Photobiomodulation Increases M2-Type Polarization of Macrophages by Inhibiting Versican Production After Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic accidence with little effective treatment, and inflammation played an important role in that. Previous studies showed photobiomodulation (PBM) could effectively downregulate the process of inflammation with modification of macrophage polarization after SCI; however, the potential mechanism behind that is still unclear. In the presented study, we aimed to investigate the effect of PBM on the expression level of versican, a matrix molecular believed to be associated with inflammation, and tried to find the mechanism on how that could regulate the inflammation process. Using immunofluorescence technique and western blot, we found the expression level of versican is increased after injury and markedly downregulated by irradiation treatment. Using virus intrathecal injection, we found the knock-down of versican could produce the effect similar to that of PBM and might have an effect on inflammation and macrophage polarization after SCI. To further verify the deduction, we peptide the supernatant of astrocytes to induce M0, M1, and M2 macrophages. We found that the versican produced by astrocytes might have a role on the promotion of M2 macrophages to inflammatory polarization. Finally, we investigated the potential pathway in the regulation of M2 polarization with the induction of versican. This study tried to give an interpretation on the mechanism of inflammation inhibition for PBM in the perspective of matrix regulation. Our results might provide light on the inflammation regulation after SCI.

Photobiomodulation provides neuroprotection through regulating mitochondrial fission imbalance in the subacute phase of spinal cord injury.

Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial fission imbalance plays an important role in delayed neuronal cell death. Our previous study found that photobiomodulation improved the motor function of rats with spinal cord injury. However, the precise mechanism remains unclear. To investigate the effect of photobiomodulation on mitochondrial fission imbalance after spinal cord injury, in this study, we treated rat models of spinal cord injury with 60-minute photobiomodulation (810 nm, 150 mW) every day for 14 consecutive days. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the swollen and fragmented alterations of mitochondrial morphology in neurons in acute (1 day) and subacute (7 and 14 days) phases. Photobiomodulation alleviated mitochondrial fission imbalance in spinal cord tissue in the subacute phase, reduced neuronal cell death, and improved rat posterior limb motor function in a time-dependent manner. These findings suggest that photobiomodulation targets neuronal mitochondria, alleviates mitochondrial fission imbalance-induced neuronal apoptosis, and thereby promotes the motor function recovery of rats with spinal cord injury.

Potential targets and mechanisms of photobiomodulation for spinal cord injury.

As a classic noninvasive physiotherapy, photobiomodulation, also known as low-level laser therapy, is widely used for the treatment of many diseases and has anti-inflammatory and tissue repair effects. Photobiomodulation has been shown to promote spinal cord injury repair. In our previous study, we found that 810 nm low-level laser therapy reduced the M1 polarization of macrophages and promoted motor function recovery. However, the mechanism underlying this inhibitory effect is not clear. In recent years, transcriptome sequencing analysis has played a critical role in elucidating the progression of diseases. Therefore, in this study, we performed M1 polarization on induced mouse bone marrow macrophages and applied low-level laser therapy. Our sequencing results showed the differential gene expression profile of photobiomodulation regulating macrophage polarization. We analyzed these genes using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. Networks of protein-protein interactions and competing RNA endogenous networks were constructed. We found that photobiomodulation inhibited STAT3 expression through increasing the expression of miR-330-5p, and that miR-330-5p binding to STAT3 inhibited STAT3 expression. Inducible nitric oxide synthase showed trends in changes similar to the changes in STAT3 expression. Finally, we treated a mouse model of spinal cord injury using photobiomodulation and confirmed that photobiomodulation reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase and STAT3 expression and promoted motor function recovery in spinal cord injury mice. These findings suggest that STAT3 may be a potential target of photobiomodulation, and the miR-330-5p/STAT3 pathway is a possible mechanism by which photobiomodulation has its biological effects.

Five new compounds from Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens and their anti-apoptotic activity.

Five new compounds, named gingerol A (1a and 1b), gingerol B (2), diphenylheptane glycoside A (3) and diphenylheptane glycoside B (4), were isolated from the acetone extract of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens. The structures of new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, 1D NMR, 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Compounds 2-4 could significantly decrease the apoptosis rate and increase the survival rate of human normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) at the concentration of 10 µM.

