Comorbidities are associated with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This meta‐analysis aimed to explore the risk of severe COVID‐19 in patients with pre‐existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ongoing smoking history. A comprehensive systematic literature search was carried out to find studies published from December 2019 to 22 March 2020 from five databases. The languages of literature included English and Chinese. The point prevalence of severe COVID‐19 in patients with pre‐existing COPD and those with ongoing smoking was evaluated with this meta‐analysis. Overall 11 case series, published either in Chinese or English language with a total of 2002 cases, were included in this study. The pooled OR of COPD and the development of severe COVID‐19 was 4.38 (fixed‐effects model; 95% CI: 2.34‐8.20), while the OR of ongoing smoking was 1.98 (fixed‐effects model; 95% CI: 1.29‐3.05). There was no publication bias as examined by the funnel plot and Egger's test (P = not significant). The heterogeneity of included studies was moderate for both COPD and ongoing smoking history on the severity of COVID‐19. COPD and ongoing smoking history attribute to the worse progression and outcome of COVID‐19.
What insights can be gleaned concerning the aesthetic underpinnings of Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien beyond the long take, long shot, static camerawork, and his affinity for neorealism? This article explores Hou’s departure from language since the turn of the new millennium and its interplay with the modern Chinese lyrical tradition contextualized within the contemporary milieu. The article begins by dissecting Hou’s methods of diminishing language and rendering it unfamiliar. It then addresses the collaboration between Hou and Zhu Tianwen, a Taiwanese writer who serves as a scriptwriter, shedding light on Hou’s postmillennial disengagement from history and preconceived narratives. The accompanying aesthetic strategy of reducing and estranging language, in turn, facilitates a more genuine manifestation of the individual personalities of the actors, empowering them to create fiction. Hou’s method also influenced Zhu’s evolution as a novelist, which is visible in her latest literary work. By examining the lesser-known perspective of Shen Congwen concerning cinema, the article illustrates the convergence between Hou and Shen in their shared aspiration to cultivate an atmospheric cinematic ambience. The article posits that Hou’s postmillennial cinema outgrows the detached observational style of his, Zhu’s, and Shen’s earlier works. Instead, Hou’s departure from language as an information medium transforms the narrative into a transgressive lyrical experience, traversing subjective and objective realms and blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
English euphemism is not only a kind of linguistic phenomenon but also a kind of social and cultural phenomenon. From the perspective of sociolinguistics, this paper employs the literature research method and the case analysis method to conduct a comparative study of euphemisms in Chinese, Japanese, and English. The research reveals that euphemisms in these three languages share certain commonalities while also demonstrating marked differences in terms of indi-rectness, temporality, nationality, and regionality. At the same time, eu-phemisms serve multiple social functions such as avoidance, politeness, con-cealment, and humor. This study aims to provide some reference for the re-search on euphemisms from the perspective of sociolinguistics.
This study thoroughly explores the digitalized translation and overseas dissemination of Chinese online literature from the perspectives of industry practice and academic research. It points out that Chinese online literature has grown from a sub-cultural phenomenon in China to an essential component of contemporary Chinese literature, with digitalized translation being the primary mode for its overseas dissemination. The study defines the concepts of online literature and digitalization, discusses the diversified digitalized translation platforms of Chinese online literature,and analyzes their respective advantages and challenges. Thereafter, it scrutinizes the research on the translation of Chinese online literature, highlighting the richness of research perspectives and the diversity of research content, noting that current researches on the overseas dissemination of Chinese online literature is relatively scarce but holds significant academic and practical value. Finally, it looks forward to the future directions of research on the translation of Chinese online literature, including further exploration on translation content, translation subjects, translation modes, and translation criticism, and emphasizes the importance of theoretical integration and innovation.
