Comparison of the treatment duration and nursing requirements of the EarWell infant ear correction system for different types of auricle deformities

Objective:To observe whether the Ear Well infant ear correction system makes any difference in terms of the treatment effect,duration,complication rate,and nursing care requirements in different types of infant auricle deformities.Methods:A total of 93 infant patients with auricular deformity(age:<3 months of age)who were diagnosed and treated in Guangzhou Children and Women’s Medical Center from April 2018 to September 2020 were selected and treated with the Ear Well infant ear correction system.We observed and recorded the effects of the Ear Well infant ear correction system,the treatment duration,the number of rebound cases,and complications that are likely to occur during treatment,and noted the related factors causing complications and the relative requirements for nursing care.Results:The Earwell infant ear correction system could effectively correct infant auricle deformities.Among the 93 cases,90 cases had positive therapeutical outcome and the effective rate was 96.77%.The treatment duration for lop ear and protruding ear was longer than for other auricle deformities;the deformity recoil and the treatment compilation rates were much higher for these 2 deformity types,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusions:The treatment suggestion for the wearing duration of the Ear Well infant ear correction system for lop ear and protruding ear is a prolonged duration compared with that for other infant auricle deformities.Fur ther,the requirements for nursing care intensity and infant patient’s guardian’s nursing knowledge and skill are obviously increased for these 2 types of auricle deformities.

Evaluation of the Influence of Fixed Orthodontic Treatment Duration on the Severity of Inflammatory Gingival Enlargement (Fixed Orthodontic Induced Gingival Enlargements) and Some Properties of Saliva

Background: Inflammatory gingival enlargement is a more common clinical feature with orthodontic therapy than other features. Therefore, this study was designed to the evaluation of the influence of fixed orthodontic treatment duration on the severity of inflammatory gingival enlargement (fixed orthodontic induced gingival enlargements) and some properties of saliva. Material and Methods: The sample size comprised 145 patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment for at least 6 months aged 13 - 32 years. They were divided according to orthodontic treatment duration into three groups. Group I (n = 47) included the patients who were treated for less than 6 months, group II (n = 51) included the patients who were treated for a period of 6 - 12 months, and group III (n = 47) included the patients who were managed for more than 12 months. Data were obtained from the outpatient clinics, college of dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia, and some dental centers in Sana’a city, the Republic of Yemen. This study was conducted from October 2021 G to January 2022 G. Clinical examination was done for plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), and gingival enlargement indexes (GEI). Saliva was collected in sterile test tubes then salivary flow and pH were measured. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS (version 23) and ANOVA test to evaluate the impact of orthodontic treatment duration on the severity of inflammatory gingival enlargement and some properties of saliva. Results: The statistical analysis demonstrated the highest mean plaque index (PLI) was among groups III and I participants whereas, the highest mean gingival index and mean gingival enlargement were among groups II and III participants. The present study revealed an increase in salivary flow with decreased salivary pH values with an increase in orthodontic therapy duration. There were statistically significant differences in clinical findings and salivary flow and pH values were observed in the comparison between groups I, II and III except PLI (p Conclusion: There was a higher inflammatory gingival enlargement associated with a higher plaque index in patients under orthodontic treatment for more than 12 months more than the patients for less than 6 months and the patients for a period of 6 - 12 months. There were correlations between an increase of salivary flow and pH values and an increase of other variables in this study, such as plaque index, gingival index, and gingival enlargement index with an increased orthodontic therapy duration.

Study of the Duration of Treatment in Drug Prescriptions Received in Pharmacies in Dakar

The prescription must include the name of the drugs or products prescribed, dosage form, dosage, directions for use and duration of treatment. However, sometimes errors can occur that can have consequences for the health of patients. Our study concerns the use of medical prescriptions received in pharmacies in the Dakar department. The survey was conducted in 90 pharmacies in these communes, which represent one third of the 270 pharmacies in the department of Dakar. This allowed us to study 2700 prescriptions. The study took place from 1 December 2016 to 30 June 2017, i.e. over a period of 7 months. Our results show that neurologists and urologists have a longer average treatment time than other specialists, with an average of 120 days and 90 days of treatment respectively. Then, the specialists who take a long time the drug represent more than 27%, and require renewal of the drug. In 63.90% of the cases, no notification on the duration of treatment was given by the prescriber. Only 5.39% were only given the mention “to be renewed”. At the end of our analysis, we can say that the prescription must be perfectly legible to avoid confusion by the patient or the pharmacist. The pharmacist then participates in the therapeutic education of the patient and thus helps him/her to live better with his/her disease. Therefore, socio-professional health associations and organisations must provide more continuous training on prescribing to ensure good compliance and above all avoid people buying medicines in the parallel circuit in order to better control health expenditure.

