Research on the Assessment System of Computational Mechanics Courses Based on the TOPSIS Entropy Weight Model

This paper takes the assessment and evaluation of computational mechanics course as the background,and constructs a diversified course evaluation system that is student-centered and integrates both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.The system not only pays attention to students’practical operation and theoretical knowledge mastery but also puts special emphasis on the cultivation of students’innovative abilities.In order to realize a comprehensive and objective evaluation,the assessment and evaluation method of the entropy weight model combining TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution)multi-attribute decision analysis and entropy weight theory is adopted,and its validity and practicability are verified through example analysis.This method can not only comprehensively and objectively evaluate students’learning outcomes,but also provide a scientific decision-making basis for curriculum teaching reform.The implementation of this diversified course evaluation system can better reflect the comprehensive ability of students and promote the continuous improvement of teaching quality.

Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil as second-line treatment in autoimmune hepatitis:Is the evidence of sufficient quality to develop recommendations?

BACKGROUND The standard management of autoimmune hepatitis(AIH)is based on corticosteroids,alone or in combination with azathioprine.Second-line treatments are needed for patients who have refractory disease.However,high-quality data on the alternative management of AIH are scarce.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)and the quality of evidence by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation approach(GRADE).METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data were performed.We calculated pooled event rates for three outcome measures:Biochemical remission,adverse events,and mortality,with their corresponding 95%confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS The pooled biochemical remission rate was 68.9%(95%CI:60.4-76.2)for tacrolimus,and 59.6%(95%CI:54.8-64.2)for MMF,and rates of adverse events were 25.5%(95%CI:12.4-45.3)for tacrolimus and 24.1%(95%CI:15.4-35.7)for MMF.The pooled mortality rate was estimated at 11.5%(95%CI:7.1-18.1)for tacrolimus and 9.01%(95%CI:6.2-12.8)for MMF.Pooled biochemical remission rates for tacrolimus and MMF in patients with intolerance to standard therapy were 56.6%(CI:43.4-56.6)vs 73.5%(CI:58.1-84.7),and among non-responders were 59.1%(CI:48.7-68.8)vs 40.8%(CI:32.3-50.0),respectively.Moreover,the overall quality assessments using GRADE proved to be very low for all our outcomes in both treatment groups.CONCLUSION Tacrolimus and MMF are in practice considered effective for patients with AIH who are non-responders or intolerant to first-line treatment,but we found no high-quality evidence to support this statement.

Chinese medicine formulas for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)affects more than one-quarter of the global population.Due to the lack of approved chemical agents,many patients seek treatment from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulas.A variety of systematic reviews have been published regarding the effectiveness and safety of TCM formulas for NAFLD.AIM To critically appraise available systematic reviews and sort out the high-quality evidence on TCM formulas for the management of NAFLD.METHODS Seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to 28 February 2020.The search terms included“non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,”“Chinese medicines,”“systematic review,”and their synonyms.Systematic reviews involving TCM formulas alone or in combination with conventional medications were included.The methodological quality and risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews were evaluated by using A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review(ROBIS).The quality of outcomes was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)system.RESULTS Seven systematic reviews were ultimately included.All systematic reviews were conducted based on randomized controlled trials and published in the last decade.According to the AMSTAR 2 tool,one systematic review was judged as having a moderate confidence level,whereas the other studies were rated as having a low or extremely low level of confidence.The ROBIS tool showed that the included systematic reviews all had a high risk of bias due to insufficient consideration of identified concerns.According to the GRADE system,only two outcomes were determined as high quality;namely,TCM formulas with the HuoXueHuaYu principle were better than conventional medications in ultrasound improvement,and TCM formulas were superior to antioxidants in alanine aminotransferase normalization.Other outcomes were downgraded to lower levels,mainly because of heterogeneity among studies,not meeting optimal information sample size,and inclusion of excessive numbers of small sample studies.Nevertheless,the evidence quality of extracted outcomes should be further downgraded when applying to clinical practice due to indirectness.CONCLUSION The quality of available systematic reviews was not satisfactory.Researchers should avoid repeatedly conducting systematic reviews in this area and focus on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials to support TCM formula applications.