Jack M. Whittaker, Suleman Lazarus, Taidgh Corcoran
This is a theoretical treatment of the term ''Sha Zhu Pan'' (杀猪盘) in Chinese, which translates to “Pig-Butchering” in English. The article critically examines the propagation and validation of ''Pig Butchering,'' an animal metaphor, and its implications for the dehumanisation of victims of online fraud across various discourses. The study provides background information about this type of fraud before investigating its theoretical foundations and linking its emergence to the dehumanisation of fraud victims. The analysis highlights the disparity between academic literature, subjected to rigorous peer-review processes, and sensationalised narratives prevalent in the media. While academic works subject ''pig butchering'' to critical scrutiny and refrain from endorsing derogatory terms to depict fraud victims, numerous media outlets employ this term uncritically, further worsening the predicament of these victims. ''Pig butchering'' is firmly rooted in the concept of dehumanisation, and this article underscores how language moulds perceptions of fraud and behaviour, extending to the development of preventive strategies. The role of law enforcement agencies in generating and disseminating materials is also a central theme, emphasising their responsibility as trusted sources of information. We suggest that these agencies should adopt non-victim shaming language to encourage victims to report crimes and alleviate the stigma attached to victimisation. Additionally, the article offers valuable cross-cultural insights by comparing metaphors from Chinese and Nigerian contexts. This comparative analysis enriches our comprehension of the global dimensions of online fraud and its cultural diversities, highlighting the substantial impact of language on perceptions and behaviours. We advocate for a departure from victim-blaming tendencies perpetuated by select media outlets, urging a more compassionate and accurate portrayal of those affected by online fraud. We, therefore, call for a more empathetic and accurate portrayal of individuals affected by online fraud, aligning with the broader objective of promoting understanding and support for these victims.
Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyse the research hotspots and frontiers in the field of paediatric fever between 2013 and 2023.MethodsThe included articles were visually analysed using CiteSpace 6.1.R6 software.ResultsA total of 2,662 Chinese-language articles and 1,456 English-language articles were included in the study. Based on the Chinese literature, research groups were identified represented by Xinmin Li, Jinling Hong and Hongshuang Luo. Based on the English literature, research groups were formed represented by Henriette Moll, Santiago Mintegi and Elizabeth Alpern. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the institution with the largest number of publications in the Chinese literature, and the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention was the institution with the largest number of publications in the English literature. The research on paediatric fever mainly focused on mechanism exploration, green treatment and clinical management.ConclusionSeveral relatively stable research groups have been formed. Future studies on the differential diagnosis, rational drug use, standardised management and clinical practice guidelines for paediatric fever are needed.
Introduction Although the disclosure of medical errors is an integral component of medical ethics, it remains inconsistent in practice worldwide. Despite various explanations of why healthcare professionals reveal their mistakes to patients, comprehensive comparisons and evaluations of this topic remain lacking. The objective of this review is to evaluate the experience of medical error disclosure among medical professionals who have been involved in such errors.Methods and analysis This work will focus on studies involving medical professionals from various countries who work in hospital settings and have obtained an understanding of and firsthand experience with medical error disclosure. This review will include qualitative studies. Studies published in databases such as PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, OVID, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and Cochrane Library from 1 January 2000 to 30 April 2024 will be searched as part of this research. Additionally, OpenGrey will be searched manually to obtain supplementary information. The search will be conducted starting in May 2024 and will include both Chinese-language and English-language literature. The systematic review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence and use the JBI System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review of Information online program. Study authenticity will be investigated via the Qualitative Research Authenticity Evaluation Tool provided by the JBI Evidence-Based Health Care Centre, and data extraction will be performed via the Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument data extraction tool. The results will be integrated via a pooled integration methodology and evaluated in terms of reliability via the ConQual qualitative systematic evaluation evidence grading tool.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for the study because the review will be based on pre-existing data available in the literature. The results of this systematic review will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences.PROSPERO registration number CRD42024494360.
ObjectivesCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a prevalent and distressing symptom experienced by many cancer patients, necessitating effective treatments. This study utilizes meta-analysis and network pharmacology to comprehensively assess the efficacy of the Buzhong Yiqi prescription in alleviating cancer-related fatigue and to preliminarily explore the mechanism of its core drugs.MethodsWe included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer patients. The inclusion criteria encompassed a diagnosis of cancer-related fatigue, without limitation on cancer type, the experimental group receiving Buzhong Yiqi prescription, the control group receiving conventional treatment, patients awaiting treatment, and articles published in either English or Chinese. We conducted a search through 29 February 2024, across PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials (CENTRAL), China Biomedical Literature Service (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WANFANG Database, and Weipu Database (VIP). Journal articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for inclusion. Two independent investigators evaluated the quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed utilizing the Stata 12.0 software package, where estimates of cancer-related fatigue were aggregated through the application of a random-effects model. We employed the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool to evaluate potential biases in RCTs. The primary outcome measures utilized to assess the efficacy and safety of CRF treatment comprised the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS-R) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). The secondary outcomes encompassed the KPS score, the effective rate, the TCM syndrome score, and an evaluation of adverse reactions. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) was utilized to identify the active ingredients and targets of BZD. Additionally, the Drug bank, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), DiaGeNET, and GeneCards databases were utilized to retrieve relevant targets for CRC. The Venn diagram was employed to identify overlapping targets. Cytoscape software was utilized to construct a network of “herb-ingredient-target” and identify core targets. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using R language software.ResultsIn comparison to the control group, patients with CRF who received BZYQ prescription exhibited marked improvements in KPS score, QLQ-C30 quality of life score, and effective rate. Conversely, PFS, TCM syndrome score, and adverse reaction assessments significantly decreased. The primary active ingredients in its core drugs may exert a positive therapeutic effect on CRF by targeting molecules such as AKT1, IL6, IL1B, PTGS2, CASP3, ESR1, and BCL2, as well as through signaling pathways including TNF, IL17, TLR, NF-κB, and C-type lectin receptor.ConclusionBZYQ demonstrates significant efficacy in treating CRF with minimal adverse reactions. It can serve as a fundamental treatment for CRF in clinical practice, and the medication can be tailored to individual patients for personalized therapy. The potential pharmacological mechanism of BZYQ in treating CRF, as predicted by network pharmacology, offers a molecular foundation for clinical CRF treatment.Systematic Review Registration:https://inplasy.com, identifier INPLASY202430025
Research suggests that unpleasant emotions induced by feedback may reduce its efficiency in enhancing students’ performance, which is a crucial issue to address in education. In the context of Chinese language instruction in higher education, this study sought to investigate how students regulate their emotions as a result of feedback through the lens of individuals’ feedback orientation. In light of the feedback orientation lens and its conceptual framework, we applied in-depth qualitative interviews to explore how students experienced feedback, the negative emotions they experienced, and the emotion regulation strategies they used. Eleven undergraduates across years one to five joined our in-depth interviews. Students reported negative emotions when they received feedback that did not live up to their expectations or was unrealistic for them to accept. However, students’ feedback orientation supported their emotion regulation techniques, which in turn supported students’ adaptive feedback processing to interpret and take action to use feedback for academic performance improvement. Students also actively sought further teacher feedback or peer support to deal with a wide range of negative emotions. These findings imply the significance of fostering in students a high level of feedback orientation and the necessity of additional empirical investigation into the relationships between feedback orientation and emotional well-being in higher education. By shedding light on how students regulate the emotions that external feedback causes in them, the study adds valuable qualitative findings to the existing literature on positive psychology research in terms of emotions and emotion regulation. It also emphasizes how crucial students’ personal feedback orientation is for improving emotional well-being in the context of feedback.
