Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 19, 2015
Sleep apnea is associated with hyperuricemia owing to hypoxia-induced nucleotide turnover. We ass... more Sleep apnea is associated with hyperuricemia owing to hypoxia-induced nucleotide turnover. We assessed the relation of incident sleep apnea to the risk of incident gout. Using data from The Health Improvement Network in the United Kingdom we identified individuals with a first-ever physician diagnosis of sleep apnea. For each sleep apnea patient, up to five non-sleep apnea individuals were matched on sex, age, birth year, body mass index (±0.5 kg/m(2) ), and year of sleep apnea diagnosis. We estimated the incidence rates of gout and examined the relation of sleep apnea to the risk of incident gout using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for potential confounders. In addition, we assessed the rate difference in gout due to sleep apnea using an additive hazard model. Among 9865 patients with newly-diagnosed sleep apnea and 43,598 comparators we identified 270 incident cases of gout over one year of follow-up, resulting in incidence rates of 8.4/1000 and 4.8/1000 person-years...
Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 16, 2015
To estimate the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (SxOA) in China. Using data collect... more To estimate the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (SxOA) in China. Using data collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a population-based longitudinal survey conducted between 2011 and 2012, we estimated the prevalence of SxOA by sex, age, rural/urban area, socio-economic status and geographic region. Of 17128 individuals (mean age: 59.8 years; women: 51.6%) included in the analysis, 1591 (8.1%) had knee SxOA. Prevalence of knee SxOA was higher in women (10.3%) than that in men (5.7%), with an adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.88 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.64-2.17). Knee SxOA prevalence increased with age (P for trend < 0.01). SxOA was more common in rural than that in urban areas (OR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.46-2.31). Individuals who received more years of education and who lived in more developed areas had lower prevalence of knee SxOA (P for trend < 0.01). Individuals living in the North and East regions of China had the lowest prevalenc...
Anxiety disorders are associated with significant public health burden in young individuals. Cogn... more Anxiety disorders are associated with significant public health burden in young individuals. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used psychotherapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, but previous reviews were hindered by a limited number of trials with direct comparisons between different psychotherapies and their deliveries. Consequently, the main aim of this research was to investigate the comparative efficacy and acceptability of various types and deliveries of psychotherapies for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. We will systematically search PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations and LiLACS for randomised controlled trials, regardless of whether participants received blinding or not, published from 1 January 1966 to 30 January 2015 (updated to 1 July 2015), that compared any psychotherapy with either a control condition or an active comparator with different types and/or different deli...
To replicate recent findings indicating that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthropla... more To replicate recent findings indicating that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery will substantially reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events among patients with osteoarthritis. A time-stratified, propensity score-matched cohort study was conducted to assess the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in a UK general population. The study population included individuals ages ≥50 years who had a UK National Health Service READ code diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (to evaluate TKA) or hip osteoarthritis (to evaluate THA) between January 2000 and December 2012. Among the patients who underwent TKA and their matched non-TKA control subjects (each n = 13,849), 306 patients and 286 control subjects developed MI during the followup. During the first postoperative month, the risk of MI was substantially increased among the TKA group compared with the non-TKA group (hazard ratio [HR] 8.75, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.11-24.62), and then gradua...
Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 28, 2015
To identify patterns of co-existing lesions on MRI in knees free of radiographic osteoarthritis a... more To identify patterns of co-existing lesions on MRI in knees free of radiographic osteoarthritis and to examine their relation to incident disease. From a prospective cohort study, the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study, one knee per subject without radiographic osteoarthritis in both tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints at baseline was selected and followed up to 84-months. We used a novel approach, latent class analysis, to group the constellation of MRI lesions in each joint, i.e., cartilage damage, bone marrow lesion, meniscal tear, meniscal extrusion, synovitis, and effusion, to a manageable number of subgroups. The association of these subgroups with incident radiographic osteoarthritis in the same joint was assessed using logistic regression. Among 885 eligible knees (mean age 60.5 years, 203 with incident disease in the tibiofemoral joint, 64 in the patellofemoral joint), four latent subgroups were identified in the tibiofemoral joint described briefly as: minimal lesions, mi...
