[Incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer based on a national, multicenter, prospective, cohort study]

Objective: To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications. Methods: This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression. Results: The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion: Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

[COL11A1 regulates PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway and promotes human lung adenocarcinoma primary cell migration and invasion]

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of COL11A1 in lung adenocarcinoma migration and invasion. Methods: Surgical pathological tissues of 4 patients with lung adenocarcinoma admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from September to November 2020 were used. Immunohistochemical methods were used to identify lung adenocarcinoma tissues, para-cancerous tissues and parallel transcriptome sequencing. Genetic prognostic analysis was conducted by TCGA and GTEx databases.The expression level of COL11A1 gene in lung adenocarcinoma and adjacent tissues was detected by Western blotting.The primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells cultured. The COL11A1 siRNA was transfected into primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells, then the transcriptome sequencing of differential genes was performed,and KEGG enrichment analysis of differential gene enrichment pathway was conducted. Protein expression and phosphorylation were detected by Western blot method. Cell migration was detected by scratch healing test. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 method and invasion ability was detected by Transwell method. Results: Ten differentially expressed genes were screened by transcription sequencing in lung adenocarcinoma. Prognostic analysis of single gene showed that COL11A1 gene expression level was correlated with survival rate (P<0.001). The expression of COL11A1 in lung adenocarcinoma was higher than that in adjacent tissues by Western blot (P<0.001). Transcriptome sequencing of COL11A1 siRNA transfection into primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells showed that differential genes were concentrated in PI3K-akt pathway. The expression of tumor suppressor gene PTEN in siRNA transfection group was significantly higher than that in control group and negative transfection group by Western blot. The expression of Aktp-Akt 473 p-Akt 308 p-PTENp-PDK1p-c-Rafp-GSK-3 β was down-regulated (all P<0.05).Compared with the negative control group, the ability of migration, proliferation and invasion of primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells in siRNA transfection group decreased (all P<0.05). COL11A1 regulates PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 β pathway to promote migration and invasion of primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Conclusion: COL11A1 regulates PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 β pathway to promote migration and invasion of primary human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

[Analysis of non-bacterial respiratory pathogens in children in Ningbo City from 2019 to 2021]

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics of respiratory non-bacterial pathogens in children in Ningbo from 2019 to 2021. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 733 children with respiratory tract infection who visited the department of pediatrics of Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital from July 2019 to December 2021. There were 13 509 males (56.92%) and 10 224 females (43.08%), with an age range of 1 day to 18 years old. There were 981 cases in the neonatal group (younger than 1 month old), 5 880 cases in the infant group (1 month to younger than 1 year old), 6 552 cases in the toddler group (1 to younger than 3 years old), 7 638 cases in the preschool group (3 to younger than 7 years old), and 2 682 cases in the school-age group (7 to 18 years old). Thirteen respiratory pathogens were detected by multiple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on capillary electrophoresis, and SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the results, the count data were expressed as percentages, and the χ² test was used for comparison between groups. Results: Of the 23 733 specimens, 13 330 were positive for respiratory pathogens, with a total positive rate of 56.17%. The positive rates of human rhinovirus (HRV) 24.05% (5 707/23 733), human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) 10.45% (2 480/2 3733) and mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) 7.03% (1 668/23 733) were in the first three. The positive rates of pathogens in the male and female children were 57.47% (7 763/13 509) and 54.45% (5 567/10 224), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=21.488, P<0.001). The positive rates in the neonatal group, infant group, toddler group, preschool group, and school-age group were 31.80% (312/981), 54.71% (3 217/5 880), 63.23% (4 143/6 552), 59.83% (4 570/7 638), 40.57% (1 088/2 682), respectively, and the difference among the groups was statistically significant (χ²=681.225, P<0.001). The single infection rate was 47.43% (11 256/23 733), the mixed infection rate of two or more pathogens was 8.74% (2 074/23 733), most of which were mixed infections of two pathogens. HRV, HADV, HCOV, Ch disseminated in the whole year. HRSV, HMPV, Boca, HPIV occurred mostly in fall and winter. The positive rates of FluA, FluB, Mp were at a low level after the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic (2020 and 2021). The positive rates of FluA, H1N1, H3N2, FluB, HADV, Mp in 2020 were significantly lower than in 2019 (P<0.05). The positive rates of HPIV, HRV, HCOV, Ch in 2020 were significantly higher than in 2019 (P<0.05). The positive rates of FluA, H1N1, H3N2, HPIV, HCOV, Mp, Ch in 2021 were significantly lower than in 2020 (P<0.05). The positive rates of Boca, HMPV, HRSV in 2021 were significantly higher than in 2020 (P<0.05). Conclusion: From 2019 to 2021, the main non-bacterial respiratory pathogens of children in Ningbo City were Mp and HRV, and the detection rates of respiratory pathogens varied among different ages, seasons and genders.

The Impact of Chronic Illness on the Patient Experience: Results From a Cross-Sectional Comparative Study in a Comprehensive Tertiary Hospital in China

OBJECTIVE

Improving the satisfaction and medical experience of patients is a basic goal of the comprehensive reform of public hospitals in China. This study aimed to investigate the patient experience and its influencing factors, and to compare medical experiences between patients with and without chronic disease, with a view to providing suggestions for improving the quality of public hospitals in China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional comparative study involving 102 patients discharged from Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, a tertiary public hospital in China, was conducted. The patients were invited to participate in a survey comprising the Picker Patient Experience Questionnaire (PPE-15), and an overall satisfaction evaluation (on a scale of 1-10). The patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had a chronic disease, and the medical experience and overall satisfaction of the groups were compared. Descriptive statistics (frequency, median, mean), chi-square analysis, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

No statistical significance was found in overall satisfaction between patients with and without chronic diseases, but there were differences in the patient experience score. Chronic illness had negative impacts on the experience of care coordination for patients and respect for patient preferences. Of the seven dimensions of the PPE-15, the scores for emotional support and respect for patient preferences were the lowest in both groups, and the item "want to be more involved in decisions made about care and treatment" scored the lowest among all items.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital managers and staff members should pay more attention to the emotional support and preferences of patients. For patients with chronic diseases, the standardization of medical care and patient participation in the medical process should be strengthened. Hospitals should also subdivide patient groups, ascertain the demands and expectations of patients, and carry out targeted evaluation and intervention measures.

