A Specific Pattern in the Basal Body Temperature Chart during the First Week of Pregnancy May Warn of a Miscarriage Crisis

We studied the efficiency of acupuncture for patients who were unable to give birth though they had experienced conventional infertility treatment for more than 2 years by medical specialists. We then investigated characteristics of difficult pregnancy cases with measurement of body temperature and observation of basal body temperature (BBT) charts. Thirty-three patients had acupuncture every week for more than 2 years and 17 of them delivered. At the same time, their cutaneous body temperature was measured at five locations. Moreover, patients and acupuncturists had a weekly discussion of the patient’s BBT chart. The delivery group showed more balanced and higher cutaneous body temperatures than the miscarriage and no pregnancy groups. The delivery group showed a smooth increase in the BBT chart while the miscarriage group showed a specific pattern in shifting temperatures from low to high zones. Acupuncture might suppress excess sympathetic dominance, which induced hyperthermia as well as interruption of pregnancy. Additionally, weekly discussion and medical advice could help patients. However, further study of males, healthy women, or larger, comparative studies exploring the social and cultural background of other countries were needed to add support to these factors.

The Association between Self-Monitored Reproductive Parameters, Pregnancy Outcomes and Acupuncture Treatment

Many women track their daily basal body temperature (BBT), an important factor in reproductive status, as a part of fertility self-management. This study involved 135 patients who had undergone conventional infertility treatment;they had weekly acupuncture treatment and we assessed BBT, menstrual cycle, menstrual period and menstrual bleeding amount pre- and post-treatment. We also analyzed the rate of insufficient description of reproductive parameters, comparing patients who had delivered a baby with those who had a miscarriage and those who did not become pregnant. Menstrual cycle and period did not show notable changes pre- and post-acupuncture treatment in all groups. Menstrual bleeding amount decreased in the no-pregnancy group. There was a suggestion that acupuncture decreased very long menstrual cycle (e.g. bimonthly) to monthly. The insufficient description rate of menstrual bleeding amount was high in all groups. Weekly discussion about monitoring reproductive parameters could improve patients’ awareness in self-management. To prevent miscarriage patients needed psychological and medical advice for careful self-management in pregnancy and menstrual cycle.

Damage alarming of long-span suspension bridge based on GPS-RTK monitoring

Structure damage identification and alarming of long-span bridge were conducted with three-dimensional dynamic displacement data collected by GPS subsystem of health monitoring system on Runyang Suspension Bridge.First,the effects of temperature on the main girder spatial position coordinates were analyzed from the transverse,longitudinal and vertical directions of bridge,and the correlation regression models were built between temperature and the position coordinates of main girder in the longitudinal and vertical directions;then the alarming indices of coordinate residuals were conducted,and the mean-value control chart was applied to making statistical pattern identification for abnormal changes of girder dynamic coordinates;and finally,the structural damage alarming method of main girder was established.Analysis results show that temperature has remarkable correlation with position coordinates in the longitudinal and vertical directions of bridge,and has weak correlation with the transverse coordinates.The 3%abnormal change of the longitudinal coordinates and 5%abnormal change of the vertical ones caused by structural damage are respectively identified by the mean-value control chart method based on GPS dynamic monitoring data and hence the structural abnormalities state identification and damage alarming for main girder of long-span suspension bridge can be realized in multiple directions.