Correlation between current intensity and effective duration in the treatment of botulinus toxin for cerebral palsy by myoelectricity locating

BACKGROUND： Researches prove that the treatment of cerebral palsy by botulinus toxin （BTX-A） can improve effect and prolong effective duration. Current intensity is the important factor during injection. OBJECTIVE： To observe the changes of motor function and muscular intensity of children with spastic cerebral palsy after injecting BTX-A and analyze correlation between current intensity and effective duration. DESIGN： Cases control trial before and after nerves block SETTING： Capital University of Medical Sciences, China Rehabilitation Research Center PARTICIPANTS： From June 2002 to November 2004, 14 children with spastic cerebral palsy were treated by BTX-A block. All children were hospitalized in the Children Rehabilitation Department of China Rehabilitation Research Center. The children included 9 male and 5 female, and ranged from 4 to 13 years old, and average age was （6±2） years. Muscular tension ranged from grade 1 to grade 3. The diagnosis and the tape of cerebral palsy based on standard of the Fist Nationwide Cerebral Palsy Symposium, and all children were diagnosed with electroencephalogram （EEG）, CT and MRI, and permitted by their guardians. METHODS： （1） Locating and calculation： To locate block points by G6805-2A electro-therapeutic apparatus （Shanghai Huayi Electronic Instrument Plant） at the least stimulating current （continuous wave; impulse frequency; 2.667-83.333 Hz; current intensity： 0-6 mA; voltage： 6 V） to touch off muscles contraction. The current intensity of each point was recorded, and the average current intensity of each patient was calculated at the same time. （2） Dose of BTX-A： Basing upon the spastic degree and weight of patients, the dose was made certain： dose （IU）=（scores of Modified Ashworth Scale ＋2.5） xweight （kg）. The number of the block points was in all 4. The dose of injection ranged from 50 IU to 160 IU with the average of （73.6＋25.8） IU. The BTX-A was made by Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products, and each bottle contains 100 IU BTX-A. Muscular tension was evaluated by Modified Ashworth Scale. The scale ranged from grade 0 to grade 4, and the scores were from 0 to 4. The higher the scores were, the higher the muscular tension was. （3） Effect： Changes of muscular tension were evaluated by modified Ashworth Scale before and after block. Motor function was evaluated by Physician Rating Scale （PRS） before and after treatment. It contained Gait pattern, Hindfoot （ankle） position （stance-floor contact）, Hindfoot position （foot strike）, Knee position （degree of recurvation）, Crouch and Speed of gait. The scores ranged from 0 to 14. The higher the points were, the better the motor function was. （4） Effective duration： The duration was definited by the recovering of the Modified Ashworth Scale. （5） Statistic analysis： Firstly, the current intensity and the effect duration were analyzed by One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, the current intensity： Z= 0.456, P= 0.985, the effective duration： Z= 0.557, P= 0.915. Both data were normal distribution. Secondly, both data were analyzed by Linear Regression. The efficiency of the BTX-A block was analyzed by paired-samples t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： （1） Changes of motor function of muscular tension; （2） correlation between current intensity and effective duration. RESULTS： Fourteen children with spastic cerebral palsy were all involved in the final analysis. （1） Therapeutic effect： The average score of Ashworth scale after block was lower than that before block [（1.02±0.34） points vs. （2.12±0.48） points, t= 3.644, P〈 0.01]. The average score of RPS after block was higherthan that before block [（9.75±2.78） points vs. （6.16±0.58） points, t =13.222, P〈 0.01]. （2） Relation between the current intensity and the effective duration： The current intensity was （0.1857±0.0506） mA, and the effective duration was （26.36±4.48） weeks. The current intensity was negative correlation with effective duration （r = -0.775, P = 0.01 ）. CONCLUSION： （1） BTX-A occlusion can decrease muscular tension and improve motor function of lower limbs of children with spastic cerebral palsy. （2） The lower the current intensity is, the longer the effective duration is.

