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Acupuncture and moxibustion have played a positive role in the postoperative rehabilitation of colon cancer, especially in the recovery of gastrointestinal function. In this paper, the current situation of the postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery of colon cancer treated by acupuncture and moxibustion was reviewed, from the following three aspects, including pathogenesis study, acute mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion, and clinical therapeutic methods of gastrointestinal dysfunction after colon cancer surgery. The mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion on postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery of is mainly to regulate neural pathways, improve inflammatory response, regulate gastrointestinal hormones, improve intestinal motility, increase intestinal blood flow, etc., through the interaction of neuro-endocrineimmune systems. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is considered that pathogenesis of this disease is about spleen-stomach weakness, qi stagnation and blood stasis. The main pathogenic factors of this disease include deficiency, blood stasis, dampness, and heat pathogen. In acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, it should select acupoints according to pattern differentiation, and treat the root and branch simultaneously. The common clinical therapeutic methods include acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, moxibustion, auricular acupoint sticking and pressing method, acupoint injection, acupoint sticking method, and so on. These therapeutic methods have got remarkable curative effect, and provided basis for the selection of rehabilitation plan after colon cancer surgery in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and influencing factors of perampanel (PER) on electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of pediatric patients with focal epilepsy and ESES who were treated at the Epilepsy Center of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University between January 2016 and March 2022. Changes in the spike wave index (SWI) after 24 weeks of PER add-on treatment were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed. Results: A total of 54 pediatric patients met the inclusion criteria, including 33 males and 21 females. The mean age at the diagnosis of epilepsy was 6.41 ± 2.14 years and at ESES diagnosis was 7.58 ± 2.40 years. The mean ESES duration before add-on PER was 25.31 ± 15.12 months. The mean age of the patients at add-on PER initiation was 9.69 ± 2.12 years. The ESES resolved in 29 children after 6 months of PER add-on treatment, and the response rate was 53.7%. Univariate analysis with the log-rank test showed that the therapeutic effect of PER differed according to the age at ESES diagnosis and ESES duration before add-on PER treatment. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that only ESES duration before PER administration was a risk factor for PER treatment failure, and the other factors had no effect on the therapeutic effect. Conclusion: PER add-on treatment has a good therapeutic effect on ESES and can be used as an alternative to corticosteroid and benzodiazepines. The therapeutic effect of PER add-on treatment was not related to the dose. A longer ESES duration results in a worse therapeutic effect. Therefore, more aggressive treatment measures should be implemented for ESES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nitrogen (N) transformations between labile N forms (extractable organic N [EON], ammonium [NH4+], and nitrate [NO3-]) regulate soil N availability. However, it has long been difficult to quantify the transformations of total soil organic and labile N forms in soils, which has left large uncertainties in evaluating atmospheric N deposition effects on soil N dynamics. Based on concentrations and natural abundances of N isotopes of soil organic N, EON, NH4+, and NO3- across 11 forests with variant N deposition levels, we established a quantitative isotopic framework to estimate the fractions of soil N depolymerization (fD), mineralization (fM), nitrification (fN), and of NO3- losses (fL) via denitrification and leaching. Based on the fractions, the gross production and storage of corresponding soil labile N were estimated for forests of China and Japan. We found that fD, fM, and fN increased, while fL decreased with the increase of N deposition among the study forests. And the contribution of denitrification (relative to the NO3- leaching) to total NO3- losses also increased with increasing N deposition. Our method provides new and straightforward insights into the present soil N transformations and allows to evaluate the soil N status. These findings are useful for modeling forest N cycles under different N deposition regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The study aims to illustrate the clinical characteristics and development of septic shock in intensive care unit (ICU) patients confirmed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and to perform a comprehensive analysis of the association between septic shock and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). METHODS: Patients confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, who were admitted to the ICU of the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen from January 1 to February 7, 2020, were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients with and without septic shock. RESULTS: In this study, 35 critically ill patients with COVID-19 were included. Among them, the median age was 64 years (interquartile range [IQR] 59-67 years), and 10 (28.4%) patients were female. The median ICU length of stay was 16 days (IQR 8-23 days). Three (8.6%) patients died during hospitalization. Nine (25.7%) patients developed septic shock in the ICU, and these patients had a significantly higher incidence of organ dysfunction and a worse prognosis than patients without septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: Septic shock is associated with a poor outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients