Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A UNOS/OPTN Database Analysis

We previously reported poorer survival among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) compared to non-Hispanic whites at our center. In the current study, we hypothesized that these disparities would exist in a nationwide cohort of wait-listed patients with IPF. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2635 patients with IPF listed for lung transplantation between 1995 and 2003 at 94 transplant centers in the United States. The age-adjusted mortality rate was higher among non-Hispanic blacks [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.45, p = 0.009] and Hispanics (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.06-1.56, p = 0.01) compared to non-Hispanic whites. These findings persisted after adjustment for transplantation, medical comorbidities and socioeconomic status. Worse lung function at the time of listing appeared to explain some of these differences (HR for non-Hispanic blacks after adjustment for forced vital capacity percent predicted = 1.16, 95% CI 0.98-1.36, p = 0.09; HR for Hispanics = 1.21, 95% CI 0.99-1.48, p = 0.056). In summary, black and Hispanic patients with IPF have worse survival than whites after listing for lung transplant.     

软硬腭前移鼻咽下口扩大术初步报告

目的:运用软硬腭前移的手术方法扩大鼻咽下口,改善因鼻咽部狭小致阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者的呼吸暂停症状。方法:手术切除硬腭后份使其缩短、悬雍垂软腭成形并将软腭拉向前,扩大鼻咽下口。结果:患者术后自觉症状及客观评价疗效满意。结论:软硬腭前移鼻咽下口扩大显著改善鼻咽下口狭小导致的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者的症状。     

Women's access to modern methods of fertility regulation.

Preventing unintended pregnancies through access to modern family planning could avert 20-35% of maternal deaths, saving the lives of more than 100,000 women each year. Obstacles to wider access still exist, but they may be overcome by overt policy commitment to reproductive health services, partnership between stakeholders, community involvement and quality programs.     

Teaching Family Policy in Undergraduate and Graduate Classrooms: Why It's Important and How to Do It Better*

Abstract: As newcomers on college campuses, family policy courses have the potential to benefit policymaking, fill a void in undergraduate and graduate education, strengthen families, and prepare students for lifelong political engagement during a pivotal period in their development. Yet, family policy has proven a challenging course to teach. Family policy is an esoteric concept, which makes courses difficult to distinguish from other policy courses. The content of a family policy course is fluid and inherently value laden. This paper proposes course content and teaching techniques to transform these challenges into learning opportunities. The author discusses similarities and differences in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses and recommends cross‐university dialogue and resource exchange to improve the teaching of family policy in college classrooms.     

医改尚未成功,路在何方?

目前我国医疗制度改革尚未取得成功,这与计划经济向市场经济转轨这历史时期及卫生工作的特殊性有关,出现问题,甚至失误,在所难免。提出(1)医改的目的是确保全国人民健康,人人享有医疗保健。(2)把卫生系统推向市场,医疗机构商业化,不是医改的方向。(3)预防为主,健全预防医学制系。(4)国家增加投入。(5)制定公立及私立医院各项制度,保护医务人员的合法权益。(6)加强社区基层医疗机构的建设。     

Correction of frequency and phase variations induced by eddy currents in localized spectroscopy with multiple echo times.

As a consequence of the time-varying magnetic field induced by eddy currents, frequency drifting occurs when the sampling window of localized spectroscopy continuously shifts. The frequency drifting and the concomitant phase variations can severely affect spectroscopy results when data are acquired with multiple echo times (TEs), such as in the measurement of glutamate (Glu) concentration using the TE-averaged method. Specifically, the averaged spectra are further broadened and distorted in the presence of residual eddy currents, and editing of the coupled spins of Glu C4 protons is affected, resulting in errors in the measured relative intensity ratio. Postacquisition correction using unsuppressed water as reference can effectively minimize this detrimental effect, as manifested by the significantly enhanced signal intensity. Also, it is demonstrated that the methyl signals of creatine (Cr) at 3.0 ppm and choline (Cho) at 3.2 ppm can be used as internal references in finding frequency and phase disparities between different TEs.     