[Effect of Composite Leaching on Cadmium Removal Efficiency in Plow Layer Soil of Agricultural Land and Its Functional Regulation].

In order to explore the feasibility of soil leaching and the remediation of agricultural land polluted by medium (heavy) cadmium (Cd), the soil column was used to simulate in-situ leaching, and the citric acid (CA)+ferric chloride (FeCl3) composite leaching agent was selected. Under the optimal concentration combination and the addition amount of the composite leaching agent, the distribution characteristics of Cd in the plow-layer soil and below were investigated. The influence of the leaching process on soil health and the regulation effect of biochar were also investigated. The results showed that:① 0.1 mol·L-1 CA and 0.01 mol·L-1 FeCl3 were the best concentration combinations; under this concentration combination, when the eluent reached 9 pore volume, the content of Cd in the 20 cm soil column was lower than the risk screening value of 0.4 mg·kg-1 (GB 15618-2018) in the corresponding pH value of the tested soil after leaching. ② Under the optimal leaching conditions, the longitudinal distribution of Cd in the 60 cm soil column showed that the content of total Cd increased with the increase in soil depth after leaching, and the leachate of the soil column contained a certain amount of Cd, indicating that the leaching process promoted the downward migration of Cd. The content of available Cd in the soil after composite leaching also increased with the increase in soil depth, which was partly due to the change in exchangeable and carbonate-bound Cd in different soil layers. ③ A portion of the soil health indexes and enzyme activities decreased after CA+FeCl3 composite leaching. The addition of biochar can improve the health status of the soil after leaching; the soil health indexes and enzyme activities were restored significantly, and the risk of Cd reactivation also decreased after the addition of biochar. The results showed that part of Cd in the soil can be leached below the plow layer by CA+FeCl3 composite leaching; however, the leaching process may have a certain impact on soil health, and biochar has a significant effect on the recovery of soil after leaching.

Diarylheptanoid glycosides from Zingiber officinale peel and their anti-apoptotic activity.

Four new diarylheptanoid glycosides (1-4), (1S,3R,5S)-2-(4-hydroxy-3- methoxyphenyl)-6-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-tetrahydropyran-4-ol-4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), (1S,3R,5S)-2-(4,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-6-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl]-tetrahydropyran-4-ol-4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), (1S,3R,5S)-2-(4-hydroxy- 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-[2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-tetrahydropyran-4-ol-4'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), and (1R,3R,5R)-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)- 6-[2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-tetrahydropyran-4-ol-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4) were isolated from the 50% ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale peel. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by HR-ESI-MS and extensive spectroscopic techniques (UV, IR, 1D-NMR, and 2D-NMR). Compounds 1-4 significantly increased the survival rate of human normal lung bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at the concentration of 10 µM.

[A new monoterpene ester from Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens].

Five monoterpenoid compounds(1-5) were isolated and purified from the acetone fraction of the aqueous extract of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens by MCI, Sephadex LH-20, silica gel, semi-preparative HPLC, and TLC. Their structures were identified with multiple spectroscopical methods including 1 D-NMR, 2 D-NMR, and MS. The five compounds were identified as(2E,6Z)-8-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl-(E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acrylate(1),(2E,6E)-8-hydroxy-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-die-noic acid(2),(E)-1,8-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-2-octenoic acid(3), linalyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside(4), and ß-D-glucopyranoside-(2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl(5), respectively.Compound 1 was a new monoterpene ester, and compounds 4-5 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Interaction and Mechanism Between Conditioning Agents and Two Elements in the Soil Enriched with Phosphorus and Cadmium].

