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Background. Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are common health issues in the elderly that cause chronic pain in over one-third of patients. This study was sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for alleviating pain caused by OVCFs. Methods. We performed a search of 8 electronic databases for publications from the inception to 30th March 2021. Eligible studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of acupuncture for the treatment of OVCFs. Two investigators evaluated literature quality and extracted data independently. RevMan V.5.4.1 was used for data analyses, with pooled risk estimates presented as mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) along with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), as appropriate. Results. Fourteen RCTs involving 1,130 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, acupuncture showed a greater benefit on pain reduction caused by OVCFs (1 week: MD = −1.26, 95% CI: (−1.82,−0.70); 1 month: MD = −1.63, 95% CI: (−1.82,−1.43); 6 months: MD = −1.13, 95% CI: (−1.55, −0.70)). Acupuncture treatment was also associated with fewer adverse events, lower ODI index, and higher bone density than the control group (safety: (RR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12–0.75); ODI: MD = −3.19, 95% CI: (−5.20, −1.19); bone density: MD = 0.15, 95% CI: (0.05, 0.26)). The GRADE quality of these results was assessed as low or very low. Conclusions. Compared with the control treatment, acupuncture was more effective and safer in relieving the pain caused by OVCF and made a greater improvement on patient’s ODI score and bone density. Given the low level of our study evidence, future high-quality studies are needed to verify our study findings.

Background Acupuncture is effective in symptom and quality of life improvement of chronic asthma, but the efficacy differences between different acupoints are uncertain. In terms of the theory of Meridian-viscera Association, the study aims to investigate the different effectiveness between acupoints in Lung meridian and the acupoints in Heart meridian, so as to provide the evidence to develop a better prescription of the acupuncture treatment of chronic persistent asthma. Methods This study is a multicentral randomized controlled trial. A total of 68 chronic persistent asthma patients will be randomly allocated into two groups: the Lung meridian group and the Heart meridian group. This trial will include a 2-week baseline period, a 4-week treatment period with 12 sessions’ acupuncture, and an 8-week follow-up period. The primary outcome is the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ). Secondary outcomes are the Asthma Control Test (ACT), Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1). The AQLQ and ACT will be collected at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12 after randomization. PEF, FEV1, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) will be assessed at baseline and week 4. Discussion The results will provide evidence for acupuncture prescription selection and the clinical efficacy improvement. The results of this trial will also be used to determine whether or not a full definitive trial will go ahead, which will further confirm the theory of Meridian-viscera Association. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=43803) ChiCTR1900027284. Registered on 7 November 2019

Background: Aging is a phenomenon that human's physiology and psychology is progressive decline for natural environment. Health Qigong, as a convenient and effective exercise therapy,is widely used for anti-aging. However, there are no systematic reviews or meta-analysises to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong on anti-aging. Methods: We will systematically search for 7 English databases(PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) and 4 Chinese databases(namely the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, the Wanfang Database, the Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and the Chinese BioMedical Literature Database) from their inceptions to August 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using Health Qigong to anti-aging will be included. After the selection and extraction of eligible studies, a meta-analysis will be undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong on anti-aging. Moreover, study selection, data extraction, and the evaluation of the methodological quality of trials will each be independently completed by at least 2 researchers. The Review Manager Software V.5.3 will be employed for meta-analysis to assess the risk of bias, data synthesis, and subgroup analysis. Results: This review will provide the latest knowledge and evidence on the efficacy and safety of Health Qigong for anti-aging through the analysis of various evaluation scales. Conclusion: The conclusion of this review will help clinicians provide effective exercise therapy for anti-aging. Registration number: INPLASY202090017

High-density liquid (HDL) silicon can be converted via annealing in hydrogen into low-density liquid (LDL), surviving due to hydrogen protection. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) spheres on a wafer scale were achieved via an underlying transition from LDL silicon. The amorphous spheres were protected from crystallization due to the presence of hydrogen gas.

