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Wild rice ( Zizania spp.), an aquatic grass belonging to the subfamily Gramineae, has a high economic value. Zizania provides food (such as grains and vegetables), a habitat for wild animals, and paper-making pulps, possesses certain medicinal values, and helps control water eutrophication. Zizania is an ideal resource for expanding and enriching a rice breeding gene bank to naturally preserve valuable characteristics lost during domestication. With the Z. latifolia and Z. palustris genomes completely sequenced, fundamental achievements have been made toward understanding the origin and domestication, as well as the genetic basis of important agronomic traits of this genus, substantially accelerating the domestication of this wild plant. The present review summarizes the research results on the edible history, economic value, domestication, breeding, omics research, and important genes of Z. latifolia and Z. palustris over the past decades. These findings broaden the collective understanding of Zizania domestication and breeding, furthering human domestication, improvement, and long-term sustainability of wild plant cultivation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xie, Qi, Li, Li, Zhang, Wang, Zhang, Ye, Guo, Qian, Zhang and Yan.)

Background: This Escherichia coli-produced bivalent HPV 16 and 18 vaccine was well tolerated and effective against HPV 16 and 18 associated high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection in interim analysis of this phase 3 trial. We now report data on long-term efficacy and safety after 66 months of follow-up., Methods: This phase 3, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial was done in five study sites in China. Eligible participants were women aged 18-45 years, with intact cervix and 1-4 lifetime sexual partners. Women who were pregnant or breastfeeding, had chronic disease or immunodeficiency, or had HPV vaccination history were excluded. Women were stratified by age (18-26 and 27-45 years) and randomly (1:1) allocated by software (block randomisation with 12 codes to a block) to receive three doses of the E coli-produced HPV 16 and 18 vaccine or hepatitis E vaccine (control) and followed-up for 66 months. The primary outcomes were high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection (longer than 6 months) associated with HPV 16 or 18 in the per-protocol susceptible population. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01735006., Findings: Between Nov 22, 2012, and April 1, 2013, 8827 women were assessed for eligibility. 1455 women were excluded, and 7372 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive the HPV vaccine (n=3689) or control (n=3683). Vaccine efficacy was 100·0% (95% CI 67·2-100·0) against high-grade genital lesions (0 [0%] of 3310 participants in the vaccine group and 13 [0·4%] of 3302 participants in the control group) and 97·3% (89·9-99·7) against persistent infection (2 [0·1%] of 3262 participants in the vaccine group and 73 [2·2%] of 3271 participants in the control group) in the per-protocol population. Serious adverse events occurred at a similar rate between vaccine (267 [7·2%] of 3691 participants) and control groups (290 [7·9%] of 3681); none were considered related to vaccination., Interpretation: The E coli-produced HPV 16 and 18 vaccine was well tolerated and highly efficacious against HPV 16 and 18 associated high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection and would supplement the global HPV vaccine availability and accessibility for cervical cancer prevention., Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program of China, Fujian Provincial Project, Fundamental Funds for the Central Universities, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, and Xiamen Innovax., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests B-ZL, MG, F-ZZ, and Q-FZ report are current or former employees of Xiamen Innovax. GS and H-RP are current employees of and have stock options in Xiamen Innovax. Y-ML is a current employee of and has stock options in Beijing Wantai Pharmacy Enterprise. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) activity and long noncoding RNA H19 gene expression in the urine of coke oven workers. Methods: In September 2019, in a coking plant in Taiyuan City, 146 male workers who had worked in coke oven operations for one year were selected through a completely random sampling method, and their basic personal information was collected by questionnaire survey, and blood and urine samples were collected. The levels of 4 PAHs metabolites 2-hydroxfluorene (2-FLU), 2- hydroxynaphthalene (2-NAP), 9-hydroxyphenanthren (9-PHE), and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) -fluorescence detection method. HPLC-UV detection method was used to detect the content of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) in plasma, and the SAHH activity value was obtained by calculating the ratio. Reverse transcription PCR method was used to determine the H19 gene expression level. Urine levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP, 9-PHE, and 1-OHP were divided into Q (1), Q (2), Q (3), and Q (4) groups according to quartiles ( P (25), P (50), P (75)). Regression, trend test and restricted cubic splines were used to analyze the relationship among PAHs metabolites, SAHH activity, H19 gene expression and their dose-response. Results: The median age of coke oven workers was 39.60 years old, the median length of service was 20.38 years, and the urinary levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP, 9- PHE, and 1-OHP were 0.29, 0.74, 0.09, and 0.06 μg/mmol Cr, respectively. The levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP and 9-PHE in the urine of workers were significantly different between groups with different 1-OHP levels ( P <0.05). After adjusting for age, length of service, smoking, drinking, and levels of 2-FLU, 2-NAP and 9-PHE, SAHH activity decreased with the increase of urinary 1-OHP level ( OR =0.63, 95% CI : 0.41-0.98, P =0.038), showing a nonlinear relationship ( P (nonlinear)= 0.030). H19 gene expression increased with the increase of urinary 1- OHP level ( OR =1.51, 95% CI : 1.03-2.19, P =0.033), there was a linear relationship ( P (trend)= 0.058). The relationship between the other three metabolites in urine and SAHH activity and H19 gene expression was not statistically significant ( P >0.05) . Conclusion: Urinary 1-OHP level may be a risk factor for decreased SAHH activity and increased H19 gene expression in coke oven workers.

