miR-218 suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by targeting Robo1 and Ecop in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

AIM: Although, miR-218 has been implicated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process, the detailed mechanisms of miR-218 involvement in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human lung adenocarcinoma cell are still unclear. MATERIALS & METHODS: miR-218 function assays and its target gene analysis were performed. RESULTS: miR-218 suppresses human lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion and inhibits its target gene, Ecop and Robo1 expression, which subsequently suppresses NF-κB activity and its downstream targets. CONCLUSION: miR-218 inhibits human lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion via the suppression of Ecop and Robo1 expression, thus suggesting that miR-218 could serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Four new species of the genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 (Araneae, Sparassidae) from Yunnan Province, China.

Four new species of the huntsman spider genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 are reported from Yunnan Province, China: Pseudopoda gibberosa sp. nov. (male, female), P. semiannulata sp. nov. (male, female), P. breviducta sp. nov. (male, female) and P. triangula sp. nov. (male, female).

TaCKX6-D1, the ortholog of rice OsCKX2, is associated with grain weight in hexaploid wheat.

The cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) gene plays a principal role in controlling cytokinin levels and has been shown to be a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting grain number in rice. However, the function and evaluation of the haplotypes of the wheat CKX gene have yet to be illustrated. In this study, TaCKX6-D1, a wheat ortholog of rice OsCKX2, was cloned and its haplotype variants were determined to be significantly associated with the 1000-grain weight on the basis of linkage mapping, association analysis and gene expression analysis. Five TaCKX6-D1 haplotypes, designated a-e, were identified. An indel marker was developed to identify haplotype a, which was associated with higher grain weight. Haplotype a showed decreased expression relative to haplotype b in seeds at 8 d after pollination. Sequence variations among modern cultivars, landraces and wild species suggest a significant domestication signature at the TaCKX6-D1 locus in Chinese wheat germplasm. TaCKX6-D1 may serve as a useful gene for the breeding of high-yielding wheat. A strategy for allele mining and utilization of TaCKX6-D1 was proposed. Our study also sheds light on the mechanisms of grain development and domestication of wheat, as well as the functional divergence of orthologs in comparative genomics.

[Combined effects of interferon γ and γ ray irradiation on A549 cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To define the role of interferon-γ on radiotherapy of lung cancer and explore a new way to clinical treatment. METHODS: A549 cells were exposed to γ ray with or without IFN-γ co-treatment. MTT assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Western blot was used to observe the expression of P53 protein. RESULTS: The results showed that co-treatment of IFN-γ decreased the cell viability significantly compared with the γ ray irradiation group (71.4% ± 2.1% vs 44.1% ± 3.1%, n = 7, P < 0.01). In addition, the expression of P53 protein also increased significantly after co-treatment (P < 0.01); Furthermore, the cell cycle was changed obviously in co-treatment group compared with γ ray irradiation group, S phase increased (12.9% vs 20.9%, n = 5, P < 0.05) and also blocked the G2/M phase (28.8% vs 38.9%, n = 5, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that γ ray irradiation combined with IFN-γ can increase the efficiency of radiotherapy on A549 cells and there is much broad prospect in the clinical treatment of lung cancer.

Two new species of the genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 and first description of the male of Pseudopoda physematosa (Araneae, Sparassidae) from Yunnan Province, China.

Two new species of the genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 are reported from Yunnan Province, China: Pseudopoda mingshengi sp. nov. (male, female) and P. uncata sp. nov. (male, female). The male of P. physematosa Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2019 is described for the first time.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of congenital bronchoesophageal fistula in adult].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and surgical treatment of adult congenital bronchoesophageal fistula. METHODS: Eleven cases of adult congenital bronchoesophageal fistula that were diagnosed and surgically treated between May 1990 and August 2010 had been reviewed. There were 7 male and 4 female patients, ranging in age from 28 to 66 years (mean 48.7 years). The chief clinical presentation included coughing and sputum in 10 cases, recurrent bouts of coughing after drinking liquid food in 6 cases, hemoptysis in 6 cases, low fever in 4 cases, chest pain in 3 cases. The duration of symptoms before diagnosis ranged from 5 to 36 years (mean 16.8 years). The diagnosis of bronchoesophageal fistula was confirmed most by esophagography. Associated diseased lung was resected in all patients (lobectomy in 10 cases and pneumonectomy in 1 case). The operation included right thoracotomy in 7 cases and left thoracotomy in 4 cases. The fistula was completely resected in 10 cases. The tract was simply divided and the end was sutured in 1 case. RESULTS: The postoperative course was uneventful in 10 patients who were discharged from hospital 10 to 18 d after operation. One patient suffered from esophageal fistula and received second operation. Regular follow-up was conducted on all 11 patients, proving that 3-year survival rate was 11/11 and 5-year survival rate was 9/11. CONCLUSION: Persistence of congenital bronchoesophageal fistula into adulthood is rare. The main symptom is nonspecific coughing and bouts of coughing after drinking liquid food. The most useful diagnostic method is the esophagography. Even though it is benign disease, life-threatening complications might occur and it must be treated surgically as soon as the diagnosis is established.

