Positive activation and negative activation of glucose metabolism can be detected in different brain regions under acupuncture conditions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which reveals acupoint fun...Positive activation and negative activation of glucose metabolism can be detected in different brain regions under acupuncture conditions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which reveals acupoint function and location-acupoint specificity. This study observed the regional cerebral activation of the Waiguan (SJ 5) acupoint following true needling at the true Waiguan acupoint, sham needling at the true Waiguan acupoint and true needling at a sham point using fMRI. The fMRI results demonstrated that compared with sham needling, true needling at Waiguan activated the BA8 area and left cerebellum. Compared with needling at the sham point, needling at Waiguan activated the BA2 area, the left cerebellum and the right inferior semilunar lobule. Thus the activated brain areas caused by needling Waiguan may be the basis for treatment of certain diseases.展开更多
Most studies addressing the specificity of meridians and acupuncture points have focused mainly on the different neural effects of acupuncture at different points in healthy individuals. This study examined the effect...Most studies addressing the specificity of meridians and acupuncture points have focused mainly on the different neural effects of acupuncture at different points in healthy individuals. This study examined the effects of acupuncture on brain function in a pathological context. Sixteen patients with ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to true point group (true acupuncture at right Waiguan (SJ5)) and sham point group (sham acupuncture). Results of functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed activation in right parietal lobe (Brodmann areas 7 and 19), the right temporal lobe (Brodmann area 39), the right limbic lobe (Brodmann area 23) and bilateral oc-cipital lobes (Brodmann area 18). Furthermore, inhibition of bilateral frontal lobes (Brodmann area 4, 6, and 45), right parietal lobe (Brodmann areas 1 and 5) and left temporal lobe (Brodmann area 21 ) were observed in the true point group. Activation in the precuneus of right parietal lobe (Brodmann area 7) and inhibition of the left superior frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 10) was observed in the sham group. Compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture at Waiguan in stroke patients inhibited Brodmann area 5 on the healthy side. Results indicated that the altered specificity of sensation-associated cortex (Brodmann area 5) is possibly associated with a central mechanism of acupuncture at Waiguan for stroke patients.展开更多
The study was conducted to make clear the activity of azoxystrobin to 4 plant pathogens and the synergistic effects of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM), which acted on the alternative oxidase. It was also conducted to ...The study was conducted to make clear the activity of azoxystrobin to 4 plant pathogens and the synergistic effects of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM), which acted on the alternative oxidase. It was also conducted to be aware of the mechanism of azoxystrobin in inhibition on mycelial respiration and the influence of SHAM. The activity test of azoxystrobin and SHAM was carried out with a mycelial linear growth test and spore germination test. Other related biological properties were also observed. Inhibition of azoxystrobin and SHAM on 4 pathogens was determined by using SP-II oxygraph system. Azoxystrobin inhibited mycelial growth in Colletotrichum capsici, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, and Magnaporthe grisea, respectively; it also inhibited conidia germination, and conidia production in C. capsici, B. cinerea M. grisea, and sclerotia formation in R. solani. Moreover, it created stayed pigment biosynthesis in C. capsici and M. grisea somehow. Salicylhydroxamic acid enhanced inhibition by azoxystrobin. An oxygen consuming test of the mycelia showed that azoxystrobin inhibited all the 4 fungi's respiration in the early stages. With the concentration rising up, the effectiveness increased. However, as time went on, the respiration of the mycelia treated with fungicides recovered and SHAM could not inhibit the oxygen consuming. This reaction between the mycelia and the fungicides appeared not to initiate alternative respiration but rather the other mechanism created a lack of efficacy.展开更多
The kernel energy method(KEM) has been shown to provide fast and accurate molecular energy calculations for molecules at their equilibrium geometries.KEM breaks a molecule into smaller subsets,called kernels,for the p...The kernel energy method(KEM) has been shown to provide fast and accurate molecular energy calculations for molecules at their equilibrium geometries.KEM breaks a molecule into smaller subsets,called kernels,for the purposes of calculation.The results from the kernels are summed according to an expression characteristic of KEM to obtain the full molecule energy.A generalization of the kernel expansion to density matrices provides the full molecule density matrix and orbitals.In this study,the kernel expansion for the density matrix is examined in the context of density functional theory(DFT) Kohn-Sham(KS) calculations.A kernel expansion for the one-body density matrix analogous to the kernel expansion for energy is defined,and is then converted into a normalizedprojector