[Application of multiple exposure assessment methods in occupational health risk assessment of trichloroethylene in electroplating enterprises]

Objective: To explore the applicability of different exposure assessment methods in occupational health risk assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE) occupation posts in electroplating enterprise. Methods: In November 2018, the occupational health risk assessments are conducted in trichloroethylene (TCE) occupation posts of 6 metal plating enterprises in a street in Shenzhen by using the qualitative risk assessment, semi-quantitative risk assessment (including contact ratio method, contact index method and synthesis index method) and quantitative risk assessment method (including non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessment methods) , and the results of different methods are compared. Results: The results of qualitative assessment method are all level 4 (high risk) ; the results of contact ratio method show that the risk level is level 5 (very high risk) ; the results of contact index method and Synthesis index method show that the risk level is level 3 and level 4, 66.7% and 33.3% respectively; Non-carcinogenic risk assessment results show that TCE jobs are "unacceptable"; carcinogenic risk assessment results in carcinogenic inhalation excess risk of 50% each being "unacceptable" and "acceptable". The results of the six risk assessment methods showed that there were 3 "substantially consistent", 1 "partially consistent", and 2 "inconsistent" among the 6 companies. Conclusion: Synthesis index method and the carcinogenic risk assessment method are more suitable for occupational health risks of TCE occupation posts.

Endoscopic resection of large (≥ 4 cm) upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer: a single-center study of 101 cases (with video)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although endoscopic resection (ER) is already established as a minimally invasive technique for small (< 4.0 cm) upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer (MP-SETs), published data of ER for large (≥ 4.0 cm) upper gastrointestinal MP-SETs are extremely rare and limited to case reports. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ER for large (≥ 4.0 cm) upper gastrointestinal MP-SETs in a large case series.

METHODS

Between June 2012 and December 2018, 101 patients with large (≥ 4 cm) upper gastrointestinal MP-SETs were enrolled in this study. The main outcome measures included complete resection, total complications, and local residual or recurrent tumor.

RESULTS

The rate of complete resection was 86.1%. Thirteen patients (12.9%) experienced complications including gas-related complications (6/101, 5.9%), localized peritonitis (4/101, 4.0%), esophageal/cardiac mucosal laceration (2/101, 2.0%), and delayed bleeding (1/101, 1.0%). These 13 patients recovered after endoscopic and conservative treatment. The independent risk factor for incomplete resection was tumor size (P = 0.005), and the independent risk factors for total complications were tumor size (P = 0.011) and tumor extraluminal growth (P = 0.037). During the median follow-up of 36 months, local residual tumor was detected in 1 patient. No local recurrence occurred in any patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite being associated with a relatively low complete resection rate, ER is an alternative therapeutic method for large (≥ 4.0 cm) upper gastrointestinal MP-SETs when performed by an experienced endoscopist. This method is especially valuable for patients who are unwilling to undergo surgery.

Applying Lean Six Sigma to Reduce the Incidence of Unplanned Surgery Cancellation at a Large Comprehensive Tertiary Hospital in China

Unplanned surgery cancellation (USC) was an important quality management issue in the course of medical care for surgical patients, which caused inappropriate use of hospital resources and had negative impacts on quality and safety. This study used Lean Six Sigma to reduce the incidence of USC. Following the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process, the main factors influencing the USC were identified, such as the time of informing patient admission, the time of submitting operation notice, and the management of test report follow-up. A series of measures were implemented including improving the health education content of virtual bed patients, standardizing the way of communication between the Admission Management Center and the patients, improving the timing of anesthesia evaluation, optimizing the process of operation notice with an information system, and implementing the regulations of virtual bed management. The incidence of USC reduced from 10.21% in Jan. 2016 to 3.8% in Dec. 2016, and the Z-score increased from 1.25 to 1.68, which improved patient safety and demonstrated that Lean Six Sigma was an effective method to solve cross-department issues in hospital.

[Nursing human resource management in the early phase of treatment of severe mass burn patients involved in August 2nd Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident]

In August 2nd Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident 2014, 35 severe mass burn patients were admitted to our hospital, including 18 men and 17 women, aged 21 to 50 (38±9) years. Their severe injuries caused much difficulty to the treatment. In the early period of treatment, a series of measures of nursing human resource management were implemented, such as carrying out training program for non-burn speciality nurses of different levels and origin, grouping and task-dividing, organizing work schedule and assigning in a unified way, and establishing monitoring team of speciality quality. Except for 2 cases of deaths in the early period, the other 33 patients were treated and nursed timely and effectively in the early period. The rescue rate arrived at 94.3% (33/35) on the 17th day post burn. In this period, no such nursing adverse event and complication occurred as bed-dropping, unplanned extubation, coagulation in veins of lower limb, catheter-related infection, or cross infection.

[Detection of promoter and 3' UTR mutation in A20 gene of a case with T cell lymphoma cell leukemia]

Objective: To clarify the characteristics of the A20 regulatory changes by analyzing mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene in patients with T-cell lymphoma leukemia (T-LCL) . Methods: PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis were used to detect mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene, and DNA samples from PBMCs of 52 cases of T-LCL and 99 healthy controls. Results: A missense mutation (c.-672T>G) was detected in the A20 gene promoter from one T-LCL patient, which has been registered as a SNP (rs139054966) in gene bank. Meanwhile, a new mutation was detected in the 3' UTR mRNA (3916 (C>G) ) . These two mutations were absent in other T-LCL samples and controls. Conclusion: The rs139054966 (c.-672T>G) and 3916 (C>G) mutations in the A20 gene were detected in T-LCL patients for the first time. There was also rs139054966 located on the binding region of the transcription factor P53, and its significance remained to be further clarified.

Clinical features and treatment outcomes of eosinophilic gastroenteritis : an analysis of 28 cases

BACKGROUND

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is uncommon disease, and the pathogenesis of this disease have yet to be fully clarified.

AIM

This study was to describe the clinical manifestations, endoscopic features and treatment outcomes of a cohort of patients with EG.

METHOD

This retrospective study was included 28 consecutive patients who were diagnosed EG between January 2011 and December 2015 in Taizhou Hospital. The patients' clinical manifestations, endoscopic features and treatment outcomes were reviewed from a prospectively maintained database.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients with EG were enrolled in the study (median age 54 years). The main symptoms were abdominal pain (78.6%), abdominal distension (50.0%), nausea and vomiting (28.6%) and diarrhea (25.0%). Laboratory examinations showed the elevation of blood eosinophil count (85.7%), serum IgE (71.4%). Endoscopic findings included small patchy mucosal erythema or erosions (75.0%), mucosal fold thickening (17.9%), submucosal nodules (21.4%), small gastroduodenal ulcers (14.3%). Twenty patients were treated and responded to prednisolone but five patients (25.0%) relapsed during the follow-up. The other 8 patients were treated with loratadine, proton pump inhibitors and dietary modification, 5 patients had clinical resolution during the follow-up. The other 3 patients did not achieve clinical remission, and then were given prednisone treatment.

CONCLUSION

For some patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and peripheral eosinophilia, a high suspicion of EG is necessary and multiple endoscopic examinations might be helpful in diagnosis of EG. Most patients with EG could achieve remission after with the treatment of steroid or dietary elimination therapy.

