Background:Methodological issues and challenges hinder the high-quality development of acupuncture clinical studies.Objective:To systematically summarize the methodological issues,challenges,and recommendations in acu...Background:Methodological issues and challenges hinder the high-quality development of acupuncture clinical studies.Objective:To systematically summarize the methodological issues,challenges,and recommendations in acupuncture clinical research using the participant,intervention,comparison,outcome,and study design(PICOS)framework to generate a comprehensive list of methodological questions and recommendations.Methods:We searched seven databases for articles on the methodological aspects of clinical acupuncture research from their inception to March 24,2023.Two researchers independently screened the titles,ab-stracts,and full text of each article.Data extraction and analyses were performed for the eligible studies.Finally,the methodological challenges and recommendations for acupuncture clinical studies are listed,and the frequency of methodological challenges is displayed in a sunburst chart.Results:A total of 226 studies were included in the review,most of which originated in China(173,77%),followed by the United States(25,11%)and the United Kingdom(12,5%).Clinical research on acupuncture faces methodological challenges that span the five elements of the PICOS framework.The most frequently mentioned issues were related to comparison,followed by study design and interven-tions.If further categorized,the establishment of the control group is undoubtedly the most concerning issue for researchers.Conclusion:This review provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and recommendations for each aspect of the PICOS framework in clinical acupuncture research.展开更多
Objective:This cross-sectional study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews(SRs)of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)published in Chinese between Jan 2021 and Sep 2022.Methods:Chinese language CHM SRs wer...Objective:This cross-sectional study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews(SRs)of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)published in Chinese between Jan 2021 and Sep 2022.Methods:Chinese language CHM SRs were identified through literature searches across 3 international and 4 Chinese databases.Methodological quality was appraised using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2.Logistic regressions were used to explore associations between bibliographical characteristics and quality.Results:Analyses of methodological quality found that among the 213 sampled SRs,69.5%were of critically low quality,30.5%were of low quality,and none achieved high or moderate quality.Common shortcomings included the failure to identify the studies excluded from the analysis,failure to disclose funding sources,and limited evaluation of the potential impact of bias on conclusions.Logistic regressions revealed that SRs led by corresponding authors affiliated with universities or academic institutions tended to be of lower quality than SRs led by authors affiliated with hospitals or clinical facilities.Conclusion:Recent Chinese language CHM SRs exhibited limited methodological quality,making them unlikely to support the development of clinical practice guidelines.Urgent initiatives are needed to enhance training for researchers,peer-reviewers and editors involved in the preparation and publication of SRs.Adoption of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines in Chinese language journals is crucial to improve the relevance of SRs for Chinese medicine development.Addressing deficiencies in methodology and reporting is essential for promoting evidence-based practices and informed clinical decisions in Chinese medicine.展开更多
Chinese medicine,with its rich historical roots and holistic approach,has been a fundamental aspect of healthcare in East Asia and is now gaining global recognition.Founded on centuries of empirical knowledge and phil...Chinese medicine,with its rich historical roots and holistic approach,has been a fundamental aspect of healthcare in East Asia and is now gaining global recognition.Founded on centuries of empirical knowledge and philosophical insight,Chinese medicine draws heavily from classical texts to guide its practices in herbal medicine and acupuncture.Despite its cultural and historical significance,integrating Chinese medicine into global healthcare systems presents challenges,notably the need for evidence-based practices to enhance credibility,ensure patient safety,and foster broader acceptance within the medical community.This paper explores how Chinese medicine can adopt evidence-based practices by incorporating principles of Western medicine into its research methodologies.It reviews the origins and philosophical foundations of Chinese medicine,examining its reliance on classical texts and empirical methods.The paper also highlights the differences between the personalised approach of Chinese medicine,which tailors treatments to individual needs,and the standardised protocols typical of Western medicine.Additionally,it addresses methodological challenges in Chinese medicine research,such as inconsistent diagnostic criteria and insufficient design rigour.To bridge these gaps,innovative research methodologies that respect the unique variability of Chinese medicine are needed.By adopting evidence-based practices and rigorous scientific validation,Chinese medicine can enhance its legitimacy and facilitate its integration into the global healthcare landscape.展开更多
Civil engineering works require the selection of soil-type materials and the assessment of their geomechanical characteristics. However, the lack of relevant geotechnical mapping to facilitate the prediction of granul...Civil engineering works require the selection of soil-type materials and the assessment of their geomechanical characteristics. However, the lack of relevant geotechnical mapping to facilitate the prediction of granular material zones for civil engineering works in Benin means that very costly and sometimes inconclusive prospecting has to be undertaken for each project. The aim of this study is to contribute to the availability of geotechnical mapping in Benin. For this purpose, and in order to capitalize on the data, the proposed methodological approach is based on the systematic and controlled recording of data produced by laboratories during geotechnical and geological surveys for road construction projects. To this end, a web platform called ROAD MAT has been designed for data recording. This platform has been tested using data from test results from sixteen boreholes drilled in the Mono department. These results show a predominance of soil class G2 and CBR class P2. The database is steadily expanding, and its use by stakeholders will make it possible to collect and centralize vital data to define benchmarks for greater control of geotechnical risks. This work therefore constitutes a blueprint for the development of geotechnical mapping in Benin.展开更多
