Effectiveness of external Sanjierupi Gao on mastalgia caused by mammary gland hyperplasia: a placebo controlled trial

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the curative effect of external application of the Chinese drug, Sanjierupi Gao, on mastalgia caused by mammary gland hyperplasia.MethodsThis randomized, double-blinded, and placebo controlled study enrolled 260 patients with mammary gland hyperplasia from five hospitals. Patients were randomly and equally divided into a Sanjierupi Gao treatment group and a placebo control group. An adhesive plaster was applied to the most painful area on either breast for 7 h a day. Treatment lasted for two menstrual cycles without application during menstruation. Mastalgia was used as the main index of curative effect. The change before and after treatment in days of mastalgia, the time to alleviate pain, pain extent, and severe pain scores were observed.ResultsCompared to the control group, the treatment group had significantly fewer days of mastalgia (P<0.01), a significantly lower severe pain score (P<0.01), and significantly less subjective pain and tenderness (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively). Three days before the follow-up visit, the pain score in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). A non-parametric test was used to compare the time to alleviate mastalgia between the two groups and found no statistical difference (Z=−0.313, P=0.754).ConclusionApplication of Sanjierupi Gao can decrease mastalgia duration in patients with mammary gland hyperplasia during menstruation and alleviate the extent of mastalgia. The time to alleviate pain is psychologically influenced

Biochar has no effect on soil respiration across Chinese agricultural soils

This work was supported by NSFC (41371298 and 41371300), Ministry of Science and Technology (2013GB23600666 and 2013BAD11B00), and Ministry of Education of China (20120097130003). The international cooperation was funded under a “111” project by the State Agency of Foreign Expert Affairs of China and jointly supported under a grant for Priority Disciplines in Higher Education by the Department of Education, Jiangsu Province, China; The work was also a contribution to the cooperation project of “Estimates of Future Agricultural GHG Emissions and Mitigation in China” under the UK-China Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network (SAIN). Pete Smith contributed to this work under a UK BBSRC China Partnership Award. The authors are grateful to Yuming Liu, Bin Zhang, Xiao Li, Gang Wu, Jinjin Qu and Yinxin Ye and Dongqi Liu for their contribution to field experiments, and to Rongjun Bian and Qaiser Hussain for their participation in discussions of the data analysis and interpretation, and to Xinyan Yu and Jiafang Wang for their assistance in lab works.Peer reviewedPostprin

Effect of Municipal Biowaste Biochar on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Metal Bioaccumulation in a Slightly Acidic Clay Rice Paddy

A field trial was performed to investigate the effect of municipal biowaste biochar (MBB) on rice and wheat growth, metal bioaccumulation, and greenhouse gas emissions in a rice paddy in eastern China. MBB was amended in 2010 before rice transplanting at rates of 0 and 40 t ha-1 in a field experiment lasting one cropping year. MBB soil amendment significantly increased soil pH, total soil organic carbon, and total nitrogen. The growth and grain yield of rice and wheat was not affected with MBB application at 40 t ha-1. MBB amendment did not influence the soil availability of Pb, Cu, and Ni, but significantly increased the soil availability of Zn and decreased the soil availability of Cd during both rice and wheat seasons. While MBB did not change the bioaccumulation of Pb, Cu, and Ni, the rice and wheat Cd accumulation was significantly reduced, and wheat Zn accumulation slightly increased with MBB amendment. Furthermore, total N2O emission during both rice and wheat seasons was greatly decreased, though total seasonal CH4 emission was significantly increased in the rice season. On the other hand, soil CO2 emission remained unaffected across crop seasons. Thus, MBB can be used in rice paddy for low carbon and low-Cd grain production, but the long-term effects remain unknown

Pheophorbide A–Mediated Photodynamic Therapy Potentiates Checkpoint Blockade Therapy of Tumor with Low PD–L1 Expression

Although the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has made a great success in cancer immunotherapy, the overall response rate to the ICB, such as anti–programmed death ligand 1 (PD–L1) therapy, remains only at 20–30%. One major reason is the low expression level of the immune checkpoint in a certain type of tumor cells and its insufficient activation of the host immune system. Herein, we reported a cyclic RGD (cRGD)–modified liposomal delivery system loading the anti–PD–L1 antibody and the photosensitizer pheophorbide A (Pa), allowing a targeting of the low PD–L1 expressing 4T1 mouse breast cancer cells through the recognition of an overexpression of αvβ3 integrin on the tumor cells. The Pa–mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) elevated the expression of PD–L1 on the tumor cells. PDT, in combination with the anti–PD–L1 therapy, promoted the activation and maturation of dendritic cells as well as the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, resulting in the augmented antitumor immune response for the enhanced therapeutic effect. These results demonstrated the combined therapeutic effects of PDT and ICB on the tumor with low PD–L1 levels. Our study suggested that an increase in the PD–L1 expression in tumor cells by PDT would be a promising adjuvant treatment to overcome the ICB irresponsiveness

