Alpha2-HS glycoprotein phenotypes and quantitative hormone and bone measures in postmenopausal women

Summary It has been suggested that inherited traits play a role in the development of osteoporosis by providing a background for the modulation of gene expression. In this study, we examine the influence of the different alleles of alpha₂-HS glycoprotein (AHSG), a protein of the bone matrix, on quantitative estrogens, estrone and estradiol, and bone measures, bone area and density. Estrogens provide a protective effect against fractures in older women and were thus included in the analyses. Isoelectric focusing of AHSG from sera followed by immunoblotting was used to type 163 white post-menopausal women participating in a clinical trial of the effects of walking on bone loss. Plasma hormones were measured by a combination of extraction, column chromatography, and radioimmunoassay; bone measures on the dominant radius were determined with computerized tomography. Analysis of variance was done on estrogen and bone measures after controlling for the effects of age and body mass index. The two major alleles of AHSG result in three phenotypes, designated AHSG 1-1, AHSG 2-1, and AHSG 2-2. The AHSG 1-1 homozygote showed a decreased concentration of estradiol, the AHSG 2-2 homozygote showed an increased concentration, and the AHSG 2-1 heterozygote was intermediate (P=0.001). Estrone demonstrated a similar pattern in residual analysis although it did not reach statistical significance.     

医院综合效益评价案例分析

运用层次分析法建立了医院综合效益评价指标体系，开发了医院综合效益九型评价图，用于显著评价结果。在此基础上进行了３个案例的评价分析。论述了通过对西南地区２７所医院综合效益４年多的追踪分析所发现的共性问题，并提出了相应的管理对策。     

Efficacy of an air-cleaning device equipped with a high efficiency particulate air filter in house dust mite respiratory allergy

The efficacy of an air-cleaning device equipped with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter (without further avoidance measures) was studied in patients allergic to house dust mite. The effects of the air-cleaner on indoor Dermatophagoides sp. levels, symptom score and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in nine mite-allergic patients were assessed using a cross-over controlled study. No significant effect was demonstrated on indoor Dermatophagoides sp. levels when comparing the period of air-cleaner activity (2 months) with the control period (2 months). The Dermatophagoides sp. levels in the houses studied were lower than the risk level for asthmatic attacks, making it difficult to assess any effect on asthma; however, neither bronchial hyperresponsiveness nor rhinitis symptom score were changed by air-cleaner activity. During the trial period, however the mean level of Dermatophagoides sp. allergen in the houses changed spontaneously from 4.4 micrograms/g (mean level in the first 2 trial months) to 1.75 micrograms/g of dust (second 2 months) (P less than 0.05). Owing to this change, the mean rhinitis symptom score also decreased (P less than 0.05), even if no significant correlation was demonstrated (r = 0.4 P = 0.089). HEPA filter air-cleaners appear insufficient as substitutes for standard avoidance measures in mite allergic patients.     

‘Translation is not enough’: using the Global Person Generated Index (GPGI) to assess individual quality of life in Bangladesh,Thailand, and Ethiopia

Currently few subjective measures of Quality of Life (QoL) are available for use in developing countries, which limits their theoretical, methodological, and practical contribution (for example, exploring the relationship between economic development and QoL, and ensuring effective and equitable service provision). One reason for this is the difficulty of ensuring that translated measures preserve conceptual, item, semantic, operational, measurement; and functional equivalence (Herdman, M., Fox-Rushby, J., & Badia, X. (1998). Quality of Life Research, 7, 331), which is illustrated by an account of the translation, pre-piloting, and administration of a new individualised QoL measure, the Global Person Generated Index or 'GPGI'. The GPGI is based on the widely used Patient Generated Index (Ruta, Camfield, & Martin, (2004) Quality of Life Research, 13, 1545.) and offers many of the advantages of the participatory approaches commonly used in developing countries, with added methodological rigour, and quantitative outcomes. It was successfully validated in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Ethiopia, using quantitative and qualitative methods--open-ended, semi-structured interviews (SSIs), conducted immediately post-administration. Both the measure and method of 'qualitative validation' described later in the paper offer an exciting alternative for future researchers and practitioners in this field. The quantitative results suggest the GPGI shows cultural sensitivity, and is able to capture both the areas that are important to respondents, and aspects of life one would expect to impact on QoL in developing countries. There were strong correlation between scores from the GPGI and SSIs for the area of health, and moderate correlations for 'material wellbeing' (MWB)('Material wellbeing' refers to respondents' perceptions of their achievement in the areas of farming, debt reduction, assets, crops, livestock, job, land, property, and agriculture) and children. Weak to moderate correlations were observed between the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the GPGI; however, the highest coefficient was between the GPGI and the most conceptually similar item. Statistically significant differences were seen in GPGI scores between rich and poor, urban and rural respondents, and different countries. Health and material wellbeing scores, derived from the SSIs, also showed a linear relationship with GPGI scores, with a suggestion of curvilinearity at the higher levels, as predicted by a general QoL causal model. In conclusion, the GPGI has great potential for use in this area, especially when supported by extensive interviewer training, and supplemented with a cognitive appraisal schedule.     

