Magnetic-field induced shape memory hydrogels for deformable actuators.

Magnetic hydrogel actuators exhibit promising applications in the fields of soft robotics, bioactuators, and flexible sensors owing to their inherent advantages such as remote control capability, untethered deformation and motion control, as well as easily manipulable behavior. However, it is still a challenge for magnetic hydrogels to achieve adjustable stiffness and shape fixation under magnetic field actuation deformation. Herein, a simple and effective approach is proposed for the design of magnetic shape memory hydrogels to accomplish this objective. The magnetic shape memory hydrogels, consisting of methacrylamide, methacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol and Fe3O4 magnetic particles, which crosslinked by hydrogen bonds, are facilely prepared via one-pot polymerization. The dynamic nature of noncovalent bonds offers the magnetic hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties, precisely controlled stiffness, and effective shape fixation. The presence of Fe3O4 particles renders the hydrogels soft when subjected to an alternating current field, facilitating their deformation under the influence of an actuation magnetic field. After the elimination of the alternating current magnetic field, the hydrogels stiffen and attain a fixed actuated shape in the absence of any external magnetic field. Moreover, this remarkable magnetic shape memory hydrogel is effectively employed as an underwater soft gripper for lifting heavy objects. This work provides a novel strategy for fabricating magnetic hydrogels with non-contact reversible actuation deformation, tunable stiffness and shape locking.

Exploration of registration and the risk of bias in acupuncture randomised controlled trials: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the predominant type in acupuncture clinical research, and the publications have increased rapidly in recent years, but there is a prevalence of the high risk of bias and poor methodological design in acupuncture RCTs. Clinical trial registration can improve the transparency and credibility of studies by disclosing key information in advance. However, the registration in acupuncture RCTs is not satisfactory, as there is widespread of the under-registration, inconsistency with published studies and insufficient disclosure of key methodological information. Whether registration can reduce the risk of bias in acupuncture RCTs and improve data transparency has not been fully explored. Therefore, we constructed this study to investigate the association between registration and risk of bias and data sharing level in acupuncture RCTs. METHODS: Seven databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases will be systematically searched between 1 January 2014 and 31 March 2024, for acupuncture RCTs. Two reviewers will independently extract data using a predefined standardised format and perform secondary validation. The characteristics and data sharing level of the included studies will be summarised. The risk of bias of included RCTs will be assessed by the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials. The risk of bias and registration in acupuncture RCTs will be analysed by logistic or quantile regression analyses (depending on the number of minimum events). The data sharing level and registration will be analysed by quantile regression analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As the systematic review aims to consolidate info from published sources, ethical approval is not necessary for this study. The study's findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal and disseminated via conference presentations. This protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework Registries.

Circulating cytokines and vascular dementia: A bi-directional Mendelian randomization study.

Inflammatory responses are associated with the development of vascular dementia (VaD). Circulating cytokines modulate the inflammatory response and are important for the immune system. To further elucidate the role of the immune system in VaD, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) to comprehensively and bi-directionally assess the role of circulating cytokines in VaD. Using state-of-the-art genome-wide association studies, we primarily assessed whether different genetic levels of 41 circulating cytokines affect the risk of developing VaD and, in turn, whether the genetic risk of VaD affects these circulating cytokines. We used inverse variance weighting (IVW) and several other MR methods to assess the bidirectional causality between circulating cytokines and VaD, and performed sensitivity analyses. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) was inversely associated with VaD risk [odds ratio (OR): 0.74, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.60-0.92, P = 0.007, 0.007]. VaD was associated with seven circulating cytokines: macrophage inflammatory protein 1b (MIP-1 beta) [OR: 1.05, 95 % CI: 1.01-1.08, P = 0.009], Interleukin-12p70 (IL-12) [OR: 1.04, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.08, P = 0.047], Interleukin-17 (IL-17) [OR: 1.04, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.07, P = 0.038], Interleukin-7 (IL-7) [OR: 1.07, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.12, P = 0.009], Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) [OR: 1.03, 95 % CI: 1.00-1.07, P = 0.046], Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) [OR: 1.06, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.09, P = 0.001], Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) [P = 0.001], and Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) [P = 0.001]. Fibroblast growth factor basic (FGF-Basic) [OR: 1.04, 95 % CI: 1.01-1.08, P = 0.02] were positively correlated. Circulating cytokines are associated with VaD, and further studies are needed to determine whether they are effective targets for intervention to prevent or treat VaD.