Depressive disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents,... more Depressive disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, and have adverse effects on their psychosocial functioning. Questions concerning the efficacy and safety of antidepressant medications in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents, led us to integrate the direct and indirect evidence using network meta-analysis to create hierarchies of these drugs. Seven databases with PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, LiLACS and PsycINFO will be searched from 1966 to December 2013 (updated to May, 2015). There are no restrictions on language or type of publication. Randomised clinical trials assessing first-generation and newer-generation antidepressant medications against active comparator or placebo as acute treatment for depressive disorders in children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) will be included. The primary outcome for efficacy will be mean improvement in depressive symptoms, as measured by th...
Background Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a traditional natural herbal product, is often used in th... more Background Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a traditional natural herbal product, is often used in the treatment of essential hypertension (EH) as complementary therapy in China and European countries. Aim To critically assess the current clinical evidence of efficacy and safety of GBE for EH. Methods 7 electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, VIP, CBM, Wanfang data, and CNKI) were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GBE for EH. Methodological quality was assessed independently using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Results A total of 9 RCTs with 1012 hypertensive patients were identified and reviewed. Most RCTs were of high risk of bias with flawed study design and poor methodological quality. 6 trials demonstrated potential positive effect of GBE as complementary therapy on BP reduction when compared with antihypertensive drug therapy; however, it was not associated with a statistically significant effect on both SBP...
Pain and functional decline are hallmarks of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite this, longitudinal... more Pain and functional decline are hallmarks of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite this, longitudinal studies unexpectedly reveal stable or improved physical function. The aim of this study was to impute missing and pre-total knee replacement (TKR) values to describe physical function over time among people with symptomatic knee OA. We included participants from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) and the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with incident symptomatic knee OA observed during the first 30 months in MOST and 36 months in OAI. WOMAC physical function (pf), the Five Times Sit To Stand Test, and the 20-Meter Walk Test were assessed over 4,5 and 6 years, respectively. We used a multiple imputation method for missing visits, and estimated pre-TKR values close to the time of TKR using a fitted local regression smoothing curve. In mixed effect models we investigated the physical function change over time using data before and after imputation and prediction of pre-TKR values. ...
The goal of this study was to define a pharmacodynamic biomarker based on gene expression in skin... more The goal of this study was to define a pharmacodynamic biomarker based on gene expression in skin that would provide a biological measure of disease extent in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) and that could be used to monitor skin disease longitudinally. Skin biopsies taken from a cohort of dcSSc patients that included longitudinal samples were analyzed by microarray. Expression of genes correlating with the modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) were examined by nanostring for change over time, and a generalized estimating equation used to define and validate longitudinal, pharmacodynamic biomarkers composed of multiple genes. Microarray analysis of genes parsed to include only genes correlating with the MRSS revealed prominent clusters of profibrotic/TGFβ-regulated, IFN-regulated/proteasome, macrophage and vascular marker genes. Using genes changing longitudinally with the MRSS, two multigene, pharmacodynamic biomarkers were defined. The first was defined mathematically, applying a generalized estimating equation to longitudinal samples. This modeling method selected cross-sectional THBS1 and longitudinal THBS1 and MS4A4A genes. The second model was based on a weighted selection of genes, including additional genes with statistically significant change over time: CTGF, CD163, CCL2 and WIF1. Biomarker levels calculated using both models correlated highly with the MRSS in an independent validation dataset. Skin gene expression can be used effectively to monitor SSc skin disease change over time. We have implemented these relatively simple models on a nanostring platform permitting highly reproducible assays that can be applied directly to samples from patients or collected as part of clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Dual lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties of statins may lead to survival benefits in ... more Dual lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties of statins may lead to survival benefits in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data on this topic are limited, and the role of statins in RA remains unclear. To examine the association of statin use with overall mortality among patients with RA in a general population context. We conducted an incident user cohort study with time-stratified propensity score matching using a UK general population database. The study population included individuals aged ≥20 years who had a diagnosis of RA and had used at least one disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) between January 2000 and December 2012. To closely account for potential confounders, we compared propensity score matched cohorts of statin initiators and comparators (non-initiators) within 1-year cohort accrual blocks. 432 deaths occurred during follow-up (mean 4.51 years) of the 2943 statin initiators for an incidence rate of 32.6/1000 person-years (PY), while the 513 deaths among 2943 matched comparators resulted in an incidence rate of 40.6/1000 PY. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced across the two groups. Statin initiation was associated with a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR=0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.91). When we defined RA by its diagnosis code alone (not requiring DMARD use), the corresponding HR was 0.81 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.90). Statin initiation is associated with a lower risk of mortality among patients with RA. The magnitude of association is similar to that seen in previous randomised trials among the general population.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2015
