Motor entry point acupuncture for shoulder abduction dysfunction after stroke: a randomized controlled feasibility trial

Introduction: Evidence has suggested that shoulder abduction dysfunction after stroke can be treated with acupuncture, but it remains unclear which acupuncture approach may be more effective. This trial compared two different acupuncture interventions (Motor Entry Point acupuncture (MEPA) and Standard acupuncture (SA) for patients experiencing post-stroke shoulder abduction dysfunction. Methods: Hospital in-patients with post-stroke shoulder abduction dysfunction of two weeks duration and who agreed to participate in the trial were randomized into two groups. The SA group received acupuncture treatment at LI15, LI14, LI11, LI10 and LI4 (n=20); the MEPA group received acupuncture at the mid-third of deltoid (n=20). Each group received acupuncture for 40 minutes, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. Outcomes were the range of motion (ROM) and the manual muscle test (MMT). Results: Forty in-patients (19 women, 21 men; age range: 35-75 years) were enrolled in this trial. There was significant improvement in shoulder abduction dysfunction in both groups after 4 weeks of treatment (P＜0.05). The MEPA group reported larger ROM and improved MMT compared to the SA group (P＜0.05) and the recovery of muscle strength in MEPA group was superior to the SA group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Compared to SA therapy, MEPA therapy may be more effective for treating physical functional disability in post-stroke patients

Neural network potential-based molecular investigation of pollutant formation of ammonia and ammonia-hydrogen combustion

This study developed neural network potentials (NNPs) specifically designed for ammonia and ammonia-hydrogen combustion systems for the first time. The NNPs were employed to perform reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations, combining the precision of density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the efficiency of empirical force fields. NNP-based RMD simulations provide a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of chemical reaction mechanisms. The impacts of different equivalence ratios and hydrogen addition on ammonia combustion as well as NOX and N2O formation were analysed. The results indicate that both the addition of hydrogen and the reduction of equivalence ratios contribute to enhancing ammonia combustion. The primary reason is the enhancement of the oxidative environment within the system, leading to a significant increase in the frequency of reactions associated with oxidising radicals such as OH, O, and HO2. This is also the cause for the increased production of NO and NO2, because the formation of NO depends on the oxidation of NH and NH2, while NO2 is formed through the oxidation of NO. An interesting finding is that the addition of hydrogen decelerates the generation of N2O, while reducing the equivalence ratio promotes N2O production. This phenomenon is attributed to the additional H radicals generated during hydrogen decomposition, which hinders the binding between NH and NO, resulting in a reduction in the formation of the precursor HN2O required for N2O formation

Enhanced electron correlations in the new binary stannide PdSn4: a homologue of the Dirac nodal arc semimetal PtSn4

The advent of nodal-line semi-metals, i.e. systems in which the conduction and valence bands cross each other along a closed trajectory (line or loop) inside the Brillouin zone, has opened up a new arena for the exploration of topological condensed matter in which, due to a vanishing density of states near the Fermi level, electron correlation effects may also play an important role. In spite of this conceptual richness however, material realization of nodal-line (loop) fermions is rare, with PbTaSe2, ZrSiS and PtSn4 the only promising known candidates. Here we report the synthesis and physical properties of a new compound PdSn4 that is isostructural with PtSn4 yet possesses quasiparticles with significantly enhanced effective masses. In addition, PdSn4 displays an unusual polar angular magnetoresistance which at a certain field orientation, varies linearly with field up to 55 Tesla. Our study suggests that, in association with its homologue PtSn4 whose low-lying excitations were recently claimed to possess Dirac node arcs, PdSn4 may be a promising candidate in the search for novel topological states with enhanced correlation effects.Comment: 6 figures, 1 tabl

Initiation and Early Kinematic Evolution of Solar Eruptions

We investigate the initiation and early evolution of 12 solar eruptions, including six active region hot channel and six quiescent filament eruptions, which were well observed by the \textsl{Solar Dynamics Observatory}, as well as by the \textsl{Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory} for the latter. The sample includes one failed eruption and 11 coronal mass ejections, with velocities ranging from 493 to 2140~km~s$^{-1}$. A detailed analysis of the eruption kinematics yields the following main results. (1) The early evolution of all events consists of a slow-rise phase followed by a main-acceleration phase, the height-time profiles of which differ markedly and can be best fit, respectively, by a linear and an exponential function. This indicates that different physical processes dominate in these phases, which is at variance with models that involve a single process. (2) The kinematic evolution of the eruptions tends to be synchronized with the flare light curve in both phases. The synchronization is often but not always close. A delayed onset of the impulsive flare phase is found in the majority of the filament eruptions (5 out of 6). This delay, and its trend to be larger for slower eruptions, favor ideal MHD instability models. (3) The average decay index at the onset heights of the main acceleration is close to the threshold of the torus instability for both groups of events (although based on a tentative coronal field model for the hot channels), suggesting that this instability initiates and possibly drives the main acceleration.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 24 pages, 12 figures, 3 table