Six Species of Phyllachora with Three New Taxa on Grass from Sichuan Province, China.

Phyllachora (Phyllachoraceae, Phyllachorales) species are parasitic fungi with a wide global distribution, causing tar spots on plants. In this study, we describe three newly discovered species: Phyllachora chongzhouensis, Phyllachora neidongensis, and Phyllachora huiliensis from Poaceae in China. These species were characterized using morphological traits and multi-locus phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) with the intervening 5.8S rRNA gene, the large subunit of the rRNA gene (LSU), and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (SSU). Three known species of P. chloridis, P. graminis, and P. miscanthi have also been redescribed, because, in reviewing the original references of P. chloridis, P. graminis, and P. miscanthi, these were found to be relatively old and in Chinese or abbreviated. In addition, the illustrations were simple. In molecular identification, the ITS sequence is short, while the ITS, LSU, and SSU are incomplete. Therefore, this study provides new important references for the redescription of three known species and provides further evidence for the identification of new taxa.

Reduction of the incidence and mortality of rectal cancer by polypectomy: a prospective cohort study in Haining County.

AIM: To reduce the incidence and mortality of rectal cancer and address the hypothesis that colorectal cancer often arise from precursor lesion(s), either adenomas or non-adenomatous polyps, by conducting a population-based mass screening for colorectal cancer in Haining County, Zhejiang, PRC. METHODS: From 1977 to 1980, physicians screened the population of Haining County using 15 cm rigid endoscopy. Of over 240000 participants, 4076 of them were diagnosed with precursor lesions, either adenomas or non-adenomatous polyps, which were then removed surgically. All individuals with precursor lesions were followed up and reexamined by endoscopy every two to five years up to 1998. RESULTS: After the initial screening, 953 metachronous adenomas and 417 non-adenomatous polyps were detected and removed from the members of this cohort. Further, 27 cases of colorectal cancer were detected and treated. Log-rank tests showed that the survival time among those cancer patients who under went mass screening increased significantly compared to that of other colorectal cancer patients (P<0.0001). According to the population-based cancer registry in Haining County, age-adjusted incidence and mortality of rectal cancer decreased by 41% and 29% from 1977-1981 to 1992-1996, respectively. Observed cumulative 20-year rectal cancer incidence was 31% lower than the expected in the screened group; the mortality due to rectal cancer was 18% lower than the expected in the screened group. CONCLUSION: Mass screening for rectal cancer and precursor lesions with protocoscopy in the general population and periodical following-up with routine endoscopy for high-risk patients may decrease both the incidence and mortality of rectal cancer.