by using the Clinton algorithm.Such normalized projectors are factorizable into linear combination of atomic orbitals(LCAO) matrices that deliver full-molecule Kohn-Sham molecular orbitals in the atomic orbital basis.Both straightforward KEM energies and energies from a normalized,idempotent density matrix obtained from a density matrix kernel expansion to which the Clinton algorithm has been applied are compared to reference energies obtained from calculations on the full system without any kernel expansion.Calculations were performed both for a simple proof-of-concept system consisting of three atoms in a linear configuration and for a water cluster consisting of twelve water molecules.In the case of the proof-of-concept system,calculations were performed using the STO-3 G and6-31 G(d,p) bases over a range of atomic separations,some very far from equilibrium.The water cluster was calculated in the 6-31 G(d,p) basis at an equilibrium geometry.The normalized projector density energies are more accurate than the straightforward KEM energy results in nearly all cases.In the case of the water cluster,the energy of the normalized projector is approximately four times more accurate than the straightforward KEM energy result.The KS density matrices of this study are applicable to quantum crystallography.展开更多
Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is one of the most serious sequelae of brain injury, and is challenging for neurologists and rehabilitation special- ists to manage because of its refractory nature (Whyte et al., 2...Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is one of the most serious sequelae of brain injury, and is challenging for neurologists and rehabilitation special- ists to manage because of its refractory nature (Whyte et al., 2013). Acu- puncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that is often used to help improve the level of consciousness in patients with DOC. However, the responses to stimulation of acupoints in patients with DOC are not fully understood.展开更多
Objective:To investigate whether sham feeding before colonoscopy can effect gastrointestinal hormone and compliance of colonoscopy patients when taking polyethylene glycol solution,so as to provide reference for effec...Objective:To investigate whether sham feeding before colonoscopy can effect gastrointestinal hormone and compliance of colonoscopy patients when taking polyethylene glycol solution,so as to provide reference for effective intervention programs.Methods:A total of 110 patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomized into a control group and an sham feeding group,with 55 patients in each group.Patients in control group only received polyethylene glycol(PEG)solution before colonoscopy.Patients in gum group chewed gum after taking PEG solution.Serum motilin,gastrin and cholecystokinin were tested with ELISA assay.Intestinal tract cleanliness was assessed by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale and patients'discomfort and intake compliance by a self-designed questionnaire.Results:The serum motilin of sham feeding for 4 h were lower than that of control group,the incidence of abdominal distention and nausea in sham feeding group was lower than that in control group,and the intake compliance and the speed of peristalsis was better,but there was no statistical significance found in the total score of intestinal tract cleanliness,difficulty and time of endoscopic operation.There was no statistical significance between the two groups regarding cecal intubation rate and colonoscopic findings.Conclusions:patients with gum chewing increase serum motilin and accelerating speed of peristalsis,it can not enhances colonoscopy bowel preparation quality,but improved abdominal discomfort,and intake adherence of patients in colonoscopy preparation.展开更多
KSSOLV(Kohn-Sham Solver)is a MATLAB(Matrix Laboratory)toolbox for solving the Kohn-Sham density functional theory(KS-DFT)with the plane-wave basis set.In the KS-DFT calculations,the most expensive part is commonly the...KSSOLV(Kohn-Sham Solver)is a MATLAB(Matrix Laboratory)toolbox for solving the Kohn-Sham density functional theory(KS-DFT)with the plane-wave basis set.In the KS-DFT calculations,the most expensive part is commonly the diagonalization of Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian in the self-consistent field(SCF)scheme.To enable a personal computer to perform medium-sized KS-DFT calculations that contain hundreds of atoms,we present a hybrid CPU-GPU implementation to accelerate the iterative diagonalization algorithms implemented in KSSOLV by using the MATLAB built-in Parallel Computing Toolbox.We compare the performance of KSSOLV-GPU on three types of GPU,including RTX3090,V100,and A100,with conventional CPU implementation of KSSOLV respectively and numerical results demonstrate that hybrid CPU-GPU implementation can achieve a speedup of about 10 times compared with sequential CPU calculations for bulk silicon systems containing up to 128 atoms.展开更多