Reporting and influencing factors of patient-reported outcomes in acupuncture randomised controlled trials: a cross-sectional study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are health reports that come directly from the patients themselves and represented the experience and insights of the patient's perspective on the impact of the intervention. PROs were increasingly emphasised in acupuncture randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, the reporting quality of PROs in acupuncture RCTs has not been investigated to date. Therefore, we constructed this study to reveal the basic characteristics and reporting quality of PROs in acupuncture RCTs, and explore the relationship between concealment, blinding and RROs. We hope our findings can provide guidance for the reporting standards and future development of PROs in acupuncture RCTs in reverse. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: RCTs using acupuncture treatment as the intervention and PROs as primary outcomes or secondary outcomes will be systematically searched through seven databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP between 1 January 2012 and 15 October 2022. The basic characteristics, concealment, blinding design and the characteristics of PROs in included RCTs will be summarised. The reporting quality of PROs will be assessed based on the CONSORT PRO extension. Logistic analysis will be performed to identify the association between concealment, blinding and RROs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this study. This protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework (OSF) Registries. The findings of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with external application of Chinese herbal medicine: An overview of overlapping systematic reviews.

This overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis (MAs) aimed to systematically collate, appraise and synthesize evidence for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) with the external application of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). SRs/MAs of external application of CHM for DFUs were collected by searching Cochrane Library, Web of science, CNKI, PubMed, VIP, Embase and Wanfang. Two independent reviewers carried out the literature selection and data extraction. Subsequently, AMSTAR-2 tool, PRISMA, and GRADE system were applied by two reviewers independently to evaluate the methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality of the included studies, respectively. Eight SRs/MAs met the eligibility criteria and were included. According to AMSTAR-2, a very low methodological quality assessment was given to the included SRs/MAs due to the flaws of items 2, 4 and 7. The PRISMA system identified protocol and registration weaknesses, as well as search method weaknesses. With GRADE, no high-quality evidence was identified to support the role of external application of CHM for DFUs, and the quality of evidence for the vast majority of outcomes was rated as low or moderate. In conclusion, low- to moderate-quality evidence supports the promise of external application of CHM for the treatment of DFUs. Due to the limitations of the evidence supporting external application of CHM for DFUs, rigorously designed and larger samples of high-quality studies are needed going forward before broad recommendations can be made.

Development, validation, and visualization of a novel nomogram to predict stroke risk in patients.

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and a major cause of long-term neurological disability, imposing an enormous financial burden on families and society. This study aimed to identify the predictors in stroke patients and construct a nomogram prediction model based on these predictors. Methods: This retrospective study included 11,435 participants aged >20 years who were selected from the NHANES 2011-2018. Randomly selected subjects (n = 8531; 75%) and the remaining subjects comprised the development and validation groups, respectively. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) binomial and logistic regression models were used to select the optimal predictive variables. The stroke probability was calculated using a predictor-based nomogram. Nomogram performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the calibration curve with 1000 bootstrap resample validations. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to evaluate the clinical utility of the nomogram. Results: According to the minimum criteria of non-zero coefficients of Lasso and logistic regression screening, older age, lower education level, lower family income, hypertension, depression status, diabetes, heavy smoking, heavy drinking, trouble sleeping, congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary heart disease (CHD), angina pectoris and myocardial infarction were independently associated with a higher stroke risk. A nomogram model for stroke patient risk was established based on these predictors. The AUC (C statistic) of the nomogram was 0.843 (95% CI: 0.8186-0.8430) in the development group and 0.826 (95% CI: 0.7811, 0.8716) in the validation group. The calibration curves after 1000 bootstraps displayed a good fit between the actual and predicted probabilities in both the development and validation groups. DCA showed that the model in the development and validation groups had a net benefit when the risk thresholds were 0-0.2 and 0-0.25, respectively. Discussion: This study effectively established a nomogram including demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, emotional factors and lifestyle behaviors to predict stroke risk. This nomogram is helpful for screening high-risk stroke individuals and could assist physicians in making better treatment decisions to reduce stroke occurrence.

