Damage caused by the rice striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is much more severe on indica/xian rice than on japonica/geng rice (Oryza sativa) which ...matches pest outbreak data in cropping regions of China. The mechanistic basis of this difference among rice subspecies remains unclear. Using transcriptomic, metabolomic and genetic analyses in combination with insect bioassay experiments, we showed that japonica and indica rice utilise different defence responses to repel SSB, and that SSB exploited plant nutrition deficiencies in different ways in the subspecies. The more resistant japonica rice induced patterns of accumulation of methyl jasmonate (MeJA—part of a defensive pathway) and vitamin B1 (VB1—a nutrition pathway) distinct from indica cultivars. Using gene‐edited rice plants and SSB bioassays, we found that MeJA and VB1 jointly affected the performance of SSB by disrupting juvenile hormone levels. In addition, genetic variants of key biosynthesis genes in the MeJA and VB1 pathways (OsJMT and OsTH1, respectively) differed between japonica and indica rice and contributed to performance differences; in indica rice, SSB avoided the MeJA defence pathway and hijacked the VB1 nutrition‐related pathway to promote development. The findings highlight important genetic and mechanistic differences between rice subspecies affecting SSB damage which could be exploited in plant breeding for resistance.
Summary Statement
This manuscript demonstrates that striped stem borer (SSB) avoided one defence pathway and hijacked another nutrition‐related pathway to promote development. The findings highlight important genetic and mechanistic differences between rice subspecies affecting SSB damage which could be exploited in plant breeding for resistance.
A high light‐absorption coefficient and long‐range hot‐carrier transport of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites give huge potential to their composites in solar energy conversion and environmental ...protection. Understanding interfacial interactions and their effects are paramount for designing perovskite‐based heterostructures with desirable properties. Herein, we systematically investigated the interfacial interactions in monolayer and few‐layer SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures and their effects on the electronic and optical properties of these structures by density functional theory. It was found that the interfacial interactions in SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures were van der Waals (vdW) interactions, and they were found to be insensitive to the layer number of 2D SnS sheets. Interestingly, although their band gap decreased upon increasing the layer number of SnS, the near‐gap electronic states and optical absorption spectra of these heterostructures were found to be strikingly similar. This feature was determined to be critical for the design of 2D layered SnS‐based heterostructures. Strong absorption in the ultraviolet and visible‐light regions, type II staggered band alignment at the interface, and few‐layer SnS as an active co‐catalyst make 2D SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures promising candidates for photocatalysis, photodetectors, and solar energy harvesting and conversion. These results provide first insight into the nature of interfacial interactions and are useful for designing hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite‐based devices with novel properties.
Heterogeneous catalysis: The CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite is coupled with 2D SnS, and the electronic and optical properties of the resulting heterostructures are explored. The coupling of CH3NH3PbI3 with the 2D SnS sheet not only greatly increases the optical absorption of CH3NH3PbI3 from the UV region to the invisible‐light region but also promotes separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, thus improving the photocatalytic performance.
Abstract Background: Insulin is used to treat patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Allergic reac- tions to insulin might be triggered by insulin itself or inactive ingredients in ...the insulin formulation, includ- ing proteins such as protamine in neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin. The use of highly purified animal insulin and human recombinant insulin has reduced the incidence of anaphylactic reactions to insulin from ~30% to <1%. Objective: We report a case of fatal allergic shock after the administration of protamine in a patient with a history of allergy to fish and a protamine-containing insulin. Case summary: A 72-year-old Chinese male patient (height, 175 cm; weight, 80 kg) with a history of diabetes and progressive limb weakness was diagnosed with spinal vascular malformations after admission to the Xuan Wu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China. He underwent epidural spinal cord arteriovenous fistula embolization with a liquid embolic agent (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer) after spinal cord angiography. During the operation, heparin was infused every hour with 6250, 2500, 2500, and 1250 IU, respectively. The last dose of heparin was administered ~10 minutes before the opera- tion was completed. This was followed by the admin-istration of protamine to neutralize the remaining heparin in the patient's body. Blurry vision and dizziness 5 minutes after protamine administration were followed by pruritus and hives over his neck and face. Oxygen was administered and 10 mg of dexamethasone with 2 mg of epinephrine was injected. The patient's heart rate dropped, his blood pressure decreased, and his arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2 ) declined progressively. About 10 minutes after the administration of protamine sulfate, the patient developed bradycardic arrest. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts were undertaken and the patient was administered epinephrine 2 mg IV, atropine 0.5 mg IV, and subsequently, intravenous dopamine (50 mg/h). Ten minutes later, the patient's heart rate gradually increased, but blood pressure fluctuated, and SaO2 ranged from 90% to 100%. Despite the initial response, the patient lost consciousness and heart rate declined progressively within 5 hours. Vasoactive agents including dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline were administered. After all these measures proved inef- fectual, the patient died. It was later determined that the patient had a history of allergic reactions to fish as well as to a premixed insulin that contained soluble human insulin 30% and low-protein intensive insulin zinc 70% (NPH). The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale score for the association of protamine with the allergic reaction was 4, suggesting a possible relationship. Conclusion: This case report highlights a preventable fatal allergic reaction possibly associated with protamine administration in a patient with a history of allergy to a protamine-containing insulin.
