OBJECTIVETo explore the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores in effectiveness evaluation of clinical studies.

METHODSRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM published in five journals in 2013 were retrieved, including Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (JTCM), Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine (CJITWM), Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (CJIM), Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ECAM), and American Journal of Chinese Medicine (AJCM). The details of TCM syndrome scores and other relevant factors reported in articles were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to describe general features of inclusive studies, ratios of reports on CM syndrome scores in each journal, formulated evidence, adopted evaluation rules, important degrees. The difference in the application rate of CM syndrome scores were compared in various diseases, diseases with or without CM syndrome typing, places where clinical studies were implemented, and different journals.

RESULTSA total of 240 RCTs were included, involving 178 published in Chinese version and 62 in English version. CM syndrome scores were used for effectiveness evaluation in 27.1% (65/240) of RCTs, of which, the highest application percentage was 35.3% (18/51) in RCTs published in CJITWM, and the lowest was 0 (0/7) in RCTs published in AJCM. There were 17 methods for grading TCM syndrome scores, of which Guideline for Clinical Research of New Chinese Herbal Medicine was most commonly used. Detailed grading standards for CM syndrome scores were reported in 46 RCTs, and CM syndrome scores were taken as primary or secondary outcomes in 6 RCTs. When describing the percentages of RCTs adopting TCM syndrome score by diseases classification, the lowest was 9.5% (2/21) in mental and behavioral disorders, and the highest was 39.1% (9/23) in endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases. RCTs with TCM syndrome differentiation had a higher percentage of adopting TCM syndrome score than those without TCM syndrome differentiation (P < 0.01). Statistical differences were also found among RCTs published in Chinese core journals (32.0%), domestic science citation index (SCI) journals (28.6%), and overseas SCI journals (4.9%) (χ2 = 12.4593, P < 0.01). For RCTs conducted by Chinese scholars, the percentage of using TCM syndrome score was 32.0% in three journals from China, while 7.1% in two foreign language journals, showing significant difference (χ2 =7.3615, P < 0.01); none of RCTs conducted by foreign scholars used TCM syndrome scores for effectiveness assessment.

CONCLUSIONSThere was a lack of agreeable and universal standards for TCM syndrome scores using in effectiveness evaluation. Therefore, it was not commonly used in domestic CM clinical studies. It was not so favorably agreed in overseas academic circles.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molar ; Root Canal Therapy ; methods

Objective To established a bacteriemia model of BALB/c mice after infection with a ST-239 methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) strain, which was isolated and identified from Shanghai Huashan Hospital. Methods We monitored the clinical signs and gross observations of MRSA-infected mice, and examined the histopathology among different groups. Results This isolated MRSA strain ST-239 can induced a typical bacteriemia in BALB/c mice, including the severe mortality and extensive histopathologic injury. However, higher survival rate and slight inflammatory injury were observed in vancomycin-treated mices. Conclusion The solid results obatined in this model will benefit us to study the pathogenic characteristics and patholgenesis in MRSA-induced bacteriemia, and propeled us to seek a safety cure approaches in the future.

Good clinical practice should be based on evidence. Evidence quality should be based on critical appraisal in evidence based medicine (EBM). Evaluation of evidence quality plays an important role in evidence level clarifying, which is the core of EBM. Different recommendations for clinical practice often derive from evidence levels. Thus evidence quality evaluation is the first and most important step in EBM. There are lots of standards to evaluate evidence quality in the world. However there are two aspects of the evaluation, one is methodological evaluation and the other is reporting evaluation. This article collected a series of standards for clinical trials quality evaluation according to different research designs. It is hoped that the resource and introduction about the quality evaluation of clinical trials be helpful for medical researchers in China. Only being familiar with all kinds of standards of methodology and reporting, researchers could publish high quality scientific papers.
Biomedical Research ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Guidelines as Topic ; Humans ; Meta-Analysis as Topic ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

In 2013 Shanghai took the lead to carry out the specialist standardized training which is common in the international medical education. This paper first gives a picture of the general condition of the standardized training on specialists of obstetrics and gynecology in Shanghai. Then from the perspectives of strategic deployment, department management, clinical skill training and the training of examiners, the paper explores the assessment model in which both the assessment of train-ing process and the scores of the final examination are considered whereas the process assessment is given more weight. This paper is aimed to provide experience and suggestions for the further advance of the specialists standardized training in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.