A rationally designed cancer vaccine based on NIR-II fluorescence image-guided light-triggered remote control of antigen cross-presentation and autophagy

Cancer vaccines represent a promising immunotherapeutic treatment modality. The promotion of cross-presentation of extracellular tumor-associated antigens on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules and dendritic cell maturation at the appropriate time and place is crucial for cancer vaccines to prime cytolytic T cell response with reduced side effects. Current vaccination strategies, however, are not able to achieve the spatiotemporal control of antigen cross-presentation. Here, we report a liposomal vaccine loading the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) fluorophore BPBBT with an efficient photothermal conversion effect that offers an NIR-light-triggered endolysosomal escape under the imaging guidance. The NIR-II image-guided vaccination strategy specifically controls the cytosolic delivery of antigens for cross-presentation in the draining lymph nodes (DLNs). Moreover, the photothermally induced endolysosomal rupture initiates autophagy. We also find that the adjuvant simvastatin acts as an autophagy activator through inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The light-induced autophagy in the DLNs together with simvastatin treatment cooperatively increase MHC class II expression by activating autophagy machinery for dendritic cell maturation. This study presents a paradigm of NIR-II image-guided light-triggered vaccination. The approach for remote control of antigen cross-presentation and autophagy represents a new strategy for vaccine development

The reduction of wheat Cd uptake in contaminated soil via biochar amendment: A two-year field experiment

A field study involving wheat production was extended in order to study the effects of biochar (BC) amendment in paddy soil that had long-term contamination of Cd. The BC was used as an amendment in Cd-contaminated soil for its special property. BC was amended at rates of 10 to 40 t ha-1 during the rice season before rice transplantation in 2009. BC amendments increased soil pH by 0.11 to 0.24 and by 0.09 to 0.24 units, respectively, while the soil CaCl2-extracted Cd was reduced by 10.1% to 40.2% and by 10.0% to 57.0% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Consequently, the total wheat Cd uptake was decreased by 16.8% to 37.3% and by 6.5% to 28.3%. Wheat grain Cd concentration was reduced by 24.8% to 44.2% and by 14.0% to 39.2% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The BC application in soil reduced Cd phyto-availability in two wheat seasons possibly by raising soil pH and soil organic carbon (SOC). Therefore, BC may be used for soil remediation, but not to reduce Cd uptake to an adequate level for food production on Cd contaminated soils

Is the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt Sustainable to Long-Term Drip Irrigation with High Saline Groundwater?

<div><p>Freshwater resources are scarce in desert regions. Highly saline groundwater of different salinity is being used to drip irrigate the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt with a double-branch-pipe system controlling the irrigation cycles. In this study, to evaluate the dynamics of soil moisture and salinity under the current irrigation system, soil samples were collected to a 2-m depth in the shelterbelt planted for different years and irrigated with different groundwater salinities, and soil moisture and salinity were analyzed. The results showed that both depletion of soil moisture and increase of topsoil salinity occurred simultaneously during one irrigation cycle. Soil moisture decreased from 27.4% to 2.4% for a 15-day irrigation cycle and from 26.4% to 2.7% for a 10-day-cycle, respectively. Topsoil electrical conductivity (EC) increased from 0.64 to 3.32 dS/m and 0.70 to 3.99 dS/m for these two irrigation cycles. With increased shelterbelt age, profiled average soil moisture (0–200 cm) reduced from 12.8% (1-year) to 7.1% (10-year); however, soil moisture in 0–20-cm increased, while topsoil salinity decreased. In addition, irrigation salinity mainly affected soil salinity in the 0–20-cm range. We conclude that water supply with the double-branch-pipe is a feasible irrigation method for the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt, and our findings provide a model for shelterbelt construction and sustainable management when using highly saline water for irrigation in analogous habitats.</p></div

Pyrolysis and Co-Combustion of Semi-Dry Sewage Sludge and Bituminous Coal: Kinetics and Combustion Characteristics

To reduce the energy consumption and cost of the drying of sewage sludge (SS) and to ensure stability during combustion, the pyrolysis and co-combustion characteristics of semi-dry SS after the dehydration of flocculant and bituminous coal (BC) were studied in this work. The results show that the decrease in moisture content accelerates the release of volatile substances, and the increase in heating rate can also enhance the release of water and volatile matters. Furthermore, in the co-combustion of semi-dry SS and BC, the increase in mixing ratio (from 0% to 60%) of semi-dry SS caused the ignition and burnout temperature to decrease from 481 °C to 214 °C and from 702 °C to 627 °C, respectively. During co-combustion, the infrared spectra showed that the temperature range of 300–700 °C was the main gas precipitation area, and the main gaseous products were CO2, NOx, SO2, and volatile organic pollutants (VOCs)

Relative humidity, precipitation, and potential evaporation in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert.

<p>Relative humidity, precipitation, and potential evaporation in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert.</p

Profiles of irrigation water quality of selected sites.

<p>Profiles of irrigation water quality of selected sites.</p