On April 27,with the initiative and support of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and the Chinesea Cultural Centere of Greater Toronto as a cultural partner,the Ontario Martial Arts...On April 27,with the initiative and support of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and the Chinesea Cultural Centere of Greater Toronto as a cultural partner,the Ontario Martial Arts Federation successfully hosted the event of the World Tai Chi Day for the first time in Toronto,opening a new chapter for Tai Chi in Toronto.展开更多
On June 23,hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and co-organized by the Culture and Arts Center of Guofeng Art Museum,the Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural.Salon was successfull...On June 23,hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and co-organized by the Culture and Arts Center of Guofeng Art Museum,the Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural.Salon was successfully held in Toronto.Through this event,the Chinese and Canadian people have enhanced friendship and deepened mutual understanding in the exchange of tea culture,injecting new vitality into the stability and development of bilateral relations.展开更多
Background:Owing to the multifactorial nature of the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN),conventional drug therapies have not been effective.The application of stem cells transplantation may be useful...Background:Owing to the multifactorial nature of the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN),conventional drug therapies have not been effective.The application of stem cells transplantation may be useful for the treatment of DPN.This study was designed to assess the safety and therapeutic effects of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) transplantation on the treatment of refractory DPN.Methods:One hundred and sixty-eight patients with refractory DPN were recruited and enrolled in the study.They received intramuscular injection of BMMNCs and followed at 1,3,6,12,18,24,and 36 months after the transplantation.Clinical data,Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS),and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were compared before and after the transplantation.Results:The signs and symptoms of neuropathy were significantly improved after BMMNCs transplantation.The values of the TCSS scores at 1 month (9.68 ± 2.49 vs.12.55 ± 2.19,P<0.001) and 3 months (8.47 ± 2.39 vs.12.55 ± 2.19,P<0.001) after the treatment reduced significantly compared with the baseline value.This decrement remained persistent until the end of the study.The conduction velocity and action potential and sensory nerves were significantly improved after transplantation (3 and 12 months after the treatment vs.the baseline:motor nerve conduction velocity,40.24 ± 2.80 and 41.00 ± 2.22 m/s vs.38.21 ± 2.28 m/s,P<0.001;sensory nerve conduction velocity,36.96 ± 2.26 and 39.15 ± 2.61 m/s vs.40.41 ± 2.22 m/s,P<0.001;compound muscle action potential,4.67 ± 1.05 and 5.50 ± 1.20 μV vs.5.68 ± 1.08 μV,P<0.001;sensory nerve action potential,4.29 ± 0.99 and 5.14 ± 1.26 μV vs.5.41 ± 1.14 μV,P<0.001).No adverse event associated with the treatment was observed during the follow-up period.Conclusions:Autologous transplantation of BMMNCs may be an effective and promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of refractory DPN.展开更多
BACKGROUND Endoscopic evaluation in diagnosing and managing ulcerative colitis(UC)is becoming increasingly important.Several endoscopic scoring systems have been established,including the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic...BACKGROUND Endoscopic evaluation in diagnosing and managing ulcerative colitis(UC)is becoming increasingly important.Several endoscopic scoring systems have been established,including the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity(UCEIS)score and Mayo Endoscopic Subscore(MES).Furthermore,the Toronto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Global Endoscopic Reporting(TIGER)score for UC has recently been proposed;however,its clinical value remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinical value of the TIGER score in UC by comparing it with the UCEIS score and MES.METHODS This retrospective study included 166 patients with UC who underwent total colonoscopy between January 2017 and March 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University(Qingdao,China).We retrospectively analysed endoscopic scores,laboratory and clinical data,treatment,and readmissions within 1 year.Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient,receiver operating characteristic curve,and univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows,version 26.0(IBM Corp.,Armonk,NY,United States)and GraphPad Prism version 9.0.0 for Windows(GraphPad Software,Boston,Massachusetts,United States).RESULTS The TIGER score significantly correlated with the UCEIS score and MES(r=0.721,0.626,both P<0.001),showed good differentiating values for clinical severity among mild,moderate,and severe UC[8(4-112.75)vs 210(109–219)vs 328(219–426),all P<0.001],and exhibited predictive value in diagnosing patients with severe UC[area under the curve(AUC)=0.897,P<0.001].Additionally,the TIGER(r=0.639,0,551,0.488,0.376,all P<0.001)and UCEIS scores(r=0.622,0,540,0.494,and 0.375,all P<0.001)showed stronger correlations with laboratory and clinical parameters,including C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,length of hospitalisation,and hospitalisation costs,than MES(r=0.509,0,351,0.339,and 0.270,all P<0.001).The TIGER score showed the best predictability for patients'recent advanced treatment,including systemic corticostero展开更多
