The purpose of this study is to investigate the control function and mechanisms of natural river notches. Physical and numerical experiments are analyzed in this study for two representative types of sediment events：...The purpose of this study is to investigate the control function and mechanisms of natural river notches. Physical and numerical experiments are analyzed in this study for two representative types of sediment events： high intensity and short duration Type A sediment disaster events, and low intensity and long duration Type B moderate non-disaster events. Two dimensionless parameters, sediment trapping rate and reduction rate of peak sediment transport, are defined to evaluate the sediment control function of river notches. Study results indicate that the contraction ratio of the notch has a significant influence on sediment control function, with high contraction ratios resulting in both high sediment-trapping and high reduction rates. River notches provide better sediment control during Type A events than Type B events. The sediment control mechanism of river notches is the result of multiple interactions among river flow, sediment transport, and riverbed variation. Analysis of these interactions supports the significant protection role of river notches on sediment control for disaster events.展开更多
Background:In March 2020,the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic,and Tunisia implemented a containment and targeted screening strategy.The country’s public health policy has since focused on managing hospital beds.Me...Background:In March 2020,the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic,and Tunisia implemented a containment and targeted screening strategy.The country’s public health policy has since focused on managing hospital beds.Methods:The study analyzed the bed occupancy rates in public hospitals in Tunisia during the pandemic.The evolution of daily cases and nonpharmaceutical interventions(NPI)actions undertaken by the Tunisian Government were also analyzed.The study used 3 indices to assess bed flexibility:Ramp duration until the peak,ramp growth until the peak,and ramp rate until the peak.The study also calculated the time shift at the start and peak of each wave to evaluate the government’s response efficacy.Results:The study found that the evolution of the epidemic in Tunisia had 2 phases.The first phase saw the pandemic being controlled due to strong NPI actions,while the second phase saw a relaxation of measures and an increase in wave intensity.ICU bed availability followed the demand for beds,but ICU bed occupancy remained high,with a maximum of 97%.The government’s response in terms of bed distribution and reallocation was slow.The study found that the most deadly wave by ICU occupied bed was the third wave due to a historical variant,while the fifth wave due to the delta variant was the most deadly in terms of cumulative death.Conclusions:The study concluded that decision-makers could use its findings to assess their response capabilities in the current pandemic and future ones.The study highlighted the importance of flexible and responsive healthcare systems in managing pandemics.展开更多
Objective： To observe the effect of breathing and Daoyin exercises on the quality of life in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） due to deficiency of the lung and kidney（grade II-III）...Objective： To observe the effect of breathing and Daoyin exercises on the quality of life in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） due to deficiency of the lung and kidney（grade II-III）.Methods： A total of 60 eligible cases were randomly allocated into a treatment group（n=30） and a control group（n=30） by random number table. Cases in the control group received routine Western medical treatment, whereas cases in the treatment group conducted breathing and Daoyin exercises in addition to routine Western medical treatment. Patients in both groups were treated for a total of 3 months. Then the observation was made on changes in pulmonary ventilation function, major clinical symptoms, modified Medical Research Council scale（m MRC）, distance in 6-minute walk test（6-MWT）, COPD assessment test（CAT） and efficacy satisfaction questionnaire for COPD（ESQ-COPD） before and after treatment. Results： After treatment, the total effective rate was 80.0% in the treatment group, versus 66.7% in the control group, showing a statistical difference（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained more significant improvement in coughing, sputum production, dyspnea and shortness of breath than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained more significant elevation in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted value（FEV1%） and peak expiratory flow rate（PEF%） than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained lower m MRC score than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained longer 6-MWT distance than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained lower CAT score（P〈0.01） and higher ESQ-COPD score（P〈0.05） than those in the control group. Conclusion： Breathing and Daoyin exercises combined with routine Western medical treatment are effective for stable COPD（grade II-III） due to deficiency of the lung and kidney and can improve the patients＇ quality of life.展开更多
Purpose. This study is to investigate the influence of acupuncture at acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） on the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection in the patients with ...Purpose. This study is to investigate the influence of acupuncture at acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） on the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection in the patients with coronary heart disease. Methods. 60 cases of coronary heart disease were divided into acupoint Neiguan （PC 6） group and acupoint Ximen （PC 4） group, and the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were detected 3 min after manipulating needles and 20 rain after retaining needles respectively, then were compared with those before acupuncture. Results. 3 min after manipulating needles, the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were enhanced in 46 cases, and 20 min after retaining needles, both the stroke volume andthe flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were all enhanced in 34 cases. Conclusion. Puncturing acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） could enhance the contractility of left ventricle wall, increase the stroke volume of the heart and improve the myocardial ischemia in the patients with coronary heart disease.展开更多
