African media coverage of tobacco industry corporate social responsibility initiatives

Guidelines for implementing the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recommend prohibiting tobacco industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, but few African countries have done so. We examined African media coverage of tobacco industry CSR initiatives to understand whether and how such initiatives were presented to the public and policymakers. We searched two online media databases (Lexis Nexis and Access World News) for all news items published from 1998 to 2013, coding retrieved items through a collaborative, iterative process. We analysed the volume, type, provenance, slant and content of coverage, including the presence of tobacco control or tobacco interest themes. We found 288 news items; most were news stories published in print newspapers. The majority of news stories relied solely on tobacco industry representatives as news sources, and portrayed tobacco industry CSR positively. When public health voices and tobacco control themes were included, news items were less likely to have a positive slant. This suggests that there is a foundation on which to build media advocacy efforts. Drawing links between implementing the FCTC and prohibiting or curtailing tobacco industry CSR programmes may result in more public dialogue in the media about the negative impacts of tobacco company CSR initiatives.     

专门用途英语视角下英语课程设置改革效果分析——以重庆医科大学为例

目的　分析专门用途英语（English for specific purposes,ESP）背景下重庆医科大学本科英语课程设置改革成效。方法　采用问卷法对重庆医科大学2018级护理本科生英语课程设置需求进行问卷调查。根据问卷调查结果制定改进措施,并在2019级护理本科生护理英语教学中实施1学期。通过问卷调查学生对英语课程设置改革的满意度。对收集到的数据用SPSS统计学软件统计各选项人数与占比。结果　2019级护理本科生对本校英语课程设置改革的满意度为56.78%（272/479）,对护理专业英语课程设置满意度达到88.1%（422/479）。结论　医学院校专门用途英语课程设置改革应充分考虑学习者的学习需求和职业目标需求,课堂教学中尽量为学习者提供口语和阅读训练的机会。另外,ESP教师团队成员可以通过集体备课提高其在专业英语教学方面的能力和信心。基于需求分析的课程设置有利于提高英语教学效果。     

基于网站调研的智能医学工程专业设置和培养方案分析

目的　分析我国智能医学工程专业设置和培养方案的现状。方法　通过网站调研获取该专业的开设学校、开设年份、招生计划、培养目标和课程等信息。利用Excel进行统计分析。结果　①2018至2021年,共有48所高校被批准开设智能医学工程专业,以经济发达地区为主,人才培养规模为每年近2 400人。②获取47所高校智能医学工程专业的所属学院信息,其中59%（13/22）的综合性高校将该专业归属医学相关的学院。③获取40所高校的专业培养目标,重点培养学生具备大数据智能处理和软件研发能力,其中12所高校还要求学生掌握硬件研发能力。④计算机科学与技术、基础医学、临床医学和生物医学工程是该专业的主干学科,专业核心课程主要包括计算机语言和人工智能相关课程。结论　随着人工智能技术在医疗卫生领域的发展,我国智能医学工程专业教育快速兴起,但对专业人才的培养还处于探索阶段,建议国家有关部门出台相关指导性意见。     

临床药学专业办学规范的思考与建议

我国的临床药学专业尚处于初创和发展阶段,尚未建立成型的办学模式和完整的教学体系,突出表现在必修专业课程的设置和内容比较混乱,教材建设严重滞后,临床实习的内容和制度不够健全,严重制约了该专业学生的培养质量,亟须制定全国性的《临床药学专业课程体系规范》,真正满足现代化医院对临床药师人才的需求。该文就该专业培养目标和规格、教学内容和知识体系、临床实践安排与内容、专业教材与教学大纲、师资队伍以及实习基地的建设等问题,结合本校临床药学专业建设的经验和体会,提出思考和看法。     

Supporting older patients in working on rehabilitation goals: A scoping review of nursing interventions

Background

Nurses are consistently present throughout the rehabilitation of older patients but are apprehensive about performing goal-centred care in the multidisciplinary team.

Objectives

The aim of this review was to explore working interventions on setting goals and working with goals designed for nurses in geriatric rehabilitation, and to describe their distinctive features.

Methods

We performed a scoping review. We searched MEDLINE and CINAHL through August 4, 2021. Search terms related to the following themes: nurses, rehabilitation, geriatric, goal and method. We used snowballing to find additional. From the selected studies, we systematically extracted data on means, materials and the nursing role and summarized them in a narrative synthesis, using intervention component analysis.

Results

The study includes 13 articles, describing 11 interventions which were developed for six different aims: improving multidisciplinary team care; increasing patient centredness; improving disease management by patients; improving the psychological, and emotional rehabilitation; increasing the nursing involvement in rehabilitation; or helping patients to achieve goals. The interventions appeal to four aspects of the nursing profession: assessing self-care skills incorporating patient's preferences; setting goals with patients, taking into account personal needs and what is medically advisable; linking the needs of the patient with multidisciplinary professional treatment and vice versa; and thus, playing an intermediate role and supporting goal achievement.