Time-series of weekly total carbon （TC） concentrations of fine aerosol particles （PM2.5） in Beijing and Toronto were compared to investigate their respective levels and temporal patterns over two years from August...Time-series of weekly total carbon （TC） concentrations of fine aerosol particles （PM2.5） in Beijing and Toronto were compared to investigate their respective levels and temporal patterns over two years from August 2001 through July 2003. In addition to this comparison, differences in the factors contributing to the observed concentrations and their temporal variations are discussed. Based upon past knowledge about the two megacities with highly contrasting air pollutant levels, it is not surprising that the average TC concentration in Belling （31.5 μg C m^-3） was greater than that in Toronto by a factor of 8.3. Despite their large concentration differences, in both cities TC comprised a similarly large component of PM2.5. TC concentrations exhibited very different seasonal patterns between the two cities. In Beijing, TC experienced higher levels and greater weekly fluctuations in winter whereas in Toronto this behavior was seen in summer. As a result, the greatest gap in TC concentrations between Beijing and Toronto （by a factor of 12.7） occurred in winter, while the smallest gap （a factor of 4.6） was in summer. In Beijing, seasonal variations in the emissions probably played a greater role than meteorology in influencing the TC seasonality, while in Toronto during the warm months more than 80% of the hourly winds were recorded from the south, along with many potential anthropogenic sources for the days with high TC concentrations. This comparison of the differences provides insight into the major factors affecting carbonaceous aerosol in each city.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of professor WU Lian-zhong＇s ＂resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method for spasmodic torticollis（ST） based on syndrome differentiation,and to compar...Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of professor WU Lian-zhong＇s ＂resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method for spasmodic torticollis（ST） based on syndrome differentiation,and to compare the efficacy of acupuncture treatment between the patients with spasmodic torticollis who were not given botulinum toxin A by injection and the patients given botulinum toxin A by injection.Methods Forty patients were divided into treatment group（not given botulinum toxin A by injection） and control group（given botulinum toxin A by injection）,with 20 patients in each group.＂Resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method was adopted in both two groups,and the treatment lasted for 6 months.The clinical efficacy in both two groups was compared after treatment.Tsui＇s Scale was applied to evaluate the overall effect,the abnormal posture of cervical spine and dystonic tremor.Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale（TWSTRS） was used for scoring the severity of torticollis,quality of life and pain.Results After treatment,the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in treatment group were 35.0% and 90.0%,respectively,which were superior to those in control group,namely 20.0% and 75.0%,and the efficacy difference was statistically significant for the total effective rate（P0.05）.It was shown according to the Tsui＇s Scale and TWSTRS that the differences were statistically significant when compared the two groups before and after treatment（all P0.01）;the difference of intergroup comparison after treatment was statistically significant（P0.05）.No adverse effect was found in both two groups during acupuncture treatment.Conclusion ＂Resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of ST patients,and better efficacy is found in the patients not given botulinum toxin A by injection.The course of treatment of acupuncture treatment for torticollis patients is longer,and the patients should insist展开更多
The production-oriented approach （POA） has been developed over a decade. It is driven by the need to improve English classroom instruction for university students in China （Wen, 2016）. It is also motivated by the ...The production-oriented approach （POA） has been developed over a decade. It is driven by the need to improve English classroom instruction for university students in China （Wen, 2016）. It is also motivated by the aspiration to enhance the quality of foreign language education in other similar pedagogical contexts outside China. A volume of research has been done by Wen Qiufang and her research team, to formulate the theory of POA and to test its effectiveness in classroom pedagogy （e.g. Wen, 2016, 2015; Yang, 2015; Zhang, 2015）. At the moment, the POA is still at an early stage of theory building and almost all empirical research is done in the Chinese context. In order to improve the quality of this theory and to make it intelligible to the international academic community, a one-day symposium was held in Beijing Foreign Studies University on May 15, 2017. The symposium was entitled ＇The first international forum on innovative foreign language