The Relationship between College Graduate’s Dual Self-Consciousness and Job Search Clarity: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between college graduates’ dual self-consciousness, job search clarity and perceived stress, and reveal the mediating role of perceived stress between dual self-consciousness and job search clarity. In this study, 467 college graduates were investigated using the Dual Self-Consciousness Scale, Job Search Clarity Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. After controlling for gender, age, and region, the results revealed that: (1) private self-consciousness has a significant positive predictive effect on job search clarity; (2) perceived stress has a significant negative predictive effect on job search clarity; (3) perceived stress plays partial mediation effects between private self-consciousness and job search clarity; (4) perceived stress plays complete mediation effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity; (5) perceived stress has suppressing effects between public self-consciousness and job search clarity.     

Analysis of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in familial and sporadic myoclonus-dystonia: evidence for genetic heterogeneity.

The epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) on human chromosome 7q21 has been reported to be a major locus for inherited myoclonus-dystonia. Linkage to the SGCE locus has been detected in the majority of families tested, and mutations in the coding region have been found recently in families with autosomal dominant myoclonus-dystonia. To evaluate the relevance of SGCE in myoclonus-dystonia, we sequenced the entire coding region of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in 16 patients with either sporadic or familial myoclonus-dystonia. No mutations were found. This study suggests that epsilon-sarcoglycan does not play an important role in sporadic myoclonus-dystonia and supports genetic heterogeneity in familial cases.     

Child with a tail

An interesting case of a child with a tail is reported. The child had a tail like structure in the back since birth, increasing with age. It was 20 cm. long, the longest tail so far described in the English literature. There was no functional complain. The result was excellent after excision as the problem was only cosmetic.     

Duodenogastric reflux after choledochoduodenostomy

Duodenogastric reflux (DGR) has been implicated in several disease processes. The present study was carried out to document the incidence and evaluate the clinical significance of DGR after choledochoduodenostomy (CDD). A total of 13 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy with a standard side-to-side CDD for choledocholithiasis or chronic pancreatitis were studied by symptom evaluation, scintigraphy, endoscopy, and gastric mucosal histology at least 6 months after surgery. The scintigraphic findings were then compared with those of 10 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy alone. Only two patients (15%) had mild dyspeptic symptoms. The incidence of DGR after CDD was 69% compared to 20% in the cholecystectomy alone group (P < 0.05). In the majority of patients the DGR was only mild to moderate and the severity correlated well with the degree of endoscopic gastritis, but not with the clinical symptoms or histological findings. These results indicate that while CDD is associated with a high incidence of DGR, its occurrence does not produce significant clinical symptoms.     

A search for unknown blood-borne oncogenic viruses

In previous decades, infants who received blood transfusions shortly after birth or in utero might have been infected at a particularly vulnerable age by some blood-borne oncogen it virus. A cohort of such infants has therefore been followed into adult life to see if they suffered any excess of neoplastic disease or of non-neoplastic mortality. A total of 12,690 infants were identified who were transfused between 1 January 1942 and 31 December 1970, in most cases for the prevention or treatment of haemolytic disease of the newborn. All but 361 (2.8%) were found to have been registered with a National Health Service (NHS) practitioner and were followed in the NHS central records until they died, emigrated, were removed from NHS lists or until 1 January 1992, whichever occurred first. Mortality and cancer incidence were compared with that expected from national rates. No marked disparity was observed and there was no excess of childhood leukaemia. The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at 15 to 49 years of age was about twice that expected, but the excess was not statistically significant.     

Benign polyps with prostatic-type epithelium of the urethra and the urinary bladder

The clinico-pathological features of nine urethral and urinary bladder polyps with prostate-type epithelium are described. The average age of the patients was 46 years. Three patients previously had cystoscopy and the lesion was not noticed on the initial examination. The commonest presentation in this series was haematuria, dysuria and frequency of micturition. One patient presented with postmicturition dribble and another with haemospermia. The polyps contained acini and papillae lined by prostate-type epithelium which was confirmed by immunohistochemical tests for prostate specific antigen and prostate acid phosphatase. In this series no age versus location relationship could be established. Symptoms resolved following resection or initial biopsy followed by fulguration. Recurrence is extremely rare.     

Pharmacology of KB‐R7943: A Na+–Ca2+ exchange inhibitor

The Na⁺–Ca²⁺ exchange (NCX) system plays a pivotal role in regulating intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration in cardiomyocytes, neuronal cells, kidney and a variety of other cells. It performs a particularly important function in regulating cardiac contractility and electrical activity. One of the leading NCX inhibitors is KB‐R9743 (KBR) that appears to exhibit selectivity for Ca²⁺‐influx‐mode NCX activity (reverse mode of NCX). In this article we reviewed pharmacology of KBR and provide a brief summary of studies with other NCX inhibitors, such as SEA0400 (SEA) and SN‐6 (SN). Potential clinical usefulness of KBR and other NCX inhibitors is still controversial but the reviewed findings may be helpful in designing more selective and clinically useful NCX inhibitors for the treatment of cardiac, neuronal and kidney diseases.     

Rural Demographics Racial/Ethnic Diversification in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Population Change in the United States: Implications for Health Care Provision in Rural America

The diversification of the rural population of the United States provides substantial challenges to the current and to future health care systems in rural areas. Because of a variety of historical, discriminatory, and other factors, minority populations have had lower levels of access to health care in rural as well as urban areas and higher rates of both mortality and morbidity than nonminority populations. Although minority health issues have often been seen as primarily urban issues, this article demonstrates that minority population growth has become a major component of total population growth in rural areas in the past several decades (accounting for nearly 62% of the net growth in the nonmetropolitan population of the United States in the 1980s and for nearly 42% in the 1990s), that future US population growth is likely to be largely a product of minority population growth (nearly 89% of US net population growth from 2000 to 2100 is projected to be due to minority population growth), and that the incidence of diseases and disorders in the US population will come to increasingly involve minority populations (by 2050 roughly 43% of all disease/disorder incidences would involve minority population members). The growth of younger minority populations with disproportionately impoverished socioeconomic characteristics will pose challenges for rural areas and health care systems, which also are likely to face health issues created by disproportionately older populations.     

Alteration of pulse configuration affects the pain response during diode laser photocoagulation

Background and Objective: The shape of the treatment pulse of the diode laser (810 nm) can be easily altered electronically in contrast to ion laser photocoagulators. We investigated whether changes in laser pulse shape influenced the subjective pain response in patients undergoing retinal photocoagulation when only topical anesthesia was used. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Twenty consecutive patients required peripheral retinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy or extensive retinal breaks. Three diode pulse waveforms including a square wave, shaped-wave, and an envelope of micropulses were compared to one another. Power was adjusted so that each waveform delivered the same total energy. The patients subjectively ranked the intensity of any pain they experienced for each group of lesions. Responses were compared to one another using an analysis of variance. Results: 40% of patients found the standard square wave pulse to be significantly more painful (P < 0.05) than the shaped pulse mode and 30% found the square wave significantly more painful (P < 0.05) than the micropulse mode. Conclusion: Modification of the laser pulse waveform may ameliorate pain induced by diode laser photocoagulation of the retinal periphery. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.