Subjective leisure experiences of older Australians

Background:  Previous studies into leisure have employed methodologies that may understate the significance of experiential components. This exploratory study investigated the leisure experiences of retired Australians over 65 years of age.
Methods:  Five semistructured interviews were used to explore the leisure experience of older people from metropolitan Adelaide. Data were coded and analysed thematically.
Results:  Relaxation and engrossment emerged as commonly expressed experiences, yet were found to emerge as a result of engagement in occupations predefined as leisure. Experiences of freedom from both necessary duties and a sense of obligation were discussed as potential determinants of leisure consciousness.
Practice implications:  This study highlights a need for therapists to actively access clients' subjective leisure experiences to enable engagement in personally meaningful leisure occupations.     

Nd∶YAG激光防治根管治疗期间急症发生的效果分析

目的分析激光消毒根管,防治根管治疗期间急症(endodonticinterappointmentemergencies,EIAE)发生的效果。方法慢性根尖周炎、慢性牙髓炎、牙髓坏死患者189例,随机分为激光组94例和对照组95例。激光组用激光消毒根管后一次性完成根管治疗;对照组直接行一次性完成根管治疗。对激光防治EIAE的效果进行临床评估。结果EIAE的发生率激光组为9.6%,对照组为35.8%,两组比较差异有显著意义(P<0.01)。结论运用激光消毒根管能有效地预防和降低根管治疗期间急症的发生。     

妊娠期糖尿病62例临床分析

目的 探讨妊娠期糖尿病的合理处理及预后.方法 选择62例妊娠期糖尿病患者进行回顾性分析.结果 妊娠期糖尿病62例,其中单纯饮食控制17例,饮食控制 胰岛素治疗43例,2例未治疗.剖宫产42例,阴道产20例.合并妊高症3例,羊水过多2例,羊水过少4例,羊水栓塞1例,早产5例,高胆红素血症3例,真性红细胞增多症2例,死胎2例,新生儿窒息4例,新生儿畸形1例.结论 对妊娠合并糖尿病的孕妇进行早期的诊断及治疗,选择合适的时间及方式终止妊娠可以减少母儿并发症的发生率.     

Fetal neural grafts for Huntington's disease: a prospective view.

Intrastriatal transplantation of striatal neuroblasts from human fetuses is a promising approach for treatment of Huntington's disease, on the basis of many experimental animal studies and, most recently, pilot clinical trials. Technically, several issues remain to be resolved (e.g., the precise site of dissection of the fetal tissue; the number and location of the fetal striatal implants; or the use of immunosuppressive therapy), and await larger-scale trials and purposely designed protocols. Further clinical data must also be obtained, and preliminary promising results must be replicated in a patient group large enough to provide conclusive results. It is important to establish (1) the amount of clinical benefit provided to the patient by the grafted cells; (2) the anticipated duration of clinical benefits; and (3) the secondary rate of decline after the benefit of the graft has been overbalanced. Evaluation of these parameters will require very long-term follow-up of the patients involved, over several years after grafting, before the technique can eventually be proposed widely to patients.     

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: the importance of early magnetic resonance imaging

The diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is frequently missed or delayed with consequent delay in instituting therapy in the crucial phase of the illness. The role of MRI in the diagnosis of ADEM is well established, however, the value of its early utilization of treatment on the outcome of patients has not been adequately stressed. Three patients with ADEM are described. Delay in the diagnosis of the first was associated with severe sequelae, while in the other two early diagnosis and institution of corticosteroid therapy which was facilitated by MRI, was associated with a better outcome. MRI should be carried out early once the diagosis of ADEM is entertained.     

