[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules in treatment of influenza].

This study aims to systematically review the efficacy and safety of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules in the treatment of influenza. The randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules alone or in combination with conventional western medicine for treating influenza were retrieved from PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SinoMed, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and ClinicalTrails.gov. The data analysis was performed in RevMan 5.4.1. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the involved RCT, and GRADEpro GDT to assess the quality of the evidence. A total of 11 RCTs involving 1 836 patients were included in this study. Compared with conventional western medicine, Shufeng Jiedu Capsules/Shufeng Jiedu Capsules + conventional western medicine improved the response rate(RR=1.09, 95%CI[1.03, 1.15], P=0.002), shortened the time to relief of cough, and increased the 3-day sore throat relief rate, whereas there was no significant difference in the time to fever abatement, the time to relief of sore throat, 3-day cough relief rate, or 3-day runny nose relief rate. Subgroup-analysis showed that Shufeng Jiedu Capsules + conventional western medicine improved the response rate(RR=1.11, 95%CI[1.08, 1.15], P<0.000 01), shortened the time to relief of cough, and increased the 3-day relief rate of symptoms(cough, sore throat, and runny nose) compared with conventional western medicine alone, while there was no significant difference in the time to fever abatement or the time to relief of sore throat. Shufeng Jiedu Capsules alone could not improve the response rate(RR=0.97, 95%CI[0.93, 1.02], P=0.19). In addition, Shufeng Jiedu Capsules/Shufeng Jiedu Capsules + conventional western medicine vs conventional western medicine were no significant difference in adverse reactions(RR=0.98, 95%CI[0.57, 1.69], P=0.95). The available evidence suggests that Shufeng Jiedu Capsules is effective and safe in the treatment of influenza, and the combination of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules with conventional western medicine can accelerate the relief of symptoms. However, since the number and quality of the included studies were low, the above findings remained to be further verified by multicenter RCT with large sample sizes.

[Analysis and prospects of common problems in clinical data mining of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions].

Mining data from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions is one of the important methods for inheriting the experience of famous doctors and developing new drugs. However, current research work has problems such as to be optimized research plans and non-standard statistics. The main problems and corresponding solutions summarized by the research mainly include four aspects.(1)The research plan design needs to consider the efficacy and quality of individual cases.(2)The significance of the difference in confidence order of association rules needs to be further considered, and the lift should not be ignored.(3)The clustering analysis steps are complex. The selection of clustering variables should comprehensively consider factors such as the frequency of TCM, network topology parameters, and practical application significance. The selection of distance calculation and clustering methods should be improved based on the characteristics of TCM clinical data. Jaccard distance and its improvement plan should be given attention in the future. A single, unexplained clustering result should not be presented, but the final clustering plan should be selected based on a comprehensive consideration of TCM clinical characteristics and objective evaluation indicators for clustering.(4)When calculating correlation coefficients, algorithms that are only suitable for continuous variables should not be applied to binary variables. This article explained the connotations of the above problems based on the characteristics of TCM clinical research and statistical principles and proposed corresponding suggestions to provide important references for future data mining research work.

Epidemiology and risk factors for thrombosis in children and newborns: systematic evaluation and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thrombosis is a serious condition in children and neonates. However, the risk factors for thrombosis have not been conclusively determined. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for thrombosis in children and neonates in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) through a meta-analysis to better guide clinical treatment. METHODS: A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, WOS, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP) was conducted to retrieve studies from creation on 23 May 2022. Data on the year of publication, study design, country of origin, number of patients/controls, ethnicity, and type of thrombus were extracted. The publication bias and heterogeneity between studies were assessed, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed or random effects models. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of thrombosis in children was 2% per year (95% CI 1%-2%, P < 0.01). Infection and sepsis (OR = 1.95, P < 0.01), CVC (OR = 3.66, [95%CL 1.78-7.51], P < 0.01), mechanical ventilation (OR = 2.1, [95%CL1.47-3.01], P < 0.01), surgery (OR = 2.25, [95%CL1.2-4.22], P < 0.01), respiratory distress (OR = 1.39, [95%CL0.42-4.63], P < 0.01), ethnicities (OR = 0.88, [95%CL 0.79-0.98], P = 0.78), gestational age (OR = 1.5, [95%CL1.34-1.68], P = 0.65)were identified as risk factors for thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that CVC, Surgery, mechanical ventilation, Infection/sepsis, gestational age, Respiratory distress, and different ethnicities are risk factors for thrombosis in children and neonates in ICU. These findings may help clinicians to identify high-risk patients and develop appropriate prevention strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD 42022333449).

