Background
Acupuncture is used to treat chronic functional constipation (CFC) in China, despite limited evidence. We aim to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in managing CFC.
Methods
...A multicenter randomized controlled trial was performed involving 684 patients with CFC; the patients were randomly allocated to receive He acupuncture (n = 172), Shu‐mu acupuncture (n = 171), He‐shu‐mu acupuncture (n = 171), or oral administration of mosapride (n = 170). Sixteen sessions of acupuncture were given in the treatment duration of 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) at week 4 (at the end of treatment) compared to baseline. The secondary outcomes included stool consistency (Bristol scale), the degree of straining during defecation, and adverse events.
Key Results
The SBMs increased in all the four groups at week 4, and the magnitude of increase was equivalent in the four groups (He acupuncture, 2.7 95% CI, 2.3‐3.1; Shu‐mu acupuncture, 2.7 95% CI, 2.3‐3.0; He‐shu‐mu acupuncture, 2.2 95% CI, 1.9‐2.5; and mosapride, 2.4 95% CI, 2.0‐2.9; P = .226). However, the change in SBMs at week 8 was significantly smaller in mosapride group (1.4 95% CI, 1.0‐1.8) than the three acupuncture groups (2.4 95% CI, 2.1‐2.7, 2.3 95% CI, 1.9‐2.7, 2.1 95% CI, 1.7‐2.5 in He, Shu‐mu, and He‐shu‐mu group, respectively, P = .005).
Conclusions & Interferences
The three acupuncture treatments were as effective as mosapride in improving stool frequency and stool consistency in CFC, but the magnitude of the treatment effect is unknown due to the lack of sham acupuncture control.
The effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic functional constipation is unknown. Our study result showed that acupuncture treatments are as effective as mosapride in improving stool frequency and stool consistency.
Key insights into the behavior of materials can be gained by observing their structure as they undergo lattice distortion. Laser pulses on the femtosecond time scale can be used to induce disorder in ...a "pump-probe" experiment with the ensuing transients being probed stroboscopically with femtosecond pulses of visible light, x-rays, or electrons. Here we report three-dimensional imaging of the generation and subsequent evolution of coherent acoustic phonons on the picosecond time scale within a single gold nanocrystal by means of an x-ray free-electron laser, providing insights into the physics of this phenomenon. Our results allow comparison and confirmation of predictive models based on continuum elasticity theory and molecular dynamics simulations.
The existence of charge-density-wave (CDW) correlations in cuprate superconductors has now been established. However, the nature of the CDW ground state has remained uncertain because disorder and ...the presence of superconductivity typically limit the CDW correlation lengths to only a dozen unit cells or less. Here we explore the field-induced 3D CDW correlations in extremely pure detwinned crystals of YBa₂Cu₃Oₓ (YBCO) ortho-II and ortho-VIII at magnetic fields in excess of the resistive upper critical field (H
c2) where superconductivity is heavily suppressed. We observe that the 3D CDW is unidirectional and possesses a long in-plane correlation length as well as significant correlations between neighboring CuO₂ planes. It is significant that we observe only a single sharply defined transition at a critical field proportional to H
c2, given that the field range used in this investigation overlaps with other high-field experiments including quantum oscillation measurements. The correlation volume is at least two to three orders of magnitude larger than that of the zero-field CDW. This is by far the largest CDW correlation volume observed in any cuprate crystal and so is presumably representative of the high-field ground state of an “ideal” disorder-free cuprate.
In this paper, we describe the International Pulsar Timing Array second data release, which includes recent pulsar timing data obtained by three regional consortia: the European Pulsar Timing Array, ...the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, and the
Parkes Pulsar Timing Array. We analyse and where possible combine high-precision timing data for 65 millisecond pulsars which are regularly observed by these groups. A basic noise analysis, including the processes which are both correlated and uncorrelated in time, provides noise models and timing ephemerides for the pulsars. We find that the timing precisions of pulsars are generally improved compared to the previous data release, mainly due to the addition of new data in the combination. The main purpose of this work is to create the most up-to-date IPTA data release. These data are publicly available for searches for low-frequency gravitational waves and other pulsar science.
The emergence of pandemic H1N1/2009 influenza demonstrated that pandemic viruses could be generated in swine. Subsequent reintroduction of H1N1/2009 to swine has occurred in multiple countries. ...Through systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in swine from a Hong Kong abattoir, we characterize a reassortant progeny of H1N1/2009 with swine viruses. Swine experimentally infected with this reassortant developed mild illness and transmitted infection to contact animals. Continued reassortment of H1N1/2009 with swine influenza viruses could produce variants with transmissibility and altered virulence for humans. Global systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in swine is warranted.
The frequency dependence of radio pulse arrival times provides a probe of structures in the intervening media. Demorest et al. was the first to show a short-term (∼100-200 days) reduction in the ...electron content along the line of sight to PSR J1713+0747 in data from 2008 (approximately MJD 54750) based on an apparent dip in the dispersion measure of the pulsar. We report on a similar event in 2016 (approximately MJD 57510), with average residual pulse-arrival times −3.0, −1.3, and −0.7 s at 820, 1400, and 2300 MHz, respectively. Timing analyses indicate possible departures from the standard −2 dispersive-delay dependence. We discuss and rule out a wide variety of potential interpretations. We find the likeliest scenario to be lensing of the radio emission by some structure in the interstellar medium, which causes multiple frequency-dependent pulse arrival-time delays.
