Prescriptive Rules Research Articles

Analysis of prescription medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine for bradyarrhythmia treatment based on data mining.

Multiple studies have revealed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions can provide protective effect on the cardiovascular system, increase the heart rate and relieve the symptoms of patients with bradyarrhythmia. In China, the TCM treatment of bradyarrhythmia is very common, which is also an effective complementary therapy. In order to further understand the application of Chinese medicines in bradyarrhythmia, we analyzed the medication rules of TCM prescriptions for bradyarrhythmia by data mining methods based on previous clinical studies. We searched studies reporting the clinical effect of TCM on bradyarrhythmia in the PubMed and Chinese databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, and estimated publication bias by risk of bias tools ROB 2. Descriptive analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis and association rule analysis based on Apriori algorithm were carried out by Microsoft Excel, SPSS Modeler, SPSS Statistics and Rstidio, respectively. Association rules, co-occurrence and clustering among Chinese medicines were found. A total of 48 studies were included in our study. Among the total 99 kinds of Chinese medicines, 22 high-frequency herbs were included. Four new prescriptions were obtained by hierarchical cluster analysis. 81 association rules were found based on association rule analysis, and a core prescription was intuitively based on the grouping matrix of the top 15 association rules (based on confidence level), of which Guizhi, Zhigancao, Wuweizi, Chuanxiong, Danshen, Danggui, Huangqi, Maidong, Dangshen, Rougui were the most strongly correlated herbs and in the core position. In this study, data mining strategy was applied to explore the TCM prescription for the treatment of bradyarrhythmia, and high-frequency herbs and core prescription were found. The core prescription was in line with the treatment ideas of TCM for bradyarrhythmia, which could intervene the disease from different aspects and adjust the patient's Qi, blood, Yin and Yang, so as to achieve the purpose of treatment.

Options Analysis as Context-Responsiveness in Practice: Integrating Diagnosis, Expertise, and Negotiation (Refining Communicative Planning and Critical Pragmatism)

In settings of uncertainty and ambiguity, inequality and conflict, planners must be context-responsive and improvise. As yesterday’s routines fail to satisfy tomorrow’s demands, few prescriptive rules – no musical scores – dictate practitioners’ actions. Four cases from diverse settings show how planners can improvise “options analysis” by integrating moves of diagnosing value, leveraging expertise, and negotiating outcomes. Practitioners perform options analysis with stakeholders by deliberatively asking and answering distinct but related questions of what matters, what’s known, what they can do together. Options analysis specifies, deepens, and extends communicative and critical pragmatic planning theories, raising new research questions.

The Art of Mbira: Musical Inheritance and LegacyMbira's Restless Dance: An Archive of Improvisation, Vols. 1 & 2

The Art of Mbira: Musical Inheritance and LegacyMbira's Restless Dance: An Archive of Improvisation, Vols. 1 & 2

MINING OF CLASSIC CHINESE MEDICINE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR AND CEREBRO-VASCULAR DISEASES FOR PRECISION MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription has the characteristic of “one person, one prescription”. Mining the rules of its prescriptions can be helpful for clinical diagnosis and treatment and reflects “Precision Medical”. Taking the classic Chinese medicine prescriptions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as samples, the author discussed the mining process of prescription rules and the methods and techniques of data preprocessing. The machine learning method is used to construct a mining model of prescription rules based on set relations, and the similarity between prescriptions is calculated, and the “Mean-Link” clustering algorithm is used for clustering. The results showed that 14 kinds of TCM prescriptions for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease, were grouped into four categories in terms of prescription compositions among which the cluster composed of HFP (Heart Failure Prescription), SHYF (Siheyifang), WSJXD (Wenshen Jiuxin Decoction) poly as one category, prescription HP1 (Hypotensive Prescription), SSP (Sinus Syndrome Prescription), YQJND (Yiqi Jiannao Decoction) cluster into one category, the similarity of the two types is 0.21, is the highest value. In terms of prescription indications, they are clustered into four groups, among which the HFP and WSJXD are clustered into one category, and the similarity is 0.60, the highest value. The results of the comprehensive composition and indication clustering can be seen: (1) BWJYD (Bawei Jiangya Decoction), TMGTD (Tianma Gouteng Decoction); (2) HP1, AP (Anemia Prescription), MVD (Myocardial Vital Drink); (3) HFP, WSJXD; (4) SSP, YQJND. The treatment prescriptions between the two diseases in these four groups have the significance of mutual reference and reference.