Osteoporosis Treatment:When to Discontinue and When to Re-start

A number of effective therapies for the treatment of osteoporosis have become available in recent years. However, uncertainty exists regarding their long-term use and effectiveness. Bisphosphonate treatment, unlike hormone replacement, denosumab or teriparatide, is associated with benefits extended even after treatment discontinuation. The extended benefits are most apparent for alendronate （ALN） and zoledronate （ZOL）. A drug holiday might be considered in patients compliant with treatment, and who have had a response fractures the decision to consider a drug holiday should treatment. at low-moderate risk and who have been fully to treatment. In patients at low-moderate risk of be balanced also with the safety profile of each

Short vs long-course antibiotic therapy in adults with acute cholangitis:A systematic review,meta-analysis,and evidence quality assessment

BACKGROUND Acute cholangitis(AC)constitutes an infection with increased mortality rates in the past.Due to new diagnostic tools and therapeutic methods,the mortality of AC has been significantly reduced nowadays.The initial antibiotic treatment of AC has been oriented to the most common pathogens connected to this infection.However,the optimal duration of the antibiotic treatment of AC is still debatable.AIM To investigate if shorter-course antibiotic treatments could be similarly effective to long-course treatments in adults with AC.METHODS This study constitutes a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature concerning the duration of antibiotic therapy of AC and an assessment of the quality of the evidence.The study was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.Fifteen studies were included in the systematic review,and eight were eligible for meta-analysis.Due to heterogeneous duration cutoffs,three study-analysis groups were formed,with a cutoff of 2-3,6-7,and 14 d.RESULTS A total of 2763 patients were included in the systematic review,and 1313 were accounted for the meta-analysis.The mean age was 73.66±14.67 years,and the male and female ratio was 1:08.No significant differences were observed in the mortality rates of antibiotic treatment of 2-3 d,compared to longer treatments(odds ratio=0.78,95% confidence interval:0.23-2.67,I2=9%)and the recurrence rates and hospitalization length were also not different in all study groups.CONCLUSION Short-and long-course antibiotic treatments may be similarly effective concerning the mortality and recurrence rates of AC.Safe conclusions cannot be extracted concerning the hospitalization duration.

Effect of Jianpi Bushen formula for colon cancer patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy:Statistical analysis plan for a multicenter trial

Background:Patients with colon cancer who receive chemotherapy usually experience various gastrointestinal adverse reactions,including nausea,vomiting,and diarrhea,which make it challenging for them to adhere to treatment.As an effective traditional Chinese medicine,the Jianpi Bushen formula has been widely used to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy.Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jianpi Bushen formulae for patients who undergo chemotherapy.This statistical analysis plan(SAP)is intended to enhance the transparency and research quality of our randomized controlled trial.Methods:Our study is a multicenter,double-blind,randomized controlled clinical trial.This trial aimed to compare the completion rate of chemotherapy in colon cancer patients who are using and not using Jianpi Bushen formula.To attenuate possible selection bias in the final report,we declared the overall trial design,outcome measures,subgroup analyses,and safety measures.Also,we described the data management and statistical analysis methods in detail.Conclusion:The SAP provides more detailed information than the trial protocol for data management and statistical analysis methods.Further post-hoc analyses can be performed by referring to the SAP,and possible selection bias can be attenuated.

Effect of 8-week and 12-week triple therapy (doxycycline, rifampicin, and gentamicin) on brucellosis: A comparative study