Objective: To investigate the effect of CD4-positive T lymphocyte expression rate on the pain control and prognosis of stage Ⅳ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with cancerous pain. Methods: The clinical data of 128 stage Ⅳ NSCLC patients with cancerous pain who were admitted to the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 92 males and 36 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 23∶9 and an average age of (56±21) years old. The expression rate of CD4-positive T lymphocytes in peripheral blood was routinely detected on admission, and the expression rate of CD4-positive T lymphocytes ≥45% was defined as the CD4 high expression group, and<45% was defined as the low expression group. The differences in the time required for pain control, the dosage of opioids and the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and the overall survival (OS) time and progression-free survival (PFS) time of the two groups were calculated. Cox regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of patients' OS time and PFS time. Results: The median time required for pain control in the high CD4 expression group [ M ( Q 1 , Q 3 )] was 18.6 (4.6, 21.5) h, which was lower than that in the low CD4 expression group [28.2 (7.1, 38.9) h] ( P =0.012). The dosage of morphine in the CD4 high expression group [ M ( Q 1 , Q 3 )] was 88.6 (42.5, 295.0) mg, which was lower than that in the low expression group [145.8 (82.5, 442.5) mg] ( P =0.010). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting, constipation, urinary retention, intestinal obstruction, and respiratory depression between the two groups (all P >0.05). The OS time and PFS time in the CD4 high expression group [ M ( Q 1 , Q 3 )] were 12.5 (8.1, 13.8) months and 8.5(3.1, 9.4) months, respectively, which were higher than those in the CD4 low expression group [8.6 (4.1, 12.9) months and 6.5 (2.1, 7.9) months, respectively] (all P <0.01). Cox multivariate analysis showed that high expression of CD4 was a protective factor affecting OS ( HR =0.876, 95% CI : 1.224-6.641, P =0.004) and PFS (HR =0.675, 95% CI : 1.742-5.930, P =0.031) Conclusion: The stage Ⅳ NSCLC patients with cancerous pain and high expression of CD4-positive T lymphocytes have shorter pain control time, less morphine dosage, and longer OS and PFS time.

Chinese wild rice (Zizania latifolia; family: Gramineae) is a valuable medicinal homologous grain in East and Southeast Asia. Here, using Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding, we generated a 547.38 Mb chromosome-level genome assembly comprising 332 contigs and 164 scaffolds (contig N50 = 4.48 Mb; scaffold N50 = 32.79 Mb). The genome harbors 38,852 genes, with 52.89% of the genome comprising repetitive sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed close relation of Z. latifolia to Leersia perrieri and Oryza species, with a divergence time of 19.7-31.0 million years. Collinearity and transcriptome analyses revealed candidate genes related to seed shattering, providing basic information on abscission layer formation and degradation in Z. latifolia. Moreover, two genomic blocks in the Z. latifolia genome showed good synteny with the rice phytocassane biosynthetic gene cluster. The updated genome will support future studies on the genetic improvement of Chinese wild rice and comparative analyses between Z. latifolia and other plants., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Temperature influences the physiological processes and ecology of both hosts and endophytes; however, it remains unclear how long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate the consequences of temperature-dependent changes in host-pathogen interactions. To explore the role of lncRNAs in culm gall formation induced by the smut fungus Ustilago esculenta in Zizania latifolia , we employed RNA sequencing to identify lncRNAs and their potential cis -targets in Z. latifolia and U. esculenta under different temperatures. In Z. latifolia and U. esculenta , we identified 3194 and 173 lncRNAs as well as 126 and four potential target genes for differentially expressed lncRNAs, respectively. Further function and expression analysis revealed that lncRNA ZlMSTRG.11348 regulates amino acid metabolism in Z. latifolia and lncRNA UeMSTRG.02678 regulates amino acid transport in U. esculenta . The plant defence response was also found to be regulated by lncRNAs and suppressed in Z. latifolia infected with U. esculenta grown at 25 °C, which may result from the expression of effector genes in U. esculenta . Moreover, in Z. latifolia infected with U. esculenta , the expression of genes related to phytohormones was altered under different temperatures. Our results demonstrate that lncRNAs are important components of the regulatory networks in plant-microbe-environment interactions, and may play a part in regulating culm swelling in Z. latifolia plants.

