Using an anatomic model to teach female stress incontinence to gynecologic residents‑in‑training: A prospective cohort study / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background@#Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a complex condition with a multifactorial etiology that makes its concepts challenging to teach. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of simulation-based training (SBT) with an anatomic teaching model in improving the understanding of SUI among gynecologic residents-in-training. @*Objective@#The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of SUI simulation-based teaching in enhancing the learning experience for gynecologic residents-in-training. The secondary objective was to gather feedback from participants with the intent to further enhance existing teaching methodologies.@*Materials and Methods@#This was a descriptive prospective study within a single institution, involving gynecologic residents-in-training. Participants were given an anatomic teaching tool to construct, followed by an SUI lecture. Pre- and posttest Multiple Choice Questions were administered to assess the efficacy of the teaching tool in improving the participants’ understanding of SUI. Frequency and percentages were used to describe the categorical variables, whereas continuous variables were described using mean and standard deviation. Paired t-test was used to compare the pre- and posttest scores. ANOVA was used to compare the pre- and posttest scores of participants by year level. A P < 0.05 is statistically significant. A separate Likert-scale questionnaire, to evaluate changes in participant’s self-assessment on learning, response to teaching content and resources, and overall feedback of the SBT was used.@*Results@#There were 50 gynecologic residents-in-training that were included in the study. The mean posttest score is significantly higher (6.4 vs. 3.48) than the pretest score, with a mean difference of 3.48. The mean posttest score is significantly different between the year levels with a P < 0.05, with senior residents-in-training performing best. Although participants with only gynecologic conferences as SUI reference performed best, the mean pre- and posttest scores were not statistically different with respect to SUI education exposure. With the use of an anatomic SUI model, the number of correct answers for questions pertaining to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology was consistently higher in the posttest scores as compared to the pretest scores but did not reach statistical significance. The majority of participants strongly agree to recommend the course to a colleague.@*Conclusion@#This study supports the use of simple, low-fidelity physical teaching tools in improving the understanding of SUI in gynecologic residents-in-training. Considering the ease of production, improved test scores, and participants’ enthusiasm, the incorporation of the anatomic teaching tool for its use in SUI education should be encouraged.

Implementación del mini-CEX en el pregrado médico: Una experiencia con simulación / Implementation of the Mini-CEX in Medical Undergraduate Education: A Simulation-Based Experience

Resumen La evaluación es un proceso sistemático que resulta en un juicio de valor para tomar decisiones. Los instrumentos empleados para obtener datos sobre el desempeño de los estudiantes requieren de un proceso sistemático y objetivo para su implementación. El mini-CEX es un instrumento de observación directa que ha sido empleado para la evaluación de la competencia clínica en los estudiantes de pre y posgrado desde su invención en 1955. Cuenta con diferentes evidencias de validez para su uso en distintos contextos educativos y clínicos. Permite realizar evaluaciones rápidas, acompañadas de realimentación y que proporcionan información relevante del desarrollo de la competencia clínica. El objetivo de este escrito es exponer la experiencia de la implementación del mini-CEX en el pregrado médico para la evaluación formativa de los estudiantes utilizando la simulación con pacientes estandarizados. Para lograr este objetivo se empleó la siguiente secuencia: búsqueda, planeación, integración y aplicación. Posterior a estos pasos se dan una serie de recomendaciones para la implementación del mini-CEX. Se concluye que la evaluación de la competencia clínica es importante para la mejora continua y permanente de los estudiantes de pre y posgrado. Es necesario sistematizar la evaluación ajustada siempre a objetivos y necesidades específicas de la evaluación.

Abstract Evaluation is a systematic process that results in a judgment to make decisions. The instruments used to obtain data on student performance require a systematic and objective process for their implementation. The mini-CEX is a direct observation tool that has been used for the evaluation of clinical competence in undergraduate and postgraduate students since its invention in 1955. It has different validity evidence for use in different educational and clinical contexts. It allows rapid evaluations, accompanied by feedback and providing relevant information on the development of clinical competence. The objective of this paper is to expose the experience of the implementation of the mini-CEX in the medical undergraduate for the formative evaluation of students using simulation with standardized patients. To achieve this goal, the following sequence was used: search, planning, integration, and application. After these steps we make some recommendations for the implementation of the mini-CEX. Its is concluded that the evaluation of clinical competence is important for the continuous and permanent improvement of undergraduate and graduate students. It is necessary to systematize the evaluation always adjusted to objectives and specific needs of the evaluation.

FETAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AS A ROUTINE ANTENATAL SCREENING TOOL FOR DETECTION OF FETAL CONGENITAL CARDIAC STRUCTURAL ANOMALIES.

Background: Fetal echocardiography plays a pivotal role in detecting congenital cardiac structural anomalies. Though foetal echocardiography is mostly reserved for high risk pregnant women, its role as a routine prenatal screening tool needs to be dened. To evaluate the role of fetal echocardiography as a routine Objectives: antenatal screening tool for detection of congenital cardiac structural anomalies.To compare the prevalence of congenital cardiac structural anomalies by fetal echocardiography in antenatal women with low risk and high risk factors for cardiac structural anomalies. The study was carried out in the department of radiodiagnosis, SNMC, Agra. Materials and methods: 500 fetal hearts between 18-26 weeks gestation were evaluated through fetal echocardiography.They were categorised into two groups -low risk (Group I) and high risk (Group II) and scanned through four chamber , LVOT , RVOT and three vessel view. Result: The prevalence of fetal congenital cardiac structural anomalies in this study is 14/1000.Fetal echocardiography had a sensitivity of 85% & specicity of 99%. PPV is 85% and NPV is 99%. The incidence of congenital cardiac structural anomalies in high risk and low risk group was 12 % & 14.8 % per 1,000 respectively. based on these ndings it is highly Conclusion: suggestive that every pregnant woman should be subjected to a detailed fetal echocardiography. Fetal echocardiography should be included as a part of routine antenatal screening irrespective of risk factors for congenital cardiac structural anomalies.

Applicability of near-miss tools to address maternal mortality

In India, there is a mandate to increase institutional delivery, which has led to an overwhelming response in health-care delivery. The maternal mortality rate has been an essential yardstick, used by health-care planners to assess the quality of obstetric services. As of late, there has been a shift in focus to maternal near-misses (MNMs) as a more valuable indicator of maternal health than the maternal mortality rate. The aim of this research article was to compare various standardized tools to address MNM, namely, the World Health Organization MNM tool, The Government of India's facility-based MNM review tool, etc.

STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF BRASS AND COPPER ELECTRODES DURING ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING OF INCONEL 718 USING NANO PARTICLES MIXED DIELECTRIC FLUID.

Electrical Discharge Machine (EDM) parameters have a significant influence on machining characteristic like material removal rate (MMR) and tool wear rate (TWR). Inconel 718, which is widely used in the Medical, Marine, Architectural and food processing industries, is used as a work material. The tool electrode materials used are brass and copper. Experiments are conducted using face centered central composite design to determine the effects of process parameters like current rate, pulse on time, pulse off time and concentration of titanium carbide nano particle in dielectric fiuid. Based upon the experimental outcomes, the effect of brass and copper electrodes during electric discharge machining of Inconel 718 using nano particles mixed dielectric fiuid was investigated.

A Bacteriological of Make-up Tools Used in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria

Sharing of make-up tools by multiple users is a possible means of transfer of fungal infections, such as dermatophytoses. With abrasion on the skin, it is possible for HIV, Hepatitis B virus, Spirochaetes and other pathogens to be carried via contaminated make-up tools, from one person to another. Using sterilized swab sticks, surfaces of make-up tools (sponge and brush) were cleansed. Materials deposited on the swab sticks were cultured aerobically on Chocolate and Cysteine Lactose Electrolyte Deficient Agar plates overnight at 37oC. After overnight aerobic incubation, the culture plates were read macroscopically for growth. Bacterial isolates were subjected to microscopic examination using Gram’s staining technique and biochemical tests (e.g. coagulase, catalase, oxidase, and motility). Results showed that the predominant bacterial growths obtained from the make-up tools were Staphylococcus aureus (51.5%), Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (25.8%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.2%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.5%). The different genera of bacteria were harvested from make-up brushes (66.2%) and make-up sponges (85.7%). There was no bacterial growth from 33.8% and 14.3% of make-up brushes and make-up sponges respectively. There was no statistical difference in terms of bacterial growth between the two tools (brush and sponge) sampled (P>0.05). This study has shown that there is a moderate possibility for the transfer of bacterial organisms (both skin flora and pathogens) from one person to another, through make-up tools, in our local communities. It is hereby recommended that health education talks should be carried out regularly among beauticians to encourage them to use disposable make-up tools with disinfectants.