Dominance of Tensor Correlations in High-Momentum Nucleon Pairs Studied by (p,pd) Reaction

The isospin character of p-n pairs at large relative momentum has been observed for the first time in the ^{16}O ground state. A strong population of the J,T=1,0 state and a very weak population of the J,T=0,1 state were observed in the neutron pickup domain of ^{16}O(p,pd) at 392 MeV. This strong isospin dependence at large momentum transfer is not reproduced by the distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations with known spectroscopic amplitudes. The results indicate the presence of high-momentum protons and neutrons induced by the tensor interactions in the ground state of ^{16}O.

[Effects of airway management team in the treatment of severely mass burn patients combined with inhalation injury]

Objective: To explore and analyze the effects of airway management team (AMT) in the treatment of severely mass burn patients combined with inhalation injury. Methods: The clinical data of 58 severely burned patients combined with inhalation injury hospitalized in our unit from January 2012 to August 2014, conforming to the inclusion criteria, were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether airway management was implemented by AMT or not, patients hospitalized from January 2012 to July 2014 were divided into control group (n=27), while patients in Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident hospitalized on 2nd August 2014 were divided into observation group (n=31). Patients in control group received regular airway nursing carried out by nurses on duty, while patients in observation group received specialized airway concentration nursing implemented by AMT. The concrete implementation included overall assessment of patients' airway, elaborate airway care, and controlled management of mechanical ventilation. Arterial blood gas indexes and oxygenation index of patients in the two groups on post injury day (PID) 1, 7, and 14 were compared. Sputum viscosity, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) occurrence rate, and ventilation time of patients in the two groups in post injury week(s) 1, 2, and 3 after admission were monitored and recorded. Survival rates of patients in the two groups were compared. Data were processed with analysis of variance for repeated measurement, t test and Bonferroni correction, chi-square test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: (1) There were no statistically significant differences in pH value, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)), and oxygenation index of patients in the two groups on PID 1 (t=0.595, -0.166, 1.518, -0.828, 0.458, P>0.05). The pH values of patients in observation group on PID 7 and 14 were 7.327±0.050 and 7.367±0.043, respectively, significantly better than those in control group (7.304±0.021 and 7.390±0.029, respectively, t=-2.385, 2.391, P<0.05). The PaO(2) values of patients in observation group on PID 7 and 14 were (95.1±6.7) and (106.3±7.8) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively, significantly higher than those in control group [(91.6±5.7) and (102.0±8.3) mmHg, respectively, t=-2.109, -2.059, P<0.05]. The PaCO(2) values of patients in observation group on PID 7 and 14 were (41±4) and (40±4) mmHg, respectively, significantly lower than those in control group [(43±5) and (43±4) mmHg, respectively, t=2.220, 2.304, P<0.05]. The SaO(2) values of patients in observation group on PID 7 and 14 were 0.95±0.04 and 0.96±0.04, respectively, significantly higher than those in control group (0.93±0.05 and 0.94±0.05, respectively, t=-2.201, -2.016, P<0.05). The oxygenation indexes of patients in observation group on PID 7 and 14 were (286±18) and (329±20) mmHg, significantly higher than those in control group [(277±14) and (306±58) mmHg, respectively, t=-2.263, -2.022, P<0.05]. (2) Sputum viscosity of patients in observation group in post injury week(s) 1, 2, and 3 were superior to that in control group (Z=-2.096, -2.076, -2.033, P<0.05). (3) VAP occurrence rate of patients in observation group was lower than that in control group, and time of mechanical ventilation of patients in observation group was shorter than that in control group (χ(2)=4.244, t=2.425, P<0.05). (4) Survival rate of patients in observation group was higher than that in control group (χ(2)=4.244, P<0.05). Conclusions: The special intensive care of airway management by AMT can effectively improve the oxygenation status of severely burned patients combined with inhalation injury, alleviate the sputum viscosity, reduce the occurrence of VAP, and shorten the time of mechanical ventilation, thus benefits the treatment of severely mass burn patients combined with inhalation injury.

Endoscopic retrograde appendicitis techniques for the treatment of patients with acute appendicitis

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy (ERAT) in treating patients with acute appendicitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between January 2014 and December 2014, 22 patients with acute appendicitis underwent ERAT. Patient demographics, colonoscopy findings, endoscopic retrograde appendiceal radiography (ERAR) findings, and treatment outcomes of the ERAT and adverse events associated with ERAT were analyzed.

RESULTS

In this study, 22 patients with acute appendicitis underwent ERAT. The median age of the patients was 39.5 years. Colonoscopy findings included mucosal hyperemia and swelling of the appendiceal orifice and/or its surrounding mucosa (86.4 %, 19/22) and pus at the appendiceal orifice (40.9 %, 9/22). ERAR findings included irregular contour (76.2 %, 16/21), appendiceal lumen dilation (28.6 %, 6/21), appendiceal lumen stenosis (42.9 %, 9/21), and filling defect of the appendiceal lumen (23.8 %, 5/21). Deep intubation was successfully performed in 21 of the 22 patients (95.5 %). Sixteen patients underwent endoscopic appendiceal stent placement after endoscopic appendiceal irrigation (EAI) due to lumen stenosis of the appendiceal, excessive pus, or appendiceal fecalith, and the remaining 6 patients only underwent EAI. Among the 22 patients who underwent ERAT, their abdominal pain was noticeably relieved following the procedure. The main adverse events associated with ERAT were spontaneous discharge of the stent, recurrent abdominal pain, and recurrent appendicitis. During the follow-up (median 33 months), 2 patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

ERAT provide a new alternative therapeutic method for patients with acute appendicitis, particularly for certain patients who are unwilling to undergo an appendectomy.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection for small (≤ 4.0 cm) gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer

AIM

To evaluate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic resection (ER) for small (≤ 4.0 cm) gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) originating from the muscularis propria layer.

METHODS

Between June 2005 and February 2015, we retrospectively analyzed 229 consecutive patients with gastric MP-GISTs who underwent ER with a follow-up at least 36 mo. The main outcome measurements included complete resection rate, complications, and long-term follow-up outcomes.

RESULTS

ER included endoscopic muscularis excavation in 179 cases, endoscopic full-thickness resection in 32 cases, and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection in 18 cases. The median size of GISTs was 1.90 cm. Of the 229 GISTs, 147 were very low risk, 72 were low risk, 8 were intermediate risk, and 2 were high risk. Short-term outcomes showed the complete resection rate was 96.5%, and 8 patients (3.5%) had complications. Of the 8 patients with complications, only one patient required surgical intervention. Long-term outcomes showed 225 patients were actively followed-up until composition of this manuscript. The remaining 4 patients were lost because of unrelated death. During the follow-up period (median, 57 mo), no residual, recurrent lesions, or distant metastasis were detected in any patients. Binary logistic regression analysis showed tumor size was a risk factor associated with a high mitotic index (≥ 5/50 HPF) of GISTs (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

ER seems to be an effective and safe method for gastric MP-GISTs ≤ 4.0 cm, and, for some intermediate or high risk GISTs, adjuvant therapy and/or additional surgery might be required to reduce the risk of recurrence or metastasis.

