Cupping for Treating Pain: A Systematic Review

The objective of this study was to assess the evidence for or against the effectiveness of cupping as a treatment option for pain. Fourteen databases were searched. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing cupping in patients with pain of any origin were considered. Trials using cupping with or without drawing blood were included, while trials comparing cupping with other treatments of unproven efficacy were excluded. Trials with cupping as concomitant treatment together with other treatments of unproven efficacy were excluded. Trials were also excluded if pain was not a central symptom of the condition. The selection of studies, data extraction and validation were performed independently by three reviewers. Seven RCTs met all the inclusion criteria. Two RCTs suggested significant pain reduction for cupping in low back pain compared with usual care (P < .01) and analgesia (P < .001). Another two RCTs also showed positive effects of cupping in cancer pain (P < .05) and trigeminal neuralgia (P < .01) compared with anticancer drugs and analgesics, respectively. Two RCTs reported favorable effects of cupping on pain in brachialgia compared with usual care (P = .03) or heat pad (P < .001). The other RCT failed to show superior effects of cupping on pain in herpes zoster compared with anti-viral medication (P = .065). Currently there are few RCTs testing the effectiveness of cupping in the management of pain. Most of the existing trials are of poor quality. Therefore, more rigorous studies are required before the effectiveness of cupping for the treatment of pain can be determined

Parameter-robust linear quadratic Gaussian technique for multi-agent slung load transportation

This paper copes with parameter-robust controller design for transportation system by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles. The transportation is designed in the form of string connection. Minimal state-space realization of slung-load dynamics is obtained by Newtonian approach with spherical coordinates. Linear quadratic Gaussian / loop transfer recovery (LQG/LTR) is implemented to control the position and attitude of all the vehicles and payloads. The controller's robustness against variation of payload mass is improved using parameter-robust linear quadratic Gaussian (PRLQG) method. Numerical simulations are conducted with several transportation cases. The result verifies that LQG/LTR shows fast performance while PRLQG has its strong point in robustness against system variation

UNCERTAINTY PROPAGATION ANALYSIS FOR YONGGWANG NUCLEAR UNIT 4 BY MCCARD/MASTER CORE ANALYSIS SYSTEM

This paper concerns estimating uncertainties of the core neutronics design parameters of power reactors by direct sampling method (DSM) calculations based on the two-step McCARD/MASTER design system in which McCARD is used to generate the fuel assembly (FA) homogenized few group constants (FGCs) while MASTER is used to conduct the core neutronics design computation. It presents an extended application of the uncertainty propagation analysis method originally designed for uncertainty quantification of the FA FGCs as a way to produce the covariances between the FGCs of any pair of FAs comprising the core, or the covariance matrix of the FA FGCs required for random sampling of the FA FGCs input sets into direct sampling core calculations by MASTER. For illustrative purposes, the uncertainties of core design parameters such as the effective multiplication factor (keff), normalized FA power densities, power peaking factors, etc. for the beginning of life (BOL) core of Yonggwang nuclear unit 4 (YGN4) at the hot zero power and all rods out are estimated by the McCARD/MASTER-based DSM computations. The results are compared with those from the uncertainty propagation analysis method based on the McCARD-predicted sensitivity coefficients of nuclear design parameters and the cross section covariance data

Performance-Based Multiobjective Optimal Seismic Retrofit Method for a Steel Moment-Resisting Frame Considering the Life-Cycle Cost

This study proposes a performance-based multiobjective optimization seismic retrofit method for steel moment-resisting frames. The brittle joints of pre-Northridge steel moment-resisting frames are retrofitted to achieve ductility; the method involves determining the position and number of connections to be retrofitted. The optimal solution is determined by applying the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), which acts as a multiobjective seismic retrofit optimization technique. As objective functions, the initial cost for the connection retrofit and lifetime seismic damage cost were selected, and a seismic performance level below the 5% interstory drift ratio was employed as a constraint condition. The proposed method was applied to the SAC benchmark three- and nine-story buildings, and several Pareto solutions were obtained. The optimized retrofit solutions indicated that the lifetime seismic damage cost decreased as the initial retrofit cost increased. Although every Pareto solution existed within a seismic performance boundary set by a constraint function, the seismic performance tended to increase with the initial retrofit cost. Analysis and economic assessment of the relations among the initial retrofit cost, lifetime seismic damage cost, total cost, and seismic performance of the derived Pareto solution allow building owners to make seismic retrofit decisions more rationally

Acupuncture for the treatment of tinnitus: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has frequently been used to treat tinnitus, and acupuncture is a particularly popular option. The objective of this review was to assess the evidence concerning the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for tinnitus. METHODS: Fourteen databases were searched from the dates of their creation to July 4th, 2012. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included if acupuncture was used as the sole treatment. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of 9 RCTs met all the inclusion criteria. Their methodological quality was mostly poor. Five RCTs compared the effectiveness of acupuncture or electroacupuncture with sham acupuncture for treating tinnitus. The results failed to show statistically significant improvements. Two RCTs compared a short one-time scalp acupuncture treatment with the use of penetrating sham acupuncture at non-acupoints in achieving subjective symptom relief on a visual analog scale; these RCTs demonstrated significant positive effects with scalp acupuncture. Two RCTs compared acupuncture with conventional drug treatments. One of these RCTs demonstrated that acupuncture had statistically significant effects on the response rate in patients with nervous tinnitus, but the other RCT did not demonstrate significant effects in patients with senile tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: The number, size and quality of the RCTs on the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of tinnitus are not sufficient for drawing definitive conclusions. Further rigorous RCTs that overcome the many limitations of the current evidence are warranted

CdSe quantum dot (QD) and molecular dye hybrid sensitizers for TiO2 mesoporous solar cells: working together with a common hole carrier of cobalt complexes

Redox couples based on cobalt complexes were found to be effective in regenerating both inorganic CdSe quantum dot-and organic dye-sensitizers. The hybrid sensitizer composed of CdSe QD and ruthenium sensitizer (Z907Na) dye showed a maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.76% on using cobalt(o-phen)(3)(2+/3+) as a common redox mediator.close202

EFFECTIVE DOSE MEASUREMENT FOR CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY USING GLASS DOSIMETER

During image-guided radiation therapy, the patient is exposed to unwanted radiation from imaging devices built into the medical LINAC. In the present study, the effective dose delivered to a patient from a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine was measured. Absorbed doses in specific organs listed in ICRP Publication 103 were measured with glass dosimeters calibrated with kilovolt (kV) X-rays using a whole body physical phantom for typical radiotherapy sites, including the head and neck, chest, and pelvis. The effective dose per scan for the head and neck, chest, and pelvis were 3.37±0.29, 7.36±0.33, and 4.09±0.29 mSv, respectively. The results highlight the importance of the compensation of treatment dose by managing imaging dose