Thrixspermumtaeniophyllum (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), a new species from southwest China, based on molecular and morphological evidence.

Thrixspermumtaeniophyllum is described as a new orchid species from Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province of southwest China. It is morphologically similar to T.japonicum, but it differs from the latter in having branched stems, slightly fleshy strap-shaped leaves, longer inflorescences with 3-6 flowers and a capitate gynandrium with a lip-shaped mouth opening. Its species status is also supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and three chloroplast DNA fragments (matK, psbA-trnH and trnL-F), which showed distinct systematic boundaries from the most morphologically similar T.japonicum and their morphological relatives T.saruwatarii and T.pygmaeum.

Primulawolongensis (Primulaceae), a new species of the primrose from Sichuan, China.

This paper describes and illustrates a new species of Primulaceae, Primulawolongensis sp. nov. from Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, China. It is very rare and currently only known from its type locality. The new species belongs to subsection Chartacea of the section Petiolares on account of lacking bud scales at flowering, being efarinose and having distinct petiolate leaves with more or less rounded lamina. The new species can be differentiated from other members of the subsection by leaf blade margin dentate, and leaf veins which are not raised, scape shorter than or equal to pedicels, yellow flowers and location of stamens of the corolla tube at thrum flower. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) demonstrated that P.wolongensis was sister to subgen. Auriculastrum. Primulawolongensis is currently known from a single location in Wolong Town, and its conservation status is assessed as Data Deficient (DD).

Comparative Chloroplast Genomics of Seven Endangered Cypripedium Species and Phylogenetic Relationships of Orchidaceae.

The species in the genus Cypripedium (Orchidaceae) are considered endangered, mainly distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with high ornamental and economic value. Despite previous extensive studies based on both morphology and molecular data, species and sections relationships within Cypripedium remain controversial. Here, we employed two newly generated Cypripedium chloroplast genomes with five other published genomes to elucidate their genomic characteristics. The two genomes were 162,773-207,142 bp in length and contained 128-130 genes, including 82-84 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. We identified 2,192 simple sequence repeats, 786 large repeat sequences, and 7,929 variable loci. The increase of repeat sequences (simple sequence repeats and large repeat sequences) causes a significant amplification in the chloroplast genome size of Cypripedium. The expansion of the IR region led to the pseudogenization or loss of genes in the SSC region. In addition, we identified 12 highly polymorphic loci (Pi > 0.09) suitable for inferring the phylogeny of Cypripedium species. Based on data sets of whole chloroplast genomes (IRa excluded) and protein-coding sequences, a well-supported phylogenetic tree was reconstructed, strongly supporting the five subfamilies of Orchidaceae and the genus Cypripedium as monophyletic taxa. Our findings also supported that C. palangshanense belonged to sect. Palangshanensia rather than sect. Retinervia. This study also enriched the genomic resources of Cypripedium, which may help to promote the conservation efforts of these endangered species.

Gastrochilusheminii (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), a new species from Sichuan, China, based on molecular and morphological data.

Gastrochilusheminii (Orchidaceae), a new orchid species from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, is described and illustrated. It morphologically resembles G.affinis and G.yei, but differs markedly from the former in having a thinner and slightly rolled downwards reniform epichile and the central thickened purple-red mat with irregular folds (vs. subtriangular epichile curves upwards, with 2 thick, brown to purplish-brown median ridges from base to apex), and can be clearly distinguished from the latter by having reniform epichile with lobed apex and subconical hypochile with bilobed apex that splits into two conical protrusions (vs. semi-rounded epichile not lobed and subconical hypochile not bilobed). The results of molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and four chloroplast DNA fragments (matK, psbA-trnH, psbM-trnD, and trnL-F) of 36 Gastrochilus species showed that G.heminii was closely related to G.affinis and G.distichus.

Inflorescences of Fargesiaangustissima T.P. Yi and Yushaniapauciramificans T.P. Yi (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) shed light on the taxonomy of the Sino-Himalayan alpine bamboos.

The taxonomy of the Sino-Himalayan alpine bamboos is controversial due to their complex evolutionary history and further complicated by the scarcity of inflorescence. Here, we supplement the description of the inflorescence of Fargesiaangustissima T.P. Yi and Yushaniapauciramificans T.P. Yi, which shed light on the taxonomy of Fargesia Franchet, Borinda Stapleton and Yushania Keng. F.angustissima has compressed inflorescence unilateral stretching out from reduced spathe, showing a transitional state between species with condensed inflorescence embraced by spathe-like bracts and species with open inflorescence without bracts. Considering that extensive gene flow existed between several clades of Fargesia found in recent studies, a broadly-defined Fargesia s. l. should be adopted. Meanwhile, the inflorescence of Y.pauciramificans has typical characteristics of Yushania, such as axilla with tuberculate glands, rachilla internodes ciliate and cylindrical florets, supporting the delimitation of Yushania.

A systemic analysis on pemetrexed in treating patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This systemic analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer as first or second line chemotherapy. METHODS: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based regimens on response and safety for patients with breast cancer were identified using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rate (RR) of treatment were calculated. RESULTS: In first line pemetrexed based regimens, 10 clinical studies which including 513 patients with advanced breast cancer were considered eligible for inclusion. For second line pemetrexed based chemotherapy, 5 clinical studies which including 281 patients with advanced breast cancer were considered eligible. Systemic analysis suggested that, in all patients, pooled RR was 32.6% (167/513) in pemetrexed based first line regimens, and 13.9 % (39/281) in pemetrexed based second line regimens. Major adverse effects were neutropenia, leukopenia, fatigue, and anemia in pemetrexed based first line treatment; and lymphopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia, as well as anemia in second line chemotherapy. One treatment related death occurred with pemetrexed based second line treatment. CONCLUSION: This systemic analysis suggests that pemetrexed based first line regimens are associated with a reasonable response rate and acceptable toxicity, however with low response rate for treating patients with metastatic breast cancer when is used in the second line.