In the traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), the timing of performing the treatment during the year is always an important factor for maximizing its effectiveness. Based on over half a century of observational and reanal...In the traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), the timing of performing the treatment during the year is always an important factor for maximizing its effectiveness. Based on over half a century of observational and reanalysis data, a modified calendric system, named the Twenty-four Medical Terms(24-MTs), has been established for China's Mainland following a systematic calibration and geographical adjustment of the classic Twenty-four Solar Terms(24-STs). In view of "adapting the human body to the changing universe", a core philosophy of the TCM, this improved medical calendar is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of precise Chinese Medicine in the big data era. Specifically, two maps of localized timings for the so-called Triple-Fu(TF) and Triple-Jiu(TF) defined using a joint heat index of air temperature and relative humidity are created as an alternative to the two nationwide unified timings representing the warmest and coldest periods of the year. These location-specific medical calendars, with a maximum regional time shift of one week for TJ and a systematic advancing of 3.6–28.2 days for TF in China's Mainland, are thought to be clinically useful for carrying out precise TCM such as"treating winter deceases in summer". In addition, similar maps of localized timings for peak spring and peak autumn defined as the days of fastest warming and cooling around the years are generated for China's Mainland, so as to provide a helpful guidance for practicing season(ST/MT) related and geographically dependent precise health care in the context of "born in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, and preserve in winter", which is a key ideology in the TCM.展开更多
The story of the Twenty-four Solar Terms(24-ST_s) is one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture, which has a profound influence on agriculture production, health care, and even daily life in both ancient and ...The story of the Twenty-four Solar Terms(24-ST_s) is one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture, which has a profound influence on agriculture production, health care, and even daily life in both ancient and modern China. This traditional calendric system was invented by the Chinese ancestors through combining fundamental astronomical knowledge with climatic and phenological conditions in the Yellow River Basin some 2000 years ago. Although the basic philosophy of the 24-ST_s remains valid for the country as a whole to date, their regional robustness has been increasingly challenged by accumulating observational data in terms of temporal shift and spatial inhomogeneity. To tackle these issues, we propose to recalibrate the medically related critical timings of Great Heat and Great Cold in the classic ST system by using big meteorological data, and adjust them by introducing geographically correlated analytical models. As a result, a novel calendric system, called the Twenty-four Medical Terms(24-MT_s), has been developed as an upgraded version of the traditional 24-ST_s. The proposed 24-MT_s are characterized by two striking features with respect to the 24-ST_s: A varying duration of each MT instead of a fixed one for the ST, and a geographically dependent timing for each MT instead of a unified one for the entire nation. As such, the updated 24-MT_s are expected to provide a more realistic estimate of these critical timings around the year, and hence, a more precise guidance to agronomic planning and health care activity in China.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61361136001)
文摘In the traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), the timing of performing the treatment during the year is always an important factor for maximizing its effectiveness. Based on over half a century of observational and reanalysis data, a modified calendric system, named the Twenty-four Medical Terms(24-MTs), has been established for China's Mainland following a systematic calibration and geographical adjustment of the classic Twenty-four Solar Terms(24-STs). In view of "adapting the human body to the changing universe", a core philosophy of the TCM, this improved medical calendar is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of precise Chinese Medicine in the big data era. Specifically, two maps of localized timings for the so-called Triple-Fu(TF) and Triple-Jiu(TF) defined using a joint heat index of air temperature and relative humidity are created as an alternative to the two nationwide unified timings representing the warmest and coldest periods of the year. These location-specific medical calendars, with a maximum regional time shift of one week for TJ and a systematic advancing of 3.6–28.2 days for TF in China's Mainland, are thought to be clinically useful for carrying out precise TCM such as"treating winter deceases in summer". In addition, similar maps of localized timings for peak spring and peak autumn defined as the days of fastest warming and cooling around the years are generated for China's Mainland, so as to provide a helpful guidance for practicing season(ST/MT) related and geographically dependent precise health care in the context of "born in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, and preserve in winter", which is a key ideology in the TCM.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61361136001)
文摘The story of the Twenty-four Solar Terms(24-ST_s) is one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture, which has a profound influence on agriculture production, health care, and even daily life in both ancient and modern China. This traditional calendric system was invented by the Chinese ancestors through combining fundamental astronomical knowledge with climatic and phenological conditions in the Yellow River Basin some 2000 years ago. Although the basic philosophy of the 24-ST_s remains valid for the country as a whole to date, their regional robustness has been increasingly challenged by accumulating observational data in terms of temporal shift and spatial inhomogeneity. To tackle these issues, we propose to recalibrate the medically related critical timings of Great Heat and Great Cold in the classic ST system by using big meteorological data, and adjust them by introducing geographically correlated analytical models. As a result, a novel calendric system, called the Twenty-four Medical Terms(24-MT_s), has been developed as an upgraded version of the traditional 24-ST_s. The proposed 24-MT_s are characterized by two striking features with respect to the 24-ST_s: A varying duration of each MT instead of a fixed one for the ST, and a geographically dependent timing for each MT instead of a unified one for the entire nation. As such, the updated 24-MT_s are expected to provide a more realistic estimate of these critical timings around the year, and hence, a more precise guidance to agronomic planning and health care activity in China.
