Lower-Income Predicts Increased Smartphone Use and Problematic Behaviors Among Schoolchildren During COVID-19 Related School Modification: A Longitudinal Study

BackgroundAs the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued for a couple of years, the long-term effects of the pandemic and the subsequent school curriculum modification on the mental health of children and parents need to be investigated. To clarify the changes that can occur during one school year and to predict the risk factors for vulnerable groups, this study identified parameters relative to children’s screen time, their problematic behavior, and parental depression.MethodsA total of 186 participants were analyzed who were parents of elementary schoolchildren in South Korea. These parents were required to complete a web-based questionnaire twice. The questionnaires were conducted in June 2020 and September 2021. Participants’ general demographics including family income, children’s screen time, sleep patterns, problematic behavior, and parental depression were assessed via the parental questionnaire that included various measurement tools.ResultsChildren’s body mass index (BMI) increased significantly in 2021 (18.94 ± 3.75 vs. 18.14 ± 3.30, P < 0.001). Smartphone frequency of use per week (5.35 vs. 4.54, P < 0.001) and screen time per day (3.52 vs. 3.16, P < 0.001) significantly increased during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The television screen time (2.88 vs. 3.26, P < 0.001), frequency of viewing (3.77 vs. 4.77, P < 0.001), and children’s problematic behaviors significantly decreased (9.15 vs. 11.85, P < 0.001). A lower income household was a key predictor of increased smartphone frequency (B = 1.840, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.923–2.757, P < 0.001) and smartphone screen time (B = 1.992, 95% CI, 1.458–2.525, P < 0.001). The results showed that the lower income household (B = 5.624, 95% CI, 2.927–8.320, P < 0.001) and a child’s psychiatric treatment history (B = 7.579, 95% CI, 5.666–9.492, P < 0.001) was the most significant predictor of problematic behaviors of children and parental depression (B = 3.476, 95% CI, 1.628–5.325, P < 0.001; B = 3.138, 95% CI, 1.827–4.450, P < 0.001).ConclusionThis study suggested that children’s smartphone screen time and BMI increased during COVID-19 because of the school curriculum modification following school closures in South Korea. The increased children’s problematic behaviors and parental depression were predicted by lower-income households and the previous psychiatric history of children. These results indicate that multiple social support systems to the vulnerable group are needed during the ongoing pandemic and that a modified school setting is required.     

多普勒超声定量血流量准确性的实验研究

目的：本文探讨几种常用多普勒血流参数定量血流量的准确性。方法：在离体模型上准确模拟出不同的血流量,用频谱多普勒测量几种血流数（TAmean、TApeak和VTI）,分别计算每分血流量Q,并与实际血流量进行比较。结果：Q(TAmean）与实际血流量接近,测量比较准确（回收率RR＝98．0％）,其次是Q（TApeak)（RR＝91．6％）,而Q(VTI)准确性较差（RR＝159．9％）,高估实际血流量约60％;而各方法的变异系数无明显差别。结论：应用TAmean计算每分血流量较其它血流参数相对比较准确。     

医院感染危险因素的回顾性队列研究

[目的]探讨综合性医院的医院感染发生状况及其危险因素。[方法]采用回顾性队列研究,按比例分层随机和系统随机方法抽取某三级医院2005年1 050例住院病人为研究对象进行研究。[结果]住院病人医院感染率8.4%(88/1 050);感染部位以下呼吸道为主(26.1%),其次是消化道和上呼吸道(25.0%和21.6%);院感率在高干病区最高46.7%(7/15)。年龄、性别、病区、总住院时间、感染前使用抗生素和介入性诊疗是院感的关联因素;logistic回归分析筛选出感染前使用抗生素、介入性诊疗、性别和病区是主要危险因素;感染前抗生素使用种数越多,发生院感危险性越大。[结论]感染前使用抗生素和介入性诊疗是医院感染的主要危险因素。严格把握抗生素应用指征、规范各类介入性诊疗操作,将有利于预防和控制住院病人发生医院感染。     

日本家庭医学的引入及发展介绍

家庭医学起源于英美等西欧国家,它不仅注重培养医学生的临床能力,还十分注重患者及其家庭环境或成员之间的相互关系对疾病所产生的影响。目前在西欧国家,家庭医学作为一个专业领域,已在医疗保健中占有十分重要的地位。日本对于家庭医学的认识尚浅,尚未正式引入医学教育模式。本文介绍家庭医学引入日本的状况及发展方向,为我国医学教育研究者提供新思路。     

