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@#Abstract：Objective To investigate the detection methods of newly discovered leprosy cases in Hunan Province in 2013-2022, and analyze the trend of changes, and provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of leprosy. Methods The detailed information of newly diagnosed leprosy cases in Hunan Province from 2013 to 2022 was collected through the Leprosy Management Information System (LEPMIS), and the descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the detection methods of newly discovered leprosy cases. Results From 2013 to 2022, a total of 250 newly diagnosed leprosy cases were detected in Hunan Province, including 143 cases (57.20%) were found in outpatient clinics, 33 cases (13.20%) were found in clue investigations, 27 cases (10.80%) were notifiable-reported, 23 cases (9.20%) were self-reported, 11 cases (4.40%) were found in other ways (e.g., group survey), 9 cases (3.60%) were found in contact examinations, 2 cases (0.80%) were found in census, and 2 cases (0.80%) were found in epidemic point inspection. From 2013 to 2022, the number of cases detected in outpatient clinics showed an upward trend (rs=0.515), while the cases detected in clue investigation (rs=-0.873), notifiable-reported (rs=-0.127), self-reported (rs=-0.301), contact examination (rs=-0.363), census (rs=-0.701) and epidemic point inspection (rs=-0.701) showed a downward trend. The majority of leprosy cases with different demography characteristics and clinical characteristics were found through outpatient clinics, except that the majority of leprosy cases in children were found by contact examination (66.76%). Of 165 male cases, 92 cases (55.76%) were found in outpatient clinics and 51 out of 85 female cases (60.00%) were found in outpatient clinics. Among age groups, 113 out of 187 cases aged 15 to 60 (60.43%) and 30 out of 60 cases aged over 60 (50.00%) were found in outpatient clinics. Among patients with differentoccupations, 112 out of 208 cases of farmers (53.85%) and 31 out of 42 cases of other occupations (73.81%) were found inoutpatient clinics. Among cases with different types of leprosy, 111 out of 185 cases of multibacillary leprosy (60.00%) and 32 out of 65 cases of paucibacillary leprosy (49.23%) were found in outpatient clinics. Among cases with different numbers of skin lesions, 4 out of 8 cases of skin lesion-free leprosy (50.00%), 3 out of 9 cases of single skin lesion leprosy (33.33%), and 136 out of 233 cases of multiple skin lesions leprosy (58.37%) were found in outpatient clinics. Of 72 cases without nerve damage, 48 cases (66.67%) were found in outpatient clinics. Of 27 cases with single nerve damage, 17 cases (62.96%) were found in outpatient clinics. Of 151 cases with multiple nerve damage, 78 cases (51.66%) were found in outpatient clinics. Among patients with different levels of malformation, 58 out of 102 cases with no malformation (56.86%), 28 out of 45 cases with Grade malformation (62.22%), 35 out of 68 cases with Grade Ⅱmalformation (51.47%), and 22 out of 35 cases with other types of malformation (62.86%) were found in outpatient clinics. Conclusions Outpatient clinics is the main way to detect newlydiagnosed leprosy cases under the low prevalence of leprosy in Hunan Province, and it is an important strategy to move the early detection of leprosy cases to comprehensive medical institutions in the future.
