Effect of acupressure on postpartum low back pain, salivary cortisol, physical limitations, and depression: a randomized controlled pilot study

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupressure on postpartum low back pain (LBP), salivary cortisol, physical limitations, and postpartum depression. Methods: Participants were 70 postpartum women who were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 35) or a control (n = 35) group. The intervention group received 10 acupressure sessions (1 session per day, 5 d per week). The control group received 10 sham acupressure sessions. Outcomes were assessed using a visual analogue scale (LBP intensity), salivary cortisol values (LBP biomarker), and Chinese versions of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (daily activity limitations), Oswestry Disability Index (physical activity limitations), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (postpartum depression). Results: Participants in the intervention group had significantly lower levels of LBP intensity, daily activity limitations, physical activity limitations, and postpartum depression than those in the control group. There was no significant between-group difference in salivary cortisol. Conclusion: Acupressure may reduce postpartum LBP intensity and limitations in daily and physical activity, and alleviate postpartum depressive symptoms. Acupressure should be offered in postpartum care settings as an alternative treatment for postpartum women with LBP

Complementary Therapy with Traditional Chinese Medicine for Childhood Asthma

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease that is typically characterized by chronic airway inflammation and obstruction of airflow; it frequently presents in early childhood and is the leading chronic disease in children in the western world. This review presents a brief description of the pathophysiology of asthma and summarizes recent research results on the mechanisms of action of anti-asthma Chinese herbal medicine commonly used in clinical practice. Other interventions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as acupuncture, tai chi, and meditation are also briefly discussed. We believe that this contribution is theoretically and practically relevant because the prevalence of asthma is increasing and, in addition to standard treatment, the use of complementary therapy is increasing and there is increasing scientific evidence demonstrating that TCM has potential for the treatment of childhood asthma

A Numerical Study on the Temperature Field of a R290 Hermetic Reciprocating Compressor with Experimental Validation

A numerical model to predict the temperature field in a R290 hermetic reciprocating compressor is presented in this work. The control volume method and the lumped parameter method are used in the simulation. The compressor is divided into 6 control volumes, including the suction muffler, the cylinder, the discharge chamber, the discharge muffler, the discharge pipe and the shell. The system of non-linear equations is formed of the energy balance equations of every control column. The temperature field is derived by solving the equations. To valid the numerical model accurately, temperature experiment has been carried out in 3 same-type hermetic reciprocating compressors using R290 as working fluid. The simulation result shows a good agreement compared with the experiment

Mitigating algorithmic errors in quantum optimization through energy extrapolation

Quantum optimization algorithms offer a promising route to finding the ground states of target Hamiltonians on near-term quantum devices. Nonetheless, it remains necessary to limit the evolution time and circuit depth as much as possible, since otherwise decoherence will degrade the computation. Even when this is done, there always exists a non-negligible error in estimates of the ground state energy. Here we present a scalable extrapolation approach to mitigating this algorithmic error, which significantly improves estimates obtained using three well-studied quantum optimization algorithms: quantum annealing (QA), the variational quantum eigensolver, and the quantum imaginary time evolution at fixed evolution time or circuit depth. The approach is based on extrapolating the annealing time to infinity or the variance of estimates to zero. The method is reasonably robust against noise. For Hamiltonians which only involve few-body interactions, the additional computational overhead is an increase in the number of measurements by a constant factor. Analytic derivations are provided for the quadratic convergence of estimates of energy as a function of time in QA, and the linear convergence of estimates as a function of variance in all three algorithms. We have verified the validity of these approaches through both numerical simulation and experiments on IBM quantum machines. This work suggests a promising new way to enhance near-term quantum computing through classical post-processing.journal articl

(Dimethyl­formamide-κO){4,4′,6,6′-tetra­bromo-2,2′-[o-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]diphenolato-κ4 O,N,N′,O′}copper(II) dimethyl­formamide solvate

In the title compound, [Cu(C20H10Br4N2O2)(C3H7NO)]·C3H7NO, the CuII ion is coordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from a tetra­dentate Schiff base ligand and the O atom of one dimethyl­formamide ligand in an almost square-pyramidal geometry. The uncoordinated dimethyl­formamide solvent mol­ecule is disordered over two sets of positions with occupancies of 0.741 (4) and 0.259 (4). The crystal packing is stabilized by C—H⋯O inter­actions

ChatEDA: A Large Language Model Powered Autonomous Agent for EDA

The integration of a complex set of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to enhance interoperability is a critical concern for circuit designers. Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have showcased their exceptional capabilities in natural language processing and comprehension, offering a novel approach to interfacing with EDA tools. This research paper introduces ChatEDA, an autonomous agent for EDA empowered by a large language model, AutoMage, complemented by EDA tools serving as executors. ChatEDA streamlines the design flow from the Register-Transfer Level (RTL) to the Graphic Data System Version II (GDSII) by effectively managing task planning, script generation, and task execution. Through comprehensive experimental evaluations, ChatEDA has demonstrated its proficiency in handling diverse requirements, and our fine-tuned AutoMage model has exhibited superior performance compared to GPT-4 and other similar LLMs

Trojan Horse nanotheranostics with dual transformability and multifunctionality for highly effective cancer treatment.

Nanotheranostics with integrated diagnostic and therapeutic functions show exciting potentials towards precision nanomedicine. However, targeted delivery of nanotheranostics is hindered by several biological barriers. Here, we report the development of a dual size/charge- transformable, Trojan-Horse nanoparticle (pPhD NP) for delivery of ultra-small, full active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) nanotheranostics with integrated dual-modal imaging and trimodal therapeutic functions. pPhD NPs exhibit ideal size and charge for drug transportation. In tumour microenvironment, pPhD NPs responsively transform to full API nanotheranostics with ultra-small size and higher surface charge, which dramatically facilitate the tumour penetration and cell internalisation. pPhD NPs enable visualisation of biodistribution by near-infrared fluorescence imaging, tumour accumulation and therapeutic effect by magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, the synergistic photothermal-, photodynamic- and chemo-therapies achieve a 100% complete cure rate on both subcutaneous and orthotopic oral cancer models. This nanoplatform with powerful delivery efficiency and versatile theranostic functions shows enormous potentials to improve cancer treatment

4-(3-Carb­oxy­phen­yl)pyridinium nitrate

In the title salt, C12H10NO2 +·NO3 −, the dihedral angle between the pyridine ring and the benzene ring of the 4-(3-carb­oxy­phen­yl)pyridinium cation is 30.14 (2)°. Inversion-related pairs of cations are linked into dimers by pairs of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Pairs of dimers are linked by N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving nitrate anions as acceptors, generating supra­molecular chains along the diagonal of the bc plane