Dr.Sheng Xiesun's Experience in Acupuncture Techniques

Dr. Sheng Xiesun, from a TCM physician's family, has practised acupuncture for 50 years. In Dr. Sheng's view, although the traditional acupuncture techniques were based on Miraculous Pivot (灵枢经)， and already well-developed in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, we must be aware that the formation and development of acupuncture techniques have been going along with the improvement of acupuncture needles. The acupuncture techniques described in Internal Classic (内经) are the ones practiced in the times of the 'nine needlings'; while in the Song and Ming Dynasties the needling techniques were based on the use of filiform needles.

Polarization in China's Urbanization:Tendency and Outlook

This paper provides an analysis of the rapid expansion in number and population of large cities in the proeess of China＇s urbanization and the relative decline of small and medium-sized cities and examines the root causes of such polarization, including the preference of government resource allocation towards political centers and large cities, market effect underlying the self-reinforced agglomeration of large cities, desire of migrant workers to settle in large cities, as well as the lack of government regulation. Regarding the outlook of China＇s urbanization, the paper believes that the appropriate ratio of new urban population absorption should be 30：18：18：34 among mega, large, small and medium-sized cities and designated towns.

China's Common Interest Theory in the Context of International Strategy

Common interest is the shared and convergent parts of national interests in the state of inter-dependency, composed of common benefits and common threats, and provides the foundation for international cooperation under bilateral, multilateral and global frameworks. This paper will take the concept of common interest on the level of international politics as the core and supplement it with thoughts, ideas and practices of the CPC and China's government leaders to sort out innovations made in China's common interest theory and international strategic thoughts since 1989, as well as sum up the basic implications of China's common interest theory and the rules of its evolution so as to offer a brand new dimension for Marxist international strategic studies in China.

Prof.Xiao Shaoqin's Experience in Acupuncture Treatment

Having been engaged in TCM for 50 years, Prof. Xiao Shaoqin has got rich experience in acupuncture. The author has pursued advanced studies for 3 years under his guidance, and has learned a lot from him. The following is a report of Prof. Xiao Shaoqin's experience for treating 3 typical eases.

An Analysis of Donald Trump's Political Personality Traits and Policy Orientations

As a political leader, US President Trump's personality traits affect his policy orientations and current US foreign policy. The authors analyze Trump's personality in several categories—uninhibited and capricious, dynamic and capable, profit-orientated and self-centered,competitive and persistent, positive and extraverted. The traits of breaking traditions, skill at strategic deception and negotiation, action-motivated implementation, intuitive decision-making, pursuit of respect and interest exchange, and vengefulness will shape his policy and behavioral orientations. Initial study shows Trump to be a political leader with positive personality traits and double-sided dimensions. The analysis offers insight toward understanding the new US executive and his policy direction.

An Analysis of the Great Power Strategy of India's Modi Government

Over the past two years, India's Modi government has demonstrated the following features: focusing on the goals of becoming a great power and shaping India's South Asian dominance, expanding the scope of diplomatic strategy, emphasizing the role of soft power and focusing on self-development as well as external environment. Modi's great power strategy is deeply influenced by the Indian realistic international political outlook and, to a certain extent, reflects the governing philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The great power strategy is Modi's governing foundation and governing style, embedding Modi distinctive personal style. Under the influence of the great power strategy, China and India have increased their economic cooperation scope, widening the forms of public diplomacy, with an obvious geopolitical collision; India is taking more measures to check China.

Effects of Acupuncture on Humoral Immunologic Function and Trace Elements in 20 Cases of Behcet's Disease

Acupuncture therapy could normalize both increased light chain K value of IgM and lowered trace element Zn content in patients with Behcet's disease with statistically significant differences,suggesting that acupuncture therapy can elevate humoral immunologic function and improve metabolism of the trace element in these patients.