This paper was aim to optimize the purification technology of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata extract with macroporous adsorption resin. With the content of manninotriose as index, the absorptive flow and time were investigated, as well as kinds, amount, flow of eluent. D-101 type macroporous adsorption resin was the best choice for the purification of manninotriose. The optimized parameters were as follows: the content of manninotriose at 161.16-53.72 mg x g(-1), absorption time 240 min, eluting solvent of purified water, volume flow at 1.5 BV x h(-1), and eluant volume at 6 BV. D-101 type macroporous adsorption resin could significantly increase the purity of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata extract with the advantage of high absorption, remove most part of impurity, and the effect of semi-works production was better.
Adsorption ; Chemical Fractionation ; Chromatography, Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Rehmannia ; chemistry ; Resins, Synthetic ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE To investigate the countermeasures of preventing endophthalmitis in the process of large number of successive cataract phacoemulsification surgeries at the Lifeline-Express train.METHODS All measures of preventing postoperative endophthalmitis during and after cataract surgery procedures from Mar 2007 to Aug 2007 at the Second Lifeline-Express train were retrospectively analyzed and summarized.RESULTS There was not any postoperative endophthalmitis occurred from 2539 procedures of cataract phacoemulsification surgeries.CONCLUSIONS A series of the effective approaches as muticulous as possible are keys to prevent the postoperative endophthalmitis in the process of large number of successive cataract phacoemulsification surgeries.

Objective To investigate the real experiences of nurses participating in the treatment of patients with new respiratory infectious diseases. Method The semi-structural interview method was used to carry out in-depth interviews with 8 nurses who were involved in the whole process of treatments and cares of patients with SARS and H1N1 influenza to understand their real experiences. Result The nurses, who participated in the treatment and care to patients with new respiratory infectious diseases, experienced such emotions of nervousness, excitement, anxiety, fear, exhaustion, obtained support from their families, hospitals, society and meanwhile recognized their lack of professional knowledge and clinical skills. Conclusion The nurses participating in the treatment of patients with new respiratory infectious diseases should be given strengthened professional training , psychological and social support.

Objective To explore the main influence factors(heart rate,rotation speed,and reconstruction algorithm)on the image quality of coronary artery with 40 mm VCT(64-detector row helical CT)using a pulsating cardiac phantom.Methods An adjustable pulsating cardiac phantom(GE) containing predetermined simulated coronary arteries was scanned using a 40 mm VCT(GE LightSpeed CT) with cardiac pulsating rates of 40,45,50,55,60,65,70,75,80,85,90,95,100,105,110,and 115 beats per minute(bpm).The variable rotation speeds technique of 0.35 s,0.40 s,and 0.45 s were used, respectively.The raw data were reconstructed using both one-sector and multi-sector reconstruction algorithm at optimal window of the R-R interval.The image quality score(IQS)was evaluated by two radiologists according to the same evaluation standard of reformated image.The correlation between heart rate(HR), roation speed,reconstruction algorithm,and IQS were analyzed.The IQS as independent variable and the HR,rotation speed,reconstruction algorithm as dependent variables were analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis.Restllts The heart rate and the reconstruction algorithm had significant influence on IQS.The rotation speed(0.35s,0.40s,and 0.45s)didn't have significant influence on IQS.There was linear regression relationship between heart rate,reconstruction algorithm and IQS(P

Epidemiologic Methods ; Models, Statistical