Illness, disease and sin: the connection between genetics and spirituality.

The New Testament, while rejecting any superficial connection between illness and sin, does not reject a possible connection between illness and a person's relationship with God. An example can be seen in the story of the young blind man who was healed (St. John 9:3). His blindness does not result from any fault he or his parents had committed but apparently from God's wish to reveal his own healing power. The inner blindness of the Pharisees is a different type of blindness far more difficult to heal. The blind young man was actually healed, not only in body but also in soul. Such miraculous healings are rare nowadays. However, if one takes a closer look at modern genetics and psycho-neuro-immunological findings, one may come to a better understanding of how miracle healings are linked to man's inner life and therefore also to his religiousness. Many diseases have genetic backgrounds. Defective genes, however, do not necessarily lead to subsequent illness. Genes have to be switched on or off. Only activated genes trigger pathological change. The human brain and all of man's thinking and feeling are intimately connected with such activations. We may thus conclude that both inner life and religious outlook on life are relevant to the origin and development of diseases.     

语言表征的神经生物学理论

神经科学家F．Pulvermüller根据Hebb的“细胞群集”学说和相关性学习原理构建的“语言表征的神经生物学理论”首次试图基于皮层功能网络来解释语音、词汇和句法在大脑皮层的表征机制,不仅能较好地描述语言活动中经典语言脑区与其它参与活动脑区的相互关系,也对语言加工的大脑功能偏侧化与整合现象作了合适的说明。本文介绍了这一理论的主要观点和研究资料,并提出了一些尚需进一步研究的问题。     

Subjective Well-Being in Pediatric Oncology Patients

Using negative and positive measures of subjective well-being (SWB), we compared reports of 29 youth with cancer to a matched control sample of 29 youth. Youth with cancer did not differ from healthy controls on self-report measures of life satisfaction, hope, positive affect, or negative affect. Scores on measures of hope were positively correlated with time since diagnosis; none of the other SWB variables was significantly related to time since diagnosis. Except for negative affect, moderate correlations were found between parents’ reports of their own SWB and their youths’ self-reported SWB. Parents’ estimates of their youths’ SWB were also moderately associated with youth self-reports, except for negative affect. Parents of youth with cancer and their youth may use different criteria for reporting the nature and frequency of negative affect, but use similar criteria for reporting positive affect and other positive measures (hope, life satisfaction). Implications for more comprehensive assessments of the well-being of pediatric oncology patients are discussed.     

Doctors' decision-making on giving information to cancer patients

Abstract

A major focus in the literature about doctor-patient communication is information-giving. In the case of cancer patients, one significant issue is which factors determine whether and how, general practitioners and oncologists give information to their patients. Whatever may be the content of information, the most important choice for the doctor is to give information or not. Our research group at the Department of Health Psychology has conducted investigations in order to identify the significant determinants of decisions concerning giving information to cancer patients. A sample of 60 doctors from Alicante province in Spain were asked their criteria for giving information about a cancer diagnosis. Results showed that perceived intelligence and emotional control in the patients were the best predicotrs of the decision by doctors to give information. Age and socio-economic status were also significantly associated with the doctors' information-giving practices. These data suggest that the criteria for giving information to cancer patients are subjective and show a strong cultural influence.     

The Politics of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in South Korea: Contesting National Sociotechnical Imaginaries

To many commentators outside South Korea, the Hwang Woo Suk scandal involving human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research was just another spectacular case of misconduct in the life sciences. As such, it is generally assumed to have revealed the drawbacks of research in scientifically and ethically less-developed societies. Such thinking ignores the history, sophistication, and distinctive features of the public debate over hESC research in South Korea. Disputes over the social and ethical implications of hESC research had taken place for some time before the scandal erupted. Moreover, unlike in some other countries, where resistance to hESC research was prompted by religious conservatives, the most serious critique of the country's rapid move into the field came from progressive social movement activists—including feminists and environmentalists. These activists were, in fact, part of the non-governmental organization coalition to impose stricter social controls on biotechnology. This campaign was motivated by broader political and social concerns beyond specific biosafety or bioethical issues. The activists involved in the coalition feared that the capitalist–developmentalist drive toward biotechnology would threaten the public interest and democracy, and ultimately block South Korea's road to becoming a democratic nation founded on the values of social justice, equality, participation, and sustainability. In contesting South Korea's prevailing approaches to hESC research, they challenged, albeit unsuccessfully, the dominant ‘national sociotechnical imaginary’ that articulates the role of science and technology in relation to the future survival and well-being of the nation primarily in terms of its industrial competitiveness.     