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@#Abstract: Objective To understand the difference of DNA sequence and RNA sequence of paired pol region in HIV patients in constructing HIV genetic transmission network, and to provide scientific data for constructing molecular transmission networks using DNA sequences. Methods The whole blood and plasma samples of HIV patients living in 2014 and newly reported in 2015-2018 in Liuzhou, Guangxi, were collected, DNA and RNA sequences were extracted, amplified, sequenced, spliced and aligned, and then genetic transmission networks were constructed, and the connectivity consistency of genetic transmission networks constructed by DNA and RNA sequences was compared. Results In this study, a total 2 983 participants were investigated, which were 2014 baseline and 2015-2018 newly reported HIV patients, of which 2 590 participants were only DNA sequences in 2014 baseline, 196 HIV patients were both DNA and RNA sequences of paired pol region in 2014 baseline, and 197 newly reported HIV patients were both DNA and RNA sequences of paired pol region in 2015-2018. In 393 DNA and RNA sequences of paired pol region, the genotype of DNA sequence and RNA sequence were consistent, and there was no statistically significant difference in genetic distance between paired DNA sequences and RNA sequences (Z=-2.72, P=1.00). The connection consistency rate of genetic transmission networks constructed by DNA and RNA sequences of paired pol region of 2015-2018 newly reported with the baseline DNA sequences was 91.4% (108/197). And the connection consistency rate of genetic transmission networks constructed by DNA and RNA sequences of paired pol region of 2015-2018 newly reported with the baseline RNA sequences was 97.0% (191/197). There was no statistical difference in antiretroviral therapy to reduce the risk of HIV secondary transmission between genetic transmission networks constructed by DNA and RNA sequences of paired of pol gene newly reported from 2015 to 2018 with baseline DNA sequence. Conclusion DNA sequence and RNA sequence of paired pol region of HIV patients have good consistency in genotype, genetic distance, and genetic transmission network construction, and both DNA and RNA sequences can be used for genetic transmission network analysis.
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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the main cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children. However, there is no effective treatment for RSV infection. Here, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers to aid in the treatment of RSV infection. Children in the acute and convalescence phases of RSV infection were recruited and proteomic analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Subsequently, promising candidate proteins were determined by functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction network analysis, and underwent further validation by western blot both in clinical and mouse model samples. Among the 79 DEPs identified in RSV patient samples, 4 proteins (BPGM, TPI1, PRDX2, and CFL1) were confirmed to be significantly upregulated during RSV infection. Functional analysis showed that BPGM and TPI1 were mainly involved in glycolysis, indicating an association between RSV infection and the glycolysis metabolic pathway. Our findings provide insights into the proteomic profile during RSV infection and indicated that BPGM, TPI1, PRDX2, and CFL1 may be potential therapeutic biomarkers or targets for the treatment of RSV infection.
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Humans , Child , Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human , Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections , Biomarkers , ProteomicsABSTRACT
@#Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) not only directly damages lung tissue, but also can be absorbed into blood through alveolar capillaries, which is toxic to the cardiovascular system. PM2.5 can affect lipid metabolism, endothelial function, coagulation and thrombosis through oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction, autonomic nervous dysfunction and immune regulation abnormality, so that it promote arteriosclerosis, plaque instability, and increase the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. We reviewed the effects and mechanisms of PM2.5 on arteriosclerosis, in order to provide the evidence for the studies into prevention of cardiovascular diseases caused by air pollution.
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Purpose@#Senior nursing and medical interns’ lack of familiarity and confidence with respect to practicing universal precaution for the prevention of occupational needlestick or sharp injuries may harm themselves. Trainees’ self-reported needlestick or sharp injury rate was known to be especially high during the first 2 months of internship in Taiwan. This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the effect of newly developed virtual reality (VR) game, which uses Gagne’s learning model to improve universal precaution for needlestick or sharp injury prevention and decrease the rates of needle stick or sharp injuries in new-coming medical and nursing interns in Taiwan. @*Methods@#From 2017 to 2019, the VR system was developed and applied in training of 59 new-coming nursing and 50 medical interns. Occupational needlestick or sharp injury prevention was sought to be achieved through a game of right and wrong choices for safe or unsafe universal precaution behaviors. @*Results@#In comparison with medical interns, a higher proportion of nursing interns had past experiences of deep occupational needlestick or sharp injury. Before VR training, the familiarity and confidence for needlestick or sharp injury prevention were higher among nursing interns than medical interns. Trainees with past experiences of deep needlestick or sharp injury exhibited better performance on the accuracy rate and time needed to complete 20 decisions than those without past experiences in VR practice. All trainees showed an improved performance after VR training. A high proportion of trainees reported that the VR-based training significantly decreased their anxiety about needlestick or sharp injury prevention. @*Conclusion@#This self-developed VR game system using Gagne’s flow improved universal precaution for needlestick or sharp injury prevention and reduced the needlestick or sharp injury rates in the first 2 months of nursing and medical internship.