التوكيد بالنفس والعين بين التخطئة والتصويب

This research deals, through analysis and investigation, with incorrect normative restrictions imposed by some scholars in linguistic correction on the use of the terms (nafs) and ('Ayn) in terms of emphasis. Such linguists issued two judgments each considering the use of the target items nafs and 'Ayn erroneous: annexation or prefixed with a preposition. Their judgments were based neither on conventional usage nor on adhering to grammatical rules. The problem of this study lies in the extent of the accuracy of the erroneous forms, and in the reason that prompted some linguists to spread it until it became more like postulates in the field of linguistic correction, although it was not built on a sound basis. This piece of research has adopted the descriptive-analytic approach in which language has continued to be the point of reference in the various proposed arguments. Prescriptive rules were disregarded in the course of both presentation and discussion. The study concludes that the accumulative views which consider both usages erroneous is based on a false tradition that has been proposed by some linguists and adhered to by their successors without any serious scrutinization and/or examination.

PREFACE: A SPECIAL SELECTION ON EMERGING TECHNIQUES FOR BIOMECHANICS–PART II

PREFACE: A SPECIAL SELECTION ON EMERGING TECHNIQUES FOR BIOMECHANICS–PART II

On the Core Prescriptions and Their Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hepatitis B, Liver Cirrhosis, and Liver Cancer Treatment.

Background As a frequent cause of death in cancer patients, liver cancer usually occurs in hepatitis B and cirrhosis. In China, Chinese people have been using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating various chronic liver diseases, which could effectively improve the symptoms and slow down the progression of liver diseases. However, due to the complexity rules of TCM prescription, their action mechanisms are still not clearly understood, which may affect the popularization of effective prescriptions. This study aims to identify the core TCM herbs in the treatment of hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer so as to clarify the mechanism of action of the core herb networks. Methods There were 1,673 prescriptions for chronic liver diseases collected in this study, of which 854 were hepatic B prescriptions, 530 were for liver cirrhosis, and 289 were for liver cancer. The basic characteristics of herbal medicine were firstly explained via descriptive analysis, then the core prescriptions of herbal medicine were analyzed through association rule, and finally, the mechanism of core prescriptions was explored with the help of systematic network pharmacology and by applying such databases as TCMIP, HERB, OMIM, GeneCards, KEGG, and software like RStudio and Cytoscape. Results The rule of the core prescriptions in these cases was characterized by the application of herbs with both cold and warm properties, in which bitter herbs with cold property took priority. Tonifying deficiency, clearing heat, and activating blood circulations to remove stasis were common treatment principles for the three liver diseases. Turmeric Root Tuber (YuJin), White Peony Root (BaiShao), Bupleurum (ChaiHu), Salvia miltiorrhiza (DanShen), and Astragali Radix (HuangQi) were prescribed the most in hepatitis B treatment to invigorate the spleen and soothe the liver. Astragali Radix (HuangQi), Tuckahoe (FuLing), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (BaiZhu), Fructus Polygoni Orientalis (ShuiHongHuaZi), and Curcumae Rhizome (EZhu) were most frequently applied in liver cirrhosis treatment to replenish qi and activate blood. Oldenlandia (BaiHuaSheSheCao), Bearded Scutellaria (BanZhiLian), Curcumae Rhizome (EZhu), and Cardamom (DouKou) were most frequently prescribed to eliminate cancer toxin, invigorate the spleen, and activate blood. These core herbs mainly act through signal transduction and immune system pathways, in which the PI3K-Akt pathway plays a key role. The core prescription for liver cirrhosis regulated more endocrine system pathways than the hepatitis B prescription, and liver cancer prescription regulated more nervous system-related pathways. Conclusion Three core prescriptions for hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer treatment were identified, which acted mainly through signal transduction and immune system pathways to regulate immunity and cell growth and participate in inflammation inhibition, in which liver cancer prescription regulated more pathways, especially more nervous system-related pathways than the other two.