Background:The sustainability of rural surgical and obstetrical facilities depends on their efficacy and quality of care,which are difficult to measure in a rural context.In an evaluation of rural practice,it is often...Background:The sustainability of rural surgical and obstetrical facilities depends on their efficacy and quality of care,which are difficult to measure in a rural context.In an evaluation of rural practice,it is often the case that the only comparators are larger referral facilities,for which facility‐level comparisons are difficult due to differences in population demographics,acuity of patients,and services offered.This publication outlines these limitations and highlights a best‐practice approach to making facility‐level comparisons using population‐level data,risk stratification,tests of noninfer-iority,and Firth logistic regression analysis.This includes an investigation of minimum sample‐size requirements through Monte Carlo power analysis in the context of low‐acuity rural surgical care.Methods:Monte Carlo power analysis was used to estimate the minimum sample size required to achieve a power of 0.8 for both logistic regression and Firth logistic regression models that compare the proportion of surgical adverse events against facility type,among other confounders.We provide guidelines for the implementation of a recommended methodology that uses risk stratification,Firth penalized logistic regression,and tests of noninferiority.Results:We illustrate limitations in facility‐level comparison of surgical quality among patients undergoing one of four index procedures including hernia repair,colonoscopy,appendectomy,and cesarean delivery.We identified minimum sample sizes for comparison of each index procedure that fluctuate depending on the level of risk stratification used.Conclusion:The availability of administrative data can provide an adequate sample size to allow for facility‐level comparisons in surgical quality,at the rural level and elsewhere.When they are made appropriately,these comparisons can be used to evaluate the efficacy of general practitioners and nurse practitioners in performing low‐acuity procedures.展开更多
Methodological quality(risk of bias)assessment is an important step before study initiation usage.Therefore,accurately judging study type is the first priority,and the choosing proper tool is also important.In this re...Methodological quality(risk of bias)assessment is an important step before study initiation usage.Therefore,accurately judging study type is the first priority,and the choosing proper tool is also important.In this review,we introduced methodological quality assessment tools for randomized controlled trial(including individual and cluster),animal study,non-randomized interventional studies(including follow-up study,controlled before-and-after study,before-after/pre-post study,uncontrolled longitudinal study,interrupted time series study),cohort study,case-control study,cross-sectional study(including analytical and descriptive),observational case series and case reports,comparative effectiveness research,diagnostic study,health economic evaluation,prediction study(including predictor finding study,prediction model impact study,prognostic prediction model study),qualitative study,outcome measurement instruments(including patient-reported outcome measure development,content validity,structural validity,internal consistency,cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance,reliability,measurement error,criterion validity,hypotheses testing for construct validity,and responsiveness),systematic review and meta-analysis,and clinical practice guideline.The readers of our review can distinguish the types of medical studies and choose appropriate tools.In one word,comprehensively mastering relevant knowledge and implementing more practices are basic requirements for correctly assessing the methodological quality.展开更多
Objective: This study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics against irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using the accepted methodological quality assessm...Objective: This study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics against irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using the accepted methodological quality assessment scale AMSTAR and explored the factors that influenced the quality of methodology. It was designed to provide a reference for future research and systematic reviews/metaanalysis. Methods: The methodological quality of existing systematic reviews/meta-analysis was evaluated using the AMSTAR scale. Influencing factors of methodological quality were statistically analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software. The included systematic reviews/metaanalysis must include the following characteristics:(1) methods using systematic evaluation/meta-analysis,(2) probiotic intervention, and (3) language limitation to Chinese and English. Results: The AMSTAR score was 5-9 (7.42 ± 1.22), and the quality is above average. The factors affecting the methodological quality are the number of authors and whether they cooperate with the institution. Conclusions: Studies have shown that current systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics on IBS does not fully comply with methodological quality standards, and therefore the methodological quality of research in this area needs to be strengthened. To better clarify how probiotics affect IBS, future systematic reviews and meta-analyses should not only follow methodological quality standards but also include more effective outcome measures, and they should focus more on the discussion of research results. We look forward to the development of higher-quality randomized controlled trials in the future.展开更多
Objective: To try to give an objective evaluation on the clinical research situation about acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis in the past 50 years and try to provide a possible evidence for clinical practice. M...Objective: To try to give an objective evaluation on the clinical research situation about acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis in the past 50 years and try to provide a possible evidence for clinical practice. Methods: All papers are searched and assessed according to the international standards and clinical epidemiology. Results: There is no systematic review (SR) on acupuncture treatment of facial palsy in a total of 1021 articles enlisted in the present paper. Comparing with the quantity of the descriptive studies and expert opinions (constituting 84.84%), that of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) is smaller (constituting 15.16%), besides, the quality of RCTs and CCTs is unsatisfactory. Conclusion: At present, the quantity and quality of studies with RCTs about acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis can’t meet the need of clinical practice, and in order to improve the therapeutic effect, a higher quality of RCTs and SR is required.展开更多