education in China： Appraisal of the POA＇. In the forum, leading experts in applied linguistics were invited to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the POA and the directions for its future development. The symposium was the first attempt for the POA research team to discuss its latest work with international scholars. This Viewpoint section collects the responses of four experts who participated in the symposium, listed in alphabetical order. The collection of articles covers three topics related to the POA： its pedagogical application, its use for teacher training, and its research. Alister Cumming is Professor Emeritus and the former Head of the Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies, University of Toronto, Canada. His article focuses primarily on POA research as an exemplary case of design-based research. Rod Ellis is Research Professor in the School of Education at Curtin University, Australia. He discusses POA in terms of pedagogy, teacher training and research, with both critiques and constructive suggestions. Paul Kei M展开更多
Toronto is the largest city in Canada.People sometimes call it"the world in one city."Why?Because you can hear more than 180 languages onthestreetsthere.
The application of artificial intelligence algorithms in public services brings with it issues such as algorithmic discrimination and inequality.The discussion of the ethics and regulation of algorithms,from the legal...The application of artificial intelligence algorithms in public services brings with it issues such as algorithmic discrimination and inequality.The discussion of the ethics and regulation of algorithms,from the legal perspective,is actually the relationship between intelligent algorithms and the protection of human rights.In response to the discrimination and prejudice of algorithmic violations of human rights,a coalition of nonprofit organizations released the Toronto Declaration on Machine Learning regulates the development and use of algorithms with the principle of"due process."The Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI issued by the European Union in 2019 focus on the participants in algorithm development.While US courts that the algorithms enjoy the right to"freedom of speech".China should learn from the foreign algorithm regulation experience,and seek to establish an overall framework of government regulation that balances the need for technological innovation and commercial competition with human rights protection.展开更多
文摘On April 27,with the initiative and support of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and the Chinesea Cultural Centere of Greater Toronto as a cultural partner,the Ontario Martial Arts Federation successfully hosted the event of the World Tai Chi Day for the first time in Toronto,opening a new chapter for Tai Chi in Toronto.
文摘On June 23,hosted by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto and co-organized by the Culture and Arts Center of Guofeng Art Museum,the Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural.Salon was successfully held in Toronto.Through this event,the Chinese and Canadian people have enhanced friendship and deepened mutual understanding in the exchange of tea culture,injecting new vitality into the stability and development of bilateral relations.
基金a grant from the Research Fund for projects of Hubei provincial Health Department (No.JX4B56)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81370942).
文摘Background:Owing to the multifactorial nature of the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN),conventional drug therapies have not been effective.The application of stem cells transplantation may be useful for the treatment of DPN.This study was designed to assess the safety and therapeutic effects of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) transplantation on the treatment of refractory DPN.Methods:One hundred and sixty-eight patients with refractory DPN were recruited and enrolled in the study.They received intramuscular injection of BMMNCs and followed at 1,3,6,12,18,24,and 36 months after the transplantation.Clinical data,Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS),and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) were compared before and after the transplantation.Results:The signs and symptoms of neuropathy were significantly improved after BMMNCs transplantation.The values of the TCSS scores at 1 month (9.68 ± 2.49 vs.12.55 ± 2.19,P<0.001) and 3 months (8.47 ± 2.39 vs.12.55 ± 2.19,P<0.001) after the treatment reduced significantly compared with the baseline value.This decrement remained persistent until the end of the study.The conduction velocity and action potential and sensory nerves were significantly improved after transplantation (3 and 12 months after the treatment vs.the baseline:motor nerve conduction velocity,40.24 ± 2.80 and 41.00 ± 2.22 m/s vs.38.21 ± 2.28 m/s,P<0.001;sensory nerve conduction velocity,36.96 ± 2.26 and 39.15 ± 2.61 m/s vs.40.41 ± 2.22 m/s,P<0.001;compound muscle action potential,4.67 ± 1.05 and 5.50 ± 1.20 μV vs.5.68 ± 1.08 μV,P<0.001;sensory nerve action potential,4.29 ± 0.99 and 5.14 ± 1.26 μV vs.5.41 ± 1.14 μV,P<0.001).No adverse event associated with the treatment was observed during the follow-up period.Conclusions:Autologous transplantation of BMMNCs may be an effective and promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of refractory DPN.