STREAMLINING THE SHIP STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION PROCESS BY USING AN EARLY 3D PRODUCT MODEL

Optimization of ship structure has been a target for ship designers ever since the beginning of modern shipbuilding. At the same time, class society rules and regulations have been continuously evolving and guiding shipbuilders in their use of more advanced methods and tools, which will further facilitate the optimization of structures against the latest knowledge. This paper presents the results of a project in which the whole rule-based structural optimization process is built inside one technology platform. This platform combines the necessary modelling work, prescriptive rule check, FEM-based rule check and further weight and other calculations in one automated and streamlined process. This will have a tremendous effect on the throughput time of iteration cycles. The paper will present the process and technologies used for integrating the different components into the common design platform. It will also show some results achieved in a commercial cargo ship design.

Corpus-Based Investigation of S-V Concord Patterns of Nouns with Latin Plural Endings

English subject-verb concord can pose problems to learners such as omission of third person singular inflection and overextension due to linguistic typology, phonological and perceptual factors, syntax, and the number of nouns acting as the subject of the sentence, among others. A group of nouns that invites confusion is what Huddleston and Pullum (2002) call nouns with Latin plural endings whose singular forms are uncommon compared to their plural counterparts. This investigation aims to provide teachers with guidance on the general and genre-based agreement patterns of these nouns using the balanced Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). This study found that based on their agreement patterns these nouns can be classified into three groups: 1) nouns whose tendencies are line with prescriptive rules; 2) noun whose tendencies are ambivalent; and 3) nouns which might have already been “reclassified” by speakers. By genres, there was a strong preference to use “plural” verbs with these nouns in the written and the academic components of the corpus while “singular” verbs are preferred in the spoken components. The implications of the study for teaching and research were also provided.

Analysis of Chinese Medicine Compound in Treatment of Urticaria with Rheumatic Fever

Purpose: To explore the rules of prescriptions of modern clinical Chinese medicine compound prescriptions in treatment of urticaria with rheumatic fever, and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment. Methods: The literature on the treatment of urticaria with rheumatic fever with medicine compound prescriptions from October 1st, 1949 to January 1st, 2021 in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was searched to establish an Excel database of medicine prescriptions, and data analysis was performed by SPSS Statistics22.0 and SPSS Modeler18.0. Results: A total of 52 articles are included in this study, involving 54 medicine prescriptions and 97 Chinese medicines with a cumulative frequency of 623 times. Among them, 39 Chinese medicines are used more than 4 times, with the highest frequency of Fangfeng. They are mainly pungent, cold in nature, with the channel tropism of liver and lung. There are 19 second-order association rules for mining TCM association rules, with the first five rules ranked in the descending order of confidence as follows: Fangfeng + Scutellaria baicalensis, Jingjie + Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, Fangfeng + Anemarrhenae rhizoma, Fangfeng + Arctium fruit, Fangfeng + Jingjie, with 103 third-order associations and 124 fourth-order associations, which are consistent with the actual clinical application. Conclusion: The modern clinical treatment of urticaria with rheumatic fever is based on "dispelling wind to relieve exterior syndrome", and also on "curing deficiency", "resolving dampness", "suppressing hyperactive liver for calming endogenous wind", and "promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis". The data provides reference for the clinical treatment of the disease and Chinese medicine research.

A Survey of Prescription Errors in Paediatric Outpatients in Multi-Primary Care Settings: The Implementation of an Electronic Pre-Prescription System.