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BACKGROUND@#Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability among the older adults. Few treatments are safe and effective. Moxibustion is commonly used in treating knee OA in Chinese medicine (CM). CO Laser moxibustion device is a substitute for traditional moxibustion, which mimics the effects of traditional moxibustion. More data are needed to support its application in knee OA.@*OBJECTIVE@#ObjectiveThe trial aims to assess the effect and safety of CO laser moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared with a sham control.@*METHODS@#This is a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 392 participants were recruited and assigned to the CO laser moxibustion group and sham laser moxibustion group with a 1:1 ratio at 6 outpatient clinics in Shanghai, China. Participants in both groups received treatment at the affected knee(s) at the acupuncture point Dubi (ST 35) and an Ashi point. There were 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks, and an additional 20-week follow-up. Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores at week 4. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC function score, stiffness score and overall score, VAS pain, Short-Form heath survey (SF-36), and patients' global assessment. The serum levels of cytokines involved in progress of knee OA were explored. Safety was assessed during the whole trial. Masking effectiveness was assessed by both participants and treatment providers.This is a protocol for a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 392 participants were recruited and assigned to the CO laser moxibustion group and sham laser moxibustion group with a 1:1 ratio at 6 outpatient clinics in Shanghai, China. Participants in both groups received treatment at the affected knee(s) at the acupuncture point Dubi (ST 35) and an Ashi point. There were 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks, and an additional 20-week follow-up. Primary outcomes were changes in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores at week 4. Secondary outcomes were WOMAC function score, stiffness score and overall score, VAS pain, Short-Form heath survey (SF-36), and patients' global assessment. The serum levels of cytokines involved in progress of knee OA were explored. Safety was assessed during the whole trial. Masking effectiveness was assessed by both participants and treatment providers.@*DISCUSSION@#CO laser moxibustion device, designed as a substitute for CM moxibustion, is easy to use and control with no choking smoke and smell, and is a plausible method for double-blind research. This study would provide rigorous evidence for the effect and safety of CO laser moxibustion in treating knee OA (Trial registration No.: ISRCTN15030019).
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Objective@#To understand the situation of school medical staff in Guangzhou after adopting multichannel medical model, and to provide reference for school medical team construction.@*Methods@#A total of 1 099 primary and secondary schools in Guangzhou participated in this study through questionnaire survey regarding school medical personnel, basic situation of school medical personnel and work situation.@*Results@#Among the 1 099 primary and secondary schools surveyed, 638(58.05%) of them consisted of 707 full-time school doctors, the eligible rate was 28.20%. The recruitment of school doctors was still based on independent recruitment(55.87%), and 44.13% of the purchase service modes (community deployment, hospital purchase services, and school clinic custody) were deployed. Most of school medical professionals majored in nursing(56.86%), followed by clinical medicine (26.03%) and preventive medicine (9.76%); In terms of professional titles, junior, intermediate and senior certificates accounted for 52.47%, 37.34%, and 1.27%, respectively; More than 68.74% of school doctors worked for less than 5 years; On average, 68.60% of training were provided every six months. About 33.95% of the school doctor were satisfied with salary, 20.79% were not satisfied. Compared with the year 2016, no significant changes were noticed in academic qualifications, professional titles, and working conditions of school medical team, however, increased proportion of staffs with nursing certificate instead of clinical medicine certificate increased, workload and satisfaction towards salary decreased(P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#After adopting the multi-channel deployment model, the construction of school health workforce in Guangzhou has made breakthrough progress. It is proposed to improve the guidelines for the standardization of school doctors, to strengthen the professional skills training of school doctors, and to better improve the overall level of school health work in the city.