Focusing on agricultural soil enriched in phosphorus and cadmium (total Cd=0.94 mg·kg-1 and total P=0.86g·kg-1), indoor cultivation experiments were conducted according to the length of the middle rice growth period and the following crop planting period in Hubei. The bioavailability of soil phosphorus and cadmium were examined along with their morphological changes and coupling effect under the influence of material biochar (BC), calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer (CMP), and fly ash (FA). The results showed that:① When cultured for 140 days, the content of available phosphorus in the soil treated with the conditioning agents was significantly increased compared with the control soil, available phosphorus reached 22.47-37.81mg·kg-1, and the optimal growth requirements of rice were met without additional application of phosphate fertilizer, and adding BC had the best effect. ② The phosphorus in the test soil is mainly inorganic orthophosphate, and the content of different forms of inorganic phosphorus increased under the action of the conditioning agents. The fixed O-P and Ca10-P in the soil gradually changed to more active forms (Ca2-P, Ca8-P, Al-P and Fe-P) over time. ③ The effective Cd content of the soil treated with the conditioning agents was significantly reduced by 8.74%-17.48% relative to the control treatment, which was mainly related to the effect of the three conditioning agents on soil pH. At the same time, compared with the control, the addition of a conditioning agent significantly reduced the exchangeable Cd, and the carbonate-bound Cd and the residual Cd were increased. The abundance of active groups at the surface is related to the adsorption and chelation of Cd2+. The results showed that the three conditioners have the dual functions of phosphorus activation and cadmium passivation in phosphorus-and cadmium-enriched soil, and the effect of biomass carbon and calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer was greatest, which persisted across the entire rice growth period to the sowing date of the next crop.

Qualitative analysis on chemical constituents from different polarity extracted fractions of the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Ginger pulp is the dried rhizome scraped off the skin which originates from Zingiber officinale Rosc., a Zingiberaceae plant. Ginger peel is the dried rhizome skin of Zingiber officinale Rosc. (Zingiberaceae). The present work aims to investigate the different chemical constituents that are related to the medicinal properties of the ginger pulp and ginger peel. METHODS: A rapid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI-QTOF/MS) method was developed for qualitative analysis of the constituents in different polarity extracted fractions of the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes. RESULTS: A total of 83 compounds were identified from the pulp and peel of ginger rhizomes, including 36 diarylheptanoids, 25 gingerols and 22 other compounds. Nine of these were new compounds. In total, 46, 27, 65 and 51 compounds were identified from the crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions of the ginger pulp, respectively, and 60, 30, 70 and 62 compounds were identified from the crude extract, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions of the ginger peel, respectively. Each identified compound is marked on the corresponding chromatogram. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated method is sensitive and reliable for searching the different chemical constituents from different polarity extracted fractions of the ginger pulp and ginger peel. This work may provide a significant contribution to research into the medicinal properties of the ginger pulp and ginger peel.

[Effect of Biochar on Changes of the Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration and Bacterial Community Structure].

To explore the effects of biochar on the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration and microbial community structure, the soil was subjected to an indoor culture test under two major treatments which were control (CK) and the addition of 3% (mass ratio) biochar (BC). Each major treatment contained four temperature conditions. We analyzed the changes in soil CO2 emission, the content of different soil organic carbon, and the characteristics of the soil bacterial community. The results showed that:①The input of biochar to soil respiration under various temperature conditions was promoted in the early stage and inhibited in the later stage, and after 14 days of cultivation, the input of biochar significantly reduced the temperature sensitivity Q10 values of soil respiration. ② For soil organic carbon fractions, the decline rate of the content of soil inert organic carbon under the CK treatment increased with increasing temperature, and was sensitive to the changes in temperature. However, the input of biochar significantly reduced the temperature sensitivity of the soil inert organic carbon, and narrowed its decline rate under each temperature condition. The decline rate did not increase with increasing temperature. ③The 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing results showed that at the end of the cultivation, the relative abundance of Massilia in the soil of the CK treatment decreased with increasing temperature, and the input of biochar significantly increased its temperature sensitivity, making the decline rate increase. In contrast to Massilia, the relative abundance of Haliangium in soil of the CK treatment increased significantly with increasing temperature, and the input of biochar significantly reduced its temperature sensitivity, rendering the difference of relative abundance between each temperature condition not significant. This study shows that the input of biochar can significantly reduce the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration, which is related to decreased temperature sensitivity of soil inert organic carbon, and the change in the relative abundance of Massilia and Haliangium after the input of biochar.

[Effects of Biochar on Bioavailability of Two Elements in Phosphorus and Cadmium-Enriched Soil and Accumulation of Cadmium in Crops].

