Parents' perceptions towards their child's use of inhaled medications for asthma therapy

Objective : Understanding patients' and their parents' perceptions towards asthma medication is important in developing strategies to ensure patient compliance. In this study, parents' perceptions towards their children's use of inhaled medication for asthma treatment were evaluated.
Methodology : A questionnaire was administered by interviewing parents of 210 asthmatic children attending the Department of Paediatrics, National University Hospital.
Results : Our results showed that 76/210 (36%) of parents either felt opposed to inhaler therapy and/or preferred oral medications. The main reasons for their reluctance to use inhalers were related to fear of dependence, side effects and overdosage, and the child's dislike for inhalers. A third of these parents felt that inhalers were only indicated for very severe asthma.
Conclusions : We conclude that a significant proportion of parents have reservations regarding the use of inhalers for the treatment of asthma. These factors should be taken into consideration when planning an effective asthma education programme.     

Abnormal anatomy of the lumbosacral region imaged by magnetic resonance in children with anorectal malformations

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of lumbosacral anomalies, the association with urogenital abnormalities, and the correlation with defaecation pattern by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: A prospective analysis was performed of routine MRI in patients with anorectal malformations. Between 1990 and 1994, MRI was performed in 43 such patients: 31 boys and 12 girls. Twenty four had a high anorectal malformation, 16 had a low anorectal malformation, and three had Currarino's triad. MRI was performed before reconstruction in 26, and postoperatively in 17. Urogenital anomalies were found in 21. RESULTS: Abnormalities of the spinal cord and spine were found with MRI in 20 patients (46.5%); caudal regression syndrome in 10, tethered cord in two, a combination of both in three, and other spinal anomalies in five. These anomalies were found in 30% of the patients with low anorectal malformations, and in 50% with high anorectal malformations. In patients with urogenital malformations, MRI more often showed spinal anomalies (13/21, 62%) than in patients without (7/22, 32%). In high anorectal malformations, defaecation was more often a problem in patients with spinal anomalies (12/15, 80%) than in patients without (2/8, 25%). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anomalies in the lumbosacral region were found with MRI in 46.5% of patients with anorectal malformations. Since presence of these anomalies seems to be related to clinical outcome, MRI should be performed routinely in all such patients.     

Thermal artifacts in bladder tumors following loop endoresection: electrovaporization v electrocauterization

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently, the electrovaporization (EV) technique has been used for loop endoresection of bladder tumors. Our objective was to evaluate whether bladder tumors resected by EV with a loop wire are fit for histologic diagnosis. In addition, a quantitative comparison was made with the thermal artifacts created with a standard electrocautery (EC) loop resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 26 patients with bladder tumors at various locations, endoresection was performed. In nonselective order, EV (N = 9; Gyrus device) or EC (N = 17; Valleylab device) was used. Histologic thermal artifacts were defined, and the diagnosis (pT classification) was determined. The linear depth of the thermal artifacts in the resected tissue was quantified with a computerized analysis system and statistically analyzed with the t-test. RESULTS: One case was excluded because the tissue was not fit for morphometric measurements. In all cases, a histologic diagnosis could be made. No qualitative differences were found between the groups in the extent of histologic thermal artifacts. The mean depth of the thermal artifact zone was 0.237 mm (range 0.060-0.469 mm; SD 0.098 mm) in the EV group and 0.260 mm (range 0.080-0.410 mm; SD 0.112 mm) in the EC group. This difference is not significant (P = 0.8). CONCLUSION: In these series, EV with a loop wire seemed to be a valid method to preserve bladder tumor specimens for histologic diagnosis. Compared with the EC method, there was no significant difference in the extent of thermal artifacts in the tissues resected.     

空心胶囊中残留氯乙醇的测定方法改进

目的：改进空心胶囊中残留氯乙醇的测定方法。方法：利用大口径毛细管柱的“溶剂效应”技术,进行测定。结果;色谱图重现性佳,分离效果好。结论;对氯乙醇的测定中,采用大口径毛细管柱分离效果优于固定液为聚乙二醇－１５００的填充性。     

师范院校贫困新生与非贫困新生心理健康状况的比较

目的:比较师范院校贫困新生与非贫困新生的心理健康状况。方法:于2005-10在衡阳师范学院完成调查。采用整群抽样横断面调查方法,以衡阳师范学院2005级3089名新生为调查对象,运用症状自评量表对其进行集体测查。在统一指导语下,学生根据最近1周内的自我感觉答题,独立完成,当场收卷。结果数据运用光电阅读机(OMR2000)输入计算机心理测评工具箱标准版V3.0系统进行总分和因子分的统计。量表中没有回答的项目记为"没有",5个以上项目未答者视为问卷无效以及总分低于95分的问卷因缺乏可靠性均不进行分析。所有数据输入电脑后用SPSS11.0软件进行统计分析;群体差异比较用t和Z检验。结果:共发放3089份问卷,收回有效答卷2994份,有效率为96.92%,其中贫困新生有效答卷510份,占17.03%。问卷结果显示,师范院校贫困新生在人际关系、偏执和精神病性3项因子上的得分分别为1.86±0.54,1.70±0.48和1.58±0.43,明显高于非贫困新生(1.78±0.51,1.65±0.46,1.53±0.39,t=3.34,2.02,2.92,P<0.05)。从阳性因子的人数比率来看,师范院校贫困新生在总分阳性的人数比率为0.28,明显低于非贫困新生(0.33,Z=-2.27,P<0.05);而在人际关系、偏执和精神病性3项因子阳性的人数比率分别为0.35,0.30,0.16,明显高于非贫困新生(0.31,0.24,0.13,Z=1.73,2.72,1.71,P<0.05)。结论:师范院校贫困新生的整体心理健康状况并不比非贫困新生差,但是在人际关系敏感、偏执和精神病性3个问题上明显比非贫困新生要严重。     

克隆测序确认HLA新等位基因B*3712

目的：由于技术原理的限制，目前尚不能对所有的HLA等位基因进行严格的区分，特别是以往没有发现的新基因序列只能通过测序的方法解决，然而，当遇到等位基因杂合时，测序给出的结果仍然无法确认新的序列改变发生在等位基因的哪一侧，这时需要用分子生物学方法分离杂合子然后进行测序才能确定新的基因序列。采用基因克隆方法确认HLA新等位基因。 方法：实验于2006-01／05在河南省红十字血液中心HLA实验室，美国海军骨髓库HLA实验室完成。造血干细胞血样由中华骨髓库提供。采用荧光微珠HLA分型方法对中华骨髓库捐献者血样进行HLA分型检测，无法给出确切结果的摸棱两可结果标本用基因克隆（TOPO TA Cloning）、DNA测序的方法确认新的HLA基因序列。 结果：通过克隆分离杂合等位基因，再进行测序确认发现新的序列与B^＊3709相比，出现4个核苷酸改变：1．355nt C〉A，2．363nt C〉G，3．412nt G〉A，4．477ntC〉G，而且均发生在H哺B基因外显子3（exon3）。4处改变引起氨基酸编码改变：①编码95CTC〉ATC，氨基酸改变L〉1（亮氨酸〉异亮氨酸）。②97AGC〉AGG．S〉R（丝氨酸〉精氨酸）。③114GAC〉AACD〉N（天门冬氨酸〉天冬酰胺）。（9135GCC〉GCGA=A无氨基酸改变。 结论：①新的基因序列已经在GenBnak注册，被WHO的HLA因子命名委员会得到正式命名为HLA-B^＊3712基因。②基因克隆是确认HLA新基因的根本方法。