Cupping therapy is an ancient healing modality that has been used for thousands of years.There are two types of sham cupping techniques:passive type which used no suction,and active type which suction was rapidly rele...Cupping therapy is an ancient healing modality that has been used for thousands of years.There are two types of sham cupping techniques:passive type which used no suction,and active type which suction was rapidly released through a hole on the top of the cup.This narrative review aimed to identify limitations and suggest enhancements in the current use of active sham cupping therapy technique.Three medical databases were searched for identification of clinical trials that used active sham cupping device.201 published papers were retrieved.195 papers were excluded after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria.Finally,6 clinical trials were selected for this review.This paper identified multiple limitations of the active sham cupping procedure which include failure of blinding,heterogenicity of the characteristics of used devices including heterogenicity in reporting active sham cupping intervention,and the limitation of the sham technique to be used for dry cupping only.The recommended enhancements included using bigger cups holes for release of suction,standardization of characteristics of used sham devices,standardization in reporting,and suggesting recruiting patients without prior experience of cupping for better blindness success in sham cupping clinical trials.This paper suggested reporting criteria for sham cupping clinical trials.In conclusion,this paper identified the limitations of the current sham cupping technique and suggesting enhancements regarding active sham cupping technique.Continues evaluation of the current active sham cupping technique and development of new sham cupping devices and techniques for various types of cupping therapy are highly recommended.展开更多
Background: Low back pain(LBP) is a prevalent and debilitating condition that poses a significant burden on healthcare systems. Acupuncture has been proposed as a promising intervention for LBP, but the evidence suppo...Background: Low back pain(LBP) is a prevalent and debilitating condition that poses a significant burden on healthcare systems. Acupuncture has been proposed as a promising intervention for LBP, but the evidence supporting its specific effect is insufficient, and the use of sham acupuncture as a control in clinical trials presents challenges due to variations in sham acupuncture techniques and the magnitude of the placebo effect.Objective: To investigate the magnitude of the placebo response of sham acupuncture in trials of acupuncture for nonspecific LBP, and to assess whether different types of sham acupuncture are associated with different responses. Methods: Four databases including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library were searched through April 15, 2023, and randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were included if they randomized patients with LBP to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture intervention. The main outcomes included the placebo response in pain intensity, back-specific function and quality of life. Placebo response was defined as the change in these outcome measures from baseline to the end of treatment. Random-effects models were used to synthesize the results, standardized mean differences(SMDs, Hedges’ g) were applied to estimate the effect size. Results: A total of 18 RCTs with 3,321 patients were included. Sham acupuncture showed a noteworthy pooled placebo response in pain intensity in patients with LBP [SMD –1.43, 95% confidence interval(CI) –1.95 to –0.91, I2=89%]. A significant placebo response was also shown in back-specific functional status(SMD –0.49, 95% CI –0.70 to –0.29, I2=73%),but not in quality of life(SMD 0.34, 95% CI –0.20 to 0.88, I2=84%). Trials in which the sham acupuncture penetrated the skin or performed with regular needles had a significantly higher placebo response in pain intensity reduction, but other factors such as the location of sham acupuncture did not have a significant impact on the placebo response.Conclusions: Sham acupuncture is associated with a large placebo response in pain intensity among patients with LBP. Researchers should also be aware that the types of sham acupuncture applied may potentially impact the evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture. Nonetheless, considering the nature of placebo response, the effect of other contextual factors cannot be ruled out in this study.(PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022304416)展开更多
Objective: To determine the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial(RCT)and investigate the basic information and safety of acupuncture for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria(CSU). ...Objective: To determine the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial(RCT)and investigate the basic information and safety of acupuncture for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria(CSU). Methods: A total of 80 participants with CSU from July 2018 to July 2019 were randomly assigned to receive active acupuncture(n=41) on a fixed prescription of acupoints or sham acupuncture(n=39) with superficial acupuncture on non-acupuncture points through the completely randomized design. Patients in both groups received 5 sessions per week for 2 weeks, and participants were followed for a further 2 weeks.Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and randomization rates, retention of participants, treatment protocol adherence, and the incidence of adverse events(AEs). The clinical primary outcome was the changes from baseline weekly urticaria activity scores(UAS7) after treatment at 2 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) score of itching intensity, Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI), Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA). Results: A total of 80 participants were enrolled. The recruitment rate of 24.02%, randomization rate of 100%, a loss rate of 6.25%, and no obvious AEs were observed in either group. The decrease from baseline in the mean UAS7 total score at week 2 in the active acupuncture group was –8.63(95%CI, –11.78 to –5.49) and –6.21(95%CI, –9.43 to –2.98) in the sham acupuncture group for a between-group difference of –2.42(95% CI, –6.93 to 2.07). The change in the DLQI,VAS of itching intensity, HAMA, and HAMD were a slightly better improvement trend in the active acupuncture group than the sham acupuncture group, but the between-group difference was not significant. Conclusion:Active acupuncture had a better improvement trend in alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life and regulating the mood of anxiety and depression in patients with CSU than sham acupuncture.(Registration Nos.AMCTR-ICR-18000190 and ChiCTR2100054776)展开更多
Background The placebo response of sham acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhea is a substantial factor associated with analgesia.However,the magnitude of the placebo response is unclear.Objective This meta-...Background The placebo response of sham acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhea is a substantial factor associated with analgesia.However,the magnitude of the placebo response is unclear.Objective This meta-analysis assessed the effects of sham acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and the factors contributing to these effects.Search strategy PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched from inception up to August 20,2022.Inclusion criteria Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)using sham acupuncture as a control for female patients of reproductive age with primary dysmenorrhea were included.Data extraction and analysis Pain intensity,retrospective symptom scale,and health-related quality of life were outcome measures used in these trials.Placebo response was defined as the change in the outcome of interest from baseline to endpoint.We used standardized mean difference(SMD)to estimate the effect size of the placebo response.Results Thirteen RCTs were included.The pooled placebo response size for pain intensity was the largest(SMD=−0.99;95%confidence interval[CI],−1.31 to−0.68),followed by the retrospective symptom scale(Total frequency rating score:SMD=−0.20;95%CI,−0.80 to−0.39.Average severity score:SMD=−0.35;95%CI,−0.90 to−0.20)and physical component of SF-36(SMD=0.27;95%CI,−0.17 to 0.72).Studies using blunt-tip needles,single-center trials,studies with a low risk of bias,studies in which patients had a longer disease course,studies in which clinicians had<5 years of experience,and trials conducted outside Asia were more likely to have a lower placebo response.Conclusion Strong placebo response and some relative factors were found in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42022304215.展开更多
Aiming at the conclusion that "there is no difference in efficacy between acupuncture and sham-acupuncture" in clinical research field of migraine in foreign countries in recent years, through the discussions on the...Aiming at the conclusion that "there is no difference in efficacy between acupuncture and sham-acupuncture" in clinical research field of migraine in foreign countries in recent years, through the discussions on the definition of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture), the principles required to be obey in satisfactory placebo acupuncture, the definition, location, function as well as clinical results of shallow puncture, the authors probed into whether shallow puncture could be the control method of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture) in clinical research of acupuncture. It was demonstrated in the results that "acupuncture with minimal stimulation on skin superficial layer of meridian points or non-meridian points", the so-called control method of "sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture)" excited holistic regulation of human body quite probably through "shallow puncture on cutaneous region of meridians" to achieve therapeutic effects. Hence, this method is not the appropriate control method of placebo acupuncture and cannot be the control method of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture) in clinical research of acupuncture. Therefore, it is naturally to repudiate the conclusion that "there is no difference in efficacy between acupuncture and sham acupuncture" in the research where this method is taken as the control of placebo acupuncture.展开更多
基金the National 973 Program of China,No.2006CB504505the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.90709027
文摘Positive activation and negative activation of glucose metabolism can be detected in different brain regions under acupuncture conditions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which reveals acupoint function and location-acupoint specificity. This study observed the regional cerebral activation of the Waiguan (SJ 5) acupoint following true needling at the true Waiguan acupoint, sham needling at the true Waiguan acupoint and true needling at a sham point using fMRI. The fMRI results demonstrated that compared with sham needling, true needling at Waiguan activated the BA8 area and left cerebellum. Compared with needling at the sham point, needling at Waiguan activated the BA2 area, the left cerebellum and the right inferior semilunar lobule. Thus the activated brain areas caused by needling Waiguan may be the basis for treatment of certain diseases.
