Cancer support groups – are they effective?

Cancer causes significatlt emotional distress to a considerable majority of patients. Many of these patients typically receive little formal psychological intervention. Support groups, however, have provided one forum from which patients can attempt to gain help and can use to overcome some psychological trauma that accompanies the cancer hagnosis, subsequent treatment and relapse. This article reviews past studies of professionally run cancer support groups as opposed to psychological intervention groups. These studies are considered in light of the proposed benefits and the methodological limitations frequently inherent in such studies.     

仡佬族成人指纹白线的研究

目的　探讨仡佬族成人指纹白线的特征 ,为法医学、人类学及临床医学提供参考资料。方法　对贵州省道真县三代均为仡佬族的 2 17名成年人的 43 4侧手、2 170个手指指纹白线出现率进行了观测和统计分析。结果　各指指纹白线出现率为 :男 2 .48% ,女 2 .76% ;每个人指纹白线出现率 (每人有一指以上出现者 )为 :男 17.82 % ,女 18.10 % ;每只手指纹白线出现率 (每指有一条白线以上出现者 )为 :男 10 .89% ,女 11.2 1% ;每只手指指纹白线分布率为 :男 2 .48% ,女 2 .76% ;男女间差异无显著性 ,P >0 .0 5。结论　仡佬族成年人指纹白线出现率较低 ,并以单手、单指、单条白线分布为主。     

恩施土家族人眼的表面形态特征

按随机抽样原则选择湖北恩施土家族人５９８名观测了眼的表面形态。该民族大部分人两眼位置适中，虹膜褐色，眼裂水平，开度中等，无蒙古褶，双睑；多为细窄眼型或中等眼型；眼的各径男大于女，一般存在性别差异；随年龄增加，眼型由中等型向细窄型转化，根据眼外形特征和聚类分析推测，土家人眼属于南、北方民族间的过渡型。     

Focus groups: their role in developing calcium-related education materials

Because attitudes concerning a topic can diminish the effectiveness of educational materials, previously identified attitudes concerning calcium intake were explored through focus group interviews during the developmental stages of calcium education materials. Although four focus groups of six to seven participants were planned, each of the four groups consisted of two to six women. All focus groups followed the same format, lasting for 60–90 min; questions progressed from the general to more specific. The focus groups revealed several attitudinal barriers toward dietary behavioural change, including lack of prior interest in the topic and lack of time. Attitudes about dairy calcium included the belief that dairy foods were high in fat and should be avoided, and the belief that dairy foods would cause stomach upsets. Also, neither younger nor older women felt that osteoporosis was a problem their age group needed to address. Readability scales were not necessarily predictive of preference. This study shows that focus group interviews make a valuable contribution to planning and evaluating nutrition education materials.     

通过MR扩散张量成像了解与年龄相关的豆状核变化

目的探讨MR扩散张量成像（DTI）观察豆状核年龄相关性变化的价值与意义。方法69名健康志愿者纳入本研究。入组对象按年龄分为3组：≤30岁（I）组，22例；31～50岁（Ⅱ）组，24例；〉50岁（Ⅲ）组，23例。利用DTI分别测量受试者大脑左右两侧壳核、苍白球的表观扩散系数（ADC）值、部分各向异性（FA）值及扩散张量特征值λ1、λ2、λ3。分析不同年龄组间ADC、FA、λ1、λ2、λ3值的差异及与年龄的相关性。结果I、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组的壳核ADC值分别为：（6．68±0．40）×10^-4、（6．47±0．36）×10^-4、（6．44±0．34）×10^-4mm^2／s，苍白球ADC值分别为：（6．13±0．50）×10^-4、（6．05±0．33）×10^-4、（6．05±0．52）×10$-4mm^2／s。I、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组的壳核FA值分别为：0．20±0．03、0．23±0．03、0．25±0．03，苍白球FA值分别为：0.35±0．03、0．36±0．03、0．37±0．04。各年龄组内壳核ADC值大于苍白球，而FA值小于苍白球。壳核FA值的组问差异有统计学意义（F=10．082，P=0.000），壳核I、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组入，值分别为（5．35±0．45）×10^-4、（5．04±0．46）×10^-4、（4．90±0．44）×10^-4mm^2／s，差异亦有统计学意义（F=5．675，P=0．005）；壳核FA值与年龄呈正相关（r=0．555，P〈0．01），λ3值与年龄呈负相关（r=-0.440，P〈0．01）。结论壳核FA值随年龄的增长而上升，λ3值随年龄的增长而下降。     