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Breast cancer is one of the common diseases among women. It is a malignant tumor with a variety of complex mechanisms. Its pathogenesis has not been clearly studied. Physical, chemical and surgical treatments often cause vomiting, nausea, dizziness and headache for women. As compared with traditional treatment, Chinese medicine is characterized by multiple targets, small side effect and good effect in treating breast cancer. In this paper, 85 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines that can treat breast cancer were included. Among them, 69 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines have been included in the 2015 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and 16 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines have not been included. The main medicinal ingredients in these Chinese herbal medicines for treatment of breast cancer were alkaloids, glycosides, phenols, terpenes, carbohydrates, volatile oils, coumarins and so on. In addition, these herbal medicines were classified according to their effects in breast cancer. Then, combined with the recent studies at home and abroad, this paper summarized the effect of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) on breast cancer, including the reversal of multi-drug resistance, the inhibition of metastasis and proliferation, the induction of tumor cell apoptosis, and the arrest of the cell cycle for breast cancer. This paper also explained three pathways for treating breast cancer by TCM, including intervening the tumor cell related apoptosis gene to inhibit breast cancer, inhibiting the expression of P-glycoprotein in the cell membrane to reverse the multi-drug resistance of breast cancer cells, and regulating the related epithelial mesenchymal transition signal pathway to prevent breast cancer cells metastasis and proliferation. In the end, it was concluded that Chinese medicine can reduce the drug resistance and metastasis of breast cancer cells, block the cell cycle of breast cancer cells, and also intervene the expression of apoptotic factors to promote the death of breast cancer cells. The inhibition of breast cancer by Chinese medicine was the result of the common effect of various ingredients. Therefore, Chinese medicine treatment for breast cancer has the unparalleled advantages as compared with chemical and surgical treatment. Chinese medicine is one of our important means to overcome breast cancer.
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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in several cellular biogenic activities, including the virus-host interaction as well. Virus infection could induce aberrant expression of multiple lncRNAs, and some of these lncRNAs could facilitate or suppress the virus infection via diverse mechanisms. In this paper, we enumerate the differentially expressed lncRNAs induced by different types of viruses and summarize the potential mechanism of interaction between viruses and these lncRNAs.
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Purpose@#In contrast to the core part of the clinical interviewing and physical examination (PE) skills course, corresponding to the basic, head-to-toe, and thoracic systems, learners need structured feedback in the cluster part of the course, which includes the abdominal, neuromuscular, and musculoskeletal systems. This study evaluated the effects of using Dreyfus scale-based feedback, which has elements of continuous professional development, instead of Likert scale-based feedback in the cluster part of training in Taiwan. @*Methods@#Instructors and final-year medical students in the 2015–2016 classes of National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan comprised the regular cohort, whereas those in the 2017–2018 classes formed the intervention cohort. In the intervention cohort, Dreyfus scale-based feedback, rather than Likert scale-based feedback, was used in the cluster part of the course. @*Results@#In the cluster part of the course in the regular cohort, pre-trained standardized patients rated the class climate as poor, and students expressed low satisfaction with the instructors and course and low self-assessed readiness. In comparison with the regular cohort, improved end-of-course group objective structured clinical examination scores after the cluster part were noted in the intervention cohort. In other words, the implementation of Dreyfus scale-based feedback in the intervention cohort for the cluster part improved the deficit in this section of the course. @*Conclusion@#The implementation of Dreyfus scale-based feedback helped instructors to create a good class climate in the cluster part of the clinical interviewing and PE skills course. Simultaneously, this new intervention achieved the goal of promoting medical students’ readiness for interviewing, PE, and self-directed learning.
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OBJECTIVE@#Increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque as manifestations of carotid atherosclerosis have been used as markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are linked to CVD, but the association between MetS and CVD is controversial.@*METHODS@#A total of 8,933 Chinese adults aged 40 years or older from 2010 to 2014 were selected from the Jidong and Kailuan communities. MetS was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. CIMT and carotid plaque were measured using color Doppler ultrasound. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of MetS with carotid plaque and CIMT.@*RESULTS@#MetS was found among 3,461 (3,461/8,933) participants. The odds ratio and 95% confidence internal (CI) for carotid plaques in participants with MetS was 1.16 (1.03-1.30). The risk of carotid plaques increased with the number of MetS components. The average CIMT was higher in participants with MetS (β = 0.020, 95% CI, 0.014-0.027) and in participants with more MetS components.@*CONCLUSION@#Individuals with MetS are at an increased risk for carotid atherosclerosis compared to those without MetS.
