scholarly journals Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines for Treating HIV Infections and AIDS

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Zou ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Hongjuan Li ◽  
Xing Liao
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Oral Candidiasis ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Integrated Treatment ◽  
Antiretroviral Drugs ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Peripheral Leukocytes

To assess the effects of TCHM on patients with HIV infection and AIDS, we reviewed eleven randomized placebo-controlled trials involving 998 patients. Due to the limited number of RCTs for included trials and the small sample size of each study, we are not able to draw firm conclusions concerning TCHM therapy in treating patients with HIV infection and AIDS. However, some high-quality clinical studies do exist. Studies of diarrhea and oral candidiasis, which are challenging symptoms of AIDS, were demonstrated to have positive effects. Study of peripheral leukocytes, which are a side effect of antiretroviral drugs, suggested that an integrated treatment approach may be of benefit. The overall methodological quality of the trials was adequate; however, randomization methods should be clearly described and fully reported in these trials according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT).

scholarly journals Immunological Effects of an Add-On Physical Exercise Therapy in Depressed Adolescents and Its Interplay with Depression Severity

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6527
Author(s):  
Heidrun Lioba Wunram ◽  
Max Oberste ◽  
Stefanie Hamacher ◽  
Susanne Neufang ◽  
Nils Grote ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exercise Therapy ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Tnf Α

Background: Pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs) have gained attention in the pathophysiology and treatment of depressive disorders. At the same time, the therapeutic effect of physical activity seems to work via immunomodulatory pathways. The interventional study “Mood Vibes” analyzed the influence of exercise on depression severity (primary endpoint) in depressive adolescents; the influence of PICs on the clinical outcome was analyzed as a secondary endpoint. Methods: Clinically diagnosed depressed adolescents (N = 64; 28.1% male; mean age = 15.9; mean BMI = 24.6) were included and participated either in Whole Body Vibration (WBV) (n = 21) or bicycle ergometer training (n = 20) in addition to treatment-as-usual (TAU). Patients in the control treatment group received TAU only (n = 23). The PICs (interleukin-6—IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α—TNF-α) were analyzed before intervention, after 6 weeks of training (t1), and 8 weeks post-intervention (t2). The effects of the treatment on depression severity were rated by self-rating “Depression Inventory for Children and Adolescents” (DIKJ). Results: Basal IL-6 decreased in all groups from t0 to t1, but it increased again in WBV and controls at t2. TNF-α diminished in ergometer and controls from baseline to t1. PIC levels showed no correlation with depression severity at baseline. The influence on DIKJ scores over time was significant for IL-6 in the WBV group (p = 0.008). Sex had an impact on TNF-α (p < 0.001), with higher concentrations in male patients. Higher body mass index was associated with higher IL-6 concentrations over all measurement points (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The positive effects of an intensive add-on exercise therapy on adolescent depression seem to be partly influenced by immunomodulation. A small sample size and non-randomized controls are limitations of this study.

scholarly journals A Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate the Effects of Age and Duration of HIV Infection on Anxiety and Depression in Cisgender Men

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Gianella ◽  
Rowan Saloner ◽  
Genevieve Curtin ◽  
Susan J. Little ◽  
Anne Heaton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results

AbstractThis observational cross-sectional study of 152 people with HIV (PWH) examined the effects of age and estimated duration of HIV infection (EDI) on depressive and anxiety symptoms. All participants were cisgender men and completed the Profile of Moods State (POMS), a self-report inventory of current (i.e., past week) mood states. Overall, study results confirmed higher levels of anxiety and depression in PWH compared to individuals without HIV. Age group (< 50 or ≥ 50 years) moderated the effect of EDI (< 3 or ≥ 3 years) on mood disturbance. Specifically, younger PWH with early diagnosed infection exhibited the highest levels of depression and anxiety, whereas depression and anxiety were attenuated in older PWH with early infection such that their POMS scores did not significantly differ from the HIV-negative and chronically HIV-infected groups. Despite the small sample size and other important limitations in our study design, our preliminary findings confirm previous observations that older people may have some adaptive ability to better handle the acute psychological stressors associated with recent HIV infection.

scholarly journals Developing Product Liability Index for Korean Manufacturing Companies

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
JunHyeok Seo ◽  
SungMin Bae
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation System ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Product Liability ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Organized Activities ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Financial Loss ◽  
Positive Effects

<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> PL (product liability) response system is an enterprise-wide system that prevents company’s financial loss due to PL-related accidents. This study aims at developing an evaluation system for objectively assessing the extent to which companies carry out systematic and organized activities for product liability, including product safety activities, preventive actions, and protective measures.</p><p><strong>Methodology/Approach:</strong> We used the Delphi and analytical hierarchy process methods to develop an evaluation system with product liability experts to present the relative importance of response strategy based on selected evaluation criteria. And then, we carried out systematic and organized PL activities of each industry, scale, and growth stage of the Korean manufacturing companies through PLI.</p><p><strong>Findings:</strong> In terms of the scale of the manufacturer, Large-sized firms has the highest PLI of 92.32. Also, middle- to large sized firms and middle-sized firms have the highest PLI of 90.63 and 77.35, respectively. And then In terms of the importance of all manufacturers, Awareness was identified as the most important component influencing corporate management activities, with the highest PLI of 78.59.</p><p><strong>Research Limitation/implication:</strong> This study is limited due to the small sample size and the number of examples.</p><strong>Originality/Value of paper:</strong> Our paper will enable consumers to determine a manufacturer’s response to product liability, and the subsequent positive effects, such as the increase of quality in consumption life.