Using phosphorus and cadmium enriched soil (total Cd is 0.94 mg·kg-1, total phosphorus is 0.86 g·kg-1) and low cadmium accumulation genotype Jinqiuhong 3 as experimental materials, we set up four treatments: absolute control (only NK inorganic fertilizer), relative control (CKp, NPK inorganic fertilizer), biochar (only NK inorganic fertilizer), and biochar+phosphate fertilizer (BC-CKp). The availability of phosphorus and heavy metal Cd in soil, the biomass, Cd accumulation characteristics of edible parts of plants, and the basic characteristics of soil were investigated. The results showed that the content of available Cd in soil decreased by 8.23% and 5.68% by BC and BC-CKp treatment with biochar compared with CK0 and CKp treatment without biochar, respectively. At the same time, the content of available phosphorus in soil significantly increased 11.60-16.26 mg·kg-1 of biochar. The content of available Cd in CKp and BC-CKp treated with exogenous phosphate fertilizer was significantly lower than that in CK0 and BC treatments without phosphate fertilizer by 31.43% and 33.29%, respectively. In addition to CK0 treatment, the Cd content of edible parts of Brassica campestris bolting crops in the other three treatment groups (CKp, BC, and BC-CKp) did not exceed the limit value of Cd of the China Food Safety National Standard (GB 2762-2017) of 0.1 mg·kg-1. The results showed that the dual functions of heavy metal Cd passivation and phosphorus activation could be realized by injecting biochar into moderate and mild Cd contaminated soil with phosphorus enrichment at the same time. Under the condition of no additional use of phosphorus fertilizer, planting vegetable crop genotypes with weak absorption and low accumulation of Cd can not only ensure an increase in biomass of edible parts but can also ensure that the heavy metal Cd content in edible parts meets the national standard of food safety.

[Effects of the Immobilization of Cadmium in Soil Alone or Combined with Foliar Application of Selenium on Cadmium Accumulation in the Plants of Different Genotypes of Tsai-tai].

To explore the safe utilization of technology in mildly and moderately cadmium (Cd)-contaminated farmland and realize the safe production of agricultural products, two different cadmium-accumulating genotypes of Tsai-tai were used as test crops, using the pot experiment method. The same six treatments were set on the soil where the two test crops were planted:control (CK), addition of 3% (mass fraction) biochar (BC), addition of 0.17% calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizers (CMP), foliar application of 3 mg·L-1 Na2SeO3 aqueous solution (Se), BC+Se, and CMP+Se, to study the changes in available cadmium in soil under different treatments and the characteristics of cadmium accumulation in different parts of the plant. The results showed that:① Under the same treatment, the content of available cadmium in soil near the root of the low-cadmium-accumulating genotype of Tsai-tai of Jinqiuhong Ⅲ was significantly lower than that of the high-cadmium-accumulating genotype of Shiyuehong. BC and CMP had a significant passivating effect on cadmium in the soil near the root of Jinqiuhong Ⅲ, and the passivating effect of BC was better than that of CMP; the effect of passivating treatment was significantly better than that of foliar application of selenium. ② The root system of Tsai-tai of Jinqiuhong Ⅲ had a stronger ability to accumulate cadmium than that of Shiyuehong, and the accumulated cadmium tended to be stored in the root. There were no synergistic effects between the foliar application of selenium and the two kinds of passivants on inhibiting the transfer and enrichment of cadmium to the edible parts of Tsai-tai. ③ Under the treatments of BC and CMP, the content of cadmium in the edible part of Tsai-tai of Jinqiuhong Ⅲ was lower than the limit value of cadmium in GB 2762-2017 (0.10 mg·kg-1). This study shows that for mildly and moderately cadmium-contaminated farmland, applying green passivants such as biochar, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizers, and planting crops with weak absorption and low accumulation can achieve the safe use of the cadmium-contaminated farmland and safe production of agricultural products.

[Effect of Biochar on Ammonia Volatilization from Soils of Different Surface Conditions].

