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Objective: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common psychosocial sequela among cancer survivors, but data on patients with multiple myeloma are scarce. This study calculated the prevalence of FCR and identified family and social factors that predict FCR in the study population. Methods: We recruited 127 myeloma patients and their partners to participate in a cross‐sectional survey from a regional tertiary cancer centre in China. The questionnaires included items on demographic characteristics and from the fear of disease progression simplified scale, family hardiness index and Social Support Scale. Univariate and multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of FCR. Results: Of the participants, 56.4% patients reported high‐level FCR, which was similar to the partner‐reported proportion. The partners' FCR was positively associated with the patients' FCR, while family hardiness and social support were statistically significant, negative predictors. Conclusions: Interventions to mitigate partners' FCR and improve family hardiness and social support may help with the psychological adjustment and well‐being of myeloma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite drug delivery nanoplatforms receiving extensive attention, development of a simple, effective, and multifunctional theranostics nanoplatform still remains a challenge. Herein, a versatile nanoplatform based on a zirconium framework (UiO‐66‐N3) was synthesized, which demonstrated a combined photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy (CT) for cancer treatment. A RuII polypyridyl alkyne complex (Ra) as a photosensitizer was modified into a nanoplatform by click reactions for the first time. When exposed to suitable light irradiation, the as‐prepared multifunctional nanoplatform (UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS) not only demonstrated efficient 1O2 generation, but also exhibited excellent photothermal conversion ability. In particular, the nanotherapeutic agent presented a dual‐stimuli response; either acidic environment or NIR laser irradiation would trigger the drug release. The synergetic efficacy of UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS combined PDT, PTT, and CT, which was evaluated by cell experiments. Moreover, the design could promote the development of RuII polypyridyl alkyne complexes based multifunctional nanoparticles and multimodal cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid rice, as one of the most successful crops exploiting heterosis, has greatly contributed to global food security. Due to its high‐yield potential, approximately half of the rice‐growing area in China is planted with hybrid rice varieties. However, the extreme vulnerability of hybrid rice to various diseases and poor grain quality pose great challenges to rice breeders. Here, we report the development of five new restorer lines pyramiding the broad‐spectrum blast resistance gene Pigm and low/intermediate amylose content‐associated gene Wxb by marker‐assisted and phenotypic selection. All these new restorer lines showed enhanced blast resistance in the disease nursery compared with the original restorer lines and had low‐to‐intermediate apparent amylose contents, ranging from 11.3% to 14.2%. Genetic background analysis based on next‐generation sequencing indicated that the proportion of Gumei 4 (donor of Pigm) genome in the five new restorer lines ranged from 9.89% to 21.69%. Eight of their derived hybrid combinations, which exhibited better grain quality and higher levels of blast resistance, have been certificated for commercial release in different ecological regions of China. Among them, Jing‐Liang‐You 3189, Yue‐Liang‐You 3189, Jing‐Liang‐You 1074 and Long‐Liang‐You 3188 meet the national standards for superior‐quality rice in China. These results confirmed the success of developing elite restorer lines through marker‐assisted and phenotypic selection, and these new restorer lines have great potential in developing more elite hybrid rice combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduced protocol has the advantages of using a nontoxic, nonvolatile and inexpensive cyanating agent, employing a simple work-up procedure and producing high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benzoyl cyanide, generated in a prestep from K4[Fe(CN)6] and benzoyl chloride, is demonstrated to be an efficient reagent for the synthesis of the target compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rice blast and bacterial blight represent two of major diseases having devastating impact on the yield of rice in most rice‐growing countries. Developments of resistant cultivars are the most economic and effective strategy to control these diseases. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated gene editing to rapidly install mutations in three known broad‐spectrum blast‐resistant genes, Bsr‐d1, Pi21 and ERF922, in an indica thermosensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) rice line Longke638S (LK638S). We obtained transgene‐free homozygous single or triple mutants in T1 generations. While all single and triple mutants showed increased resistance to rice blast compared with wild type, the erf922 mutants displayed the strongest blast resistance similar with triple mutants. Surprisingly, we found that Pi21 or ERF922 single mutants conferred enhanced resistance to most of tested bacterial blight. Both resistances in mutants were attribute to the up‐regulation of SA‐ and JA‐pathway associated genes. Moreover, phenotypic analysis of these single mutants in paddy fields revealed that there were no trade‐offs between resistances and main agricultural traits. Together, our study provides a rapid and effective way to generate rice varieties with resistance to both rice blast and bacterial blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast, caused by the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), is one of the most destructive and widespread plant diseases in the world. Utilization of resistance genes in rice breeding is considered to be an effective and economical method to control this disease. To identify new sources of blast resistance, a set of 1160 introgression lines (ILs) containing chromosome segments of Chaling common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) in the genetic background of an elite indica rice variety 93‐11 were developed and phenotyped in the blast nursery. Thirty‐three ILs displaying stable blast resistance in three consecutive years were obtained. Among them, one line, IL1043, was subsequently found to be resistant to all of the 28 M. oryzae isolates from different regions through artificial inoculation in greenhouse. By combining bulk segregant analysis coupled with next‐generation sequencing (BSA‐seq) and recessive class analysis (RCA), a major blast resistance gene in IL1043, designated Picl(t), was mapped on rice chromosome 6 flanked by the markers RM527 and Indel6 with an interval of approximately 925 kb, which covers the Pi2/9 locus. These results will facilitate fine mapping and cloning of Picl(t), and the linked markers will further provide a useful tool for rice blast resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We herein report a robust catalyst‐free cross‐coupling between ArI(OAc)2 and α‐stannyl nitriles, aided by TMSOTf. The transformation introduces a cyanoalkyl group to the ortho position of ArI(OAc)2 and simultaneously reduces the aryl iodine(III) to iodide, thus providing α‐(2‐iodoaryl) nitrile as the product. This transformation could be completed within 5 min at −78 °C and features superb functional‐group tolerance and efficient scalability. DFT calculations indicate that the formation of a ketenimine(aryl)iodonium intermediate and subsequent [3,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement are involved as key steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We herein report a robust catalyst‐free cross‐coupling between ArI(OAc)2 and α‐stannyl nitriles, aided by TMSOTf. The transformation introduces a cyanoalkyl group to the ortho position of ArI(OAc)2 and simultaneously reduces the aryl iodine(III) to iodide, thus providing α‐(2‐iodoaryl) nitrile as the product. This transformation could be completed within 5 min at −78 °C and features superb functional‐group tolerance and efficient scalability. DFT calculations indicate that the formation of a ketenimine(aryl)iodonium intermediate and subsequent [3,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement are involved as key steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Biocontrol is a promising strategy in the control of rice blast disease. In the present study, we isolated and characterized a novel antagonist to the pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae from rice endophytic actinomycetes. RESULTS Out of 482 endophytic actinomycetes isolated from rice blast infected and healthy rice, Streptomyces endus OsiSh-2 exhibited remarkable in vitro antagonistic activity. Scanning electron microscopy observations of M. oryzae treated by OsiSh-2 revealed significant morphological alterations in hyphae. In 2-year field tests, the spraying of OsiSh-2 spore solution (107 spores mL−1) is capable of reducing rice blast disease severity by 59.64%. In addition, a fermentation broth of OsiSh-2 and its cell-free filtrates could inhibit the growth of M. oryzae, suggesting the presence of active enzymes and secondary metabolites. OsiSh-2 tested positive for polyketide synthase-I and nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes and can produce cellulase, protease, gelatinase, siderophore, indole-3-acetic acid and 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. A preliminary separation indicated that the methanol extract of OsiSh-2 could suppress the growth of pathogens. The major active component was identified as nigericin. CONCLUSION Endophytic S. endus OsiSh-2 has potential as a biocontrol agent against rice blast in agriculture. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image, by Ting Xu et al., is based on the Research Article Isolation and evaluation of endophytic Streptomyces endus OsiSh-2 with potential application for biocontrol of rice blast disease, DOI: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]