异环磷酰胺为主的联合方案治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌

[目的]观察比较异环磷酰胺(IFO)、顺铂(DDP)、5-氟尿嘧啶(5-Fu)联合方案(IPF方案)与DDP,5-Fu(PF方案)治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌(Ⅲ-Ⅳ期)的近期疗效及毒副反应。[方法]136例均经病理证实为晚期复发鼻咽癌患者,随机分为IPF组69例,PF组67例(对照组)[结果]IPF组和PF组有效率分别为69.56％(48/69)和43.3％(29/67),两组间差异有显著性(X2=8.519,P<0.01)。中位生存期:IPF组16个月(8-34个月),PF组为6.5个月(4-21个月),两组间差异有显著性(X2=22.36,P<0.05)。毒副作用主要为骨髓抑制,Ⅲ-Ⅳ度白细胞下降率IPF组为49.4％,PF组为5.97％,两组差异有显著性(X2=29.54,P<0.01)。Ⅲ-Ⅳ度血小板下降率IPF组为29.18％,PF组为0％(X2=30.29,P<0.01);Ⅲ-Ⅳ度消化道反应两组的发生率分别为15.94％和11.94％(x2=0.234,P>0.01).且以Ⅲ度为主。[结论]以IFO为主的方案联合治疗晚期复发鼻咽癌疗效好,毒副反应能耐受,可作为一线方案。     

Management of pediatric pontine gliomas

We present 36 consecutive patients with intrinsic glioma of the pons. Tumors with exophytic expansion were excluded. There were 16 females and 20 males, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years, median 6 years. The most common presenting symptoms were cranial nerve dysfunction. unsteadiness of gait, and hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hypodense (17/21) or isodense (4/21) expansion of the pons. Five tumors had areas of contrast enhancement. Following information about prognosis and possible types of management, parents decided for or against radiation therapy: twentyfour children underwent irradiation and 12 did not. Median survival among children receiving a full course of irradiation was 280 days, compared to 140 days in an equivalent group of non-irradiated children. Hemiparesis presenting without cranial nerve symptoms and contrast enhancement on CT scan were poor prognostic factors, whereas sex, age, and duration of symptoms at diagnosis were unrelated to prognosis.     

Primary papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of broad ligament

A rare case of an advanced primary broad ligament carcinoma is discussed, with a review of the literature regarding its incidence, presentation and management. This patient showed a complete response to adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy following panhysterectomy and is presently without any evidence of disease, 15 months after completion of her treatment.     

Prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and relation to glycemic control therapies at baseline in the BARI 2D cohort

Abstract   We evaluated the associations between glycemic therapies and prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) at baseline among participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial on medical and revascularization therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) and on insulin-sensitizing vs. insulin-providing treatments for diabetes. A total of 2,368 patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD was evaluated. DPN was defined as clinical examination score >2 using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). DPN odds ratios across different groups of glycemic therapy were evaluated by multiple logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and diabetes duration. Fifty-one percent of BARI 2D subjects with valid baseline characteristics and MNSI scores had DPN. After adjusting for all variables, use of insulin was significantly associated with DPN (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). Patients on sulfonylurea (SU) or combination of SU/metformin (Met)/thiazolidinediones (TZD) had marginally higher rates of DPN than the Met/TZD group. This cross-sectional study in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD showed association of insulin use with higher DPN prevalence, independent of disease duration, glycemic control, and other characteristics. The causality between a glycemic control strategy and DPN cannot be evaluated in this cross-sectional study, but continued assessment of DPN and randomized therapies in BARI 2D trial may provide further explanations on the development of DPN.     

Long‐term efficacy of biologics in the treatment of psoriasis: what do we really know?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that often requires life-long treatment. Conventional therapies have not fully met the needs of psoriatic patients, because of limited efficacy, adverse effects with cumulative use, and patient inconvenience. In the past decade, biologic immunotherapies have become accepted treatments for psoriasis as a result of perceived efficacy and safety on the part of patients and practitioners. However, most data on these medications come from relatively limited short-term trials. In this review, we will focus on the available long-term data on the efficacy of the biologic agents. We will emphasize the strengths and weakness of the available data of the biologic agents that are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis (alefacept, efalizumab, * etanercept, infliximab, and adalimumab), with the inclusion of a newer agent currently under FDA evaluation (ustekinumab).