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection using methylene-blue guidance for cardial subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer

Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) of subepithelial tumors (SETs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer in the cardia is rarely performed due to the difficulty of creating a submucosal tunnel for resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of STER using methylene-blue guidance for SETs originating from the MP layer in the cardia. From January 2012 to December 2014, 56 patients with SETs originating from the MP layer in the cardia were treated with STER using methylene-blue guidance. The complete resection rate and adverse event rate were the main outcome measurements. Successful complete resection by STER was achieved in all 56 cases (100%). The median size of the tumor was 1.8 cm. Nine patients (15.3%) had adverse events including subcutaneous emphysema, pneumoperitoneum, pneumothorax, and pleural effusion. These nine patients recovered successfully after conservative treatment without endoscopic or surgical intervention. No residual or recurrent tumors were detected in any patient during the follow-up period (median, 25 months). The adverse event rate was significantly higher for tumors originating in the deeper MP layers (46.7%) than in the superficial MP layers (4.9%) (P < 0.05), differed significantly according to tumor size (5.4% for tumors < 2.0 cm vs. 36.8% for tumors ≥ 2.0 cm; P < 0.05), and also differed significantly in relation to the tumor growth pattern (4.1% for the intraluminal growth vs. 100% for the extraluminal growth; P < 0.001). STER using methylene-blue guidance appears to be a feasible method for removing SETs originating from the MP layer in the cardia.

Safety of endoscopic resection for duodenal subepithelial lesions with wound closure using clips and an endoloop: an analysis of 68 cases

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic removal of a duodenal lesion is still considered to be a challenging procedure that can be fraught with potentially serious complications, specifically perforation or delayed bleeding. This study was to assess the safety of endoscopic resection for duodenal subepithelial lesions (SELs) with wound closure using clips and an endoloop.

METHODS

From October 2010 to July 2015, a total of 68 consecutive patients with duodenal SELs were treated with endoscopic resection with wound closure using clips and an endoloop. The main outcome measures considered were the incidence of complete resection, perioperative perforation, delayed perforation, delayed bleeding, residual lesions, and lesion recurrence.

RESULTS

Complete resection was successfully achieved for all 68 patients. The median lesion size was 1.7 cm. The median procedure time was 62 min. The mean hospital stay was 5.5 days. During the procedure, five patients developed perioperative perforations (7.4 %) and no patients developed delayed bleeding, delayed perforation, or other serious complications. The five patients with perioperative perforations recovered after conservative treatment. The perioperative perforation rate was significantly higher for lesions originating in the muscularis propria layer (18.2 %) than in the submucosal layer (2.2 %; p < 0.05). No residual or recurrent lesions were detected during the follow-up period (median: 27 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection with wound closure using clips and an endoloop is an effective and reasonably safe therapeutic method for treating/removing duodenal SELs when managed by an experienced endoscopic team, and it can provide an alternative treatment option for patients with duodenal SELs.

Safety of Endoscopic Resection for Upper Gastrointestinal Subepithelial Tumors Originating from the Muscularis Propria Layer: An Analysis of 733 Tumors

OBJECTIVES

Although endoscopic resection is an accepted technique for upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors (SETs) originating from the muscularis propria (MP) layer, published data regarding its complications are highly variable and limited to small data series. This study aimed to analyze the safety of endoscopic resection in a large case series.

METHODS

A total of 726 consecutive patients with 733 upper gastrointestinal SETs originating from the MP layer underwent endoscopic resection from June 2005 to December 2014. The complete resection rate, perioperative perforation rate, and perioperative bleeding rate were the main outcome measurements.

RESULTS

The complete resection rate was 97.1%. Ninety-four patients had complications (12.9%), including 88 with perioperative perforations (12.1%), 13 with perioperative bleeding (1.8%), 5 with localized peritonitis (0.7%), and one with delayed bleeding (0.1%). Eleven patients required surgery; the others were treated endoscopically. Risk factors for incomplete resection were extensive connection of the tumor to the MP layer (P=0.007) and extraluminal growth (P=0.048). Risk factors for perioperative perforation were larger tumor size (≤2.0 cm vs. 2.1-3.0 cm vs. >3.0 cm, P=0.021), extraluminal growth (P=0.046), and extensive connection (P<0.001). A risk factor for perioperative bleeding was larger tumor size (P=0.045). No residual or recurrent lesions were detected during the follow-up period (median: 28 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection is an effective and reasonably safe therapeutic method for treating/removing upper gastrointestinal SETs originating from the MP layer when managed by an experienced endoscopic team.

Evidence for Octupole Correlations in Multiple Chiral Doublet Bands

Two pairs of positive-and negative-parity doublet bands together with eight strong electric dipole transitions linking their yrast positive- and negative-parity bands have been identified in ^{78}Br. They are interpreted as multiple chiral doublet bands with octupole correlations, which is supported by the microscopic multidimensionally-constrained covariant density functional theory and triaxial particle rotor model calculations. This observation reports the first example of chiral geometry in octupole soft nuclei.

Complete circular endoscopic resection using submucosal tunnel technique combined with esophageal stent placement for circumferential superficial esophageal lesions

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

At present, removing a circumferential superficial esophageal lesion (SEL) via en bloc resection is still a great challenge. Based on the previous success of submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection, this study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of complete circular endoscopic resection (CER) using a submucosal tunnel technique combined with esophageal stent placement for patients with circumferential SELs.

METHODS

From August 2012 to June 2014, 23 patients with circumferential SELs were treated by CER using a submucosal tunnel technique combined with esophageal stent placement. The following steps were performed: (1) circular mucosa incisions were made at the anal and oral side of the lesion after marking the margin, (2) two submucosal tunnels were created from the oral to anal side using a hybrid knife, which was followed by submucosal dissection, and (3) following the completion of CER, a retrievable esophageal stent was placed to prevent postoperative stricture.

RESULTS

CER using the submucosal tunnel technique combined with esophageal stent placement was successfully performed for all 23 cases. The complete resection and success rate were 100%, while the mean longitudinal diameter of the lesions was 65 mm. Mediastinal emphysema, pneumothorax, and postoperative stenosis were detected in 8.7% (2/23), 4.3% (1/23), and 17.4% (4/23) of the cases, respectively. Pathological diagnoses of the lesions included carcinomas (13/23) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias (10/23). No residual or recurrent tumors were detected in any patient during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

CER using the submucosal tunnel technique combined with esophageal stent placement seems to be a safe and effective procedure for treating patients with SELs that result in a higher en bloc resection rate with fewer or minor complications.

