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Aims: This review aims to assess the effect of comprehensive nursing care on liver cancer patients undergoing interventional therapy in China. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed randomized controlled trials and observational studies assessing the effect of comprehensive nursing care against standard care on liver cancer patients undergoing specific interventional therapies in China, including PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL and CINAHL till June 2023. Data synthesis was conducted using a random‐effects model and reported as pooled odds ratio (OR) or mean difference (MD) or standardized mean differences (SMD). Results: Ten Chinese studies with 1682 participants were evaluated. Comprehensive nursing care significantly enhanced patient outcomes in liver cancer treatment. Quality of life improved markedly (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.06–0.41). Notable reductions were observed in anxiety (MD: −8.96, 95% CI: −11.52 to −6.40) and depression (MD: −9.47, 95% CI: −11.79 to −7.14). Patients also experienced increased physical (SMD: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.15–2.25), social (SMD: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.14–2.16) and activity scores (SMD: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.49–2.39), alongside a decrease in post‐treatment complications (OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.21–0.37), demonstrating the multifaceted benefits of comprehensive care. Conclusion: Comprehensive nursing care may improve patient outcomes in liver cancer treatment, offering potential benefits in reducing the side effects of interventional therapy. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Liver cancer patients undergoing interventional therapy often experience significant physical and psychological challenges.Comprehensive nursing care has been hypothesized to offer potential benefits in addressing these challenges.There is limited evidence on the exact impacts of comprehensive nursing care on these patients, leading to knowledge gaps in its applicability and efficacy. What this paper adds? This review demonstrates that comprehensive nursing care can lead to significant improvements in the quality of life for liver cancer patients in China.This review provides evidence that comprehensive care reduces levels of anxiety and depression in these patients.This review shows that this approach boosts physical, social function and activity scores while also reducing post‐treatment complications. The implications of this paper: This paper suggests integrating comprehensive nursing care as a standard practice, given its potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.This research emphasizes the importance of equipping oncology nurses with comprehensive care skills and expanding their roles to ensure optimal patient outcomes.Despite promising results, there is a need for further high‐quality, randomized controlled trials to confirm these findings and delve deeper into other potential benefits and best practices of comprehensive nursing care for liver cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among informal carers of individuals with dementia and to identify potential influencing factors. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search across 10 electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Chinese Biomedical, China National Knowledge Internet, and WANFANG. Our search strategy covered the inception of the databases up to September 16, 2023, with an updated search conducted on March 8, 2024. Prevalence estimates of loneliness and social isolation, presented with 95% confidence intervals, were synthesized through meta‐analysis. Subgroup analyses and meta‐regression were employed to explore potential moderating variables and heterogeneity. Results: The study encompassed 27 research papers involving 11,134 informal carers from 17 different countries. The pooled prevalence of loneliness among informal carers of individuals with dementia was 50.8% (95% CI: 41.8%–59.8%), while the pooled prevalence of social isolation was 37.1% (95% CI: 26.7%–47.6%). Subgroup analyses and meta‐regression indicated that various factors significantly influenced the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation. These factors included the caregiving setting, study design, the intensity of loneliness, geographical location (continent), data collection time, and the choice of assessment tools. Conclusions: This study underscores the substantial prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among informal carers of individuals with dementia. It suggests that policymakers and healthcare providers should prioritize the development of targeted interventions and support systems to alleviate loneliness and social isolation within this vulnerable population. Key points: Informal carers of people with dementia contend with unique circumstances that render them susceptible to both loneliness and social isolation.There is a significant prevalence of loneliness and social isolation in informal carers of individuals with dementia.Several significant moderators influence the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among informal carers of individuals with dementia.Moderator analysis can guide targeted interventions and support systems for at‐risk informal carers of people with dementia to alleviate loneliness and social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions in primary health care. Methods: The following Chinese and English databases were searched for relevant articles: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), from the establishment of the databases until the last updating search 1 April 2022. Two researchers screened the studies independently and extracted the data. Meta‐analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of 12 studies were included in this review. It was found that nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions significantly shortened patients' length of stay in hospital (standardized mean differences [SMD] = −1.28, 95%CI: −2.03 to −0.54; P<0.001) and decreased incidences of complications (RR = 0.24, 95%CI:0.10 to 0.54; P = 0.0006) compared to the control group, and lowered patients' anxiety levels (SMD = −1.21, 95%CI: −1.99 to −0.44; P<0.01) and depression levels (SMD = −1.85, 95%CI: −3.42 to −0.28; P<0.0001). Furthermore, the results of subgroup analysis indicated that nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions had significant effects on patients' self‐management ability (SMD = 4.45, 95%CI:2.45 to 6.44; P<0.0001) and quality of life (SMD = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.63 to 1.40; P<0.0001) compared to the control group. Conclusions: Nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions had strong effects in primary health care, contributing to shorten patients' length of stay in hospital, decrease incidences of complications and reduce the levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions also improved patients' self‐management ability and quality of life. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Chronic diseases with long duration and slow recovery are one of the priorities for management in primary health care.In China and other countries around the world, primary health care is highly regarded for its efforts for the health of all.Several randomized controlled trials have explored the effectiveness of nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions in primary health care, but the findings of these studies are contradictory. What this paper adds? The review demonstrates that nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions could shorten patients' length of stay in hospital, decrease the incidence of complications and reduce the levels of anxiety and depression.Nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions also improve patients' self‐management ability and quality of life.Nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions are beneficial for promoting health and preventing disease in primary health care. The implications of this paper: Community primary health‐care personnel should be aware of the importance of nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions in preventing disease and safeguarding health.For people with chronic diseases, community health‐care personnel should adopt multidisciplinary care methods to improve outcomes for patients.High‐quality studies are needed to verify the effects of interventions for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of coronavirus disease in 2019 has become a serious threat to human health. Whether meteorological conditions could influence the transmission and virulence of COVID-19 remains controversial. In this study, we systematically reviewed the impact of temperature and humidity on the replication, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. We also discussed the main factors underlying the inconsistency across studies. Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were used to identify papers published up to 7 December 2020. We initially identified 3515 papers, and 28 articles met the inclusion criteria after screening. Most studies showed high temperature and high humidity can partly reduce the reproduction, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. But the rest papers failed to identify a significant association. The discrepant results may be related to the difference in the climate context, study design, exposure assessment, policy intervention, socioeconomic status, and public health service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human communities suffered a vast socioeconomic burden in dealing with the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) globally. Real-word data about these burdens can inform governments about evidence-based resource allocation and prioritization. The aim of this scoping review was to map the cost-of-illness (CoI) studies associated with COVID-19. Methods: This scoping review was conducted from January 2019 to December 2021. We searched cost-of-illness papers published in English within Web of Sciences, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct and ProQuest. For each eligible study, extracted data included country, publication year, study period, study design, epidemiological approach, costing method, cost type, cost identification, sensitivity analysis, estimated unit cost and national burden. All of the analyses were applied in Excel software. Results: 2352 records were found after the search strategy application, finally 28 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Most of the studies were done in the United States, Turkey, and China. The prevalence-based approach was the most common in the studies, and most of studies also used Hospital Information System data (HIS). There were noticeable differences in the costing methods and the cost identification. The average cost of hospitalization per patient per day ranged from 101$ in Turkey to 2,364$ in the United States. Among the studies, 82.1% estimated particularly direct medical costs, 3.6% only indirect costs, and 14.3% both direct and indirect costs. Conclusion: The economic burden of COVID-19 varies from country to country. The majority of CoI studies estimated direct medical costs associated with COVID-19 and there is a paucity of evidence for direct non-medical, indirect, and intangible costs, which we recommend for future studies. To create homogeneity in CoI studies, we suggest researchers follow a conceptual framework and critical appraisal checklist of cost-of-illness (CoI) studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Extensive research focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of various positions throughout active second stage labour, but there is limited focus on midwives' practice. This study aimed to explore midwives' practice of maternal positions throughout the active phase of second stage labour. Methods: An integrative review of three databases was carried out for research papers published between 2015 and 2022. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis and synthesis. Results: Five eligible research papers were included. There were four key findings: maternal positions practised by midwives, midwives as the prime decision maker, midwives' personal convenience and comfort, and barriers to practising maternal positions. Conclusions: Midwives were seen as prime decision makers, who hindered informed decision making on maternal positions during active second stage labour. Inadequate knowledge, skills and confidence were barriers to practice and attributed to midwives adopting positions that were convenient and comfortable for themselves. Strategies are needed to enhance practice through review and evaluation of current clinical settings, regular updates to evidence-based practice and refreshing essential midwifery skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the incidence of facial pressure injuries in health‐care professionals during the COVID‐19 pandemic in a meta‐analysis. Methods: Related studies were obtained through electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Chinese Scientific Journal (VIP) China Biomedical Literature service systems (CBM) and Wanfang Data (from inception to 27 November 2021). The pooled incidence and the 95% confidence interval of facial pressure injuries were calculated with Review Manager v5.4 software. Results: Overall, 16 studies with 14 430 health‐care professionals were included. Pooled results showed that the pooled incidence of facial pressure injury in health‐care professionals was 58.8% (95% CI: 49.0%–68.7%; p < 0.01). The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of facial pressure injury in these staff was high, and predominantly stage I pressure injury, in the following cases: in health‐care professionals who wore personal protective equipment for longer than 4 h, in those without any training experience, and on the nose. Conclusion: Administrators and researchers should pay attention to preventing facial pressure injury related to the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) by ensuring all health‐care professionals receive training and by limiting prolonged periods of use. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Facial pressure injury was one of the most common effects experiencedby health‐care professionals wearing facial PPE during COVID‐19, which seriously affected their facial comfort and self‐image.A number of studies have reported the incidence of facial pressure injury in health‐care professionals, but the evidence is inconsistent.Medical staff are the main force during the COVID‐19. What this paper adds? This study showed that the pooled incidence of facial pressure injury in health‐care professionals was 56.8% during COVID‐19.This study showed that there was a higher incidence of facial pressure injury in staff who wore PPE for longer than 4 h and in those without any training experience.This study showed that the nose was the most common part of the face with pressure injury, and Stage I pressure injury was the most prevalent injury type in health‐care professionals. The implications of this paper: This study may provide evidence for managers about the development of guidelines for health‐care professionals to prevent and manage facial pressure injuries and promote the health of health‐care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This meta‐analysis aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions on family function among families after stroke. Background: Family function may be improved by psychoeducational intervention, but findings about the effect of psychoeducation on family function among families after stroke have been mixed. Methods: This was a meta‐analysis carried out by searching five international electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and CINAHL, as well as four national electronic databases, including Chinese Biological Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP and Wanfang. Two groups of researchers screened the studies independently, assessed the quality of the studies and extracted data. Meta‐analysis was performed by using the RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Five studies on psychoeducational interventions were included. Pooled analysis of these studies showed a small effect of the interventions on improving family function (WMD: −0.13, 95% CI: −0.24 to −0.01, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed significant differences between the psychoeducation and control groups at 1 month postintervention (WMD: −0.12, 95% CI: −0.18 to −0.05, P < 0.05) and more than 6 months postintervention (WMD: −0.14, 95% CI: −0.24 to −0.04, P < 0.05). The psychoeducational interventions also had positive effect on improving the problem solving (WMD: −0.22, 95% CI: −0.14 to −0.03, P < 0.05) and communication (WMD: −0.23, 95% CI: −0.41 to −0.05, P < 0.05) functions of the family. There were significant differences in the group of dyad intervention (WMD: −0.14, 95% CI: −0.25 to −0.02, P < 0.05) and the group using face to face method (WMD: −0.58, 95% CI: −0.84 to −0.32, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Synthesized results demonstrated the favourable effect of psychoeducational interventions on the improvement of the family function among families after stroke, especially in terms of family problem solving and family communication. Future psychoeducational intervention research design should consider the combination of multiple intervention methods and the applicable population of intervention. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Good family function can promote the physical and mental health of family caregivers, improve the life quality of stroke survivors and lighten a heavy burden on the whole family.Family function may be improved by psychoeducational intervention, but findings about the effect of psychoeducation on family function among families after stroke have been mixed.What this paper adds? The psychoeducational intervention has a positive effect on family function among families after stroke, especially in terms of family problem solving and family communication.The implications of this paper: The psychoeducational intervention can be an acceptable method to improve family function among families after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstetric critical illness is an important factor that leads to an increase in maternal mortality. Early warning assessment can effectively reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. However, there are multiple early warning systems, and the effect and applicability of each system in China still need to be explored. Objectives: To elaborate on the application, effectiveness and challenges of the existing early warning systems for high‐risk obstetric women in China and to provide a reference for clinical practice. Design: A scoping review guided by the Arksey and O'Malley framework and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis for scoping review (PRISMA‐ScR) guidelines. Eligibility criteria: We included original studies related to early warning and excluded those that were guidelines, consensus and reviews. The included studies were published in Chinese or English by Chinese scholars as of June 2021. Data sources: CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched systematically, and the reference sections of the included papers were snowballed. Results: In total, 598 articles were identified. These articles were further refined using keyword searches and exclusion criteria, and 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. We extracted data related to each study's population, methods and results. Early warning tools, outcome indices, effects and challenges are discussed. Conclusions: Although all studies have shown that early warning systems have good application effects, the use of early warning systems in China is still limited, with poor regional management and poor sensitivity for specific obstetric women. Future research needs to develop more targeted early warning tools for high‐risk obstetric women and address the current challenges in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) are the major contributors to mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. This updated meta-analysis was aimed to assess the effects of mother's milk on the incidence of NEC, LOS, and other clinical outcomes in preterm infants. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched for papers published up to October 2022. Results. A total of 13 RCTs with 1330 infants were included in the final analysis. Significant difference in NEC (stage 2 or 3) was found between the intervention group and the control group (RR = 0.508, 95% CI: 0.314–0.822, and P = 0.008). The incidence of proven LOS (RR = 0.809, 95% CI: 0.610–1.071, and P = 0.139) and death (RR = 0.800, 95% CI: 0.571–1.122, and P = 0.196) was comparable between the two groups. Statistical differences in the incidence of proven or probable LOS (RR = 0.705, 95% CI: 0.577–0.862, and P = 0.001) and length of hospitalization (WMD = −4.868, 95% CI: −6.608 to −3.128, and P < 0.001) between the intervention group and the control group were observed. Conclusions. The results of this updated meta-analysis showed that compared to the placebo, mother's milk provides better effects in reducing the incidences of NEC, proven or probable LOS, and the length of stay, whereas no significant benefit of mother's milk was observed in reducing the incidence of proven LOS and death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Lidcombe Program is a stuttering treatment approach for children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. Most papers about the Lidcombe Program, however, are based on studies conducted in native English-speaking countries. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the delivery and implementation of the Lidcombe Program in non-native English-speaking countries. Summary: A resource search was conducted between October and November 2019. Scopus, PubMed, ASHA, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Google Scholar, and SpeechBITE databases and reference lists of relevant papers were searched for the identification process. Joanna Briggs Institute tools were used for the appraisal of the studies. The search yielded 8 studies conducted in non-native English-speaking countries. The Lidcombe Program is efficacious in non-native English-speaking countries when delivered to both preschool and young school age children who stutter. It is reported to be delivered with minor changes and challenges. The number of weekly clinic visits and the total time needed to reach zero or near-zero stuttering levels with the Lidcombe Program can be up to 3 times greater in non-native English-speaking countries than in native English-speaking countries, mostly due to the increased time needed to introduce the parental verbal contingencies. Key Messages: Speech and language therapists practicing in non-native English-speaking countries are encouraged to use the Lidcombe Program for both preschool and young school age children who stutter, although this can take more time than that reported in native English-speaking countries. Further investigation to explore the therapy process with children and parents in non-native English-speaking countries is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the prognostic value of the pretreatment geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) in colorectal cancer. Several electronic databases were searched up to March 15, 2022, for relevant studies. The primary and secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), respectively. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined. Bess's funnel plot and Egger's test were conducted to detect publication bias, and the trim-and-fill method was performed to identify potentially unpublished papers and their impacts on the overall results. Nine studies from Japan and China involving 3440 participants were enrolled in the current meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that a low pretreatment GNRI was significantly associated with poorer OS (HR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.69–3.07, P < 0.001; I2=63.5%, Pheterogeneity=0.005) and DFS (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.35–1.96, P < 0.001; I2=46.4%, Pheterogeneity=0.114). Subgroup analysis stratified by country and treatment showed similar results. Significant publication bias was manifested by the asymmetric Begg's funnel plot and P = 0.012 of Egger's test, but three potentially unpublished studies did not have a significant impact on the overall results. A lower pretreatment GNRI was a novel prognostic risk factor for Japanese and Chinese colorectal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cancer patients and caregivers have myriad unmet needs which can have detrimental consequences on their psychosocial wellbeing. This systematic review aims to identify the unmet supportive care needs of immigrant and native Chinese cancer patients and caregivers. Methods: We systematically searched various electronic databases (e.g. Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, etc.) from the earliest date available until January 2018. Additional studies were identified through reference lists and citation tracking. Eligibility criteria included: (a) qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods studies published in English; (b) immigrant and native Chinese cancer patients and/or caregivers (age ≥18 years); (c) unmet needs and/or their correlates. Studies were assessed for their risk of bias, and a narrative synthesis of findings was performed. Results: Forty‐seven papers from 45 studies met eligibility criteria. The most prevalent area of unmet needs was health system and information. Patients most commonly desired one member of the hospital to talk to about all aspects of their care. Caregivers preferred information about the patient's prognosis and likely outcome. Anxiety was most commonly associated with higher levels of health system and information needs. Conclusion: Chinese patients and caregivers experience a range of unmet health system and information needs, which differ depending on their stage along the cancer trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic has had a profound worldwide impact on the laboratory hematology community. Nevertheless, the pace of COVID‐19 hematology‐related research has continued to accelerate and has established the role of laboratory hematology data for many purposes including disease prognosis and outcome. The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the current state of COVID‐19 laboratory hematology research. A comprehensive search of the literature published between December 1, 2019, and July 3, 2020, was performed, and we analyzed the sources, publication dates, study types, and topics of the retrieved studies. Overall, 402 studies were included in this scoping review. Approximately half of these studies (n = 202, 50.37%) originated in China. Retrospective cohort studies comprised the largest study type (n = 176, 43.89%). Prognosis/ risk factors, epidemiology, and coagulation were the most common topics. The number of studies published per day has increased through the end of May. The studies were heavily biased in favor of papers originating in China and on retrospective clinical studies with limited use of and reporting of laboratory data. Despite the major improvements in our understanding of the role of coagulation, automated hematology, and cell morphology in COVID‐19, there are gaps in the literature, including biosafety and the laboratory role in screening and prevention of COVID‐19. There is a gap in the publication of papers focused on guidelines for the laboratory. Our findings suggest that, despite the large number of publications related to laboratory data and their use in COVID‐19 disease, many areas remain unexplored or under‐reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to systematically review and critically appraise the literature describing the phonetic characteristics and accuracy of the consonants, vowels and tones produced by Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs). The protocol in this review was designed in conformity with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, ProQuest Central databases were searched for relevant articles which met the inclusion criteria. A total of 18 journal papers were included in this review. The results revealed that Mandarin-speaking children with CIs perform consistently more poorly in their production of consonants, in particular on fricatives, have a smaller and less well-defined vowel space, and exhibit greater difficulties in tone realisation, notably T2 and T3, when compared to their normal-hearing (NH) peers. The results from acoustic and accuracy analyses are negatively correlated with CI implantation age, but largely positively correlated with hearing age. Findings of this review highlight the factors that influence consonant, vowel and tone production in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs, thereby providing critical information for clinicians and researchers working with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To establish an understanding of healthcare professionals' dementia knowledge and attitudes towards dementia care, and family carers' perceptions of dementia care in China. Background: Healthcare professionals and family carers of people with dementia deliver most of the dementia care in China. However, little research on healthcare professionals' dementia knowledge and attitudes towards dementia care, and family carers' dementia care perceptions has been conducted in China. Methods: An integrative review was conducted and reported based on the PRISMA guidelines and Whittemore and Knafl's framework. Eight English databases were searched without date restriction: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO and Scopus; and three Chinese databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing Weipu and Wanfang, plus a manual search of reference lists. Results: Thirty‐eight primary research papers were included in the review. Three themes were identified from the synthesis: (a) knowledge and competency; (b) attitudes towards dementia care; and (c) carers' burden and unmet needs. Healthcare professionals' dementia knowledge ranged from low to moderate levels and attitudes towards dementia care were generally negative. With low levels of knowledge of dementia and negative attitudes including stigma, family carers were under stress with insufficient support, and they expected more support from community nurses. Conclusions: There is an apparent need for a national policy on healthcare professional education and training to improve dementia care practice in China. Such a policy may improve support services for family carers. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses, and particularly community nurses, are well‐positioned to support family carers in China. However, healthcare professionals in China are not prepared for this. Therefore, education and training on dementia care should be integrated into medical and nursing undergraduate programmes and provided for healthcare professionals after commencing employment, and strategies to reduce stigma are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to clarify the concept of perceived health from the perspective of rural adults in China. Methods: Walker and Avant's concept analysis was applied. Findings: Perceived health from rural adults in China is a subjective assessment of their health status, which is deeply affected by Chinese traditional culture and being in a rural environment. Conclusions: Most rural adults in China could perceive their health as good or poor, however, rural areas have disadvantages in health care, geographical location, and educational resources compared with urban counterparts, which may lead to some unscientific health attitudes and lifestyles and hinder their healthcare‐seeking behaviors. Implication for Nursing Practice: To help nurses understand better the concept of perceived health with the rural background, which is different from urban areas. Perceived health provides rich information resources for nurses to carry out holistic care, and to lead rural adults in China to form a correct and positive attitude and lifestyle as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing population has been rapidly growing over recent years. Theoretically, religion seemingly plays an important role in improving older people's health. This study examines whether believing in religion is related to better health conditions among Chinese older adults through a meta-analysis. Two researchers independently extracted the studies from a comprehensive database and grey literature search and evaluated their scientific quality. From the 3,777 potentially eligible papers, just 76 were selected. The pooled effect size detected no significant difference between Chinese religious and non-religious older adults' overall health and wellbeing. Dividing the outcomes into different categories, religious older adults reported both a higher level of anxiety (Hedge's g = −0.392, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.494, −0.290; p = 0.004) and yet a higher level of happiness (Hedge's g = 0.342, 95% CI = 0.074, 0.610; p = 0.018). Having a higher proportion of females in the sample is related to a smaller effect size in overall health outcomes (β = −2.205, 95% CI = −3.800, −0.613; p = 0.007) and social support specifically (β = −4.660, 95% CI = −6.261, −3.058; p < 0.0001). This study is among the first to synthesise the quantitative evidence regarding health differences between older religion believers and non-believers in China. It calls for future studies investigating the pathways underlying the religion–health relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, there are approximately 70 million children, nearly 25% of the child population, who are left behind in the care of other family members when their parents migrate to urban areas, for increased economic opportunities. This paper presents a systematic review and a meta‐analysis of studies that have examined the phenomenon of depression among these left‐behind children (LBC). Methods: Six hundred three papers published between 2000 and 2017 were retrieved from five databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Weipu, PubMed, and Web of Science). Results: Twenty‐one studies (18 in Chinese and 3 in English) met the criteria for inclusion in this meta‐analysis. The pooled estimate of depression among LBC was 26.4%. A significant heterogeneity has been found in reported findings, and this heterogeneity was associated with three types of study characteristics, including using an unclear definition of LBC and using invalidated depression instruments, and the geographic location. Conclusions: The risk of mental health problems among this large number of LBC suggests the need to quantify the extent and distribution of their mental health state. Implications for methodological improvements for future research have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Evidence‐based nursing has been highlighted and highly developed in recent decades in mainland China. Nevertheless, little is known about its overall development. Aims: To gain insights on the overall development of evidence‐based nursing in the most recent 5 years and to inform future evidence‐based nursing research in mainland China. Method: Four Chinese and four English databases were searched with the search terms “evidence‐based practice,” “nurse or nursing,” and “China or Chinese” from 2012 to 2016. Bibliometric and co‐word cluster analysis were conducted with the final included publications. Results: A total of 9036 papers published by 13 808 authors in 606 journals were included. Publication numbers were increasing. None of the top ten journals publishing evidence‐based nursing papers were core nursing journals. The research hot spots on evidence‐based nursing in the recent five years were cardiovascular disease, mental health, and complication prevention. However, little attention has been paid to education for evidence‐based nursing. Conclusion: Evidence‐based nursing has penetrated into various nursing branches in mainland China and become a well‐recognized and relatively mature research domain. More importance should be attached to the study design, methodological, and reporting quality of evidence‐based nursing projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lack of physical activity is a growing problem in China, due to the fast economic development and changing living environment over the past two decades. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors related to physical activity in Chinese children and adolescents during this distinct period of development. Methods: A systematic search was finished on Jan 10th, 2017, and identified 2200 hits through PubMed and Web of Science. English-language published studies were included if they reported statistical associations between factors and physical activity. Adapted criteria from the Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and evaluation of the quality of prognosis studies in systematic reviews (QUIPS) were used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Related factors that were reported in at least three studies were summarized separately for children and adolescents using a semi-quantitative method. Results: Forty two papers (published 2002-2016) were included. Most designs were cross-sectional (79%), and most studies used questionnaires to assess physical activity. Sample size was above 1000 in 18 papers (43%). Thirty seven studies (88%) showed acceptable quality by methodological quality assessment. Most studies reported a low level of physical activity. Boys were consistently more active than girls, the parental physical activity was positively associated with children and adolescents' physical activity, children in suburban/rural regions showed less activity than in urban regions, and, specifically in adolescents, self-efficacy was positively associated with physical activity. Family socioeconomic status and parental education were not associated with physical activity in children and adolescents. Conclusions: The studies included in this review were large but mostly of low quality in terms of study design (cross-sectional) and methods (questionnaires). Parental physical activity and self-efficacy are promising targets for future physical activity promotion programmes. The low level of physical activity raises concern, especially in suburban/rural regions. Future research is required to enhance our understanding of other influences, such as the physical environment, especially in early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Gastrodia elata Blume ( Orchidaceae ) is commonly called Tian ma in Chinese and mainly distributed in the mountainous areas of eastern Asia, such as China, Korea, Japan and India. It is an extensively used traditional Chinese herbal medicine in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, to treat headache, migraine, dizziness, epilepsy, infantile convulsion, tetany and so on. The present paper reviews the advancements in investigation of botany and ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and quality control of Gastrodia elata Blume. Finally, the possible tendency and perspective for future investigation of this plant are also put forward. Materials and methods The information on Gastrodia elata Blume was collected via piles of resources including classic books about Chinese herbal medicine, and scientific databases including Pubmed, Google Scholar, ACS, Web of science, ScienceDirect databases, CNKI and others. Plant taxonomy was validated by the databases “The Plant List”, and “Mansfeld’s Encyclopedia”. Results Over 81 compounds from this plant have been isolated and identified, phenolics and polysaccharides are generally considered as the characteristic and active constituents of Gastrodia elata Blume. Its active compounds possess wide-reaching biological activities, including sedative, hypnotic, antiepileptic, anticonvulsive, antianxietic, antidepressant, neuroprotective, antipsychotic, anti-vertigo, circulatory system modulating, anti-inflammationary, analgesic, antioxidative, memory-improving and antiaging, antivirus and antitumor effects. Conclusion Despite the publication of various papers on Gastrodia elata Blume, there is still, however, the need for definitive research and clarification of other bioactive compounds using bioactivity-guided isolation strategies, and the possible mechanism of action as well as potential synergistic or antagonistic effects of multi-component mixtures derived from Gastrodia elata Blume need to be evaluated. It is also necessary and important to do more quality control and toxicological study on human subjects in order to maintain its efficacy stable in the body and validate its safety in clinical uses. In addition, more investigations on other parts of this plant beyond the tubers are needed. Further studies on Gastrodia elata Blume will lead to the development of new drugs and therapeutics for various diseases, and how to utilize it better should be paid more attention to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the incidence rate of nephrotoxicity in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f (TwHF) preparations approved by the China Food and Drug Administration and the potential risk factors. Methods: CENTRAL, PubMed, SinoMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, China Important Conference Papers Database, China Dissertation Database, and online clinical trial registry websites were searched for articles that reported on nephrotoxicity of TwHF preparations until November 23, 2017. There was no limitation for study design. Results: A total of 36 articles involving 2,017 participants were included. Results showed that the incidence of nephrotoxicity associated with TwHF preparations was 5.81% (95% confidence interval: 4.43–7.57). Subgroup analysis showed that the disease type, combined medication, duration, and study design were not correlated with the incidence of nephrotoxicity. Conclusion: The incidence rate of nephrotoxicity in TwHF preparations was 5.81%. The possible risk factors, such as disease type, the combination with other drugs, medication time, and study design, were not found to be correlated with the incidence of nephrotoxicity. However, due to the limited number of included articles, the limited sample size, and the poor methodology quality, the incidence rate of nephrotoxicity of TwHF preparations might be overestimated, and more prospective articles are needed to explore the potential influence factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the beneficial and adverse effects of breviscapine injection in combination with antihypertensive drugs for treating hypertensive nephropathy in clinical practice. Methods. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Sino Med, VIP, and Wanfang Data for relevant literature. The timeframe of retrieval was set from the founding date of each database to September 28, 2018. Results. Fourteen papers were included in this study. The quality of all the studies included was determined to be low. All studies were conducted with Chinese populations. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with single-use antihypertensive drugs, using breviscapine injection in combination with antihypertensive drugs to treat hypertensive nephropathy can reduce serum creatinine (Scr) [WMD = –35.16, 95% CI(–50.01, –20.31), P ≤ 0.001], blood urea nitrogen (BUN) [WMD = –2.00, 95% CI(–3.07, –0.94), P ≤ 0.001], 24-hour urinary total protein (24 h UTP) [WMD = –0.04, 95% CI(–0.05, –0.02), P ≤ 0.001], and the beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) [WMD = –0.09, 95% CI(–0.11, –0.07), P ≤ 0.001], improve creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) [WMD = 7.84, 95% CI(5.20, 10.49), P ≤ 0.001], and increase the clinical efficacy [RR = 1.27, 95% CI(1.05, 1.53), P = 0.014], but does not lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) [WMD = –1.02, 95% CI(–2.88, 0.84), P = 0.281]. There was no significant difference in adverse events between experimental groups and control groups. Conclusion. Breviscapine injection in combination with antihypertensive drugs can improve clinical efficacy and Ccr and reduce Scr, BUN, 24 h UTP, and B2M in patients with hypertensive nephropathy. The present meta-analysis indicated that breviscapine injection can serve as a renal protective effect to patients with hypertensive nephropathy. However, the evidence of methodological quality and sample sizes is weak, and thus, further standardized research is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI), a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is gaining more acceptance and attention. The learning and memory function of diabetics always decreases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been demonstrated to be effective in treating the symptoms in China, and thereinto Chinese medicinal herbs (CMH) are the most widely used. The objective of the present study was to review and analyze the existing data about reducing the symptoms in CMH treatment for DCI. Methods. Electronic literature databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, SinoMed, and Wan fang) were searched for randomized controlled trials conducted in China, comparing CMH with western medicines in the treatment of DCI, up to April 1, 2018. We applied standard meta-analytic techniques to analyze data from papers that reached acceptable criteria. Result. Nine randomized controlled trials (n = 576) on CMH were included. We found moderate evidence that CMH used alone or in combination with western medicines was more effective than western medicines alone in reliving the symptoms for DCI (total effective rate, odds radio (OR) = 4.64 (2.60, 8.29), and 95% confidence interval, P<0.00001). Besides, CMH along or in combination with western medicines showed more beneficial effects on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale (mean difference (MD) = 1.31(0.75, 1.87), P<0.00001), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale (MD = 2.07 (0.86, 3.28), P<0.00001, and TCM symptom score (TCMSS) (MD = -4.89 (-8.44, -1.34), P = 0.007). Most of the included studies showed that there was not a significant difference in the adverse events. Conclusions. These findings demonstrated that CMH used alone or in combination with western medicines were apparently better than western medicines alone in the treatment of DCI. Because of the poor quality of the studies that were available for the present meta-analysis, further researches are still needed to support these early findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Rapid economic development in China has produced serious ecological, environmental, and health problems. Neurotoxicity has been recognized as a major public health problem. The Chinese government, research institutes, and scientists conducted extensive studies concerning the source, characteristics, and mechanisms of neurotoxicants. OBJECTIVES: This paper presents, for the first time, a comprehensive history and review of major sources of neurotoxicants, national bodies/legislation engaged, and major neurotoxicology research in China. METHODS: Peer-reviewed research and pollution studies by Chinese