Electroacupuncture (EA), an extension of acupuncture, which is based on traditional acupuncture combined with modern electrotherapy, is commonly used for poststroke dysphagia (PSD) in clinical treatment and research.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/rilematovir.html  However, there is still a lack of sufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of EA for PSD. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of EA in the treatment of PSD.
 
  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of EA on PSD were identified through a comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Database, and VIP databases from their inception to July 2020. The quality assessment of the included trials was performed based on the guidance of the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook, and meta-analysis (MA) was performed by using the RevMan 5.3 software.
 
  Sixteen trials were identified, and these included 1,216 patients with PSD. The results demonstrated that EA in combination with swallowing rehabilitation training (SRT) was significantly superior to SRT alone with regard to effective rate (OR 5.40, 95% CI [3.78, 7.72], 
  < 0.00001, water swallow test (WST) (MD -0.78, 95% CI [-1.07, -0.50], 
  < 0.00001), the video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) (MD 1.47, 95% CI [1.11, 1.84], 
  < 0.00001), the Ichiro Fujishima Rating Scale (IFRS) (MD 1.94, 95% CI [1.67, 2.22], 
  < 0.00001), and the incidence of aspiration pneumonia (IAP) (OR 0.20, 95% CI [0.06, 0.61], 
  =0.005).
 
  The results showed that EA was better than the control treatment in terms of the effective rate, WST, VFSS, IFRS, and IAP of dysphagia after stroke. Strict evaluation standards and high-quality RCT designs are necessary for further exploration.
 The results showed that EA was better than the control treatment in terms of the effective rate, WST, VFSS, IFRS, and IAP of dysphagia after stroke. Strict evaluation standards and high-quality RCT designs are necessary for further exploration.
  Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by reversible bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation. According to Statistics Canada in 2014, 8.1% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported having asthma diagnosed by a health care professional. Therefore, in 2014 there were an estimated 274,661 persons with asthma in Alberta. Most epidemiological studies estimate prevalence and incidence using survey-based data, which has limitations. The Ontario Asthma Surveillance Information System (OASIS) group has developed and validated an algorithm for epidemiologic asthma studies using provincial health databases. In Alberta, there are some studies using provincial databases, but most are restricted to emergency department visits and do not represent the entire asthma population. Using the validated asthma definition for epidemiologic studies, we performed an analysis of the Alberta Health administrative databases to investigate and report province-wide asthma prevalence, incidence and mortality in Alberta fhere were ~ 7 deaths/1000 in the population with asthma versus ~ 5 deaths/1000 in those without asthma.
 
  The incidence of asthma decreased in both females and males while prevalence continued to increase, although at a slower rate than previously. All-cause mortality in asthma patients was higher than in those without asthma, but both decreased over time.
 The incidence of asthma decreased in both females and males while prevalence continued to increase, although at a slower rate than previously. All-cause mortality in asthma patients was higher than in those without asthma, but both decreased over time.
  Abnormal proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is a key mechanism in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) can induce abnormal proliferation of PASMCs. The role of miR-361-3p in serotonin-induced abnormal PASMCs proliferation remains unclear.
 
  The miR-361-3p level was analyzed in plasma from PAH patients and normal controls and in human PASMCs (hPASMCs) using RT-PCR. The hPASMCs were transfected with an miR-361-3p mimic and then treated with serotonin. Untransfected hPASMCs were used as the control. Cell proliferation was evaluated using an MTS assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining. The cell cycle stages were evaluated using flow cytometry. The association between miR-361-3p and serotonin transporter (SERT) was determined using a luciferase reporter assay and anti-AGO2 RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The protein expression was evaluated via western blotting.
 
  The miR-361-3p level was lower in plasma from PAH patients than in plasmower in the plasma of PAH patients. Upregulation of miR-361-3p suppresses serotonin-induced proliferation of hPASMCs by targeting SERT. Our results suggest that miR-361-3p is a potential therapeutic target in PAH.Medical waste represents a significant health risk and an environmental pollution concern due to its hazardous characteristics. The knowledge and practice of healthcare personnel in respect of the disposal of medical waste is essential to perform effective medical waste management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to medical waste management among healthcare workers in clinics (medical and dental clinics, specialized medical, laboratory clinics, polyclinics, and midwifery clinics) in Phuket, Thailand. A cross-sectional study was designed with stratified-random sampling used to select the sample of 344 respondents from 172 clinics of which data were collected using face-to-face interviews. The results showed that the majority of respondents (87.2%) were female of whom 36.9% were aged (20-29), 52.0% had more than 5 years working experience, and 51.2% had participated in at least one training course regarding medical waste management. The overall scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were at a high level (89.5%, 91.9%, and 92.2%, respectively). Significant and positive correlations were found between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.464), knowledge and practice (r = 0.396), and practice and attitude (r = 0.519). Statistical analysis using t tests and one-way analysis of variance showed that working experience and its duration were significant factors influencing good medical waste management practice. However, local authorities should implement a well-planned collection and transfer process for medical waste in order to reduce the risk of environmental pollution and the risk of infection or injury to healthcare workers and the general public.