Innovating medication reviews through a technology-enabled process

Medication reviews are effective in improving the quality of medication use among older people. However, they are conducted to various standards resulting in a wide range of outcomes which limit generalisability of findings arising from research studies. There also appear to be funding and time constraints, lack of data storage for quality improvement purposes, and non-standardised reporting of outcomes, especially clinically relevant outcomes. Furthermore, the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has restricted many face-to-face activities, including medication reviews. This article introduces a technology-enabled approach to medication reviews that may overcome some limitations with current medication review processes, and also make it possible to conduct medication reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing an alternate platform. The possible advantages of this technology-enabled approach, legislative considerations and possible implementation in practice are discussed.     

28例原发性卵黄囊瘤患者的CT表现分析

目的分析28例原发性卵黄囊瘤(YST)患者的CT表现。方法选择2015年2月至2019年12月收治的28例YST患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析,8例YST患者入院后均予以CT检查,然后对患者的CT影像学特征和临床资料数据进行分析比较。结果本研究中28例YST患者肿瘤位于性腺的有17例(60.71%),其中位于睾丸、卵巢处的分别有7例、10例,占比分别为60.71%、41.18%,均为单侧发病;9例(39.29%)位于性腺外,其中位于骶尾部、前纵隔、阴道的分别有6例、2例、1例,占比分别为66.67%、22.22%、11.11%。CT检测可见肿瘤"浅分叶",且呈"椭网形",18例(64.29%)肿瘤边界较为清晰,9例(32.14%)呈"深分叶状"形态不规则;8例(28.57%)边界模糊,肿瘤大小分析可见,肿瘤位于前纵隔、卵巢的相对较大,位于阴道、睾丸、骶尾部的相对较小。28例YST患者中,单纯型21例YST(75.00%),混合型7例(25.00%)。结论原发性卵黄囊瘤进行CT检测尤为重要,其CT表现具有一定特征性,可为临床治疗提供一定的依据。     

Valuing height: diagnosis,valuation and the case of idiopathic short stature

This paper proposes a ‘valuographic’ approach to diagnosis, exploring how values and valuation practices are implicated in the contested diagnostic category of idiopathic short stature (ISS). ISS describes children who are ‘abnormally’ short but do not have any other detectable pathology. In the USA growth‐promoting hormone therapy has been approved for ISS children, since 2003. However, no other jurisdiction has approved this treatment and the value of ISS as a diagnostic category remains disputed among healthcare professionals. Drawing on qualitative interviews with paediatric endocrinologists in the UK and the US, this study presents a historical snapshot illustrating how the problematisation of ISS as a diagnosis involved multiple registers of value including epistemic, economic and moral calculations of worth. Contestation of the diagnosis was not just about what counts but about what ought to be counted, as respondents’ accounts of ISS gave differential weight to a range of types of evidence and methods of assessment. Ultimately what was at stake was not just the value of increased height for short patients, but what it meant to properly practice paediatric endocrinology. Consideration is then given to how a valuographic approach can be applied to sociological studies of diagnosis more broadly.     

In silico repurposing the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for treating PTTG1-high expressing clear cell renal carcinoma

The pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1), also known as Securin, is considered an oncogene. This study aimed to investigate the role of PTTG1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using in silico bioinformatics approaches. A pan-cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data indicated that among all cancer types copy number amplification of PTTG1 gene was most frequently found in ccRCC. However, amplification of PTTG1 gene copy number did not correlate with the increase of mRNA level in ccRCC, and did not predict the patients' overall survival. Instead, ccRCC was correlated with overexpression of PTTG1 mRNA, and its expression level was stage-dependent increased in cancer patients. An outlier analysis using the Oncomine database suggested that PTTG1 mRNA expression served as a good biomarker for ccRCC. Pathway analysis for upregulated genes enriched in PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC patients found that PTTG1 overexpression was associated with mitotic defects. Mining drug sensitivity data using the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal (CTRP) discovered that PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC cell lines were susceptible to a Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1) inhibitor NSC23766. Therefore, this study provides an in silico insight into the role of PTTG1 in ccRCC, and repurposes the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for treating PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC.     

New evidence supporting lung cancer screening with low dose CT & surgical implications

IntroductionLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-death worldwide. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPTSF) approved screening for current or former smokers aged 55–80 based on the results of the National Lung Screening trial (NLST). Following the NLST, new evidence has emerged from clinical trials and updates to previous trials prior to the anticipated update to the USPSTF guideline. We review the new evidence on lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) and the surgical implications.MethodsA review of new literature was performed pertaining to lung cancer screening since implementation of UPSTF guidelines. Articles for inclusion were identified by both authors’, then search of the Pubmed and Cochrane database was performed from January 1st, 2013 through February 4th, 2020 using the MeSH search terms: “lung cancer”; “screening”; “low dose CT”. The results of these studies are summarized.ResultsWe identified multiple prospective randomized control trials and meta-analysis since the NLST supporting lung cancer-specific mortality with screening. We identified new nodule classification systems and the development of risk-models which may reduce false positive rates and identify high risk patients not currently eligible for screening. Finally, we discussed the surgical implications of screening.ConclusionNew data supports NLST findings and show ongoing benefit to LDCT for lung cancer screening. Standardized LDCT screening classification has been shown to reduce harm and lower false positive rates. Further study is needed regarding use of risk-modeling. Screening will require an increase in the thoracic workforce to accommodate the amount of surgically operable cancers.     

Engaging Students with Visual Stories: Using Infographics in Nursing Education

Infographics represent visual stories which engage and guide audiences to the realization of patterns, relationships, and conclusions. Infographics help capture attention and make complex knowledge understandable, making them a useful teaching-learning strategy. Although infographics can be effective to engage students, they are infrequently used because of educator inexperience with this technology. This article provides an overview for incorporating infographics in nursing education including evidence-informed step-by-step guidelines and resources for designing and sharing infographics.     

省级辐射事故应急演习存在问题及对策研究

本文概述了2014年以来全国各省开展省级辐射事故应急演习的基本情况和特点，对演习中在预案修订、实战性、规范性、应急准备能力等方面存在问题进行了分析，并提出了针对性对策建议，为今后各省改进演习工作提供参考和借鉴。     

双源CT低剂量技术在疑是胸部病变患者CT检查中的应用

目的研究双源CT低剂量技术在疑是胸部病变患者CT检查中的应用价值。方法选取2013年11月至2014年11月来我院接受检查的161例疑是胸部病变患者,按照患者前来就诊的先后顺序将患者分为7组,每组23例,对7组患者分别采用常规管电流量110m As和低管电流量105,100,95,90,85,80 m As进行测量,比较各组患者肺动脉分叉平面肺动脉信噪比、肺动脉-竖脊肌对比噪声比、降主动脉信噪比、降主动脉-竖脊肌对比噪声比、图像主观质量评分及病变检出情况。结果随着放射剂量的降低,肺动脉和降主动脉的信噪比逐渐降低(P0.05);各组图像质量评分随着球管电流量的减小而降低(P0.05);80m As低管电流量组病变检出率为81.25%较其余各组显著较低(P0.05)。结论双源CT低剂量技术能在疑是胸部病变患者CT检查中给予准确判断,能有效降低放射对人体造成的伤害,建议行双源CT检查时采用85m As的参考管电流量,既能获得准确清晰的诊断图像又能明显降低患者所受辐射剂量。