[Exploration and example interpretation of real-world herbal prescription classification based on similarity matching algorithm].

In observational studies, herbal prescriptions are usually studied in the form of "similar prescriptions". At present, the classification of prescriptions is mainly based on clinical experience judgment, but there are some problems in manual judgment, such as lack of unified criteria, labor consumption, and difficulty in verification. In the construction of a database of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19), our research group tried to classify real-world herbal prescriptions using a similarity matching algorithm. The main steps include 78 target prescriptions are determined in advance; four levels of importance labeling shall be carried out for the drugs of each target prescription; the combination, format conversion, and standardization of drug names of the prescriptions to be identified in the herbal medicine database; calculate the similarity between the prescriptions to be identified and each target prescription one by one; prescription discrimination is performed based on the preset criteria; remove the name of the prescriptions with "large prescriptions cover the small". Through the similarity matching algorithm, 87.49% of the real prescriptions in the herbal medicine database of this study can be identified, which preliminarily proves that this method can complete the classification of herbal prescriptions. However, this method does not consider the influence of herbal dosage on the results, and there is no recognized standard for the weight of drug importance and criteria, so there are some limitations, which need to be further explored and improved in future research.

Improvements in Temperature Uniformity in Carbon Fiber Composites during Microwave-Curing Processes via a Recently Developed Microwave Equipped with a Three-Dimensional Motion System.

Curing processes for carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites via microwave heating are promising alternatives to conventional thermal curing because this technology results in nonhomogeneous temperature distributions, which hinder its further development in industries. This paper proposes a novel method for improving heating homogeneities by employing three-dimensional motion with respect to the prepreg laminate used in the microwave field by using a recently developed microwave system. The maximum temperature deviation on the surface of the laminate can be controlled within 8.7 °C during the entire curing process, and it produces an average heating rate of 1.42 °C/min. The FT-IR analyses indicate that microwave heating would slightly influence hydroxyl and methylene contents in the cured laminate. The DMA measurements demonstrate that the glass transition temperatures can be improved by applying proper microwave-curing processes. Optical microscopy and mechanical tests reveal that curing the prepreg laminate by using a multistep curing process that initially cures the laminate at the resin's lowest viscosity for 10 min followed by curing the laminate at a high temperature for a short period of time would be favorable for yielding a sample with low void contents and the desired mechanical properties. All these analyses are supposed to prove the feasibility of controlling the temperature difference during microwave-curing processes within a reasonable range and provide a cured laminate with improved properties compared with conventional thermally cured products.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on bone loss for patients with foot and ankle fracture: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim for this trial was to preliminarily evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) for bone loss in patients with immobilization after surgical fixation of ankle and foot fractures. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with immobilization after surgical fixation of ankle and foot fractures were randomly divided into an intervention group (n=40) or control group (n=40). The intervention group was given TEAS treatment combined with routine orthopedic treatment, and the control group was given only routine orthopedic treatment. The CT attenuation values, bone turnover markers (ALP, PINP, BGP, CTX, Ca/Cr), bone mineral density (BMD), blood phosphorus, and blood calcium were observed and compared between the two groups at 8 weeks. This was a prospective study. The protocol was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry (No. ChiCTR2000039944). RESULTS: The CT attenuation values of the intervention group decreased more than those of the control group (P<0.05), however the between group differences in ALP, BGP, Ca/Cr, CTX and BMD (all P>0.05) were not statistically significant. Three mild adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: TEAS treatment may confer additional benefits for bone loss in patients with immobilization after surgical fixation of ankle and foot fractures. Since this was a pilot study, the efficacy of TEAS requires further evaluation through full-scale randomized controlled trials.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis of Lianhua Qingwen preparations combined with Oseltamivir in treatment of influenza].