基金Clinical Medicine+X Research Project of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in 2021,No.QDFY+X202101036Qingdao Medical and Health Research Program in 2021,No.2021-WJZD166and Youth Project of Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,No.ZR2020QH031.
文摘BACKGROUND Endoscopic evaluation in diagnosing and managing ulcerative colitis(UC)is becoming increasingly important.Several endoscopic scoring systems have been established,including the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity(UCEIS)score and Mayo Endoscopic Subscore(MES).Furthermore,the Toronto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Global Endoscopic Reporting(TIGER)score for UC has recently been proposed;however,its clinical value remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinical value of the TIGER score in UC by comparing it with the UCEIS score and MES.METHODS This retrospective study included 166 patients with UC who underwent total colonoscopy between January 2017 and March 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University(Qingdao,China).We retrospectively analysed endoscopic scores,laboratory and clinical data,treatment,and readmissions within 1 year.Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient,receiver operating characteristic curve,and univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows,version 26.0(IBM Corp.,Armonk,NY,United States)and GraphPad Prism version 9.0.0 for Windows(GraphPad Software,Boston,Massachusetts,United States).RESULTS The TIGER score significantly correlated with the UCEIS score and MES(r=0.721,0.626,both P<0.001),showed good differentiating values for clinical severity among mild,moderate,and severe UC[8(4-112.75)vs 210(109–219)vs 328(219–426),all P<0.001],and exhibited predictive value in diagnosing patients with severe UC[area under the curve(AUC)=0.897,P<0.001].Additionally,the TIGER(r=0.639,0,551,0.488,0.376,all P<0.001)and UCEIS scores(r=0.622,0,540,0.494,and 0.375,all P<0.001)showed stronger correlations with laboratory and clinical parameters,including C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,length of hospitalisation,and hospitalisation costs,than MES(r=0.509,0,351,0.339,and 0.270,all P<0.001).The TIGER score showed the best predictability for patients'recent advanced treatment,including systemic corticostero
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)projects(Grant Nos.20322203 and 40675079)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of NSFC(Grant No.20625722)
文摘Time-series of weekly total carbon （TC） concentrations of fine aerosol particles （PM2.5） in Beijing and Toronto were compared to investigate their respective levels and temporal patterns over two years from August 2001 through July 2003. In addition to this comparison, differences in the factors contributing to the observed concentrations and their temporal variations are discussed. Based upon past knowledge about the two megacities with highly contrasting air pollutant levels, it is not surprising that the average TC concentration in Belling （31.5 μg C m^-3） was greater than that in Toronto by a factor of 8.3. Despite their large concentration differences, in both cities TC comprised a similarly large component of PM2.5. TC concentrations exhibited very different seasonal patterns between the two cities. In Beijing, TC experienced higher levels and greater weekly fluctuations in winter whereas in Toronto this behavior was seen in summer. As a result, the greatest gap in TC concentrations between Beijing and Toronto （by a factor of 12.7） occurred in winter, while the smallest gap （a factor of 4.6） was in summer. In Beijing, seasonal variations in the emissions probably played a greater role than meteorology in influencing the TC seasonality, while in Toronto during the warm months more than 80% of the hourly winds were recorded from the south, along with many potential anthropogenic sources for the days with high TC concentrations. This comparison of the differences provides insight into the major factors affecting carbonaceous aerosol in each city.
