scholarly journals Acupuncture for Chronic Pain-Related Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Fushui Liu ◽  
Jianyu You ◽  
Qi Li ◽  
Ting Fang ◽  
Mei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Cure Rate ◽  
Significant Difference

Objectives. Acupuncture has been widely used to relieve chronic pain-related insomnia (CPRI). However, the efficacy of acupuncture for CPRI is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for CPRI. Methods. Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if acupuncture was compared to sham acupuncture or conventional drug therapies for treating CPRI. Two reviewers screened each study and extracted data independently. Statistical analyses were conducted by RevMan 5.3 software. Results. A total of nine studies involving 944 patients were enrolled. The pooled analysis indicated that acupuncture treatment was significantly better than control group in improving effective rate (OR = 8.09, 95%CI = [4.75, 13.79], P < 0.00001) and cure rate (OR = 3.17, 95%CI = [2.35, 4.29], P < 0.00001), but subgroup analysis showed that there was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and sham acupuncture in improving cure rate (OR =10.36, 95% CI [0.53, 201.45], P=0.12) based on one included study. In addition, meta-analysis demonstrated that acupuncture group was superior to control group in debasing PSQI score (MD = -2.65, 95%CI = [-4.00, -1.30], P = 0.0001) and VAS score (MD = -1.44, 95%CI = [-1.58, -1.29], P < 0.00001). And there was no significant difference in adverse events (OR =1.73, 95%CI = [0.92, 3.25], P =0.09) between the two groups. Conclusions. Acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment for CPRI, and this treatment can be recommended for the management of patients with CPRI. Due to the low quality and small sample size of the included studies, more rigorously designed RCTs with high quality and large sample size are recommended in future.

scholarly journals Risk Assessment of Intermittent and Continuous Nasogastric Enteral Feeding Methods in Adult Inpatients: A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Guang Yang ◽  
Bojun Zheng ◽  
Yi Yu
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Enteral Feeding ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Size Group ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Feeding Methods

Diarrhea and pneumonia are common and serious complications in hospitalized patients requiring nasogastric enteral feeding. Our study aimed to compare the risk of diarrhea and pneumonia between intermittent nasogastric enteral feeding (IEF) and continuous nasogastric enteral feeding (CEF). We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane for relevant articles published from August 9, 1992, to September 1, 2019. A total of 637 IEF and CEF patients were included in our meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the effects of diarrhea and pneumonia. We showed that hospital patients that required IEF had an increased risk of diarrhea compared with CEF. In the subgroup analyses, similar conclusions were identified in the non-China group and small sample size group (size < 100). However, our results showed no significant differences in the China group or large sample size group (size ≥ 100). Furthermore, our analysis showed that no significant association was observed for the risk of pneumonia between IEF and CEF patients. For inpatients requiring nasogastric enteral feeding, CEF is a better method of enteral nutrition compared with IEF, of which patients experience a significantly increased risk of diarrhea.

scholarly journals Meta-Analysis and Forest Plots for Sustainability of Heavy Load Carrier Equipment Used in the Industrial Mining Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8672
Author(s):  
Somnath Chattopadhyaya ◽  
Brajeshkumar Kishorilal Dinkar ◽  
Alok Kumar Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Shubham Sharma ◽  
José Machado
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Forest Plot ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Heavy Load ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Load Carrier

It is a common recommendation not to attempt a reliability analysis with a small sample size. However, this is feasible after considering certain statistical methods. One such method is meta-analysis, which can be considered to assess the effectiveness of a small sample size by combining data from different studies. The method explores the presence of heterogeneity and the robustness of the fresh large sample size using sensitivity analysis. The present study describes the approach in the reliability estimation of diesel engines and the components of industrial heavy load carrier equipment used in mines for transporting ore. A meta-analysis is carried out on field-based small-sample data for the reliability of different subsystems of the engine. The level of heterogeneity is calculated for each subsystem, which is further verified by constructing a forest plot. The level of heterogeneity was 0 for four subsystems and 2.23% for the air supply subsystem, which is very low. The result of the forest plot shows that all the plotted points mostly lie either on the center line (line of no effect) or very close to it, for all five subsystems. Hence, it was found that the grouping of an extremely small number of failure data is possible. By using this grouped TBF data, reliability analysis could be very easily carried out.