Regarding the Regulatory Sandbox Route and Mechanism for Governance of Artificial Intelligence

The main challenge in AI governance today is striking a balance between controlling AI dangers and fostering AI innovation.Regulators in a number of nations have progressively extended the regulatory sandbox,which was first implemented in the banking sector,to AI governance in an effort to reduce the conflict between regulation and innovation.The AI regulatory sandbox is a new and feasible route for AI governance in China that not only helps to manage the risks of technology application but also prevents inhibiting AI innovation.It keeps inventors'trial-and-error tolerance space inside the regulatory purview while offering a controlled setting for the development and testing of novel AI that hasn't yet been put on the market.By providing full-cycle governance of AI with the principles of agility and inclusive prudence,the regulatory sandbox offers an alternative to the conventional top-down hard regulation,expost regulation,and tight regulation.However,the current system also has inherent limitations and practical obstacles that need to be overcome by a more rational and effective approach.To achieve its positive impact on AI governance,the AI regulatory sandbox system should build and improve the access and exit mechanism,the coordination mechanism between the sandbox and personal information protection,and the mechanisms of exemption,disclosure,and communication.

Intussusception of the bowel in adults:A review

Intussusception of the bowel is defined as the telescop-ing of a proximal segment of the gastrointestinal tract within the lumen of the adjacent segment.This condi-tion is frequent in children and presents with the classic triad of cramping abdominal pain,bloody diarrhea and a palpable tender mass.However,bowel intussusception in adults is considered a rare condition,accounting for 5% of all cases of intussusceptions and almost 1%-5%of bowel obstruction.Eight to twenty percent of cases are idiopathic,without a lead point lesion.Secondary intus-susception is caused by organic lesions,such as inflam-matory bowel disease,postoperative adhesions,Meckel's diverticulum,benign and malignant lesions,metastatic neoplasms or even iatrogenically,due to the presence of intestinal tubes,jejunostomy feeding tubes or after gas-tric surgery.Computed tomography is the most sensitive diagnostic modality and can distinguish between intus-susceptions with and without a lead point.Surgery is the definitive treatment of adult intussusceptions.Formal bowel resection with oncological principles is followed for every case where a malignancy is suspected.Reduction of the intussuscepted bowel is considered safe for benign lesions in order to limit the extent of resection or to avoid the short bowel syndrome in certain circumstances.

Aortic valve stenosis： treatments options in elderly high-risk patients

In the last decades, a trend towards a worldwide aging has been reported and diseases which are common in the elderly people would have important implications in clinical practice. Aortic stenosis （AS） is perhaps the most common and most often cause of sudden death among valvular heart diseases. Its prevalence is low among adults aged 〈 60 years, but increases to almost 10% in adults ≥ 80 years.[2] Since the degenerative calcific disease represents the lead- ing cause of AS in developed countries, the improved understanding on its pathogenesis （atherosclerotic processes and/or skeleton key） may offer potentially new targets for preventing and inhibiting AS development and progres- sion.[3] Patients with AS are generally asymptomatic for a prolonged period and the development of symptoms is a critical point in the natural history. Indeed, the prognosis changes dramatically with the onset of symptoms of angina,

Attainment of multifactorial treatment targets among the elderly in a lipid clinic

Objective To examine target attainment of lipid-lowering, antihypenensive and antidiabetic treatment in the elderly in a specialist set- ting of a University Hospital in Greece. Methods This was a retrospective study including consecutive subjects 〉 65 years old （n = 465） with a follow-up 〉 3 years. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）, blood pressure （BP） and glycated hemoglobin （HbAlc） goal achievement were recorded according to European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society （ESC/EAS）, European Society of Hypertension （ESH）/ESC and European Association for the Study of Diabetes （EASD） guidelines. Results The LDL-C targets were attained by 27~,4, 48% and 62% of very high, high and moderate risk patients, respectively. Those receiving statin ＋ ezetimibe achieved higher rates of LDL-C goal achievement compared with those receiving statin monotherapy （48% vs. 33%, P 〈 0.05）. Of the diabetic sub- jects, 71% had BP 〈 140/85 mmHg, while 78% of those without diabetes had BP 〈 140/90 mmHg. A higher proportion of the non-diabetic individuals （86%） had BP 〈 150/90 mmHg. Also, a higher proportion of those with diabetes had HbAlc 〈 8% rather than 〈 7% （88% and 47%, respectively）. Of note, almost one out of three non-diabetic individuals and one out of ten diabetic individuals had achieved all three treatment targets. Conclusions Even in a specialist setting of a University Hospital, a high proportion of the elderly remain at suboptimal LDL-C, BP and HbAlc levels. The use of drug combinations could improve multifactorial treatment target attainment, while less strict tar- gets could be more easily achieved in this population.