Background:Participation in sports is associated with many benefits to all aspects of health;however,it also comes with the risk of injury,particularly concussions.Self-disclosure and care seeking following a concussi...Background:Participation in sports is associated with many benefits to all aspects of health;however,it also comes with the risk of injury,particularly concussions.Self-disclosure and care seeking following a concussion are especially important because of the lack of outwardly visible signs and/or symptoms.Although recent research has explored factors affecting concussion disclosure,use of isolated methodologies limits the ability to contextualize how disclosure or nondisclosure occurs.Therefore,the purpose of this study was to describe the factors and expectations of National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)athletes that may influence concussion disclosure.Methods:This mixed-methods convergent parallel research study included 25 NCAA Division I athletes representing 13 sports,all of whom completed a concussion-education session with pre-/post-test surveys and a semistructured interview.Eligible athletes were at least 18 years old and on an NCAA roster.The surveys focused on previous concussion-related disclosure behaviors,knowledge,attitudes,beliefs,norms,and intentions about disclosing concussion.Interviews focused on the athletes’experiences related to concussion disclosure.Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests.Interviews were analyzed using a Consensual Qualitative Research tradition.Results:Participants had good concussion knowledge(median=46.0),positive attitudes(median=38.0),strong beliefs(median=13.0),and strong intentions to disclose concussion symptoms(median=7.0).None of the constructs differed by participants’gender.Although quantitative findings were mostly positive,interview data highlighted factors that may explain why some participants are successful in disclosing concussions and why others may find disclosure difficult.Educational efforts,sport culture,and medical professional presence were the primary facilitators discussed by participants.Stigma,pressure,and a lack of team support were perceived as disclosure barriers.Conclusion:The context in which concussion disclosure occurs or does not occur is vital to the success of educational interventions.Interventions must prioritize stakeholder-and team-based perspectives on concussion to establish a network supportive to disclosure.展开更多
In the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, especially in the Itajai valley, there are records of accidents and disasters mainly associated to landslides and floods, which have caused significant damages and losses, inclu...In the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, especially in the Itajai valley, there are records of accidents and disasters mainly associated to landslides and floods, which have caused significant damages and losses, including human lives. In order to make the coexistence with such natural disasters possible, most particularly with floods, a integration is required among the technical, political, environmental, and human knowledge. Measures that encompass integrated actions for the entire river basin, with the help from an updated technical cadastre and tools, such as the GIS, allow the development of planning tools that might effectively help the people to live with the water, or else to cope with floods in a more appropriate manner. This paper attempts to propose a methodology for urban flood control, based on the integration among the several public entities involved in the flood control, along with the CTM （Multipurpose Technical Cadastre） and GIS tool. In order to solve or minimize the problems, the model proposed here aims at promoting a balance between the agents involved, and enables to rank the degrees of importance assigned to the different needs, thus allowing to eliminate or to improve those areas and processes that are duplicated or superimposed.展开更多
Hate crimes are a culture phenomenon which is perceived by most as an occurrence that should be uprooted from the society. Yet, to date, we have been unable to do so. Hate crimes are the subject of research and commen...Hate crimes are a culture phenomenon which is perceived by most as an occurrence that should be uprooted from the society. Yet, to date, we have been unable to do so. Hate crimes are the subject of research and comments by experts in various fields. In this regard, most scholars agree that a hate based crime is distinguished from a ＂regular＂ criminal offence by the motive--the attack is aimed at a victim who is part of a differentiated minority group. However, when reading the relevant documents in the area, it seems that the differences between the experts start at the most basic point--what constitutes hate crimes？ This article analyses the concept of ＂hate crimes＂ via an interdisciplinary approach aimed at flashing out the fundamental gaps in the research. We have found that the problems include, inter alia, discrepancies in the definition of hate crimes, methodological difficulties regarding validity and legitimacy （mainly due to the absence of information based on the attacker＇s point of view） and the lack of agreement on the appropriate legal methods required to deal with the ramifications of hate crimes. While part I of this paper revolves around the theoretical aspects of the questions put forth at the centre of this article, part II looks at the same questions from a legal viewpoint. The correlation between the two chapters shows the impact the methodological difficulties have on enforcement endeavors. This relation is further advanced through the examination of test cases from different countries, among them--lsrael. Finally, the article concludes by suggesting a few thoughts on the way to overcome the theoretical problems and making the enforcement efforts more efficient.展开更多
<div style="text-align:justify;"> <span style="font-family:Verdana;">The main objective of this research is to discuss the current legal and methodological issues in the field of softwa...<div style="text-align:justify;"> <span style="font-family:Verdana;">The main objective of this research is to discuss the current legal and methodological issues in the field of software Re-Usability. Though there are enormous online forums discussing such issues via Q&A but this paper is an attempt to raise the awareness about the legal issues, which a software engineer may trap into. The paper discussed the current issues with software reusability within the legal and methodological context. This paper applied an extensive literature review to critically appraise the past studies to come to a collective conclusion. Prior to discussing the issues, the benefits of reuse were mentioned, including the saving of time and cost for users. But legally the reuse of software assets creates complexities for the user in relation to meeting all the licensing requirements and dealing with the liability in case of a breach. Methodologically, there are major barriers to reused software when it comes to technical competence and managerial issues such as a lack of resources. Even when reusing software to save time, and leverage off the specialization of other authors, the end-user must also have the technical expertise to search, adapt and merge these reusable assets into the larger software infrastructure. The review ultimately shows the high barriers still remain to software reuse which could mean that smaller developers and businesses will still be reluctant to fully utilize open-source components to the best advantage.</span> </div>展开更多
Aims:The current study is designed to assess the methodological quality of the meta-analyses of cognitive interventions among Alzheimer's disease,and to investigate the compliance with 16 AMSTAR 2 items.Method:We ...Aims:The current study is designed to assess the methodological quality of the meta-analyses of cognitive interventions among Alzheimer's disease,and to investigate the compliance with 16 AMSTAR 2 items.Method:We searched Web of Scie nce,Sino med,PubMed,Embase,and Cochra ne Library from 2016 to 2021,to get the meta-a nalyses of cog nitive in terve nti ons in Alzheimer's disease.The AMSTAR 2 was used to assess the methodological quality.Furthermore,we also explored the complia nce with AMSTAR.Resul ts:We in cluded 9 studies in our research.Of them,6 articles were rated as"extremely low",2 articles as"low"and 1 article as"high".Furthermore,the reporting rates for 16 AMSTAR 2 items ranged from 22.22%to 100%.Conclusion:The methodological quality of meta-analyses of cognitive interventions in Alzheimer's disease is not ideal,and there is still room for improvement.Future studies are supposed to explore the releva nt factors that possibly in flue nce the methodological quality.展开更多