A Conceptually-Based Empirical Analysis on Quality Differences Between UK Annual Reports and US 10-K Reports

The International Accounting Standards Board （IASB） and the Financial Accounting Standards Board （FASB） stress the importance of high-quality ＇financial reports. From a scientific point of view, however, major methodological drawbacks can arise when trying to arrive at a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the decision usefulness of financial reports. In this conceptually-based exploratory study, the authors construct a 33-item index aimed at operationalizing decision usefulness in terms of the fundamental and enhancing qualitative characteristics laid out in the conceptual framework （CF） of the IASB （2010）. Using a matched-pairs sample design, which includes 70 UK annual reports and 70 US 10-K reports for 2010, the results of test-retest and inter-rater reliability tests show that these multiple items, which were based on items used in previous research, can be measured in a reliable manner. At the same time, the results of an exploratory factor analysis indicate that the IASB qualitative characteristics cannot be measured separately when the 33-item index is applied. At an aggregate level, the results of paired-sample t-tests reveal that UK reports score on average higher than US 10-K reports, which suggests that the overall quality of UK reports is better. The findings of this study add to the existing literature on the empirical evaluation of the effects of international accounting standards, showing that, as compared with 10-K reports, UK annual reports provide more information on topics such as corporate social responsibility （CSR）, corporate governance, and annual bonus schemes. On the other hand, US reports outperform UK reports with respect to the content of fair value information, cash flow statements, off-balance financing, and audit reporting.

A Protocol for Developing a Clinical Practice Guideline for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Vancomycin

This study aimed to develop a guideline for therapeutic drug monitoring（TDM） of vancomycin. We adopted the new guideline definition from the Institute of Medicine（IOM）, adhered closely to the six domains of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research ＆ Evaluation Ⅱ（AGREE Ⅱ）, and made recommendations based on systematic reviews. We established a Guideline Steering Group and a Guideline Development Group, formulated 12 questions in the form of Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome（PICO） and completed a literature search. As far as we know, we will develop the first evidenced-based guideline for vancomycin TDM under the framework of the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation（GRADE）.

Quality Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Integrative Medicine in China:A Systematic Review

Objective： To assess the quality of integrative medicine clinical practice guidelines（CPGs） published before 2014. Methods： A systematic search of the scientific literature published before 2014 was conducted to select integrative medicine CPGs. Four major Chinese integrated databases and one guideline database were searched： the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database（CBM）, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI）, China Science and Technology Journal Database（VIP）, Wanfang Data, and the China Guideline Clearinghouse（CGC）. Four reviewers independently assessed the quality of the included guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation（AGREE） Ⅱ Instrument. Overall consensus among the reviewers was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient（ICC）. Results： A total of 41 guidelines published from 2003 to 2014 were included. The overall consensus among the reviewers was good [ICC： 0.928; 95% confidence interval（CI）： 0.920 to 0.935]. The scores on the 6 AGREE domains were： 17% for scope and purpose（range： 6% to 32%）, 11% for stakeholder involvement（range： 0 to 24%）, 10% for rigor of development（range： 3% to 22%）, 39% for clarity and presentation（range： 25% to 64%）, 11% for applicability（range： 4% to 24%）, and 1% for editorial independence（range： 0 to 15%）. Conclusions： The quality of integrative medicine CPGs was low, the development of integrative medicine CPGs should be guided by systematic methodology. More emphasis should be placed on multi-disciplinary guideline development groups, quality of evidence, management of funding and conflicts of interest, and guideline updates in the process of developing integrative medicine CPGs in China.

Project-based Learning （PBL） for Enhancing Chinese College Students＇ English Performance

Project-based learning （PBL） as an instructional approach focuses on student-centeredness through contextualizing learning by presenting students with real world issues and practices that aim at achieving enduring learning effects. As a challenge to traditional lecture-based instruction, PBL may generate positive backwash assessment effects via documenting the process of developing authentic language skills. These skills-oriented outcomes are achieved through proper curricula in appropriate learning situations via various dimensions. However, problems may occur such as management, pressure from administration, evaluation doing their selected projects. teacher/student attitude, class size and proper group process and criteria, and students＇ likely frustrations in