Articles: health.
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BMC medical education · Jan 2012
Comparative StudySpirituality and health in the curricula of medical schools in Brazil.
According to recent surveys, 59% of British medical schools and 90% of US medical schools have courses or content on spirituality and health (S/H). There is little research, however, on the teaching of S/H in medical schools in other countries, such as those in Latin America, Asia, Australia and Africa. The present study seeks to investigate the current status of teaching on S/H in Brazilian medical schools. ⋯ Few Brazilian medical schools have courses dealing specifically with S/H and less than half provide some form of teaching on the subject. Unfortunately, there is no standard curriculum on S/H. Nevertheless, the majority of medical directors believe this issue is an important subject that should be taught.
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Evidence from observational studies suggests that diets high in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may protect people from cognitive decline and dementia. The strength of this potential protective effect has recently been tested in randomized controlled trials. ⋯ Direct evidence on the effect of omega-3 PUFA on incident dementia is lacking. The available trials showed no benefit of omega-3 PUFA supplementation on cognitive function in cognitively healthy older people. Omega-3 PUFA supplementation is generally well tolerated with the most commonly reported side-effect being mild gastrointestinal problems. Further studies of longer duration are required. Longer-term studies may identify greater change in cognitive function in study participants which may enhance the ability to detect the possible effects of omega-3 PUFA supplementation in preventing cognitive decline in older people.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Dec 2011
The mediating effects of family functioning on psychosocial outcomes in healthy siblings of children with sickle cell disease.
Children with siblings coping with chronic illness experience stresses and disruptions in daily life as families work together to care for the affected child. Research suggests that children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) may be at risk for adjustment problems, impaired psychosocial functioning, and reduced quality of life. These potential stressors affect the child with SCD as well as their caregivers and other family members. This study examined the role of family functioning on the psychosocial functioning of healthy siblings of children with SCD. ⋯ Awareness of the possible negative psychosocial outcomes of living with a sister or a brother with SCD is important for clinicians. In particular, interventions that focus on family expressiveness, support, and conflict are indicated for this population.
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Functional proteomics can be defined as a strategy to couple proteomic information with biochemical and physiological analyses with the aim of understanding better the functions of proteins in normal and diseased organs. In recent years, a variety of publicly available bioinformatics databases have been developed to support protein-related information management and biological knowledge discovery. ⋯ Here, we present a comprehensive review of the major human protein bioinformatics databases. We conclude this review by discussing a few examples that illustrate the importance of these databases in functional proteomics research.