Aims:This study aims to investigate the methodological quality of the systematic reviews of music therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease in the past five years,and to explore their compliance with each AMSTAR(A Measure Tool...Aims:This study aims to investigate the methodological quality of the systematic reviews of music therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease in the past five years,and to explore their compliance with each AMSTAR(A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews)item.Based on the above,this study is intended to facilitate the evidence transformation of music therapy in Alzheimer's Disease.Method:Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase and PubMed were searched from 2017-2021,to obtain the systematic reviews of music therapy among Alzheimer’s Disease.We used the AMSTAR,to evaluate their methodological quality.Additionally,their compliance with 16 AMSTAR items was investigated.Results:12 systematic reviews were included in this study.The methodological quality of 10 articles was“very low”,1 article was“low”,and 1 article was“high”.The 12 systematic reviews had 25%to 100%compliance with 16 AMSTAR items.Conclusion:The methodological quality of systematic reviews of music therapy among Alzheimer’s Disease in the recent five years is not high,and needs to be further improved.Future research should continue to explore the factors that affect their methodological quality,to promote the transformation of evidence-based evidence.展开更多
Necroptosis is currently attracting the attention of the scientific community for its broad implications in in-flammatory diseases and cancer.However,detecting ongoing necroptosis in vivo under both experimental and c...Necroptosis is currently attracting the attention of the scientific community for its broad implications in in-flammatory diseases and cancer.However,detecting ongoing necroptosis in vivo under both experimental and clinical disease conditions remains challenging.The technical barrier lies in four aspects,namely tissue sam-pling,real-time in vivo monitoring,specific markers,and distinction between different types of cell death.In this review,we presented the latest methodological advances for in vivo necroptosis identification.The advances highlighted the multi-parameter flow cytometry,sA5-YFP tool,radiolabeled Annexin V/Duramycin,Gallium-68-labeled IRDye800CW contrast agent,and SMART platform in vivo.We also discussed the up-to-date research mod-els in studying necroptosis,particularly the mice models for manipulating and monitoring necroptosis.Based on these recent advances,this review aims to provide some advice on current necroptosis techniques and approaches.展开更多
Nowadays, in order to satisfy the ISO 9001： 2015 requirements, organizations access to information from web sites, consultant guides, Internet forums, books, and courses, as a first approximation, however, the qualit...Nowadays, in order to satisfy the ISO 9001： 2015 requirements, organizations access to information from web sites, consultant guides, Internet forums, books, and courses, as a first approximation, however, the quality, reliability, validity, and accuracy of the information content in these is limited. The research topic of this study is the use of theoretical methodological tools, whose implementation supports the organizations in the fulfillment of requirement 4 of ISO 9001：2015, adapting it to their particular needs, minimizing rework in the documentation, increasing the motivation of the personnel involved and promoting well-being within the work environment. Some theoretical methodological tools were implemented in the case of Engineering laboratories of the Faculty of Higher Studies Arag6n, that support and complement the teaching-learning process in the theoretical-practical subjects of the curricula of the engineering bachelor＇s degrees, providing students with practical training in the use of equipment, devices, and tools, as well as extracurricular courses. In the study participated the stakeholders of laboratories. From the results, it was observed that the time for the documentation of the quality management system was reduced using the theoretical tools proposed in this study. In conclusion, this study will thus be useful as a starting point in using formal tools for the implementation of ISO 9001： 2015 standard.展开更多
The voluntary disclosure studies conducted until today, in social accounting and related fields, use different approaches to evaluate the so-called ＂disclosure quality＂. Disclosure quality is not so easy to measure,...The voluntary disclosure studies conducted until today, in social accounting and related fields, use different approaches to evaluate the so-called ＂disclosure quality＂. Disclosure quality is not so easy to measure, and it is derived from the application of different methodologies. In particular, the methodologies to assess the level of disclosure could be classified as subjective or objective. To the first category belong all the ＂tools＂ that are used directly without relying on the analysis of the original source of the information studies （Imhoff, 1992; Coleman ＆ Eccles, 1997; Welker, 1995）. The objective measurements used to assess the disclosure quality are, instead, based on the direct study of the original information source in order to obtain the information required （Krippendorff, 1980; Weber, 1985; Botosan, 1997; Lang ＆ Lundholm, 2000）. The aim of the paper is to give scholars and researchers a brief framework to understand the different methodologies used in accounting literature to assess the disclosure quality, providing examples of the application of the same in different research contexts.展开更多
The energy transition,validated by 194 countries at the end of CoP21 in Paris,requires new development design methods.This requirement,for the sub-Saharan African countries(SAC),could be an opportunity to finance thei...The energy transition,validated by 194 countries at the end of CoP21 in Paris,requires new development design methods.This requirement,for the sub-Saharan African countries(SAC),could be an opportunity to finance their development.Following the mixed results of the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM),partly due to its rather restrictive selection criterion,the desire to implement carbon asset transfer mechanisms is proposed by many countries including Cameroon.However,the success of such a mechanism would be guaranteed by encouraging policies to regulate emissions.It is in this perspective that our work falls.It aims at proposing a regulation approach for major projects.We have dwelt on hydroelectric projects.To do this,we ordered considering their quantitative feature,113 projects or visions proposed by 37 countries.Subsequently,a classification of projects according to compartments and trends was made.We finally pointed out 6 visions,including the mitigation in production,mitigation in distribution or service,adaptation in production,mitigation in transport,adaptation in distribution or service,and the adaptation in transport.The regulation methodology proposed for mitigation projects in the hydroelectric sector on a variable threshold hypothesis has led us to three trends in regulation.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China:81973968,82274660China Center for Evidence Based Traditional Chinese Medicine:2020YJSZX-1.