Objective:To observe the therapeutic efficacy of acupoint application at different groups of acupoints in treating bronchial asthma in remission stage.Methods:A total of 120 patients with bronchial asthma in remission...Objective:To observe the therapeutic efficacy of acupoint application at different groups of acupoints in treating bronchial asthma in remission stage.Methods:A total of 120 patients with bronchial asthma in remission stage were recruited and divided by the random number table method into acupoint application group 1,acupoint application group 2 and acupoint application group 3,with 40 cases in each group.In all the three groups,Tiantu(CV 22),Dazhui(GV 14)and Feishu(BL 13)were selected,with Dingchuan(EX-B 1)added in acupoint application group 1,Shenshu(BL 23)added in acupoint application group 2,and Gaohuang(BL 43)added in acupoint application group 3.Before intervention,one month and 3 months after intervention,clinical symptoms,peak expiratory flow(PEF)and forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted value(FEV1%)of the three groups were observed,and their clinical efficacies were evaluated.Results:Comparing the therapeutic efficacy regarding traditional Chinese medicine symptoms and signs,after 1-month treatment,the total effective rate was 87.5%in acupoint application group 1,versus 62.5%in acupoint application group 2 and 55.0%in acupoint application group 3,and the between-group differences were statistically significant.After 3-month treatment,the total effective rate was 95.0%in acupoint application group 1,versus 70.0%in acupoint application group 2 and 65.0%in acupoint application group 3,and the between-group differences were statistically significant.After intervention,the three groups all showed significant improvements in pulmonary function with statistical significance;among the three groups,the improvement in acupoint application group 1 was more significant than that in the other two groups.Conclusion:Tiantu(CV 22),Dazhui(GV 14)and Feishu(BL 13)as basic prescription plus Dingchuan(EX-B 1)can improve symptoms of bronchial asthma in remission stage,and it works better in improving pulmonary function than the basic prescription plus Shenshu(BL 23)or Gaohuang(BL 43).展开更多
Pressure fluctuations signals of a lab-scale fiuidized bed （15 cm inner diameter and 2 m height） at different superficial gas velocities were measured. Recurrence plot （RP） and recurrence rate （RR）, and the simp...Pressure fluctuations signals of a lab-scale fiuidized bed （15 cm inner diameter and 2 m height） at different superficial gas velocities were measured. Recurrence plot （RP） and recurrence rate （RR）, and the simplest variable of recurrence quantification analysis （RQA） were used to analyze the pressure signals. Different patterns observed in RP reflect different dynamic behavior of the system under study. It was also found that the variance of RR （a2R） Could reveal the peak dominant frequencies （PDF） of different dynamic systems： completely periodic, completely stochastic, Lorenz system, and fluidized bed. The results were compared with power spectral density. Additionally, the diagram of σ^2RR provides a new technique for prediction of transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent fluidization regime.展开更多
Asthma is a common disease with recurrent onset which severely affects patients＇ quality of life. Acupuncture can improve pulmonary functions in asthma patients and thus treat this disorder. To summarize the status o...Asthma is a common disease with recurrent onset which severely affects patients＇ quality of life. Acupuncture can improve pulmonary functions in asthma patients and thus treat this disorder. To summarize the status of acupuncture treatment for asthma, we have collected clinical literatures published in the recent 20 years and analyzed the influence of acupuncture on pulmonary functions in asthma patients from the aspects of frequently used points, needling techniques, manipulation and mechanisms to provide references for treating asthma with acupuncture.展开更多
Background Previous studies have suggested that nomogram can simplize complicated calculations of several varibles. A simple nomogram was constructed to estimate absorption rate coefficient (k a) by using the peak t...Background Previous studies have suggested that nomogram can simplize complicated calculations of several varibles. A simple nomogram was constructed to estimate absorption rate coefficient (k a) by using the peak time (t peak ) and the elimination rate coefficient (k e) of drugs administered orally Methods The nomogram was based on the plasma concentration-time (C-T) curve equation and the function relation between t peak , k a and k e A mathematical analysis was presented for the construction of single chart nomogram To check the degree of accuracy of the developed nomogram, we used it to analyze retrospective profiles of 46 drugs and compared the k a values obtained graphically and those calculated by numerically solving the descriptive equation In addition, we measured the carbocisteine concentration of 18 healthy volunteers by HPLC with fluorescence detection To analyze performance error, the measured carbocisteine concentrations were compared with predicted concentrations by the k a obtained from the nomograms along with the other pharmacokinetic parameters Results The estimated of k a values from nomograms were in very close proximity with the numerical values The performance error was as follows: median performance error (MDPE) and median absolute performance error (MDAPE) were 1 32% and 18 15%, respectively Conclusions The developed nomogram is accurate and reliable The size of performance error meets the demand of clinical pharmacokinetics Therefore, the nomograms can offer another convenient and easy method for rational individualized dosage regimens展开更多
基金financial support were provided by the Disaster Prevention Research Center, National Cheng Kung University
文摘The purpose of this study is to investigate the control function and mechanisms of natural river notches. Physical and numerical experiments are analyzed in this study for two representative types of sediment events： high intensity and short duration Type A sediment disaster events, and low intensity and long duration Type B moderate non-disaster events. Two dimensionless parameters, sediment trapping rate and reduction rate of peak sediment transport, are defined to evaluate the sediment control function of river notches. Study results indicate that the contraction ratio of the notch has a significant influence on sediment control function, with high contraction ratios resulting in both high sediment-trapping and high reduction rates. River notches provide better sediment control during Type A events than Type B events. The sediment control mechanism of river notches is the result of multiple interactions among river flow, sediment transport, and riverbed variation. Analysis of these interactions supports the significant protection role of river notches on sediment control for disaster events.