基金the State Plan for Development of Basic Research in Key Areas(973 Program)in China,No.2006CB504505,2012CB518504the Key Subject Construction Project of"211 Engineering"III Stage of Guangdong Province in Chinathe Guangdong Provincial"College Students’Innovative Experiment Plan"Project in China,No.1212112038
文摘Most studies addressing the specificity of meridians and acupuncture points have focused mainly on the different neural effects of acupuncture at different points in healthy individuals. This study examined the effects of acupuncture on brain function in a pathological context. Sixteen patients with ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to true point group (true acupuncture at right Waiguan (SJ5)) and sham point group (sham acupuncture). Results of functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed activation in right parietal lobe (Brodmann areas 7 and 19), the right temporal lobe (Brodmann area 39), the right limbic lobe (Brodmann area 23) and bilateral oc-cipital lobes (Brodmann area 18). Furthermore, inhibition of bilateral frontal lobes (Brodmann area 4, 6, and 45), right parietal lobe (Brodmann areas 1 and 5) and left temporal lobe (Brodmann area 21 ) were observed in the true point group. Activation in the precuneus of right parietal lobe (Brodmann area 7) and inhibition of the left superior frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 10) was observed in the sham group. Compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture at Waiguan in stroke patients inhibited Brodmann area 5 on the healthy side. Results indicated that the altered specificity of sensation-associated cortex (Brodmann area 5) is possibly associated with a central mechanism of acupuncture at Waiguan for stroke patients.
基金sponsored by the National 973 Program of China (2009CB118906, 2006CB101907)the National 863 Program of China (2006AA10A211,2008AA10Z414)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30671048, 30671384)
文摘The study was conducted to make clear the activity of azoxystrobin to 4 plant pathogens and the synergistic effects of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM), which acted on the alternative oxidase. It was also conducted to be aware of the mechanism of azoxystrobin in inhibition on mycelial respiration and the influence of SHAM. The activity test of azoxystrobin and SHAM was carried out with a mycelial linear growth test and spore germination test. Other related biological properties were also observed. Inhibition of azoxystrobin and SHAM on 4 pathogens was determined by using SP-II oxygraph system. Azoxystrobin inhibited mycelial growth in Colletotrichum capsici, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, and Magnaporthe grisea, respectively; it also inhibited conidia germination, and conidia production in C. capsici, B. cinerea M. grisea, and sclerotia formation in R. solani. Moreover, it created stayed pigment biosynthesis in C. capsici and M. grisea somehow. Salicylhydroxamic acid enhanced inhibition by azoxystrobin. An oxygen consuming test of the mycelia showed that azoxystrobin inhibited all the 4 fungi's respiration in the early stages. With the concentration rising up, the effectiveness increased. However, as time went on, the respiration of the mycelia treated with fungicides recovered and SHAM could not inhibit the oxygen consuming. This reaction between the mycelia and the fungicides appeared not to initiate alternative respiration but rather the other mechanism created a lack of efficacy.