文摘Background:Methodological issues and challenges hinder the high-quality development of acupuncture clinical studies.Objective:To systematically summarize the methodological issues,challenges,and recommendations in acupuncture clinical research using the participant,intervention,comparison,outcome,and study design(PICOS)framework to generate a comprehensive list of methodological questions and recommendations.Methods:We searched seven databases for articles on the methodological aspects of clinical acupuncture research from their inception to March 24,2023.Two researchers independently screened the titles,ab-stracts,and full text of each article.Data extraction and analyses were performed for the eligible studies.Finally,the methodological challenges and recommendations for acupuncture clinical studies are listed,and the frequency of methodological challenges is displayed in a sunburst chart.Results:A total of 226 studies were included in the review,most of which originated in China(173,77%),followed by the United States(25,11%)and the United Kingdom(12,5%).Clinical research on acupuncture faces methodological challenges that span the five elements of the PICOS framework.The most frequently mentioned issues were related to comparison,followed by study design and interven-tions.If further categorized,the establishment of the control group is undoubtedly the most concerning issue for researchers.Conclusion:This review provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges and recommendations for each aspect of the PICOS framework in clinical acupuncture research.
基金supported by Chinese Medicine Development Fund of the Hong Kong SAR(No.21B2/018A)。
文摘Objective:This cross-sectional study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews(SRs)of Chinese herbal medicine(CHM)published in Chinese between Jan 2021 and Sep 2022.Methods:Chinese language CHM SRs were identified through literature searches across 3 international and 4 Chinese databases.Methodological quality was appraised using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2.Logistic regressions were used to explore associations between bibliographical characteristics and quality.Results:Analyses of methodological quality found that among the 213 sampled SRs,69.5%were of critically low quality,30.5%were of low quality,and none achieved high or moderate quality.Common shortcomings included the failure to identify the studies excluded from the analysis,failure to disclose funding sources,and limited evaluation of the potential impact of bias on conclusions.Logistic regressions revealed that SRs led by corresponding authors affiliated with universities or academic institutions tended to be of lower quality than SRs led by authors affiliated with hospitals or clinical facilities.Conclusion:Recent Chinese language CHM SRs exhibited limited methodological quality,making them unlikely to support the development of clinical practice guidelines.Urgent initiatives are needed to enhance training for researchers,peer-reviewers and editors involved in the preparation and publication of SRs.Adoption of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines in Chinese language journals is crucial to improve the relevance of SRs for Chinese medicine development.Addressing deficiencies in methodology and reporting is essential for promoting evidence-based practices and informed clinical decisions in Chinese medicine.
文摘Chinese medicine,with its rich historical roots and holistic approach,has been a fundamental aspect of healthcare in East Asia and is now gaining global recognition.Founded on centuries of empirical knowledge and philosophical insight,Chinese medicine draws heavily from classical texts to guide its practices in herbal medicine and acupuncture.Despite its cultural and historical significance,integrating Chinese medicine into global healthcare systems presents challenges,notably the need for evidence-based practices to enhance credibility,ensure patient safety,and foster broader acceptance within the medical community.This paper explores how Chinese medicine can adopt evidence-based practices by incorporating principles of Western medicine into its research methodologies.It reviews the origins and philosophical foundations of Chinese medicine,examining its reliance on classical texts and empirical methods.The paper also highlights the differences between the personalised approach of Chinese medicine,which tailors treatments to individual needs,and the standardised protocols typical of Western medicine.Additionally,it addresses methodological challenges in Chinese medicine research,such as inconsistent diagnostic criteria and insufficient design rigour.To bridge these gaps,innovative research methodologies that respect the unique variability of Chinese medicine are needed.By adopting evidence-based practices and rigorous scientific validation,Chinese medicine can enhance its legitimacy and facilitate its integration into the global healthcare landscape.
文摘Civil engineering works require the selection of soil-type materials and the assessment of their geomechanical characteristics. However, the lack of relevant geotechnical mapping to facilitate the prediction of granular material zones for civil engineering works in Benin means that very costly and sometimes inconclusive prospecting has to be undertaken for each project. The aim of this study is to contribute to the availability of geotechnical mapping in Benin. For this purpose, and in order to capitalize on the data, the proposed methodological approach is based on the systematic and controlled recording of data produced by laboratories during geotechnical and geological surveys for road construction projects. To this end, a web platform called ROAD MAT has been designed for data recording. This platform has been tested using data from test results from sixteen boreholes drilled in the Mono department. These results show a predominance of soil class G2 and CBR class P2. The database is steadily expanding, and its use by stakeholders will make it possible to collect and centralize vital data to define benchmarks for greater control of geotechnical risks. This work therefore constitutes a blueprint for the development of geotechnical mapping in Benin.