Interest is increasing regarding the potential health effects of red yeast rice (RYR) consumption... more Interest is increasing regarding the potential health effects of red yeast rice (RYR) consumption, which is described as a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;natural statin&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; in China. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of RYR on blood pressure (BP), lipid profile, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in treating hypertension. Seven electronic databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PubMed, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and the Wanfang database were searched. To investigate the role of RYR for hypertension, randomized controlled trials for the use of RYR either as monotherapy or in combination with conventional medicine versus placebo, no intervention, or conventional medicine for hypertension were identified. A total of 21 trials containing 4558 patients were analyzed, the majority of which had low methodological quality. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; exhibited significant lowering effects on serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and CRP but exhibited no significant effect on systolic BP, diastolic BP, triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared with &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;placebo plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; showed significant lowering effects on systolic BP, TC, LDL-C, and CRP but no effect on diastolic BP, TG, and HDL-C compared with &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;placebo plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. No significant difference in BP and lipid profile between &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;statins plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; was observed. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus statins&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; appeared to be more effective in lowering BP, TC, TG, and LDL-C but without a significant difference in HDL-C compared to statins. No serious adverse events were reported. The results of this meta-analysis suggested some supportive but limited evidence regarding RYR for hypertension. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted before RYR could be recommended to hypertensive patients.
The P2P network and its applications have the characters of dynamic and self-management, so the e... more The P2P network and its applications have the characters of dynamic and self-management, so the existing technologies do not solve the security issues of P2P network appropriately. In this paper, we describe new techniques that overcome many of the cited difficulties. We propose a new security architecture named SAP2P to address the security problems in P2P network. The core of
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between multimarker detection of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and AFP mRN... more OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between multimarker detection of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and AFP mRNAs in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and micrometastasis using a real-time quantitative-PCR (real-time Q-PCR) assay.
A general method, which can be used to verify the two-party cryptographic protocols, is present i... more A general method, which can be used to verify the two-party cryptographic protocols, is present in this paper. Our approach makes use of running modes of the two-party cryptographic protocols to analyze the protocols. Based on this method, the verification of the protocols becomes independent of model checking tools. Finally, this approach is illustrated with an example on the Needham-Schroeder public-key protocol.
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Information security - InfoSecu '04, 2004
In recent years, the worms that had a dramatic increase in the frequency and virulence of such ou... more In recent years, the worms that had a dramatic increase in the frequency and virulence of such outbreaks have become one of the major threats to the security of the Internet. In this paper, we provide a worm propagating model. It bases on the classical epidemic Kermack-Kermack model, adopts dynamic quarantine strategy, dynamic infecting rate and removing rate. The analysis
Previous studies have examined the relation of endogenous estrogen levels or estrogen replacement... more Previous studies have examined the relation of endogenous estrogen levels or estrogen replacement therapy to the risk of poor cognitive function, but results have been inconclusive. Bone mineral density has been proposed as a marker for cumulative estrogen exposure. The authors studied the relation of bone mineral density to the prevalence of verbal memory impairment among 4,304 elderly subjects in
World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 2015
Previous meta-analyses of psychotherapies for child and adolescent depression were limited becaus... more Previous meta-analyses of psychotherapies for child and adolescent depression were limited because of the small number of trials with direct comparisons between two treatments. A network meta-analysis, a novel approach that integrates direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled studies, was undertaken to investigate the comparative efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapies for depression in children and adolescents. Systematic searches resulted in 52 studies (total N=3805) of nine psychotherapies and four control conditions. We assessed the efficacy at post-treatment and at follow-up, as well as the acceptability (all-cause discontinuation) of psychotherapies and control conditions. At post-treatment, only interpersonal therapy (IPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were significantly more effective than most control conditions (standardized mean differences, SMDs ranged from -0.47 to -0.96). Also, IPT and CBT were more beneficial than play therapy. Only psycho...