Objectives: Data from clinical trials of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines showed that women naïve (negative for both type-specific antibodies and DNA) to vaccine types would derive benefit from vaccination; therefore, an understanding of the proportion of naïve women in different age groups is important for developing HPV vaccination strategies., Methods: From November 2012 to April 2013, a total of 7372 healthy women aged 18-45 years were recruited in five provinces in China. Cervical specimens and serum samples were collected for each woman at entry. Cervical specimens were first tested by the HPV DNA enzyme immunoassay method; if positive, the specimens were then tested by reverse hybridization line probe assay and HPV-16 and HPV-18 specific polymerase chain reactions. Neutralizing antibodies against HPV-16 or HPV-18 were tested with a pseudovirion-based neutralization assay., Results: The overall prevalence of high-risk HPV DNA was 14.8% (1088/7367, 95% CI 14.0-15.6), and the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies against HPV-16 and HPV-18 was 12.6% (925/7367) and 4.9% (364/7367), respectively. In younger women (18-26 years) and middle-aged women (27-45 years), 83.8% (3116/3719) and 81.4% (2968/3648) were naïve to both HPV-16 and HPV-18 (both neutralizing antibodies and DNA were negative), respectively. In addition, 98.5% (3664/3719) and 98.0% (3575/3648) of the younger or middle-aged women were naïve to at least one HPV type (HPV-16 or HPV-18)., Discussion: This study revealed that the majority of Chinese women aged 18-26 years and 27-45 years were naïve to both HPV-16 and HPV-18 and would thus derive full benefit from bivalent HPV vaccination., (Copyright © 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ustilago esculenta, a smut fungus, can induce the formation of culm galls in Zizania latifolia, a vegetable consumed in many Asian countries. Specifically, the mycelia-teliospore (M-T) strain of U. esculenta induces the Jiaobai (JB) type of gall, while the teliospore (T) strain induces the Huijiao (HJ) type. The underlying molecular mechanism responsible for the formation of the two distinct types of gall remains unclear. Our results showed that most differentially expressed genes relevant to effector proteins were up-regulated in the T strain compared to those in the M-T strain during gall formation, and the expression of teliospore formation-related genes was higher in the T strain than the M-T strain. Melanin biosynthesis was also clearly induced in the T strain. The T strain exhibited stronger pathogenicity and greater teliospore production than the M-T strain. We evaluated the implications of the gene regulatory networks in the development of these two type of culm gall in Z. latifolia infected with U. esculenta and suggested potential targets for genetic manipulation to modify the gall type for this crop., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the demographics, usage patterns and complication rates of clomiphene use in male patients., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed male patients from ages 20 to 55 years old who were prescribed clomiphene citrate from 2001 to 2014 using the Truven Health MarketScan, a US claims database. We collected data regarding associated medical diagnoses, diagnostic testing, duration of use, and reported side effects including thrombotic events, vision problems, gynecomastia, mental disorders, liver disease, nausea, or skin problems., Results: In total, 12,318 men took clomiphene and represented the primary study cohort, with a mean age of 37.8 years. The percentage of men prescribed clomiphene increased over the study period, as did the average age of clomiphene users. Associated diagnoses included male infertility (52.0%), testicular hypofunction (13.5%), erectile dysfunction (2.4%), and low libido (0.4%). Associated testing included semen analysis (43.7%), testosterone (23.5%), luteinizing hormone (19.3%), and follicle-stimulating hormone (21.1%) levels. The median time of clomiphene use was 3.6 months, with 63% of men stopping within 6 months. No increased risk of reported clomiphene side effects were apparent in men taking the medication., Conclusions: There is a rising prevalence of clomiphene usage without associated adverse side effects in the US. The variability in associated diagnoses, diagnostic testing, and duration of use suggest a need for greater awareness of the proper evaluation and treatment of the men who are prescribed clomiphene., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology.)