BackgroundPrescription errors impact the safety and efficacy of therapy and are considered to have a higher impact on paediatric populations. Nevertheless, information in paediatrics is still lacking, particularly in primary care settings. There exists a need to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of prescription errors in paediatric outpatients to prevent such errors during the prescription stage.MethodsA cross-sectional study to evaluate paediatric prescription errors in multi-primary care settings was conducted between August 2019 and July 2021. Prescriptions documented within the electronic pre-prescription system were automatically reviewed by the system and then, potentially inappropriate prescriptions would be reconciled by remote pharmacists via a regional pharmacy information exchange network. The demographics of paediatric patients, prescription details, and types/rates of errors were assessed and used to identify associated factors for prescription using logistic regression.ResultsA total of 39,754 outpatient paediatric prescriptions in 13 community health care centres were reviewed, among which 1,724 prescriptions (4.3%) were enrolled in the study as they met the inclusion criteria. Dose errors were the most prevalent (27%), with the predominance of underdosing (69%). They were followed by errors in selection without specified indications (24.5%), incompatibility (12.4%), and frequency errors (9.9%). Among critical errors were drug duplication (8.7%), contraindication (.9%), and drug interaction (.8%) that directly affect the drug's safety and efficacy. Notably, error rates were highest in medications for respiratory system drugs (50.5%), antibiotics (27.3%), and Chinese traditional medicine (12.3%). Results of logistic regression revealed that specific drug classification (antitussives, expectorants and mucolytic agents, anti-infective agents), patient age (<6 years), and prescriber specialty (paediatrics) related positively to errors.ConclusionOur study provides the prevalence and characteristics of prescription errors of paediatric outpatients in community settings based on an electronic pre-prescription system. Errors in dose calculations and medications commonly prescribed in primary care settings, such as respiratory system drugs, antibiotics, and Chinese traditional medicine, are certainly to be aware of. These results highlight an essential requirement to update the rules of prescriptions in the pre-prescription system to facilitate the delivery of excellent therapeutic outcomes.

NAL-NL2 Prescriptive Targets for Bone Conduction Devices With an Adaptation to Device Constraints in the Low Frequencies.

Objectives:To study the effectivity of a transformed NAL non-linear version 2 (NAL-NL2) gain prescription for percutaneous bone conduction devices (BCDs) and to investigate how to take into account output constraints for the lower frequencies.Design:The NAL-NL2 prescription was converted to a bone conduction prescription rule. Adaptations were needed, as this converted rule prescribes more output at low frequencies than the device delivers. Three adaptations with different audibility and compression were compared. Setting 1 (S1, “optimal audibility”) had most audibility due to adapted frequency-dependent compression, setting 2 (S2, “moderate audibility”) had moderate output reduction below 1 kHz, and setting 3 (S3, “reduced audibility, least distortion”) had most output reduction. Eighteen experienced BCD users rated their relative sound quality in paired comparisons for different sounds (own voice, mixed voices, traffic noise, and music). In addition speech intelligibility in quiet and noise were assessed.Results:The relative sound quality rating for the adapted prescriptions varied between the stimuli: more low-frequency sound was preferred for music (S1 over S3), and less low-frequency sound was preferred for the own voice (S2 and S3 over S1). No differences in quality rating were found for mixed voices or traffic noise. Speech intelligibility in quiet scores at 45 dB SPL was significantly lower for S3 than for S1. Speech intelligibility in noise was significantly reduced in all settings and S3 yielded significantly better speech intelligibility in noise than S1.Conclusions:With a moderate gain reduction for low frequencies to comply with device constraints the transformed NAL-NL2 prescription was found suitable for fitting BCDs. Perceived sound quality depended on the gain settings, but also on the sound spectra and how the sound was appreciated. A moderate gain reduction below 1 kHz seems to be the optimal adaptation as it has a neutral or positive relative sound quality for all stimuli without negative effects on Speech intelligibility. The NAL-NL2-BC prescribed a sufficient amount of gain, as indicated by the speech tests.