Innovation and application of metabolomics technology for research in the biomedical field / 药学学报

Metabolomics technology played an important role in the field of biomedical research, such as disease diagnosis, pathogenesis analysis, drug target exploration, formulation of treatment guidelines, etc. Due to the systematic and holistic characteristics of metabolomics research, it has shown certain advantages in the analysis of the basis of pharmacodynamic substances of traditional Chinese medicines and the development of new medicines from traditional Chinese medicines. With the continuous innovation of metabolomics research, many advanced technologies have been developed, which make up for the shortcomings of conventional metabolomics studies in searching for disease targets, identifying functional compounds and interpreting biological significance. Furthermore, the rapid development of metabolomics technology has created new opportunities for the diagnosis of diseases and the development of new drugs in traditional Chinese medicine. Herein, different from conventional metabolomics techniques and methods, nine new metabolomics technologies with wide application prospects in the past 10 years were reviewed from the perspective of new tools, new ideas and new samples, with a view to providing new insights on relevant metabolomics research in the biomedical field and providing new motivation for innovation and development of metabolomics technologies.

Analysis and optimization of policy tools for TCM formula granules in China / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE In order to analyze the current situation of policy tool allocation in China’s TCM formula granule industry， and provide a theoretical basis for the high-quality development of the industry. METHODS Based on the perspective of policy tools，“ TCM formula granules” was used as the keyword to retrieve the official websites of departments directly under the State Council such as the National Medical Products Administration and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine， as well as provincial governments. The relevant clauses in the policy documents related to TCM formula granules in China from 1993 to 2022 were encoded， and then the application of policy tools was summarized and classified. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS A total of 12 national documents and 77 provincial documents were ultimately selected， involving 556 relevant policy clauses. It was found that among the relevant policy tools， environmental policy tools had the highest degree of attention， accounting for 62.6%； the proportions of demand-oriented policy tools and supply-oriented policy tools were less， accounting for 17.8% and 19.6%， respectively. From the perspective of policy tools， the use of demand-oriented policy tools in current policy texts was relatively simple， and various policy tools were given low attention； from the perspective of policy objectives， the proportion of use of environmental， demand-oriented and supply-oriented policy tools were not balanced enough. It is suggested to increase the proportion of demand- oriented policy tools to meet international competition； emphasize the use of supply-oriented policy tools to strictly control product quality； consolidate the use of environmental policy tools to standardize quality standards. On this basis， we will coordinate the overall situation， balance the use of various policy tools and promote the development of TCM formula granule industry.

Introduction and Reflection on Novel Medical Device Regulatory Science Tool MDDT / 中国医疗器械杂志

In recent years, emerging technology medical devices have developed rapidly. How to more scientifically and more efficiently regulate these novel medical devices so as to improve access to advanced medical technology while ensuring safety and effectiveness is a new challenge faced by regulatory authorities, and is also the core topic of regulatory science. New tools, new standards and new methods are important means to achieve regulatory science. "Medical Device Development Tool" proposed by the U.S. FDA is a novel medical device regulatory science tool, which can help medical device developers to predict and evaluate product performance more efficiently. It is also helpful for regulatory authorities to make regulatory decisions more efficiently. This study introduces the concept, qualification process, role of MDDT in medical device regulation and MDDT examples, and makes some discussion on the device evaluation from the perspective of reliability and validity. MDDT can facilitate the developing of novel medical device.

Re-evaluation of systematic reviews of acupuncture and moxibustion for childhood autism / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To re-evaluate the systematic review/Meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion for childhood autism (CA), aiming to provide decision-making basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.@*METHODS@#The systematic review and/or Meta-analysis of acupuncture and moxibustion for CA were searched in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases. The retrieval time was from the database establishment to May 5th, 2022. PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) was used to evaluate the report quality, and AMSTAR 2 (a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews 2) was used to evaluate the methodological quality, bubble map was used to construct the evidence map and GRADE was used to evaluate the quality of evidence.@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 systematic reviews were included. The PRISMA scores ranged from 13 to 26. The report quality was low, and there was a serious lack in the aspects of program and registration, search, other analysis and funding. The main problems in methodology included not making prespecified protocol, incomplete retrieval strategy, not providing a list of excluded literatures, and incomplete explanation on heterogeneity analysis and bias risk. The evidence map showed that 6 conclusions were valid, 2 conclusions were possible valid and 1 conclusion was uncertain valid. The overall quality of evidence was low, and the main factors leading to the downgrade were limitations, followed by inconsistency, imprecision and publication bias.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture and moxibustion has a certain effect for CA, but the quality of reporting, methodology and evidence in included literature need to be improved. It is suggested to perform high-quality and standardized research in the future to provide evidence-based basis.