Abstract Background The morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) is related to an exaggerated risk of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. With increasing attention on circadian change in blood pressure and extensive use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), chronotherapy that administration of medication according to biological rhythm, is reported to improve cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of chronotherapy of antihypertensive drugs upon MBPS in hypertensive patients. Methods A search strategy was applied in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane (Wiley) CENTRAL Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Chinese Biomedical literature database. No language and date restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the efficacy of evening and morning administration of the same medications in adult patients with primary hypertension were included. Results A total of ten trials, comprising 1724 participants with a mean age of 61 and 51% female, were included in this study. Combined analysis observed significant reduction of MBPS (− 5.30 mmHg, 95% CI − 8.80 to − 1.80), night-time SBP (− 2.29 mmHg, 95% CI − 4.43 to − 0.15), night-time DBP (− 1.63 mmHg, 95 %CI − 3.23 to − 0.04) and increase in night blood pressure dipping (3.23%, 95% CI 5.37 to 1.10) in evening dosage compared with traditional morning dosage of blood pressure-lowering drugs. No significant difference was found in the incidence of overall adverse effects (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.41) and withdrawal due to adverse effects (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.71). Conclusions Our study suggested that evening administration of antihypertensive medications exerted better blood pressure-lowering effect on MBPS compared with conventional morning dosage. Safety assessment also indicated that the evening regimen did not increase the risk of adverse events. However, endpoint studies need to be carried out to confirm the significance and feasibility of this treatment regimen in clinical practice.
Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system
This article examines the relationship between English medium instruction (EMI) teachers' classroom English proficiency and their teaching self-efficacy. The literature review highlights the difference between general language proficiency and classroom language proficiency by focusing on the EMI teachers' language of instruction and their language of interaction. Self-reported data were obtained using two measuring scales from 188 EMI teachers from a Chinese public university. The Pearson correlational analysis indicated that there was a strong positive relationship between the EMI teachers' classroom English proficiency and their teaching self-efficacy. Among the four constructs of the Classroom English Proficiency Scale, both language of instruction and language of interaction have a higher correlation with teaching self-efficacy than grammar or pronunciation. The linear regression analysis suggests that language of instruction has a significant contribution to the variance of teaching self-efficacy. The findings reveal the need to prioritize the strategic training of language of instruction skills to EMI teachers who are not so proficient in English. Arguably, this helps to foster the achievement and maintenance of higher teacher self-efficacy.
Zhi Qian (支謙, fl. ca. 220–257 CE), a prolific Yuezhi-Chinese translator of Indian Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, is widely known for his broad range of styles and terminology. For several decades, his translation activities and his legacy in the history of Chinese Buddhist literature have been a rich field of research, particularly within the context of the transmission of Buddhism from India to China. In the present article, as a follow-up study to “Buddhism for Chinese readers: Zhi Qian’s Literary Refinements in the <i>Foshuo pusa benye jing,</i>” recently published by the authors in this journal, we offer additional reflections on distinctive features of Zhi Qian’s language. We focus on four unusual and interesting renderings in the <i>Foshuo pusa benye jing</i> (佛說菩薩本業經<i>,</i> T. 281), namely (1) <i>santu</i> 三塗; (2) <i>shezui</i> 捨罪; (3) <i>kong</i> 空, <i>wu xiang</i> 無想 and <i>bu yuan</i> 不願; and (4) <i>sishi buhu</i> 四時不護. Through an analysis of these words and phrases, we discuss Zhi Qian’s translation techniques and lexical idiosyncrasies, highlighting their significance in our understanding of the dynamics of language contact and change in the early period of the Chinese Buddhist tradition. Thus, the paper investigates some key Buddhist terms as coined by the early translators on the basis of the classical Chinese and illustrates the semantic changes of the Chinese language taking place in the period as well as influence of Buddhist regimes of knowledge.
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly have speech and voice problems that affect their functional communication and that are not sensitive to pharmacological or neurosurgical treatments. The authors aimed to evaluate the effects of speech and language therapies (SLTs) on dysphonia in patients with PD by analyzing data from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Studies in English and Chinese that were related to speech and language treatment for patients with PD were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database. On the basis of exclusion criteria, 391 records identified through the search were reduced to 10 studies that included 230 patients in the treatment groups and 205 patients in the control groups. A meta-analysis of data from the 10 studies was performed to examine the effects of SLTs on dysphonia in patients with PD. SLTs increased sound pressure level during sustained phonation, reading of the Rainbow Passage, and monologue 6 months after treatment, enhanced semitone standard deviation during reading of the Rainbow Passage more than 12 months after treatment, and reduced Voice Handicap Index scores among patients with PD with dysphonia problems at least 3 months after treatment. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of SLTs, especially Lee Silverman Voice Treatment, in increasing vocal loudness and functional communication among patients with PD. Further RCTs with large samples and multicenter participation are needed to validate the long-term effects and the efficacy of SLTs among patients with severe PD.