In order to explore the effect of biochar on the volatilization of ammonia in different surface soils, through the field test method, the responsiveness changes of ammonia volatilization, ammonium nitrogen, and urease were studied under the influence of biochar and crop cultivation. The study set six treatments:CK+, BC0.5+, and BC4.5+ (the biochar applied at 0, 0.5, 4.5 kg·(m2·a)-1, respectively, under the condition of crop cultivation), and CK-, BC0.5-, and BC4.5- (the biochar applied at 0, 0.5, 4.5 kg·(m2·a)-1, respectively, under the condition of bare land). The results showed that under the condition of crop cultivation, the ammonia volatilization of the BC4.5+ and BC0.5+ treatments increased in 4 days, then significantly decreased by 9.95%-61.80% and 7.97%-50.52% (P<0.05), respectively, with respect to CK+. However, compared with CK-, the ammonia volatilization of the BC4.5- and BC0.5- treatments increased by 40.02%-93.15% and 28.09%-57.45% (P<0.05), respectively. For the same amount of biochar application, the ammonia volatilization of the crop-planting soil was significantly lower than that of the bare land, and BC4.5+ and BC0.5+ declined by 27.10%-92.10% and 13.17%-83.45%(P<0.05), respectively, compared with the BC4.5- and BC0.5-, and there was no significant difference between CK+ and CK-. The above results indicated that biochar-mediated soil ammonia volatilization was inhibited by the surface cover. Moreover, with respect to CK+, the maximum increase rates of the contents of ammonium nitrogen and urease in the BC4.5+ and BC0.5+ treatments were orderly at 69.25% and 72.73% and 93.61% and 90.56% (P<0.05), but the soil ammonia volatilization decreased in the same period. The biggest decline of the soil NH4+-N and urease content of BC4.5- and BC0.5- were 63.78% and 95.70% and 78.38% and 92.64% (P<0.05), respectively. Simultaneously, the soil ammonia volatilization rose in the bare land compared with CK-. Therefore, the soil ammonia volatilization was inversely related to soil NH4+-N and urease under the influence of biochar, and the effect of crop planting was more profound.

Low-level laser facilitates alternatively activated macrophage/microglia polarization and promotes functional recovery after crush spinal cord injury in rats.

Macrophages and resident microglia play an import role in the secondary neuroinflammation response following spinal cord injury. Reprogramming of macrophage/microglia polarization is an import strategy for spinal cord injury restoration. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a noninvasive treatment that has been widely used in neurotrauma and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the influence of low-level laser on polarization of macrophage/microglia following spinal cord injury remains unknown. The present study applied low-level laser therapy on a crush spinal cord injury rat model. Using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and western blot assays, we found that low-level laser therapy altered the polarization state to a M2 tendency. A greater number of neurons survived in the pare injury site, which was accompanied by higher BBB scores in the LLLT group. Furthermore, low-level laser therapy elevated expression of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). Results from this study show that low-level laser therapy has the potential for reducing inflammation, regulating macrophage/microglia polarization, and promoting neuronal survival. These beneficial effects demonstrate that low-level laser therapy may be an effective candidate for clinical treatment of spinal cord injury.

[Characteristics of Biochar-mediated N2O Emissions from Soils of Different Surface Conditions].

It was aimed to investigate the response to biochar addition on N2O gas production and emission in different surface conditions. To study the dynamic changes of soil N2O release, soil nitrate(NO3--N) and ammonium(NH4+-N), a field trials experiment was conducted from 2014 to 2015 in wheat and corn season, which contained three treatments[the blank control group (CK), biochar applied at 5 t·(hm2·a)-1(BC5) and 45 t·(hm2·a)-1(BC45), respectively] under crop cultivation(+) and non-cultivation(-) condition. The results indicated that:1 During the season of wheat growth, the soil N2O emissions of CK+, BC5+, BC45+ were 21.70-88.91, 21.42-130.09, 64.44-179.58 µg·(m2·h)-1 respectively, and that of BC45+ possessed a higher value than those of the other treatments(P<0.05). Compared with wheat winter period, the soil N2O emissions of the three treatments decreased evidently in wheat peak stage(returning green and jointing stage, booting and heading stage) (P<0.05), and the amplification of BC45+ reduced by 18.43% and 14.62% in comparison with CK+ and BC5+ in wheat booting and heading stages. In the early stage of maize growth, the soil N2O emissions of BC45+ were significantly increased compared with CK+ and BC5+(P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences among treatments of maize heading stage and mature stage. It showed that the biochar-mediated promotion effect of soil N2O emissions was effectively inhibited by crop growth and the increase of surface mulch. Besides, the result of soil N2O release in the same treatment had also confirmed this conclusion in bare land. 2 Under the conditions of wheat cultivation and homochronous non-cultivation, the soil NO3--N and NH4+-N contents of BC5+ and BC45+ treatments were raised with respect to CK+, but the values dropped significantly in wheat peak stage, especially for BC45+ treatment, with 96.44% and 69.40% decrease respectively. The soil inorganic nitrogen content of maize growth season had a similar trend in wheat season. Parallel to this result of the apparently falling soil NO3--N and NH4+-N concentrations, the soil N2O emissions of BC45+ also declined remarkably in peak stage. The decline in respiratory substrate caused by the increase of nitrogen uptake by crop growth, may be one of the reasons for the decrease of N2O emission. 3 In wheat growth season, the soil pH values of the biochar treatments were improved from 4.62 to 5.18. In maize season, the soil pH values ranged from 4.42 to 5.02. When the soil pH value was relatively low, the soil N2O emission was high, and vice versa. The soil N2O emission was partly influenced by the soil pH value.