Integrated miRNA-mRNA analysis of Epstein-Barr virus-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma

This study aims to identify the crucial miRNAs in Epstein-Barr virus-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and their target genes. Gene expression profile data (GSE12452) that included 31 NPC and 10 normal nasopharyngeal tissue specimens were downloaded. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using significance analysis of microarrays. The underlying function of DEGs was predicted via Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. The miRNA sequencing dataset GSE14738 was also downloaded, and expression levels of miRNA were calculated by the number of reads mapped to each miRNA. The selected miRNAs were integrated into the miRecords database to obtain their target genes. Target genes associated with DEGs were used to construct the interaction network via Cytoscape. A total of 1437 DEGs between NPC and control were identified, most of which were enriched in cell cycle and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction signaling pathways. Furthermore, 112 miRNAs were considered upregulated in NPC samples. A total of 2228 relationships between 39 miRNAs and 1247 target genes were obtained, of which 182 relationships between 32 miRNAs and 97 target genes were chosen to construct an interaction network. The interactions between DEGs and the let-7 or miR-29 families appeared strongest in this network, where CDC25A, COL3A1, and COL1A1 were regulated by several let-7 family members, while COL4A1 and COL5A2 were regulated by several miR-29 family members. The let-7 and miR-29 families may be related to the development of NPC by regulating the genes involved in cell cycle and ECM-receptor interaction.

Regulation of N-acetyl cysteine on gut redox status and major microbiota in weaned piglets

This study was conducted to explore the regulation of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on gut redox status and proliferation of selected microbiota in weaned piglets. A total of 150 newborn piglets from 15 litters were randomly divided by litter to the control group (normally suckling), the weaning group (fed the basal diet), and the NAC group (basal + NAC diet) with 5 litters per group. Activities of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and inhibition capacity of hydroxyl radical (IHR), and contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, and NO in the ileum, colon, and cecum were analyzed to profile oxidative stress states. The real-time absolute quantitative PCR reaction was employed to quantify the amounts of total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Escherichia coli. The N-acetyl cysteine, as a universal antioxidant, was used to improve the redox status. Results showed that weaning stress resulted in the occurrence of gut oxidative stress and changes of gut microbiota (P < 0.05). Compared with the weaned piglets, the activities of ileal, colonic, and cecal T-AOC; ileal and colonic GSH-Px; cecal SOD; and colonic and cecal IHR were enhanced (P < 0.05), and the concentrations of ileal and cecal H2O2, ileal and colonic NO, and colonic MDA were reduced (P < 0.05) in the NAC-treated piglets. An increase (P < 0.05) in gut Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, accompanied with a decrease (P < 0.05) in Escherichia coli counts, was also observed in the NAC group. Bivariate correlation indicated that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were positively correlated (P < 0.05) with the activities of T-AOC, GSH-Px, and SOD and inversely related (P < 0.05) to increased levels of H2O2, NO, OH, and MDA, and Escherichia coli showed a strong positive association (P < 0.05) with increased levels of free radicals and MDA and a negative association (P < 0.05) with the activities of antioxidant enzymes in intestines of weaned piglets. We concluded that NAC constructively regulated on the changes of the gut redox status and microbiota in piglets in response to weaning stress. The observed correlations implied that the NAC effects on the gut microbiota were confirmed, partly through an effect on oxidative stress in piglets, providing evidence that gut microbiota may be potentially improved by the modulation of the redox status by an antioxidant, which has relevance for gut health and function.

Gene expression profiling analysis reveals weaning-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in the small intestine of pigs

In swine production, weaning is a critical event for porcine weaning-associated disease, such as postweaning stress syndrome, which involves intestinal dysfunction. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of intestinal dysfunction in pigs during weaning. To gain new insight into the interaction between weaning stress and intestinal function, 4 pigs at 25 d of age for each of the weaning and the suckling groups for a total of 40 pigs were used to analyze changes in the genomic expression in the intestines of weaned pigs by microarray analysis. Four hundred forty-five genes showed altered expression after weaning treatment (286 upregulated and 159 downregulated) at the cutoff criteria of the fold change ≥1.5 or <0.67 and P < 0.05. Most of these altered genes are cellular process related and regulators that may be involved in biological regulation, developmental processes, and metabolic processes. A keen interest was paid in deciphering expression changes in apoptosis or cell cycle control genes. The altered genomic expression of 8 selected genes related to the cell cycle process was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Of the 8 genes tested, increased (P < 0.05) expression of genes involved in apoptosis (cytochrome c, somatic, and ataxia telangiectasia mutated), pro-inflammatory signals (tumor necrosis factor and NO synthases 2), and a transcription factor (nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic, and calcineurin-dependent 2) were detected in weaned pigs compared with suckling pigs, but the expression of cell cycle control-related genes, such as E2F transcription factor 5-like, was lower (P < 0.05) in weaned pigs than suckling pigs. Weaned pigs also showed increased interleukin 8 expression and decreased SMAD family member 4 expression although no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed when compared with the suckling pigs. These selected genes likely indicate that weaning induced cell cycle arrest, enhanced apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation. The results of this study provide a basis for understanding the molecular pathogenesis of weaning treatment.

Impact of weaning and an antioxidant blend on intestinal barrier function and antioxidant status in pigs

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the influence of weaning stress and an antioxidant blend on gut health and free radical metabolism in postweaning pigs. A total of 96 pigs from 12 litters were randomly divided by litter to 3 groups with 4 litters each. The control group and the weaning group were fed the basal diet, and the antioxidant group was fed the basal diet supplemented with an antioxidant blend. The control group was suckling normally during the experimental period and the other 2 treatments were weaned at 21 d of age. Morphology in different parts of the intestines was used as a measure of intestinal barrier function. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), NO, H(2)O(2), and O(2) were measured in serum. Activities of the digestive enzymes, including sucrase, maltase, amylase, lipase, and pepsin, were measured at 24 d of age for all treatments. Gene expressions of free radicals, digestive enzymes, or antioxidant enzymes were selected for quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analyses. Results showed that weaning resulted in reductions (P < 0.05) in the villus height and width, and activity of digestive enzymes. Activity of SOD decreased (P < 0.05) and the concentrations of MDA, NO, and H(2)O(2) increased (P < 0.05) after weaning. The expression results indicated that the genes related to the antioxidant enzymes and digestive enzymes were down regulated (P < 0.05) after weaning. Tumor protein 53, which regulates reactive oxygen-species generation, tended to increase (P < 0.10) in the weaning group. The concentration of PPARγ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), which plays an important protective role against oxidative stress by regulating the expression of mitochondrial antioxidants, was reduced (P < 0.05) in weaning pigs and increased (P < 0.01) in antioxidant pigs compared with the control pigs. Results indicated that intestinal dysfunction occurred after weaning and there was an inhibition of the antioxidant system. The antioxidant blend has the potential to prevent free radical-induced damage and suppress oxidative stress by modulating the expressions of tumor protein 53 and PGC-1α genes.