Appropriate prescribing in the elderly: Current perspectives

Advances in medical therapeutics have undoubtedly contributed to health gains and increases in life expectancy over the last century. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that therapeutic decisions in older patients are frequently suboptimal or potentially inappropriate and often result in negative outcomes such as adverse drug events, hospitalisation and increased healthcare resource utilisation. Several factors influence the appropriateness of medication selectionin older patients including age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, high numbers of concurrent medications, functional status and burden of co-morbid illness. With ever-increasing therapeutic options, escalating proportions of older patients worldwide, and varying degrees of prescriber education in geriatric pharmacotherapy, strategies to assist physicians in choosing appropriate pharmacotherapy for older patients may be helpful. In this paper, we describe important age-related pharmacological changes as well as the principal domains of prescribing appropriateness in older people. We highlight common examples of drugdrug and drug-disease interactions in older people. We present a clinical case in which the appropriateness of prescription medications is reviewed and corrective strategies suggested. We also discuss various approaches to optimising prescribing appropriateness in this population including the use of explicit and implicit prescribing appropriateness criteria, comprehensive geriatric assessment, clinical pharmacist review, prescriber education and computerized decision support tools.

Management of constipation in the elderly: Emerging therapeutic strategies

A number of new, novel strategies for managing constipation in the elderly have emerged over the past few years. Prucalopride is one such new agent that is highly effi cacious in managing chronic constipation. In fact, Camilleri et al in a recent study reported that the average number of bowel movements increased by at least one in nearly 47% of the patients who were administered a dose of 4 mg. Lubiprostone is another new agent recently approved by the FDA that shows efficacy in managing the symptoms of constipation. Neostigmine has also been successfully used for the management of recalcitrant constipation. Most of these studies have used subcutaneous neostigmine. Symbiotic yogurt containig components, such as Bifidobacterium and fructoligosaccharide, have also been recently shown to be highly effective in improving symptoms of constipation. Elderly patients especially those in hospices and nursing homes are often on opiods for pain management. Constipation secondary to opioid use is extremely common in nursing homes. Subcutaneous methylnaltrexone has recently been shown to be highly effective in the management of opioid-related constipation, and was recently approved by the FDA. Sacral nerve stimulation is another emerging strategy. A recent analysis by Mowatt et al supports the eff icacy of this technique. Botulinum toxin is another agent that has already been successfully used for the management of chronic, refractory constipation in children and may be very effective for elderly constipation. Further larger studies are needed to confi rm the fi ndings noted in these studies. Constipation is clearly a major issue in the elderly and these new, emerging strategies will hopefully improve the quality of life and relieve the symptoms of constipation in this population.

Natriuretic peptide family as diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and treatment modality in management of adult and geriatric patients with heart failure： remaining issues and challenges