The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology / official scientific journal of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum (CINP), Jan 25, 2015
Previous meta-analyses of atypical antipsychotics for depression were limited by few trials with ... more Previous meta-analyses of atypical antipsychotics for depression were limited by few trials with direct comparisons between two treatments. We performed a network meta-analysis, which integrates direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to investigate the comparative efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive atypical antipsychotics for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Systematic searches resulted in 18 RCTs (total N=4422) of seven different types and different dosages of atypical antipsychotics and placebo that were included in the review. All standard-dose atypical antipsychotics were significantly more efficacious than placebo in the efficacy (SMDs ranged from -0.27 to -0.43). There were no significant differences between these drugs. Low-dose atypical antipsychotics were not significantly more efficacious than placebo. In terms of tolerability, all standard-dose atypical antipsychotics, apart from risperidone, had significantly more side-effect dis...
Shenqi pill, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely prescribed for hypertensive patients... more Shenqi pill, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely prescribed for hypertensive patients with kidney yang deficiency syndrome in China. This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety of Shenqi pill for the treatment of hypertension. A systematic search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and the Wanfang Database was conducted from their inception up to October 7, 2014. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing Shenqi pill alone or combined with western medicine against placebo, no intervention or western medicine in hypertensive patients were included. A total of 4 RCTs comparing Shenqi pill plus western medicine with western medicine were included. Shenqi pill as complementary therapy exhibited a relatively small with no significant reduction on blood pressure, and showed remarkable improvement on sexual function, lipid profile and some biochemical indicators of hypertensive renal damage compared to western medicine used alone. The safety of Shenqi pill is still unknown. This systematic review firstly provided no definite evidence for the efficacy and safety of Shenqi pill for hypertension based on the insufficient data. More rigorously designed RCTs focusing on sexual dysfunction and hypertensive renal damage are warranted to give high level of evidence.
Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 19, 2015
Sleep apnea is associated with hyperuricemia owing to hypoxia-induced nucleotide turnover. We ass... more Sleep apnea is associated with hyperuricemia owing to hypoxia-induced nucleotide turnover. We assessed the relation of incident sleep apnea to the risk of incident gout. Using data from The Health Improvement Network in the United Kingdom we identified individuals with a first-ever physician diagnosis of sleep apnea. For each sleep apnea patient, up to five non-sleep apnea individuals were matched on sex, age, birth year, body mass index (±0.5 kg/m(2) ), and year of sleep apnea diagnosis. We estimated the incidence rates of gout and examined the relation of sleep apnea to the risk of incident gout using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for potential confounders. In addition, we assessed the rate difference in gout due to sleep apnea using an additive hazard model. Among 9865 patients with newly-diagnosed sleep apnea and 43,598 comparators we identified 270 incident cases of gout over one year of follow-up, resulting in incidence rates of 8.4/1000 and 4.8/1000 person-years...
Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 16, 2015
To estimate the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (SxOA) in China. Using data collect... more To estimate the prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (SxOA) in China. Using data collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a population-based longitudinal survey conducted between 2011 and 2012, we estimated the prevalence of SxOA by sex, age, rural/urban area, socio-economic status and geographic region. Of 17128 individuals (mean age: 59.8 years; women: 51.6%) included in the analysis, 1591 (8.1%) had knee SxOA. Prevalence of knee SxOA was higher in women (10.3%) than that in men (5.7%), with an adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.88 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.64-2.17). Knee SxOA prevalence increased with age (P for trend < 0.01). SxOA was more common in rural than that in urban areas (OR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.46-2.31). Individuals who received more years of education and who lived in more developed areas had lower prevalence of knee SxOA (P for trend < 0.01). Individuals living in the North and East regions of China had the lowest prevalenc...