1600例住院病人死亡原因分析

[目的 ]探讨 160 0例住院病人的死亡原因及其分布特征 .[方法 ]收集 1995年 1月至 2 0 0 2年12月间 160 0例我院住院死亡病人资料 ,对死亡疾病构成比率、男女主要疾病死亡构成比率、汉族和朝鲜族主要疾病死亡构成比率及年龄构成比率进行统计 .[结果 ] 160 0例死亡病例的死亡原因中脑血管疾病占 2 4 9% ,恶性肿瘤占 2 3 4% ,消化系统疾病占 13 7% ,意外伤害和中毒占 10 3 % ,心血管疾病占9 2 % ;男性与女性主要疾病死亡分布不同 ,两者间有非常显者性差异 ;汉族与朝鲜族主要疾病死亡分布不同 ,两者间亦有非常显者性差异 ;年龄构成比中 61～ 70岁居首位 ,占 2 6 6% ,51～ 60岁占 18 0 % ,41～ 50岁占 16 8% ,71～ 80岁占 15 8% ,3 1～ 40岁占 10 8% .[结论 ]住院死亡的疾病构成因性别及民族不同 ,其分布不同     

Undergraduate and postgraduate dental students''reflection on learning'': a qualitative study

The aim of this study was to explore undergraduate and postgraduate dental students' understanding of a good learning experience by using 'reflection on learning' as described by Schon. Four groups of Year 4 BDS students and one group of postgraduate students in dental public health took part in a series of focus group discussions. The responses were grouped into four broad themes (a) active, practical and positive learning; (b) interactive/together learning; (c) personal learning; (d) theory into practice. Six educational models of good learning proposed by the students are described.     

瑶族体型的Heath—Carter人体测量法研究

的　探讨瑶族成人体型的特点与规律。方法　应用Heath -Carter人体测量法 ,对广西田林县利周乡 2 18例(男 116 ,女 10 2 ) 2 0～ 45岁盘古瑶族成人体型进行活体测量。结果　瑶族平均体型男性为均衡的中胚层体型 ( 1.8-4 .9-2 .2 ) ,女性为偏内胚层的中胚层体型 ( 3 .1-4 .3 -1.9) ;瑶族男性 2 0～ 40岁间各年龄组 ,内因子值和中因子值变化不大 ,外因子值略有减少 ,内、中因子值的最小值及外因子值的最大值均在 40～ 45岁组 ;女性 2 0～ 45岁间各年龄组 ,随着年龄增加 ,外因子值明显增加 ,中、内因子值略有减少 ;瑶族男女间体型各年龄组比较差异均有显著性或高度显著性 ,P<0 .0 5或P <0 .0 1。结论　瑶族与其他群体体型比较 ,体脂少 ,骨骼肌肉较发达 ,身体线性度适中。     

Medical education for minorities at a US medical school

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSM) has initiated new efforts to build a regional minority applicant pool and to expand its educational programmes to accommodate students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Specific interventions include: establishment of medical career planner position to coordinate region-wide outreach; pre-entry education; and support activities once enrolled. This study describes specific services and presents sociodemographic and performance data on 56 minority and 280 majority students entering the UWSM between 1981 and 1985. Economic status and educational background of minority students were significantly below that of majority students, several flexible academic policies enabled most students to achieve mastery in courses and to progress through the curriculum. The educational data base utilized in this study, and those at other institutions, can assume important roles in the identification of problem areas in the education of disadvantaged students and in evaluation of the interventions attempted.