Identification and expression analysis of components involved in rice Xa21-mediated disease resistance signalling

Rice Xa21 gene encodes a receptor-like kinase that confers broad-spectrum resistance against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Recently, a number of genes involved in the Xa21-mediated disease resistance pathway have been identified. Based on our previous data and the literature, we chose 16 candidate proteins and made corresponding antibodies. Using Western blotting, we systematically investigated the expression profile of the proteins in Xa21-mediated disease resistance response. We found nine proteins with altered expression. We further compared their expression in resistance, susceptible and mock responses, and found that GST expression was up-regulated during the resistance process, indicating GST is a positive regulator in resistance responses. ATPsB expression was down-regulated during both the resistance and susceptible response processes, although it was higher in the resistance response than that in the susceptible response. The total amount of MYB, GAPDH, CatB, Trx and NB-ARC proteins was lower in the resistance than in the susceptible response, but their abundance per unit bacteria in the resistance response was still higher than in the susceptible response, suggesting that these proteins might be positive regulators in the resistance response. In addition, expression of another ERF was induced by inoculation with bacterial blight pathogen, and expression of Zf-LSD1 was activated by wounding stress alone. Interestingly, most proteins showed similar altered expression patterns in the resistance and susceptible responses, but differed to some extents, implying that both responses might share common molecular mechanisms. This study revealed evidence of resistance-related protein expression, providing a foundation for better understanding of their functions.

Gene expression profile in the liver tissue of geese after overfeeding

Geese form a fatty liver after feeding on a carbohydrate-rich diet, possibly as an evolutionary adaptation to accumulate reserves for migration. To gain insight into the gene-regulation processes of hepatic steatosis in geese, we examined the profile of transcriptional expression in goose fatty liver and control liver by suppression subtractive hybridization and measured the levels of serum biochemical variables. We found 107 genes whose expression was different between the treatment and control groups. The main functions of these genes are metabolic processes, including the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids. Twenty-four genes were classified using the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Twelve genes that related to metabolic and cellular processes were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. A specific positive effect of feeding was observed on the expression of genes involved mainly in unsaturated fatty acids and triglyceride synthesis, and a negative effect was observed on genes involved in β-oxidation, cholesterol metabolism, and glycolysis. The results could serve as an important reference for the development of goose breeding for fatty liver production and human liver disease research.

Simultaneously improving yield under drought stress and non-stress conditions: a case study of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Drought is the most important factor limiting rice productivity in the rainfed areas of Asia. In this study, 48 pyramiding lines (PLs) and their recurrent parent, IR64, were evaluated over two years for their yield performances and related traits under severe drought stress at the reproductive stage (RS), the vegetative stage (VS) and irrigated control in order to understand the relationship between drought tolerance (DT) and yield potential (YP) in rice and their underlying mechanisms. When compared with IR64, all PLs had significantly improved DT to RS and 36 PLs also had significantly improved DT to VS. In addition, 17 PLs had higher YP than IR64 and the remaining 31 PLs had a similar YP IR64 under irrigated conditions. Detailed characterization of the PLs revealed three possible mechanisms that functioned together to contribute to their improved DT. The most important mechanism was dehydration avoidance (DA), characterized by significantly higher growth rate and biomass of all PLs than IR64 under stress and no reduction in biomass under control conditions. The second mechanism was efficient partitioning, characterized by improved harvest index in all PLs compared with IR64, resulting primarily from heavier grain weight and/or higher spikelet fertility under control conditions, which was the major constituent of the improved YP in the 17 best performing PLs. Drought escape (DE) by accelerated heading under drought was the third mechanism that contributed to DT of the PLs to RS. The considerable variation in the measured traits among the PLs with similar levels of DT and YP implies the complex genetic control of the mechanisms for DT/YP and offers opportunities to improve DT and YP further by fine-tuning of a small number of QTLs segregating among the PLs using MAS. Finally, our results indicate that selection for yield plus some secondary traits under appropriate type(s) of stress and non-stress conditions similar to the target environments are critically important for improving both DT and YP in rice.

Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria increases tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in a rat kidney model of chronic rejection

Chronic allograft dysfunction is the primary cause of graft loss after the first posttransplantation year. Bacteriocins are biologically active proteins exhibiting antimicrobial properties against other bacterial species, which are usually closely related to the producer organism. The objective of our study was to determine whether lactic acid bacterial bacteriocins were associated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha observed in a rat kidney model of chronic rejection. Using a kidney model of chronic rejection in the rat, we administered cyclosporine (CsA) immunosuppression (5 mg/kg/d). One group of animals was treated with bacteriocins, and the other was left untreated. Grafts were harvested after transplantation for standard histological studies. The expression of TNF-alpha was demonstrated using immunohistochemistry of frozen sections of the grafts. We observed a greater increase in the expression of TNF-alpha among the group treated with bacteriocins compared with the untreated group. These results showed that lactic acid bacterial bacteriocins were associated with TNF-alpha in our kidney graft model.

Overexpression of the Arabidopsis gai gene in apple significantly reduces plant size

Genetic engineering is an attractive method to obtain dwarf plants in order to eliminate the extensive use of growth retardants in horticultural crop production. In this study, we evaluated the potential of using the Arabidopsis gai (gibberellic acid insensitive) gene to dwarf apple trees. The gai gene under 35S promoter was introduced in the apple rootstock A2 and the cultivars Gravenstein and McIntosh through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. One transgenic clone was recovered for Gravenstein and McIntosh, and several transgenic clones for A2, confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Two weak bands were detected by Southern blot analysis in all the untransformed controls, possibly indicating the existence of the internal GAI gene in apple. Most of the transgenic plants showed reduced growth in vitro. Growth analyses in the greenhouse showed a clear reduction in stem length, internode length and node number for the dwarf clones. The normal phenotype of some transgenic clones appears to be associated with silencing of the introduced gai gene, confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. In general, transgenic clones showed reduced rooting ability, especially for the extremely compact ones.

Sigma-nucleus potential in A=28

We have studied the (pi(-),K+) reaction on a silicon target to investigate the sigma-nucleus potential. The inclusive spectrum was measured at a beam momentum of 1.2 GeV/c with an energy resolution of 3.3 MeV (FWHM) by employing the superconducting kaon spectrometer system. The spectrum was compared with theoretical calculations within the framework of the distorted-wave impulse approximation, which demonstrates that a strongly repulsive sigma-nucleus potential with a nonzero size of the imaginary part reproduces the observed spectrum.

Hypernuclear fine structure in (9)(lambda)Be

With a germanium detector array (Hyperball), we observed two gamma-ray peaks corresponding to the two transitions (5/2(+)-->1/2(+) and 3/2(+)-->1/2(+)) in the (9)(Lambda)Be hypernucleus which was produced by the 9Be(K-,pi(-)) reaction. The energies of the gamma rays are 3029 +/- 2 +/- 1 keV and 3060 +/- 2 +/- 1 keV. The energy difference was measured to be 31.4(+2.5)(-3.6) keV, which indicates a very small Lambda-spin-dependent spin-orbit force between a Lambda and a nucleon. This is the smallest level splitting by far ever measured in a hypernucleus.

