Systematic Review on Acupuncture for Treatment of Dysphagia after Stroke

Objective. To assess the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture for dysphagia after stroke. Methods. Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception until 31 September 2016. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) incorporating acupuncture or acupuncture combined with other interventions for treatment of dysphagia after stroke were enrolled. Then they were extracted and assessed by two independent evaluators. Direct comparisons were conducted in RevMan 5.3.0 software. Results. 6010 patients of 71 papers were included. The pooled analysis of efficacy rate of 58 studies indicated that acupuncture group was superior to the control group with moderate heterogeneity (RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.13 1.21, Z=9.08, and P<0.00001); meta-analysis of the studies using blind method showed that the efficacy rate of acupuncture group was 3.01 times that of control group with no heterogeneity (RR = 3.01, 95% CI: 1.95 4.65, Z=4.97, and P<0.00001). Only 13 studies mentioned the safety evaluation. Conclusion. The result showed that the acupuncture group was better than control group in terms of efficacy rate of dysphagia after stroke. And the combining result of those researches using blind method was more strong in proof. Strict evaluation standard and high-quality RCT design are necessary for further exploration

Case Report: Recurrent Autoimmune Hypoglycemia Induced by Non-Hypoglycemic Medications

We present a case of recurrent autoimmune hypoglycemia induced by non-hypoglycemic agents. We review reported cases of autoimmune hypoglycemia related to non-hypoglycemic agents, and discuss the effects of different detection methods for insulin autoantibodies on the results obtained. We aim to provide information for clinicians and a warning for medication usage. Considering the increasing number of clopidogrel-induced AIH cases and the hypoglycemia-induced increase in the risk of cardiovascular events, we recommend that cardiovascular disease patients being treated with clopidogrel be informed of this rare side effect and that clinicians be vigilant for the possibility of autoimmune hypoglycemia in this patient population

Feasibility of ending tuberculosis in Shangrao City through active intervention measures: a mathematical study

ObjectiveChina faces significant challenges in ending tuberculosis (TB). Active case finding (ACF) and TB preventive therapy (TPT) have proven to be critical measures in reducing TB incidence. This study uses a transmission dynamics model to identify the optimal intervention strategies for achieving WHO’s TB elimination targets in Shangrao City. The findings guide targeted TB control efforts in similar settings.MethodsTo account for COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, we first used a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model to predict and substitute the reported TB incidence during 2020–2023. Subsequently, we developed an age-stratified dynamic transmission model using surveillance data from Shangrao City’s Infectious Diseases Reporting System (IDRS) between 2008 and 2023 to evaluate tuberculosis transmission patterns across age groups. The model assessed the effectiveness of key interventions including active case finding (ACF), latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening, and tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT).ResultsThe model fit well with the reported data (R2 = 0.53, p &lt; 0.001). Preventive treatment measures can fully achieve the goal of reducing incidence. All five TPT regimens showed potential to meet the TB elimination targets, with the 3HP regimen (weekly rifapentine + isoniazid for 3 months) performing the best. With the proportion of post-detection consent to TPT of 0.6 and rate of LTBI screening of 0.5, the 3HP regimen met the 2030 and 2035 incidence targets, with projected rates of 15.27/100,000 and 7.98/100,000, respectively.ConclusionThe current TB control efforts face significant challenges, with a considerable gap remaining in achieving TB elimination targets. Combining ACF with TPT presents a promising strategy to reach these goals. Older tuberculosis (TB) patients constitute a high-risk population, and effective prevention and treatment in this group are critical to achieving future TB elimination goals. To reduce the risk of recurrence and reinfection, enhanced follow-up monitoring of older patients should be prioritised alongside targeted health education interventions tailored to high-risk groups

Efficacy of Tui Na in idiopathic constipation in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled clinical trial

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and potential adverse events of Tuina therapy for idiopathic constipation in children with cerebral palsy (CP).MethodsA total of 60 CP children with idiopathic constipation were enrolled and randomly divided into Tuina and control groups. The control group was treated with basic treatment and 12 sessions of lactulose oral solution, whereas the Tuina group received basic treatment and 12 sessions of infantile Tuina treatment. The following parameters were compared: the Bristol stool form scale (BSFS), the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) and the improvement in constipation. In addition, adverse effects were recorded.ResultsAt 4 weeks after the final treatment, the percentage of infants whose constipation improved was 23 (76.7%) in the Tuina group and 21 (70.0%) in the control group (P = 0.771). Initially, the CAS score, weekly bowel movements and proportion of infants with bowel evacuation ≥2 h were comparable between the two groups (P &gt; 0.05). At 4 weeks after the final treatment, the CAS score, weekly bowel movements and proportion of infants with bowel evacuation ≥2 h all significantly improved (P &lt; 0.05) compared with those in the initial situation. However, no difference was found in either group at 4 weeks after the final treatment. No serious adverse reactions (such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, subcutaneous redness, skin breakage, or syncope) were recorded.ConclusionsTuina was as effective as medical care in addition to basic treatment for both groups. The results of this study suggest that Tuina, as a nonpharmacological therapy, may be helpful as an alternative treatment for constipation. More advanced research and large-sample studies should be conducted

specifying and building a formal secure virtual monitor machine prototype

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT); IEEE Beijing Section; International Business Machines; Loughborough University; Natural Science Foundation of ChinaTo defend against growing security threats and attacks faced today, formal specification and verification of secure operating systems are important and almost a must for high assurance level certification. In this paper, we report the work of specifying and building a VMM-based security prototype SecBase, a system towards &quot;verified design&quot; level of security standards in China. SecBase's specification is formally defined, which can be used to guide high-performance C programs implementation, and support formal analysis and verification. Our experiments show that SecBase can quickly be developed and can provide well security separation, for the benefit of its formal specifications. &copy; 2010 IEEE