Objective: To analyze the analgesic effect of CT-guided celiac nerve plexus destruction or celiac plexus destruction combined with absolute ethanol injection on retroperitoneal enlarged lymph nodes in patients with pancreatic cancer with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis (combined therapy). Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data of 187 patients with pancreatic cancer and retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis admitted to Zhengzhou University Cancer Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018 due to poor abdominal pain control. According to the treatment method, they were divided into 2 groups: Group A ( n= 48) , treated with CT-guided celiac plexus destruction; Group B ( n= 139) , treated with CT-guided combined therapy. The analgesic effect, morphine application dose, and adverse reactions were compared before surgery, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. Results: The oral morphine doses of patients in Group A before surgery and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery were (107±34) , (65±23) , (35±12) , (48±18) , (81±25) mg. The oral morphine doses of patients in Group B before surgery and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery were (112±37) , (53±17) , (27±14) , (42±16) , (63±20) mg. Compared with that before surgery, the oral morphine doses were significantly reduced at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery in both groups ( P< 0.05 or P< 0.01) . The effective rate and excellent rate of pain treatment in Group A at 1 week after operation were 83.3% and 60.4%, in Group B were 95.7% and 75.5%, respectively. The effective rate and excellent rate of pain treatment in Group A at one month after operation were 71.7% and 45.6%, in Group B were 89.0% and 67.6%, respectively; The effective rate and excellent rate of pain treatment in Group A at three months after operation were 48.6% and 25.7%, respectively, in Group B were 72.6% and 47.0%; Compared with Group A, the effective rate and excellent rate of pain treatment in Group B were increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting between the two groups of patients before and 1 day after surgery, but the incidence of nausea and vomiting at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery in Group B was significantly reduced, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). Compared with that before surgery, the incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group A was significantly reduced at 1 week and 1 month after operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( P< 0.01); The incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group B was significantly reduced at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after operation, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.01). Compared with 1 day after surgery, the incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group A was significantly reduced at 1 week and 1 month after surgery ( P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). The incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group B was significantly reduced at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after operation, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.01). Compared with 1 week after surgery, the incidence of nausea and vomiting in the two groups increased at 3 months after surgery, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). Compared with 1 month after surgery, the incidence of nausea and vomiting in Group A increased at 3 months after surgery, and the difference was statistically significant ( P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of transient hypotension after surgery in the two groups. The difference in the incidence of postoperative diarrhea was not statistically significant. The incidence was highest within 1 day after surgery and generally recovered within 7 days after surgery. Conclusions: The two schemes can effectively relieve pain in patients with pancreatic cancer with retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, reduce morphine dose. The combination therapy has higher efficiency and excellent rate, lower morphine dosage after surgery, and lower incidence of nausea and vomiting.

Background: The high cost and insufficient supply of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have slowed the pace of controlling cervical cancer. A phase III clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a novel Escherichia coli-produced bivalent HPV-16/18 vaccine., Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial started on November 22, 2012 in China. In total, 7372 eligible women aged 18-45 years were age-stratified and randomly assigned to receive three doses of the test or control (hepatitis E) vaccine at months 0, 1, and 6. Co-primary endpoints included high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection (over 6 months) associated with HPV-16/18. The primary analysis was performed on a per-protocol susceptible population of individuals who were negative for relevant HPV type-specific neutralizing antibodies (at day 0) and DNA (at day 0 through month 7) and who received three doses of the vaccine. This report presents data from a prespecified interim analysis used for regulatory submission., Results: In the per-protocol cohort, the efficacies against high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection were 100.0% (95% confidence interval = 55.6% to 100.0%, 0 of 3306 in the vaccine group vs 10 of 3296 in the control group) and 97.8% (95% confidence interval = 87.1% to 99.9%, 1 of 3240 vs 45 of 3246), respectively. The side effects were mild. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were noted. Robust antibody responses for both types were induced and persisted for at least 42 months., Conclusions: The E coli-produced HPV-16/18 vaccine is well tolerated and highly efficacious against HPV-16/18-associated high-grade genital lesions and persistent infection in women., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms of opioid-related genes and high-dose opioid tolerance in patients with cancer pain. Methods: Twenty patients (high-dose opioid tolerance group, group A) who were hospitalized in Henan Cancer Hospital from June 2016 to June 2018 and who received high-dose opioid for pain control for more than 1 week were selected as case groups (group A). Thirty patients with stage Ⅳ tumors who were hospitalized in Henan Cancer Hospital and did not have opioid tolerance were randomly selected as the control group (group B). The peripheral blood samples of two groups were taken for DNA extraction. Gene polymorphisms were detected in 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (rs1799971, rs754891060, rs200637194, rs1045642, rs7438135, rs7439366, rs2242480, rs1080985, rs529520, rs581111, rs2234918, rs4680, rs6276, rs3732765, rs9859538) of the nine opioid receptor-related genes (OPRM1,ABCB1,UGT2B7,CYP3A4,CYP2D6,OPRD1, COMT,DRD2,P2RY12) which most likely to affect high-dose opioid tolerance in patients with cancer pain. Results: The distribution of different genotypes of rs7438135 locus in UGT2B7 gene were statistically significant between the two groups (χ(2)=9.68, P= 0.004). The difference in the distribution of the different genotypes of the rs3732765 locus of the P2RY12 gene in the two groups were at the significant edge (χ(2)=5.57, P= 0.05). A correlation analysis between the relevant SNP locus and the risk of high-dose opioid tolerance in cancer patients indicated that individuals with rs7438135 GA genotype in cancer patients were at 6.19 times more likely to have high doses of opioid tolerance than individuals with AA genotypes. Conclusions: The rs7438135 locus gene polymorphism of UGT2B7 gene may be a risk predictor for high-dose opioid tolerance. The rs3732765 site of the P2RY12 gene may be a potential predictor of high-dose opioid tolerance.

