Education Curriculum on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: The Evolving Role of Simulation Training

Continuing education is essential for the success and safety of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programme. However, it is challenging due to the intrinsic characteristic of ECMO—a complex, high-risk, low-volume clinical activity which require teamwork, inter-professional communication, critical decision and rapid response especially in emergency. Thus, simulation is a rapidly evolving teaching methodology in ECMO education to address those training needs that cannot be entirely addressed by traditional teaching modalities. The development of a simulation programme requires commitment on resources for equipment, environment setup and training of personnel. Knowledge on ECMO management, education science and debriefing technique forms the cornerstone of successful ECMO simulation facilitators and hence the simulation programme. Currently, researches have already shown that ECMO simulation can improve individual and team performance despite that its impact on patient outcome is still unknown. In the future, the role of simulation will increase importantly in multicentre research, certifying specialists and credentialing if standardization of training curriculum can be achieved

Decoding the Bilingual Puzzle in Chinese Children with Dyslexia: Should L2 English Literacy be Salvaged Through Assimilation or Accommodation?

Research on second-language (L2) English literacy development in Chinese children with dyslexia is limited, but existing studies suggest a puzzling phenomenon: These children experience difficulties in reading both native (L1) Chinese and L2 English, despite the distinct cognitive processes involved in reading Chinese and English which suggest minimal transfer between the two writing systems. This paper aims to investigate the above phenomenon and examine the role of phonics skills in improving English word reading in dyslexic Chinese children in 2 studies. Study 1 found that letter-sound-decoding knowledge robustly and significantly predicted English word naming and reading fluency in Chinese dyslexic children. Study 2 revealed that phonics-based interventions is required to significantly improve English literacy skills. The accommodation-assimilation hypothesis explains cross-language transfer of reading difficulties in Chinese-English bilinguals: Dyslexic Chinese children assimilate English word-decoding processes using their native language; they can accommodate and improve English literacy by learning letter-sound decoding skills

Ginseng extracts restore high-glucose induced vascular dysfunctions by altering triglyceride metabolism and down-regulation of atherosclerosis-related genes

The king of herbs, Panax ginseng, has been used widely as a therapeutic agent vis-à-vis its active pharmacological and physiological effects. Based on Chinese pharmacopeia Ben Cao Gang Mu and various pieces of literature, Panax ginseng was believed to exert active vascular protective effects through its antiobesity and anti-inflammation properties. We investigated the vascular protective effects of ginseng by administrating ginseng extracts to rats after the induction of diabetes. We found that Panax ginseng can restore diabetes-induced impaired vasorelaxation and can reduce serum triglyceride but not cholesterol level in the diabetic rats. The ginseng extracts also suppressed the expression of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered the expression of lipid-related genes. The results provide evidence that Panax ginseng improves vascular dysfunction induced by diabetes and the protective effects may possibly be due to the downregulation of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered lipid metabolism, which help to restore normal endothelium functions

Ginseng Extracts Restore High-Glucose Induced Vascular Dysfunctions by Altering Triglyceride Metabolism and Downregulation of Atherosclerosis-Related Genes

The king of herbs, Panax ginseng, has been used widely as a therapeutic agent vis-à-vis its active pharmacological and physiological effects. Based on Chinese pharmacopeia Ben Cao Gang Mu and various pieces of literature, Panax ginseng was believed to exert active vascular protective effects through its antiobesity and anti-inflammation properties. We investigated the vascular protective effects of ginseng by administrating ginseng extracts to rats after the induction of diabetes. We found that Panax ginseng can restore diabetes-induced impaired vasorelaxation and can reduce serum triglyceride but not cholesterol level in the diabetic rats. The ginseng extracts also suppressed the expression of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered the expression of lipid-related genes. The results provide evidence that Panax ginseng improves vascular dysfunction induced by diabetes and the protective effects may possibly be due to the downregulation of atherosclerosis-related genes and altered lipid metabolism, which help to restore normal endothelium functions