Research progress of vaccine hesitancy in China in recent years / 上海预防医学

The 2030 Immunization Agenda of the World Health Organization （WHO） states that everyone in the world should fully benefit from vaccines to achieve good health and well-being. With the ever-changing disease spectrum and the improvement of residents' health literacy， relying solely on vaccines included in the National Immunization Program （NIP） is insufficient to meet the current requirements for disease prevention and control. Non-NIP vaccines play an important role in meeting people's diverse needs. Vaccine hesitancy is a global issue and an important factor affecting vaccine uptake. By reviewing relevant studies on vaccine hesitancy in recent years， this paper summarized different vaccination situations， current situation of vaccine hesitancy， measuring tools of vaccine hesitancy， and major influencing factors. It aims to provide references for the development of scientific and effective vaccine education strategies， which can increase public knowledge and understanding of vaccines， enhance healthcare professional's willingness and behavior in recommending vaccines， improve public vaccine literacy， and reduce vaccine hesitancy. At the same time， the supervision and guidance of media discourse should be strengthened to enhance the protective role of non-NIP vaccines in immunization barriers.

Analysis of associated factors of the inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use among college students in Zhuhai City / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To examine the prevalence and factors influencing the inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use among college students, so as to provide suggestions for AIDS prevention and education in universities.@*Methods@#From October to December 2019, a multistage cluster sampling method was employed to collect data relating to inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use and other related factors among 1 303 students from six colleges in Zhuhai, China. Chi square test and Logistic regression were performed to analyze the influencing factors and moderating effect.@*Results@#The reporting rate of in consistency of knowledge and behavior in condom use among college students was 41.1%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that seeking sexual partners offline was negatively correlated with inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use ( OR=0.70, 95%CI =0.51-0.95). However, condom nonuse during the first sexual experience (OR=7.11, 95%CI=5.23-9.67), smoking before sex ( OR=1.47, 95%CI =1.07-2.02), drinking before sex ( OR=1.44, 95%CI =1.09-1.91), history of intimate partner violence ( OR=1.53, 95%CI =1.13-2.07), and having multiple sexual partners ( OR=1.69, 95%CI =1.25-2.29) were positively correlated with inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use ( P <0.05). The moderating effect analysis showed that condom use during the first sexual experience had a moderating effect on smoking before sex and inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use ( β=0.92, P <0.05). Among students who did not use condoms during the first sexual experience, a positive correlation was observed between smoking before sex and inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use ( OR= 2.76 , 95%CI=1.09-6.99, P <0.05). However, no correlation was found between smoking before sex and inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use ( OR=1.32, 95%CI=0.92-1.88, P >0.05) among students who used condoms during the first sexual experience.@*Conclusion@#High levels of inconsistency for knowledge and behavior in condom use are found among college students in Zhuhai City. Colleges should carry out sex education activities as soon as possible, and explore new health education models to promote the transformation of their knowledge into behavior.

Validation Of Nutrition Screening Tool: Royal Free Hospital Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) For Chronic Liver Disease Patients

@#Introduction: Hepatic diseases patients are especially prone to malnutrition, which is often underestimated. Screening tools were developed to detect the risk of malnutrition. However, screening tools for patients with liver disease were frequently underestimated. Fluid overload is the main issue to perform nutritional screening in liver disease patients. Therefore, this study aimed to validate the Royal Free Hospital Nutritional Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) among patients and to evaluate association between RFH-NPT, Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in 3 phases; transcultural adaptation, criterion validity and reliability phases. Content validity was confirmed by interviewing eight liver disease professionals. Face validity was assessed by surveying forty nurses working in the liver disease ward. In addition, agreement between NRS 2002 and RFH-NPT assessment was assessed using the SGA tool. Results: Eighty patients with liver disease took part in this study. The SGA assessment found malnutrition in 75% of patients (95% CI, 60%–95%) while 80% (95% CI, 65%-80) were found as at risk of malnutrition using RFH- NPT. Moderate specificity and high sensitivity of RFHNPT were 97% and 74%, respectively, and 95% positive predictive value was measured. Conclusion: The RFH-NPT nutritional screening tool is the initial and most reliable in this population to assess the malnutrition risk. Thus, inclusion of the RFH-NPT with NRS 2002 demonstrated positive and a fair agreement between the SGA and RFH-NPT tool to be used as a routine nutrition screening protocol for identifying patients at risk of malnutrition.