This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of Lianhua Qingwen preparations combined with Oseltamivir in the treatment of influenza patients. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were searched for the randomized controlled trials(RCTs) involving the comparison between the influenza patients treated with Lianhua Qingwen preparations combined with Oseltamivir and those treated with Oseltamivir alone. Fever clearance time was taken as the primary outcome indicator. Clinical effective rate(markedly effective and effective), time to muscle pain relief, time to sore throat relief, time to cough relief, time to nasal congestion and runny nose relief, time to negative result of viral nucleic acid test, and adverse reactions were taken as the secondary outcome indicators. The data were extracted based on the outcome indicators and then combined. The Cochrane collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was used to evaluate the quality of a single RCT, and the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluations(GRADE) system to assess the quality of a single outcome indicator. RevMan 5.3 was employed to analyze data and test heterogeneity. Finally, 16 RCTs involving 1 629 patients were included for analysis. The Meta-analysis showed that Lianhua Qingwen preparations combined with Oseltamivir was superior to Oseltamivir alone in the treatment of influenza in terms of clinical effective rate(RR=1.16, 95%CI [1.12, 1.20], P<0.000 01), fever clearance time(SMD=-2.02, 95%CI [-2.62,-1.41], P<0.000 01), time to muscle pain relief(SMD=-2.50, 95%CI [-3.84,-1.16], P=0.000 2), time to sore throat relief(SMD=-1.40, 95%CI [-1.93,-0.85], P<0.000 01), time to cough relief(SMD=-1.81, 95%CI [-2.44,-1.19], P<0.000 01), time to nasal congestion and runny nose(SMD=-2.31, 95%CI [-3.61,-1.01], P=0.000 5), and time to negative result of viral nucleic acid test(SMD=-0.68, 95%CI [-1.19,-0.16], P=0.01). However, due to the low quality of the trials, the above conclusions need to be proved by more high-quality clinical studies. In addition, we still need to attach importance to the adverse reactions of the integrated application of Chinese and western medicines.

Reduning Injection versus Neuraminidase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Influenza: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of Reduning Injection versus neuraminidase inhibitors in treatment of influenza. METHODS: The MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chinese Bio-medical Literature and Retrieval System (Sinomed), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform and ClinicalTrails.gov were systematically searched from inception dates to May 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring Reduning Injection alone or in combination with neuraminidase inhibitors in patients with influenza. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.1. The qualities of the involved studies were assessed by the risk of bias according to the Cochrane handbook. The evidence quality of each outcome was evaluated by GRADEpro GDT. RESULTS: Twelve trials with 1,460 patients were included. The included studies had a certain unclear or high risk of bias. Reduning Injection appeared to be more effective in shortening the fever clearance time (MD: -16.20 h, 95% CI: -19.40 to -12.99, 7 trials, 814 patients, I2=94%, very low certainty), fever alleviation time (MD: -4.09 h, 95% CI: -4.22 to -3.96, 3 trials, 366 patients, I2=0%, low certainty), cough alleviation time (MD: -21.34 h, 95% CI: -41.56 to -1.11, 2 trials, 228 patients, I2=89%, very low certainty), fatigue alleviation time (MD: -31.83 h, 95% CI: -36.88 to -26.77, 2 trials, 270 patients, I2=0%, low certainty), sore throat alleviation time (MD: -28.66 h, 95% CI: -32.23 to -25.10, 1 trial, 150 patients, low certainty), and improving the total effective rate (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.25, 10 trials, 1,074 patients, I2=76%, very low certainty). Besides, Reduning Injection seemed generally safe. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided low or very low evidence indicating Reduning Injection may be effective in the treatment of influenza and might be safe. Further rigorously designed studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of Reduning Injection and support it as a recommendation for influenza.