Reporting and data-sharing level of acupuncture randomised controlled trials: a cross-sectional study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) play an important role in evidence-based medicine. However, an article with low reporting quality may mislead both experts and the general public into an erroneous decision. Data sharing can contribute to the truthfulness and transparency of trials. Acupuncture RCTs have been increasing rapidly these years, but the reporting quality and data-sharing level of acupuncture RCTs are not clear. Thus, this study will provide the current status of the reporting quality and data-sharing level of acupuncture RCTs. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A cross-sectional study will be conducted. The seven databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang Database and VIP will be searched between 1 January 2012 and 15 October 2022 to identify acupuncture RCTs. The basic characteristics of included trials will be summarised. The reporting quality for included RCTs will be assessed by the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials 2010 statement and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture. The data-sharing level will be assessed by open science practices. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this study. This protocol has been registered in Open Science Framework Registries. The findings of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal.

Mechanism of Qihuang needle therapy in the management of tic disorders: a clinical trial protocol.

Background: Qihuang needle therapy is a newly developed acupuncture therapy to treat tic disorders in clinical practice. However, the mechanism to reduce tic severity remains unknown. Changes in intestinal flora and circulation metabolites are perhaps the potential pathogenesis of tic disorders. As a result, we present a protocol for a controlled clinical trial using multi-omics analysis to probe the mechanism of the Qihuang needle in managing tic disorders. Methods: This is a matched-pairs design, controlled, clinical trial for patients with tic disorders. Participants will be allocated to either an experimental group or a healthy control group. The main acupoints are Baihui (GV20), Yintang (EX-HN3), and Jueyinshu (BL14). The experimental group will receive Qihuang needle therapy for a month, while the control group will receive no interventions. Expected outcomes: The change in the severity of the tic disorder is set as the main outcome. Secondary outcomes include gastrointestinal severity index and recurrence rate, which will be calculated after a 12-week follow-up. Gut microbiota, measured by 16S rRNA gene sequencing; serum metabolomics, assessed via LC/MS; and serum zonulin, assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), will be used as biological specimen analysis outcomes. The present study will investigate the possible interactions between intestinal flora and serum metabolites and the improvement of clinical profiles, which may elucidate the mechanism of Qihuang needle therapy for tic disorders. Trial registration: This trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/). Registration number: ChiCTR2200057723, Date: 2022-04-14.

Moxibustion Treatment of COVID-19 and Rehabilitation Period of COVID-19: A Scoping Review.

Objective: The aim of this study is to provide a scoping review of the clinical literature on moxibustion therapy for the treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Design: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases were searched from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2022. Essential data were extracted from each article, and the data were displayed using tables and graphs. The study did not require IRB approval. Results: This scoping review included 14 research articles: 8 observational studies, 5 randomized controlled trials, and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial. All the studies were published by Chinese scholars. The findings revealed that moxibustion can contribute to reducing the symptoms of patients with COVID-19, improving inflammation and immune indicators, and shortening the time of nucleic acid negative conversion. Moxibustion confers curative effects on patients of all ages and degrees of illness. In addition, moxibustion can optimize the prognosis of patients in the rehabilitation period. The most commonly chosen acupoints are ST36, RN4, RN8, and RN12. No side effect was mentioned in the included studies. Conclusion: Moxibustion can produce a good effect in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19. It is safe, effective, simple, and noninvasive and should be included as standard care.