Classification of Chinese Herbal Medicine Based on Improved LDA Algorithm Using Machine Olfaction

2012 ◽  
Vol 239-240 ◽  
pp. 1532-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
De Han Luo ◽  
Ya Wen Shao
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Fisher Criterion ◽  
Classification Rate ◽  
Scatter Matrix ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Chinese Herbal ◽  
Machine Olfaction

Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is a popular method among pattern recognition algorithms of machine olfaction. However, “Small Sample Size” (SSS) problem would occur while using LDA algorithm with traditional Fisher criterion if the within-class scatter matrix is singular. In this paper, maximum scatter difference (MSD) criterion and LDA were combined to solve SSS problem, so that three kinds of Chinese herbal medicines from different growing areas were accurately classified. At the same time, the classification result was enhanced. It works out that only a few samples of Anhui Atractylodes are classified incorrectly, however, the classification rate reaches 97.8%.

scholarly journals Experience of Using an App in HIV Patients Older Than 60 Years: Pilot Program (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián Olalla ◽  
Jose María García de Lomas ◽  
Efrén Márquez ◽  
Francisco Jesús González ◽  
Alfonso Del Arco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group

BACKGROUND New technologies can promote knowledge of HIV infection among patients suffering from this disease. Older patients with HIV infection represent an increasingly large group that could benefit from the use of specific apps. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to observe the acceptability and use of a mobile app on HIV infection in patients at least 60 years old and offer them the possibility of anonymously establishing contact with their peers. METHODS A series of clinical and psychosocial parameters were studied in 30 HIV-infected patients of over 60 years. The patients must be at least 60 years old, with a follow-up in the outpatient clinic for at least 1 year and without pathologies that limit his or her life expectancy to less than a year. They must know how to read and write. To be part of the group assigned to the app, they had to have their own smartphone and confirm that they were connected to the internet from that device. Overall, 15 of them were randomized to use an app and 15 were in the control group. All tests were repeated after 6 months. RESULTS The median age of patients was 66.5 years. Among them, 29 patients had an undetectable viral load at baseline. The median number of comorbid diseases was 2. Overall, 11 of them lived with their partners and 19 lived alone. They spent an average of 5 hours a day sitting down, and 56% (17/30) of them referred high physical activity. They scored 4 out of 5 for general quality of life perception. Moreover, 80% (24/30) presented high adherence to their treatment, and the average number of concomitant medications was 5. In the 6-min walking test, they covered a distance of 400 meters, and 3 of them desaturated during the test. The 15 patients made frequent use of the app, with 2407 sessions and an average of 7 min and 56 seconds time of use with a total of 13,143 screen views. During the 6 months of the trial, 3 non-AIDS events took place. There were no significant modifications to body mass index, blood pressure measurements, lipid profile, or immuno-virology information data. There were no differences in the questionnaire scores for perception of quality of life, confessed physical activity, or antiretroviral treatment (ART) and non-ART treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS Significant differences between studied parameters were not objectified in these patients, possibly because this trial has significant limitations, such as a small sample size and only a brief follow-up period. However, patients did use the app frequently, making this a possible intervention to be proposed in future subsequent studies.

scholarly journals Herbal Medicine Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miran Bang ◽  
Sun Haeng Lee ◽  
Seung-Hun Cho ◽  
Sun-Ae Yu ◽  
Kibong Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Effective Rate ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis

Objective. To summarize and evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines used for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Methods. Thirteen electronic databases were searched from their inception to November 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy of herbal medicines alone or in combination with other Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments for ASD in children were included. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used and other data analyses were performed using RevMan (Version 5.3). Results. Ten RCTs involving 567 patients with ASD were included for qualitative synthesis. In conjunction with conventional therapy, herbal medicines significantly improved the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) score, but the results of effects on total effective rate (TER) were different between the included studies. The use of herbal medicines with integrative therapy improved the CARS score and TER. In the studies that documented adverse events, no serious events were associated with herbal medicines. Conclusions. The efficacy of herbal medicines for the treatment of ASD appears to be encouraging but was inconclusive owing to low methodological quality, herbal medicine diversity, and small sample size of the examined studies.

