[Effects of Organic Fertilizer Combined with Biochar on Denitrifying Microorganisms and Enzyme Activities in Orchard Soil].

To study the effects of organic fertilizer combined with biochar on soil denitrification and denitrifying microbial community structure, this study took lemon orchard soil as the research object and adopted a pot experiment, setting up five fertilization treatments:no fertilization(CK), conventional fertilization(F), organic fertilizer(P), fertilizer+biochar(FP), and organic fertilizer+biochar(PP). The abundance and community structure of denitrifying microorganisms were studied using real-time quantitative PCR and T-RFLP. Redundancy analysis(RDA) was used to explore the environmental factors affecting the denitrifying microbial community structure, and PLS-PM analysis was used to explore the environmental factors affecting the denitrification potential of lemon orchard soil. The results showed as follows:① compared with that under the single fertilizer treatment(F), the organic fertilizer and biochar(P, FP, and PP) treatments significantly increased the denitrification potential of the soil, ranging from 147.8% to 1445.3%. The denitrification rate of soil treated with organic fertilizer combined with biochar was 23.8% lower than that treated with organic fertilizer alone. ② Compared with that in the CK treatment, fertilization treatment significantly increased the abundance of nirS and nirK denitrification microorganisms. Fertilizer treatments(F and FP) significantly reduced the abundance of nosZ denitrifying microorganisms. Biochar treatment significantly changed the diversity and uniformity of denitrifying microorganisms, but the specific law and mechanism quality remained unclear. ③ The results of RDA analysis showed that fertilization could affect the community structure of nirS, nirK, and nosZ denitrifying microorganisms by changing C/N, WC, NO3--N, SOC, AK, and AP. ④ PLS-PM analysis showed that soil denitrification was positively correlated with pH and the abundance of nirK denitrification microorganisms, and NO3--N indirectly affected soil denitrification by affecting the abundance of nirK denitrification microorganisms. In addition, the nirK microbial community was the dominant microbial community in soil denitrification in lemon orchards. In conclusion, organic fertilizer directly affected soil denitrification by regulating soil pH, whereas regulating NO3--N content affected nirK denitrification microbial abundance, indirectly affecting soil denitrification. The application of organic fertilizer combined with biochar could slow down the improvement of soil denitrification caused by single application of organic fertilizer, which is more suitable for promotion in orchards in this region.

[Effect of Chemical Fertilizer and Manure Combined with Biochar on Denitrification Potential and Denitrifying Bacterial Community in Rhizosphere Soil].

To clarify the effect of chemical fertilizer and manure combined with biochar on denitrifying microorganisms and denitrification potential of rhizosphere soil, a pot experiment growing lemon was conducted involving five treatments, namely no fertilization (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), manure (M), chemical fertilizer combined with biochar (CFBC), and manure combined with biochar (MBC). We determined the characteristics of the rhizosphere soil nirS-, nirK-, and nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria populations; denitrification potential; and soil environmental factors to clarify the effects of chemical and manure combined with biochar on denitrification. Our results showed that compared with that in CK, the CF treatment reduced the rhizosphere soil denitrification potential by 47.7%, whereas the M and MBC treatments increased the denitrification potential by 2192.7% and 1989.9%, respectively. The M and MBC treatments increased the gene copy number of nirS and nosZ, the CF and CFBC treatments decreased the gene copy number of nirS and nosZ, and all four fertilization treatments increased the gene copy number of nirK. Stepwise regression analysis showed that pH was the main factor for the abundance of nirS-type denitrifying bacteria and SOM and NH+4-N were the main factors for the abundance of nirK-type denitrifying bacteria, whereas pH, NO-3-N, and N/P were main factors for the abundance of nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria. The results of partial least squares analysis indicated that the abundance of nirS-and nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria, pH, TN, and N/P were the main factors affecting rhizosphere denitrification potential. Therefore, in acidic purple soil, nirS- and nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria were the main drivers of the soil denitrification process in lemon rhizospheres under chemical fertilizer and pig manure combined with biochar, whereas fertilizer affected the rhizosphere soil denitrification process by regulating soil pH, TN, and N/P.

[Effects of Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Substitute with Organic Fertilizer on Soil Functional Microbes and Lemon Yield and Quality].