Objective: With using natural language processing (NLP) technology to analyze and process the text of “Treatise on Febrile Diseases (TFDs)” for the sake of finding important information, this paper attempts to apply NLP in the field of text mining of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) literature. Materials and Methods: Based on the Python language, the experiment invoked the NLP toolkit such as Jieba, nltk, gensim, and sklearn library, and combined with Excel and Word software. The text of “TFDs” was sequentially cleaned, segmented, and moved the stopped words, and then implementing word frequency statistics and analysis, keyword extraction, named entity recognition (NER) and other operations, finally calculating text similarity. Results: Jieba can accurately identify the herbal name in “TFDs.” Word frequency statistics based on the word segmentation found that “warm therapy” is an important treatment of “TFDs.” Guizhi decoction is the main prescription, and five core decoctions are identified. Keyword extraction based on the term “frequency-inverse document frequency” algorithm is ideal. The accuracy of NER in “TFDs” is about 86%; latent semantic indexing model calculating the similarity, “Understanding of Synopsis of Golden Chamber (SGC)” is much more similar with “SGC” than with “TFDs.” The results meet expectation. Conclusions: It lays a research foundation for applying NLP to the field of text mining of unstructured TCM literature. With the combination of deep learning technology, NLP as an important branch of artificial intelligence will have broader application prospective in the field of text mining in TCM literature and construction of TCM knowledge graph as well as TCM knowledge services.
Yuqi Hu, Dongning Yao, Carolina Oi Lam Ung, Hao Hu State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Carolina Oi Lam Ung; Hao HuState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, N22-2057, Taipa, Macau. People’s Republic of ChinaTel +853 88228538Email carolinaung@um.edu.mo; haohu@um.edu.moPurpose: This study aimed 1) to identify and analyse the professional services provided by community pharmacists for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management; and 2) to develop a logic model for community pharmacy practice for COPD management.Methods: A systematic review with a logic model was applied. English-language databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus) and a Chinese database (CNKI) were searched for articles published between January 2009 and June 2019. Studies concerning pharmacists and COPD were identified to screen for studies that focused on professional services provided at a community pharmacy level. Evidence on economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes of interventions was summarized.Results: Twenty-five articles were included in this study. Four categories of COPD-related interventions by community pharmacists were identified: 1) primary prevention; 2) early detection; 3) therapy management; and 4) long-term health management. The most common outputs examined were improvement in inhaler technique, medication adherence, and rate of smoking cessation. The clinical (improved quality of life, reduced frequency and severity of symptoms and exacerbation), humanistic (patient satisfaction), and economic (overall healthcare costs) outcomes were tested for some interventions through clinical studies. Contextual factors concerning pharmacists, healthcare providers, patients, facilities, clinic context, and socio-economic aspects were also identified.Conclusion: Studies in the literature have proposed and examined different components of professional services provided by community pharmacists for COPD management. However, relationships among outcomes, comprehensive professional services of community pharmacists, and contextual factors have not been systematically tested. More well-designed, rigorous studies with more sensitive and specific outcomes measures need to be conducted to assess the effect of community pharmacy practice for COPD management.Keywords: community pharmacy, community pharmacist, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, systematic review, logic model
China experienced one of the great “waves of translation” and a boom of Chinese-language newspapers around the turn of the twentieth century. It is not coincidence that many of the translated works were initially serialized in these newspapers. Although translations in these newspapers, especially those in Shanghai, have gained increasing attention, those in Hong Kong have remained largely unexplored. This paper addresses this gap and the specific subgenre that has received scant attention: serialized translated literature. In particular, the paper focuses on the case study of The Chinese Mail, examining spatial and temporal dimensions of newspaper serialization of translated literary works in Hong Kong.