B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） and N-terminal proBNP （NT-proBNP）, the key members of natriuretic peptide family have been rec- ommended as the gold standard biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure （HF） according to the current clinical guidelines. However, recent studies have revealed many previously unrecognized features about the natriuretic peptide family, including more accurate utilization of BNP and NT-proBNP in diagnosing HF. The pathophysiological mechanisms behind natriuretic peptide release, breakdown, and clearance are very complex and the diverse nature of circulating natriuretic peptides and fragments makes analytical detection particu- larly challenging. In addition, a new class of drug therapy, which works via natriuretic peptide family, has also been considered promising for cardiology application. Under this context, our present mini-review aims at providing a critical analysis on these new progresses on BNP and NT-proBNP with a special emphasis on their use in geriatric cardiology settings. We have focused on several remaining issues and chal- lenges regarding the clinical utilization of BNP and NT-proBNP, which include： （1） Different prevalence and diagnostic/prognostic values of BNP isoforms; （2） methodological issues on detection of BNP; （3） glycosylation of proBNP and its effect on biomarker testing; （4） specificity and comparability of BNP/NT-proBNP resulted from different testing platforms; （5） new development of natriuretic peptides as HF treatment modality; （6） BNP paradox in HF; and （7） special considerations of using BNP/NT-proBNP in elderly HF patients. These practical discussions on BNP/NT-proBNP may be instrumental for the healthcare providers in critically interpreting laboratory results and effective management of the HF patients.

Gait speed and hospitalization among ambulatory hemodialysis patients: USRDS special study data

AIM： To assess the association of measured gait speed with hemodialysis （HD） patients’ hospitalization, in conjunction with, and apart from, recent fall history.METHODS： Gait speed was measured by a standard protocol and falls during the past 12 mo were ascertained for a prevalent multi-center HD cohort （n = 668） aged 20-92. Hospitalization during the past 12 mo was identified in the patient’s clinic records, and the first hospitalization after gait speed assessment （or the competing event of death） was identifed in the 2013 United States Renal Data System Standard Analysis Files.characterized 34.7% of the patients, and 27.1% had experienced a recent fall. Patients with slow gait speed but without a history of recent falls were 1.79 times more likely to have been hospitalized during the past 12 mo （OR = 1.79, 95%CI： 1.11-2.88, P = 0.02）, and patients with slow gait speed and a history of recent falls were over two times more likely to have been hospitalized （OR = 2.10, 95%CI： 1.19-3.73, P = 0.01）, compared with patients having faster gait speed and no recent fall history. Prospective examination of gait speed/fall history status in relation to frst hospitaliza-tion （or death） incurred by the end of follow-up Decem-ber 31, 2011 also showed that slow gait speed was as-sociated with these events in conjunction with a history of falls （HR = 1.54, 95%CI： 1.04-2.30, P = 0.03）.CONCLUSION： The International Task Force on Nutri-tion and Aging reported that gait speed is a powerful predictor for older adults of adverse outcomes such as hospitalization. In our data, gait speed-apart from, as well as in conjunction with, recent fall history-was as-sociated with HD patients’ hospitalization for multiple causes. Gait speed may be a sensitive health indicator among HD patients across the age spectrum.

Artificial and bioartificial liver support:A review of perfusion treatment for hepatic failure patients

Liver transplantation and blood purification therapy,including plasmapheresis,hemodiafiltration,and bioartificial liver support,are the available treatments for patients with severe hepatic failure.Bioartificial liver support,in which living liver tissue is used to support hepatic function,has been anticipated as an effective treatment for hepatic failure.The two mainstream systems developed for bioartificial liver support are extracorporeal whole liver perfusion(ECLP)and bioreactor systems.Comparing various types of bioartificial liver in view of function,safety,and operability,we concluded that the best efficacy can be provided by the ECLP system.Moreover,in our subsequent experiments comparing ECLP and apheresis therapy,ECLP offers more ammonia metabolism than HD and HF.In addition,ECLP can compensate amino acid imbalance and can secret bile.A controversial point with ECLP is the procedure is labor intensive,resulting in high costs.However,ECLP has the potential to reduce elevated serum ammonia levels of hepatic coma patients in a short duration.When these problems are solved,bioartificial liver support,especially ECLP,can be adopted as an option in ordinary clinical therapy to treat patients with hepatic failure.