To clarify the effects of non-rhizosphere/rhizosphere soil functional microbes (nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms) on lemon yield and quality, the lemon fruit and non-rhizosphere/rhizosphere soil were selected as subjects. To explore the correlation between non-rhizosphere/rhizosphere soil functional microbes and lemon yield and quality under a chemical fertilizer reduction substitute with organic fertilizer, traditional fruit quality determination and multiple molecular techniques were used. The results showed that:① 30% chemical fertilizer reduction substitute with organic fertilizer increased the nitrification intensity and phosphatase activity but effectively controlled the denitrifying enzyme activity. ② The chemical fertilizer reduction substitute with organic fertilizer significantly decreased the abundances of nitrifiers and nirS/nirK-harboring denitrifiers and significantly increased the abundances of nosZ-harboring denitrifier and phoD-harboring microorganisms. However, the diversities of functional microbial community structure did not have clear regularity under chemical fertilizer reduction substitute with organic fertilizer. ③ Compared with that under the application of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer alone, lemon yield and quality were the highest under the 30% reduction of chemical fertilizer substitute with organic fertilizer. ④ Nitrogen and its related microbes significantly affected lemon yield through internal and external quality. Phosphorus and its related microbes affected lemon yield mainly through internal quality. In addition, the influence factors of non-rhizosphere soil and rhizosphere soil on lemon intrinsic quality were obviously different. Altogether, these results showed that the 30% reduction of chemical fertilizer substitute with organic fertilizer significantly affected soil nitrogen and phosphorus functional microorganisms and further improved lemon yield and quality.

[Effects of Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Combined with Organic Fertilizer Application on Bacterial Community Structure in Rhizosphere/Non-Rhizosphere Soil of Lemon].

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of different fertilization methods on the physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure of lemon rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil in order to provide theoretical basis for scientific and rational fertilization of orchards. A pot experiment was carried out, and six fertilization treatments were set up:control (CK), conventional fertilization (FM), organic fertilizer (P), fresh organic fertilizer (NP), 70% chemical fertilizer+30% organic fertilizer (70FP), and 50% chemical fertilizer+50% organic fertilizer (50FP). Chemical analysis, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) were used to study the effects of different fertilization treatments on the physicochemical properties of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils, the abundance of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and bacterial community structure. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to explore the environmental factors affecting the bacterial community structure of lemon rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil. The results showed the following:① the pH and contents of organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and nitrate nitrogen in rhizosphere/non-rhizosphere soil were significantly increased by reducing the amount of chemical fertilizer and applying organic fertilizer (50FP and 70FP) (P<0.05). Compared with conventional fertilization (FM) and single application of organic fertilizer (P and NP), the soil available P content, available K content, and nitrate nitrogen content increased by 24.76%-97.98%, 6.87%-45.11%, and 18.42%-55.82%, respectively. ② Fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer significantly increased the abundance of soil bacteria and soil respiration intensity (P<0.05), and the abundance of soil rhizosphere bacteria and soil respiration intensity under the 50FP treatment increased by 15.83%-232.98% and 8.0%-162.5% compared with that under conventional fertilization and organic fertilizer alone, respectively. The bacterial abundance of rhizosphere soil was positively correlated with the pH and contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. ③ The PCoA and RDA analysis results showed that the single organic fertilizer and organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer de-weighting of rhizosphere bacterial community structure and not adding fertilizer had a bigger difference between processing, and the main environmental factors influencing the rhizosphere/non rhizosphere bacterial community structure were organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, alkali solution nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and available potassium. Fertilizer reduction combined with organic fertilizer could significantly increase soil nutrient content, increase soil bacterial abundance, and change the bacterial community structure of rhizosphere soil, and the 50FP treatment yielded better results. Therefore, 50% Chemical fertilizer+50% organic fertilizer (50FP) was a better fertilization method to improve the physical and chemical properties of orchard soil, increase the abundance of soil bacteria, and improve the soil respiration intensity.