Background The use of antibiotics in the acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), a sensitive biomarker for systemic inflammation and tissue damage, is a good indicator of lower respiratory tract bacterial infection. However, due to the small sample size of the existing studies, the clinical value of CRP in guiding the use of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) antibiotics is insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of CRP-guided treatment strategies for AECOPD patients. Methods This review summarizes and meta-analyses randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CRP guiding antibiotic prescribing for COPD exacerbations. RCTs compare either usual-care or the GOLD strategy have been included. The following electronic databases have been searched: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang Data. The methodologic quality of RCTs has been assessed using the Cochrane risk assessment tool. All trials included are analyzed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook. Review Manager 5.3, R-3.5.1 software, and GRADE pro GDT web solution are used for data synthesis and analysis. Results This review evaluates the effects of CRP testing on the antibiotic use, CCQ, EQ-5D utility scores and adverse events in patients with COPD exacerbations. Conclusion This review provides clear evidence that CRP testing can reduce the use of antibiotics in patients with AECOPD without causing harm.

Introduction Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) involves a severe inflammatory response. Systemic glucocorticoids are very important for the treatment of the acute exacerbation period; however, their use causes serious adverse effects. There is still no evidence on whether traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can be used to reduce the dosage of systemic glucocorticoids in the treatment of patients with AECOPD. Methods In this trial, we plan to enroll 204 eligible patients with AECOPD who will be randomly assigned to receive TCM or a placebo. The effect of TCM in the treatment of patients with AECOPD will be measured by the dosage of systemic glucocorticoids (at which COPD assessment test [CAT] scores improve by 50%). Safety will also be assessed. Trial registration ChiCTR2000029568.

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that severely affects the quality of life of patients and may even endanger their lives. Although modern medicine has achieved significant results in relieving the clinical manifestations of COPD, it is difficult to prevent its progression and acute exacerbation entirely. As one of the classic aspects of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, acupoint application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can improve the clinical efficacy of western medicine in treating COPD. To date, however,there is no high-quality clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of TCM acupoint application directly in preventing acute exacerbation of stable COPD. Methods The study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in which 200 stable COPD patients will be randomly and equally divided into the experimental group or control group. Both groups will undergo standard Western medicine treatment; however, the patients in the experimental group will be also treated with TCM acupoint application, while the control group will be given placebo acupoint application. The duration of the treatment will be 1 month and a follow-up for 11 months. The primary outcome will be the number of acute exacerbation episodes of COPD, and the secondary outcomes will include the lung function, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test, and 6-Minute Walk Test. A safety assessment will also be performed during the trial. Discussion The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM acupoint application in preventing acute exacerbation of stable COPD. Our study will provide sound evidence to support the evidence-based medicine of TCM acupoint application as an additional measure in the prevention of acute exacerbation of stable COPD. Trial registration ChiCTR1900026564, Registered 14 October, 2019.

The defects in perovskite crystals and the penetration of moisture/oxygen into the perovskite layer are major problems for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to achieve long-term stability and high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, there is still a lack of multifunctional passivation materials to solve these problems. Herein, for the first time, we report oleyl amine-coated PbSO4(PbO)4 quantum-dots (QDs), as a passivation material with dual functions to simultaneously passivate the surface defects and block the penetration of moisture/oxygen into the perovskite layer for stable and efficient PSCs. The PbSO4(PbO)4 QDs significantly reduce the defect density of the as-prepared CH3NH3PbI3 films by passivating under-coordinated Pb ions and I anions and effectively enhance charge extraction efficiency at the TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbI3/spiro-OMeTAD interfaces. Moreover, the hydrogen bond between H atoms of the OA and I atoms of the perovskite and the interface electric field at CH3NH3PbI3/OA interface also contribute to the improvement of efficiency and stability of PSCs. Finally, higher PCE (20.02%) is achieved by the PSCs with OA-coated PbSO4(PbO)4 QDs compared to that (16.86%) of the PSCs without OA-coated PbSO4(PbO)4, corresponding to a 18.7% enhancement. Moreover, the PSCs with OA-coated PbSO4(PbO)4 QDs maintain 90% of initial efficiency after operation for 280 h, indicating better stability than the PSCs without PbSO4(PbO)4 QDs.

