Pilot study for assessing the behaviors of patients with schizophrenia towards a virtual avatar.

This study examined whether a virtual avatar could be perceived as a real human by patients with mental disease, especially schizophrenia, as well as whether a virtual avatar could be applied to acquiring patients' behavior characteristics in a short conversation situation. The virtual avatar has been used for various applications which need to communicate with other person or to train or educate by showing humanlike behavior. Recently, many researches have shown that the virtual avatar technology has been enhanced and the avatar could be perceived like real human. A virtual avatar, standing in a virtual room, was designed for this study. Tasks to approach, initiate a talk, and answer to avatar's questions was assigned to the 11 patients with schizophrenia. As behavioral parameters in the virtual environment, the interpersonal distance and the verbal response time were acquired. In addition, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for patients was administered in order to investigate the relationship between patients' symptomatic characteristics and behavior parameters. The interpersonal distance was negatively correlated with the negative syndrome scale, a subscale of PANSS, which is consistent with previous research reporting the relationship between interpersonal distance and a real person's image. The verbal response time, however, was not correlated with any other subscale of PANSS. After analyzing subitems of the negative syndrome of PANSS, two positive correlations were found: one was with blunted affect and the other was with poor rapport. We concluded that the virtual avatar could be perceived as a real human by schizophrenic patients and the avatar could draw the schizophrenic patients' behavior characteristics.     

质性比较专家与新手的物理学知识结构

通过质性比较方法,本实验刻画了专家与新手在物理学欧姆定律上的知识差异,并发现,与新手相比,专家的知识结构有如下特点:(1)精致化,即拥有更多公式且生成了新公式,表示他们在知识之间形成了更多联系;(2)限制化,即添加更多恒定条件于知识中,从而产生更为明确的行动。此外,本实验在方法学上为细致描述和解释专长的实质提供了可能。     

The Career Adapt-Abilities Scale in Macau: Psychometric characteristics and construct validity

The purpose of the study was to determine if the CAAS could be used with middle school students. Currently no study has been done for the application of CAAS on middle school students. We examined the reliability and validity of the Career Adapt-Ability Scale (CAAS) in Macau for middle school and high school students. The CAAS consists of four scales, each with six items, which measure concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. We tested the internal consistency and factor structure with 270 middle school students and 188 high school students. We also compared students' performance on CAAS in terms of gender and age. The results indicated that internal consistency estimates for the subscale and total scores were good for both high school and middle school students. The factor structure was quite similar to the one computed for combined data from 13 countries (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). In addition, we found that high school students scored significantly higher than middle school students on the CAAS scales. Based on the results, the CAAS-Macau Form appears ready for use by researchers and practitioners who wish to measure adaptability resources among middle school and high school students in Macau.     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Spiritual Perspective Scale in Palliative Care Nurses in China

Journal of Religion and Health - This study aimed to translate the Spiritual Perspectives Scale (SPS) into a Mandarin Chinese version (C-SPS) and evaluate its psychometric properties among 154...     

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for PTSD symptoms after a road accident: an uncontrolled case series

This report examined whether Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) could be used in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the aftermath of a serious motor vehicle accident. Six individuals reporting either full or severe subsyndromal PTSD completed 10 sessions of VRET, which was conducted using software designed to create real-time driving scenarios. Results indicated significant reductions in posttrauma symptoms involving reexperiencing, avoidance, and emotional numbing, with effect sizes ranging from d=.79 to d=1.49. Indices of clinically significant and reliable change suggested that the magnitude of these changes was meaningful. Additionally, high levels of perceived reality ("presence") within the virtual driving situation were reported, and patients reported satisfaction with treatment. Results are discussed in light of the possibility for VRET to be useful in guiding exposure in the treatment of PTSD following road accidents.     

国内城市社区健康教育和健康促进研究

分析了我国城市化加速发展过程中出现的城市社区健康问题及其影响因素。在对社区健康教育与健康促进的作用和意义进行探讨的基础上,提出解决这些城市健康问题的根本途径是城市社区健康教育与健康促进策略,并针对我国城市社区健康教育与健康促进的研究和发展现状提出对策建议。     

重庆市直辖以来卫生资源配置公平性研究

采用基尼系数方法从人口和地理分布两个方面定量分析重庆市卫生资源配置的公平性.重庆市主要卫生资源中,护士的基尼系数最高;重庆市的三个经济区域中,都市发达经济圈的基尼系数最高;资源按地理配置的公平性要差于按人口配置.重庆市护理人员严重不足且分布不公平,资源地理配置的公平性有待改善.     

瘟疫环境下个体生活条件模式与行为的理性化——以20世纪初哈尔滨的瘟疫事件为例

采用文献分析的方法深入剖析清末民国时期瘟疫下的哈尔滨社会.认识政府、传统文化、个人这三者在瘟疫环境下所做出的反应,以及各自所呈现出来的理性化发展趋向,尤其是剖析了个人的生活条件模式以及行为的理性化演变趋势.这一研究对现实中政府、民众乃至个人在危机过后进行反思、提高、做出理性变动,以及在危机状态下如何与民众进行沟通,具有一定的借鉴价值.     

趋化因子10与临床疾病关系的研究进展

趋化因子10(CXCL10)是由干扰素诱导产生,过去又把它称为干扰素-γ诱导蛋白10(IFN-γInducible protein 10).其具有强大的招募中性粒细胞、促进多种细胞因子分泌及抑制部分肿瘤生长等多种生物学作用.在慢性炎症、过敏性炎症、自身免疫性疾病、移植物排斥反应和肿瘤等多种疾病的病理过程中起重要作用.     

浅谈影像诊断思维特征

人类的科学思维方式是一个多层次、多形态、多要素的系统.对每一种事物的认识过程都有特定的思维方式.疾病的诊断是一个主观反映客观的认识过程,反映客观的真实程度愈高,诊断的正确性愈高,而客观真实性的再现,在相当程度上取决于人的主观意识,人的主观意识又通过人的思维活动来实现.所以,人的思维在疾病的诊断中占有重要意义.而医学影像诊断思维又有其特点,即以形象思维为先导,以逻辑思维来归结,又有非逻辑思维闪现,如直觉、灵感、经验思维.只有各种思维形式有机的交叉运用,才能得出最接近真实的诊断结论.