Ketogenic diet therapy in children with epilepsy caused by SLC2A1 mutations: a single-center single-arm retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study assessed the efficacy and safety of ketogenic diet therapies in children with epilepsy caused by SLC2A1 genetic mutations and glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome. METHODS: Pediatric patients with epilepsy symptoms admitted to our medical center between January 2017 and October 2021 were included if they presented with an SLC2A1 genetic mutation on whole-exome sequencing. We analyzed the patients' convulsions and treatment with antiepileptic drugs. The patients were followed up at different time periods after ketogenic diet therapies. RESULTS: Six patients with SLC2A1 mutations were included in this study. The patients had seizures of different types and frequencies, and they took antiepileptic drugs to relieve their symptoms. They were then treated with a ketogenic diet for at least four months. We analyzed epilepsy control rates at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after ketogenic diet treatment. All patients were seizure-free within a month of receiving the diet therapy. All patients were followed up for six months, three were followed up for 12 months after the treatment, and there was no recurrence of epilepsy during this period. After antiepileptic drug withdrawal, none of the patients experienced seizure relapse when receiving ketogenic diet treatment alone. No severe adverse events occurred during the therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Ketogenic diet therapy is very effective and safe for the treatment of epilepsy caused by SLC2A1 mutations. Therefore, patients with glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome caused by SLC2A1 mutations should begin ketogenic diet treatment as soon as possible.

Ultrasound-assessed diaphragm dysfunction predicts clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is prevalent and remarkably increases the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, whether diaphragm dysfunction predicts clinical outcomes in HD patients is unknown. This was a prospective cohort study of 103 HD patients. After assessment of diaphragm function by ultrasonography and collection of other baseline data, a 36-month follow-up was then initiated. Participants were divided into diaphragm dysfunction (DD+) group and normal diaphragm function (DD-) group, according to cutoff value of thickening ratio (i.e. the change ratio of diaphragm thickness) at force respiration. The primary endpoint was the first nonfatal CV event or all-cause mortality. A secondary endpoint was less serious CV events (LSCEs, a composite of heart failure readmission, cardiac arrhythmia or myocardial ischemia needed pharmacological intervention in hospital). 98 patients were eligible to analysis and 57 (58.16%) were men. 28 of 44 patients(63.64%) in DD+ group and 23 of 54 patients (42.59%) in DD- group had at least one nonfatal CV event or death (p = 0.038). Compared to DD- group, DD+ group had significantly higher incidence of LSCEs (21 vs.14, p = 0.025) and shorter survival time (22.02 ± 12.98 months vs. 26.74 ± 12.59 months, p = 0.046). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly higher risks of primary endpoint (p = 0.039), and LSCEs (p = 0.040) in DD+ group. Multivariate hazard analysis showed that DD+ group had significantly higher risk of primary endpoint [hazard ratio (HR) 1.59; 95% confident interval (CI) 1.54-1.63], and LSCEs (HR 1.47; 95%CI 1.40-1.55). Ultrasound-assessed diaphragm dysfunction predicts clinical outcomes in HD patients.Trial registration: This study was registered with Chinese Clinical Trials Registry ( www.chictr.org.cn ) as ChiCTR1800016500 on Jun 05, 2018.

Highly sensitive fluorescent detection of EDIL3 overexpressed exosomes for the diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer.

EDIL3 is a strong and highly accurate diagnostic marker for breast cancer, meanwhile, EDIL3 overexpressed exosomes are novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we proposed a fluorescent detection method for EDIL3 overexpressed exosomes, which is simple and sensitive. Basically, we utilized a magnetic nanospheres (MNS) based liquid sandwich immunoassay strategy. MNS were modified with CD63 aptamers, which can immunologically bound to the CD63 protein on the surface of exosomes. Alexa Fluor 647 labeled anti-EDIL3 antibodies (Anti-EDIL3/AF647) were used as the fluorescent probes to recognize the EDIL3 on exosomes derived from a TNBC cell line (MDA-MB-231). With the target TNBC exosomes present, sandwich structures containing MNS, exosomes and fluorescent probes were formed. After magnetic purification, optical super resolution imaging of the products was conducted to check the specificity of the assay. In addition, fluorescence signals of the products were detected to quantitatively analyze the EDIL3 overexpressed exosomes. The linear range was found to be 7.78 × 101to 7.78× 106particlesµl-1. The detection limit was approximately 10 particlesµl-1. The feasibility of the method for the detection of exosomes in complex biological samples was also demonstrated. Such a simple and sensitive detection method for EDIL3 overexpressed exosomes holds a great potential in clinical diagnosis of TNBC.

[Effect of Combined Application of Biochar with Chemical Fertilizer and Organic Fertilizer on Soil Phosphatase Activity and Microbial Community].