Purpose: We sought to characterize the effects of prostate specific antigen registry errors on clinical research by comparing cohorts based on cancer registry prostate specific antigen values with those based directly on results in the electronic health record., Materials and Methods: We defined sample cohorts of men with prostate cancer using data from the Veterans Health Administration, including those with a prostate specific antigen value less than 4.0, 4.0 to 10.0, 10.0 to 20.0 and 20.0 to 98.0 ng/ml, respectively. We compared the composition of each cohort and overall patient survival when using prostate specific antigen values from the Veteran Affairs Central Cancer Registry vs the gold standard electronic health record laboratory file results., Results: There was limited agreement among cohorts when defined by cancer registry prostate specific antigen values vs the laboratory file of the electronic health record. The least agreement of 58% was seen in patients with prostate specific antigen less than 4.0 ng/ml and greatest agreement of 89% was noted among patients with prostate specific antigen between 4.0 and 10.0 ng/ml. In each cohort patients assigned to a cohort based only on the cancer registry prostate specific antigen value had significantly different overall survival when compared with patients assigned based on registry and laboratory file prostate specific antigen values., Conclusions: Cohorts based exclusively on cancer registry prostate specific antigen values may have high rates of misclassification that can introduce concerning differences in key characteristics and result in measurable differences in clinical outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Randomized clinical trials are considered the preferred approach for comparing the effects of treatments, yet data from high-quality clinical trials are often unavailable and many clinical decisions are made on the basis of evidence from observational studies. Using clinical examples about the management of infertility, we discuss how we can use observational data from large and information-rich health-care databases combined with modern epidemiological and statistical methods to learn about the effects of interventions when clinical trial evidence is unavailable or not applicable to the clinically relevant target population. When trial evidence is unavailable, we can conduct observational analyses emulating the hypothetical pragmatic target trials that would address the clinical questions of interest. When trial evidence is available but not applicable to the clinically relevant target population, we can transport inferences from trial participants to the target population using the trial data and a sample of observational data from the target population. Clinical trial emulations and transportability analyses can be coupled with methods for examining heterogeneity of treatment effects, providing a path toward personalized medicine., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: We report a transcriptome assembly and expression profiles from RNA-Seq data and identify genes responsible for culm gall formation in Zizania latifolia induced by Ustilago esculenta. The smut fungus Ustilago esculenta can induce culm gall in Zizania latifolia, which is used as a vegetable in Asian countries. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of culm gall formation is still unclear. To characterize the processes underlying this host-fungus association, we performed transcriptomic and expression profiling analyses of culms from Z. latifolia infected by the fungus U. esculenta. Transcriptomic analysis detected U. esculenta induced differential expression of 19,033 and 17,669 genes in Jiaobai (JB) and Huijiao (HJ) type of gall, respectively. Additionally, to detect the potential gall inducing genes, expression profiles of infected culms collected at -7, 1 and 10 DAS of culm gall development were  analyzed. Compared to control, we detected 8089 genes (4389 up-regulated, 3700 down-regulated) and 5251 genes (3121 up-regulated, 2130 down-regulated) were differentially expressed in JB and HJ, respectively. And we identified 376 host and 187 fungal candidate genes that showed stage-specific expression pattern, which are  possibly responsible for gall formation at the initial and later phases, respectively. Our results indicated that cytokinins play more prominent roles in regulating gall formation than do auxins. Together, our work provides general implications for the understanding of gene regulatory networks for culm gall development in Z. latifolia, and potential targets for genetic manipulation to improve the future yield   of  this crop.

