Skin cancer knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and prevention practices among medical students: A systematic search and literature review.

BACKGROUND: As future physicians, medical students will play an important role in the prevention of skin cancers by becoming directly involved in skin cancer prevention education and counseling patients about the hazards of ultraviolet light. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the skin cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and prevention practices reported in previous studies of medical students. METHODS: The search for relevant articles was performed in four electronic databases: PubMed (Medline), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, ERIC, and PsycINFO. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) targeted medical students; 2) assessed sun avoidance, sun protection, skin self-examination, and/or indoor tanning behaviors; 3) were published in peer-reviewed journals; and 4) complete data were available for extraction. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies are included in this review. Important findings include moderate-to-high levels of skin cancer knowledge and low levels of both sunscreen and ultraviolet light knowledge. The attitudes and knowledge of medical students reflect a low level of concern with regard to the perceived importance of skin cancer compared with other forms of cancer despite a high level of concern for the importance of skin cancer prevention. Furthermore, this review demonstrated that medical students fail to protect themselves routinely from the sun and have a high interest in tanning bed use. CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates the need to educate medical students about skin cancer and skin cancer preventive behaviors. New strategies and educational campaigns should be developed to communicate better information on skin cancer morbidity, mortality, and prevention to medical students. This will pay dividends by improving the practice of these future physicians in all specialties.

Quantitative analysis of clenbuterol in meat products using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry.

A method is presented that allows quantitation of clenbuterol in meat and liver products at the ng/kg level by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESIMS-MS) using a stable isotopically labeled internal standard. The practical procedure involves acid extraction followed by two solid-phase clean-up steps with C18 and strong cation-exchange (SCX) resins. The typical recovery of the analyte spiked at 0.4 microg/kg in meat and liver samples was at 63+/-7%. Mass spectral acquisition was done in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) to provide a high degree of sensitivity, achieving a limit of detection and quantitation at 10 and 15 ng/kg, respectively. Two precursor ions at m/z 277 and 279, corresponding to the characteristic isotopic cluster of the two chlorine atoms of clenbuterol, were monitored by LC-ESIMS-MS to provide unambiguous identity of the analyte. Samples of meat and liver of various origins with either incurred residues or spiked with known amounts of clenbuterol were used to validate the method.

Consumer perspectives on genetic testing, research and services for ethnoculturally diverse populations.

A panel of individuals from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds and representing a variety of genetic disorders presented their consumer perspectives on genetic programs, testing and services. Their remarks emphasized how misunderstanding and miscommunication between health care professionals and many of the populations for whom they provide services can lead to unfilled genetic service needs. Panelists recommended that health care professionals become more aware and knowledgeable about the diversity of customs, beliefs and cultures of those receiving their services. Only by building a foundation of trust and mutual respect will genetic testing, research and services become more accessible to individuals from diverse populations, their families and their communities.

Identification of T-cell epitopes of autoantigens using recombinant proteins; studies on experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

In the Lewis rat, T-cell lines from animals immunized with native or denatured Torpedo nAChR recognize the Torpedo-derived recombinant protein T alpha X1 omega (alpha-2-200) but not the equivalent mouse- or chick-derived recombinant proteins X4 omega or C alpha X1 omega (alpha 6-216 and alpha 35-216, respectively). T-cell lines derived from animals immunized with T alpha X1 omega, X4 omega or C alpha X1 omega are specific for the homologous protein. This lack of cross-species reactivity suggests caution in the use of Torpedo nAChR-selected lines generated from human patients. Proteolysis and fractionation of the products by reverse-phase HPLC was effective in localization of a T-cell epitope of X4 omega, a mouse-derived recombinant protein. With Lewis rats, the major epitope of T alpha X1 omega is alpha 97-112. However, the major epitope of the mouse-derived protein, X4 omega, as determined by proteolytic digestion and fractionation of the products by reverse-phase HPLC, is alpha 14-22. This shift in T-cell epitope between closely related proteins may result from the conservation of sequence of alpha 97-112 between mammalian species.

Antipsoriatic drug action of anthralin: oxidation reactions with peroxidizing lipids.

Reactions of anthralin with peroxidizing lipids were investigated. Using ESR spectroscopy and quantitative HPLC analysis radical species and decomposition products respectively were analysed in the reaction mixture as a function of time. Directly after mixing anthralin with peroxidized lipids, the 1,8-dihydroxy-9-anthron-10-yl radicals (primary radical) and small amounts of 1,8-dihydroxy-anthraquinone (AQ) were formed. After a few days of reaction, two secondary radicals were observed in addition to the primary radical. At the same time, 1,8,1'8'-tetrahydroxy-10,10'-bis-9(10H)-anthrone (DI) and an increasing amount of AQ and other nonidentified decomposition products were found. As the reaction proceeded further on the amount of AQ and the nonidentified decomposition products increased, the primary radical disappeared (within about 40 d) and the concentration of DI decreased to zero (within 1 yr). Nonidentified decomposition products are tentatively assigned to polymeric degradation products (anthralin brown) formed from DI via the observed secondary radical species. These radical reactions of anthralin with peroxidized lipids help to elucidate speculations on radical type reactions of anthralin in psoriasis indications, e.g., the role of peroxidized skin lipids as radical reaction initiators.

Drug treatment outcomes: is sex a factor?

A small random sample of data from the National CODAP system is used to determine and explain differences in treatment outcomes for men and women. Only small percentage differences, discerned through examination of categorical relationships between males and females, are found to exist. The authors conclude that this finding may suggest more positive outcomes for women in treatment since women experience more social prejudices than their male counterparts, and encounter greater barriers in completing treatment.