Edible Ferns in India and Their Medicinal Uses: A Review

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Edible ferns are the familiar plant food used by people all over the world as they are easily available in...     

Increasing the Patient-Centeredness of Predictive Analytics Tools

The Patient - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research -     

Principles of environmentally-sustainable anaesthesia: a global consensus statement from the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists

The Earth’s mean surface temperature is already approximately 1.1°C higher than pre-industrial levels. Exceeding a mean 1.5°C rise by 2050 will make global adaptation to the consequences of climate change less possible. To protect public health, anaesthesia providers need to reduce the contribution their practice makes to global warming. We convened a Working Group of 45 anaesthesia providers with a recognised interest in sustainability, and used a three-stage modified Delphi consensus process to agree on principles of environmentally sustainable anaesthesia that are achievable worldwide. The Working Group agreed on the following three important underlying statements: patient safety should not be compromised by sustainable anaesthetic practices; high-, middle- and low-income countries should support each other appropriately in delivering sustainable healthcare (including anaesthesia); and healthcare systems should be mandated to reduce their contribution to global warming. We set out seven fundamental principles to guide anaesthesia providers in the move to environmentally sustainable practice, including: choice of medications and equipment; minimising waste and overuse of resources; and addressing environmental sustainability in anaesthetists’ education, research, quality improvement and local healthcare leadership activities. These changes are achievable with minimal material resource and financial investment, and should undergo re-evaluation and updates as better evidence is published. This paper discusses each principle individually, and directs readers towards further important references.     

中医药调控益生菌防治肺炎的研究进展＊

肺炎是呼吸系统疾病中的常见疾病，发病率高，可伴有多种并发症，严重时可危及生命健康。肺炎患者多伴有肠道菌群失调，表现为有益菌减少，且益生菌可通过“肠-肺轴”影响肺部免疫参与肺炎的发生发展。中医以“肺”与“大肠”两者之间的生理及病理关系为基础，通过整体观念和辨证论治发挥了治疗肺炎的独特的优势。近年来，许多研究表明中医药在治疗肺炎的过程中具有改善肠道微生态作用，但肺炎的中医辨证分型与肠道菌群的相关性尚不明确。本文从中医辨证分型论治肺炎的角度出发，总结不同辨证分型的肺炎与肠道菌群结构特征，阐述中医治疗肺炎过程中对于益生菌的调节作用和“证型—中药—益生菌”的对应关系。通过讨论益生菌在防治肺炎中的关键作用，展望中医辩证联合益生菌治疗肺炎的应用前景，以期为肺炎的防治提供新思路和新靶点，也为将来指导不同肺炎证型患者选择适合的中药及益生菌提供理论依据。