To study changes in phosphatase activity, we examined the diversity of phoC and phoD gene microbial communities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil of plants under the treatment of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer combined with biochar. These results can provide a certain theoretical guidance for the conversion of insoluble phosphorus in the soil phosphorus pool to the inorganic phosphate ion that can be absorbed by plant roots and also provide a certain experimental basis for the improvement of the availability of phosphorus in the soil and the agricultural utilization of biochar. In this study, corn stalks and rice husk stalks were used as test materials, and the pot experimental method was adopted using the following treatments:set control (CK), traditional fertilization (F), chemical fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (FP), chemical fertilizer+10 t·hm-2rice husk biochar+10 t·hm-2 corn biochar (FPM), organic fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (PP), and fresh organic fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (NPP). We determined the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and used T-RFLP technology to analyze the diversity of phoC and phoD genes in order to clarify the impact of biochar on the micro-ecosystem formed by the plants, soil, and microorganisms. The results showed that:① the ALP and ACP activities of each treatment in the non-rhizosphere soil were lower than that of CK. In the rhizosphere soil, the ALP activity was significantly increased after the combined application of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer with biochar, and the ACP activity in the rhizosphere soil was higher than that in the non-rhizosphere soil. ② The combined application of biochar with chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers significantly increased the diversity of phoC and phoD genes communities in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils (P<0.05); the diversity and richness of microbial communities in rhizosphere soil were higher than that in non-rhizosphere soils. ③ ACP activity was negatively correlated with phoC gene microbial community, and most ALP activity was positively correlated with phoD microbial community.

[Responses of Soil PhoC and PhoD Gene Microbial Communities to the Combined Application of Biochar with Chemical Fertilizers and Organic Fertilizers].

Soil microorganisms have an important influence on the transformation of soil nutrients. As functional genes encoding phosphatase, phoC and phoD provide effective means for detecting the types, abundance, and community structure of microorganisms in the environment, and studying the changes in the diversity of phoC and phoD gene microbial communities in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil of the plant rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil under the treatment of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer combined with biochar can provide a scientific basis for the agricultural utilization of biochar. In this study, corn stalks and rice husk stalks were used as test materials, and the pot experiment method was used to set the following treatments:control (CK), traditional fertilization (F), chemical fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (FP), chemical fertilizer+10 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar+10 t·hm-2 corn biochar (FPM), organic fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (PP), and fresh organic fertilizer+20 t·hm-2 rice husk biochar (NPP). The community structure of phoC and phoD genes in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil was analyzed by using T-RFLP and fluorescence quantitative PCR technology to clarify the response characteristics of phoC and phoD genes to the addition of biochar. The results showed that:① In rhizosphere soil and non-rhizosphere soil, the phoD gene community structure was more complicated than that of phoC, and the number of end restriction fragments of the phoC gene increased after chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer were combined with biochar. ② The combined application of biochar with chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer reduced the copy number of the phoC gene in non-rhizosphere soil compared with that in the CK. Compared with that in the CK, the copy number in the FP, FPM, PP, and NPP treatments decreased by 9.18%, 11.46%, 10.97%, and 13.76%, respectively. Organic fertilizer combined with biochar increased the copy number of the phoD gene in rhizosphere soil by 2.48% and 5.16% in the PP and NPP treatments, respectively, compared with that in the CK. ③ Total phosphorus in the soil was the main factor affecting the phoC gene microbial community structure in non-rhizosphere soil (P<0.01), whereas the phoC gene microbial community structure in rhizosphere soil was regulated by a variety of environmental factors. pH was the most critical factor affecting the phoD gene copy number, and the copy number of phoD gene was significantly correlated with soil nitrate nitrogen and pH. The combined application of biochar with chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers can promote the growth and reproduction of microorganisms that function in soil phosphorus conversion, which is of great significance for improving the utilization of phosphorus fertilizers.

[Effects of Biochar and Straw Return on Soil Aggregate and Organic Carbon on Purple Soil Dry Slope Land].