[Genetic analysis of gelatinization temperature in rice via microsatellite(SSR) markers]

Rice gelatinization temperature is an important character contributing to cooking quality. Here the inheritance of gelatinization temperature (GT), which was represented by alkali spreading value (ASV), was reported. Two parents, Balilla (japonica variety) and Nantehao (indica variety), which were significantly different on GT-ASV, were selected to construct a backcross population Balilla/Nantehao//Balilla containing 142 individuals. And ASV was investigated in the population, a continuous distribution with two obvious peaks was observed. It indicated that GT-ASV was controlled by one major gene, also modified by some minor genes. In order to map the major and minor genes and estimate the effects of genes. A total of 119 SSR markers were employed to construct a linkage map; further a genome-wide detection was carried out by interval mapping method. The results showed that 6 QTLs were detected, of which, qASV6-1 located on chromosome 6 was a major gene with 87.6% variance explained, and alleles from parent Nantehao could decrease the value. It shoud be the same locus as the alkali degeneration gene (alk). The other QTLs (qASV2, qASV3, qASV6-2, qASV9, and qASV11) all belong to minor genes, which were located on chromosome 2,3,6,9 and 11, respectively. In two parents, they carried the positive and negative alleles simultaneously. These results will be helpful for rice quality breeding and improvement.

Preliminary interspecific genetic maps of the populus genome constructed from RAPD markers

We have constructed RAPD-based linkage maps for an interspecific cross between two species of the genus Populus (P. adenopoda and P. alba), based on a double pseudo-test-cross strategy. Of a total of 360 polymorphic fragments scored, 290 showed a test-cross configuration, corresponding to DNA polymorphisms heterozygous in one parent and null in the other. In the female parent, P. adenopoda, 82 markers were grouped in 19 different linkage groups (553 cM), whereas in the male parent P. alba, 197 markers established a much more complete framework map with an observed genome length of 2300 cM covering 87% of the total P. alba genome. The larger number of test-cross markers detected for the P. alba parent than for the P. adenopoda parent might be due to a higher level of heterozygosity in the former than in the latter. In this study, we detected only a small percentage (2%) of the intercross dominant markers heterozygous in both parents and segregating 3:1 in the progeny. The further focus in this mapping study should be on the identification of more intercross markers, to align the two parent-specific maps into a consensus map for mapping important genes causing species differentiation during long evolutionary divergences.

[RFLP analysis of the effect of wide compatibility genes in Aus variety 'Dular']

RFLP markers were employed to test whether the individuals possess wide compatibility genes (WCGs) in the progenies of Dular, which is one of the typical wide compatibility varieties in ecotype Aus rice. Meanwhile the characteristics of WCGs were also analysed. The results are shown as follows: (1) the effect of WCG at S-5 locus is better than the others, (2) the combination of different wide compatibility loci is obviously effective in increasing the spikelet fertility, (3) intraallelic interaction can cause japonica macrospore abortive, while interallelic interaction has some effects in fertility expression.

[A genetically modified japonica restorer line, C418-Xa21, and its hybrid rice with bacterial blight resistance]

The cloned bacterial blight (BB) resistance gene Xa21 was transferred into C418, a major restorer line of japonica hybrid rice in China, using an Agrobacterium-mediated system. The integrated single copy of transgene displayed a 3:1 segregation ratio in T1 generation in PCR and resistance analyses. The transgenic homozygous C418-Xa21 lines were selected in T2 generation through PCR and resistance analyses. The selected transgenic restorer lines were then crossed with a commonly used sterile line, TijinA, to produce Xa21 transgenic hybrid rice. Molecular analysis revealed that the produced hybrid rice, named as Tiyou418-Xa21, inherited the transgene. Both C418-Xa21 and Tiyou418-Xa21 plants displayed high resistance with a broad spectrum to Xoo races and maintained their normal elite agronomic characters. We also observed that the resistance level of Tiyou418-Xa21 was obviously higher than that of C418-Xa21 which may be attributed to their differences in genetic background. The propagation of this BB resistant hybrid variety with the transgene Xa21 with extend hybrid rice production in north China.

[Amplification and analysis of T-DNA flanking sequences in transgenic rice]

Rice transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens has technically matured to some extent, but the mechanics of T-DNA integration in transgenic rice remains largely unknown. Using thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR), we analyzed the flanking sequences of T-DNAs in transgenic rice plants, in which the resistance gene for rice bacterial blight disease, Xa21, had been integrated stably. Sequence analysis of 24 fragments amplified by TAIL-PCR showed that of them 14 were rice genomic DNA, 9 contained vector backbone sequences, and one was a fragment of the exogenous gene Xa21. The characteristics of the 14 rice genomic DNA sequences at T-DNA integrated sites are significantly different from those of the reported rice genomic sequences into which exogenous genes were integrated through direct DNA transformation methods. T-DNA border sequences integrated in rice genome have similar features as those integrated in dicotyledonous genomes. In the backbone containing flanking sequences (37.5%, 9/24) vector backbones appeared in different types.

[QTL mapping of the root traits in rice seedling]

Drought resistance is one of the most important traits in rice abiotic study. The report here analyzed several major root traits affecting drought resistance expression with the double haploid population (DH) from ZYQ8 (indica)/JX17 (japonica) containing 127 lines. After 10 days solution culturing, three rice root traits, Maximum Root Length (MRL), Dry Root Weight (DRW) and Root/Shoot Ratio of Dry Weight (RSR), were revealed existing significant difference among the DH lines. Using the constructed molecular linkage map from this segregating population, the QTL mapping was conducted among these three root parameters. MRL, DRW, and RSR were found being controlled by 2/1/2 QTLs respectively in JX17, 2/0/1 QTLs respectively in ZYQ8. Phenotype variance could be explained by 16.4% and 17.0% for MRL, 16.4% for DRW, 10.4% and 19.9% for RSR in JX17, 19.6% and 13.0% for MRL, 13.2% for RSR in ZYQ8. All these QTLs identified were distributed on rice chromosome 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. Comparing with the other mapping results, one QTL for each trait (L169-CT106A for MRL, G45-G1314A for DRW, G62-G144 for RSR) was identical with the results reported previously.

