Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Alzheimer's Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Acupuncture has reportedly improved memory and cognitive impairment in both animal and clinical studies. It may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to review the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of AD. Eight databases were searched for articles published up to and including July 2017, and 13 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were identified. The main outcomes assessed were clinical efficacy rate, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Ability of Daily Living Scale score, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognition score, Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS) score, and adverse events. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using Cochrane's risk of bias. All the studies compared the efficacy of acupuncture with that of medication, and were published in Chinese journals. Meta-analysis revealed that acupuncture yielded positive results as determined via all the indexes scored except the HDS (95% CI -0.26 to 0.90, Z=0.35, P=0.73). Only one of the studies reported adverse events associated with acupuncture and medication. The rate of adverse events in the medication group was 13%. In most of the studies assessed in the current metaanalysis, acupuncture alone was better than conventional western medicines for the treatment of AD.

Is Acupuncture Effective for Improving Insulin Resistance?A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for intervening insulin resistance (IR)by meta-analysis of related randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Studies published prior to 31 January 2018 were searched on Pubmed,Medline,Cochrane Library, Embase databases and Chinese databases.Only RCTs,which examined acupuncture as the sole or adjunctive treatment for IR-related diseases,were included.The primary outcome was homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).The secondary outcomes consisted of fasting blood glucose (FBG),fasting insulin (FINS)and 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2h-PBG).The differences between groups were reported as mean differences (MD).All statistical analyses were performed using RevMan software 5.3.After carefully screening relevant studies,9 RCTs involving 562 patients (279 in experimental group and 283 in control group)were enrolled in this study.The pooled results showed that acupuncture had significant effects on HOMA-IR (MD 0.70,95%CI 0.04 to 1.35,P=-0.04<0.05),FINS (MD 3.35mU/L,95%CI 1.99 to 4.7,P<0.001)and 2h-PBG (MD 1.03 mmol/L,95%CI 0.25 to 1.82,P=0.01).However,the differences in FBG were not significant (MD 0.28 mmol/L,95%CI -0.28 to 0.84,P=0.32>0.05).The present meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture can help to improve IR to a certain extent,which remains to be confirmed by further high-quality RCTs.

Fabrication of PdSe2/GaAs Heterojunction for Sensitive Near-Infrared Photovoltaic Detector and Image Sensor Application

In this study,we have developed a high-sensitivity,near-infrared photodetector based on PdSe2/GaAs heterojunction,which was made by transferring a multilayered PdSe2 film onto a planar GaAs.The as-fabricated PdSe2/GaAs heterojunction device exhibited obvious photovoltaic behavior to 808 nm illumination,indicating that the near-infrared photodetector can be used as a self-driven device without external power supply.Further device analysis showed that the hybrid heterojunction exhibited a high on/off ratio of 1.16×10^5 measured at 808 nm under zero bias voltage.The responsivity and specific detectivity of photodetector were estimated to be 171.34 mA/W and 2.36×10^11 Jones,respectively.Moreover,the device showed excellent stability and reliable repeatability.After 2 months,the photoelectric characteristics of the near-infrared photodetector hardly degrade in air,attributable to the good stability of the PdSe2.Finally,the PdSe2/GaAs-based heterojunction device can also function as a near-infrared light sensor.

Unlocking the potential:How acupuncture reshapes the liver-centered lipid metabolism pattern to fight obesity

Obesity,a widespread global health issue,is frequently linked to disrupted lipid metabolism,resulting in excessive accumulation of adipose tissue and associated health complications.Acupuncture,a traditional Chinese medical modality,has exhibited potential as a viable intervention for addressing obesity.The underlying mechanism proposed involves the stimulation of specific acupoints to exert a regulatory influence on hepatic function.The liver has a central role in lipid metabolism,including processes such as lipid synthesis,storage and distribution.Acupuncture is believed to enhance the liver’s efficiency in processing lipids,thereby reducing lipid accumulation and improving metabolic functions.Research indicates that acupuncture can influence the expression of certain genes and proteins involved in lipid metabolism in the liver.This includes upregulating genes that promote lipid breakdown and oxidation,and downregulating those involved in lipid synthesis.Additionally,acupuncture has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity,which is crucial for the regulation of lipid metabolism.Furthermore,the potential anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture may play a significant role in its efficacy for the treatment of obesity.The presence of chronic inflammation has been strongly associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity.Through its ability to mitigate inflammation,acupuncture can potentially aid in the restoration of lipid metabolism and the reduction of body weight.Moreover,the amelioration of hepatic oxidative stress represents another mechanism by which acupuncture may contribute to the reduction of lipid deposition.Notably,the liver,being the primary site of lipid metabolism,maintains communication with various organs including the brain,adipose tissue,skeletal muscle and intestines.This perspective opens new avenues for the treatment of obesity,emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches in managing complex metabolic disorders.

Non-ultrawide bandgap CsPbBr_(3) nanosheet for sensitive deep ultraviolet photodetection

In this study,we report the fabrication of a sensitive deep ultraviolet(DUV)photodetector by using CsPbBr_(3) nanosheets synthesized through confined-space growth at room temperature.The peak pho-toresponse of the device upon illumination blueshifts with decreasing thickness and a 68 nm CsPbBr_(3) nanosheet based device displays a peak response to 265 nm illumination,showing responsivity and spe-cific detectivity of 85 mA/W and 4.05×1011 Jones at 3 V bias,respectively.Theoretical simulation re-veals that the blueshift is associated with the wavelength-dependent absorption coefficient of CsPbBr_(3) nanosheet:incident light with shorter wavelengths can be absorbed on the superficial surface,while long-wavelength light has a larger penetration depth,leading to dominant DUV absorption in thinner CsPbBr_(3) nanosheet.This work will shed light on the facile and cost-effective fabrication of DUV photode-tectors from non-ultrawide bandgap(UWBG)all-inorganic perovskite materials.

1D/2D material-based photodetectors driven by ferroelectrics

One-dimensional （1D） and two-dimensional （2D） materials, such as nanowires, graphene, and transition metal dichalcogenides （TMDs）, have received emerging research study in the past ten years [1-3]. They have demonstrated to be idea building blocks for fabricating high-performance photodetector devices owing to their unique electrical and optical properties [4-6].