The aim of the study was to understand the impact of biochar and straw return on soil aggregates and organic carbon for soil improvement of the newly cultivated purple soil dry slope land in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. In this study, a field test was used to set five treatment pairs with regards to soil aggregate composition and organic carbon distribution:no fertilization(CK), conventional fertilization(NPK), optimized fertilization(GNPK), chemical fertilizer reduction combined with straw(RSD), and chemical fertilizer reduction combined with biochar(BC). The results showed that fertilization can improve the level of soil fertility, especially with the RSD and BC treatments. The soil aggregates of each fertilization treatment were<0.25 mm in size. Compared with the CK, each treatment significantly increased the aggregate content of 0.5-5 mm particles, and the values of MWD, GMD, and R0.25. Further, the treatments significantly reduced the value of D and PAD0.25(P<0.05), and each fertilization treatment significantly increased the soil organic carbon content, of which BC(6.73 g·kg-1) and RSD(5.45 g·kg-1) were significantly better than NPK(5.05 g·kg-1) and GNPK(3.63 g·kg-1). The<0.25 mm aggregates had the highest contribution rate of organic carbon(34.92%-59.49%), while the>5 mm aggregates had the lowest contribution rate of organic carbon(1.55%-6.01%). The BC treatment significantly increased the organic carbon contribution rate of 5-2 mm and 2-1 mm agglomerates(P<0.05), while the contribution rate of NPK, RSD, and GNPK was the most significant for 0.5-0.25 mm(P<0.05). Each fertilization treatment increased the yield of rapeseed and corn, with large inter-annual differences, but the overall difference between treatments was not significant. The stability of soil aggregates and crop yields showed an upward trend with the increase of soil organic carbon. Biochar and straw returning to the field may promote the formation of large and medium aggregates in soil, effectively improve the stability of aggregates, increase organic carbon content, and promote crop yields. It is therefore an effective measure to improve the soil structure of purple soil and improve soil quality.

[Response of Soil Organic Carbon Content in Different Slope Positions to Fertilization Management in Purple Soil Sloping Fields].

The purple soil sloping field is the main cultivated land type in the Three Gorges area, and the soil fertility directly determines crop yield. In order to explore the effects of different fertilization treatments on the soil organic carbon content at different slope positions, field experiments were carried out at the Three Gorges Reservoir Test Station of Chengdu Institute of Mountain and Disasters, Chinese Academy of Sciences. A total of five treatments were set up:no fertilization(CK), conventional fertilization(T1), optimum fertilization(T2), biochar combined with 85% of T2(T3), and straw combined with 85% of T2(T4), to study the differences in soil aggregate composition, soil total organic carbon, soluble organic carbon, and microbial carbon content at different slope positions under different fertilization treatments. The results showed that:①Fertilization increased the content of soil mass and improved the organic carbon content of soil, especially with T3 and T4 treatments. ②The sequence of distribution of soil organic carbon content with CK, T1, and T2 treatments in different slope positions was downslope position>middle slope position>upslope position, while the soil organic carbon content of T3 and T4 treatments was the highest at the middle slope position. ③With the decrease of slope, the soluble organic carbon content of CK, T1, T2, and T3 treated soil showed an increasing trend; the carbon content of CK, T1, T2, and T4 treated soil microorganisms increased; while the distribution of T3 treated soil microbial carbon on the slope was highest at the middle slope followed by the lower slope. In general, both biochar and straw treatments can significantly increase soil carbon content and delay the migration of soil carbon on slopes, which provides guidance for improving the soil quality and reducing water pollution of purple soil dry slopes in the Three Gorges reservoir area.

[Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Carbon Loss in Purple Soil Sloping Fields with Different Fertilization Treatments].

The characteristics of dissolved organic carbon loss with different fertilization treatments were examined to derive the best nutrient management method for sloping farmland in the Three Gorges Reservoir area where maintaining the soil carbon balance and reducing environmental pollution caused by carbon loss is crucial. Experimental runoff plots were set up at the Experimental Station for Soil and Water Conservation and Environmental Research in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Chinese Academy of Sciences, involving the following five treatments:No fertilization (CK), conventional fertilization (conventional), optimum fertilization (optimum), biochar combined with 85% optimum fertilizer (biochar), and straw combined with 85% optimum fertilizer (straw). The effects of the five treatments on runoff flux, sediment yield, and soil organic carbon flux were monitored and evaluated. Results show that:①Subsurface flow accounted for 52.84%-92.23% of the runoff (both surface and subsurface flow) and the loss flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the subsurface accounted for 43.64%-87.35% of the total loss flux. Thus, in this sloping farmland, subsurface flow was the main pathway of runoff and dominated dissolved organic carbon transport. ②Compared with the optimum treatment, straw treatment reduced the surface runoff flux, sediment yield, surface loss flux of DOC, and loss flux of organic carbon in the sediment by 30.39%, 39.41%, 28.71%, and 23.97%, respectively, but increased the subsurface runoff flux and loss flux of DOC. Compared with the optimum treatment, the biochar treatment significantly increased the surface and subsurface runoff flux, sediment yield, loss flux of DOC in the surface and subsurface, and the loss flux of organic carbon in the sediment. ③The loss flux of DOC accounted for 99.31%-99.94% of the loss flux of soil organic carbon, and DOC was the major species of organic carbon in the organic carbon loss in this type of sloping farmland. The loss flux of DOC under the different fertilization treatments was ranked biochar > optimum > straw > conventional > CK. ④Compared to the optimum treatment, the straw treatment and biochar treatment increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) content by 95.79% and 32.16%, respectively. Based on these results, straw combined with 85% of optimum fertilizer is the best nutrient management method for this sloping farmland as it can reduce surface runoff flux, sediment yield, and the loss flux of soil organic carbon while increasing the soil organic carbon content.