Conclusions

The interventions show that in goal-centred care, the nurse might play an important unifying role between patients and the multidisciplinary team. With the support of nurses, the patient may become more aware of the rehabilitation process and transfer of ownership of treatment goals from the multidisciplinary team to the patient might be achieved. Not many interventions were found meant to support the nursing role. This may indicate a blind spot in the rehabilitation community to the additional value of its contribution.     

A short physical activity break from cognitive tasks increases selective attention in primary school children aged 10–11

ImportanceEvidence for an acute effect of physical activity on cognitive performance within the school setting is limited. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into acute effects of a short physical activity bout on selective attention in primary school children, specifically in the school setting.MethodsHundred and twenty three 10–11 years old children, 49.6% girls, engaged in four experimental breaks in random order: 1 h of regular cognitive school tasks followed by a 15 min episode with the following conditions 1) ‘no break’ (continuing a cognitive task), 2) passive break (listening to a story), 3) moderate intensity physical activity break (jogging, passing, dribbling) and 4) vigorous intensity physical activity break (running, jumping, skipping). Selective attention in the classroom was assessed by the TEA-Ch test before and after the 15 min break in each condition.ResultsAfter the passive break, the moderate intensity physical activity break and the vigorous intensity physical activity break attention scores were significantly better (p < 0.001) than after the ‘no break’ condition. Attention scores were best after the moderate intensity physical activity break (difference with no break = −0.59 s/target, 95% CI: −0.70; −0.49).ConclusionThe results show a significant positive effect of both a passive break as well as a physical activity break on selective attention, with the largest effect of a moderate intensity physical activity break. This suggests that schools could implement a moderate intensity physical activity break during the school day to optimize attention levels and thereby improve school performance.Trial registrationNTR2386.     

Filling in the blanks. An estimation of illicit cannabis growers’ profits in Belgium

BackgroundAs a result of increased pressure on cannabis cultivation in The Netherlands, the number of confiscated indoor cannabis plantations in Belgium is rising. Although increases are reported for all plantations sizes, half of the seized plantations contain less than 50 plants. In this study, factors and variables that influence costs and benefits of indoor cannabis cultivation are investigated as well as how these costs and benefits vary between different cannabis grower types.MethodsReal-situation data of four growers were used to perform financial analyses. Costs included fixed and variable material costs, as well as opportunity costs. Gross revenue per grow cycle was calculated based on most recent forensic findings for illicit Belgian cannabis plantations and was adjusted for the risk of getting caught. Finally, gross revenues and return on costs (ROC) were calculated over 1 year (4 cycles).FindingsFinancial analysis shows that in all cases gross revenues as well as ROC are considerable, even after a single growth cycle. Highest profitability was found for large-scale (600 plants, ROC = 6.8) and mid-scale plantations (150 plants, ROC = 6.0). However, industrial plantations (23,000 plants, ROC = 1.4) and micro-scale plantations (5 plants, ROC = 2.8) are also highly remunerative. Shift of police focus away from micro-scale growers, least likely to be involved in criminal gangs, to large-scale and industrial scale plantations would influence costs as a result of changing risks of getting caught. However, sensitivity analysis shows that this does not significantly influence the conclusions on profitability of different types of indoor cannabis growers.ConclusionSeizure and confiscation of profits are important elements in the integral and integrated policy approach required for tackling illicit indoor cannabis plantations. The large return of costs evidenced in the present study, underpin the policy relevance of confiscating those illicit profits as part of enforcement.     

Tetracalcium Phosphate/Monetite/Calcium Sulfate Hemihdrate Biocement Powder Mixtures Prepared by the One-Step Synthesis for Preparation of Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite Biocement-Properties and In Vitro Evaluation

A modified one-step process was used to prepare tetracalcium phosphate/monetite/calcium sulfate hemihydrate powder cement mixtures (CAS). The procedure allowed the formation of monetite and calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) in the form of nanoparticles. It was hypothesized that the presence of nanoCSH in small amounts enhances the in vitro bioactivity of CAS cement in relation to osteogenic gene markers in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The CAS powder mixtures with 15 and 5 wt.% CSH were prepared by milling powder tetracalcium phosphate in an ethanolic solution of both orthophosphoric and sulfuric acids. The CAS cements had short setting times (around 5 min). The fast setting of the cement samples after the addition of the liquid component (water solution of NaH₂PO₄) was due to the partial formation of calcium sulfate dihydrate and hydroxyapatite before soaking in SBF with a small change in the original phase composition in cement powder samples after milling. Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite biocement was produced by soaking of cement samples after setting in simulated body fluid (SBF). The fast release of calcium ions from CAS5 cement, as well as a small rise in the pH of SBF during soaking, were demonstrated. After soaking in SBF for 7 days, the final product of the cement transformation was nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite. The compressive strength of the cement samples (up to 30 MPa) after soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) was comparable to that of bone. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed statistically significant higher gene expressions of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteonectin (ON) and osteopontin (OP) in cells cultured for 14 days in CAS5 extract compared to CSH-free cement. The addition of a small amount of nanoCSH (5 wt.%) to the tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP)/monetite cement mixture significantly promoted the over expression of osteogenic markers in MSCs. The prepared CAS powder mixture with its enhanced bioactivity can be used for bone defect treatment and has good potential for bone healing.