Anxiety disorders are associated with significant public health burden in young individuals. Cogn... more Anxiety disorders are associated with significant public health burden in young individuals. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used psychotherapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, but previous reviews were hindered by a limited number of trials with direct comparisons between different psychotherapies and their deliveries. Consequently, the main aim of this research was to investigate the comparative efficacy and acceptability of various types and deliveries of psychotherapies for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. We will systematically search PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations and LiLACS for randomised controlled trials, regardless of whether participants received blinding or not, published from 1 January 1966 to 30 January 2015 (updated to 1 July 2015), that compared any psychotherapy with either a control condition or an active comparator with different types and/or different deli...
To replicate recent findings indicating that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthropla... more To replicate recent findings indicating that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery will substantially reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events among patients with osteoarthritis. A time-stratified, propensity score-matched cohort study was conducted to assess the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in a UK general population. The study population included individuals ages ≥50 years who had a UK National Health Service READ code diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (to evaluate TKA) or hip osteoarthritis (to evaluate THA) between January 2000 and December 2012. Among the patients who underwent TKA and their matched non-TKA control subjects (each n = 13,849), 306 patients and 286 control subjects developed MI during the followup. During the first postoperative month, the risk of MI was substantially increased among the TKA group compared with the non-TKA group (hazard ratio [HR] 8.75, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.11-24.62), and then gradua...
Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), Jan 28, 2015
To identify patterns of co-existing lesions on MRI in knees free of radiographic osteoarthritis a... more To identify patterns of co-existing lesions on MRI in knees free of radiographic osteoarthritis and to examine their relation to incident disease. From a prospective cohort study, the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study, one knee per subject without radiographic osteoarthritis in both tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints at baseline was selected and followed up to 84-months. We used a novel approach, latent class analysis, to group the constellation of MRI lesions in each joint, i.e., cartilage damage, bone marrow lesion, meniscal tear, meniscal extrusion, synovitis, and effusion, to a manageable number of subgroups. The association of these subgroups with incident radiographic osteoarthritis in the same joint was assessed using logistic regression. Among 885 eligible knees (mean age 60.5 years, 203 with incident disease in the tibiofemoral joint, 64 in the patellofemoral joint), four latent subgroups were identified in the tibiofemoral joint described briefly as: minimal lesions, mi...
Depressive disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents,... more Depressive disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, and have adverse effects on their psychosocial functioning. Questions concerning the efficacy and safety of antidepressant medications in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents, led us to integrate the direct and indirect evidence using network meta-analysis to create hierarchies of these drugs. Seven databases with PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, LiLACS and PsycINFO will be searched from 1966 to December 2013 (updated to May, 2015). There are no restrictions on language or type of publication. Randomised clinical trials assessing first-generation and newer-generation antidepressant medications against active comparator or placebo as acute treatment for depressive disorders in children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) will be included. The primary outcome for efficacy will be mean improvement in depressive symptoms, as measured by th...
Background Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a traditional natural herbal product, is often used in th... more Background Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE), a traditional natural herbal product, is often used in the treatment of essential hypertension (EH) as complementary therapy in China and European countries. Aim To critically assess the current clinical evidence of efficacy and safety of GBE for EH. Methods 7 electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, VIP, CBM, Wanfang data, and CNKI) were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GBE for EH. Methodological quality was assessed independently using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Results A total of 9 RCTs with 1012 hypertensive patients were identified and reviewed. Most RCTs were of high risk of bias with flawed study design and poor methodological quality. 6 trials demonstrated potential positive effect of GBE as complementary therapy on BP reduction when compared with antihypertensive drug therapy; however, it was not associated with a statistically significant effect on both SBP...
Pain and functional decline are hallmarks of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite this, longitudinal... more Pain and functional decline are hallmarks of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Despite this, longitudinal studies unexpectedly reveal stable or improved physical function. The aim of this study was to impute missing and pre-total knee replacement (TKR) values to describe physical function over time among people with symptomatic knee OA. We included participants from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) and the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with incident symptomatic knee OA observed during the first 30 months in MOST and 36 months in OAI. WOMAC physical function (pf), the Five Times Sit To Stand Test, and the 20-Meter Walk Test were assessed over 4,5 and 6 years, respectively. We used a multiple imputation method for missing visits, and estimated pre-TKR values close to the time of TKR using a fitted local regression smoothing curve. In mixed effect models we investigated the physical function change over time using data before and after imputation and prediction of pre-TKR values. ...