Prospect of Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Early Gastric Cancer: Our Devices in Insulated‐Tip Electrosurgical Knife Method

In Kobe University Hospital, a new method for endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) using insulated‐tip electrosurgical knife (IT‐EMR) for early gastric cancer (EGC) was introduced from November 2001. To achieve an effective and safe IT‐EMR procedure, we use a high‐frequency surgical unit for cutting and coagulation (ERBOTOM ICC 200) with automatically controlled cutting mode (ENDOCUT). In this study, we show not only our results of IT‐EMR for EGC in comparison with those of the conventional strip biopsy method, but also the optimal conditions for the apparatus of a high‐frequency surgical unit to prevent complications such as bleeding and perforation.     

牙冠延长术在残根残冠修复中的临床疗效

目的评价牙冠延长术在牙体缺损达龈下的残根残冠修复中的临床疗效。方法自2004年5月至2005年6月,对32例患者的36颗牙体缺损达龈下的患牙,术前按断端位于龈下最深距离分为A组(20颗患牙,距离<3.0mm)和B组(16颗患牙,3.0mm≤距离≤4.0mm),均采用牙冠延长术暴露龈下牙体断面,术后6周行桩冠修复。分别记录和比较手术前、后牙周探诊深度(PD)、菌斑指数(PLI)、龈沟出血指数(SBI)和牙齿松动度,以观察临床疗效。结果术后随访患者6个月,两组病例术后6周牙体断端均暴露较好、龈缘颜色正常,术后修复效果有效率为100%,满意率为77.78%。A组术后无松动,修复效果满意;B组术后50.00%出现Ⅰ度松动,修复效果欠佳,两组修复效果比较差异有显著意义(P<0.05)。术后各阶段两组的PD、PLI、SBI均明显优于术前(P<0.05),但两组术后牙周指数比较差异无显著意义(P>0.05)。结论牙冠延长术有利于残根残冠的保存和修复,但要注意适应证的选择。     

Predictors of gastric emptying in Parkinson''s disease

Predictors of gastric emptying (GE) in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) of a solid and liquid meal are not well defined. For measurement of GE 80 patients with PD were randomly assigned to receive either a solid meal (250 kcal) containing 13C-octanoate (n = 40) or a liquid meal (315 kcal) with 13C-acetate (n = 40). All patient groups were off medication affecting motility and were matched for age, gender, body mass index, disease duration and severity, using Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Gastric emptying was compared with a healthy control group (n = 40). Multiple regression analysis was used to determine predictors of gastric emptying. Exactly 88% and 38% of PD patients had delayed GE of solids and liquids respectively. Solid and liquid emptying was similar in women and men. There were no differences in GE in PD patients < 65 years of age when compared with patients > or = 65 years. Multiple regression analysis showed that motor handicaps such as rigour and action tremor are independent predictors of solid GE (r = 0.68, P < 0.001). The severity of motor impairment, but not any other neurological symptom, as assessed by UPDRS is associated with gastroparesis in PD and solid emptying is more likely to be delayed.     

Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 in cervical cancer: different roles in tumor progression

The incidence of uterine cervical cancer has increased slightly in Western countries, with an increase in relatively young women. Overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 has turned out as a prognostic factor in many cancers. We compared the expression of the proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cervical primary tumors with clinical outcome and risk factors of cervical cancer. One hundred sixty-one patients with cervical cancer treated in Ume? University Hospital or Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden, between 1991 and 1995 were included in the study. Paraffin-embedded tissue samples obtained prior to treatment were examined immunohistochemically by specific antibodies for MMP-2 and MMP-9. Forty-two percent of the tumors were intensively positive for MMP-2 and 31% for MMP-9. Nineteen percent of the samples were intensively positive for both proteinases and 47% negative or weak for both. Overexpression of MMP-2 seemed to predict unfavorable survival under Kaplan-Meier analysis and in the multivariate analysis. Early sexual activity and low parity seemed to correlate to overexpression of MMP-2. MMP-9 was not associated with survival or sexual behavior. Intensive MMP-9 was noted in grade 1 tumors. We conclude that MMP-2 and MMP-9 have different roles in uterine cervical cancer. MMP-2 could be associated with aggressive behavior, but MMP-9 expression diminishes in high-grade tumors.