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Acupuncture is an effective treatment for ischemic stroke (IS) and plays a key role in neurological rehabilitation after IS. Acupuncture can improve the clinical symptoms of various complications after IS, including motor dysfunction, swallowing disorders, speech disorders, cognitive impairment, depression, insomnia, and fatigue. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture in IS remain unclear. Available evidence suggests that acupuncture may exert neuroprotective effects through neuroplasticity (neurogenesis and synaptogenesis), angiogenesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and regulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and immunity. Further studies should be conducted to improve the high-quality evidence-based system of acupuncture intervention for IS, by focusing on the clinical and basic research design, increasing the sample size, standardizing and quantifying the standards of acupuncture operations, using multidisciplinary techniques and methods to systematically explore the key targets of acupuncture intervention for IS, and reveal the efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of IS.

Acupuncture therapy is widely used in the clinic, and its therapeutic effects have been proven by numerous studies. The dose–effect relationship of acupuncture is a fundamental aspect of the acupuncture research system. Recent studies found that different acupuncture dosages altered study results directly, indicating the importance of screening the optimal stimulation dosage. However, the system for studying the acupuncture dose–effect relationship is still in its infancy, and the methodology of the system needs to be improved. This review aimed to define the factors impacting acupuncture “dosage” and “effect,” and to improve the methodological system for research on the dose–effect relationship of acupuncture. By summarizing the current findings of acupuncture dose–effect studies, we discussed the vital acupuncture parameters and methodological problems that influence the relationship between acupuncture dosage and its effects. These factors consist of specific influencing factors (acupoint selection, acupuncture manipulation parameters, de qiresponse) and nonspecific influencing factors (comparison selection, blinding procedure, patient expectancy). Our perspectives offer suggestions for the design of acupuncture dosage–effect trials. Further studies need to be conducted to establish the methodological system and provide systematic evidence of the acupuncture dose–effect relationship.

The introduction of metal–organic framework materials into photocatalysts is considered to be an effective strategy for improving the transfer and separation efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In the present study, we demonstrate the delicate construction of NH2-UiO-66/ZnIn2S4(NU66/ZIS) composites as bifunctional photocatalysts with the degradation efficiency of malachite green (98%) and the hydrogen evolution rate of a 10% NU66/ZIS composite reaching up to 2199 μmol h–1g–1. The characterization of unique ZIS/NU66 shows that it can efficiently facilitate the separation and transfer of light-induced charges and exposed rich active sites for photocatalyst redox reaction. Moreover, the results of vitro cytotoxicity assay suggest that NU66/ZIS composites are potential safety photocatalysts to the environment and human beings. Furthermore, the DFT calculation indicates that the Zr site of NU66 and In site of ZnIn2S4interface should be the main active center in NU66/ZIS heterojunctions.