Moxibustion for treating patients with post-stroke depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for post-stroke depression (PSD). METHODS: A search was conducted in the following English and Chinese databases: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM), VIP and Wanfang. The outcomes included Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), effective rate, and Modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS) scale. The formulation of search strategy, data extraction, and quality evaluation of involved studies was performed according to Cochrane handbook guidelines. The software RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16 were used for data analysis. The evidence quality of each outcome was evaluated by GRADEpro guideline development tool (GDT). RESULTS: A total of 14 trials with 863 participants were included. A certain risk of bias of unclear or high was detected in the included studies. Compared with the control group, adding moxibustion could change the value of HAMD [standardized mean difference (SMD) =-1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.55 to -0.79; I2=85.5%; P<0.01] and the effective rate [risk ratio (RR) =1.22; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.32; I2=0.0%; P=0.56], and the differences in the MESSS scale (SMD =-0.72; 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.38; I2=0.0%; P=0.80) had statistical differences. The certainty was low in effective rate, and very low in HAMD and MESSS. Besides, moxibustion was shown to be generally safe. DISCUSSION: This review found that moxibustion may be an effective intervention for PSD. However, the results of this study have a certain limitation. The benefits of moxibustion for PSD need to be confirmed in the future by more high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

[Application and significance of mixed methods research in traditional Chinese medicine and narrative medicine].

Since narrative medicine was introduced in China, it has been widely used in medical education and clinical practice. The research on narrative medicine in China is especially characterized by its combination with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). At present, the research on narrative medicine in China is still in the stage of small-scale practicing and theory advocating. Besides, there is also a lack of guidance on experimental design methodology for clinical application, which leads to few high-quality studies in this field. The present study reviewed the current high-quality research on narrative medicine to discuss the value and prospects of mixed methods research in narrative medicine. In addition, the common design, application procedures, and notes of mixed methods research were explained to provide references for the extensive applications of narrative medicine in the medical field, especially TCM clinical practice, education, and scientific research.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on bone metabolism in patients with immobilisation after foot and ankle fracture surgery: a randomised controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Fracture is a disease with a high incidence worldwide. Foot and ankle fractures are common among fractures of the lower extremities. Foot and ankle fractures usually require surgical fixation and a period of fixed treatment, which can lead to decreased bone density. Although transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is widely used for movement system diseases, there is minimal evidence to show the effectiveness of TEAS on patients after surgical fixation of ankle and foot fractures. This trial aims to evaluate whether TEAS can reduce bone loss in patients with immobilisation after ankle and foot fractures. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A randomised controlled trial will be conducted in which 60 patients will be randomly divided into two groups: (a) the control group will be treated according to the routine procedures of basic orthopaedics treatment; (b) in the treatment group, bilateral SP36, BL23 and ST36 will be performed on the basis of the control group, and the test will be performed for 30 min every other day for a total of 8 weeks. Bone turnover markers will be used as primary outcome. Secondary outcomes are composed of blood phosphorus, blood calcium and bone mineral density. Treatment safety will be monitored and recorded. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial is approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (2020BZYLL0611) and the Ethics Committee of Beijing Luhe Hospital (2020-LHKY-055-02), and inpatients who meet the following diagnostic and inclusion criteria are eligible to participate in this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR 2000039944.

Surgical resection for patients with recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis update.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the clinical benefits of adding surgical resection in patients with recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). This protocol outlines the planned scope and methods for a systematic review and meta-analysis update that will compare the clinical outcomes of surgical resection combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with TKI treatment alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic GISTs. METHODS: This review will update a previously published systematic review by our team. This protocol is presented in accordance with the PRISMA-P guideline. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be systematically searched and supplemented by a secondary screening of the references of all included studies. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRS) in this review update. The outcomes evaluated will be overall survival and progression-free survival. Two reviewers will independently screen and select studies, extract data from the included studies, and assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Data extracted from RCTs and NRS will be analysed and reported separately. Preplanned subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses are detailed within this protocol. The strength of the body of evidence will be assessed using GRADE. DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis update will provide a current assessment of the evidence for the role of surgery in patients with recurrent or metastatic advanced GISTs. These findings will be used by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) GIST guideline recommendations on surgical treatment for recurrent or metastatic advanced GIST patients in China. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This protocol was prospectively registered in the Open Science Framework Registry ( https://osf.io/xus7m ).