文摘The kernel energy method(KEM) has been shown to provide fast and accurate molecular energy calculations for molecules at their equilibrium geometries.KEM breaks a molecule into smaller subsets,called kernels,for the purposes of calculation.The results from the kernels are summed according to an expression characteristic of KEM to obtain the full molecule energy.A generalization of the kernel expansion to density matrices provides the full molecule density matrix and orbitals.In this study,the kernel expansion for the density matrix is examined in the context of density functional theory(DFT) Kohn-Sham(KS) calculations.A kernel expansion for the one-body density matrix analogous to the kernel expansion for energy is defined,and is then converted into a normalizedprojector by using the Clinton algorithm.Such normalized projectors are factorizable into linear combination of atomic orbitals(LCAO) matrices that deliver full-molecule Kohn-Sham molecular orbitals in the atomic orbital basis.Both straightforward KEM energies and energies from a normalized,idempotent density matrix obtained from a density matrix kernel expansion to which the Clinton algorithm has been applied are compared to reference energies obtained from calculations on the full system without any kernel expansion.Calculations were performed both for a simple proof-of-concept system consisting of three atoms in a linear configuration and for a water cluster consisting of twelve water molecules.In the case of the proof-of-concept system,calculations were performed using the STO-3 G and6-31 G(d,p) bases over a range of atomic separations,some very far from equilibrium.The water cluster was calculated in the 6-31 G(d,p) basis at an equilibrium geometry.The normalized projector density energies are more accurate than the straightforward KEM energy results in nearly all cases.In the case of the water cluster,the energy of the normalized projector is approximately four times more accurate than the straightforward KEM energy result.The KS density matrices of this study are applicable to quantum crystallography.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81171852
文摘Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is one of the most serious sequelae of brain injury, and is challenging for neurologists and rehabilitation special- ists to manage because of its refractory nature (Whyte et al., 2013). Acu- puncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that is often used to help improve the level of consciousness in patients with DOC. However, the responses to stimulation of acupoints in patients with DOC are not fully understood.
基金Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Department(KJHZ2015-19).
文摘Objective:To investigate whether sham feeding before colonoscopy can effect gastrointestinal hormone and compliance of colonoscopy patients when taking polyethylene glycol solution,so as to provide reference for effective intervention programs.Methods:A total of 110 patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomized into a control group and an sham feeding group,with 55 patients in each group.Patients in control group only received polyethylene glycol(PEG)solution before colonoscopy.Patients in gum group chewed gum after taking PEG solution.Serum motilin,gastrin and cholecystokinin were tested with ELISA assay.Intestinal tract cleanliness was assessed by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale and patients'discomfort and intake compliance by a self-designed questionnaire.Results:The serum motilin of sham feeding for 4 h were lower than that of control group,the incidence of abdominal distention and nausea in sham feeding group was lower than that in control group,and the intake compliance and the speed of peristalsis was better,but there was no statistical significance found in the total score of intestinal tract cleanliness,difficulty and time of endoscopic operation.There was no statistical significance between the two groups regarding cecal intubation rate and colonoscopic findings.Conclusions:patients with gum chewing increase serum motilin and accelerating speed of peristalsis,it can not enhances colonoscopy bowel preparation quality,but improved abdominal discomfort,and intake adherence of patients in colonoscopy preparation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.21688102,No.21803066,and No.22003061)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Pioneer Hundred Talents Program (KJ2340000031,KJ2340007002)+7 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2016YFA0200604)the Anhui Initiative in Quantum Information Technologies (AHY090400)the Strategic Priority Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDC01040100)CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (YSBR-005)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WK2340000091,WK2060000018)the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale (SK2340002001)the Research Start-Up Grants (KY2340000094)the Academic Leading Talents Training Program(KY2340000103) from University of Science and Technology of China
文摘KSSOLV(Kohn-Sham Solver)is a MATLAB(Matrix Laboratory)toolbox for solving the Kohn-Sham density functional theory(KS-DFT)with the plane-wave basis set.In the KS-DFT calculations,the most expensive part is commonly the diagonalization of Kohn-Sham Hamiltonian in the self-consistent field(SCF)scheme.To enable a personal computer to perform medium-sized KS-DFT calculations that contain hundreds of atoms,we present a hybrid CPU-GPU implementation to accelerate the iterative diagonalization algorithms implemented in KSSOLV by using the MATLAB built-in Parallel Computing Toolbox.We compare the performance of KSSOLV-GPU on three types of GPU,including RTX3090,V100,and A100,with conventional CPU implementation of KSSOLV respectively and numerical results demonstrate that hybrid CPU-GPU implementation can achieve a speedup of about 10 times compared with sequential CPU calculations for bulk silicon systems containing up to 128 atoms.