基金Supported by WU Lian-zhong Inheritance Studio of National Famous and Veteran TCM Experts
文摘Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of professor WU Lian-zhong＇s ＂resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method for spasmodic torticollis（ST） based on syndrome differentiation,and to compare the efficacy of acupuncture treatment between the patients with spasmodic torticollis who were not given botulinum toxin A by injection and the patients given botulinum toxin A by injection.Methods Forty patients were divided into treatment group（not given botulinum toxin A by injection） and control group（given botulinum toxin A by injection）,with 20 patients in each group.＂Resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method was adopted in both two groups,and the treatment lasted for 6 months.The clinical efficacy in both two groups was compared after treatment.Tsui＇s Scale was applied to evaluate the overall effect,the abnormal posture of cervical spine and dystonic tremor.Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale（TWSTRS） was used for scoring the severity of torticollis,quality of life and pain.Results After treatment,the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in treatment group were 35.0% and 90.0%,respectively,which were superior to those in control group,namely 20.0% and 75.0%,and the efficacy difference was statistically significant for the total effective rate（P0.05）.It was shown according to the Tsui＇s Scale and TWSTRS that the differences were statistically significant when compared the two groups before and after treatment（all P0.01）;the difference of intergroup comparison after treatment was statistically significant（P0.05）.No adverse effect was found in both two groups during acupuncture treatment.Conclusion ＂Resuscitation and regulating muscle＂ acupuncture method can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of ST patients,and better efficacy is found in the patients not given botulinum toxin A by injection.The course of treatment of acupuncture treatment for torticollis patients is longer,and the patients should insist
文摘The production-oriented approach （POA） has been developed over a decade. It is driven by the need to improve English classroom instruction for university students in China （Wen, 2016）. It is also motivated by the aspiration to enhance the quality of foreign language education in other similar pedagogical contexts outside China. A volume of research has been done by Wen Qiufang and her research team, to formulate the theory of POA and to test its effectiveness in classroom pedagogy （e.g. Wen, 2016, 2015; Yang, 2015; Zhang, 2015）. At the moment, the POA is still at an early stage of theory building and almost all empirical research is done in the Chinese context. In order to improve the quality of this theory and to make it intelligible to the international academic community, a one-day symposium was held in Beijing Foreign Studies University on May 15, 2017. The symposium was entitled ＇The first international forum on innovative foreign language education in China： Appraisal of the POA＇. In the forum, leading experts in applied linguistics were invited to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the POA and the directions for its future development. The symposium was the first attempt for the POA research team to discuss its latest work with international scholars. This Viewpoint section collects the responses of four experts who participated in the symposium, listed in alphabetical order. The collection of articles covers three topics related to the POA： its pedagogical application, its use for teacher training, and its research. Alister Cumming is Professor Emeritus and the former Head of the Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies, University of Toronto, Canada. His article focuses primarily on POA research as an exemplary case of design-based research. Rod Ellis is Research Professor in the School of Education at Curtin University, Australia. He discusses POA in terms of pedagogy, teacher training and research, with both critiques and constructive suggestions. Paul Kei M
文摘Toronto is the largest city in Canada.People sometimes call it"the world in one city."Why?Because you can hear more than 180 languages onthestreetsthere.
文摘The application of artificial intelligence algorithms in public services brings with it issues such as algorithmic discrimination and inequality.The discussion of the ethics and regulation of algorithms,from the legal perspective,is actually the relationship between intelligent algorithms and the protection of human rights.In response to the discrimination and prejudice of algorithmic violations of human rights,a coalition of nonprofit organizations released the Toronto Declaration on Machine Learning regulates the development and use of algorithms with the principle of"due process."The Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI issued by the European Union in 2019 focus on the participants in algorithm development.While US courts that the algorithms enjoy the right to"freedom of speech".China should learn from the foreign algorithm regulation experience,and seek to establish an overall framework of government regulation that balances the need for technological innovation and commercial competition with human rights protection.