Evaluation of antipyretic activity of Belladonna and Pyrogenium ultrahigh dilutions in induced fever model

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Ahmad ◽  
Waheed Mumtaz Abbasi ◽  
Tayyeba Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Baker’S Yeast ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Baker's Yeast ◽  
Antipyretic Activity ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background Belladonna and Pyrogenium are commonly used to treat fever in homeopathy. But in vivo antipyretic activity of these medicines is not reported yet. The study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrahigh dilutions of Belladonna (Bell) and Pyrogenium (Pyro) in fever model of rabbits induced by Baker's yeast. Methods Healthy, local strain rabbits (♂ and ♀) were divided into seven groups (n=42): Normal control, negative control, standard control, pyro 1000c, pyro 200c, Bell 1000c and Bell 200c. Fever was induced by intra peritoneal injection of 135 mg/kg Baker’s yeast suspension. Rectal temperature was measured hourly. All the medicines were administered once a day. The results were expressed as mean ± SEM. ANOVA and least significant difference post hoc test were applied for checking the level of significance, p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant statistically. Results Pyro in both potencies significantly reduced fever in rabbits compared to negative control group, while both potencies of Bell were ineffective. Paracetamol and Pyro 1000c reduced by 1.2 °C (39.7 ± 0.1 to 38.5 ± 0.1), while Pyro 200c reduced by 1 °C temperature (39.7 ± 0.5 to 38.7 ± 0.2). Conclusions Pyro possesses marked antipyretic activity in rabbit’s Baker's yeast fever model. It would embolden its clinical use in fever with more guarantee of its efficacy. However, caveat of small sample size necessitates replication of experiment in large sample size.

scholarly journals Effect of Echium Amoenum on the Anxiety of College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55
Author(s):  
Somayeh Soltani Nejad ◽  
◽  
Maryam Zeighami ◽  
Ashraf Beirami ◽  
Ahmadali Amirifar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
T Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Echium Amoenum

Objective: Humans always have faced with the phenomenon of anxiety and have tried to find solutions to overcome this problem by various methods. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of echium amoenum on the anxiety of college students. Methods: This is a clinical trial study. Participants were 40 nursing students in Kerman, Iran who were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention (n=20) and control (n=20). The data collection tools were a demographic form and Cattle’s anxiety questionnaire. First, the baseline assessment was conducted in both groups. Then, the intervention group received 1 g echium amoenum powder in 250cc boiling water daily. After a month, both groups were assessed again. Data analysis was performed in SPSS v.20 software using descriptive and inferential statistics (mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, paired t-test, independent t-test, Mann-Witney U test). Results: At baseline, there was no significant difference between the two groups. After consumption of echium amoenum, the overall anxiety score decreased from 40.4±6.31 to 38.65±3.39 in the intervention group and increased from 39.7±9.29 to 41.75±9.91 in the control group; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Echium amoenum could reduce anxiety in the students, but its effect was not significant maybe due to the short duration of its use or small sample size. Hence, further studies with a larger sample size are recommended.

scholarly journals EVALUATION OF TONGUE FORCE USING PIEZOELECTRIC SENSOR IN TONGUE THRUSTING PATIENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 839-842
Author(s):  
K.S. Premkumar ◽  
◽  
N. Kurunji Kumaran ◽  
K. Rajasigamani MDS ◽  
V. Bhaskar MDS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Constant Pressure ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Piezoelectric Sensor ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Dental Arch ◽  
Tooth Position ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stable Maintenance

Tooth position and the form of the dental arch are subject to constant pressure from the circum-oral muscles and the tongue. Stable maintenance of the position of the teeth and the form of the dental arch is thought to depend on the balance of these pressures. Literature regarding the association of tongue force and the malocclusion remains controversial. Hence the present study aimed to measure the tongue force among the tongue thrusting patients using piezoelectric sensor and to compare with the control group. The results of the present study showed that there was no statistical significant difference between the two groups. This could be because of small sample size, which leads for future scope to increase in the sample size.

