Effects of differential privacy techniques: Considerations for end users

We study the effects of differentially private (DP) noise injection techniques in a survey data setting, using the release of cost of early care and education estimates from the National Survey of Early Care and Education as a motivating example. As an example of how DP noise injection affects statistical estimates, our analysis compares the relative performance of DP techniques in the context of releasing estimates of means, medians, and regression coefficients. The results show that for many statistics, basic DP techniques show good performance provided that the privacy budget does not need to be split over too many estimates. Throughout, we show that small decisions, such as the number of bins in a histogram or the scaling of a variable in a regression equation, can have sometimes dramatic effects on the end results. Because of this, it is important to develop DP techniques with an eye towards the most important aspects of the data for end users.     

Association between underweight and taste sensitivity in middle‐ to old‐aged nursing home residents in Sri Lanka: a cross‐sectional study

Low taste sensitivity may be one factor related to undernutrition, which is a major problem in developing countries. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to examine the association between underweight, one indicator of undernutrition, and taste sensitivity in middle‐ to old‐aged Sri Lankan nursing home residents. Participants were 946 residents with BMI of <25·0 from 25 nursing homes. Data were obtained on height, weight, taste sensitivity, subjective taste ability, sex, age, ethnicity, number of years in nursing homes, activities of daily living (ADL), frequency of exercise, bowel movements, smoking status, drinking status, current number of chronic diseases, number and kinds of medications used, self‐reporting questionnaire 20 (SRQ20), subjective smell ability, number of teeth present, Eichner index and flow rate of saliva. Low sensitivity to bitter taste, being male, old age, low ADL, smoking experience, drinking experience, fewer medications used and no use of medication for hypertension and diabetes were each associated with underweight (P < 0·05). In a multilevel Poisson regression model adjusted for sex, age, ADL, smoking status, drinking status, number of medications used, use of medication for hypertension and diabetes and flow rate of saliva, subjects with low sensitivity (>0·003% quinine hydrochloride dihydrate) to bitter taste had a significant 1·70 times higher prevalence ratio (95% confident interval 1·04–2·80) for underweight compared with those with high sensitivity (0·0001% quinine hydrochloride dihydrate). These results suggest that low taste sensitivity to bitter taste may be one factor related to underweight.     

For Everything There Is a Season

Describes the “seasons” of professional life and conscious decision-making regarding role changes.     

双水平无创正压通气在重症心力衰竭患者中的应用效果及护理措施

目的探讨双水平无创正压通气在重症心理衰竭患者的护理.方法选择50例重症心力衰竭患者分为对照组和治疗组,对照组在常规治疗的基础上使用鼻导管吸氧,治疗组在常规治疗的基础上使用双水平无创正压通气治疗,观察两组患者治疗前后的临床症状.结果治疗组的疗效明显优于对照组,各指标的恢复都比较迅速.结论双水平无创正压通气是治疗重症心力心衰竭比较可靠、安全、方便、患者容易接受的治疗方法,疗效显著.     

Lost in translation: Cultural divides in communication skills teaching identified in the ICCH 2016 student symposium

ObjectiveTo provide a platform for learners’ voices at an international conference on communication in healthcare.MethodsA group of medical students were invited to explore their experiences with communication skills learning at a symposium at the 2016 International Conference on Communication in Healthcare in Heidelberg, DE.ResultsStudents from the US, Denmark, Germany, and Russia discussed their experiences with communication skills curriculum at their institutions. We identified divides that have challenged our ability to develop and maintain strong communication skills: 1) valuation of communication skills vs. other topics, 2) curricular theory vs. practice, 3) evaluation vs. feedback, 4) preclinical vs. clinical learning, and 5) the medical student vs. practicing clinician role.ConclusionThe points of transition we identified on the road of communication skills teaching highlight opportunities to strengthen the educational experience for students. Without an effort to address these divides, however, our communication skills may be lost in translation.Practice implicationsStudents value communication skills teaching during their medical education and there are opportunities to translate this to countries that currently lack robust curricula and to the real-life post-graduate setting. Support is necessary from students, teachers, and administrators, and focus on translation of skills during role transitions is needed.     

Nursing students practice primary fire prevention

The purpose of this project was to evaluate a standardized, interactive, home fire safety program for elementary school students.     

急性肾梗死患者的护理

目的总结分析急性肾梗死患者的护理体会。方法对患者进行精心的临床、心理护理,合理的健康教育,给予个体化的出院指导,4例患者行静脉溶栓或抗凝治疗,2例患者行经股动脉介入溶栓治疗。结果患者无死亡病例,无护理并发症发生,所有患者经治疗后症状均有明显缓解。结论加强急性肾梗死住院期间的护理,可提高患者围术期的生活质量。