Knowledge Domain and Emerging Trends of Chinese Medicine in Management of Pediatric Asthma: A Scientometric Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the intellectual landscape and emerging research trends of Chinese medicine (CM) in the management of pediatric asthma through a scientometric study. METHODS: Publications related to CM in the management of pediatric asthma were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using relevant keywords. A scientometric study was performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. RESULTS: A total of 1,673 original articles and reviews from 1991 to 2019 were included in the analysis. The amount of annual publications had a gradual increase with time. USA was the major contributor both in country and institution analyses. Based on the co-citation, the published journals were grouped into 4 clusters. Keyword analysis indicated that the main hotspots were: (1) comprehensive management; (2) risk factors, mechanism, and prevalence; (3) prevention and treatment; (4) inflammation; and (5) environmental research. Lastly, we predicted that three emerging trends were quality of life promotion, immune response, and combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS: CM research in the management of pediatric asthma will maintain the current trend of steady growth. This scientometric analysis may help scientists to identify the areas of interests and future directions in the field.

Application of Chinese Medicine in the Management of Critical Conditions: A Review on Sepsis.

Critical care medicine is a medical specialty engaging the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients who have or are likely to have life-threatening organ failure. Sepsis, a life-threatening condition that arises when the body responds to infection, is currently the major cause of death in intensive care units (ICU). Although progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis, many drawbacks in sepsis treatment remains unresolved. For example, antimicrobial resistance, controversial of glucocorticoids use, prolonged duration of ICU care and the subsequent high cost of the treatment. Recent years have witnessed a growing trend of applying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in sepsis management. The TCM application emphasizes use of herbal formulation to balance immune responses to infection, which include clearing heat and toxin, promoting blood circulation and removing its stasis, enhancing gastrointestinal function, and strengthening body resistance. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the current status of Chinese herbal formulations, single herbs, and isolated compounds, as an add-on therapy to the standard Western treatment in the sepsis management. With the current trajectory of worldwide pandemic eruption of newly identified Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), the adjuvant TCM therapy can be used in the ICU to treat critically ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

[Longitudinal Distribution of Benthic Macroinvertebrates Affected by a Hydropower Plant Cascade in the Mudan River].

Hydropower plant operation changes river habitats in various aspects, and thus affects the community composition of the river ecosystem. As a result, the river health is adversely affected. The influence of a hydropower plant cascade on river continuity is even more pronounced. In this study, benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental factors were sampled from the Jingbohu Hydropower Plant to the Shiyan Hydropower Plant, along the Mudan River, and the influence of a hydropower plant cascade on the longitudinal distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates was analyzed. The results demonstrate that the hydropower plant cascade affected several environmental variables and led to changes in the community composition of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Mudan River. Significant differences were observed between sites upstream and downstream of the hydropower plants, with more sensitive species downstream of the hydropower plants. "Run-of-river" hydropower plants exert less adverse influence on benthic macroinvertebrates than dam-type plants. The influence of hydropower plants decreases along the longitudinal direction of the river, with the density and richness of benthic macroinvertebrates increasing.

Plasma copeptin levels are associated with prognosis of severe acute pancreatitis.

Copeptin reflects the individual stress level, and is correlated with outcomes of critical illness. This study was designed to evaluate its relationship with disease severity, local complications, organ failure and mortality of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Seventy-eight SAP patients and 78 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals were recruited. Plasma samples were obtained on admission from SAP patients and at study entry from healthy individuals. Copeptin concentration was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma copeptin level was obviously higher in patients than in healthy individuals, was identified as an independent predictor of local complications, organ failure and in-hospital mortality, was highly associated with traditional predictors of disease severity and mortality including the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Care Evaluation II score, Ranson score, multiple organ dysfunction score, sequential organ failure assessment score, and predicted local complications, organ failure, and in-hospital mortality of SAP patients with high areas under receiver operating characteristic curve. Furthermore, its predictive value was similar to the traditional predictors'. However, it could not improve these traditional predictors' predictive values. Therefore, increased plasma copeptin level is associated with disease severity and identified as a novel prognostic marker of local complications, organ failure and mortality after SAP.