经腹会阴直肠癌术后肠梗阻行结肠造口灌肠治疗的临床研究

评价吸痰管灌肠治疗经腹会阴直肠癌术后肠梗阻的可行性与临床疗效。一次性吸痰管经结肠造口灌肠或肛管经结肠造口灌肠治疗38例经腹会阴直肠癌术后肠梗阻。结果20例吸痰管灌肠治疗组均安全放置或减压,其操作成功率为100％（20/20）。吸痰管灌肠治疗组大部分患者腹痛、腹胀明显缓解,并腹围、X线肠管最大直径、C T肠管最长液平明显小于灌肠前,差异有统计学意义（P＜0．05）。吸痰管灌肠治疗组明显优于肛管灌肠组。一次性吸痰管经结肠造口灌肠治疗经腹会阴直肠癌术后肠梗阻的操作技术是安全的、可行的,并吸痰管经结肠造口灌肠是治疗经腹会阴直肠癌术后肠梗阻的有效方法。     

纳米金材料在肿瘤诊治研究中的相关进展

目前肿瘤的早期诊断依然是需要攻克的难关,现有的抗肿瘤药物因具有较大毒性且缺乏组织特异性而存在很大的局限性.纳米金基于能够被多种基团修饰后获得对肿瘤细胞的靶向性的特点逐渐成为当前抗肿瘤研究的热点.纳米金自身具有独特的生物活性,同时具有光热效应,也可以作为载体负载药物,以上3种特点均可应用于新药物的开发,用于肿瘤诊治方面的研究.本文从这三个方面描述了近期纳米金的研究进展.     

干细胞纠缠

干细胞生物学的研究目前还处于一个“灰箱”的状态,阻止机制阐明的最大障碍之一可能是因为缺少一个行之有效且又不会改变干细胞自然属性的研究平台。这个平台的中心是要有一个像“薛定谔的猫”那样能即时报告干细胞属性的作用角色。目前,主要有两方面阻碍了干细胞研究的进一步深化,一个是干细胞如何不对称分裂,另一个是干细胞巢的结构组成。其实,在微观世界的许多研究中,如物理学中的量子论,都是因为缺少那只“薛定谔的猫”才使研究的钟摆停在原地不动。     

晚期乳腺癌外科治疗的时机与个体化选择

IV期乳腺癌是难以治愈的疾病,治疗方法是综合治疗,目的是缓解症状、改善生活质量、延长生存期。外科治疗作为综合治疗的一部分,对手术切除Ⅳ期乳腺癌原发灶或转移灶的临床意义和手术时机存在争议,本文结合文献从哲学的角度分析讨论Ⅳ期乳腺癌是否需要外科处理。认为Ⅳ期乳腺癌全身治疗和外科治疗是治疗过程中矛盾主要方面和次要方面的关系,可互相转化,两者作用相辅相成,当全身治疗病情缓解时,个体化选择外科治疗不仅改善生存质量,还可能提高生存率。     

癌症疼痛心理社会干预治疗的研究进展

癌症疼痛是一种复杂和多维的感受,与心理和社会因素相互影响。本文回顾近期国内外相关研究指出,许多重要的社会心理因素与疼痛有关,包括心理压力、应对方法、社会支持以及社会经济因素,它们是疼痛管理的难点。近期的国内外研究表明缓解癌痛的心理社会干预措施包括：疼痛教育、应对技能训练和催眠等,它们对疼痛治疗管理是有益的补充,同时抗抑郁药物应用对疼痛治疗有益。