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Objective To investigate the effects of β2-adrenergic antagonist ICI118 ,551 on pancreatic cancer cell G1/S phase arrest and its action mechanism .Methods The cell cycle indexes were determined by the flow cytometry assay ;the expressions of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E were analyzed by Western blot ;the activation of NF-κB was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay ;the proliferation of PanCa cells was determined by BALB/c athymic nude mice subrenal capsular assay .Results β2-adrenergic antagonist ICI118 ,551 significantly induced G1/S phase arrest compared with β1-adrenergic antagonist metoprolol in MIA PaCa-2 and BxPC-3 cell lines .ICI118 ,551 inhibited the expressions of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E and reduced the activation of NF-κB .The proliferation of PanCa cells was strongly suppressed in the renal capsule xenografts in mice after ICI 118 ,551 treatment .Conclusion The blockage ofβ2-adrenoceptor markedly induces PanCa cells to arrest at G1/S phase and inhibits the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells .
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A case control study including 45 acute pancreatitis and 44 healthy volunteers was performed to investigate the association between intestinal microbial community and acute pancreatitis. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to profile the microbiological composition of the samples. In total, 27 microbial phyla were detected and the samples of pancreatitis patients contained fewer phyla. Samples from acute pancreatitis patients contained more Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and fewer Firmicutes and Actinobacteria than those from healthy volunteers. PCoA analyses distinguished the fecal microbial communities of acute pancreatitis patients from those of healthy volunteers. The intestinal microbes of acute pancreatitis patients are different from those of healthy volunteers. Modulation of the intestinal microbiome may serve as an alternative strategy for treating acute pancreatitis.
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Recently, the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) blood pressure (BP) trial enrolled 4733 participants with type 2 diabetes and randomized them to a target systolic blood pressure (SBP) of less than 120 mm Hg or 140 mm Hg. Despite the significant difference in the achieved SBP, there was no significant difference in the incidence of primary outcomes. Based on this evidence, the target SBP for diabetics has been revised in the majority of major guidelines. However, there is a steeper association between SBP and stroke in Asians than other ethnicities, with stroke being the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. This suggests that target BP in the Asian region should be tailored towards prevention of stroke. In the ACCORD study, the intensive BP treatment was associated with significant reductions in both total stroke and non-fatal stroke. The results from the ACCORD study are supported by a subgroup analysis from the ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) study, which showed that, in diabetic patients, the risk of stroke continues to decrease to a SBP value of 115 mm Hg with no evidence of J curve. As diabetes is highly associated with underlying coronary artery disease, there is a justified concern for adverse effects resulting from too much lowering of BP. In a post hoc analysis of 6400 diabetic subjects enrolled in the International Verapamil SR-Trandolapril (INVEST) study, subjects with SBP of less than 110 mm Hg were associated with a significant increase in all-cause mortality. In the ONTARGET study, at any levels of achieved SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) below 67 mm Hg was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular outcomes. As such, a prudent approach would be to target a SBP of 130–140 mm Hg and DBP of above 60 mm Hg in diabetics with coronary artery disease. In conclusion, hypertension, in association with diabetes, has been found to be significantly correlated with an elevated risk for cardiovascular events. As the association between stroke and BP is stronger in Asians, compared to other ethnicities, consideration should be given for a target BP of 130/80 mm Hg in Asians.