P–412 Low serum hCG levels adjusted for the hCG trigger dose in fresh cycles may be associated with a poor clinical pregnancy rate of FET cycles

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Deng ◽  
X Q Guo ◽  
M Lin ◽  
X Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Pregnancy Outcomes ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Hormone Replacement ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Clinical Pregnancy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Low Serum ◽  
Hcg Trigger

Abstract Study question Is there any association between serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels after trigger at previous fresh cycles and pregnancy outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles? Summary answer Low adjusted serum hCG level after hCG trigger at fresh cycles is negatively associated with clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) of hormone replacement treatment-FET (HRT-FET). What is known already: Literature showed that low serum hCG levels after the same dose of hCG trigger was associated with reduced pregnancy outcomes of the fresh cycles. However, the relationship between hCG levels after trigger at fresh cycles and pregnancy outcomes of FET cycles remains unknown. Study design, size, duration This matched retrospective study was conducted at a Reproductive Medicine Center between 2016 and 2018. Subjects performing HRT-FET cycles, whose previous fresh cycles used a bolus of hCG alone or a bolus of GnRHa combined with hCG for trigger were included. A total of 186 HRT-FET cycles with complete data was included for the final analysis. Participants/materials, setting, methods The study population was grouped into women with intramuscular injection of hCG prior to secretory transformation (hCG group, n = 93) and a comparison group (control group, n = 93) of women without hCG addition matched for patients’ age and duration of infertility. At the previous fresh cycles, serum hCG levels were measured 12 hours later after hCG trigger (defined as the “hCG+12 h” timepoint), and were adjusted for doses (defined as adjusted hCG levels). Main results and the role of chance: For patients achieving clinical pregnancy, the adjusted hCG level significantly increased (P &lt; 0.05). Meanwhile, the ROC curve also showed a significantly predictive value of adjusted serum hCG levels at the “hCG+12 h” timepoint for CPR in HRT- FET cycles (AUC=0.626, 95%CI: 0.512–0.740) and the optimal hCG threshold proposed by ROC for CPR was 46.31 mIU/mL with sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity of 56.9%. For all patients, the CPR in hCG group was significantly higher than that in control group (61.3% vs. 44.1%). Furthermore, all cycles were then divided into four groups based on the injection of hCG prior to secretory transformation in HRT-FET cycles and this cut-off value of hCG levels at the “hCG+12 h” timepoint. For patients with adjusted hCG levels ≤46.31 mIU/mL, the CPR was significantly improved in hCG group compared with control group (61.1% vs. 29.3%). But for patients with adjusted hCG levels &gt;46.31 mIU/mL, no statistically significant difference was observed between the hCG and control group (61.4% vs. 55.8%). Limitations, reasons for caution Although the results achieved statistically significant, the sample size was relatively small, which limits our ability to draw a definitive conclusion. The reason of the small sample size may be that to reduce the risk of OHSS, doctors would give preference to trigger with GnRH agonist in our center. Wider implications of the findings: Adjusted serum hCG levels might represent a potential factor to guide adequate support in the subsequent HRT-FET cycles. Meanwhile, for patients with low adjusted serum hCG levels, intramuscular hCG injection prior to secretory transformation may be a good compensation way to rescue pregnancy impair in the subsequent HRT-FET cycles. Trial registration number N/A.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Acetaminophen-Related Liver Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Experimental Studies in Vivo

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wang ◽  
Yiwen Zhang ◽  
Jiajun Zhong ◽  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Shuisheng Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cell ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group

Objective: The efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in acetaminophen-induced liver injury has been investigated in animal experiments, but individual studies with a small sample size cannot be used to draw a clear conclusion. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies to explore the potential of using MSCs in acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Methods: Eight databases were searched for studies reporting the effects of MSCs on acetaminophen hepatoxicity. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool for animal studies was applied to assess the methodological quality. A meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.4 and STATA/SE 16.0 software. Results: Eleven studies involving 159 animals were included according to PRISMA statement guidelines. Significant associations were found for MSCs with the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) (standardized mean difference (SMD) − 2.58, p < 0.0001), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (SMD − 1.75, p = 0.001), glutathione (GSH) (SMD 3.7, p < 0.0001), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (SMD 1.86, p = 0.022), interleukin 10 (IL-10) (SMD 5.14, p = 0.0002) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (SMD − 4.48, p = 0.011) compared with those in the control group. The subgroup analysis showed that the tissue source of MSCs significantly affected the therapeutic efficacy (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis results demonstrate that MSCs could be a potential treatment for acetaminophen-related liver injury.