[Effects of Biochar on Surface Albedo and Soil Respiration in Suburban Agricultural Soil].

Biochar application to soils is currently considered as a means of mitigating climate change by sequestering C, which withdraws CO2 from the atmosphere and consequently influences the trend of global climate change. However, only a few studies have been done on surface albedo variations on farmland, it might be true that the application of biochar to soil could induce a radiative forcing by changing the surface albedo. Based on this background, this study aiming at the characterization of seasonal changes in albedo on the farmland both with plants and without plants, and its effect on soil temperature, soil moisture, soil respiration and soil organic carbon fractions. There were 3 major treatments in the experiment with 3 repetition of each major treatment, namely, CK (the control treatment), BC0.5 (biochar applied at 0.5 kg·(m2·a)-1) and BC4.5 (biochar applied at 4.5 kg·(m2·a)-1). Each major treatment contained 2 sub-treatments, which were crop cultivation (+) and non-cultivation (-). The experiment results showed that in the early stage of crop growth (maize seedling stage to jointing stage, wheat seedling stage to winter period), the surface albedo of BC4.5+and BC0.5+significantly decreased compared with CK +(P<0.05). The biggest surface albedo decline rates of BC4.5 + and BC0.5 + in winter wheat season were 23.7%, 17.9% and 44.5%, 44.9% in summer maize season. The leaf area index of each treatment was remarkably correlated with the surface albedo. The shadow produced by the development of crop canopy structure would cover the change of surface color induced by the input of biochar. Under the condition of bare land, the surface albedo of biochar treatment was significantly decreased compared with the control treatment(P<0.05). Compared with the control treatments, the soil CO2 flux of the biochar treatments was significantly increased(P<0.05). With the extension of time, the growth rate of soil CO2 flux of biochar treatment was decreased gradually. The increase from BC4.5 + to CK + was gradually reduced from 276.7% to 36.1%, and the increase of BC4.5-from to CK-was significantly reduced from 163.5% to 39.8%. The increase of soil CO2 flux could be derived from the mineralization of the readily decomposed carbon fractions in the biochar-soil system. The decrease of surface albedo caused by the input of biochar had no direct effect on soil respiration, and the input of biochar could reduce the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. This result could provide a foundation for the verification of the chemical and biological stability of biochar.

Effects of Ginkgo Biloba Extract EGb-761 on Neuropathic Pain in Mice: Involvement of Opioid System.

Neuropathic pain is considered as one of the most difficult types of pain to manage with conventional analgesics. EGb-761 is extracted from leaves of Ginkgo biloba and has analgesia and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to examine the effect of EGb-761 on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain behaviors, including thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia, and to explore the possible mechanisms underlying this action. To this end, CCI mice were intraperitoneally injected with EGb-761 (10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg), and thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, cytokines, and mu-opioid receptor expression were measured. Results showed that EGb-761 attenuated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia dose-dependently and the best delivery time window was from day 7 to day 14 after CCI. Additionally, EGb-761 treatment significantly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced mu opioid receptor (MOR) expression in the sciatic nerve. Moreover, the opioid antagonist naloxone prevented the effect of EGb-761 on thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia but did not influence the effect of EGb-761 on inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, this study suggests that the potential of EGb-761 as a new analgesic for neuropathic pain treatment, and opioid system may be involved in the EGb-761-induced attenuation of thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Impacts of Biochar Input on Mineralization of Native Soil Organic Carbon].