[Effects of Different Forest Vegetation Types on Soil Nitrogen-Related Microbial Communities and Functions in Jinyun Mountain].

To clarify the response of a nitrogen-related microbial community and function to different vegetation types in subtropical forest, soil samples were collected for analysis from the topsoil of five vegetation types in the Jinyun Mountain National Nature Reserve, i.e., coniferous forest, broadleaf forest, mixed broadleaf-coniferous forest, P. pubescen forest, and grassland. To analyze the microbial abundance, community, and function discrepancy between different vegetation soils, multiple molecular techniques, such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, and nitrogen-related microbial enzyme activity procedures were used. The results showed:① The denitrifying enzyme activity was much higher than nitrifying potential in Jinyun Mountain National Nature Reserve, and the two enzyme activities were much lower in coniferous forest soil than in the other vegetation soils (P<0.05). In addition, dissolved organic carbon, soil water content, and total nitrogen were the key environmental factors controlling enzyme activity. ② The qPCR data showed that the abundance of nitrogen-related microbes was highest in P. pubescen forest, whereas it was lowest in coniferous forest. The abundances of the three nitrogen-related microbes were all significantly correlated with dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total potassium, and available potassium (P<0.01). ③ Based on T-RFLP data, the α-diversity of nitrogen-related microbes was highest in broadleaf forest, whereas it was lowest in P. pubescen forest. Principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea responded significantly to different vegetations, and the community structure of nitrogen-related microbes showed the most difference in coniferous forest. In addition, distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) showed that the community structure of nitrogen-related microbes was mainly shaped by dissolved organic carbon (P<0.001), available nitrogen (P<0.002), and soil water content (P<0.001). ④ Soil-denitrifying enzyme activity was mainly affected by the abundance of nirS-denitrifiers, ammonia-oxidizing archaea, and the community structure of nitrogen-related microbes, whereas nitrifying potential was only controlled by the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Above all, subtropical forest vegetation significantly affects the abundance and community structure of soil nitrogen-related microbes, thereby changing their function of controlling the soil nitrogen cycle. This study can provide basic data for the coupling mechanism between soil microbes and N2O release in subtropical forests in China.

[Value of sTREM-1 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, APACHE II score, and SOFA score in evaluating the conditions and prognosis of children with severe pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the significance of the level of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in evaluating the conditions and prognosis of children with severe pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 76 children with severe pneumonia who were admitted from August 2017 to October 2019 were enrolled as the severe pneumonia group. According to the treatment outcome, they were divided into a non-response group with 34 children and a response group with 42 children. Ninety-four children with common pneumonia who were admitted during the same period of time were enrolled as the common pneumonia group. One hundred healthy children who underwent physical examination in the outpatient service during the same period of time were enrolled as the control group. The serum level of sTREM-1, APACHE II score, and SOFA score were measured for each group, and the level of sTREM-1 in BALF was measured for children with severe pneumonia. The correlation of the above indices with the severity and prognosis of severe pneumonia in children was analyzed. RESULTS: The severe pneumonia group had significantly higher serum sTREM-1 level, APACHEII score, and SOFA score than the common pneumonia group and the control group (P<0.05). For the children with severe pneumonia, the non-response group had significant increases in the levels of sTREM-1 in serum and BALF and SOFA score on day 7 after admission, while the response group had significant reductions in these indices, and there were significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). Positive correlation was found between any two of serum sTREM-1, BALF sTREM-1, and SOFA score (P<0.05). APACHE II score was not correlated with serum sTREM-1, BALF sTREM-1, and SOFA score (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The level of sTREM-1 in serum and BALF and SOFA score can be used to evaluate the severity and prognosis of severe pneumonia in children.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte rate and serum prealbumin maybe predictors for abnormal high blood pressure caused by adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy in children with epileptic spasms: two cases report.