基金Doctors of BC and the British Columbia Ministry of Health,Grant/Award Number:GR005415。
文摘Background:The sustainability of rural surgical and obstetrical facilities depends on their efficacy and quality of care,which are difficult to measure in a rural context.In an evaluation of rural practice,it is often the case that the only comparators are larger referral facilities,for which facility‐level comparisons are difficult due to differences in population demographics,acuity of patients,and services offered.This publication outlines these limitations and highlights a best‐practice approach to making facility‐level comparisons using population‐level data,risk stratification,tests of noninfer-iority,and Firth logistic regression analysis.This includes an investigation of minimum sample‐size requirements through Monte Carlo power analysis in the context of low‐acuity rural surgical care.Methods:Monte Carlo power analysis was used to estimate the minimum sample size required to achieve a power of 0.8 for both logistic regression and Firth logistic regression models that compare the proportion of surgical adverse events against facility type,among other confounders.We provide guidelines for the implementation of a recommended methodology that uses risk stratification,Firth penalized logistic regression,and tests of noninferiority.Results:We illustrate limitations in facility‐level comparison of surgical quality among patients undergoing one of four index procedures including hernia repair,colonoscopy,appendectomy,and cesarean delivery.We identified minimum sample sizes for comparison of each index procedure that fluctuate depending on the level of risk stratification used.Conclusion:The availability of administrative data can provide an adequate sample size to allow for facility‐level comparisons in surgical quality,at the rural level and elsewhere.When they are made appropriately,these comparisons can be used to evaluate the efficacy of general practitioners and nurse practitioners in performing low‐acuity procedures.
基金supported(in part)by the Entrusted Project of National commission on health and health of China(No.2019099)the National Key Research and Development Plan of China(2016YFC0106300)the Nature Science Foundation of Hubei Province(2019FFB03902)。
文摘Methodological quality(risk of bias)assessment is an important step before study initiation usage.Therefore,accurately judging study type is the first priority,and the choosing proper tool is also important.In this review,we introduced methodological quality assessment tools for randomized controlled trial(including individual and cluster),animal study,non-randomized interventional studies(including follow-up study,controlled before-and-after study,before-after/pre-post study,uncontrolled longitudinal study,interrupted time series study),cohort study,case-control study,cross-sectional study(including analytical and descriptive),observational case series and case reports,comparative effectiveness research,diagnostic study,health economic evaluation,prediction study(including predictor finding study,prediction model impact study,prognostic prediction model study),qualitative study,outcome measurement instruments(including patient-reported outcome measure development,content validity,structural validity,internal consistency,cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance,reliability,measurement error,criterion validity,hypotheses testing for construct validity,and responsiveness),systematic review and meta-analysis,and clinical practice guideline.The readers of our review can distinguish the types of medical studies and choose appropriate tools.In one word,comprehensively mastering relevant knowledge and implementing more practices are basic requirements for correctly assessing the methodological quality.
文摘Objective: This study assessed the methodological quality of systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics against irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using the accepted methodological quality assessment scale AMSTAR and explored the factors that influenced the quality of methodology. It was designed to provide a reference for future research and systematic reviews/metaanalysis. Methods: The methodological quality of existing systematic reviews/meta-analysis was evaluated using the AMSTAR scale. Influencing factors of methodological quality were statistically analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software. The included systematic reviews/metaanalysis must include the following characteristics:(1) methods using systematic evaluation/meta-analysis,(2) probiotic intervention, and (3) language limitation to Chinese and English. Results: The AMSTAR score was 5-9 (7.42 ± 1.22), and the quality is above average. The factors affecting the methodological quality are the number of authors and whether they cooperate with the institution. Conclusions: Studies have shown that current systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the effectiveness of probiotics on IBS does not fully comply with methodological quality standards, and therefore the methodological quality of research in this area needs to be strengthened. To better clarify how probiotics affect IBS, future systematic reviews and meta-analyses should not only follow methodological quality standards but also include more effective outcome measures, and they should focus more on the discussion of research results. We look forward to the development of higher-quality randomized controlled trials in the future.
文摘Objective: To try to give an objective evaluation on the clinical research situation about acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis in the past 50 years and try to provide a possible evidence for clinical practice. Methods: All papers are searched and assessed according to the international standards and clinical epidemiology. Results: There is no systematic review (SR) on acupuncture treatment of facial palsy in a total of 1021 articles enlisted in the present paper. Comparing with the quantity of the descriptive studies and expert opinions (constituting 84.84%), that of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) is smaller (constituting 15.16%), besides, the quality of RCTs and CCTs is unsatisfactory. Conclusion: At present, the quantity and quality of studies with RCTs about acupuncture treatment of facial paralysis can’t meet the need of clinical practice, and in order to improve the therapeutic effect, a higher quality of RCTs and SR is required.