Rocksalt CoO nanoparticles (CNPs) have been prepared with a facile solvothermal method. To control the magnetism of CNPs, the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is adopted to engineer the CNPs. Enwrapped by the atomic-layered carbon sheets, the CNPs can be reduced locally. The CoO/RGO composites were prepared by one-pot and two-pot synthetic methods, respectively. Compared with the CoO/RGO raw composite that have no magnetization hysteresis loop, the weak and the strong hysteresis loops emerged successively via heating the particles at different temperatures and maintaining their nanoscales. The magnetism can be adjusted by controlling the temperature via two routes. By the one-pot synthetic route, the CNPs can be reduced sharply, and an obvious hysteresis is available around 400 °C, which is ascribed to the appearance of Co nanoclusters decorated in the corners of CNPs. By the two-pot synthetic route, a weak and gradually enhanced hysteresis can be observed, and its magnetic properties should be ascribed to th...

Graphene is usually adopted as an assistant additive for catalysts in photocatalytic processes, because of its ability to accelerate the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. To elucidate the mechanism, hydrogen peroxide is adopted to convert the O2(-)˙ active species into OH˙ for degradation of an organic dye. If the pH value is less than 7, the concentration of the OH˙ species can be reduced more quickly with the addition of graphene than without, because negatively charged electrons can be transported quickly on graphene. If the pH value is larger than 7, the concentration of OH˙ can be promoted by the catalyst SiC with photogenerated h(+) release and reaction with OH(-), however the concentration is reduced if the SiC catalyst is covered by a graphene sheet, as it retards h(+) release from the SiC substrate. Our findings have provided a certification for the role of graphene in photo-catalytic processes.

Symmetry of adsorption site is the key to control the graphene band gap. When the adsorption sites change from mirror-symmetry adsorption (MSA) to mirror antisymmetric adsorption (MAA) position, the bandgap change (BC) exhibits two opposite tendencies. Therefore, a standard was developed to determine the type of band gap modification of graphene. When BC is negative, the bonding state between the adsorbent and graphene was the dominant factor. When BC is positive, the built-in electric field becomes dominated. Continuous tuning of the band gap can be achieved by adsorbing the appropriate functional groups. Our findings set the standard for determining the type of band gap modification and open the way for controllable adjustment of graphene band gap.

Using novel ideas for the fabrication of epitaxial graphene (EG) on SiC, two forms of graphene termed as vertical aligned graphene sheets (VAGS) and graphene covered SiC powder (GCSP) were derived, respectively, from SiC slices and SiC powder, aimed for applications in energy storage and photocatalysis. Herein, the fabrication procedures, morphology characteristics, some intrinsic physical properties and performances for applications in field effect transistor (FET) and cold cathode field emission source are revealed and analyzed based on the graphene materials. The EG on a 2-inch SiC (0001) showed an average sheet resistance about 720 Ω/□ with a non-uniformity 7.2%. The FETs fabricated on the EG possessed a cutoff frequency 80 GHz. Based on the VAGS derived from a completely carbonized SiC slice, a magnetic phase diagram of graphene with irregular zigzag edges is also reported.

Growth of epitaxial graphene (EG) on silicon carbide (SiC) is regarded as one of the most effective routes to high-quality graphene towards practical applicability. We try to build up a model to illuminate the nucleation process of EG on SiC by thermal decomposition. The model is derived from some experimental results and discloses that surface diffusion plays an important role in the nucleation. For the chemical vapor deposition process used, the organic gas as carbon precursor enables carbon deposition quickly for supporting the growth of high-quality graphene via vapor transformation, so that the nucleated and final graphene becomes almost stress-free and mimics the free-standing graphene. Our findings have a potential in preparing high-quality graphene by controlling the nucleation conditions.

Preparation of high quality graphene with uniform layers currently remains a bottleneck. In particular, graphene with only one large-sized monolayer is very difficult to obtain. With epitaxial growth of graphene under a hydrogen atmosphere and high temperature, even as high as 1550 °C, the obtained graphene was intercalated by methane and methyl group (−CH3) species. Spontaneously, this intercalation makes the coupling of adjacent layers weak and leads to each layer behaving like free-standing graphene. X-ray diffraction spectra demonstrate that the interdistance of adjacent layers is abnormally large, disclosing each layer suspended by the intercalation, regardless of the layer number. Our findings have opened a possible route to prepare free-standing, high quality graphene effectively in large-scale, behaving like one monolayer free-standing graphene. The Raman spectra also support this conclusion.