非霍奇金淋巴瘤中p16基因异常的关系研究

目的研究p16基因异常在非霍奇金淋巴瘤发生发展中的作用。方法采用PCR-SSCP法对40例NHLs进行p16基因外显子2的点突变及纯合性缺失研究。结果40例NHLs中,p16基因点突变率为30%(12/40),纯合性缺失率为5.0%(2/40)。结论p16基因的突变及缺失与非霍奇金淋巴瘤发生发展的关系密切。     

The protective effect of mindfulness and compassion meditation practices on ageing: Hypotheses,models and experimental implementation

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major health and societal issue; there is no treatment to date and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disease are not well understood. Yet, there is hope that AD risk factors and thus the number of AD cases can be significantly reduced by prevention measures based on lifestyle modifications as targeted by non-pharmacological preventive interventions. So far, these interventions have rarely targeted the psycho-affective risk factors related to depression, stress, anxiety, and feeling of loneliness, which are all prevalent in ageing. This paper presents the hypothesis that the regular practice of mindfulness meditation (MM) and loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKCM) in the ageing population constitutes a lifestyle that is protective against AD. In this model, these practices can promote cognition, mental health, and well-being by strengthening attention control, metacognitive monitoring, emotion regulation and pro-social capacities. Training these capacities could reduce the risk of AD by upregulating beneficial age-related factors such as cognitive reserve, and down-regulating detrimental age-related factors, such as stress, or depression. As an illustration, we present the Medit-Ageing study (public name Silver Santé Study), an on-going European project that assesses the impact and mechanisms of non-pharmacological interventions including meditation, in the ageing population.     

Pain Trajectories and Predictors: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study of Women With Vulvodynia

IntroductionA significant proportion of women report a reduction of symptoms over time—even without treatment—yet the natural progression of vulvodynia and which factors may explain decrease vs persistence of pain remain unclear.AimTo identify subgroups of pain trajectories in women with vulvodynia and to predict these different trajectories by treatments undertaken, pain characteristics, and psychosocial factors.MethodsData on pain intensity, treatments undertaken, pain characteristics, and psychosocial factors were collected 3 times over a 7-year period from 173 women who screened positive for vulvodynia. Latent class growth analysis was conducted to identify homogeneous subgroups with distinct pain trajectories. A multivariate binomial logistic regression was used to examine whether treatments, pain characteristics, and psychosocial factors predicted these trajectories.Main Outcome MeasureThe main outcome was pain intensity (0–10), measured at 3 time points with the numerical rating scale.Results2 pain trajectories were identified: 1 where pain persisted (28.9%), and 1 where pain decreased over time (71.1%). Whether a treatment had been undertaken was not predictive of the course of pain over time. Women who were older at first pain onset, had pain at another location than the entrance of the vagina, and reported more anxiety were more likely to have a persistent pain trajectory relative to the decreased pain trajectory.Clinical ImplicationsFindings suggest that the evolution of pain differs among women with vulvodynia depending on pain characteristics and anxiety.Strengths & LimitationsStrengths of the study include the 7-year longitudinal design to examine the natural history of provoked vestibulodynia and the inclusion of biopsychosocial factors as predictors of pain trajectories. However, women with major medical and psychiatric illnesses or deep dyspareunia were not included, and, thus, these factors could not be examined as predictors.ConclusionAssessing baseline characteristics associated with different pain trajectories during medical visits could have positive implications for the management of vulvodynia.Pâquet M, Vaillancourt-Morel M-P, Jodouin J-F, et al. Pain Trajectories and Predictors: A 7-Year Longitudinal Study of Women With Vulvodynia. J Sex Med 2019;16:1606–1614.     

Contribution of Cardiorespiratory Fitness to the Obesity Paradox

Until recently, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has been overlooked as a potential modifier of the inverse association between obesity and mortality (the so-called obesity paradox), observed in patients with known or suspected cardiovascular (CV) disease. Evidence from five observational cohort studies of 30,104 patients (87% male) with CV disease indicates that CRF significantly alters the obesity paradox. There is general agreement across studies that the obesity paradox persists among patients with low CRF, regardless of whether adiposity is assessed by body mass index, waist circumference, or percentage body fat. However, among patients with high CRF, risk of all-cause mortality is lowest for the overweight category in some, but not all, studies, suggesting that higher levels of fitness may modify the relationship between body fatness and survival in patients manifesting an obesity paradox. Further study is needed to better characterize the joint contribution of CRF and obesity on mortality in diverse populations.