Effect of acupuncture on neuroinflammation in animal models of Alzheimer's disease: A preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite neuroinflammation being an important component of the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), effective therapies to alleviate neuroinflammation are still lacking. Many animal experiments in AD have found that acupuncture may ameliorate cognition by decreasing neuroinflammation and modulating cytokines, but its effects have not been systematically examined. We aimed to assess its efficacy on neuroinflammation in AD and to investigate the potential mechanisms. Materials and methods: The following databases were searched from inception until 24 August 2022: Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Animal studies that reported the efficacy of acupuncture on neuroinflammation in AD were included. The SYRCLE Robt was utilized to evaluate methodological quality. Stata 17 was utilized to conduct a meta-analysis of cytokine levels and the results of the Morris water maze. Results: 23 studies were included, with a total of 417 rats/mice. The overall quality of all included reports was medium. The results indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines which included IL-1ß [SMD = -3.50, 95% CI (-4.31, -2.69); I 2 = 78.6%] (P < 0.05), TNF-α [SMD = -3.05, 95% CI (-3.86, -2.24); I 2 = 69.6%] (P < 0.05), IL-6 [SMD = -3.22, 95% CI (-4.62, -1.81); I 2 = 77.6%] and enhanced the expressions of anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-4 [SMD = 2.77, 95% CI (1.95, 3.59); I 2 = 33.9%] (P < 0.05), IL-10 [SMD = 1.84, 95% CI (1.20, 2.49); I 2 = 41.0%] (P < 0.05) in an animal model of AD. Regarding the Morris water maze, compared to the control group, the acupuncture group showed a shorter escape latency [SMD = -2.23, 95% CI (-2.89, -1.57); I 2 = 79.2%] (P < 0.05), longer duration in platform quadrant [SMD = 2.34, 95% CI (1.44, 3.23); I 2 = 81.7%] (P < 0.05), and increased platform crossing number [SMD = 2.79, 95% CI (2.06, 3.53); I 2 = 71.9%] (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture may reduce neuroinflammation in AD by modulating cytokine expression. This modulation significantly improved cognitive function in animal models of AD. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022354878.

Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring: Academic Insights and Perspectives Analysis.

In recent decades, cuffless blood pressure monitoring technology has been a point of research in the field of health monitoring and public media. Based on the web of science database, this paper evaluated the publications in the field from 1990 to 2020 using bibliometric analysis, described the developments in recent years, and presented future research prospects in the field. Through the comparative analysis of keywords, citations, H-index, journals, research institutions, national authors and reviews, this paper identified research hotspots and future research trends in the field of cuffless blood pressure monitoring. From the results of the bibliometric analysis, innovative methods such as machine learning technologies related to pulse transmit time and pulse wave analysis have been widely applied in blood pressure monitoring. The 2091 articles related to cuffless blood pressure monitoring technology were published in 1131 journals. In the future, improving the accuracy of monitoring to meet the international medical blood pressure standards, and achieving portability and miniaturization will remain the development goals of cuffless blood pressure measurement technology. The application of flexible electronics and machine learning strategy in the field will be two major development directions to guide the practical applications of cuffless blood pressure monitoring technology.

Kinetic and mechanistic insights into the degradation of clofibric acid in saline wastewater by Co2+/PMS process: a modeling and theoretical study.