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Humans , Asian People , Blood Pressure , Coronary Artery Disease , Hypertension , Incidence , Mortality , Ramipril , Stroke , VerapamilABSTRACT
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Suicide is one of the most tragic problems medical schools are facing today. It is an issue that has not escaped medical schools in either developing or developed nations. To combat this trend, medical educators require efficient and effective strategies for the immediate identification of students who are at an elevated risk of harming themselves.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>National Yang Ming University medical students were surveyed on various demographic, academic, personal, and extracurricular subjects as well as assessed for suicidal ideation. In addition, students completed the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ, a translated and modified version of the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ), and the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire (TDQ, a translated and modified version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies' Depression Scale, CES-D).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rate of suicidal ideation was significantly higher in second year students as opposed to fi rst year students (P <0.01). Students of lower socioeconomic status (P = 0.04), with non-inflammatory joint pain (P = 0.02), with headache (P = 0.047), with sleep disorders (P = 0.04), who scored as depressed on the TDQ (P <0.01), and/or who scored abnormally on the CHQ (P <0.01) were all significantly more likely to have experienced suicidal ideation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A number of groups at high risk for suicidal ideation, and thus in greater need of support, were identified. Suicide intervention programmes and depression counselling should target older students and students of lower socioeconomic status. Students presenting to university clinics with non-inflammatory joint pain, headache, and/or sleep disorders should be evaluated for suicidal tendencies. The TDQ and CHQ are potentially valuable screening tests for early detection of potential suicidal students.</p>
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Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Adaptation, Psychological , Depression , Epidemiology , Psychology , Psychometrics , Risk Assessment , Methods , Social Class , Statistics as Topic , Stress, Psychological , Epidemiology , Psychology , Students, Medical , Psychology , Suicidal Ideation , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Undergraduate evidence-based practice (EBP) is usually taught through standalone courses and workshops away from clinical practice. This study compared the effects of 2 clinically integrated educational strategies on final year medical students.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Final year medical students rotating to the general medicine service for a 2-week internship were randomly assigned to participate in a weekly EBP-structured case conference focusing on students' primary care patients (Group A, n = 47), or to receive a weekly didactic lecture about EBP (Group B, n = 47). The teaching effects of these 2 interventions were evaluated by a validated instrument for assessment of EBP related knowledge (EBP-K), attitude (EBP-A), personal application (EBP-P), and anticipated future use (EBP-F) on the first and last days of rotation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All scores improved significantly after the 2-week EBM-teaching for both groups. When compared to Group B, students in Group A had significantly higher post-intervention scores of EBP-K (21.2 ± 3.5 vs 19.0 ± 4.6; ie. 57.8 ± 72.9% vs 29.1 ± 39.1%; P <0.01) and EBP-P (18.7 ± 4.3 vs 15.3 ± 3.9; ie. 28.5 ± 25.5 % vs 14.1 ± 18.7 %; P <0.001). In contrast, the scores of EBP-A and EBP-F were similar between the 2 groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Structured case conference, when compared to the didactic lectures, significantly improved EBP-K and EBP-P for final year medical students.</p>
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Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Young Adult , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Evidence-Based Medicine , Education , Surveys and Questionnaires , Taiwan , Teaching , MethodsABSTRACT
This study examined the possible mechanism of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in the treatment of allergic asthma.Forty asthma patients allergic to dust mite were enrolled.They received SLIT with dermatophagoides farinae (Der.f) drops for one year.Thirty healthy subjects served as controls.The levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were determined in allergic asthma patients before and after the SLIT as well as the healthy subjects.The results showed that the level of IL-4 was substantially increased and that of IFN-γ remarkably decreased in the patients before the SLIT as compared with those in the healthy subjects (P＜0.05).After the SLIT,the level of IL-4 was significantly reduced and that of IFN-γ elevated in these allergic asthma patients.It was concluded that sublingual immunotherapy is effective for patients with allergic asthma.And it may work by regulating the balance of Th1/Th2 through changing the expression of IL-4 and IFN-γ in PBMCs.
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<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>In order to commit to their mission and placement requirements, medical education policy-makers are required to understand the background and character of students in order to admit, cultivate and support them efficiently and effectively.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>This study sample consisted of 408 homogeneous medical students with the same level of education, occupation, school and societal environment. They differed mainly in their family background. Therefore, this study used part of a multidimensional "student portfolio system" database to assess the correlation between family status (indexed by parental education and occupation) and medical students' mental health status and characters. The controls were a group of 181 non-medical students in another university.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The parents of the medical students were from a higher socioeconomic status (SES) than the parents of those in the control group. This showed the heritability of genetic and environment conditions as well as the socioeconomic forces at play in medical education. Students' personal and professional development were associated with their parents' SES. The mother's SES was associated with the student's selfreported stress, mental disturbances, attitude towards life, personality, health, discipline, internationalisation and professionalism. The fathers' SES did not show a statistically significant association with the above stress, physical and mental health factors, but showed an association with some of the personality factors. The greater the educational difference between both parents, the more stress, hopelessness and pessimism the student manifested.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Medical educators need to be aware that socioeconomic factors have meaningful patterns of association with students' mental and physical health, and their characters relating to personal and professional development. Low maternal SES negatively influences medical students' personal and professional development, suggesting that medical education policy-makers need to initiate support mechanisms for those with latent vulnerability.</p>