scientists from 1991 to 2015 were examined. PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were the major search tools. RESULTS: The central problem is an increased exposure to neurotoxicants from air and water, food contamination, e-waste recycling, and manufacturing of household products. China formulated an institutional framework and standards system for management of major neurotoxicants. Basic and applied research was initiated, and international cooperation was achieved. The annual number of peer-reviewed neurotoxicology papers from Chinese authors increased almost 30-fold since 2001. CONCLUSIONS: Despite extensive efforts, neurotoxicity remains a significant public health problem. This provides great challenges and opportunities. We identified 10 significant areas that require major educational, environmental, governmental, and research efforts, as well as attention to public awareness. For example, there is a need to increase efforts to utilize new in vivo and in vitro models, determine the potential neurotoxicity and mechanisms involved in newly emerging pollutants, and examine the effects and mechanisms of mixtures. In the future, we anticipate working with scientists worldwide to accomplish these goals and eliminate, prevent and treat neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives This systematic review aims to synthesise the existing research on how patients participate in patient safety initiatives. Background Ambiguities remain about how patients participate in routine measures designed to promote patient safety. Design Systematic review using integrative methods. Methods Electronic databases were searched using keywords describing patient involvement, nursing input and patient safety initiatives to retrieve empirical research published between 2007 and 2013. Findings were synthesized using the theoretical domains of Vincent's framework for analysing risk and safety in clinical practice: 'patient', 'healthcare provider', 'task', 'work environment', 'organisation & management'. Results We identified 17 empirical research papers: four qualitative, one mixed-method and 12 quantitative designs. All 17 papers indicated that patients can participate in safety initiatives. Conclusions Improving patient participation in patient safety necessitates considering the patient as a person, the nurse as healthcare provider, the task of participation and the clinical environment. Patients' knowledge, health conditions, beliefs and experiences influence their decisions to engage in patient safety initiatives. An important component of the management of long-term conditions is to ensure that patients have sufficient knowledge to participate. Healthcare providers may need further professional development in patient education and patient care management to promote patient involvement in patient safety, and ensure that patients understand that they are 'allowed' to inform nurses of adverse events or errors. A healthcare system characterised by patient-centredness and mutual acknowledgement will support patient participation in safety practices. Further research is required to improve international knowledge of patient participation in patient safety in different disciplines, contexts and cultures. Relevance to clinical practice Patients have a significant role to play in enhancing their own safety while receiving hospital care. This review offers a framework for clinicians to develop comprehensive practical guidelines to support patient involvement in patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Artemisia asiatica Nakai (Compositae) has a long history as a traditional remedy. Preparation from various parts of the plant (aerial parts and leaves) are used to treat a wide range of diseases including gastric trouble, liver dysfunction, and skin inflammation. Aims of this review The aims of this review were: 1) to provide an overview of recent studies and progress on A. asiatica -derived ethnopharmacological compounds and their pharmacological activities; and 2) to summarize existing evidence and provide insight for future studies. Materials and methods This investigation was carried out by analyzing published books and research papers via scientific databases, namely Science Direct, PubMed ACS Publication, Wiley Online Library, CNKI and information obtained online. The keywords “ Artemisia asiatica traditional uses,” “Compounds isolated and studied in Artemisia asiatica, ” and “Pharmacological advances in Artemisia asiatica ” were used and articles published between 1995 and 2017 were considered. In total, 500 works related to biological activities of A. asiatica were identified, and only materials published in English were included in the review. Results Comparative analysis of literature searched through sources available confirmed that the ethnopharmacological use of A. asiatica was recorded in Korea, China, and Japan. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, monoterpenes, and steroids in A. asiatica . Of these, flavonoids have been shown to exhibit significant pharmacological effects such as gastroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-microbial actions. Conclusions Phytochemical and pharmacological studies of Artemisia asiatica have proven that this plant is one of valuable medicinal sources with neuroprotective, gastroprotective, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. Although ethanol extract of this plant is now being prescribed as gastroprotective and anti-ulcerative medicine, it is now time to expand its application to other human inflammatory diseases such as pancreatitis and hepatitis and further extensive study on toxicity in human. Therefore, the present review will encourage further studies of A. asiatica in the pursuit of wide range of therapeutic remedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke survivors might perceive their quality of life (QoL) as being affected even years after onset. The purpose of this review was to go through the literature to identify factors related to QoL for persons with stroke in China and Western countries for possible similarities and differences in their respective cultural views. Method: A narrative literature review was conducted on the papers identified by searching PubMed, EBSCO/CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data that published up to November 2016. Factors predicting QoL after stroke were extracted, and comparisons were made between Chinese and Western studies respecting cultural aspects. Results: A total of 43 articles were included in this review, with 31 conducted in Western countries and 12 in China. Predictors of QoL included Demographic factors: age, gender, marital status, education level, socioeconomic status; Clinically related factors: severity of stroke, physical function, depression/anxiety, cognitive impairment, incontinence and other comorbidities; Environmental factors: residential status, social support, social participation; and Individual factors: coping strategies and self‐perception. Being married and resident at home might be associated with the perception of QoL differently between Chinese and Western survivors. Conclusions: Most predictors of QoL in stroke survivors were the same in China and the Western countries. However, their QoL might be predicted differently regarding to the individualistic and collectivistic cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The traditional Chinese medicine Kangai injection as an adjuvant method in combination with chemotherapy has been widely used for treating breast cancer in clinical practice in China. This study systematically reviewed the clinical effect and safety of traditional Chinese medicine Kangai injection as an adjuvant method in combination with chemotherapy for treating Chinese patients with breast cancer. Methods. Seven databases were searched in this study, namely, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Sino Med, VIP, and Wanfang Data. The timeframe of retrieval was set from the founding date of each database to November 1, 2017. Results. Fifteen papers were included in this study. The quality of all the studies included was low. All the studies were carried out among the Chinese population. Meta-analyses showed that, compared with single-use chemotherapy, using a Kangai injection combined with chemotherapy to treat Chinese breast cancer patient can increase the total effective rate [RR = 1.15, 95% CI (1.01, 1.32), and P=0.033], improve the quality of life [RR = 1.30, 95% CI (1.14, 1.48), and P≤0.001], decrease the incidence of weight loss [RR = 0.49, 95% CI (0.32, 0.77), and P=0.002], decrease WBC count [RR = 0.78, 95% CI (0.68, 0.89), and P≤0.001], decrease incidence of renal and liver dysfunction [RR = 0.58, 95% CI (0.46, 0.73), and P≤0.001], and decrease cardiac dysfunction [RR = 0.41, 95% CI (0.18, 0.94), and P=0.035]. For the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions [RR = 0.89, 95% CI (0.65, 1.21), and P=0.452], decreased platelet count [RR=0.49, 95% CI (0.18, 1.30), and P=0.150], and alopecia [RR = 1.01, 95% CI (0.89, 1.14), and P=0.879], these two groups showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion. Kangai injection as an adjuvant method in combination with chemotherapy for treating Chinese breast cancer patients can improve their life quality and physical conditions and reduce the adverse reactions that result from chemotherapy. However, the present conclusion is only suitable for the Chinese population. The long-term, high-quality researches are required to further verify the above conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The past decade has been marked by a significant increase in information on stigma associated with mental disorders, but these findings have yet to be applied extensively to mental health services in China. The objective of this study was to conduct a narrative review of studies relating to stigma toward mental illness in China. Methods: A critical search of scientific papers was conducted in the PubMed, CNKI, and WANFANG databases. The search included articles published from January 2001 to April 2016. Results: Forty-two studies were evaluated and arranged into the following category groups: general public, health professionals, medical students, family members and caregivers, and people with mental disorders. Conclusion:We identified some results similar to those reported in foreign settings. However, somenoteworthy findings concerning the stigma of health professionals, medical students, and family members towards people with mental disorders in China should be the focus of further research. Interventions designed to reduce mental health-related stigma may benefit from considering cultural influences exhibited by the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By retrieving literature published from 2005 to 2015 from Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Vip, PubMed, and Web of Science, we filtered out studies using the Children’s Depression Inventory only and compared left-behind children and non-left-behind children. The methodological quality of the papers was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Finally, we included six studies to carry out a meta-analysis. The results showed that the Children’s Depression Inventory scores of left-behind children are significantly higher than those of non-left-behind children (standardized mean difference: −0.233, 95% confidence interval: −0.036 to −0.430, p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper reviewed the literature on the trajectories and the factors significantly affecting post-implantation speech perception development in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs). Design: A systematic literature search of textbooks and peer-reviewed published journal articles in online bibliographic databases was conducted. Study sample: PubMed, Scopus and Wiley online library were searched for eligible studies