Nutrition transition – Pattern IV: Leads Bangladeshi youth to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity

Fast food and soft drinks consumption leading to excess calorie intake coupled with lack of acceptable physical activity has augmented the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the world population for the past few eras. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 475 youth selected by systematic random sampling attending in 27 established public and private universities and colleges of Bangladesh. The study was aimed to evaluate habitual facts associated with the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Bangladeshi youth. The rates of fast food consumption (once/week) are 50.6%, 43.7%, and 53.3% in overweight, pre-obese and obese-1 respondents accordingly and the rates of soft drinks consumption (4–6 times/week) are 40.5%, 59.2%, and 73.3% respectively for the same subjects. Moreover, approximately 40.8% of the youth went to fast food restaurants at least once per week and 27.2% went regularly (2 times/week). Youth having fast foods 2 times/week, consuming soft drinks 3–4 times/week were more likely to be obese. Besides, obesity epidemic was observed among those who have not the habit of doing physical exercise. This study provides evidence of increasing trend and threat to overweight and obesity for the Bangladeshi youth.     

A standing posture support device that reduces laparoscopic surgeons’ occupational lower limb stress

Background: We developed a surgical knee rest (SKR) that can be used to decrease the stress placed on the lower half of the body when surgeons work in the standing position. We tested the effectiveness of this device in the context of laparoscopic surgery.

Material and methods: Five healthy, right-handed male surgeons participated, and we recorded surface electromyography (sEMG) signals from the two heads of the left and right gastrocnemius (Gc) muscles during laparoscopic resections of colorectal cancer. The outcome variable was the percentage of maximum Gc muscle effort generated, reported as percent maximal isometric voluntary contraction (%MVC), and this variable was compared between surgeries performed with and without use of the SKR. Assessment covered the first 100?min of surgery, subdivided into two 50-min periods.

Results: Mean %MVC of the left Gc muscle for the full 100-min test period was significantly decreased when the SKR was used (p?=?.027, vs. SKR not used). Notably, mean %MVC of both Gc muscles was significantly decreased during the first 50?min of surgery (p?=?.008 and p?=?.0046).

Conclusion: The SKR is useful for decreasing physical stress incurred by laparoscopic surgeons when working in the standing position.     

Effects of the loss and reconstruction of molar occlusal support on memory retrieval and hippocampal neuron density in rats

PurposeAnimal experiments have shown that the loss of occlusal support causes impairments in spatial cognition. Many reports have focused on the memory encoding process, and only few studies have investigated the effect on memory retrieval. This study aimed to examine the effects of both the loss and reconstruction of occlusal support on the memory retrieval process and on the number of hippocampal pyramidal cells.MethodsThe experimental animals were divided into a molarless group, in which molars were extracted, a denture-wearing molarless group with experimental dentures inserted after molar extraction, and a control group. Radial maze trials were performed for 20 consecutive days (acquisition phase). The rats were tested on long-term memory retention following the acquisition phase in eight trials every five days, and in an additional trial 20 days later (probe phase).ResultsThe denture-wearing molarless group showed higher levels of spatial learning and memory than the molarless group. There were no significant differences in memory retrieval during the probe phase between the denture-wearing molarless and the control group. The molarless group showed significantly worse spatial learning and memory and had fewer neurons in the hippocampus than the control group.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the loss of occlusal support decreases the number of pyramidal cells in the hippocampus and impairs memory decoding and retrieval. However, this effect is suppressed by the reconstruction of occlusal support.     

食管癌术后康复期患者营养状况及生命质量的纵向研究

目的 了解食管癌术后康复期患者营养状况及生命质量的变化趋势及相关关系。方法 以四川省肿瘤专科医院行食管癌手术治疗的75例患者为研究对象，在患者术后1个月、3个月和6个月时运用患者主观整体营养评估量表进行营养评估，采用肿瘤生命质量测评量表和食管癌患者补充量表进行生命质量评定。结果 食管癌患者术后随时间的延长营养不良发生率由73.4%下降至33.5%。生活质量各维度评分在各评估时间点差异均有统计学意义（P<0.05），功能领域和症状领域在术后1个月与术后3个月、术后6个月比较有统计学意义（P<0.05），术后3个月与术后6个月比较差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。患者营养状态与躯体、角色、情绪及社会功能呈负相关（P<0.05），与吞咽困难、进食、反流、梗阻、食欲减退、咳嗽症状呈正相关（P<0.05）。结论 食管癌术后1个月患者营养状况及生命质量较差，随时间推移逐渐好转。医护人员应根据患者在不同时间点营养状况及生命质量的变化特点，制定规范化和个体化的延续护理方案，以促进患者术后康复、提高生命质量。     

住院医师规范化培训中科研能力的同质化培养

住院医师规范化培训是提高我国临床医师队伍整体素质和水平的重要举措。培训内容和培训方式也需要与时俱进才能培养出真正适应快速发展的医学事业人才。当前住院医师的培养多局限于理论知识灌输及临床操作技能的训练,忽视了科研能力的提高。特别是社会学员的科研能力训练往往被忽视,不符合目前住院医师规范化培训对同质化的要求。本文结合既往研究和自身从事规培管理工作的实践,从多角度对规培中针对科研能力培养存在的问题进行梳理,主要包括:带教教师的科研培训、学生自身提高、考核标准完善和基地配套保障四个方面。先提出各方面存在问题,再深入分析出现上述问题的原因,最后结合既往研究及自身实践,对上述各问题的解决方法进行分析和讨论,最后得出相应的具有可行性的解决方案。     

Tolerability and Efficacy of Customized IncobotulinumtoxinA Injections for Essential Tremor: A Randomized,Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Study

In this first, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled exploratory trial, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of incobotulinumtoxinA and feasibility of using kinematic tremor assessment to aid in the planning of muscle selection in a multicenter setting. Reproducibility of the planning technology to other clinical sites was explored. In this trial ({"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT02207946","term_id":"NCT02207946"}}NCT02207946), patients with upper-limb essential tremor (ET) were randomized 2:1 to a single treatment cycle of incobotulinumtoxinA or placebo. A tremor kinematic analytics investigational device was used to define a customized muscle set for injection, related to the pattern of the wrist, forearm, elbow, and shoulder tremor for each patient, and the incobotulinumtoxinA dose per muscle (total ≤ 200 U). Fahn–Tolosa–Marin (FTM) Part B motor performance score, Global Impression of Change Scale (GICS), and kinematic analysis-based efficacy evaluations were assessed. Thirty patients were randomized (incobotulinumtoxinA, n = 19; placebo, n = 11). FTM motor performance scores showed greater improvement with incobotulinumtoxinA versus placebo at Week 4 (p = 0.003) and Week 8 (p = 0.031). The physician-rated GICS score indicated improvement with incobotulinumtoxinA versus placebo at Week 4 (p < 0.05). IncobotulinumtoxinA also decreased accelerometric hand-tremor amplitude versus placebo from baseline to Week 4 (p = 0.004) and Week 8 (p < 0.001), with persistent tremor reduction up to 24 weeks post-injection. IncobotulinumtoxinA produced a slight and transient reduction of maximal grip strength versus placebo; two patients reported localized finger muscle weakness. Customized incobotulinumtoxinA injections decreased tremor severity and improved hand motor function in patients with upper-limb ET after a single injection cycle, with a favorable tolerability profile. The study showed that tremor kinematic analytics technology could be successfully scaled for use in other clinical sites.