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Color is an important indicator for evaluating the ornamental traits of horticultural plants, and plant pigments is a key factor affecting the color phenotype of plants. Plant pigments and their metabolites play important roles in color formation of ornamental organs, regulation of plant growth and development, and response to adversity stress. It has therefore became a hot topic in the field of plant research. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a vital genomics tool that specifically reduces host endogenous gene expression utilizing plant homology-dependent defense mechanisms. In addition, VIGS enables characterization of gene function by rapidly inducing the gene-silencing phenotypes in plants. It provides an efficient and feasible alternative for verifying gene function in plant species lacking genetic transformation systems. This paper reviews the current status of the application of VIGS technology in the biosynthesis, degradation and regulatory mechanisms of plant pigments. Moreover, this review discusses the potential and future prospects of VIGS technology in exploring the regulatory mechanisms of plant pigments, with the aim to further our understandings of the metabolic processes and regulatory mechanisms of different plant pigments as well as improving plant color traits.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on anorectal function in patients with mid and low rectal cancer., Methods: A total of 22 patients with mid and low rectal cancer were enrolled into this study from October 2012 to November 2013. There were 14 males and 8 females with a mean age of (59 ± 10) years. We collected the defecation-related symptoms with questionnaire interview and evaluated the anorectal function with three-dimensional high-resolution manometry before neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and at 6 weeks after radiotherapy., Results: The defecation-related symptoms (including increase in stool frequency, change in stool form, hematochezia and urgency, etc.) improved significantly after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (n = 21). Among those with lower rectal cancer (n = 8), the length of high-pressure zone in manometry increased significantly after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy ((3.84 ± 0.61) vs (2.96 ± 0.80) cm, P = 0.003). However, there was no significant change for other parameters in anorectal function (all P > 0.05)., Conclusions: In patients with mid and low rectal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy may improve the defecation symptoms and enhance anal sphincter high-pressure zone for lower rectal cancer. And it is probably due to its tumor-downsizing effect.

Objective: To investigate the value of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of renal solid renal lesions (RSLs)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 140 cases of 152 RSLs with a mean diameter 3.1∓1.9 cm. CEUS was performed and the perfusion characteristics were analyzed using contrast pulse sequences (CPS) technique. CEUS findings were compared with biopsy histopathologic findings., Results: A total of 137 malignant lesions (including 127 renal clear cell carcinomas, 8 renal papillary carcinomas and 2 chromophobe cell carcinomas) and 15 benign lesions (13 angiomyolipomas and 2 renal oncocytomas) were detected. Of the 137 malignant lesions, 98 (71.5%) showed contrast agent fast perfusion and hyper-enhancement or iso-enhancement in cortical phase, 104 (75.9%) showed hypo-enhancement in later corticalmedullary and late phase, and 125 (91.2%) showed rim-like enhancement. Tumors with a diameter ≤2 cm presented with homogeneous enhancement, and those ranging from 2 to 4 cm showed heterogeneous enhancement with a honeycomb feature; tumors greater than 4 cm featured heterogeneous enhancement with large no-enhancement necrotic areas. Of the benign lesions, 13 angiomyolipomas and 2 renal oncocytomas showed slow wash-in and slow wash-out mode. The diagnostic specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value of CEUS for RSLs were 94.9%, 96.1%, and 73.7%, as compared to 72.3%, 71.1%, and 19.1% with conventional US, respectively (P<0.001). The sensitivity and negative predictive value of CEUS were 93.3% and 99.2%, respectively, significantly higher than those of conventional US (60% and 94.3%, P=0.084, and 0.062, respectively)., Conclusion: Real-time CEUS can provide valuable information for improving the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of RSLs.