Epileptic spasms are a catastrophic form of epilepsy. When epileptic spasms occur under 2-year-old, they may be also called "infantile spasms". Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is recommended as first line intervention for the treatment of epileptic spasms without tuberous sclerosis complex. The chief risks of ACTH therapy are immunosuppression and hypertension. We reported rare cases of abnormal high blood pressure in two male epileptic spasms patients during ACTH therapy. Both patients' blood pressure reached a high blood pressure stage 2 on the 9th day and 10th day of ACTH treatment, respectively. The blood pressure returned to normal range after the drug dosage was reduced or stopped. The lower level of neutrophil%, neutrophil count, and a higher level of lymphocyte%, lymphocyte count and prealbumin than normal range were observed in both patients before ACTH therapy. The neutrophil to lymphocyte rate might be a predictor for high blood pressure among patients treated with ACTH. The rates of both patients were under 0.50 (0.42 for Case 1 and 0.17 for Case 2). We reported the documented cases in two Chinese pediatric patients who suffered from epileptic spasms treated with ACTH resulted in abnormal high blood pressure, which could be predicted by using neutrophil to lymphocyte rate. We also mentioned serum prealbumin might be another predictor. More clinical data is required to elucidate the relationship between serum prealbumin level and blood pressure.

Diaphragmatic dysfunction associates with dyspnoea, fatigue, and hiccup in haemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study.

Muscle wasting is associated with increased mortality and morbidity in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, especially in the haemodialysis (HD) population. Nevertheless, little is known regarding diaphragm dysfunction in HD patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Institute of Nephrology, Southeast University, involving 103 HD patients and 103 healthy volunteers as normal control. Ultrasonography was used to evaluate diaphragmatic function, including diaphragm thickness and excursion during quiet and deep breathing. HD patients showed lower end-inspiration thickness of the diaphragm at total lung capacity (0.386 ± 0.144 cm vs. 0.439 ± 0.134 cm, p < 0.01) and thickening fraction (TF) (0.838 ± 0.618 vs. 1.127 ± 0.757; p < 0.01) compared to controls. The velocity and excursion of the diaphragm were significantly lower in the HD patients during deep breathing (3.686 ± 1.567 cm/s vs. 4.410 ± 1.720 cm/s, p < 0.01; 5.290 ± 2.048 cm vs. 7.232 ± 2.365 cm; p < 0.05). Changes in diaphragm displacement from quiet breathing to deep breathing (△m) were lower in HD patients than in controls (2.608 ± 1.630 vs. 4.628 ± 2.110 cm; p < 0.01). After multivariate adjustment, diaphragmatic excursion during deep breathing was associated with haemoglobin level (regression coefficient = 0.022; p < 0.01). We also found that the incidence of dyspnoea and hiccup and the fatigue scores, all of which were related to diaphragmatic dysfunction, were significantly higher in HD patients than in controls (all p < 0.01). Improving diaphragm function through targeted therapies may positively impact clinical outcomes in HD patients.

[Response of the Soil N2O Emission and Ammonia-oxidizing Microorganism Community to the Maize Straw Return with Reducing Fertilizer in Purple Soil].