and is one of the hallmarks of the severity of patients receiving ICU care. A dysregulated immune response, uncontrolled inflammation, and coagulation disorders are strongly associated with the development and progression of COVID-19-related septic shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant nitrogen (N) use is a key component of the N cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. The supply of N to plants affects community species composition and ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and carbon (C) accumulation. However, the availabilities and relative importance of different N forms to plants are not well understood. While nitrate (NO3-) is a major N form used by plants worldwide, it is discounted as a N source for Arctic tundra plants because of extremely low NO3- concentrations in Arctic tundra soils, undetectable soil nitrification, and plant-tissue NO3- that is typically below detection limits. Here we reexamine NO3- use by tundra plants using a sensitive denitrifier method to analyze plant-tissue NO3-. Soil-derived NO3- was detected in tundra plant tissues, and tundra plants took up soil NO3- at comparable rates to plants from relatively NO3--rich ecosystems in other biomes. Nitrate assimilation determined by 15N enrichments of leaf NO3- relative to soil NO3- accounted for 4 to 52% (as estimated by a Bayesian isotope-mixing model) of species-specific total leaf N of Alaskan tundra plants. Our finding that in situ soil NO3- availability for tundra plants is high has important implications for Arctic ecosystems, not only in determining species compositions, but also in determining the loss of N from soils via leaching and denitrification. Plant N uptake and soil N losses can strongly influence C uptake and accumulation in tundra soils. Accordingly, this evidence of NO3- availability in tundra soils is crucial for predicting C storage in tundra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using isotope mixing model (IsoSource) and natural δ15N method, this study evaluated contributions of major sources to N of PM2.5 at Beijing (collected during a severe haze episode of January 22nd-30th, 2013) and a background site (Menyuan, Qinghai province; collected from September to October of 2013) of China. At Beijing, δ15N values of PM2.5 (-4.1 - +13.5 ‰; mean = +2.8 ± 6.4 ‰) distributed within the range reported for major anthropogenic sources (including NH3 and NO2 from coal combustion, vehicle exhausts and domestic wastes/sewage). However, δ15N values of PM2.5 at the background site (+8.0 - +27.9 ‰; mean = +18.5 ± 5.8 ‰) were significantly higher than that of potential sources (including NH3 and NO2 from biomass burning, animal wastes, soil N cycle, fertilizer application, and organic N of soil dust). Evidences from molecular ratios of NH4+ to NO3- and/or SO42- in PM2.5, NH3 to NO2 and/or SO2 in ambient atmosphere suggested that the equilibrium of NH3 ↔ NH4+ caused apparent 15N enrichment only in NH4+ of PM2.5 at the background site due to more abundant NH3 than SO2 and NO2. Therefore, a net 15N enrichment (33 ‰) was assumed for NH3 sources of background PM2.5 when fractional contributions were estimated by IsoSource model. Results showed that 41 %, 30 % and 14 % of N in PM2.5 of Beijing originated from coal combustion, vehicle exhausts and domestic wastes/sewage, respectively. Background PM2.5 derived N mainly from biomass burning (58 %), animal wastes (15 %) and fertilizer application (9 %). These results revealed the regulation of the stoichiometry between ammonia and acidic gases on δ15N signals in PM2.5. Emissions of NO2 from coal combustion and NH3 from urban transportation should be strictly controlled to advert the risk of haze episodes in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of nitrate (NO-3), a major nitrogen (N) source for natural plants, has been studied mostly through experimental N addition, enzymatic assay, isotope labeling, and genetic expression. However, artificial N supply may not reasonably reflect the N strategies in natural plants because NO-3 uptake and reduction may vary with external N availability. Due to abrupt application and short operation time, field N addition, and isotopic labeling hinder the elucidation of in situ NO-3 -use mechanisms. The concentration and natural isotopes of tissue NO-3 can offer insights into the plant NO-3 sources and dynamics in a natural context. Furthermore, they facilitate the exploration of plant NO-3 utilization and its interaction with N pollution and ecosystem N cycles without disturbing the N pools. The present study was conducted to review the application of the denitrifier method for concentration and isotope analyses of NO-3 in plants. Moreover, this study highlights the utility and advantages of these parameters in interpreting NO-3 sources and dynamics in natural plants. We summarize the major sources and reduction processes of NO-3 in plants, and discuss the implications of NO-3 concentration in plant tissues based on existing data. Particular emphasis was laid on the regulation of soil NO-3 and plant ecophysiological functions in interspecific and intra-plant NO-3 variations. We introduce N and O isotope systematics of NO-3 in plants and discuss the principles and feasibilities of using isotopic enrichment and fractionation factors; the correlation between concentration and isotopes (N and O isotopes: δ18O and Δ17O); and isotope mass-balance calculations to constrain sources and reduction of NO-3 in possible scenarios for natural plants are deliberated. Finally, we offer a preliminary framework of intraplant δ18O-NO-3 variation, and summarize the uncertainties in using tissue NO-3 parameters to interpret plant NO-3 utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study on the development of a modular approach to synthesis of cell-permeable peptides. Methodology used in the study; Production of a nonpeptide thiazolidino linkage between the modules; Combination of two membrane-permeable sequences (MPSs); General scheme for peptide ligation via thiazolidine ring formation using unprotected peptides; Discussion on the results of the study.