A rule‐based account of the regulative use of reason in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to propose a novel reading of the critical legitimacy of the regulative use of reason in the Transcendental Dialectic of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. After introducing some key terminology of the Dialectic, I analyse the shortcomings of two influential accounts of the regulative use of reason and identify their common problem in their commitment to the descriptivity of the ideas of reason. I then offer my rule‐based account of the regulative use of reason by clarifying how Kant transforms reason's metaphysical inclinations into prescriptive rules of bottom‐up empirical research. Finally, I explain why such interpretation of reason is metaphysically innocent and thereby a promising approach to understand its role in Kant's scientific project.

From prescriptive rules to responsible organisations – making sense of risk in protective security management – a study from Norway

ABSTRACT Protective security management aims at protecting against malicious acts. It has, in a relatively short period, undergone substantial changes. One such change is the introduction of risk management. This article investigates a debate about a standard for security risk assessment (SRA) in Norway. It focuses on sense-making by security professionals, drawing on a unique interview material. The analysis utilises Michael Power’s theory on risk governance, as well as insights from security studies. A central finding is that the SRA approach was introduced to create more analytical security management. The importance of analysing one’s values (assets) makes it key to scrutinise the organisation’s characteristics, goals and vulnerabilities, regarded as moving security management in the direction of corporate governance. The article investigates how understanding of risk assessment and security interplay, and identifies a tension between risk (assessment) and the goal of protection, which makes security management risk averse. A requirement of creating sound security is viewed as a potential for burdensome organisational responsibility and blame. The analysis identifies elements of what is often described as resilience (attention towards vulnerabilities), but without the political reading (neo-liberal abdication of the state), thus contributing to the literature on resilience.

Analysis of prescription and medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 based on traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform

To analyze the rules of medication and principles of formulas for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform (V2.5). The clinical data, including gender, age, clinical symptoms, frequency of traditional Chinese medicine medication and prescription information, of patients with COVID-19 and asymptomatic infection who were admitted to Hebei COVID-19 designated hospital supported by medical team of First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine from January to March 2021 were collected. The information data were input into the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support platform (V2.5). The data mining and analysis were realized by the integrated association rules and complex entropy clustering analysis methods of the software, including the analysis of the frequency of each drug use, drug meridian, taste, and prescription rules, and the new prescriptions were developed. A total of 564 patients (564 prescriptions) were enrolled, involving 200 Chinese herbs, including 357 cases of common COVID-19 and 207 cases of asymptomatic infection. The proportion of women with common COVID-19 was high, and the high incidence age group was 51-70 years old. There was no significant difference in gender of asymptomatic infection, and the high incidence age group was 1-20 years old. The main clinical manifestations of most patients were head heavy and cough, followed by low fever and cough with sputum, the main tongue coating and pulse pattern were similar in both types of patients. The frequency of traditional Chinese medicine used in patients with common type of COVID-19 from high to low was liquorice root (326 times), indian bread (264 times), pinellia tuber (263 times), bitter apricot seed (236 times), baical skullcap root (229 times), gypsum (205 times), agastache rugosus (201 times), dried tangerine peel (194 times), ephedra (184 times), and Chinese thorowax root (163 times), while that used by asymptomatic infection were baical skullcap root (174 times), liquorice root (142 times), medicated leaven (137 times), agastache rugosus (127 times), pinellia tuber (114 times), Chinese thorowax root (100 times), officinal magnolia bark (91 times), atractylodes rhizome (89 times), peony root (84 times), and milkvetch root (83 times). The two types of patients were mainly treated with warm, cold and flat drugs, and the nature and taste were mainly pungent, bitter and sweet. The meridian tropism of drugs was mainly lung, spleen and stomach. High frequency drug formulation mainly included drugs for resolving turbidity and detoxification. At the same time, seven new prescriptions for common COVID-19 and four new prescriptions for asymptomatic infection were developed. The primary reason for the COVID-19 occurrence and development is turbidity-toxin and the qi of plague, and resolving turbidity and detoxication are the basic treating principle. On the basis, for patients with common COVID-19, symptomatic treatment such as relieving exterior syndrome, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and antitussive drugs should be taken into account at the same time, while the treatment of asymptomatic infections should focus more on supporting the body and eliminating the harmful pathogens.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Hypothyroidism in Primary Care

