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Post-surgical pain is commonly experienced by patients, and traditional pain medication has limitations and side effects. Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated technology that simulates realistic environments, which distracts the patient’s attention and emotions, reduces pain, and improves rehabilitation by creating an immersive experience. The increasing affordability and quality of portable VR headsets, as well as the increasing utility of pain management, bode well for the exciting future of using VR for analgesia. VR was found to be effective as a complementary adjunct or alternative nonpharmacological analgesic to a range of acute and chronic pain treatments. The application of VR to post-surgical pain management can significantly reduce patients’ dependence on medications, as well as decrease the intensity and duration of pain. In this paper, a thorough literature review was conducted to systematically evaluate the use of VR in post-surgical pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of combined use of Natto powder and monascus powder on the growth performance, serum antioxidant index, intestinal flora, and nutrient apparent metabolic rate of Gushi chickens. A total of 200 healthy male Gushi chickens of similar weight at the age of 30 days were selected, randomly divided into five groups with four replicates per group and 10 chickens per replicate. The CK group fed a basic diet, the T1 group supplemented with 1% Natto powder and 1% monascus powder in the basic diet, the T2 group supplemented with 2% Natto powder and 2% monascus powder, the T3 group supplemented with 2% Natto powder and 5% monascus powder, and the T4 group supplemented with 5% Natto powder and 2% monascus powder. The preliminary trial lasted for seven days, and the formal experiment lasted for 50 days. The results showed that compared with the CK group, the average daily weight gain of Gushi chickens in groups T2 to T4 was significantly increased (P<0.05), the feed to weight ratio of groups T1 to T4 was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the serum of Gushi chickens in groups T1 to T4 were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The number of E. coli in the cecum of Gushi chickens in groups T1 to T4 was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the number of Lactobacillus was significantly increased (P<0.05). the number of Bifidobacterium in the cecum of Gushi chickens in groups T2 to T4 was significantly increased (P<0.05). The metabolic rate of crude protein and crude fat in Gushi chickens in groups T1 to T4 were significantly improved (P<0.05), the metabolic rate of organic matter in Gushi chickens in groups T2 to T4 was significantly improved (P<0.05). The study indicates that combined use of Natto powder and monascus powder can improve the growth performance and dietary metabolic rate, improve serum antioxidant indexes, and maintain the intestinal health of Gushi chickens. The combination of 2% Natto powder and 2% monascus powder are better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrub encroachment induced by global change and human disturbance strongly affects ecosystem structure and function. In this study, we explore the degree to which invading leguminous shrubs affected neighboring grasses, including via the transfer of fixed nitrogen (N). We measured N concentrations and natural abundance (15)N of shoot tissues from three dominant grasses from different plant functional groups across seven distances along a local transect (up to 500 cm) to the leguminous shrub, Caragana microphylla. C. microphylla did transfer fixed N to neighboring grasses, but the amount and distance of N transferred were strongly species-specific. Shoot N concentrations decreased significantly with distance from C. microphylla, for a rhizomatous grass, Leymus chinensis, and a bunchgrass, Achnatherum sibiricum. However, N concentrations of another bunchgrass, Stipa grandis, were higher only directly underneath the shrub canopy. Shoot δ(15)N values of L. chinensis were enriched up to 500 cm from the shrub, but for S. grandis were enriched only below the shrub canopy. In contrast, δ(15)N of A. sibiricum did not change along the 500-cm transect. Our results indicated the rhizomatous grass transferred fixed N over long distances while bunchgrasses did not. The presence of C. microphylla increased the shoot biomass of L. chinensis but decreased that of S. grandis and A. sibiricum. These findings highlight the potential role of nutrient-acquisition strategies of neighboring grasses in moderating the interspecific variation of fixed N transfer from the leguminous shrub. Overall, leguminous shrubs have either positive or negative effects on the neighboring grasses and dramatically affect plant community composition and structure.