Screening for cardiovascular risk factors in a dental setting

BACKGROUND: The authors assessed the utilization of oral health care professionals (OHCPs) as a resource for identifying patients who were unaware of their increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: OHCPs administered a CVD risk-screening questionnaire, measured blood pressure and tested cholesterol levels, high-density lipoprotein levels and hemoglobin A1c (HgA1c) levels using "finger-stick" blood testing in 100 patients treated in a dental school clinic who were unaware of their CVD risk status. The authors determined the prevalence of specific risk factors (that is, smoking and abnormal levels of systolic blood pressure, lipids, body mass index and HgA1c) and calculated Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk scores. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of the 100 patients (35 percent of men, 5 percent of women) had an increased global risk of experiencing a CHD event within 10 years (Framingham risk score>10 percent). Seventy-three percent of participants had one or more risk factors and 31 percent had two or more risk factors present. More men than women had low levels of high-density lipoprotein (45 percent [18/40] of men versus 3.3 percent [2/60] of women; P<.0001). The mean Framingham CHD risk score increased with increasing risk factor burden. CONCLUSIONS: OHCPs identified patients with an increased CHD risk who could benefit from primary prevention activities. A substantial proportion of study patients who were unaware of their risk status were at an increased risk of experiencing a CHD event within 10 years. OHCPs could contribute to public health CHD control efforts.     

“十四五”期间高校图书馆特色学习空间建设

调研“十四五”期间国内42所高校和加拿大15所高校图书馆的特色学习空间建设现状,对比分析国内外高校图书馆学习空间差异,并为我国高校图书馆特色学习空间建设提供发展思路,提出了建设特色化学习空间、深化空间服务内容、强化空间服务团队建设、建立完善的学习空间预约制度等特色学习空间建设途径。     

高校图书馆阅读推广服务品牌体系建设实践

图书馆阅读推广服务品牌化是高校图书馆优质阅读推广服务品质和形象的象征,是图书馆阅读推广服务价值理念的集中体现。山西医科大学图书馆结合读者的阅读需求、能力、行为特征和本馆阅读推广服务的目标,以“让不爱阅读的人爱上阅读-让不会阅读的人学会阅读-让深度阅读的人分享阅读”为品牌定位,设计了“尚书阅读”品牌3级服务体系,即阅读兴趣培养、阅读能力提升和阅读价值彰显。同时还建立了“资源+空间+人才+平台+管理”5级保障机制以维系品牌可持续发展。该研究结果可为国内高校图书馆创建阅读推广服务品牌提供参考借鉴。     

Does Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance have a predictive value for post-coronary artery bypass grafting surgery outcomes?

Objective

This study aims to investigate whether pre-operative Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) value is a predictor in non-diabetic coronary artery bypass grafting patients in combination with hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose and insulin levels.

Methods

Eighty one patients who were admitted to Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic at our hospital between August 2012 and January 2013 with a coronary artery bypass grafting indication were included. Patients were non-diabetic with <6.3% hemoglobin A1c and were divided into two groups including treatment and control groups according to normal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR<2.5, Group A; n=41) and high insulin resistance (HOMA-IR>2.5, Group B; n=40), respectively. Pre-operative fasting blood glucose and insulin were measured and serum chemistry tests were performed. The Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance values were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in fasting blood glucose and HOMA-IR values between the groups. Cross-clamping time, and cardiopulmonary bypass time were longer in Group B, compared to Group A (P=0.043 and P=0.031, respectively). Logistic regression analysis revealed that hemoglobin A1c was not a reliable determinant factor alone for pre-operative glucometabolic evaluation of non-diabetic patients. The risk factors of fasting blood glucose and cardiopulmonary bypass time were more associated with high Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance levels.

Conclusion

Our study results suggest that preoperative screening of non-diabetic patients with Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance may improve both follow-up visit schedule and short-term outcomes, and may be useful in risk stratification of the high-risk population for impending health problems.     

四川省高校教师职业倦怠状况研究

目的对四川省高校教师职业倦怠状况进行抽样调查研究,揭示四川省高校教师存在职业倦怠的程度,为四川省高校教师队伍的管理与建设提供参考。方法于2013年12月,采用美国心理学家Maslach等编制的职业倦怠量表对随机抽取的520名四川省高校教师进行问卷调查。结果 1四川省高校教师职业倦怠的平均分为(1.440±0.486)分。2在去个性化维度上,不同性别(t=3.007,df=488,P=0.003)和年龄(F=4.801,df=3,P=0.003)的高校教师之间的差异有统计学意义。3在低成就感维度上,不同年龄(F=5.808,df=3,P=0.001)、学历(F=3.672,df=3,P=0.012)、职称(F=4.215,df=3,P=0.006)和收入(F=4.799,df=4,P=0.001)的高校教师之间的差异有统计学意义。结论 1四川省高校教师的职业倦怠水平较低。2年龄在46岁以上、或学历为博士、或职称为教授,或月收入在5000元以上的高校教师较少职业倦怠。     

The development of a brief self-report questionnaire to measure ‘recent’ Rash Impulsivity: A preliminary investigation of its validity and association with recent alcohol consumption

Background

Traditionally, impulsivity has been regarded as a stable trait. However, a series of longitudinal and behavioural laboratory studies has found that impulsivity can fluctuate within individuals, suggesting that it has a state as well as a trait manifestation. Whilst existing impulsivity questionnaires tap the former, there is no self-report instrument to assess recent fluctuations in impulsivity.Research aims and designThe present study set out to develop and undertake preliminary validation of a measure of ‘recent’ impulsivity, focusing in particular on Rash Impulsivity. Part of the construct validation of the resulting Recent Rash Impulsivity Scale (RRIS) entailed examining its association with recent alcohol intake, since there are well-documented reciprocal relationships between alcohol consumption and inhibitory control. In developing the RRIS, items from existing trait impulsivity questionnaires were converted into a ‘previous two weeks’ format. The pilot RRIS was then administered, along with a parallel trait version (Trait Rash Impulsivity Scale; TRIS) and a well-established trait impulsivity measure (the BIS-11; Patton, Stanford & Barratt, 1995), to two cohorts of first-year undergraduates aged 17 to 25 (N = 240), on two occasions one month apart. Information about habitual and recent alcohol intake was also gathered.

Results

Factor analyses on both the RRIS and TRIS identified two factors: ‘Cognitive Impulsivity’ (CogImp) and ‘Motor Impulsivity’ (MotImp). Consistent with the RRIS being sensitive to fluctuations in impulsivity, it was found that, as predicted: i) the RRIS was somewhat less strongly correlated than the TRIS with an established trait measure (the BIS-11; Patton et al., 1995); ii) the test–retest stability of ‘Total’ scores (CogImp and MotImp) was weaker for the RRIS than the TRIS; iii) there was evidence that the RRIS MotImp and Total scales were more strongly predicted by recent alcohol intake than were their trait equivalents; and iv) the RRIS CogImp and Total scales correlated more strongly with their trait equivalents in participants whose alcohol consumption had remained stable recently (relative to their habitual intake), compared to those whose consumption had recently changed.

Conclusions

These data suggest that transient changes in impulsivity can be assessed via self-report, and that the RRIS is sensitive to recent changes in alcohol intake. Subject to a more intensive and detailed validation, it is thus promising as a tool for tapping and characterising fluctuations in behavioural control and for exploring a range of factors to which this might be associated.