Recently, the degradation of non-chlorinated organic pollutants in saline pharmaceutical wastewater by SO4˙--based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has received widespread attention. However, little is known about the oxidation of chlorinated compounds in SO4˙--based AOPs. This study chose clofibric acid (CA) as a chlorinated pollutant model; the oxidation kinetics and mechanistic pathway were explored in the Co2+/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system. Notably, a high removal efficiency (81.0%) but low mineralization rate (9.15%) of CA within 120 min were observed at pH 3.0 during Co2+/PMS treatment. Exogenic Cl- had a dual effect (inhibitory then promoting) on CA degradation. Several undesirable chlorinated by-products were formed in the Co2+/PMS system. This demonstrated endogenic chlorine and exogenic Cl- both reacted with SO4˙- to generate chlorine radicals, which participated in the dechlorination and rechlorination of CA and its by-products. Furthermore, SO4˙- was the dominant species responsible for CA degradation at low Cl- concentrations (≤1 mM), whereas Cl2˙- was the predominant radical at [Cl-]0 > 1 mM. A possible degradation pathway of CA was proposed. Our findings suggested that chlorinated compounds in highly saline pharmaceutical wastewater will be more resistant and deserve more attention.

Enzyme-Responsive Aqueous Two-Phase Systems in a Cationic-Anionic Surfactant Mixture.

Enzyme-instructed self-assembly is an increasingly attractive topic owing to its broad applications in biomaterials and biomedicine. In this work, we report an approach to construct enzyme-responsive aqueous surfactant two-phase (ASTP) systems serving as enzyme substrates by using a cationic surfactant (myristoylcholine chloride) and a series of anionic surfactants. Driven by the hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic attraction, self-assemblies of cationic-anionic surfactant mixtures result in biphasic systems containing condensed lamellar structures and coexisting dilute solutions, which turn into homogeneous aqueous phases in the presence of hydrolase (cholinesterase). The enzyme-sensitive ASTP systems reported in this work highlight potential applications in the active control of biomolecular enrichment/release and visual detection of cholinesterase.

Enzyme-Responsive Molecular Assemblies Based on Host-Guest Chemistry.

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the design of enzyme-responsive molecular assemblies that hold appealing applications in the fields of disease-related sensing, imaging, and drug delivery. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are amylase-cleavable host molecules that can associate with surfactants, alkanes, alkyl amines, fatty alcohols, and aromatic compounds to form diverse supramolecular structures. In this work, we report a versatile supramolecular platform to construct enzyme-responsive nanosystems via host-guest interactions, in which complexation between CDs and surfactants eventually leads to the formation of a variety of nanostructures such as vesicles and microtubes. These supramolecular structures are capable of loading water-soluble molecules or functional nanoparticles, which can be actively released on-demand in the presence of α-amylase. This universal strategy to fabricate enzyme-responsive supramolecular systems was further demonstrated with a range of surfactants with anionic, cationic, and nonionic headgroups. Our results highlight a versatile platform for the exploration of biologically responsive self-assembly with potential applications as controlled-release systems and microrobots.

A Scoping Review of Cross-Sectional Studies on Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Cross-sectional studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM-CSs) have become the most published type of TCM observational study; however, the research scope of current TCM-CSs is unknown. A scoping review of the literature was performed. A descriptive approach to summarize the core study characteristics was prepared, along with structured tables and figures to identify salient points of similarities and differences noted across studies. The reporting quality of TCM-CSs was assessed according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) cross-sectional checklist. Eight databases (Embase, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, AMED, CBM, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP) were systematically searched for TCM-CSs published up until 20 January 2020. The literature screening and evaluating were independently conducted by two researchers. When there was disagreement, a third-party senior researcher made the judgment. A total of 198 TCM-CSs published between 1997 and 2019 were included, 160 English studies and 38 Chinese studies, respectively. More TCM-CSs were published in each successive year. The journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published more TCM-CSs (24) than any other journal. Most TCM-CSs were conducted in mainland China (81, 40.9%), followed by Taiwan, China (44, 22.2%) and HKSAR, China (19, 9.6%). The most commonly used sampling method was purposive sampling (94, 47.5%), following by convenience sampling (60, 30.3%). The research topics can be summarized in four major categories as follows: constitution-related research (11.1%), TCM pattern-related research (18.7%), TCM intervention-related research (55.1%), and others (15.6%). The average sufficient reporting rate of included TCM-CSs according to the STROBE cross-sectional checklist was 45.6%. Papers written in English reported 9 items (items 2, 4, 14a, 16a, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22) more frequently than papers written in Chinese. The number of TCM-CSs is increasing. Research topics are diverse; however, the reporting quality is unsatisfactory. In particular, TCM-CSs need greater transparency and standardization.