Objectives: To describe the urodynamic characteristics of men with urinary retention, and to show the diverse treatment plans based on urodynamic findings., Methods: We carried out a 3-year retrospective review of men with urinary retention who were referred to our clinic for urodynamic evaluation. Men with a history of neurogenic voiding dysfunction or major pelvic surgery were excluded. Multichannel videourodynamic studies were carried out, and the subsequent treatment modality offered was recorded., Results: A total of 67 men with urinary retention and a median age of 68 years underwent urodynamic evaluation. The median maximum flow rate was 3 mL/s, and the median detrusor pressure at maximum flow was 54 cm H 2 O. Bladder outlet obstruction was diagnosed in 60%. Detrusor underactivity was present in 73% according to the bladder contractility index; however, just 29% were classified as having detrusor underactivity according to isometric detrusor pressure, an alternative measure of contractility. A total of 76% of patients had low detrusor reserve (<20 cm H 2 O). Based on urodynamic findings, just 57% of patients were offered de-obstructive surgery., Conclusions: In the present cohort, just 60% of men with urinary retention showed urodynamic evidence of bladder outlet obstruction. Depending on how contractility is measured (bladder contractility index vs isometric detrusor pressure), the rate of detrusor underactivity varies. The majority of men with retention had a low detrusor reserve. Given the wide spectrum of urodynamic findings in men with retention, surgical intervention might not be necessary for all. Furthermore, a careful consideration of urodynamics can assist in the selection of optimal treatment., (© 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.)

Objective: To determine if there was an association between vasectomy utilization and offspring sex ratio (male offspring : total offspring), as offspring sex preference may have an impact on family planning in the United States., Methods: Using data from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, we calculated the number of sons and daughters of all men stratified by vasectomy status. We utilized a logistic regression model to determine if vasectomy utilization varies based on offspring sex ratio while accounting for known factors that impact vasectomy utilization., Results: Of these men, 30,927 (30.8%) underwent vasectomy. Marital status, race, age, education level, region or state, and number of offspring were all significantly correlated with vasectomy utilization (P < .01). The sex ratio for vasectomized fathers (51.3%) was significantly higher than for fathers who had not undergone vasectomy (50.7%, P < .01). This difference remained even after we stratified by the total number of offspring: vasectomized men with 4 or more children had a sex ratio of 947 girls per 1000 boys, whereas the no vasectomy group had a sex ratio of 983 girls per 1000 boys (P < .01). For men with at least 2 children, each additional son increased the likelihood of vasectomy by 4% (P < .01), whereas each additional daughter led to a 2% decrease in vasectomy utilization (P = .03)., Conclusion: Vasectomized fathers have a higher proportion of sons compared with non-vasectomized fathers, suggesting that offspring sex ratio is associated with a man's decision to undergo vasectomy. Further research is indicated to understand how offspring sex ratio impacts a man's contraceptive decisions., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As a new emerging area in chemical sensing, sensing using supramolecular aggregates exhibits unique advantages over that using conventional small-molecule chemical sensors, in terms of high sensitivity and selectivity, and the simplicity of the sensory building blocks. This Feature Article outlines the recent research progress made in sensing based on induced supramolecular aggregation-disaggregation. The reviewed sensory building blocks, in general, in the form of a small molecular sensor, yet with a much simpler structure, which form aggregates, are those of perylene derivatives, pyrene derivatives, tetraphenylethylene derivatives, metallophilic species and metal-organic frameworks.

This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effects and adverse reactions of radiofrequency thermocoagulation combined with adriamycin injection in dorsal root ganglia on lung cancer rib metastasis-related refractory pain which has no response to conventional therapy.This study contained 27 patients with lung cancer rib metastasis-related moderate or severe pain which had no response to conventional therapy. Under computed tomography (CT)-guidance, radiofrequency puncture need reached the corresponding intervertebral foramens to ensure needle point near dorsal root ganglia (DRG) by sensory and motor stimulation tests, and then radiofrequency thermocoagulation was performed on each corresponding DRG followed by injection of 0.5 to 1 mL of adriamycin (0.5%). The conditions of pain and complications were observed before management and 3 days, 1 month, and 3 months after management, respectively.Numerical rating scale (NRS) scores and dosage of morphine were all significantly decreased after management as compared with those before management (all P < 0.01). Although the number of patients with chest wall numbness was significantly increased after management as compared with that before management (all P < 0.01), the degree of chest wall numbness was tolerable. There were no statistical differences between before and after management in nausea and vomiting, and constipation.CT-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation combined with adriamycin injection in DRG can effectively control lung cancer rib metastasis-related pain which has no response to conventional therapy. This combinatory treatment regimen is featured by better therapeutic effects and a few complications, so it is worthy of being recommended in clinical application., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Introduction: Men who are considering vasectomy as a means of contraception may have significant anxiety about their future sexual potency. As a result, couples may choose other forms of contraception with lower efficacy., Aim: We sought to determine the relationship between vasectomy and the frequency of sexual intercourse., Methods: We analyzed data from cycles 6 (2002) to 7 (2006-2008) of the National Survey of Family Growth to compare the frequency of sexual intercourse of men who had undergone vasectomy with men who had not. Analysis was performed using data from male and female responders, and excluded men who had never had sex and those below age 25. We constructed a multivariate logistic regression model to adjust for demographic, socioeconomic, reproductive, and health factors., Main Outcome Measure: The main outcome measure was the sexual frequency in the last 4 weeks., Results: Among male responders, a total of 5838 men met criteria for our study; 353 had undergone vasectomy. For vasectomized men, the average frequency of sexual intercourse was 5.9 times per month compared with 4.9 times for nonvasectomized men. After adjusting for age, marital status, race, education, health, body mass index, children, and income, vasectomized men had an 81% higher odds (95% confidence interval [CI] 6-201%) of having intercourse at least once a week compared with nonvasectomized men. A total number of 5211 female respondents reported 670 of their partners had undergone vasectomy. For partners of vasectomized men, the average frequency of intercourse was 6.3 times per month, compared with 6.0 times for partners of nonvasectomized men. After adjustment, women with vasectomized partners had a 46% higher odds (95% CI 5-103%) of having sexual intercourse at least once a week compared with women with nonvasectomized partners (P = 0.024)., Conclusion: Vasectomy is not associated with decreased sexual frequency. This finding may be helpful to couples as they consider contraceptive options., (© 2015 International Society for Sexual Medicine.)