The associated factors of earphone usage on hearing impairment among students aged 14 to 28 / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between the use of earphone and hearing impairment and its influencing factors among students aged 14-28, so as to provide a reference for appropriate earphone usage and hearing impairment prevention.@*Methods@#A cross sectional survey was conducted through the questionnaire star platform, and 983 students aged 14 to 28 were recruited across China by snowball sampling during April 3 to May 1, 2022. The χ 2 test was used to identify indicators affecting hearing, the Logistic regression model was used to further selection.@*Results@#There were 366 students with hearing impairment, accounting for 37.23%. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in hearing impairment by gender, earphone usage duration and volume, wearing during sleep, and replacement frequency ( χ 2=6.03, 6.86, 14.87, 12.22, 11.15, P <0.05). The Logistic regression model analysis showed that girls ( OR=1.43, 95%CI =1.10-1.88), maximum earphone volume ( OR=3.08, 95%CI = 1.56- 6.08), earphone usage for >1.5-3 h each time ( OR=1.44, 95%CI =1.04-1.99), sleep with headphone ( OR= 1.53 , 95%CI = 1.11- 2.11) were positively associated with hearing impairment ( P <0.05), earphone replacement every 4-<6 months ( OR= 0.38, 95%CI =0.17-0.86) and earphone replacement every six months or longer ( OR=0.39, 95%CI =0.18-0.85) were negatively associated with hearing impairment ( P < 0.05 ).@*Conclusion@#Students aged 14 to 28 earphone usage shows adverse impact on hearing. When using earphone, it is recommended to limit time spent on earphone usage, low the volume of earphone, avoid sleeping with earphone and replace earphone frequently.

Design and application of a central venous pressure measurement tool / 中华危重病急救医学

Central venous pressure (CVP) reflects the comprehensive condition of effective blood volume, cardiac function and vascular tone. Clinical monitoring of CVP can indirectly understand and evaluate the dynamic changes of blood volume in patients, and provide a reference for patients to venous fluid. At present, the traditional manual measurement method is widely used for measurement, which has some shortcomings such as zero shift, cumbersome operation (requires two health care workers to cooperate). In order to overcome the above problems, the author invented a new fixable CVP measurement tool and obtained the national utility model patent (ZL 2021 2 1451705.7). The tool is mainly composed of a base plate, a movable frame and a measuring department, etc. When used, the base plate is placed into the back of the patient and pressed and fixed, the movable frame is adjusted, the zero point is found, and the measurement data is read from the measuring department. It has the advantages of simple and convenient operation, small measurement error, wide applicability (different body types) and so on, which is suitable for clinical promotion.

Applicability of Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool in children with cerebral palsy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the scheme of assigning rational scores to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool for children with cerebral palsy(CP) at different Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) levels.Methods:The clinical data of 360 children with CP hospitalized in the Department of Children′s Rehabilitation, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to October 2019 were analyzed retrospectively.All the CP children at different GMFCS levels who met the inclusion criteria were subject to nutrition screening and assessment by using the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool and the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment(SGNA) scale.The distribution of malnutrition rates assessed by the SGNA scale among the children at different GMFCS levels was examined.Data between groups were compared by the χ2 test.Children at different GMFCS levels were divided into different subgroups according to the statistical difference.Then, 0 or 1 score was assigned to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool in different subgroups, and different combinations were formed.The nutritional risk screening results of different combinations were evaluated by using the SGNA scale assessment results as a reference. Results:In children with CP, the risk detection rate and incidence rate of malnutrition were 58.1%(209/360) and 36.9%(133/360), respectively.There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of malnutrition between GMFCS Ⅱ and GMFCS Ⅲ, as well as between GMFCS Ⅳ and GMFCS Ⅴ(all P>0.05). Therefore, children with CP were divided into 3 subgroups, namely, group Ⅰ, group Ⅱ to Ⅲ, and group Ⅳ to Ⅴ.Different CP disease scores were given to the Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool in 3 subgroups, forming 3 different protocols[protocol 1 (0, 0, 1 point); protocol 2(0, 1, 1 point); current protocol (1, 1, 1 point)]. Taking the SGNA scale assessment results as a reference, the sensitivity of protocol 1, protocol 2 and current protocol were 85.7%, 92.5%, and 93.2% respectively.The specificity protocol 1, protocol 2 and current protocol were 81.1%, 78.0%, and 62.6%, respectively.And the Youden indexes of above three protocols were 0.668, 0.705, and 0.558, respectively.The Youden index of protocol 2 was relatively high. Conclusions:The Modified Pediatric Nutritional Risk Screening Tool can effectively identify the risk of malnutrition in children with CP.The scheme of assigning 0 points to children with GMFCS grade Ⅰ and 1 point to children with GMFCS grade Ⅱ to Ⅴ is more reasonable.

