.673,P=0.877),模型拟合精度为基本合格,ARIMA-GM组合模型的MAE、MAPE值均比单个模型小。利用组合模型对2013年乙肝发病率进行预测的结果显示,总体趋势与之前一致。结论 ARIMA-GM组合模型能较好地拟合乙肝发病情况,预测精度高于ARIMA季节乘积模型,且其预测结果能够为乙肝早期预测预警模型的建立提供借鉴,从而有针对性地采取相应的控制措施。     

本地与外地高校大学生情绪稳定性

目的研究本地高校与外地高校大学生情绪稳定性的差异。方法以河北联合大学和齐齐哈尔大学共419名本科生为研究对象,采用艾森克人格问卷成人版(EPQ)进行测评,并对被试量表得分进行对比分析。结果①本地与外地男大学生在E(内外向)、P(精神质)方面均无显著性差异,在N(神经质)方面存在显著性差异(χ2=4.746,P<0.05);②本地与外地女大学生在E(内外向)、P(精神质)和N(神经质)方面均无显著性差异,但总体偏外向。结论本地男大学生情绪具有不稳定性,易出现强烈的情绪波动;外地男大学生情绪具有稳定性,善于自我控制。     

古医籍哮喘治疗探究

采用数据挖掘的方法对中医大型电子图书《中华医典》中哮喘文献进行系统归纳总结,探寻古医籍中治疗哮喘具有显著疗效的特异性选穴。发现古医籍中选用聚泉、郁中等经外奇穴治疗哮喘,小儿哮喘常选用治马脾风奇穴等,以灸法为主。     

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia in China: Genetic and clinical characteristics from a real-world,multi-center,cohort study

BackgroundThere is a lack of large-scale data on the clinical and genotype characteristics of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) patients in Asia.ObjectiveTo define the characteristics of phenotypic and genetic HoFH probands from mainland China.MethodsWe collected data from patients with suspected HoFH from ten clinical hospitals across mainland China from 2003 to 2019. Clinical data and DNA testing were obtained in all patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival curves, and the groups were compared with the log-rank test.ResultsA total of 108 unrelated probands with suspected HoFH (mean age 14.9 years) were included. The three most common variants were W483X (c.1448 G>A), A627T (c.1879 G>A), H583Y (c.1747 C>T). The majority (64.8%) were compound heterozygotes (n = 70), 23 (21.3%) were true HoFH patients. True HoFH showed higher LDL-C levels compared to compound HoFH (16.8±3.6 mmol/L vs. 15.0±3.1 mmol/L, P = 0.022). During follow-up, only 21.2% patients exhibited an LDL-C reduction of more than 50%. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the true HoFH probands had significantly worse survival rates compared to other genotype probands (13-year survival; 20.3% vs. 76.7%, respectively; P = 0.016). In addition, true HoFH shows that 2.8-fold (P = 0.022) increase any death and 3.0-fold (P = 0.023) increase cardiovascular death risk in relative to other FH.ConclusionsThis report shows that HoFH has devastating consequences, and that patients are often only diagnosed after they have been exposed to severely elevated LDL-C for years. Systematic screening and early intensive treatment are an absolute requirement for these young individuals with HoFH.