based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 14 journal articles were selected for this review. A number of consistent results were found. That is, children with CIs, as a group, exhibited steep improvement in early speech perception, from exhibiting few prelingual auditory behaviours before implantation to identifying sentences in noise after one year of CI use. After one to three years of CI use, children are expected to identify tones above chance and recognition of words in noise. In addition, early age at implantation, longer duration of CI use and higher maternal education level contributed to greater improvements in speech perception. Conclusions: Findings from this review will contribute to the establishment of appropriate short-term developmental goals for Mandarin-speaking children with CIs in mainland China and clinicians could use them to determine whether children have made appropriate progress with CIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since 1968, China has trained about 1.5 million barefoot doctors in a few years' time to provide basic health services to 0.8 billion rural population. China's Ministry of Health stopped using the term of barefoot doctor in 1985, and changed policy to develop village doctors. Since then, village doctors have kept on playing an irreplaceable role in China's rural health, even though the number of village doctors has fluctuated over the years and they face serious challenges. United Nations declared Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Under this context, development of Community Health workers (CHWs) has become an emerging policy priority in many resource-poor developing countries. China's experiences and lessons learnt in developing and maintaining village doctors may be useful for these developing countries. Methods: This paper aims to synthesis lessons learnt from the Chinese CHW experiences. It summarizes China's experiences in exploring and using strategic partnership between the community and the formal health system to develop CHWs in the two stages, the barefoot doctor stage (1968-1985) and the village doctor stage (1985-now). Chinese and English literature were searched from PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang. The information extracted from the selected articles were synthesized according to the four partnership strategies for communities and health system to support CHW development, namely 1) joint ownership and design of CHW programmes; 2) collaborative supervision and constructive feedback; 3) a balanced package of incentives, both financial and non-financial; and 4) a practical monitoring system incorporating data from the health system and community. Results: The study found that the townships and villages provided an institutional basis for barefoot doctor policy, while the formal health system, including urban hospitals, county health schools, township health centers, and mobile medical teams provided training to the barefoot doctors. But After 1985, the formal health system played a more dominant role in the CHW system including both selection and training of village doctors. China applied various mechanisms to compensate village doctors in different stages. During 1960s and 1970s, the main income source of barefoot doctors was from their villages' collective economy. After 1985 when the rural collective economy collapsed and barefoot doctors were transformed to village doctors, they depended on user fees, especially from drug sale revenues. In the new century, especially after the new round of health system reform in 2009, government subsidy has become an increasing source of village doctors' income. Conclusion: The barefoot doctor policy has played a significant role in providing basic human resources for health and basic health services to rural populations when rural area had great shortages of health resources. The key experiences for this great achievement are the intersection between the community and the formal health system, and sustained and stable financial compensation to the community health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H.T. Chang, known in Chinese as ‘Qianghuo’ is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with the rhizome and roots associated with meridians of the kidney and urinary bladder. It is pungent, bitter and warm in nature. It has been used over the years to disperse cold, prevent painful obstructions from wind, damp and warm pain. It has also been used with other herbs to treat wind-cold exterior syndrome and wind-cold-damp bi-syndromes and has been known to grow well in regions of high altitude such as Gansu, Tibet etc. The aim of the review This systematic review focuses on the ethnopharmacological uses of this herb, including recent advances on the phytochemical and pharmacological study of N. incisum . Recent analytical methods developed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of constituents in this herb have also been reviewed. Additionally, future trends and prospects in the study of this herb have been proposed. Materials and method Various literature and electronic databases such as Pubmed, Science Direct, Springer, Wiley etc were searched and data obtained. Other online academic libraries such as Google Scholar and ethnopharmacological literature were searched systematically for more information on the herb. Results This review focuses on the ethnopharmacological uses of N. incisum and also the various chemical constituents present in the herb and their various therapeutic effects such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antioxidants effects. Analytical methods developed for the quantitative and qualitative determination of various compounds in this herb were further reviewed. Conclusion In this paper, we have reviewed various researches conducted on N. incisum especially in areas of its ethnopharmacological use, phytochemicals, pharmacology and developed analytical methods. This herb has been used over the years in treating headache, rheumatoid arthritis, cold, diaphoretic etc, prompting many types of research into identifying which compounds are responsible for these activities and their mechanism of action. More research is needed in the area of pharmacokinetics and toxicology to give further information on the clinical use and control the quality of the herb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify and assess evidence related to the efficacy of mind-body interventions on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the Chinese population. Method: Drawn from Chinese databases, nine RCTs and three Q-E studies were included in the systematic review. The methodological quality of RCTs was evaluated based on the following criteria: adequate sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, completeness of outcome data, selective reporting, and other potential biases. For continuous variables, the effect size (ES) was determined by calculating the standardized mean difference between groups. For dichotomous variables, the ES was determined by calculating the risk ratio (RR) between groups. Given the heterogeneity between the trials and the small number of studies included, both random effects and fixed effects models were used. The inverse variance method was used for pooling. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager version 5.0. Results: The total number of papers identified was 710: 462 from English language databases and 248 from Chinese language databases. Twelve studies met our eligibility criteria. Among the studies selected, three were Q-E studies the rest RCTs. Two studies described the randomization process. None of the studies reported allocation concealment nor blinding. Seven studies reported no dropouts. One of the studies mentioned the total amount of dropouts; though the reason for dropping out was not referenced. The other four studies did not clearly report dropouts. With the exception of three studies, there was inadequate information to determine biased reporting for the majority; the level of risk for bias in these studies is unclear. Finally, six meta-analyses were performed. One was conducted with four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used cure rate as outcome measures to evaluate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which suggested that mind-body interventions were effective in improving GI symptoms (random effects model: RR = 1.08; 95 % CI 1.01 to 1.17; fixed effects model: RR = 1.07; 95 % CI 1.01 to 1.12). The remaining five were conducted in three RCTs, which suggested that mind-body interventions were effective in improving several aspects of quality of life, including interference with activity (random effects and fixed effects models: SMD = 0.64; 95 % CI 0.41 to 0.86), body image (random effects model: SMD = 0.36; 95 % CI 0.06 to 0.67; fixed effects model: SMD = 0.33; 95 % CI 0.11 to 0.55), health worry (random effects and fixed effects models: SMD = 0.67; 95 % CI 0.44 to 0.90), food avoidance (random effects and fixed effects models: SMD = 0.45; 95 % CI 0.23 to 0.68), and social reaction (random effects model: SMD = 0.79; 95 % CI 0.47 to 1.12; fixed effects model: SMD = 0.78; 95 % CI 0.55 to 1.01), as measured by Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire ( IBS-QOL). Conclusion: Mind-body interventions may have the potential to improve GI symptoms in Chinese patients with IBS. The improvement of GI symptoms was also accompanied with the improvement of various outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and quality of life, just to mention a few. However, the published studies generally had significant methodological limitations. Future clinical trials with rigorous research design are needed in this field. More studies focusing on the mind-body interventions originated in China, such as tai chi and qi gong should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design. Review article. Objective. The article mainly reviewed the development and current situation of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in China, aiming to introduce native efforts and progress for PKP procedure on the exploring road. Summary of Background Data. Since PKP was first reported in China in 2002, Chinese orthopedic researchers have performed lots of clinical applications and studies on the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, spinal metastatic tumor, hemangioma, myeloma, vertebral nonunion, and so on. Methods. We reviewed the papers on PKP published by native researchers in English and Chinese via Pubmed, EMBASE, the Scopus database, and a series of Chinese databases including Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the China Science and Technology Journal Database. The large sample capacity researches, convictive systematic analysis, and overviews were mainly elected as convictive evidence to describe the overall situation of clinical outcomes, complications, and the various technical aspects used to improve conventional surgical management and clinical applications of PKP in China. Results. Until October 2015, 211 articles in English and 2352 studies in Chinese about PKP were reported by 1443 Chinese institutions from 22 provinces around China. More than 50976 patients reported through published articles have received the treatment of PKP. With the technique gradually improved, including puncture, bone cement infusion, vertebral expander instruments, diagnosis, and treatment of special type of vertebral fractures, PKP is performed with the better efficacy and less complication. Conclusion. With the progression of minimally invasive spinal surgery around the world, PKP in China has been performed with a trend towards a rapid, safe, and effective treatment. Digital, real-time and artificial intelligence are the directions of future development of PKP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, known as Dang Gui (in Chinese), is a traditional medicinal and