Objective:To compare the effect of 8-week and 12-week of triple therapy (doxycycline, rifampicin, and gentamicin) on brucellosis. Methods: This parallel clinical trial was conducted on 339 brucellosis patients who were divided into 2 groups. The first group (175 patients) received doxycycline (100 mg/12 h) for 8 weeks, rifampicin (600 mg/d) for 8 weeks, and gentamicin (5 mg/kg/d) for 7 d, while in the second group (164 patients), doxycycline and rifampicin treatment were prolonged to 12 weeks, along with gentamicin therapy for 7 d. The patients were followed-up for six months after the treatment. Baseline information, clinical manifestations of the patients were collected, and serological tests for brucellosis were performed after the treatment. Results: The mean age of the patients was (45.95 ± 18.65) years, and 56.9% of the patients were male. In total, 73.5% of the patients were residents in rural areas and the majority of them were farmers and ranchers (34.6%). The 3-month relapse rates of the two groups were 11.42% and 6.70%, respectively (P=0.132). Moreover, the 6-month relapse rate of the two groups was 6.3% and 2.4%, respectively (P=0.085). In the two groups, both treatments could reduce serological titers based on Wright and 2ME tests (P<0.05). Conclusions: The efficacy of 8-weeks and 12-weeks triple therapy (doxycycline, rifampicin, and gentamicin) is similar in terms of brucellosis relapse. The 8-week triple therapy including doxycycline, rifampicin, and gentamicin can be considered as an effective approach for the treatment of brucellosis.

Surface Modification of Polyimide Film by Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

In this paper,polyimide（PI）films are modified using an atmospheric pressure plasma generated by a dielectric barrier discharge（DBD）in argon.Surface performance of PI film and its dependence on exposure time from 0 s to 300 s are investigated by dynamic water contact angle（WCA）,field emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM）,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total multiple reflection mode（FTIR-ATR）.The study demonstrates that dynamic WCA exhibits a minimum with 40 s plasma treatment,and evenly distributed nano-dots and shadow concaves appeared for 40 s and 12 s Ar plasma treatment individually.A short period of plasma modification can contribute to the scission of the imide ring and the introduction of C-O and C=O（-COOH）by detailed analysis of FTIR-ATR.

Effects of water regime, crop residues, and application rates on control of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense

Biological soil disinfestation is an effective method to control soil-borne disease by flooding and incorporating with organic amendments, but field conditions and resources sometimes limited its practical application. A laboratory experiment was conducted to develop practice guidelines on controlling Fusarium wilt, a widespread banana disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense（FOC）. FOC infested soil incorporated with rice or maize straw at rates of 1.5 tons/ha and 3.0 tons/ha was incubated under flooded or water-saturated（100% water holding capacity） conditions at 30℃ for 30 days. Results showed that FOC populations in the soils incorporated with either rice or maize straw rapidly reduced more than 90% in the first 15 days and then fluctuated till the end of incubation, while flooding alone without organic amendment reduced FOC populations slightly. The rapid and dramatic decrease of redox potential（down to- 350 m V） in straw-amended treatments implied that both anaerobic condition and strongly reductive soil condition would contribute to pathogen inactivation. Water-saturation combined with straw amendments had the comparable effects on reduction of FOC, indicating that flooding was not indispensable for inactivating FOC. There was no significant difference in the reduction of FOC observed in the straw amendments at between 1.5 and 3 tons/ha. Therefore,incorporating soil with straw（rice or maize straw） at a rate of 3.0 tons/ha under 100%water holding capacity or 1.5 tons/ha under flooding, would effectively alleviate banana Fusarium wilt caused by FOC after 15-day treating under 30℃.

Soil microbial biomass and community responses to experimental precipitation change:A meta-analysis

The activity of soil microbes is strongly constrained by water availability.However,it is unclear how microbial activity responds to spatial and temporal changes in precipitation,particularly to long-term precipitation changes.To identify the spatiotemporal patterns of microbial responses to precipitation changes of differing durations,we conducted a meta-analysis of data from 95 field studies with drought treatments and 109 field studies with elevated precipitation treatments.Our results indicated that microbial biomass carbon(MBC)decreased by 17% under drought and increased by 18% under elevated precipitation.Across all studies,the phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA)biomarkers for fungi and bacteria decreased significantly under drought but increased under elevated precipitation.In addition,the negative effect of drought on MBC tended to be greater at sites with a high aridity index,but the effect of elevated precipitation on MBC did not differ among sites.More importantly,the responses of MBC,fungal and bacterial PLFA abundance did not vary with treatment duration under drought,but under elevated precipitation,they increased in the first five years of treatment and declined thereafter.These results are important for our prediction of microbial responses to long-term precipitation change,because they imply that microbes acclimate to long-term elevated precipitation.