Decreased thyroid function occurs among 0,2–1% of men and 1,4–5% of women in the general population, and among people over 60 years among 2,5% of men and 6% of women. Hypothyroidism in 95% of cases is caused by thyroid disfunction (primary hypothyroidism), only 5% of cases are central hypothyroidism, associated with dysfunction of the pituitary gland (insufficient production of thyroid-stimulating hormone) and hypothalamus (impaired thyroliberin synthesis). Nonspecific clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism are the reason for examining the patient for thyroid hormone levels in primary care. Primary hypothyroidism screening is a common clinical situation in the general practitioner`s practice. According to Guideline 00514. Hypothyroidism of the Finnish Medical Research Society Duodecim Medical Publications Ltd, the use of which is approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine № 1422 of December 29, 2016, diagnosis of hypothyroidism and treatment of primary hypothyroidism are the tasks of primary care professionals. Decreased thyroid function may have subclinical and manifest forms, which are detected in the analysis of the results of thyroid hormones and clinical signs of the disease, require different treatment approaches. There are the differences in the use of levothyroxine replacement therapy in patients of different ages and depending on the causes of hypothyroidism. Patients under 55 years old are prescribed levothyroxine sodium in a daily dose of 1,6–1,8 μg/kg body weight. In patients over 55 years old, the daily requirement of levothyroxine sodium is calculated at 0,9 μg/kg body weight, taking into account existing cardiovascular disease. If patients are obese, the calculation is made on the «ideal» weight. The calculation of the dose and rules of levothyroxine sodium prescription in primary care are presented on the example of four clinical cases. The algorithm for control levothyroxine replacement therapy in patients with primary hypothyroidism is also presented.

The Shifting Sub-text of Japanese Gendered Language

Sociolinguists (e.g., Holmes, 2008; Meyerhof, 2011) generally describe Japanese as a language with gender-exclusive elements. Personal pronouns, sentence-ending particles and lexicon used exclusively by one gender have been cataloged in English by researchers such as Ide (1979), Shibamoto (1985), and McGloin (1991). While there has been some research showing that Japanese women’s language use today is much more diverse than these earlier descriptions suggested (e.g., studies in Okamoto and Shibamoto Smith, 2004) and that some young Japanese girls use masculine pronouns to refer to themselves (Miyazaki, 2010), prescriptive rules for Japanese use still maintain gender-exclusive elements today. In addition, characters in Japanese movies and TV dramas not only adhere to but also popularize these norms (Nakamura, 2012). Thus, Japanese etiquette rules and media texts promote the perpetuation of gender-exclusive language use, particularly by females. However, in the past three decades, Japanese society has made significant shifts towards gender equality in the legal code, the workplace and education. I therefore decided to investigate how Japanese women use and view their language in the context of these changes. I draw data from three focus groups which I conducted in 2013 and 2019, and which comprised female university students who went through the Japanese school system after the Japan Teachers’ Union adopted a policy of gender equality. The goal was to determine whether Japanese women’s language use is shifting over time. The study suggests that Japanese women are slowly changing the gendered nature of Japanese, using very few of the traditional elements of onna kotoba (women’s language), and slowly adopting such traditionally masculine features as the use of omae and kimi as second-person pronouns, omitting bikago honorifics, and employing masculine lexical items such as umai, ku, hara, and kuso, which were until recently considered taboo for females to use. Although these trends are not yet evident in most public contexts, the language use and views of the participants in this study suggest that the shift in Japanese usage is steadily ongoing and forms a sub-text of Japanese language use.