文摘Cupping therapy is an ancient healing modality that has been used for thousands of years.There are two types of sham cupping techniques:passive type which used no suction,and active type which suction was rapidly released through a hole on the top of the cup.This narrative review aimed to identify limitations and suggest enhancements in the current use of active sham cupping therapy technique.Three medical databases were searched for identification of clinical trials that used active sham cupping device.201 published papers were retrieved.195 papers were excluded after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria.Finally,6 clinical trials were selected for this review.This paper identified multiple limitations of the active sham cupping procedure which include failure of blinding,heterogenicity of the characteristics of used devices including heterogenicity in reporting active sham cupping intervention,and the limitation of the sham technique to be used for dry cupping only.The recommended enhancements included using bigger cups holes for release of suction,standardization of characteristics of used sham devices,standardization in reporting,and suggesting recruiting patients without prior experience of cupping for better blindness success in sham cupping clinical trials.This paper suggested reporting criteria for sham cupping clinical trials.In conclusion,this paper identified the limitations of the current sham cupping technique and suggesting enhancements regarding active sham cupping technique.Continues evaluation of the current active sham cupping technique and development of new sham cupping devices and techniques for various types of cupping therapy are highly recommended.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82174234)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.81825024)。
文摘Background: Low back pain(LBP) is a prevalent and debilitating condition that poses a significant burden on healthcare systems. Acupuncture has been proposed as a promising intervention for LBP, but the evidence supporting its specific effect is insufficient, and the use of sham acupuncture as a control in clinical trials presents challenges due to variations in sham acupuncture techniques and the magnitude of the placebo effect.Objective: To investigate the magnitude of the placebo response of sham acupuncture in trials of acupuncture for nonspecific LBP, and to assess whether different types of sham acupuncture are associated with different responses. Methods: Four databases including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library were searched through April 15, 2023, and randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were included if they randomized patients with LBP to receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture intervention. The main outcomes included the placebo response in pain intensity, back-specific function and quality of life. Placebo response was defined as the change in these outcome measures from baseline to the end of treatment. Random-effects models were used to synthesize the results, standardized mean differences(SMDs, Hedges’ g) were applied to estimate the effect size. Results: A total of 18 RCTs with 3,321 patients were included. Sham acupuncture showed a noteworthy pooled placebo response in pain intensity in patients with LBP [SMD –1.43, 95% confidence interval(CI) –1.95 to –0.91, I2=89%]. A significant placebo response was also shown in back-specific functional status(SMD –0.49, 95% CI –0.70 to –0.29, I2=73%),but not in quality of life(SMD 0.34, 95% CI –0.20 to 0.88, I2=84%). Trials in which the sham acupuncture penetrated the skin or performed with regular needles had a significantly higher placebo response in pain intensity reduction, but other factors such as the location of sham acupuncture did not have a significant impact on the placebo response.Conclusions: Sham acupuncture is associated with a large placebo response in pain intensity among patients with LBP. Researchers should also be aware that the types of sham acupuncture applied may potentially impact the evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture. Nonetheless, considering the nature of placebo response, the effect of other contextual factors cannot be ruled out in this study.(PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022304416)
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China-Key Project“Research on Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine”-“International Cooperation Research on Evaluation of Acupuncture Advantage Diseases”(No.2017YFC1703605)。