The goal of this study was to define a pharmacodynamic biomarker based on gene expression in skin... more The goal of this study was to define a pharmacodynamic biomarker based on gene expression in skin that would provide a biological measure of disease extent in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) and that could be used to monitor skin disease longitudinally. Skin biopsies taken from a cohort of dcSSc patients that included longitudinal samples were analyzed by microarray. Expression of genes correlating with the modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) were examined by nanostring for change over time, and a generalized estimating equation used to define and validate longitudinal, pharmacodynamic biomarkers composed of multiple genes. Microarray analysis of genes parsed to include only genes correlating with the MRSS revealed prominent clusters of profibrotic/TGFβ-regulated, IFN-regulated/proteasome, macrophage and vascular marker genes. Using genes changing longitudinally with the MRSS, two multigene, pharmacodynamic biomarkers were defined. The first was defined mathematically, applying a generalized estimating equation to longitudinal samples. This modeling method selected cross-sectional THBS1 and longitudinal THBS1 and MS4A4A genes. The second model was based on a weighted selection of genes, including additional genes with statistically significant change over time: CTGF, CD163, CCL2 and WIF1. Biomarker levels calculated using both models correlated highly with the MRSS in an independent validation dataset. Skin gene expression can be used effectively to monitor SSc skin disease change over time. We have implemented these relatively simple models on a nanostring platform permitting highly reproducible assays that can be applied directly to samples from patients or collected as part of clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Dual lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties of statins may lead to survival benefits in ... more Dual lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory properties of statins may lead to survival benefits in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data on this topic are limited, and the role of statins in RA remains unclear. To examine the association of statin use with overall mortality among patients with RA in a general population context. We conducted an incident user cohort study with time-stratified propensity score matching using a UK general population database. The study population included individuals aged ≥20 years who had a diagnosis of RA and had used at least one disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) between January 2000 and December 2012. To closely account for potential confounders, we compared propensity score matched cohorts of statin initiators and comparators (non-initiators) within 1-year cohort accrual blocks. 432 deaths occurred during follow-up (mean 4.51 years) of the 2943 statin initiators for an incidence rate of 32.6/1000 person-years (PY), while the 513 deaths among 2943 matched comparators resulted in an incidence rate of 40.6/1000 PY. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced across the two groups. Statin initiation was associated with a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR=0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.91). When we defined RA by its diagnosis code alone (not requiring DMARD use), the corresponding HR was 0.81 (95% CI 0.74 to 0.90). Statin initiation is associated with a lower risk of mortality among patients with RA. The magnitude of association is similar to that seen in previous randomised trials among the general population.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2015
Interest is increasing regarding the potential health effects of red yeast rice (RYR) consumption... more Interest is increasing regarding the potential health effects of red yeast rice (RYR) consumption, which is described as a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;natural statin&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; in China. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of RYR on blood pressure (BP), lipid profile, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in treating hypertension. Seven electronic databases including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PubMed, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and the Wanfang database were searched. To investigate the role of RYR for hypertension, randomized controlled trials for the use of RYR either as monotherapy or in combination with conventional medicine versus placebo, no intervention, or conventional medicine for hypertension were identified. A total of 21 trials containing 4558 patients were analyzed, the majority of which had low methodological quality. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; exhibited significant lowering effects on serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and CRP but exhibited no significant effect on systolic BP, diastolic BP, triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared with &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;placebo plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; showed significant lowering effects on systolic BP, TC, LDL-C, and CRP but no effect on diastolic BP, TG, and HDL-C compared with &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;placebo plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;. No significant difference in BP and lipid profile between &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;statins plus conventional therapy&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; was observed. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;RYR plus statins&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; appeared to be more effective in lowering BP, TC, TG, and LDL-C but without a significant difference in HDL-C compared to statins. No serious adverse events were reported. The results of this meta-analysis suggested some supportive but limited evidence regarding RYR for hypertension. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted before RYR could be recommended to hypertensive patients.
The P2P network and its applications have the characters of dynamic and self-management, so the e... more The P2P network and its applications have the characters of dynamic and self-management, so the existing technologies do not solve the security issues of P2P network appropriately. In this paper, we describe new techniques that overcome many of the cited difficulties. We propose a new security architecture named SAP2P to address the security problems in P2P network. The core of
OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between multimarker detection of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and AFP mRN... more OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between multimarker detection of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and AFP mRNAs in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and micrometastasis using a real-time quantitative-PCR (real-time Q-PCR) assay.