The aim of the present work was to investigate the photosynthetic performance and antioxidant enzyme activities in response to γ-irradiation of an aquatic plant Zizania latifolia. The Z. latifolia seedlings at 6-leaf stage were exposed to 25, 50 and 100 Gy of γ rays from a (60)Co source. The growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant contents were examined at 1-5 weeks post-irradiation (WPI). The results showed that plant height, leaf number and tiller (branch close to ground) number were significantly suppressed by 50 and 100 Gy irradiation at 5, 3-5 and 4-5 WPI, respectively, but they were not significantly different from control by 25 Gy irradiation. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll contents were also found to be significantly decreased by irradiation. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and transpiration rate (Tr) generally declined in a dose-dependent manner. As for the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (Φ(PSII)) and photochemical quenching (qP) were observed to be significantly decreased compared to the control at 3 WPI, while non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) significantly increased by 100 Gy. γ-irradiation induced substantial increase in MDA content, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, reduced ascorbate (AsA) content and reduced glutathione (GSH) content, suggesting a protective mechanism of Z. latifolia plant against oxidative stress when exposed to γ-irradiation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We reviewed the consultation patterns for difficult urethral catheter placement in tertiary care hospitals and developed a treatment algorithm for this common request., Materials and Methods: We identified all urethral catheter consults obtained by urology residents at three tertiary care hospitals from October 2009 through October 2010. Only consults for inability to place urethral catheter by the referring team were included; hematuria or clot retention were excluded. Patient age, date of consultation, consulting service, prior urologic history, initial number of attempts, and final outcome were recorded., Results: Eighty-one consults were recorded. Seventy-seven (96%) were male; the median age was 65 years. The most common consulting services were internal medicine (35%), intraoperative consults (17%), and the intensive care unit (17%). In 90% of cases, an initial attempt at catheter placement was attempted; 62% of these were made by nurses. Over half of patients had known urologic pathology. In 70% of cases, successful placement without other adjuncts was achieved by the urology resident. Twenty percent of patients required cystoscopic manipulation; nine percent required suprapubic tube placement., Conclusions: Catheterization was achieved without adjunct procedures in the majority of consults. These results support an algorithm in which all patients without a prior history of lower urinary tract pathology should undergo an initial placement attempt by the primary service physician. They also underscore the need for educational efforts to improve non-urologists' comfort level with placement of a standard Foley or Coudé catheter.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of careHPV16/18/45 DNA testing of cervical specimens as a triage testing for women with positive findings during the cervical cancer screening., Methods: Eligible women aged 25-65 years were enrolled from two high-risk communities in Yangcheng County,Shanxi Province.After providing written informed consent on a voluntary base,women underwent questionnaire-based interview,gynecological examination,and sample collection.Hybrid capture 2 technology(HC2),careHPV,Avantage HPV E6 test,and visual inspection with acetic acid(VIA)were conducted as the primary screening tests at the enrollment visit.Women with any positive finding were invited to receive a second VIA and colposcopy.careHPV16/18/45 was performed as a triage testing.Any visible lesion under colposcopy was directly biopsied.Women with pathology confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and worse(CIN2+)were treated with standard procedures., Results: For the self-collected and doctor-collected samples,the application of careHPV16/18/45 as a triage testing decreased the colposcopy referral to 3.2% and 3.1%,respectively.Meanwhile,the sensitivity,specificity,and positive predictive value(PPV)for CIN2+were 50.0%,97.6%,and 26.7% for women with positive self-sampling careHPV results and 63.0%,97.9%,and 34.0% for women with positive doctor-sampling careHPV results., Conclusion: careHPV16/18/45 is promising as a triage testing among women with positive screening findings in low-resource settings.