Kaedah Diagnostik Semasa dan Penggunaan Ujian Titik Penjagaan Pantas (POC) Bagi Mendiagnos Hiperkolesterolemia Famili (FH) (Current Diagnostic Techniques and the Use of Rapid Point-of-Care (POC) Testing to Diagnose Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)) / Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia

@#Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant inherited genetic disease characterized by increased concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol in the blood. The risk of premature coronary heart disease in FH patients may increase without early treatment. Advancement in molecular biology techniques has enable early detection and diagnosis of FH. These techniques are cost-effective and have a shorter turnaround time. The current diagnostic tools available for FH diagnosis involving algorithm-based scoring criteria and various molecular diagnosis methods including next-generation sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing, Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and DNA hybridisation assay are discussed in this review. However, molecular genetic testing is not widely available due to time-consuming procedures, high cost and requires trained personnel. Thus, this 36 review highlights the use of point of care (POC) testing as an approach to diagnose FH, particularly in countries lacking infrastructure and expertise in this field. Lateral flow testing (LFA) has gained attention as a POC diagnostic tool due to its simplicity, low cost and involved simple procedure and settings. The advantages of LFA made this technique a potential tool in addressing challenges in diagnosing FH, particularly for early diagnosis of family members.

Genetic Approaches for Neural Circuits Dissection in Non-human Primates / 神经科学通报·英文版

Genetic tools, which can be used for the morphology study of specific neurons, pathway-selective connectome mapping, neuronal activity monitoring, and manipulation with a spatiotemporal resolution, have been widely applied to the understanding of complex neural circuit formation, interactions, and functions in rodents. Recently, similar genetic approaches have been tried in non-human primates (NHPs) in neuroscience studies for dissecting the neural circuits involved in sophisticated behaviors and clinical brain disorders, although they are still very preliminary. In this review, we introduce the progress made in the development and application of genetic tools for brain studies on NHPs. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of each approach and provide a perspective for using genetic tools to study the neural circuits of NHPs.

Usefulness of the STarT Back Screening Tool to Predict the Effect of Acupuncture Treatment: Evaluation of Its Risk Classification Focusing on the Changes in the Lumbar Pain Visual Analog Scale / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

  Background: The STarT (Subgrouping for Targeted Treatment) Back Screening Tool (SBST) is an established clinical evaluation tool that easily assesses the risk of chronic or refractory low back pain. This study aimed to examine the usefulness of acupuncture in patients with low back pain.  Methods: A total of 71 outpatients with low back pain who underwent acupuncture and moxibustion at the Center for Integrative Medicine, Tsukuba University of Technology, between 2019 and 2022 were included in this study, regardless of the specific medical condition causing the pain. Survey items included the SBST and lumbar pain intensity visual analog scale (VAS). Demographic factors and contents of acupuncture treatment were collected from the medical charts. The VAS score 4 weeks after the start of treatment was used as an index of clinical outcome and was analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and hierarchical multiple regression analysis.  Results: Classification using the SBST at the first visit resulted in 36, 30, and 15 patients in the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups, respectively. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed statistically significant differences in the mean VAS values with respect to differences in time point (P < 0.01), group (P < 0.01), and interaction (P < 0.05). The VAS values after 4 weeks in the high-risk group were significantly higher than those in the other two groups (both P < 0.01). In the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, with VAS as the dependent variable, the relationship between SBST classification and VAS maintained a significant positive relationship in all models, including adjustments for interaction terms and patients’ background items. A simple slope analysis indicated that this relationship was more evident in patients with lower limb symptoms than in those without symptoms.  Conclusion: The SBST could be a simple and useful tool for predicting the clinical outcomes of acupuncture.

Research on the Optimization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Governance System from the Perspective of Complexity / 中国医学伦理学

The complexity of the development history, culture and system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) deeply affect its inheritance, innovation and development. From the perspective of complexity, and based on the framework of "situation-theory-tool", this paper analyzed the complexity and dilemma of TCM governance. The complexity of TCM governance requires continuous adjustment of the governance system. On the one hand, the optimization of the government governance system should clarify the relationship between power and responsibility, and stimulate the endogenous power of local governments. On the other hand, the concept of "collaborative governance" should be used to realize the resource integration and functional synergy of different subjects in the horizontal structure of TCM governance, and enhance the capability of joint action.