Toward a prostate cancer precision medicine

The promise of precision cancer medicine is that we will be able to pair clinical and genomic data to provide better and more efficient treatment for cancer care. Although the focus is on the optimal pairing of existing Food and Drug Administration–approved drugs with the patient׳s tumor, precision medicine should also help determine a patient׳s risk for disease progression. Precision medicine will hopefully also lead to improved molecular biomarkers. The specific needs for predictive biomarkers vary significantly based on cancer type. The chief aim for prostate cancer biomarker development is to help distinguish indolent from aggressive disease.     

Do Job Demands of Chinese Manufacturing Employees Predict Positive or Negative Outcomes? A Test of Competing Hypotheses

Karasek's job demands–control (JDC) model posits that job control can buffer against the harmful effects of demands experienced by employees. A large volume of JDC research has obtained support for the main effects of demands and control, but not the interactive effects. Recent research on the challenge–hindrance stressors framework, however, found that work stressors may not always be deleterious, suggesting alternative hypotheses about the effects of demands and control. The present study therefore examined competing hypotheses concerning the effects of job demands on occupational health outcomes. Using a sample of 316 employees in a Chinese manufacturing company, we found that, consistent with the challenge–hindrance framework, production demands were challenge stressors associated with favourable outcomes (i.e. job satisfaction and psychological well‐being). In addition, results showed that the interactive role of job control depended on the nature of outcome variables. Future recommendations and implications of findings are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Chinese approach to complementary and alternative medicine treatment for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome

Management of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) remains a challenge due to poor understanding on its etiology. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as an optional treatment, has been widely used, because no definitive conventional therapy is available. The different domain of CAM provides miscellaneous treatments for IC/BPS, which mainly include dietary modification, nutraceuticals, bladder training, biofeedback, yoga, massage, physical therapy, Qigong, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Clinical evidence has shown that each therapy can certainly benefit a portion of IC/BPS patients. However, the target patient group of each therapy has not been well studied and randomized, controlled trials are needed to further confirm the efficacy and reliability of CAM on managing IC/BPS. Despite these limitations, CAM therapeutic characteristics including non-invasive and effectiveness for specific patients allow clinicians and patients to realize multimodal and individualized therapy for IC/BPS.     

Mentoring Underrepresented Minority in Medicine (URMM) Students Across Racial,Ethnic and Institutional Differences

Cross cultural mentoring for underrepresented minority in medicine (URMM) students has increased significance. It is especially important for non-URMM faculty and others from different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures to know how to provide mentorship for URMM student success. This article provides approaches to mentorship for URMM students. Recommendations include mentoring around scholarly projects, identifying mentorship role, acknowledging personal attributes for mentoring, addressing racism, stereotypes and bias, collaborating with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and being attentive to the unique needs of URMM students.