AIM To perform a meta-analysis on laparoscopic hepatectomy VS conventional liver resection for treating hepatolithiasis.METHODS We conducted a systematic literature search on Pub Med,Embase,Web of ...Science and Cochrane Library,and undertook a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic hepatectomy V S conventional open liver resection for local hepatolithiasis in the left or right lobe. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes(time,estimated blood loss,blood transfusion rate,postoperative intestinal function recovery time,length of hospital stay,postoperative complication rate,initial residual stone,final residual stone and stone recurrence) were analyzed systematically.RESULTS A comprehensive literature search retrieved 16 publications with a total of 1329 cases. Meta-analysis of these studies showed that the laparoscopic approach for hepatolithiasis was associated with significantly less intraoperative estimated blood loss weighted mean difference(WMD): 61.56,95% confidence interval(CI): 14.91-108.20,P = 0.01,lower blood transfusion rate odds ratio(OR): 0.41,95%CI: 0.22-0.79,P = 0.008,shorter intestinal function recovery time(WMD: 0.98,95%CI: 0.47-1.48,P = 0.01),lower total postoperative complication rate(OR: 0.52,95%CI: 0.39-0.70,P < 0.0001) and shorter stay in hospital(WMD: 3.32,95%CI: 2.32-4.32,P < 0.00001). In addition,our results showed no significant differences between the two groups in operative time(WMD: 21.49,95%CI: 0.27-43.24,P = 0.05),residual stones(OR: 0.79,95%CI: 0.50-1.25,P = 0.31) and stone recurrence(OR: 0.34,95%CI: 0.11-1.08,P = 0.07). Furthermore,with subgroups analysis,our results proved that the laparoscopic approach for hepatolithiasis in the left lateral lobe and left side could achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects. CONCLUSION The laparoscopic approach is safe and effective,with less intraoperative estimated blood loss,fewer postoperative complications,reduced length of hospital stay and shorter intestinal function recovery time than with conventional approaches.
Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a garlic organosulfide, has shown excellent chemopreventive potential. Cisplatin (DDP) is widely used to treat solid malignant tumors, but causing serious side effects. In ...the current study, we attempted to elucidate the chemopreventive mechanisms of DATS in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells in vitro, and to investigate whether DATS could enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of DDP and improve quality of life in BGC-823 xenograft mice in vivo. Treatment with DATS (25-400 pmol/L) dose-dependently inhibited the viability of BGC-823 cells in vitro with an IC5o of 115.2+4.3 pmol/L after 24 h drug exposure. DATS (50-200 pmol/L) induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in BGC-823 cells, which correlated with significant accumulation of cyclin A2 and B1. DATS also induced BGC-823 cell apoptosis, which was accompanied by the modulation of Bcl-2 family members and caspase cascade activation. In BGC-823 xenograft mice, administration of DATS (20-40 mg.kg-1.d-1, ip) dose-dependently inhibited tumor growth and markedly reduced the number of Ki-67 positive cells in tumors. Interestingly, combined administration of DATS (30 mg.kg-1.d-1, ip) with DDP (5 mg/kg, every 5 d, ip) exhibited enhanced anti-tumor activity with fewer side effects. We showed that treatment of BGC-823 cells with DATS in vitro and in vivo significantly activated kinases such as p38 and JNK/MAPK and attenuated the Nrf2/Akt pathway. This study provides evidence that DATS exerts anticancer effects and enhances the antitumor efficacy of DDP, making it a novel candidate for adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer.