Intermediate-term mortality and incidence of ICD therapy in octogenarians after cardiac resynchronization therapy

Background Clinical outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy （CRT） in patients over the age of 80 have not been well de-scribed.MethodsWe retrospectively identified 96 consecutive patients≥ 80 years old who underwent an initial implant or an upgrade to CRT, with or without defibrillator （CRT-Dvs. CRT-P）, at our institution between January 2003 and July 2008. The control cohort consisted of 177 randomly selected patients 〈 80 years old undergoing CRT implant during the same time period. The primary efficacy endpoint was all-cause mortality at 36 months, assessed by Kaplan-Meier time to first event curves.Results In the octogenarian cohort, mean age at CRT implant was 83.1 ± 2.9 yearsvs. 60.1 ± 8.8 years among controls （P 〈 0.001）. Across both groups, 70% were male, mean left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） was 24.8% ± 14.1% and QRS duration was 154 ± 24.8 ms, without significant differences between groups. Octo-genarians were more likely to have ischemic cardiomyopathy （74%vs. 37%,P 〈 0.001） and more likely to undergo upgrade to CRT instead of an initial implant （42%vs. 19%,P 〈 0.001）. The rate of appropriate defibrillator shocks was lower among octogenarians （14%vs. 27%,P = 0.02） whereas the rate of inappropriate shocks was similar （3%vs. 6%,P = 0.55）. At 36 months, there was no significant difference in the rate of all-cause mortality between octogenarians （11%） and controls （8%,P = 0.381）.ConclusionAppropriately selected octogenarians who are candidates for CRT have similar intermediate-term mortality compared to younger patients receiving CRT.

Clinical characteristics of remote Zeus robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy:A report of 40 cases

AIM： To summarize the performing essentials and analyze the characteristics of remote Zeus robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS： Robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in 40 patients between May 2004 and July 2005. The operating procedures and a variety of clinical parameters were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS： Forty laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures were successfully completed with Zeus robotic system. And there were no post-operative complications. Total operating time, system setup time and performing time were 100.3±18.5 min, 27.7±8.8 min and 65.6±18.3 min, respectively. The blood loss and postoperative hospital stay were 30.6±10.2 mL and 2.8±0.8 d, respectively. Camera clearing times and time used for operative field adjustment were 1.1±1.0 min and 2.0±0.8 rain, respectively. The operative error was 7.5%. CONCLUSION： Robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy following the principles of laparoscopic operation has specific performing essentials. It preserves the benefits of minimally invasive surgery and offers enhanced ability of controlling operation field, precise and stable operative manipulations.

Outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not influenced by chronological age in the elderly

AIM:To evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC)in patients aged 80 years and older. METHODS:A total of 353 patients aged 65 to 79 years(group 1)and 35 patients aged 80 years and older(group 2)underwent LC.Patients were further classified into two other groups:those with uncomplicated gallbladder disease(group A)or those with complicated gallbladder disease(group B). RESULTS:There were no significant differences between the age groups(groups 1 and 2)with respect to clinical characteristics such as age,gender,comorbid disease,or disease presentation.Mean operative time,conversion rate,and the incidence of major postoperative complications were similar in groups 1 and 2.However,the percentage of high-risk patients was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (20.0%vs 5.7%,P<0.01).Group A comprised 322 patients with a mean age of 71.0±5.3 years,and group B comprised 51 patients with a mean age of 69.9±4.8 years.In group B,mean operative time (78.4±49.3 min vs 58.3±35.8 min,P<0.01),mean postoperative hospital stay(7.9±6.5 d vs 5.0±3.7 d, P<0.01),and the incidence of major postoperative complications(9.8%vs 3.1%,P<0.05)were significantly greater than in group A.The conversion rate tended to be higher in group B,but this difference was not significant. CONCLUSION:Perioperative outcomes in elderly patients who underwent LC seem to be influenced by the severity of gallbladder disease,and not by chronologic age.In octogenarians,LC should be performed at an earlier,uncomplicated stage of the disease whenever possible to improve perioperative outcomes.