Four new species of the genus Mallinella (Araneae: Zodariidae) from Malaysia.

Four new species of the genus Mallinella Strand, 1906, from the natural forests of Malaysia, are described as Mallinella bicanaliculata sp. n. (♂♀), M. calautica sp. n. (♂♀), M. laxa sp. n. (♂♀), and M. obliqua sp. n. (♂♀). The four new species belong to four species groups and were collected from the forest litter in Sabah state by sieving.

Three new species of the genus Zodarion (Araneae, Zodariidae) from China.

Three new species of the genus Zodarion Walckenaer, 1826, from China, are described as Zodarionapertum sp. n. (♂♀, from Xinjiang), Z.planum sp. n. (♂, from Shaanxi), and Z.ovatum sp. n. (♂♀, from Yunnan).

[SSR mapping of stripe rust resistance gene from Ae. tauschii].

A dominant wheat stripe rust resistance gene, temporarily designated as YrY201, was identified in an accession Y201 of Aegilops tauschii. By bulk segregation analysis, three microsatellite markers Xgwm273b, Xgwm37 and Wmc14 were found to be linked to YrY201 with genetic distance of 11.5, 5.8 and 10.9 cM , respectively. According to the locations of the linked markers, the resistance gene was located on chromosome 7DL. Based on the chromosomal location and the resistance pattern of the gene, we proposed that YrY201 was a novel stripe rust resistance gene, and could be selected by marker-assisted selection.

Two new species of the spider Family Zodariidae from Laos.

Two new Zodariidae species, collected from the natural forest of Pakse City, Champasak Province, Laos, are described as Asceua adunca sp. nov. (male, female) and Mallinella renaria sp. nov. (male, female). Asceua torquata (Simon, 1909) and A. piperata Ono, 2004 are newly recorded from Laos, and the male of A. piperata is described and illustrated for the first time.

Three new species of the spider genus Asceua from Malaysia (Araneae, Zodariidae).

Three new species of the genus Asceua Thorell, 1887, from the natural forests of Malaysia, are described as Asceuabifurca sp. n. (♂♀), A.curva sp. n. (♂), and A.trimaculata sp. n. (♀). The genus Asceua is reported from Malaysia for the first time.

Three new spider species of the genus Pholcus from the Taihang Mountains of China (Araneae, Pholcidae).

In this study, three new species belonging to the genus Pholcus, collected from a forest of the Taihang Mountains, P. R. China, are described under the names of Pholcus papillatus sp. n. (male, female), Pholcus curvus sp. n. (male, female) and Pholcus auricularis sp. n. (male, female).

Three new Sinopoda species (Araneae: Sparassidae) from southern China.

Three new species of the huntsman spider genus Sinopoda Jäger, 1999, collected from Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality, P. R. China, are described: Sinopoda cochlearia sp. nov. (male, female), S. globosa sp. nov. (male, female) and S. longiducta sp. nov. (male, female). All three new species were collected from native forest by hand.

New species of Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 from Southern China (Araneae, Sparassidae).

Four new species of the huntsman spider genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 are described from Southern China: Pseudopoda acuminata sp. n. from Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, P. emei sp. n. from Emei Mountain, Sichuan Province, P. lacrimosa sp. n. from Fugong County and Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, and P. robusta sp. n. fromJinyun Mountain, Chongqing Municipality.

Two new spider species of the genus Chrysso O. P.-Cambridge, 1882 (Araneae, Theridiidae) in Hainan Island, China.

Two new spider species of the genus Chrysso O. P.-Cambridge, 1882 are reported from Hainan Island, China, Chrysso bifurcasp. n. (male, female) and Chrysso bicuspidatasp.n. (male, female). Chrysso bimaculata Yoshida, 1998is recorded from China for the first time.

Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula in adults.

AIM: To study the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and surgical treatment of congenital bronchoesophageal fistulae in adults. METHODS: Eleven adult cases of congenital bronchoesophageal fistula diagnosed and treated in our hospital between May 1990 and August 2010 were reviewed. Its clinical presentations, diagnostic methods, anatomic type, treatment, and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: Of the chief clinical presentations, nonspecific cough and sputum were found in 10 (90.9%), recurrent bouts of cough after drinking liquid food in 6 (54.6%), hemoptysis in 6 (54.6%), low fever in 4 (36.4%), and chest pain in 3 (27.3%) of the 11 cases, respectively. The duration of symptoms before diagnosis ranged 5-36.5 years. The diagnosis of congenital bronchoesophageal fistulae was established in 9 patients by barium esophagography, in 1 patient by esophagoscopy and in 1 patient by bronchoscopy, respectively. The congenital bronchoesophageal fistulae communicated with a segmental bronchus, a main bronchus, and an intermediate bronchus in 8, 2 and 1 patients, respectively. The treatment of congenital bronchoesophageal fistulae involved excision of the fistula in 10 patients or division and suturing in 1 patient. The associated lung lesion was removed in all patients. No long-term sequelae were found during the postoperative follow-up except in 1 patient with bronchial fistula who accepted reoperation before recovery. CONCLUSION: Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula is rare in adults. Its most useful diagnostic method is esophagography. It must be treated surgically as soon as the diagnosis is established.

[Prognostic analysis of partial atrium or large blood vessel resection for treatment of locally advanced lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of partial atrium or large blood vessel resection for the treatment of locally advanced lung cancer. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with locally advanced lung cancer (T(4)N(0)-N(2)M(0)) underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy combined with intrapericardial vascular management or partial resection of the atrium. Of the 35 patients , 15 underwent left pneumonectomy combined with partial resection of the left atrium, 3 had pneumonectomy and partial resection of pulmonary artery trunk, 11 received right pneumonectomy and partial resection of the left atrium, 3 had middle and lower lobectomies and partial resection of the left atrium, and 3 underwent right upper lobectomy, partial resection of the superior vena cava and replacement of artificial blood vessel. RESULTS: No death occurred in the 35 patients. Postoperative arrhythmia occurred in 4 cases and respiratory failure in 2 cases. The 1, 2, 3 and 4 year survival rates of the patients were 79.2% (19/24), 53.3% (8/15), 46.2% (6/13) and 36.4% (4/11), respectively. Pathologically, 27 patients had squamous carcinoma, 3 had adenocarcinoma, 3 had adenosquamous carcinoma and 2 had large cell carcinoma. In TNM staging, 6 were in T(4)N(0)M(0), 11 in T(4)N(1)M(0) and 18 in T(4)N(2)M(0). CONCLUSION: Pneumonectomy or lobectomy combined with intrapericardial vascular management or partial resection of the atrium can enhance the possibility of radical resection of locally advanced lung cancer and increase the long term survival rate.

[Early surgical treatment of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the method of early surgical treatment of bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy. METHODS: Twelve patients (9 males and 3 females with a mean age of 58.6-/+5.7 years) with bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy received a reoperation within 72 h after a definite diagnosis. Empyema was found in none of the 12 cases. Fistula occurred within 4 to 17 days (8 days in average) after the operation. The fistula of the residual main bronchus was resected, and the thoracic cavity was asepticized by flushing. RESULTS: Ten patients were discharged with complete healing. One patient was discharged following open drainage with daily change of the wound dress. One patient died due to multiple organ failure. The hospital stay of the patients ranged from 18 to 49 days (31 days in average) after the reoperation. CONCLUSION: Bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy, in case that empyema and multiple organ failure do not occur, can be healed by closing the fistula with the stapling device in early stage. Flushing the thoracic cavity is also necessary after the reoperation.

[Specific promoters used in plant gene engineering].

The choice of specific promoters used within a transgene construct is a vital strategy to achieve the transgene regulation in the temporal, spatial and measurable manner. The strategy has been widely used in diverse aspects of plant gene engineering, such as quality improvement, resistance breeding and bioreactor. In this paper, we describe the structure feature, classification and research method of the specific promoter and its application progresses in plant gene engineering.