Abstract:Objective: Gorham-Stout syndrome (GSS) is a rare disorder of uncertain etiology and unpredictable prognosis. This study aims to present a comprehensive understanding of this rare entity. Methods: A literature search in PubMed and three Chinese databases was performed to screen histologically proven GSS cases among Chinese residents in the mainland. We analyzed the patients' clinical characteristics, the value of different treatment modalities and their influence on the clinical outcome. Results: Sixty-seven cases were finally enrolled. There were 43 men (64.2%) and 24 women (35.8%). The mean age at diagnosis was 28 years (1.5-71 years). The most common clinical symptoms included pain (n=40, 59.7%), functional impairment (n=13, 19.4%), and swelling (n=12, 17.9%). The radiographic presentation of 37 cases (55.2%) was disappearance of a portion of the bone. The others presented as radiolucent foci in the intramedullary or subcortical regions. A total of 42 cases provided data on therapy, these included surgery (n=27, 40.3%), radiation therapy (n=6, 9.0%), surgery combined with radiation therapy (n=2, 3.0%), and medicine therapy (n=7, 10.4%). For 30 of these 42 cases, follow-up data were available: 21 cases had the disorder locally controlled and 9 had a symptom progression. Fortunately, the disease is not fatal in the majority of cases. Conclusions: GSS has no specific symptoms and it should be taken into consideration when an unclear massive osteolysis occurs. The efficacies of different treatment modalities are still unpredictable and further research is required to assess the values of different treatments.

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Abstract:Objective: Studies have demonstrated that Tai Chi exercise improves blood lipid level with inconsistent results. A meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the effects of Tai Chi on blood lipid profiles in humans. Methods: We screened the databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library (Central), Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data, and Clinicaltrials.gov for randomized controlled trials with Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) score more than 3 points up to June 2015. Six studies involving 445 subjects were included. Most trials applied 12-week Tai Chi intervention courses. Results: In comparison with the control group, blood triglyceride (TG) level difference between follow-up and baseline was statistically significantly lower in the Tai Chi practicing group (weighted mean difference (WMD) −16.81 mg/dl; 95% confidence intervals (CI) −31.27 to −2.35 mg/dl; P=0.02). A trend to improving total cholesterol (TC) reduction was found with Tai Chi (WMD −7.96 mg/dl; 95% CI −17.30 to 1.39 mg/dl; P=0.10). However, no difference was found in blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Conclusions: Tai Chi exercise lowered blood TG level with a trend to decrease blood TC level. Our data suggest that Tai Chi has the potential to implement meaningful blood lipid modification and serve as an adjunctive exercise modality. The relationship between Tai Chi exercise regimen and lipid profile change might have a scientific priority for future investigation.

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