Systematic review and pathway enrichment analysis of Chinese medicine in preventing recurrence and improving prognosis of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may improve the prognosis management of cholelithiasis patients after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. To explore the evidence for this view, we systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of TCM for improving the prognosis of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy and performed functional pathway enrichment analysis of TCM target genes. METHODS: In this systematic review (SRs), we searched six Chinese or international databases to collect randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of TCM in preventing the recurrence of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. The literature was independently screened by 2 reviewers, who then extracted the data. The Cochrane risk-of-bias and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tools were used to assess the included studies' risk of bias and quality of evidence, respectively. And, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses would be conducted on the TCM prescriptions in the included literature to find the effective component and mechanism of TCM in the prognosis management of gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. Analysis in this research would be conducted by R 3.5.2 software. RESULTS: A total of 1,024 articles were retrieved, and 9 RCTs involving 926 participants were included after the step-by-step screening. The risk of bias for each important outcome in all the studies was "uncertain". The meta-analysis showed that compared with blank control, TCM prevented cholelithiasis by decreasing the recurrence rate, complications incidence, gallbladder wall thickness, and gallbladder contraction degree. But, there were no significant differences in the rate of the adverse reaction. The result of the GO and KEGG analysis revealed that the mechanism of prevention of TCM in gallstone recurrence may be related to the cholesterol metabolic pathway and that naringin from Glycyrrhiza may be the effective component in the prevention of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Existing evidence suggests that the use of TCM may reduce the recurrence rate after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy and this effect may be related to the flavonoid glycoside naringin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, but more RCTs with high quality in this area may be needed to have a robust conclusion.

Clinical Epidemiology in China series. Paper 1: Evidence-based medicine in China: An oral history study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and record the evolution of EBM in China. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted the study following the general methodology of oral history. The interviews were done at Lanzhou University, between 18th and 22nd April 2019 using pre-defined questions. All interviews were videorecorded. Two investigators extracted and analyzed the information from the interviews independently. RESULTS: One international expert and ten Chinese experts participated in the interviews. After the introduction of EBM in China in the mid-1990s, more than 20 EBM centres have been established. According to the interviewees, Gordon Guyatt, David Sackett and Iain Chalmers are the international experts who played the most important role in the development of EBM in China. China has contributed to EBM on the international level by conducting systematic reviews, developing reporting checklists, and introducing the principles of EBM into Traditional Medicine. The Chinese Cochrane Centre and the EBM Centre of Lanzhou University were ranked the top two EBM Centres in China by the interviewees. CONCLUSION: EBM has been developing in China for nearly a quarter of a century. Many achievements have been reached, however, EBM is still facing many challenges in China, including shortages of funding support and personnel, as well as limited local high-quality evidence.

[Expert consensus on Antiviral Oral Liquid in treatment of influenza in clinical practice].

Antiviral Oral Liquid is modified on the basis of Baihu Decoction in Treatise on Febrility Diseases by ZHANG Zhongjing and Qingwen Baidu Yin in Qing Dynasty, with effects in clearing toxic heat, repelling dampness and cooling blood. It is widely used in clinical treatment of common colds, influenza and upper respiratory tract infection, mumps, viral conjunctivitis and hand-foot-mouth disease, with a good clinical efficacy and safety. Based on a questionnaire survey of clinicians and a systematic review of study literatures on Antiviral Oral Liquid, the international clinical practice guidelines development method was adopted to analyze the optimal available evidences and expert experiences in the "evidence-based, consensus-based and experience-based" principles. The consensus was jointly reached by more than 30 multidisciplinary experts nationwide, including clinical experts of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the field of respiratory diseases and infectious diseases, and methodological experts. In the study, literatures were retrieved based on clinical problems in the clinical survey as well as PICO clinical problems. The GRADE system was used for the classification and evaluation of evidence, and fully combined with clinical expert experience, so as to reach expert consensus by the nominal grouping method. This expert consensus recommended or suggested indications, usage and dosage, course of treatment, intervention time for treatment, and the safety and precautions of Antiviral Oral Liquid for treatment of influenza, and can provide reference for the rational use of this drug in clinical practice.