基金supported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association—Department of Defense(NCAA—DOD)Mind Matters Research Challenge Award。
文摘Background:Participation in sports is associated with many benefits to all aspects of health;however,it also comes with the risk of injury,particularly concussions.Self-disclosure and care seeking following a concussion are especially important because of the lack of outwardly visible signs and/or symptoms.Although recent research has explored factors affecting concussion disclosure,use of isolated methodologies limits the ability to contextualize how disclosure or nondisclosure occurs.Therefore,the purpose of this study was to describe the factors and expectations of National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)athletes that may influence concussion disclosure.Methods:This mixed-methods convergent parallel research study included 25 NCAA Division I athletes representing 13 sports,all of whom completed a concussion-education session with pre-/post-test surveys and a semistructured interview.Eligible athletes were at least 18 years old and on an NCAA roster.The surveys focused on previous concussion-related disclosure behaviors,knowledge,attitudes,beliefs,norms,and intentions about disclosing concussion.Interviews focused on the athletes’experiences related to concussion disclosure.Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests.Interviews were analyzed using a Consensual Qualitative Research tradition.Results:Participants had good concussion knowledge(median=46.0),positive attitudes(median=38.0),strong beliefs(median=13.0),and strong intentions to disclose concussion symptoms(median=7.0).None of the constructs differed by participants’gender.Although quantitative findings were mostly positive,interview data highlighted factors that may explain why some participants are successful in disclosing concussions and why others may find disclosure difficult.Educational efforts,sport culture,and medical professional presence were the primary facilitators discussed by participants.Stigma,pressure,and a lack of team support were perceived as disclosure barriers.Conclusion:The context in which concussion disclosure occurs or does not occur is vital to the success of educational interventions.Interventions must prioritize stakeholder-and team-based perspectives on concussion to establish a network supportive to disclosure.
文摘In the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, especially in the Itajai valley, there are records of accidents and disasters mainly associated to landslides and floods, which have caused significant damages and losses, including human lives. In order to make the coexistence with such natural disasters possible, most particularly with floods, a integration is required among the technical, political, environmental, and human knowledge. Measures that encompass integrated actions for the entire river basin, with the help from an updated technical cadastre and tools, such as the GIS, allow the development of planning tools that might effectively help the people to live with the water, or else to cope with floods in a more appropriate manner. This paper attempts to propose a methodology for urban flood control, based on the integration among the several public entities involved in the flood control, along with the CTM （Multipurpose Technical Cadastre） and GIS tool. In order to solve or minimize the problems, the model proposed here aims at promoting a balance between the agents involved, and enables to rank the degrees of importance assigned to the different needs, thus allowing to eliminate or to improve those areas and processes that are duplicated or superimposed.
文摘Hate crimes are a culture phenomenon which is perceived by most as an occurrence that should be uprooted from the society. Yet, to date, we have been unable to do so. Hate crimes are the subject of research and comments by experts in various fields. In this regard, most scholars agree that a hate based crime is distinguished from a ＂regular＂ criminal offence by the motive--the attack is aimed at a victim who is part of a differentiated minority group. However, when reading the relevant documents in the area, it seems that the differences between the experts start at the most basic point--what constitutes hate crimes？ This article analyses the concept of ＂hate crimes＂ via an interdisciplinary approach aimed at flashing out the fundamental gaps in the research. We have found that the problems include, inter alia, discrepancies in the definition of hate crimes, methodological difficulties regarding validity and legitimacy （mainly due to the absence of information based on the attacker＇s point of view） and the lack of agreement on the appropriate legal methods required to deal with the ramifications of hate crimes. While part I of this paper revolves around the theoretical aspects of the questions put forth at the centre of this article, part II looks at the same questions from a legal viewpoint. The correlation between the two chapters shows the impact the methodological difficulties have on enforcement endeavors. This relation is further advanced through the examination of test cases from different countries, among them--lsrael. Finally, the article concludes by suggesting a few thoughts on the way to overcome the theoretical problems and making the enforcement efforts more efficient.
文摘<div style="text-align:justify;"> <span style="font-family:Verdana;">The main objective of this research is to discuss the current legal and methodological issues in the field of software Re-Usability. Though there are enormous online forums discussing such issues via Q&A but this paper is an attempt to raise the awareness about the legal issues, which a software engineer may trap into. The paper discussed the current issues with software reusability within the legal and methodological context. This paper applied an extensive literature review to critically appraise the past studies to come to a collective conclusion. Prior to discussing the issues, the benefits of reuse were mentioned, including the saving of time and cost for users. But legally the reuse of software assets creates complexities for the user in relation to meeting all the licensing requirements and dealing with the liability in case of a breach. Methodologically, there are major barriers to reused software when it comes to technical competence and managerial issues such as a lack of resources. Even when reusing software to save time, and leverage off the specialization of other authors, the end-user must also have the technical expertise to search, adapt and merge these reusable assets into the larger software infrastructure. The review ultimately shows the high barriers still remain to software reuse which could mean that smaller developers and businesses will still be reluctant to fully utilize open-source components to the best advantage.</span> </div>
基金This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81603565)Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Postgraduate Research Innovation Project(YJSKC-20201032).