To safely and sustainably utilize genetic breeding techniques for crop production, greater understanding of the potential effects of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant(GMHT) crops on the ...ecological functions of predators is required. In the laboratory, we examined the functional and numerical responses of Cyrtorhinus lividipennis Reuter to eggs of brown planthopper(BPH), Nilaparvata lugens(St?l), which were reared on GMHT rice Bar68-1; the untransformed parental cultivar, D68; or a BPH-susceptive rice variety, Taichung Native 1. All stages of nymphs and female adult of C. lividipennis, either on GMHT rice or control plants, exhibited typical type II functional responses when fed on BPH eggs; the attacking rate and handling time of C. lividipennis on GMHT rice Bar68-1 was not significantly different from that on D68. The numerical responses of C. lividipennis on GMHT rice or controls fit Beddington's model; there were no significant differences in the parameters of numerical responses between GMHT rice Bar68-1 and D68. The results indicated that the functional and numerical responses of C. lividipennis to BPH eggs are not affected by GMHT rice Bar68-1.
Background: Controversial results about the therapeutic value of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and liver resection (LR) in the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) have been ...reported. Thus, we performed the present meta-analysis to summarize the related clinical evidences. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, for all years up to April 2016. Pooled analyses of the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and morbidity rates were performed. Results: A total of 14 studies were finally enrolled in the meta-analysis. Patients treated by LR gained a longer OS and PFS than those of patients treated by RFA. Patients in the RFA group had lower morbidity rates than those of patients in the LR group. Publication bias analysis revealed that there was no significant publication bias in the meta-analysis. Conclusions: Patients with CRCLM gained much more survival benefits from LR than that from RFA. RFA rendered lower rates of morbidities. More well-designed randomized controlled trails comparing the therapeutic value of LR and RFA are warranted.
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer in China, an area of high hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Although several staging systems are available, there is no consensus on the ...best classification to use because multiple factors, such as etiology, clinical treatment and populations could affect the survival of HCC patients. Methods: This study analyzed 743 HBV-related Chinese HCC patients who received surgery first and evaluated the predictive values of eight different commonly used staging systems in the clinic. Results: The overall 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates and a median survival were 91.5%, 70.3%, 55.3% and 72 months respectively. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging systems had the best stratification ability and showed the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) values (2896.577), followed by tumor-node-metastasis Th (TNM 7^th) (AIC = 2899.980), TNM 6th (AIC = 2902.17), Japan integrated staging score (A1C = 2918.085), Tokyo (AIC = 2938.822), Cancer of the Liver Italian Program score (AIC = 2941.950), Chinese University Prognostic Index grade (AIC = 2962.027), and Okuda (AIC = 2979.389). Conclusions: BCLC staging system is a better staging model for HBV infection patients with HCC in Chinese population among the eight currently used staging systems. These identifications afford a large group of Chinese HCC patients with HBV infection and could be helpful to design a new staging system for a certain population.
Abstract
A high light‐absorption coefficient and long‐range hot‐carrier transport of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites give huge potential to their composites in solar energy conversion and ...environmental protection. Understanding interfacial interactions and their effects are paramount for designing perovskite‐based heterostructures with desirable properties. Herein, we systematically investigated the interfacial interactions in monolayer and few‐layer SnS/CH
3
NH
3
PbI
3
heterostructures and their effects on the electronic and optical properties of these structures by density functional theory. It was found that the interfacial interactions in SnS/CH
3
NH
3
PbI
3
heterostructures were van der Waals (vdW) interactions, and they were found to be insensitive to the layer number of 2D SnS sheets. Interestingly, although their band gap decreased upon increasing the layer number of SnS, the near‐gap electronic states and optical absorption spectra of these heterostructures were found to be strikingly similar. This feature was determined to be critical for the design of 2D layered SnS‐based heterostructures. Strong absorption in the ultraviolet and visible‐light regions, type II staggered band alignment at the interface, and few‐layer SnS as an active co‐catalyst make 2D SnS/CH
3
NH
3
PbI
3
heterostructures promising candidates for photocatalysis, photodetectors, and solar energy harvesting and conversion. These results provide first insight into the nature of interfacial interactions and are useful for designing hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite‐based devices with novel properties.