A systematic review of treatments for alcohol-related cognitive impairment: lessons from the past and gaps for future interventions

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (13) ◽  
pp. 2113-2127
Author(s):  
Elsa Caballeria ◽  
Clara Oliveras ◽  
Laura Nuño ◽  
Mercedes Balcells-Oliveró ◽  
Antoni Gual ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Jadad Scale ◽  
No Gold Standard

AbstractAlcohol-related cognitive impairment (ARCI) is highly prevalent among patients with alcohol dependence. Although it negatively influences treatment outcome, this condition is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the existing evidence regarding both cognitive and pharmacological interventions for ARCI. We systematically reviewed PubMed, Scopus and Science direct databases up to May 2019 and followed the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Jadad Scale. Twenty-six studies were eligible for inclusion (14 referring to neuropsychological interventions and 12 to pharmacological treatments). Among neuropsychological interventions, computerised treatments, errorless learning and component method showed positive effects on working memory, memory measures and general cognitive function. On the other hand, thiamine, memantine and methylphenidate improved working memory, long-term memory and general cognitive function. Nevertheless, these studies have several limitations, such as small sample size, lack of replication of the results or low specificity of the interventions. Therefore, no gold-standard intervention can yet be recommended for clinical practice, and further research based on promising strategies (e.g. digital interventions, thiamine) is required.

Sleep in care homes

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam L Gordon ◽  
John RF Gladman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Sleep Hygiene ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Co Morbidity

SummarySleep problems in older adults are common and disturbance in sleep is associated with increased mortality. These problems are more pronounced in the care home population because of institutional factors and a high prevalence of frailty and co-morbidity. This article reviews the randomized controlled trials undertaken to address sleep problems in care homes. These suggest that stand-alone therapies – oral melatonin and light therapy – have no effect on sleep but that combination treatments – physical exercise plus sleep hygiene, physical exercise plus sleep hygiene plus light and melatonin plus light – may have positive effects. These effects are more marked for daytime arousal than nocturnal sleep. Practical considerations for care homes are how to maximize light exposure, incorporate exercise into daily routines and minimize night-time disruption for residents. Trials undertaken so far are compromised by small sample size and inappropriate randomization strategies and further research is therefore required.

scholarly journals Comparison of two different doses of citicoline in patients with traumatic brain injury

2020 ◽  
pp. 8-15
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Traumatic Head ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: The ever-increasing and common occurrence of head traumas highlight the importance of adopting therapeutic measures for the reduction of the associated morbidity and mortality. Citicoline, as a safe medicine with positive effects on improving traumatic injuries, has been proven to be useful in various studies. However, there are still no data on the specific standard method and dosage of citicoline for the treatment of patients with traumatic head injuries. Regarding this, the present study was performed to determine the effective therapeutic dosage of citicoline and its impact on patients with traumatic head injuries. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 30 patients with traumatic concussion (a Glasgow coma scale [GCS] of ≤8) admitted to the intensive care unit and neurosurgery department. The patients were randomly divided into three groups of A (control), B (citicoline with a dosage of 0.5 g/twice a day), and C (citicoline with a dosage of 1.5 g/twice a day). The GCS, degree of muscle strength, Glasgow outcome score (GOS), contusion volume, and cerebral edema (based on brain CT scans) were calculated at specific times and intervals. In addition, the patients' dependency on a ventilator and their length of ICU stay were registered. Results: Mean GCS on the first day of stay, GCS changes on the third and fourth days of stay, first and seventh days of stay, seventh and fourteenth days of stay, and first and fourteenth days of stay in the three study groups showed the significant statistical difference (P<0.05). Significant statistical differences were seen between the GOS of the 30th day of stay in the three study groups (P<0.05). The contusion volume difference was only significant between the first and seventh days of stay in groups A and C (P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the mean length of stay in ICU and duration of dependency on a ventilator in the three study groups (P<0.05). The mean degree of muscle strength was only significantly different on the first day of stay between groups B and C (P=0.008). Conclusions: In contrary to similar studies, the results of the current study revealed that citicoline had no positive effect on patient healing. This result may be due to the small sample size and the inconsistent first-day GCSs of the patients in all three groups. Therefore, given the confirmation of the effectiveness of citicoline even at higher dosages in other studies in future studies, it is recommended to use populations with a larger number of patients.

Evaluation of a resilience intervention for Filipino displaced survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Regina Hechanova ◽  
Pierce S. Docena ◽  
Liane Peña Alampay ◽  
Avegale Acosta ◽  
Emma E. Porio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Super Typhoon ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Resilience Intervention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of a community-based resilience intervention for Filipino displaced survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used a quasi-experimental and mixed-method design comparing a treatment group with a control group across three time periods: before, immediately after, and six months after the intervention. Findings Results showed significant improvements in survivors’ anxiety scores and resilience scores compared to those who did not undergo the program. However, although there was an increase in adaptive coping of participants immediately after the program, there was a reduction in adaptive coping behaviors for all groups six months after the program. Focus group discussions revealed this might be due to significant environmental challenges among displaced survivors. Research limitations/implications A limitation of the study was the lack of randomization and a small sample size due to attrition. Practical implications The study highlights the positive effects of culturally adapted group interventions. Social implications The results suggest the importance of a systemic approach to enabling the recovery of displaced survivors in developing countries. Originality/value This study provides evidence for a resilience intervention developed in a low-middle income country in Southeast Asia.

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