用秩和比法对我院的10个公示病种医疗质量进行综合评价

目的对我院2005年度公示的10个病种进行医疗质量综合评价。方法采用秩和比法(RSR)进行统计分析。结果我院的10个公示病种被划分成4个医疗质量等级:老年性白内障、小儿支气管肺炎2个病种质量为优,急性阑尾炎、腹股沟疝(单侧)、子宫平滑肌瘤、剖宫产4个病种质量为良,胃大切、脑梗塞、急性心肌梗塞3个病种质量为中,脑出血1个病种质量为差。结论通过对综合指数秩和比(RSR)的计算并根据其值分级归档,反映出所研究病种之间存在着医疗质量高低的差异。控制和降低本院临床常见病种的医药费用,进行医疗全程连续性控制,为患者提供经济有效的医疗服务。     

应重视口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤的综合序列治疗

口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤约占全身恶性肿瘤的3％，虽然所占比例不高，但l大l其解剖部位特殊．涉及美观和重要的生理功能，冈此对患者机体和心理的影响不容忽视。早期（Ⅰ、Ⅱ期）口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤无论采用手术和（或）放射治疗，均能取得良好效果。但遗憾的是，大多数患者就诊时，已属局部一区域晚期（Ⅲ、Ⅳ期）。由于受到局部解剖和维持功能的限制，单纯通过扩大手术切除范围和改进现有手术技术，除能改善患者生存质量外，已无法提高此类患者的生存率，延长其生存时间。     

多站点综合性毕业考试的改革与实践

我校改革临床医学专业毕业考试模式与方法，在临床实习过程中组织多站点综合性考试，采用闭卷笔试方法考核临床理论知识，占70％；采用实践操作与现场口试方法考核临床技能及相关知识，占20％；采用开卷笔试方法考核医疗文书书写，占10％。实践证明，此项改革能促进医学生端正实习态度，调动实习的积极性与主动性，引导医学生在实习中重视理论学习与临床实践的密切结合，促进临床教学质量的提高。     

Alcohol effects on the percentage of beta waves in the electroencephalograms of twins

Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were made from 26 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 26 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) adult male twins, before and after alcohol ingestion. After a baseline EEG and a light breakfast, 1.2 ml/kg of ethanol was given orally over 15 min and the EEG repeated four times at hourly intervals. Alcohol caused a significant drop in the percentage of beta waves (14-30 cycles/sec) during the 1st hr. For the percentage of beta waves in 38 pairs of twins with complete data, MZ twin beta-wave intraclass correlations (RMZ) ranged between 0.85 and 0.91 before and after alcohol, but the DZ intraclass correlations (RDZ) started at 0.54 and fell to 0.05 at 2 hr after alcohol before recovering to baseline levels. These correlations resulted in heritability estimates [2(RMZ-RDZ)] of 0.68 at baseline and 1.73 at 2 hr. A heritability of 1.43 was found for the 1st hr drop in percentage of beta waves (RMZ = 0.78, RDZ = 0.06). These unrealistically high heritabilities, due to RDZ's approaching 0.0, suggest a failure of assumptions in the linear twin model that was used. Also, these findings are similar to, but more exaggerated than, findings in resting EEG's and visually evoked EEG potentials of twins and are compatible with the influence of gene interactions.     

Measurement of diet in a large national survey: comparison of computerized and manual coding of records in household measures

A diary method using household measures was employed to obtain dietary records in a large national prospective survey and a computer program, DIDO (Diet In Data Out), was designed for direct entry of the diaries. The accuracy of this computerized coding system was examined alongside that of the manual coding used for a similar diary in a previous wave, 7 years earlier, of the same survey. Accuracy was assessed by analysis of the errors in the coded and checked records by stringent re-checking of nominal 2% random subsamples of the diet diaries coded by each method. The mean time to code and check each of the 2086 7-day records in the whole survey using DIDO was 58 minutes (SD 30) compared with reported results of 1–4 hours for manual methods. The mean error rate of computerized coding and checking with DIDO was 2.3% (SD 2.1; range 0–8.9) per diary in the subsample. Correcting these mistakes made insignificant changes to the calculated mean energy and nutrient intakes for the subsample. The percentage of individuals changing to an adjacent third of nutrient distribution after correcting unambiguous errors ranged from none (for alcohol) to 11% (for carbohydrate and calcium intake). The mean error rate on a similar subsample of diaries from the earlier survey which had been coded manually was significantly higher at 5.9% (SD 4.1; range 0–17) per diary. Emphasis is laid on the importance, in coding, of dealing with ambiguities in the subjects' records, since this can affect the accuracy and the precision of the nutrient results obtained. We conclude that the DIDO coding method has the advantages of greater accuracy, speed, consistency and efficient data handling, and affords greater data accessibility for checking, compared with manual systems.     

城市公共厕所发展趋势的探讨

介绍了改革开放以来各地出现的一些新型公厕,认为前店后厕、附属式公厕、生态公厕是发展趋势,而豪华型公厕的推广目前尚不具备条件.