String matching is a fundamental problem in computer science. In order to gain higher performance online exact single pattern string matching algorithms, the authors improved the Skip algorithm which is a comparison based exact single pattern string matching algorithm. By introducing the q-grams method in the sliding window and the comparing window of Skip respectively, the branch prediction failure and the average branch cost are reduced. Meanwhile, the greedy jump method is introduced in Skip. Greedy jump is a common accelerating method for string matching, while there are some waste reads for algorithms with unfixed jump distance. Since Skip has fixed jump distance, greedy jump is more suitable for Skip. Therefore, the authors presented the HGQS algorithm. Experiments results have indicated that HGQS has higher practical performance and it is more efficient in some cases than other known algorithms in many cases on the platform.

T graphene, a two-dimensional carbon allotrope with tetrarings, is investigated by first-principles calculations. We demonstrate that buckled T graphene has Dirac-like fermions and a high Fermi velocity similar to graphene even though it has nonequivalent bonds and possesses no hexagonal honeycomb structure. New features of the linear dispersions that are different from graphene are revealed. π and π* bands and the two comprising sublattices are the key factors for the emergence of Dirac-like fermions. T graphene and its two types of nanoribbon are expected to possess additional properties over graphene due to its different band structure.

Temperature-dependent Raman scattering is performed on unsupported vertical graphene sheets, which are approximate to free graphene without supporting the substrate. Here the observed G peak line shift with temperature is completely consistent with the theoretical prediction based on the first-principles calculation on free graphene, and our result is helpful to understand intrinsic anharmonic phonon characteristics of free graphene and the divergence on the G peak line shift with temperature. However, the observed linewidth variation is different from the prediction. To reveal the origins, a simplified Klemens model is used, and the dominating anharmonic phonon scattering mechanism is explored. In addition, line shift and linewidth variations of D and 2D peaks of the graphene sheets with temperature are revealed, and the possible mechanisms dominating the results are discussed.

Knowledge Innovation Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KJCX2-YW-W22, YYYJ-0701]; Ministry of Science & Technology of PR China [2007BAE34B00, 2006AA03A146, 2007CB936300, 2006AA03A107]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [50972162, 50702073]; Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) [2011CB932700]

The legends of the following Figures should be as follows: Figure 3 AFM morphologies and Raman spectra of a EG on a 2 inch SiC (0001) measured at five representative regions. (a) AFM Morphology reproduced from ref. [14] with permission from Science China Press and Springer publishing, (b) Raman spectra. Figure 6 SEM images of the VAGS. (a) Cross-section image of the VAGS; (b) and (c) are the top view images of the as-grown VAGS and the VAGS after top graphene layer removed reproduced from ref. [16] with permission from Wiley-VCH publishing. Figure 7 (a) HRTEM image of the VAGS with a-few-layer graphene layers. The inset of Figure 7(a) is a HRTEM image demonstrating a well crystallized graphene layer. (b) Raman spectrum of the graphene sheets. Reproduced from ref. [16] with permission from Wiley-VCH publishing. Figure 9 (Color online) Sheet resistance mapping of the EG on a 2 inch SiC (0001) measured at room temperature. Reproduced from ref. [14] with permission from Science China Press and Springer publishing. Figure 12 Schematic mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of Rh B by the GCSP. Reproduced from ref. [15] with permission from AIP Publishing LLC. Figure 13 (Color online) Magnetic phase diagram of graphene with irregular zigzag edges in a frame of magnetic field and temperature. Reproduced from ref. [23] with permission from Nature Publishing Group. Figure 14 (Color online) Temperature dependence of (a) the line shift and (b) the line width of the G peak measured in temperature range from 79 K to 773 K. Half-filled diamond, filled and opened triangles represent the experimental data of the three samples. Reproduced from ref. [25] with permission from American Physical Society. Figure 15 (Color online) (a) Field emission current density of the VAGS versus applied field. (b) Corresponding plot of ln (J/F2) versus 1/F and fitting results. (c) Field emission stability of the VAGS at room temperature over 120 h. Reproduced from ref. [16] with permission from Wiley-VCH publishing.

Controlled sublimation of silicon on a SiC surface based on pulsed electron irradiation (PEI) is presented as an effective route to quality graphene. The PEI allows us to obtain graphene in millimetre-scale within three monolayers, and is a potential candidate for preparing high quality large graphene with controlled layers.