Living with the financial consequences of cancer: A life course perspective

Abstract

Purpose

Financial hardship can be a major cause of distress among persons with cancer, resulting in chronic stress and impacting physical and emotional health. This paper provides an analysis of the lived experience of cancer patients’ financial hardship from diagnosis to post-treatment.     

Motor dysfunction in mild cognitive impairment as tested by kinematic analysis and transcranial magnetic stimulation

ObjectivePrevious studies have demonstrated voluntary movement alterations as well as motor cortex excitability and plasticity changes in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). To investigate the pathophysiology of movement abnormalities in MCI, we tested possible relationships between movement abnormalities and primary motor cortex alterations in patients.MethodsFourteen amnestic MCI (aMCI) patients and 16 healthy controls were studied. Cognitive assessment was performed using clinical scales. Finger tapping was recorded by a motion analysis system. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to test the input/output curve of motor evoked potentials, intracortical inhibition, and short-latency afferent inhibition. Primary motor cortex plasticity was probed by theta burst stimulation. We investigated correlations between movement abnormalities, clinical scores, and cortical neurophysiological parameters.ResultsMCI patients showed less rhythmic movement but no other movement abnormalities. Cortical excitability measures were normal in patients, whereas plasticity was reduced. Movement rhythm abnormalities correlated with frontal dysfunction scores.ConclusionOur study in MCI patients demonstrated abnormal voluntary movement and plasticity changes, with no correlation between the two. Altered rhythm correlated with frontal dysfunction.SignificanceOur results contribute to the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of motor impairment in MCI.     

医学本科生在儿外科实习中的困惑和解决策略

实习是医生从理论步入实战最重要的经历。2014年国家七部委联合出台《意见》:进入临床工作的住院医师要求本科必须取得毕业证、规培证、执业证才有资格。也就是本科毕业后必须进行为期3年的规范化培训才有资格进入临床。这种教学模式对医学本科生实习心态波动很大。对是否考研,如何选择就业充满困惑,尤其是面对难度高、收入低、稀缺小专业或者不喜欢的专业,抵触、焦虑、逃避成了学生最常见反应。他们认为是浪费自己读书时间,耽误考研,以至于学生和代教教师在实际工作中普遍表现得敷衍、懈怠。如何改善现状和帮助学生走出困境,不仅需要医院深化教学改革,同时政府行为、政策也亟待完善或改革。     

外籍模拟患者活动在本科《多元文化与护理》课程教学中的应用

目的提高《多元文化与护理》课程教学效果。方法以33名涉外护理本科生作为研究对象,在《多元文化与护理》课程中增加15学时的外籍模拟患者教学活动,包括文化访谈、情景模拟视频拍摄等。结果教学结束后,护生课程考试成绩为(72.73±7.01)分;跨文化护理自我效能感3个分量表得分显著高于教学前(P0.05,P0.01),护生对增加外籍模拟患者教学活动的认同率为53.3%～83.3%。结论在本科护生《多元文化与护理》课程教学中增加外籍模拟患者活动,可有效保证教学效果,提高护生跨文化护理自信心。     

Time course of arsenic species in red blood cells of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients treated with single agent arsenic trioxide

Background:Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is widely applied to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). To elucidate metabolism and toxicity of arsenic, we analyzed time course of arsenic species in red blood cells (RBCs) of APL patients.

Methods:Nine APL patients received ATO (0.16 mg/kg/day) through 18-h infusion. Blood was collected before daily administration (days 2 to 9), and at different time points on day 8. Inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were detected by HPLC-ICP-MS.

Results:Arsenic species reached C_max at 18 h on day 8. Arsenicals gradually accumulated during days 2 to 9, whereas their percentages remained almost constant. The general trend in red blood cells (RBCs) was iAs > MMA > DMA. MMA was consistently the predominant methylated arsenic metabolite in RBCs. iAs, MMA, and tAs (tAs = iAs + DMA + MMA) concentrations (P < 0.0001), MMA/DMA ratios (P = 0.0016) and iAs% (P = 0.0013) were higher in RBCs than in plasma.

Conclusions:Time course of arsenic species reveal kinetic characteristic of ATO metabolites in RBCs. Arsenic species accumulated with administration frequency. Arsenic species in RBCs were remarkably different from those in plasma. Time course of arsenic species in RBCs is important in ATO clinical application.     

Collagenous colitis without diarrhoea at diagnosis – a follow up study

Objective: Chronic watery diarrhoea is a classical symptom of collagenous colitis (CC). However, in some cases, the typical histologic findings of CC can be found in patients without this symptom. In this study we have performed a follow up on patients with a confirmed histological diagnosis of CC without the typical symptom watery diarrhoea.

Patients and methods: A structured medical record follow-up was performed on the subgroup of patients without watery diarrhoea but diagnosed with the typical CC histologic appearance in a previous study of microscopic colitis.

Results: At follow up after a median time of 8 years (range: 0.33–12 years), five of these fifteen patients developed bowel symptoms but only two developed characteristic CC symptoms with watery diarrhoea.

Conclusion: The majority of patients without chronic watery diarrhoea at diagnosis remained free from this symptom during follow up and only in a few cases symptoms attributed to CC developed.     

《中医基础理论》多元化教学评价方式的构建与实践

《中医基础理论》是中医学课程体系中的主干课程,其教学质量对于中医学人才的总体培养质量具有举足轻重的作用。构建科学合理的教学评价方式是切实推进教学改革,提升教学质量的重要一环。文章论述了《中医基础理论》课程多元化教学评价方式的构建和具体实施方案,在整个《中基》教学过程的不同阶段合理地运用三种评价方式,进行全面客观和准确的判断评价,从而为师生"教"与"学"的切实改进和提升提供真实的依据。实践表明:多元化教学评价方式增强了学生学习的兴趣,提高了学生自主学习的积极性和能力,提高了学生运用知识分析和解决问题的能力,培育了学生的团队协作精神和创新思维;同时,激发了教师教学的热情,促进了教师教学理念、教学方法、教学手段以及专业知识的更新,提高了教师综合素质。本文对实践中存在的问题也进行了总结。     

颅内动脉夹层的发病机制、影像学特点和自然病程

颅内动脉夹层相比颅外动脉夹层较少见，且临床表现缺乏特异性，既可以表现为缺血性 事件，也可以表现为出血性事件，多发生于年轻人。由于夹层发生部位、形成时机以及病变严重程度 不同，临床表现各种各样，影像学对于确诊动脉夹层至关重要。颅内动脉夹层易复发，且死亡率较高， 除无症状或症状轻微的患者给予保守治疗或随访观察外，对于症状较重或进展性动脉夹层患者，应 给予积极治疗，包括血管内治疗。