edible plant that has long been used for tonifying, replenishing, and invigorating blood as well as relieving pain, lubricating the intestines, and treating female irregular menstruation and amenorrhea. A. sinensis has also been used as a health product and become increasingly popular in China, Japan, and Korea. Aim of the review This paper aims to provide a systemic review of traditional uses of A. sinensis and its recent advances in the fields of phytochemistry, analytical methods and toxicology. In addition, possible trends, therapeutic potentials, and perspectives for future research of this plant are also briefly discussed. Materials and methods An extensive review of the literature was conducted, and electronic databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Reaxys were used to assemble the data. Ethnopharmacological literature and digitalised sources of academic libraries were also systematically searched. In addition, information was obtained from local books and The Plant List (TPL, www.theplantlist.org). Result This study reviews the progress in chemical analysis of A. sinensis and its preparations. Previously and newly established methods, including spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC), and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (NMR), are summarized. Moreover, identified bioactive components such as polysaccharides, ligustilide and ferulic acid were reviewed, along with analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative determination of target analytes, and fingerprinting authentication, quality evaluation of A. sinensis , and toxicology and pharmacodynamic studies. Scientific reports on crude extracts and pure compounds and formulations revealed a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity, antifibrotic action, antispasmodic activity, antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective action, as well as cardio- and cerebrovascular effects. Conclusions Within the published scientific literature are numerous reports regarding analytical methods that use various chromatographic and spectrophotometric technologies to monitor various types of components with different physicochemical properties simultaneously. This review discusses the reasonable selection of marker compounds based on high concentrations, analytical methods, and commercial availabilities with the goal of developing quick, accurate, and applicable analytical approaches for quality evaluation and establishing harmonised criteria for the analysis of A. sinensis and its finished products. Compounds isolated from A. sinensis are abundant sources of chemical diversity, from which we can discover active molecules. Thus, more studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of the predominant active compounds of A. sinensis are needed. In addition, given that A. sinensis is one of the most popular traditional herbal medicines, its main therapeutic aspects, toxicity, and adverse effects warrant further investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) has been a part of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. Agarwood has also been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asian countries, Bangladesh and Tibet. Its common uses include the treatment of joint pain, inflammatory-related ailments, and diarrhoea, as well as a stimulant, sedative and cardioprotective agent. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal use, pharmacological activities and safety of plant materials from Aquilaria spp. as an evidence base to further appraise its potential use as a source of health beneficial compounds. Materials and methods Literature abstracts and full text articles from journals, books, reports and electronic searches (Google Scholar, Elsevier, PubMed, Read Cube, Scopus, Springer, and Web of Science), as well as from other relevant websites, are surveyed, analysed and included in this review. Results A literature survey of agarwood plant materials showed that they contain sesquiterpenes, 2(-2-phenylethyl)-4H-chromen-4-one derivatives, genkwanins, mangiferins, iriflophenones, cucurbitacins, terpenoids and phenolic acids. The crude extracts and some of the isolated compounds exhibit anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-ischemic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, laxative, and mosquitocidal properties and effects on the central nervous system. Agarwood plant materials are considered to be safe based on the doses tested. However, the toxicity and safety of the materials, including the smoke from agarwood incense burning, should be further investigated. Future research should be directed towards the bio-guided isolation of bioactive compounds with proper chemical characterisation and investigations of the underlying mechanisms towards drug discovery. Conclusions The traditional medicinal use of agarwood plant materials has provided clues to their pharmacological properties. Indeed, agarwood contains a plethora of bioactive compounds that now elegantly support their use in traditional medicine. As wild agarwood trees are critically endangered and vulnerable, sustainable agricultural and forestry practices are necessary for the further development and utilization of agarwood as a source of health beneficial compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the use of a clinical nursing pathway for patients undergoing endoscopic thyroidectomy by conducting a meta-analysis. Electronic databases were searched for relevant controlled trials published prior to August 2013. Only papers that compared the use of a clinical nursing pathway to usual care for patients undergoing endoscopic thyroidectomy were selected. The outcome measures were mean difference and 95% confidence interval for length of hospital stay and hospital charges and risk ratio for patient satisfaction. Six controlled trials were identified. The use of a clinical nursing pathway reduced the length of hospital stay and hospital charges. Furthermore, it improved patient satisfaction. This meta-analysis indicates that application of a clinical nursing pathway appears to reduce length of hospital stay and hospital charges and improve patient satisfaction for patients undergoing endoscopic thyroidectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The third nationwide hepatitis B virus (HBV) sero-epidemiological survey conducted in China in 2006 showed a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive rate of 7.18% and the number of carriers to be 93 million. To compensate for the lack of data on the national prevalence of hepatitis B from 2006 onwards, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate HBsAg-positive rates among the general Chinese population aged 1–59 years.Methods:We systemically reviewed published studies (January 2007 to September 2013) from full-text databases such as VIP, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and PubMed and assessed HBsAg-positive rates using a random effects regression model with comprehensive meta-analysis software.Results:After evaluation of the quality of the papers, 36 were finally included, with a total sample size of 314 103 individuals. The meta-analysis showed that the combined HBsAg-positive rate was 6.1% (95% confidence interval (CI), 5.4–6.8%) among general Chinese populations aged 1–59, with a higher HBsAg-positive rate in males (6.6%; 95% CI, 5.7–7.7%) than in females (5.1%; 95% CI, 4.4–5.9%). Our data also showed a higher HBsAg-positive rate of 6.9% in mid-western China (95% CI, 5.2–9.1%) against 5.6% in eastern China (95% CI, 4.9–6.4%).Conclusion:This meta-analysis suggested that the positive rates of HBsAg in China are reducing compared with previous 2006 sero-survey results, and China has changed from a high endemic area for HBV to an intermediate endemic area. However, owing to the large population, there remain an estimated 80 million HBsAg carriers in China. Thus, the prevention and control of hepatitis B represent a serious challenge, particularly in mid-western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Sophora flavescens (Fabaceae), also known as Kushen (Chinese: 苦参), has been an important species in Chinese medicine since the Qin and Han dynasties. The root of Sophora flavescens has a long history in the traditional medicine of many countries, including China, Japan, Korea, India and some countries in Europe. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Sophora flavescens has been used extensively, mainly in combination with other medicinal plants in prescriptions to treat fever, dysentery, hematochezia, jaundice, oliguria, vulvar swelling, asthma, eczema, inflammatory disorders, ulcers and diseases associated with skin burns. The aim of this review is to provide updated and comprehensive information regarding the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities and toxicology of Sophora flavescens and to discuss possible trends and opportunities for further research on Sophora flavescens . Materials and methods We systematically searched major scientific databases (PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, Medline Plus, ACS, “ Da Yi Yi Xue Sou Suo ( http://www.dayi100.com/login.jsp )”, China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI) and Web of Science) for information published between 1958 and 2015 on Sophora flavescens . Information was also acquired from local classic herbal literature, conference papers, government reports, and PhD and MSc dissertations. Results The broad spectrum of biological activities associated with Sophora flavescens has been considered a valuable resource in both traditional and modern medicine. Extracts are taken either orally or by injection. More than 200 compounds have been isolated from Sophora flavescens , and the major components have been identified as flavonoids and alkaloids. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that at least 50 pure compounds and crude extracts from Sophora flavescens possess wide-ranging antitumor, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory pharmacological abilities. The anticancer and anti-infection abilities of these components are especially attractive areas for research. Conclusions Sophora flavescens is a promising traditional medicine, but there is a need for more precise studies to test the safety and clinical value of its main active crude extracts and pure compounds and to clarify their mechanisms of action. Moreover, some existing studies have lacked systematic methods and integration with the existing literature, and some of the experiments were isolated, used small sample sizes and were unreliable. More validated data are therefore required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Seven species from the genus Dictamnus are distributed throughout Europe and North Asia and only two species grow in China. One is Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., which could be found in many areas of China and has been recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia . The other is Dictamnus angustifolius G. Don ex Sweet, which is only present in Xinjiang province and has been used as an alternative for Dictamnus dasycarpus in the local for the treatment of rheumatism, bleeding, itching, jaundice, chronic hepatitis and skin diseases. The present paper reviewed the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of the genus Dictamnus . Materials and methods Information on the Dictamnus species was collected from classic books about Chinese herbal medicine and globally accepted scientific databases including PubMed, Elsevier, ASC, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, CNKI and others. Results About 170 chemical compounds, which include quinoline alkaloids, limonoids, sesquiterpenes, coumarins, flavonoids and steroids, have been isolated from the genus Dictamnus . The characteristic and active constituents of Dictamnus species are considered to be quinoline alkaloids