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction had been employed in gene delivery and promised great potential. Liver has unique features that make it attractive for gene therapy. However, it poses formidable obstacles to hepatocyte-specific gene delivery. This study was designed to test the efficiency of therapeutic gene transfer and expression mediated by ultrasound/microbubble strategy in HepG2 cell line. Air-filled albumin microbubbles were prepared and mixed with plasmid DNA encoding low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and green fluorescent protein. The mixture of the DNA and microbubbles was administer to cultured HepG2 cells under variable ultrasound conditions. Transfection rate of the transferred gene and cell viability were assessed by FACS analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy, Western blot analysis and Trypan blue staining. The result demonstrated that microbubbles with ultrasound irradiation can significantly elevate exogenous LDLR gene expression and the expressed LDLRs were functional and active to uptake their ligands. We conclude that ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction has the potential to promote safe and efficient LDLR gene transfer into hepatocytes. With further refinement, it may represent an effective nonviral avenue of gene therapy for liver-involved genetic diseases.

Objective: To investigate the association of R219K and M883I polymorphisms of ATP binding cassette transporter 1 gene with lipid metabolism and the susceptibility to coronary atherosclerotic heart disease in Chinese population., Methods: Genotypes were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and Primer introduced restriction analysis-PCR techniques, respectively, in 248 unrelated CHD-free controls and 224 CHD cases., Results: Smoking, high blood pressure and high serum glucose were independent risk factors for CHD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals carrying at least one 219K variant allele (RK + KK genotypes) had a significantly decreased risk for CHD (adjusted OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.27-0.61) compared with the wild-type genotype (219RR) and only 883II homozygotes displayed a decreased risk for CHD (adjusted OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.26-1.11) compared with 883MM and 883MI genotypes. Furthermore, compared with individuals with both wild genotypes (219 RR and 883 MM or 883 MI) other individuals with all other assembly genotypes had a significantly decreased risk (adjusted OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.26-0.60). Plasma HDL-C in 219K allele carriers were markedly higher than those in 219 K non-carriers in controls (P = 0.037)., Conclusion: The ABCA1 R219K polymorphism may be involved in the variability of serum HDL-C and the susceptibility to coronary artery disease.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between apolipoprotein A5(apoA5) - 1131T > C polymorphism and the susceptibility of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese., Methods: The restriction fragment length polymorphism of apoA5 gene - 1131T > C was studied using PCR in a case-control study which enrolled 235 patients with CAD diagnosed by angiography and 262 healthy controls from Jiangsu province., Results: The frequencies of T, C allele were 59.57%ì40.43% and 65.65%, 34.35% in CAD group and control group respectively. There was statistically significant difference in allele frequencies between CAD group and control group (P < 0.05). The susceptibility to CAD for the CC genotype was much higher than that for wild type TT (OR = 1.872, 95% CI = 1.039 - 3.376, P = 0.037), even after the use of Logistic regression models (OR = 2.285, 95% CI = 1.222 - 4.274, P = 0.012). In control group, there was significant difference in TG levels among different genotypes, the C allele carriers had higher serum TG concentration (P = 0.007)., Conclusion: apoA5 - 1131T > C polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of CAD and is also in strong association with serum TG levels.

Although viral vectors are efficient systems to transfer foreign genes into cells or target tissues, safety issues remain in relation to human gene therapy. Microbubbles currently used as ultrasound contrast agents have been applied in transfection of genes. This study was designed to test the transfection efficiency and the expression of exogenous gene mediated by ultrasound irradiation enhanced air filled albumin microbubbles in ECV304 cell line in vitro and the heart of the mouse in vivo. Air filled microbubbles (2.0-4.0 microm in diameter) were created by sonicating the mixture of human albumin, glucose, mannitol and special additive that was designed for stabilization. Plasmid DNA loading the reporter genes was gently mixed with microbubbles. The mixture of plasmid DNA and microbubbles was administrated to cultured ECV304 cells and BALB/c mice (tail vein injection) under different ultrasound/microbubble conditions, and then the transfection and expression efficiency were examined. The results both in vivo and in vitro demonstrated that microbubble with ultrasound irradiation could significantly elevate the exogenous gene expression as compared with microbubble or ultrasound only. Overall, the present study showed that the ultrasound-target microbubble destruction method enhanced the exogenous gene expression in vivo and in vitro, and provided a gene therapy way not only efficient but also easy to be manipulated and carried out in clinical.