基金funded in a part by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs via the project REPAIR COVID-19 Africa coordinated by the Pasteur International Network association.The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the founders.AK and SBM are part of the Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium.
文摘Background:In March 2020,the WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic,and Tunisia implemented a containment and targeted screening strategy.The country’s public health policy has since focused on managing hospital beds.Methods:The study analyzed the bed occupancy rates in public hospitals in Tunisia during the pandemic.The evolution of daily cases and nonpharmaceutical interventions(NPI)actions undertaken by the Tunisian Government were also analyzed.The study used 3 indices to assess bed flexibility:Ramp duration until the peak,ramp growth until the peak,and ramp rate until the peak.The study also calculated the time shift at the start and peak of each wave to evaluate the government’s response efficacy.Results:The study found that the evolution of the epidemic in Tunisia had 2 phases.The first phase saw the pandemic being controlled due to strong NPI actions,while the second phase saw a relaxation of measures and an increase in wave intensity.ICU bed availability followed the demand for beds,but ICU bed occupancy remained high,with a maximum of 97%.The government’s response in terms of bed distribution and reallocation was slow.The study found that the most deadly wave by ICU occupied bed was the third wave due to a historical variant,while the fifth wave due to the delta variant was the most deadly in terms of cumulative death.Conclusions:The study concluded that decision-makers could use its findings to assess their response capabilities in the current pandemic and future ones.The study highlighted the importance of flexible and responsive healthcare systems in managing pandemics.
基金supported by the Project of State Administration of Traditional Chinese MedicineNo.201107002+1 种基金Shanghai Key Clinical Laboratory for Traditional Chinese MedicineNo.14DZ2273200~~
文摘Objective： To observe the effect of breathing and Daoyin exercises on the quality of life in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） due to deficiency of the lung and kidney（grade II-III）.Methods： A total of 60 eligible cases were randomly allocated into a treatment group（n=30） and a control group（n=30） by random number table. Cases in the control group received routine Western medical treatment, whereas cases in the treatment group conducted breathing and Daoyin exercises in addition to routine Western medical treatment. Patients in both groups were treated for a total of 3 months. Then the observation was made on changes in pulmonary ventilation function, major clinical symptoms, modified Medical Research Council scale（m MRC）, distance in 6-minute walk test（6-MWT）, COPD assessment test（CAT） and efficacy satisfaction questionnaire for COPD（ESQ-COPD） before and after treatment. Results： After treatment, the total effective rate was 80.0% in the treatment group, versus 66.7% in the control group, showing a statistical difference（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained more significant improvement in coughing, sputum production, dyspnea and shortness of breath than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained more significant elevation in the forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted value（FEV1%） and peak expiratory flow rate（PEF%） than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained lower m MRC score than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained longer 6-MWT distance than those in the control group（P〈0.05）. Patients in the treatment group obtained lower CAT score（P〈0.01） and higher ESQ-COPD score（P〈0.05） than those in the control group. Conclusion： Breathing and Daoyin exercises combined with routine Western medical treatment are effective for stable COPD（grade II-III） due to deficiency of the lung and kidney and can improve the patients＇ quality of life.