and limonoids, which exhibited a broad spectrum of biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-microbe, anti-platelet-aggregation, vascular-relaxation, anti-insect, anti-HIV, anti-allergy and neuroprotection. Moreover, quinoline alkaloids and limonoids could be used as quality control markers to distinguish different species from the genus Dictamnus . However, there were also some reports on the toxic hepatitis and phototoxic effect of Dictamnus species, and the related research needs to be further studied. Conclusion In this review, we summarized the chemical constituents, pharmacology, quality control and toxicology of the species from genus Dictamnus . Phytochemical investigations indicated that quinoline alkaloids and limonoids were the major bioactive components with potential cytotoxic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-platelet-aggregation and vascular relaxing activities. These two kinds of compounds have attracted great interests in the past few years and may have great potential to be new drug lead compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) was first recorded in a Chinese medical classic, Treatise on Febrile Diseases and Miscellaneous Diseases , which was written in the Eastern Han dynasty of China. This ancient prescription consists of seven kinds of Chinese herbal medicine, namely, Pinellia ternata , Rhizoma Coptidis , Radix scutellariae , Rhizoma Zingiberis , Ginseng , Jujube, and Radix Glycyrrhizaepreparata. In clinic practice, its original application in China mainly has focused on the treatment of chronic gastritis for several hundred years. BXD is also effective in treating other gastrointestinal diseases (GIDs) in modern medical application. Despite available literature support and clinical experience, the treatment mechanisms or their relationships with the bioactive compounds in BXD responsible for its pharmacological actions, still need further explorations in more diversified channels. According to the analysis based on the five-flavor theory of TCM, BXD is traditionally viewed as the most representative prescription for pungent-dispersion, bitter-purgation and sweet-tonification. Consequently, based on the flavor-oriented analysis, the compositive herbs in BXD can be divided into three flavor groups, namely, the pungent, bitter, and sweet groups, each of which has specific active ingredients that are possibly relevant to GID treatment. This paper summarized recent literatures on BXD and its bioactive components used in GID treatment, and provided the pharmacological or chemical basis for the further exploration of the ancient prescription and the relative components. ology: Relevant literature was collected from various electronic databases such as Pubmed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Citations were based on peer-reviewed articles published in English or Chinese during the last decade. Multiple components were found in the pungent, bitter, and sweet groups in BXD. The corresponding bioactive components include gingerol, shogaol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in the pungent group; berberine, palmatine, coptisine, baicalein, and baicalin in the bitter group; and ginsenosides, polysaccharides, liquiritin, and glycyrrhetinic acid in the sweet group. These components have been found directly or indirectly responsible for the remarkable effects of BXD on GID. This review provided some valuable reference to further clarify BXD treatment for GID and their possible material basis, based on the perspective of the flavor-oriented analysis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies regarding the association between carrot intake and prostate cancer risk have reported inconsistent results. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize evidence on this association and to quantify the potential dose-response relationship. Method: A systematic literature search of papers published in August 2013 was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane register, and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, and the references of the retrieved articles were screened. The summary risk estimates with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest versus the lowest intake of carrots were calculated. A dose-response meta-analysis was also conducted for the studies reporting categorical risk estimates for a series of exposure levels. Results: We found a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer associated with the intake of carrots (odds ratio 0.82, 95 % CI 0.70-0.97). In addition, the dose-response meta-analysis indicated that for each serving per week, or 10 g per day increment of carrot intake, the risk estimate of prostate cancer was 0.95 (0.90-0.99) or 0.96 (0.94-0.99). There was no evidence of significant publication bias based on Begg's funnel plot ( P = 1.000) or Egger's test ( P = 0.804). Conclusion: Carrot intake might be inversely associated with prostate cancer risk. Because of the limited number of cohort studies and substantial heterogeneity observed between studies in this meta-analysis, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted to confirm the findings from our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Jumping exercise is frequently regarded as an optimum strategy for increasing pubertal bone growth, but its role in promoting or preserving adult bone mineral density (BMD) is still undefined. Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the evidence for the influence of jumping exercise on BMD in premenopausal women and to define the effectiveness of high-impact exercise in improving or maintaining female bone health. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar and BIOSIS up to 1 September 2013 for jumping exercise influence on BMD in premenopausal women. The search terms used were 'jumping', 'skipping', 'brief exercise', 'high impact', 'bone density', 'BMD', 'femoral neck', 'lumbar spine', and 'trochanter', and the search was limited to females. Six papers met the search criteria. Results: Six studies on BMD in the femoral neck ( Q = 2.63, p = 0.854, I = 0.0 %), trochanter ( Q = 2.10, p = 0.10, I = 0.0 %) and lumbar spine ( Q = 1.17, p = 0.979, I = 0.0 %) were highly homogenous in determining skeletal responses to jumping exercise. Jumping exercise significantly increased BMD in the femoral neck {weighted mean difference (WMD) [fixed effect] = 0.017 g/cm, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.014-0.20, p < 0.001} and trochanter (WMD [fixed effect] = 0.021, 95 % CI 0.018-0.024, p < 0.001). However, the lumbar spine seemed to benefit less from such high-impact exercise ( p = 0.181). Visual inspection of the plots implicated some degree of asymmetry, indicating a slightly positive treatment effect at the femoral neck and trochanter sites. Conclusions: Based on meta-analysis of existing studies, the sensitivity of skeletal response to jumping exercise in premenopausal women is significant and site-specific, with significant benefit from high-impact exercise noted, especially at the hip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Indian medicine is one of the oldest medical systems and remains popular worldwide. Traditional medicine systems in China and India have historical origins pertaining to mutual learning, reference, and development from medical theory to the drugs used. The exchange of traditional medicine between China and India began in the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC–220 AD), prospered in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), and declined after the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). It was also directly related to the rise and fall of Buddhism. The traditional medicines of the two countries are highly complementary because of differences in geographical climate and the modernisation process of traditional medicine. This review aimed to understand the spread and development of traditional Indian medicine in China to further promote exchange and cooperation between China and India in the field of traditional medicine. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE via PubMed, CNKI, Science Direct, Sci-Hub, and other databases using the terms 'traditional Indian medicine' or 'Indian medicine' or 'Ayurveda' or 'Yoga' or 'Unani', and limiting the search to articles published between 1958 and 2019. We analysed the sources, publication date, type, and topic of the retrieved articles/studies. Based on the results of research on traditional Indian medicine carried out by Chinese scholars, 518 academic papers and 60 classic works published in China and abroad were collected. The results showed the following. First, Chinese scholars have systematically investigated traditional Indian medicine including its composition, management, and education; the scale of medicinal and pharmaceutical plants; protective measures of intellectual property rights of traditional medicine; and international promotion of Yoga. Second, studies have examined the development status of traditional Indian medicine in China including the spread of Yoga in the country and the industrial scale of, education in, existing problems in, and clinical research on Yoga. In addition, Chinese scholars conducted research on and the translation of classic works and terms of Ayurveda, and studied the theory, treatment, and medicine thereof. Third, the historical exchange and trading status of traditional medicine between India and China have been discussed, including the exchange of traditional medicine between the two countries, effect of traditional Indian medicine on Chinese Buddhism, and minority medicine and trade in medicinal materials between the two countries. India attaches great importance to the management of, education in, and industry of traditional medicine, and has made various efforts to protect intellectual property rights. Indian Yoga is very popular in China, and Chinese scholars have conducted some clinical research thereon. However, regulatory systems and legislation for Yoga are lacking in China. At present, traditional Chinese medicine scholars have an enhanced understanding of the term Yoga and less knowledge of the terms Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and similar concepts. We suggest that Chinese scholars further study the classic works, basic theories, treatment of clinical diseases, medicinal materials, and prescriptions compounding traditional Indian medicine. The results of this study highlight directions for Chinese scholars to pursue in further studying traditional Indian medicine comprehensively, and will help promote exchange and cooperation between China and India in the field of traditional medicine. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the effectiveness, safety and comfort of StatLock for the securement of peripherally-inserted central catheters. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database were searched. Randomized, controlled trials comparing StatLock with tape or suture on the performance of securing peripherally-inserted central catheters were selected. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Thirteen randomized, controlled trials involving 1970 patients were included. Our results showed that StatLock reduced the incidence of catheter dislodgement and unplanned removal. Moreover, patients in the StatLock group had lower incidence of skin ulceration, phlebitis, catheter-related bloodstream infection, and cellulitis, and felt more comfortable compared with those in the control group. Current evidence suggests that the StatLock securement device offer advantages over tape and suture in preventing catheter-related complications and improving patient comfort. However, as considerable heterogeneity was found among the included studies, and the quality of evidence for main outcomes was relatively low, the results should be viewed with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]