Since the biochar was applied in soil, its function in carbon sink had become a research hotspot recently. However, the present studies showed that its function in carbon sink remained controversial and the interaction between biochar and soil organic carbon remained to be investigated. So our study used paddy soil (C3 soil) as the experimental soil, and added washed (CS) or unwashed (CN) corn stalk (C4 crop). Biochar was mixed with soil uniformity by two kinds of weight, each treatment was 1% and 3% of the soil (CS1%, CS3% and CN1%, CN3%). Soil without biochar was used as the control treatment (CK), every treatments repeated three times. Then indoor culturing experiments was carried out to study the effect of biochar on the mineralization of organic carbon. The results showed as follows: (1) During the 180 days' experiment, the accumulated amount of released CO2 in CS1%, CS3% and CN1% groups were 1865.7, 1864.4 and 1856.2 mL x kg(-1) respectively, all were higher than the CK (1779.0 mL x kg(-1)). But the differences were not significant. However, the accumulated amount of released CO2 in the CN3% group was the highest (2289.1 mL x kg(-1)), which was significantly higher than those of all other groups. This showed that high addition of CS biochar significantly reduced the soil CO2 release. (2) The accumulated amount of released CO2 of native soil from the CK treatment, CS treatment and CN treatment were 1534.2, 1000.4 and 1153.7 mL x kg(-1) respectively, among which the CK group is significantly higher than the others. It showed that additions of two kinds of biochar both could inhibit the mineralization of organic carbon in the soil. The result of priming effect also proved that: the PE value of CS 3% group was -34.8%, and the PE value of CN 3% group was -24.8%. This showed that the negative priming effect significantly induced by washed (CS) biochar.

[Impacts of rice straw biochar on organic carbon and CO2 release in arable soil].

In order to investigate the stability of biochar and the effect of biochar when added into soil on soil organic carbon, a 130-day incubation experiment was conducted with rice straw biochar produced at 500 degrees C and 700 degrees C (RBC500 and RBC700) and with addition rates of 0% (control), 3%, 6% and 100% (pure biochar), to detect the change of total organic carbon (TOC), easily oxidized carbon (EOC) and status of CO2 release, following addition of biochar in arable soil. Results showed that: the content of both TOC and EOC in soil increased with biochar addition rates comparing with the control. RBC500 had greater contributions to both TOC and EOC increasing amounts than those of RBC700 under the same biochar addition rate. TOC contents of all treatments decreased during the initial 30 days with the largest decreasing amplitude of 15.8%, and tended to be stable in late incubation stages. Same to that of TOC, EOC contents of all treatments also tended to remain stable after 30 days, but in the 30 days of early incubation, EOC in the soil decreased by 72.4% and 81.7% respectively when the added amount of RBC500 was 3% and 6% , while it was reduced by 61.3% and 69.8% respectively when the added amount of RBC700 was 3% and 6%. EOC contents of soil added with biochar produced at the same temperature were similar in the end of incubation. The reduction of soil EOC content in early incubation may be related to mineralization caused by labile fractions of biochar. During the 130-day incubation, the accumulated CO2 releases showed an order of soil and biochar mixtures < the control < pure biochars. Biochar amendment in soil could reduce CO2 release, the largest reduction amplitude is 41.05%. In a long time scale, biochar as a soil amendment is favorable to the deduction of greenhouse gas release and soil carbon immobilization. Biochar could be used as a soil carbon sequestration carrier.

Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF): surgical technique, long-term 4-year prospective outcomes, and complications compared with an open TLIF cohort.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is an important surgical option for the treatment of back pain and radiculopathy. The minimally invasive TLIF (MI-TLIF) technique is increasingly used to achieve neural element decompression, restoration of segmental alignment and lordosis, and bony fusion. This article reviews the surgical technique, outcomes, and complications in a series of 144 consecutive 1- and 2-level MI-TLIFs in comparison with an institutional control group of 54 open traditional TLIF procedures with a mean of 46 months' follow-up. The evidence base suggests that MI-TLIF can be performed safely with excellent long-term outcomes.