A general method, which can be used to verify the two-party cryptographic protocols, is present i... more A general method, which can be used to verify the two-party cryptographic protocols, is present in this paper. Our approach makes use of running modes of the two-party cryptographic protocols to analyze the protocols. Based on this method, the verification of the protocols becomes independent of model checking tools. Finally, this approach is illustrated with an example on the Needham-Schroeder public-key protocol.
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Information security - InfoSecu '04, 2004
In recent years, the worms that had a dramatic increase in the frequency and virulence of such ou... more In recent years, the worms that had a dramatic increase in the frequency and virulence of such outbreaks have become one of the major threats to the security of the Internet. In this paper, we provide a worm propagating model. It bases on the classical epidemic Kermack-Kermack model, adopts dynamic quarantine strategy, dynamic infecting rate and removing rate. The analysis
Previous studies have examined the relation of endogenous estrogen levels or estrogen replacement... more Previous studies have examined the relation of endogenous estrogen levels or estrogen replacement therapy to the risk of poor cognitive function, but results have been inconclusive. Bone mineral density has been proposed as a marker for cumulative estrogen exposure. The authors studied the relation of bone mineral density to the prevalence of verbal memory impairment among 4,304 elderly subjects in
World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 2015
Previous meta-analyses of psychotherapies for child and adolescent depression were limited becaus... more Previous meta-analyses of psychotherapies for child and adolescent depression were limited because of the small number of trials with direct comparisons between two treatments. A network meta-analysis, a novel approach that integrates direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled studies, was undertaken to investigate the comparative efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapies for depression in children and adolescents. Systematic searches resulted in 52 studies (total N=3805) of nine psychotherapies and four control conditions. We assessed the efficacy at post-treatment and at follow-up, as well as the acceptability (all-cause discontinuation) of psychotherapies and control conditions. At post-treatment, only interpersonal therapy (IPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were significantly more effective than most control conditions (standardized mean differences, SMDs ranged from -0.47 to -0.96). Also, IPT and CBT were more beneficial than play therapy. Only psycho...
The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology / official scientific journal of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum (CINP), Jan 25, 2015
Previous meta-analyses of atypical antipsychotics for depression were limited by few trials with ... more Previous meta-analyses of atypical antipsychotics for depression were limited by few trials with direct comparisons between two treatments. We performed a network meta-analysis, which integrates direct and indirect evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to investigate the comparative efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive atypical antipsychotics for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Systematic searches resulted in 18 RCTs (total N=4422) of seven different types and different dosages of atypical antipsychotics and placebo that were included in the review. All standard-dose atypical antipsychotics were significantly more efficacious than placebo in the efficacy (SMDs ranged from -0.27 to -0.43). There were no significant differences between these drugs. Low-dose atypical antipsychotics were not significantly more efficacious than placebo. In terms of tolerability, all standard-dose atypical antipsychotics, apart from risperidone, had significantly more side-effect dis...
Shenqi pill, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely prescribed for hypertensive patients... more Shenqi pill, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely prescribed for hypertensive patients with kidney yang deficiency syndrome in China. This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety of Shenqi pill for the treatment of hypertension. A systematic search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and the Wanfang Database was conducted from their inception up to October 7, 2014. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing Shenqi pill alone or combined with western medicine against placebo, no intervention or western medicine in hypertensive patients were included. A total of 4 RCTs comparing Shenqi pill plus western medicine with western medicine were included. Shenqi pill as complementary therapy exhibited a relatively small with no significant reduction on blood pressure, and showed remarkable improvement on sexual function, lipid profile and some biochemical indicators of hypertensive renal damage compared to western medicine used alone. The safety of Shenqi pill is still unknown. This systematic review firstly provided no definite evidence for the efficacy and safety of Shenqi pill for hypertension based on the insufficient data. More rigorously designed RCTs focusing on sexual dysfunction and hypertensive renal damage are warranted to give high level of evidence.
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Papers by Gabby Zhang