Mining Important Herb Combinations of Traditional Chinese Medicine against Hypertension Based on the Symptom-Herb Network Combined with Network Pharmacology.

Although data mining methods are extensively used in the rule analysis of famous old traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts' prescriptions for the treatment of hypertension, most of them only mine the association between herbs and herbs, ignoring the importance of symptoms in the disease. This study collected 439 cases of hypertension treated by famous old TCM experts from the FangNet platform. Using the structure network algorithm, the symptom-herb network was constructed, which redefined the importance of herb in disease. Based on the network, 21 driver herbs, 76 herb pairs, and 41 symptom-herb associations were mined. Finally, the basic prescription composed of Gouteng (Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis), Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), and Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) was found. These herbs are the most significant among all herbs, and they have a potential correlation with each other. To further verify the rationality of the data mining results, we adopted the network pharmacology method. Network pharmacological analysis shows that the five core targets in the basic prescription include IL6, VEGFA, TNF, TP53, and EGF, which link 10 significant active compounds and 7 important KEGG pathways. It was predicted that anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vascular endothelial protection, emotion regulation, and ion channel intervention might be the main mechanisms of the basic prescription against hypertension. This study reveals the prescription rule of famous old TCM experts for treating hypertension from a new perspective, which provides a new approach to inherit the academic experience of famous old TCM experts and develop new drugs.

Using Automatic Speech Recognition to Optimize Hearing-Aid Time Constants.

Automatic speech recognition (ASR), when combined with hearing-aid (HA) and hearing-loss (HL) simulations, can predict aided speech-identification performances of persons with age-related hearing loss. ASR can thus be used to evaluate different HA configurations, such as combinations of insertion-gain functions and compression thresholds, in order to optimize HA fitting for a given person. The present study investigated whether, after fixing compression thresholds and insertion gains, a random-search algorithm could be used to optimize time constants (i.e., attack and release times) for 12 audiometric profiles. The insertion gains were either those recommended by the CAM2 prescription rule or those optimized using ASR, while compression thresholds were always optimized using ASR. For each audiometric profile, the random-search algorithm was used to vary time constants with the aim to maximize ASR performance. A HA simulator and a HL simulator simulator were used, respectively, to amplify and to degrade speech stimuli according to the input audiogram. The resulting speech signals were fed to an ASR system for recognition. For each audiogram, 1,000 iterations of the random-search algorithm were used to find the time-constant configuration yielding the highest ASR score. To assess the reproducibility of the results, the random search algorithm was run twice. Optimizing the time constants significantly improved the ASR scores when CAM2 insertion gains were used, but not when using ASR-based gains. Repeating the random search yielded similar ASR scores, but different time-constant configurations.

Did the pattern of use of zolpidem change since the enforcement of a new prescription rule? A latent class analysis using the French health insurance database

ABSTRACT Background In recent years, zolpidem has been the subject of numerous reports of misuse, abuse and dependence. In view of these risks, the French drug agency decreed the implementation of secure prescription pads in April, 2017. The objective of this study was to characterize the impact of this regulatory change on the patterns of zolpidem use. Research design and methods We included patients with at least one reimbursement for zolpidem before and/or after the regulatory change using a sample of the French health insurance database. For each period, we identified profiles of users using a latent class analysis (LCA). Results In total, 15,550 zolpidem users were identified before the measure and 8,301 after the measure. We identified the same three profiles of zolpidem users before and after the measure: non-problematic users (the most prevalent), users whose drug prescriptions suggest psychiatric disorder and potential problematic users. The profile of potential problematic users was similar after the regulatory change but represented a lower absolute number of patients. Conclusion In conclusion, the regulatory change had a positive impact on the patterns of zolpidem use, but the impact should be reevaluated, because withdrawal can take a long time, especially in long-term users. Trial registration The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov under the reference number NCT03584542.