Overview of the SPARC tokamak Creely, A. J.; Greenwald, M. J.; Ballinger, S. B. ...
Journal of plasma physics,
10/2020, Volume:
86, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The SPARC tokamak is a critical next step towards commercial fusion energy. SPARC is designed as a high-field ($B_0 = 12.2$ T), compact ($R_0 = 1.85$ m, $a = 0.57$ m), superconducting, D-T tokamak ...with the goal of producing fusion gain $Q>2$ from a magnetically confined fusion plasma for the first time. Currently under design, SPARC will continue the high-field path of the Alcator series of tokamaks, utilizing new magnets based on rare earth barium copper oxide high-temperature superconductors to achieve high performance in a compact device. The goal of $Q>2$ is achievable with conservative physics assumptions ($H_{98,y2} = 0.7$) and, with the nominal assumption of $H_{98,y2} = 1$, SPARC is projected to attain $Q \approx 11$ and $P_{\textrm {fusion}} \approx 140$ MW. SPARC will therefore constitute a unique platform for burning plasma physics research with high density ($\langle n_{e} \rangle \approx 3 \times 10^{20}\ \textrm {m}^{-3}$), high temperature ($\langle T_e \rangle \approx 7$ keV) and high power density ($P_{\textrm {fusion}}/V_{\textrm {plasma}} \approx 7\ \textrm {MW}\,\textrm {m}^{-3}$) relevant to fusion power plants. SPARC's place in the path to commercial fusion energy, its parameters and the current status of SPARC design work are presented. This work also describes the basis for global performance projections and summarizes some of the physics analysis that is presented in greater detail in the companion articles of this collection.
Abstract
Fossil CO
2
emissions in 2021 grew an estimated 4.2% (3.5%–4.8%) to 36.2 billion metric tons compared with 2020, pushing global emissions back close to 2019 levels (36.7 Gt CO
2
).
The principal stresses that occur in soil below ground level often change direction due to engineering activities. A typical example would be the cyclic loading applied by waves and currents onto the ...foundation of offshore structures. Even though the principal stress rotations (PSR) are recognized as some kind of “loading” that is exerted onto seabed soil, it is ignored in most investigations into how soil around marine structures responds to ocean waves and currents. In response this paper will simulate the fluid-seabed-structure interactions (FSSI) while considering the impact of PSR. This simulation will utilize an integrated numerical model in which VARANS equations are used for the flow motion. A coupled fluid-dynamic framework and a generalized plasticity model will be developed for the saturated porous medium to examine the cyclic loading of seabed and the continuous rotation of principal stress orientations. It is predicted that the stress path in the τxz versus (σx′−σz′) plane around the structure will denote variations in deviator stress in conjunction with the rotations of the principal stress axis. The mechanical impact of PSR becomes most significant in the region beneath the breakwater and up to a depth of the half thickness of the seabed. Ignoring the PSR-induced deformation may lead to an underestimation of (p̄PSR−p̄no−PSR)∕γwd by 35% in this region.
•An integrated model for the nonlinear interaction between wave–current, a submerged breakwater and its foundation soil is developed.•The cyclic behaviour of seabed soil is reproduced using a generalized plasticity approach concerning the impact of principal stress rotation.•The predicted stress path in the τxz versus σx′−σz′ plane denotes variations in the deviator stress and rotations of principal stress axes.•Ignoring the PSR-induced deformation may lead to an underestimation of (p̄PSR−p̄no−PSR)∕γwd by 35% in the region underneath the breakwater.
Lead halide perovskite nanowires (NWs) have been demonstrated in pulsed lasing with high quantum yields, low thresholds, and broad tunability. However, continuous‐wave (CW) lasing, necessary for many ...optoelectronic applications, has not been achieved to date. This is thought to be due to many‐body screening, which reduces the excitonic resonance enhancement of the oscillator strength at high excitation densities necessary for population inversion. Here CW lasing in CsPbBr3 perovskite NWs is reported. Analysis of the cavity modes and their temperature dependence reveals that both CW and pulsed lasing originate from polariton modes near the bottleneck region on the lower polariton branch, with a vacuum Rabi splitting of 0.20 ± 0.03 eV. These findings suggest that lead halide perovskite NWs may serve as low‐power CW coherent light sources and as model systems for polaritonics in the strong‐coupling regime.
Optically pumped, continuous‐wave lasing in a CsPbBr3 nanowire is enabled by strong confinement‐enhanced light–matter coupling. Nanowire waveguide‐cavity photons are strongly coupled to the CsPbBr3 exciton resonance to give suboptical bandgap exciton–polariton states that undergo stimulated emission. The Rabi splitting is quantified by modeling the light leaking out at the end facets. This interaction leads to low‐threshold lasing and high effective Q‐factors.
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