Clinical Study on Deep Insertion at Tianshu (ST 25) for Colonic Slow Transit Constipation

Objective：To observe the clinical effect of deep insertion at Tianshu（ST 25）for colonic slow transit constipation（STC）.Methods：120 cases of STC patients were randomly divided,60 cases in a deep insertion group,30 cases in an electroacupuncture group and 30 cases in a medication group by 2：1：1 ratio.The deep insertion group was treated with deep insertion at Tianshu（ST 25）.The electroacupuncture group was treated with routine insertion at Tianshu（ST 25）.The medication group was treated with oral administration of Lactulose oral liquid.The first voluntary defecation time,and constipation scores before the treatment,four weeks after the treatment and relevant scores of clinical symptoms were assessed in the three groups of the patients.Results：The scores of the clinical symptoms in improvement of constipation were better in the deep insertion group than in the electroacupuncture group and medication group,with differences in statistical significance（P〈0.01）.The unsuccessful numbers in the improvement of defecation and abdominal pain were also better in the deep insertion group than in the other two groups,and better in instant effect in the deep insertion.Conclusion：The improvement of STC clinical symptoms was better by deep insertion at Tianshu（ST 25）than by medication and routine acupuncture method at Tianshu（ST 25）.

Root exclusion methods for partitioning of soil respiration:Review and methodological considerations

Soil respiration is a vital process in all terrestrial ecosystems,through which the soil releases carbon dioxide(CO_(2))into the atmosphere at an estimated annual rate of 68–101 Pg carbon,making it the second highest terrestrial contributor to carbon fluxes.Since soil respiration consists of autotrophic and heterotrophic constituents,methods for accurately determining the contribution of each constituent to the total soil respiration are critical for understanding their differential responses to environmental factors and aiding the reduction of CO_(2)emissions.Owing to its low cost and simplicity,the root exclusion(RE)technique,combined with manual chamber measurements,is frequently used in field studies of soil respiration partitioning.Nevertheless,RE treatments alter the soil environment,leading to potential bias in respiration measurements.This review aims to elucidate the current understanding of RE,i.e.,trenching(Tr)and deep collar(DC)insertion techniques,by examining soil respiration partitioning studies performed in several ecosystems.Additionally,we discuss methodological considerations when using RE and the combinations of RE with stable isotopic and modeling approaches.Finally,future research directions for improving the Tr and DC insertion methods in RE are suggested.