scholarly journals The impact of visual impairment on nutritional status: A systematic review

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabila Jones ◽  
Hannah Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this review was to evaluate the literature that has investigated the impact of visual impairment on nutritional status. We identified relevant articles through a multi-staged systematic approach. Fourteen articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The sample size of the studies ranged from 9 to 761 participants. It was found that visual impairment significantly affects nutritional status. The studies reported that visually impaired people have an abnormal body mass index (BMI); a higher prevalence of obesity and malnutrition was reported. Visually impaired people find it difficult to shop for, eat, and prepare meals. Most studies had a small sample size, and some studies did not include a study control group for comparison. The limitations of these studies suggest that the findings are not conclusive enough to hold true for only those who are visually impaired. Further studies with a larger sample size are required with the aim of developing interventions.

scholarly journals Coronavirus disease-2019 in cancer patients. A report of the first 25 cancer patients in a western country (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 1425-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Maria Stroppa ◽  
Ilaria Toscani ◽  
Chiara Citterio ◽  
Elisa Anselmi ◽  
Elena Zaffignani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Antiviral Therapy ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
General Hospital ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Worse Prognosis

Background: We describe cancer patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection treated at the Piacenza’s general hospital (north Italy). Materials & methods: 25 cancer patients infected by COVID-19 admitted at the Piacenza’s general hospital from 21 February to 18 March 2020. Outcome from the infection were compared with infected noncancer patients. Results: 20 patients (80%) were treated with antiviral therapy and hydroxychloroquine and five (20%) received hydroxychloroquine alone. Nine (36%) patients died, while 16 (64%) overcome the infection. In the control group the mortality was 16.13% and the overcome from infection was 83.87%. Conclusion: Mortality for COVID-19 was greater in cancer patients when compared with noncancer patients, worse prognosis for older age, women and patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. However, the comparisons did not reach statistical significance in most cases. This could be due to the small sample size that is the main limitation of the study.

scholarly journals Comparison of total joint arthroplasty outcomes between renal transplant patients and dialysis patients—a meta-analysis and systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayi Li ◽  
Mingyang Li ◽  
Bo-qiang Peng ◽  
Rong Luo ◽  
Quan Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renal Transplant ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Total Joint Arthroplasty ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Joint Arthroplasty ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Dialysis Patients ◽  
Transplant Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Renal Transplant Patients

Abstract Objectives End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are at an increased risk of needing total joint arthroplasty (TJA); however, both dialysis and renal transplantation might be potential predictors of adverse TJA outcomes. For dialysis patients, the high risk of blood-borne infection and impaired muscular skeletal function are threats to implants’ survival, while for renal transplant patients, immunosuppression therapy is also a concern. There is still no high-level evidence in the published literature that has determined the best timing of TJA for ESRD patients. Methods A literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (up to November 2019) was performed to collect studies comparing TJA outcomes between renal transplant and dialysis patients. Two reviewers independently conducted literature screening and quality assessments with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). After the data were extracted, statistical analyses were performed. Results Compared with the dialysis group, a lower risk of mortality (RR = 0.56, Cl = [0.42, 0.73], P < 0.01, I2 = 49%) and revision (RR = 0.42, CI = [0.30, 0.59], P < 0.01, I2 = 43%) was detected in the renal transplant group. Different results of periprosthetic joint infection were shown in subgroups with different sample sizes. There was no significant difference in periprosthetic joint infection in the small-sample-size subgroup, while in the large-sample-size subgroup, renal transplant patients had significantly less risk (RR = 0.19, CI = [0.13, 0.23], P < 0.01, I2 = 0%). For dislocation, venous thromboembolic disease, and overall complications, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Total joint arthroplasty has better safety and outcomes in renal transplant patients than in dialysis patients. Therefore, delaying total joint arthroplasty in dialysis patients until renal transplantation has been performed would be a desirable option. The controversy among different studies might be partially accounted for that quite a few studies have a relatively small sample size to detect the difference between renal transplant patients and dialysis patients.

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