文摘Aims:The current study is designed to assess the methodological quality of the meta-analyses of cognitive interventions among Alzheimer's disease,and to investigate the compliance with 16 AMSTAR 2 items.Method:We searched Web of Scie nce,Sino med,PubMed,Embase,and Cochra ne Library from 2016 to 2021,to get the meta-a nalyses of cog nitive in terve nti ons in Alzheimer's disease.The AMSTAR 2 was used to assess the methodological quality.Furthermore,we also explored the complia nce with AMSTAR.Resul ts:We in cluded 9 studies in our research.Of them,6 articles were rated as"extremely low",2 articles as"low"and 1 article as"high".Furthermore,the reporting rates for 16 AMSTAR 2 items ranged from 22.22%to 100%.Conclusion:The methodological quality of meta-analyses of cognitive interventions in Alzheimer's disease is not ideal,and there is still room for improvement.Future studies are supposed to explore the releva nt factors that possibly in flue nce the methodological quality.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81603565)Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Postgraduate Research Innovation Project(YJSKC-20201032).
文摘Aims:This study aims to investigate the methodological quality of the systematic reviews of music therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease in the past five years,and to explore their compliance with each AMSTAR(A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews)item.Based on the above,this study is intended to facilitate the evidence transformation of music therapy in Alzheimer's Disease.Method:Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase and PubMed were searched from 2017-2021,to obtain the systematic reviews of music therapy among Alzheimer’s Disease.We used the AMSTAR,to evaluate their methodological quality.Additionally,their compliance with 16 AMSTAR items was investigated.Results:12 systematic reviews were included in this study.The methodological quality of 10 articles was“very low”,1 article was“low”,and 1 article was“high”.The 12 systematic reviews had 25%to 100%compliance with 16 AMSTAR items.Conclusion:The methodological quality of systematic reviews of music therapy among Alzheimer’s Disease in the recent five years is not high,and needs to be further improved.Future research should continue to explore the factors that affect their methodological quality,to promote the transformation of evidence-based evidence.
文摘Necroptosis is currently attracting the attention of the scientific community for its broad implications in in-flammatory diseases and cancer.However,detecting ongoing necroptosis in vivo under both experimental and clinical disease conditions remains challenging.The technical barrier lies in four aspects,namely tissue sam-pling,real-time in vivo monitoring,specific markers,and distinction between different types of cell death.In this review,we presented the latest methodological advances for in vivo necroptosis identification.The advances highlighted the multi-parameter flow cytometry,sA5-YFP tool,radiolabeled Annexin V/Duramycin,Gallium-68-labeled IRDye800CW contrast agent,and SMART platform in vivo.We also discussed the up-to-date research mod-els in studying necroptosis,particularly the mice models for manipulating and monitoring necroptosis.Based on these recent advances,this review aims to provide some advice on current necroptosis techniques and approaches.
文摘Nowadays, in order to satisfy the ISO 9001： 2015 requirements, organizations access to information from web sites, consultant guides, Internet forums, books, and courses, as a first approximation, however, the quality, reliability, validity, and accuracy of the information content in these is limited. The research topic of this study is the use of theoretical methodological tools, whose implementation supports the organizations in the fulfillment of requirement 4 of ISO 9001：2015, adapting it to their particular needs, minimizing rework in the documentation, increasing the motivation of the personnel involved and promoting well-being within the work environment. Some theoretical methodological tools were implemented in the case of Engineering laboratories of the Faculty of Higher Studies Arag6n, that support and complement the teaching-learning process in the theoretical-practical subjects of the curricula of the engineering bachelor＇s degrees, providing students with practical training in the use of equipment, devices, and tools, as well as extracurricular courses. In the study participated the stakeholders of laboratories. From the results, it was observed that the time for the documentation of the quality management system was reduced using the theoretical tools proposed in this study. In conclusion, this study will thus be useful as a starting point in using formal tools for the implementation of ISO 9001： 2015 standard.
文摘The voluntary disclosure studies conducted until today, in social accounting and related fields, use different approaches to evaluate the so-called ＂disclosure quality＂. Disclosure quality is not so easy to measure, and it is derived from the application of different methodologies. In particular, the methodologies to assess the level of disclosure could be classified as subjective or objective. To the first category belong all the ＂tools＂ that are used directly without relying on the analysis of the original source of the information studies （Imhoff, 1992; Coleman ＆ Eccles, 1997; Welker, 1995）. The objective measurements used to assess the disclosure quality are, instead, based on the direct study of the original information source in order to obtain the information required （Krippendorff, 1980; Weber, 1985; Botosan, 1997; Lang ＆ Lundholm, 2000）. The aim of the paper is to give scholars and researchers a brief framework to understand the different methodologies used in accounting literature to assess the disclosure quality, providing examples of the application of the same in different research contexts.
文摘The energy transition,validated by 194 countries at the end of CoP21 in Paris,requires new development design methods.This requirement,for the sub-Saharan African countries(SAC),could be an opportunity to finance their development.Following the mixed results of the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM),partly due to its rather restrictive selection criterion,the desire to implement carbon asset transfer mechanisms is proposed by many countries including Cameroon.However,the success of such a mechanism would be guaranteed by encouraging policies to regulate emissions.It is in this perspective that our work falls.It aims at proposing a regulation approach for major projects.We have dwelt on hydroelectric projects.To do this,we ordered considering their quantitative feature,113 projects or visions proposed by 37 countries.Subsequently,a classification of projects according to compartments and trends was made.We finally pointed out 6 visions,including the mitigation in production,mitigation in distribution or service,adaptation in production,mitigation in transport,adaptation in distribution or service,and the adaptation in transport.The regulation methodology proposed for mitigation projects in the hydroelectric sector on a variable threshold hypothesis has led us to three trends in regulation.