A combined radical and non-radical oxidation processes for efficient degradation of Acid Orange 7 in the homogeneous Cu(II)/PMS system: important role of chloride.

Trace copper ion (Cu(II)) in water and wastewater can trigger peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to oxidize organic compounds, but it only works under alkaline conditions. In this work, we found that the presence of chloride could significantly accelerate the oxidation of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) by the Cu(II)/PMS process at a wide pH range (4.0-9.0). The observed pseudo-first-order rate constant k for AO7 oxidation was linearly correlated with the increased Cl- concentration (0-300 mM). An increase in mineralization rate was observed in the presence of Cl-, while the overall mineralization was quite low. Decomposition of PMS facilitated when Cl- concentration or pH value increased. Based on the scavenger experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement, the mechanism of Cu(II)-catalyzed PMS oxidation process in the presence of Cl- was proposed as both the radical and non-radical pathway, and 1O2 was the reactive oxygen species in the Cu(II)/PMS system. Finally, a possible degradation pathway of AO7 was elucidated. The feasibility of in situ utilizing high salinity and trace cupric species to accelerate the degradation of organic pollutants by the Cu(II)/PMS process in water and wastewater was demonstrated. However, the identification of undesired chlorinated by-products reminds us of cautiousness in assessing the application of Cu(II)/PMS system under chloride-rich environment. The findings of this work provide a simple and efficient approach to apply PMS in the remediation of refractory organic contaminants in the presence of trace cupric species under a high salinity environment with a wide range of pH.

A scoping review of cohort studies assessing traditional Chinese medicine interventions.

BACKGROUNDS: Identifying topics and assessing the reporting quality of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) cohort studies. METHODS: A scoping review of the literature was performed. A descriptive approach to summarize the core study characteristics was prepared, along with structured tables and figures to identify salient points of differences noted across studies. The reporting quality of TCM cohort studies was assessed according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE)-cohort checklist. RESULTS: A total of 199 TCM cohort studies were included. The largest number of TCM cohort studies was conducted in Mainland China (70.9%). The TCM cohort study was first published in 2003. The top three diseases studied were Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Stroke, and Asthma. As for the intervention methods, Chinese herbal medicine formulas (60.3%), acupuncture (14.1%) and single herbs (12.6%) accounted for the majority, followed by moxibustion (4.0%) and qigong (2.0%). The overage sufficient reporting rate of included TCM cohort studies according to the STROBE-cohort checklist was 42.9%. Comparing with Chinese literature, the reporting rates of English literature in most items were higher. CONCLUSION: For the application of cohort studies to inform the effects of TCM interventions, the interventions assessed and conditions studied were diverse, the reporting quality was unsatisfied.

Efficacy and safety of Xiaofeng powder (xiao feng san) in treating urticaria: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Urticaria is a common skin disease that has a high impact on a patient's daily life. Xiaofeng powder (XFP) is one of the most commonly used Chinese herbal formula in China for urticaria. However, due to the lack of systematic evaluations, its clinical efficacy remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect and safety of XFP for urticaria. METHODS: Seven databases, including Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and the Wanfang Database. The period will be from their inception to September 2018. Randomized controlled trials of XFS used separately against conventional Western medicine therapy in patients with urticarial were included. After the methodologic quality was assessed and the valid data were extracted, RevMan 5.3 software was used for the final meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results will provide evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of XFP in treating urticaria. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether XFP is an effective intervention for patient with urticaria. This systematic review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications. The results of the study will provide evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of Xiaofeng Powder (xiao feng san) in treating urticaria. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD 42018087260.