文摘Objective: To determine the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial(RCT)and investigate the basic information and safety of acupuncture for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria(CSU). Methods: A total of 80 participants with CSU from July 2018 to July 2019 were randomly assigned to receive active acupuncture(n=41) on a fixed prescription of acupoints or sham acupuncture(n=39) with superficial acupuncture on non-acupuncture points through the completely randomized design. Patients in both groups received 5 sessions per week for 2 weeks, and participants were followed for a further 2 weeks.Feasibility was assessed by recruitment and randomization rates, retention of participants, treatment protocol adherence, and the incidence of adverse events(AEs). The clinical primary outcome was the changes from baseline weekly urticaria activity scores(UAS7) after treatment at 2 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) score of itching intensity, Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI), Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA). Results: A total of 80 participants were enrolled. The recruitment rate of 24.02%, randomization rate of 100%, a loss rate of 6.25%, and no obvious AEs were observed in either group. The decrease from baseline in the mean UAS7 total score at week 2 in the active acupuncture group was –8.63(95%CI, –11.78 to –5.49) and –6.21(95%CI, –9.43 to –2.98) in the sham acupuncture group for a between-group difference of –2.42(95% CI, –6.93 to 2.07). The change in the DLQI,VAS of itching intensity, HAMA, and HAMD were a slightly better improvement trend in the active acupuncture group than the sham acupuncture group, but the between-group difference was not significant. Conclusion:Active acupuncture had a better improvement trend in alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life and regulating the mood of anxiety and depression in patients with CSU than sham acupuncture.(Registration Nos.AMCTR-ICR-18000190 and ChiCTR2100054776)
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82174234)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.81825024)。
文摘Background The placebo response of sham acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhea is a substantial factor associated with analgesia.However,the magnitude of the placebo response is unclear.Objective This meta-analysis assessed the effects of sham acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhea and the factors contributing to these effects.Search strategy PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched from inception up to August 20,2022.Inclusion criteria Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)using sham acupuncture as a control for female patients of reproductive age with primary dysmenorrhea were included.Data extraction and analysis Pain intensity,retrospective symptom scale,and health-related quality of life were outcome measures used in these trials.Placebo response was defined as the change in the outcome of interest from baseline to endpoint.We used standardized mean difference(SMD)to estimate the effect size of the placebo response.Results Thirteen RCTs were included.The pooled placebo response size for pain intensity was the largest(SMD=−0.99;95%confidence interval[CI],−1.31 to−0.68),followed by the retrospective symptom scale(Total frequency rating score:SMD=−0.20;95%CI,−0.80 to−0.39.Average severity score:SMD=−0.35;95%CI,−0.90 to−0.20)and physical component of SF-36(SMD=0.27;95%CI,−0.17 to 0.72).Studies using blunt-tip needles,single-center trials,studies with a low risk of bias,studies in which patients had a longer disease course,studies in which clinicians had<5 years of experience,and trials conducted outside Asia were more likely to have a lower placebo response.Conclusion Strong placebo response and some relative factors were found in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42022304215.
基金Academy-rank research project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences:ZZ 2006084
文摘Aiming at the conclusion that "there is no difference in efficacy between acupuncture and sham-acupuncture" in clinical research field of migraine in foreign countries in recent years, through the discussions on the definition of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture), the principles required to be obey in satisfactory placebo acupuncture, the definition, location, function as well as clinical results of shallow puncture, the authors probed into whether shallow puncture could be the control method of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture) in clinical research of acupuncture. It was demonstrated in the results that "acupuncture with minimal stimulation on skin superficial layer of meridian points or non-meridian points", the so-called control method of "sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture)" excited holistic regulation of human body quite probably through "shallow puncture on cutaneous region of meridians" to achieve therapeutic effects. Hence, this method is not the appropriate control method of placebo acupuncture and cannot be the control method of sham acupuncture (placebo acupuncture) in clinical research of acupuncture. Therefore, it is naturally to repudiate the conclusion that "there is no difference in efficacy between acupuncture and sham acupuncture" in the research where this method is taken as the control of placebo acupuncture.