[Thinking and practice of key links in design of clinical trial scheme for treatment of influenza with traditional Chinese medicine].

To sort out the key points in "PICOS" design of clinical trial scheme for influenza, and optimize the clinical trial scheme of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of influenza by strictly following the principle of evidence-based medicine, focusing on the clinical practice of the disease, and highlighting the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. "The design of a randomized, double-blind, positive parallel control study of a certain herbal preparation for the treatment of non-severe influenza" was taken as an example in this study, and the key points in the clinical trial design of Chinese patent medicine for the treatment of influenza were specifically discussed from six aspects, including the type of study, object of study, intervention measures, control measures, outcome indicators and frequently asked questions in test design. From methodological suggestions, in the design scheme of clinical trial on efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of influenza, the randomized controlled study should be the first choice for type of study; the inclusion criteria should define both the diagnostic criteria of Western medicine and the syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM); the exclusion criteria should include a comprehensive list of confounding factors and special circumstances lea-ding to bias in the study results; the interventions should be based on a well-defined dosing programme; internationally recognized positive drugs or guidelines should be used as control measures, with median antipyretic time as the main outcome indicator. For the evalua-tion of curative effect, disease symptom scale can be set, and the TCM syndrome scoring scale was carefully used in this study, with time nodes set for the efficacy evaluation standard. The full name of the drugs should be written in the regulations on combined drug use and prohibited drug use.

Effect of electro-acupuncture at ST 36 on maternal food restriction-induced lung phenotype in rat offspring.

Maternal food restriction (MFR) during pregnancy leads to pulmonary dysplasia in the newborn period and increases susceptibility to diseases, such as asthma and chronic lung disease, later in life. Previous studies have shown that maternal electro-acupuncture (EA) applied to "Zusanli" (ST 36) could prevent the abnormal expression of key lung developmental signaling pathways and improve the lung morphology and function in perinatal nicotine exposed offspring. There is a significant overlap in lung developmental signaling pathways affected by perinatal nicotine exposure and MFR during pregnancy; however, whether maternal EA at ST 36 also blocks the MFR-induced lung phenotype is unknown. Here, we examined the effects of EA applied to maternal ST 36 on lung morphology and function and the expression of key lung developmental signaling pathways, and the hypercorticoid state associated with MFR during pregnancy. These effects were compared with those of metyrapone, an intervention known to block MFR-induced offspring hypercorticoid state and the resultant pulmonary pathology. Like metyrapone, maternal EA at ST 36 blocked the MFR-induced changes in key developmental signaling pathways and protected the MFR-induced changes in lung morphology and function. These results offer a novel and safe, nonpharmacologic approach to prevent MFR-induced pulmonary dysplasia in offspring.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on lung dysplasia in rats with intrauterine growth restriction induced by maternal food restriction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST 36) in pregnant rats on lung dysplasia of newborn rats with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) induced by maternal food restriction. METHODS: Twenty-four female SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a control+EA group, a model group and a model+EA group, 6 rats in each group. From the 10th day into pregnancy to the time of delivery, the rats in the model group and the model+EA group were given with 50% dietary restriction to prepare IUGR model. From the 10th day into pregnancy to the time of delivery, the rats in the control+EA group and the model+EA group were treated with EA at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36), once a day. The body weight of offspring rats was measured at birth, and the body weight and lung weight of offspring rats were measured on the 21st day after birth. The lung function was measured by small animal lung function detection system; the lung tissue morphology was observed by HE staining; the content of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in lung tissue was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the body weight at birth as well as the body weight, lung weight, lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and PPARγ at 21 days after birth in the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and inspiratory resistance (RI) were significantly increased (P<0.01); the number of alveoli was significantly decreased, and the alveolar area and alveolar septal thickness were significantly increased, and some alveoli were ruptured and fused. Compared with the model group, the body weight at birth as well as the body weight, lung weight, Cdyn and PPARγ at 21 days after birth in the model+EA group were significantly increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the PIF and RI were significantly reduced (P<0.05); the number of alveoli was significantly increased, and the alveolar area and alveolar septal thickness were significantly reduced, and the rupture and fusion of alveolar was improved. CONCLUSION: EA at "Zusanli" (ST 36) may protect the lung function and lung histomorphology changes by regulating the level of PPARγ of lung in IUGR rats induced by maternal food restriction.

Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine on treating oligomenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oligomenorrhea is one of the most frequent gynecologic complaints that interferes with women's life quality. Treatment using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a preferred alternative therapy for oligomenorrhea. However, systematic reviews (SRs) evaluating the efficacy of TCM treatments for oligomenorrhea remain absent. The present SR and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM treatment for oligomenorrhea. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English and Chinese were retrieved by searching in the databases in October 2019, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Sinomed, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang databases. Quantitative analyses and quality assessments were then conducted based on abstracted data. This study protocol is registered PROSPERO, number CRD42018095660. RESULTS: A total of 26 eligible RCTs involving 2,389 patients were included in our analysis. Overall, we observed an effect of increasing menstrual blood volumes owing to using TCM treatments plus bio-medicine (BM) (n=649; MD, 12.05; 95% CI: 5.23 to 18.87; P<0.00001; I2=96%). Besides, TCM combined with BM yielded a significant prolongation in menstrual periods (MD, 1.20; 95% CI: 0.78 to 1.62; P<0.00001; I2=76%), and had potential improvements on enhancing effectiveness rates, increasing endometrial thickness, and raising the levels of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P). Concerning adverse events (AEs), no significant difference was found in either group. The quality of evidence was relatively low. CONCLUSIONS: This study seems to support the potential effect of TCM on treating oligomenorrhea. However, the relatively low quality of prior studies calls for future RCTs to further assess the efficacy of TCM on treating oligomenorrhea using rigorous designs.

Efficacy and safety of Shenqi Jiangtang Granules plus oral hypoglycemic agent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 RCTs.

OBJECTIVE: Shenqi Jiangtang Granules (SQJTG) has been widely used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). But whether there exists sufficient evidence on the efficacy of SQJTG in the treatment of T2DM is unclear. In order to assess the effects of SQJTG for T2DM, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were carried out. METHODS: Eight databases, namely, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Full-Text Database, CBM, and Wanfang database were searched up to May 2020. According to the Cochrane standards, the selection of study, the extraction of data, the assessment of study quality, and the analyses of data were carried out strictly. Then a fixed or random effects model was applied to analyze the outcomes. RESULTS: Fifteen studies (N = 1392) in total conformed the inclusion criteria to this meta-analysis. Two subgroups were identified, based on different dose of SQJTG: oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA) vs OHA plus SQJTG (1 g); OHA vs. OHA plus SQJTG (1.5-3 g). The pooled results showed that, in comparison with OHA, OHA plus SQJTG significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose in both 1 g subgroup and 1.5-3 g subgroup; 2-hour post-meal blood glucose was also greatly reduced in the SQJTG 1 g subgroup and the SQJTG 1.5-3 g subgroup. Compared with OHA, SQJTG 1 g subgroup significantly reduced levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c, as well as the SQJTG 1.5-3 g subgroup. Homeostasis model-insulin resistance index was also reduced in both SQJTG 1 g subgroup and SQJTG 1.5-3 g subgroup; SQJTG group can also significantly reduce the total adverse events especially in reducing the incidence of hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: SQJTG is an effective and safe complementary treatment for T2DM patients. This meta-analysis provides an evidence for the treatment in patients with T2DM. While owing to the high heterogeneity and the trials' small sample size, it's crucial to perform large-scale and strict designed studies.