文摘Purpose. This study is to investigate the influence of acupuncture at acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） on the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection in the patients with coronary heart disease. Methods. 60 cases of coronary heart disease were divided into acupoint Neiguan （PC 6） group and acupoint Ximen （PC 4） group, and the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were detected 3 min after manipulating needles and 20 rain after retaining needles respectively, then were compared with those before acupuncture. Results. 3 min after manipulating needles, the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were enhanced in 46 cases, and 20 min after retaining needles, both the stroke volume andthe flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were all enhanced in 34 cases. Conclusion. Puncturing acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） could enhance the contractility of left ventricle wall, increase the stroke volume of the heart and improve the myocardial ischemia in the patients with coronary heart disease.
文摘Objective:To observe the therapeutic efficacy of acupoint application at different groups of acupoints in treating bronchial asthma in remission stage.Methods:A total of 120 patients with bronchial asthma in remission stage were recruited and divided by the random number table method into acupoint application group 1,acupoint application group 2 and acupoint application group 3,with 40 cases in each group.In all the three groups,Tiantu(CV 22),Dazhui(GV 14)and Feishu(BL 13)were selected,with Dingchuan(EX-B 1)added in acupoint application group 1,Shenshu(BL 23)added in acupoint application group 2,and Gaohuang(BL 43)added in acupoint application group 3.Before intervention,one month and 3 months after intervention,clinical symptoms,peak expiratory flow(PEF)and forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted value(FEV1%)of the three groups were observed,and their clinical efficacies were evaluated.Results:Comparing the therapeutic efficacy regarding traditional Chinese medicine symptoms and signs,after 1-month treatment,the total effective rate was 87.5%in acupoint application group 1,versus 62.5%in acupoint application group 2 and 55.0%in acupoint application group 3,and the between-group differences were statistically significant.After 3-month treatment,the total effective rate was 95.0%in acupoint application group 1,versus 70.0%in acupoint application group 2 and 65.0%in acupoint application group 3,and the between-group differences were statistically significant.After intervention,the three groups all showed significant improvements in pulmonary function with statistical significance;among the three groups,the improvement in acupoint application group 1 was more significant than that in the other two groups.Conclusion:Tiantu(CV 22),Dazhui(GV 14)and Feishu(BL 13)as basic prescription plus Dingchuan(EX-B 1)can improve symptoms of bronchial asthma in remission stage,and it works better in improving pulmonary function than the basic prescription plus Shenshu(BL 23)or Gaohuang(BL 43).
基金Supports from the Iran National Science Foundation(INSF) in lran(No.91001766)
文摘Pressure fluctuations signals of a lab-scale fiuidized bed （15 cm inner diameter and 2 m height） at different superficial gas velocities were measured. Recurrence plot （RP） and recurrence rate （RR）, and the simplest variable of recurrence quantification analysis （RQA） were used to analyze the pressure signals. Different patterns observed in RP reflect different dynamic behavior of the system under study. It was also found that the variance of RR （a2R） Could reveal the peak dominant frequencies （PDF） of different dynamic systems： completely periodic, completely stochastic, Lorenz system, and fluidized bed. The results were compared with power spectral density. Additionally, the diagram of σ^2RR provides a new technique for prediction of transition velocity from bubbling to turbulent fluidization regime.
文摘Asthma is a common disease with recurrent onset which severely affects patients＇ quality of life. Acupuncture can improve pulmonary functions in asthma patients and thus treat this disorder. To summarize the status of acupuncture treatment for asthma, we have collected clinical literatures published in the recent 20 years and analyzed the influence of acupuncture on pulmonary functions in asthma patients from the aspects of frequently used points, needling techniques, manipulation and mechanisms to provide references for treating asthma with acupuncture.
文摘Background Previous studies have suggested that nomogram can simplize complicated calculations of several varibles. A simple nomogram was constructed to estimate absorption rate coefficient (k a) by using the peak time (t peak ) and the elimination rate coefficient (k e) of drugs administered orally Methods The nomogram was based on the plasma concentration-time (C-T) curve equation and the function relation between t peak , k a and k e A mathematical analysis was presented for the construction of single chart nomogram To check the degree of accuracy of the developed nomogram, we used it to analyze retrospective profiles of 46 drugs and compared the k a values obtained graphically and those calculated by numerically solving the descriptive equation In addition, we measured the carbocisteine concentration of 18 healthy volunteers by HPLC with fluorescence detection To analyze performance error, the measured carbocisteine concentrations were compared with predicted concentrations by the k a obtained from the nomograms along with the other pharmacokinetic parameters Results The estimated of k a values from nomograms were in very close proximity with the numerical values The performance error was as follows: median performance error (MDPE) and median absolute performance error (MDAPE) were 1 32% and 18 15%, respectively Conclusions The developed nomogram is accurate and reliable The size of performance error meets the demand of clinical pharmacokinetics Therefore, the nomograms can offer another convenient and easy method for rational individualized dosage regimens