Crop straw is an important agricultural source, which can replace chemical fertilizers. A field experiment with six different amounts of fertilization combined with maize straw residues was carried out in purple soil, including the control (CK), conventional fertilizing (F), straw return with conventional fertilizing (100FS), straw return with 70% conventional fertilizing (70FS), straw return with 60% conventional fertilizing (60FS), and straw return with 50% regular fertilizing (50FS), to determine the response of the soil N2O emission and ammonia-oxidizing microorganism community distribution to straw return with reducing fertilizer. The dynamic characteristics of the N2O emission in purple soil were observed using an in situ closed chamber and gas chromatography-based system. The ammonia-oxidizing microorganism community distribution was analyzed with multiple molecular techniques (DNA-based clone library and qPCR) linked to physical-chemical soil properties. The results show that the combination of straw with fertilizer increases the N2O emission and cumulative N2O emission. The highest N2O emission[57.59-6238.02 µg·(m2·h)-1]and cumulative N2O emission (60.76 kg·hm-2) were observed for the 100FS treatment. Compared with the F treatment, the soil ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen contents are reduced and the soil organic matter increases after crop straw return with chemical fertilizer. However, significant changes of the soil total nitrogen and pH were not observed. The bacterial ammonia oxidizer (AOB) amoA gene abundance is higher than that of the archaeal ammonia oxidizer (AOA). The AOA amoA gene abundance during F treatment (50.9×103 copies·g-1) is significantly higher than that of others, while the AOB amoA abundance gene of the F treatment is the lowest (1.36×105 copies·g-1). The 100FS reduces the community diversity and Pielou index of AOA and AOB amoA gene. Their amoA gene abundance significantly declines during 100FS treatment. However, the increment of the AOA and AOB amoA gene diversity and dominant increment of AOB amoA gene abundance are significant when applying straw with reducing fertilizer. The specific AOA indicator OTU1 may be most important with respect to the direct and indirect production of N2O in purple soil. The redundancy analysis (RDA) shows that the community structure of AOA is remarkably relevant to the soil ammonium nitrogen, organic matter, and available phosphorus (P<0.05) and that the community structure of AOB is remarkably relevant to the soil dissolved organic nitrogen, total nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus (P<0.05). The tolerance to different environments and ecological niches of AOB is weaker than that of AOA. Our results illustrate that the maize straw return with 60%-70% regular fertilizing dramatically increases the community diversity and abundance of the AOA and AOB amoA genes and partly mitigates the soil N2O emission without significantly decreasing the vegetable yields.

[Effects of straw returning on maize yield and root system spatial distribution under water stress]. / æ°´åˆ†èƒè¿«ä¸‹ç§¸ç§†è¿˜ç”°å¯¹çŽ‰ç±³äº§é‡å’Œæ ¹ç³»ç©ºé—´åˆ†å¸ƒçš„å½±å“.

To investigate the effects of straw amendments on the yield and root spatial distribution of maize under water stress, an experiment with rainproof shelter was conducted in the field experimental station of Shenyang Agricultural University in 2016 and 2017. The drip irrigation facilities were used to perform water stress treatments. Straw burying (T1) and straw incorporation (T2) as two approaches of straw amendments were conducted combined with three depths of 15 cm (D1), 30 cm (D2), and 45 cm (D3) for straw returning, ploughing tillage at above three depths without straw presence as control in this study. During seedling and silking stages of maize, drought and water logging stresses were introduced respectively to the plants. Our results showed that the yield of maize under S1T1D2 treatment in 2016 was significantly increased by 5.7%-7.1%. Compared with all the rest treatments, the dry weights of lateral roots and deep roots under S1T1D2 treatment were increased by 67.3%-149.9% and 17.9%-116.4%, respectively. The dry matter accumulation in shoot of maize observed from S1T1D2 treatment was significantly lower than those under other treatments, with 2.1%-35.8% reduction. Our results indicated that S1T1D2 could significantly promote the growth and spatial distribution of maize root, accounting to release water stress and keep yield stabilization or promotion. Therefore, 30 cm of straw burying could be used as a suitable approach of straw returning for maize production in northeastern China, where the climate is with a pattern of drought first and waterlogging in later stage.

[Risk factors analysis and security application discussion of Polygonum multiflorum based on retrospective study].

In recent years，hepatotoxicity problem of Polygonum multiflorum has caused high attention. Domestic scholars also explored the causes of liver damage caused by it. For example, the establishment of guideline for diagnosis and treatment of herb-induced liver injury, and the theory about relationship between hepatocyte toxicity and chemical composition, solvents, processing, use and pathological basis of patients and so on. To try to combine theory with practice，author analyzed risk factors about the case reports of P. multiflorum causing liver damage, and made some suggestions on P. multiflorum about individualized application, drug selection and requirements for taking. This for providing reference for the safe use of P. multiflorum.

[Summary and analysis of safety warning on clinical application of anti-cold Chinese patent medicine preparations].

In China, many surveys have shown that most people do not have a correct understanding about cold and administration of anti-cold Chinese patent medicine preparations. The author conducted a systematic summary and analysis on the actual application of anti-cold Chinese patent medicine preparations as well as the warning on safe application of anti-cold Chinese patent medicine preparations in Clinical Medication Information of China Pharmacopoeia, in the expectation of reducing the blind application of anti-cold Chinese patent medicine preparations and providing traditional Chinese medicine pharmacists new ideas in monitoring the safe application of exterior syndrome-relieving Chinese patent medicine preparations.