[Re-analysis of wide compatibility in rice]

Utilization of heterosis between rice subspecies has fascinated rice breeders for several decades. One of the main obstacles is the hybrid sterility in the F1 populations of subspecies crosses in rice. Wide compatibility varieties are considered to an important way to overcome the problem. But the genetics of the wide compatibility is controversial. This paper dealt with the problem through three kinds of triple crosses in which a wide compatibility variety, Ketan Nangka, was involved. Pollen fertility, spikelet fertility and the correlationship between the two fertilities were analyzed in the three kinds of triple crosses. The results suggested that male and female sterilities existed in indica-japonica hybrids at the same time, while the contribution of male sterility to spikelet fertility varied from cross to cross; The characteristic of wide compatibility in different triple crosses was coordinated with the hybrid sterility between the indica and japonica test varieties used; Ketan Nangka possessed the wide compatibility genes on the loci in which the male and female sterilities between the test varieties were involved; The genetics of wide compatibility gene S-5 fitted to one locus sporo-gametophytic interaction model.

[Construction of a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) contig encompassing the bacterial blight resistance gene Xa4 locus in rice]

The gene Xa4 confers dominantly resistance to rice bacterial blight, which has been finely mapped between RFLP markers G181 and L1044, and co-segregated with the resistance gene homologues sequence marker RS13. The three markers were used to screen a rice Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) library constructed from IRBB56, a Xa4-harborring indica variety, resulting in the detection of totally 128 positive clones. Of the 18 positive clones picked out by RS13, 4 and 6 clones were simultaneously detected by G181 and L1044, respectively. Based on their HindIII restriction patterns, 12 clones were selected out to construct a contig that spanned about 420 kb covering the Xa4 locus, which is a solid base for the isolation of Xa4 gene.

[Construction of a deep coverage rice BAC library and identification of clones associated with disease-resistant genes]

A BAC library for IRBB56, an accession pyramiding Xa4, xa5 and xa13 three bacterial blight resistance genes, was constructed. The library contains 55,296 clones with an average insert size of 132 kb. Based on a haploid genome size of 450 Mb, the coverage of the library was about 14 genome equivalents that make it one of the most comprehensive BAC libraries available in rice and provide 99.99% possibility to isolate any interested rice genes or sequences in the library. To determine the representation of organelle DNA homologues in the library, the library was screened with three different chloroplast genes and four mitochondrial genes, respectively. Results from this screening showed that less than 1% of clones in the library contain organelle genomic DNA homologues. Then, DNA markers on three different chromosomes linked to Xa4, xa5, and xa13, and a PCR fragment of rice UROD gene, were used to screen the library resulting in a range of 11-106 hits that will promote the isolation of these genes. The deep coverage and the large insert size of the library will facilitate physical mapping, isolation, and cloning of rice genes.

Measurement of the B(e2) of (7)(lambda)Li and shrinkage of the hypernuclear size

We report on the first measurement of a hypernuclear gamma-transition probability. gamma rays emitted in the E2(5/2(+)-->1/2(+)) transition of (7)(Lambda)Li were detected by a large-acceptance germanium detector array (Hyperball), and the lifetime of the parent state ( 5/2(+)) was determined by the Doppler shift attenuation method. The obtained result, 5.8(+0.9)(-0.7)+/-0.7 ps, was then converted into the reduced transition probability [ B(E2)] to be B(E2;5/2(+)-->1/2(+)) = 3.6+/-0.5(+0.5)(-0.4) e(2) fm(4). Compared with the B(E2) of the corresponding E2(3(+)-->1(+)) transition in the 6Li nucleus, our result gives evidence that the size of the 6Li core in (7)(Lambda)Li is smaller than the 6Li nucleus in the free space.

[Gene analysis of blast resistance in an indica variety Digu]

Digu is one of the important genetic resources in rice breeding for resistance to blast disease in China. In this study, the disease resistance identification in the parental varieties and the population F1, F2 and B1F1 from the crosses involving Digu and four susceptible varieties was carried out by inoculation with two Chinese blast strains, ZB13, and ZB15. The results demonstrated that Digu had one dominant gene Pi-d(t) to ZB13, which had been reported by Li SG. The F2 populations of Digu and other ten different varieties with known resistance genes were inoculated with strains ZB13 and the results further demonstrated that blast resistance of Digu to strain ZB13 was controlled by one dominant resistance gene.

[QTLs analysis of tiller angle in rice (Oryza sativa L.)]

Tiller angle is one of important characters that constitute plant type with great significance in breading. A pair of japonica/indica lines, which were significantly different in tiller angle, were used in this study. A DH population were constructed via anther culture of F1 hybrids. The tiller angles of 115 DH lines were measured. QTL analysis was conducted based on the constructed molecular linkage map. Three QTLs (qTA-9a, qTA-9b and qTA-12) were detected on chromosome 9 and 12 respectively, Their variation were 22.7%, 11.9% and 20.9% respectively and their additive effects were all negative, showing this character was controlled by genes from big tiller angle parent ZYQ8. The application of the tiller angle that was controlled by major genes and minor genes in rice breeding is also discussed.

[RFLP analysis on wide compatibility genes in rice variety dular of ecotype aus]

Dular is one of the typical wide compatibility varieties in ecotype Aus of rice. Genetic analysis on wide compatibility genes (WCG) from Dular based on triple crosses (indica//++Dular/japonica) was conducted. In the condition of being shaded for 7 days, the individual spikelet fertility segregated obviously, and the continuous distributions of spikelet fertility with a handful of peaks were observed. This suggested that the segregation of spikelet fertility in triple cross populations was controlled by one or more major genes, also modified by some minor genes. Based on 109 individuals of triple cross Nanjing 11 (indica)//++Dular/2533(japonica, a marker gene line, Rc and g), fertile and semisterile pools were set up by bulked segregant analysis, the RFLP analysis of the two pools led to the discovery of three chromosomal segments co-segregating with fertility. The one is on the interval RG213-C235 on chromosome 6. According to the previous studies, it may be the wide compatibility gene S5n. The other two were on the interval RG901-RG413 and G402-RG651 on chromosome 12, temporarily designated as Sd1(t)n and Sd2(t)n, respectively. Because of the continuous distribution for spikelet fertility, we also used a quantitative model to evaluate the effects of those three loci. On the basis of interval analysis with Mapmaker/QTL, 32.3% of the phenotypic variance associated with spikelet fertility was explained by the S5n (LOD = 9.03), and the other two chromosomal segments were responsible for 10.5%(LOD = 2.61) and 10.9%(LOD = 2.14) phenotypic variance, respectively. The results demonstrated that the wide compatibility variety Dular contained three WCGs. To introgress the three WCGs into a restorer line or an abortive line will overcome the hybrid sterility barrier of indica/japonica crosses, and the precise RFLP mapping will be useful for breeders to accumulate a few genes of interest into one cultivar by means of molecular marker assisted selection.

[Integration of the genetic map and the physical map of the subterminal region on the longer arm of rice chromosome 6]

The region between RFLP markers G342 and R1167 was the subterminal part of the longer arm on the rice chromosome 6, because Shen et al. (1998) mapped two telomeric repeat associated sequences distal to G342. In order to integrate the genetic map and the physical map of the region, G342 and R1167 were firstly used to screen BAC library. Based on the positive clones detected by the two markers and chromosome walking by using the outer most insert-end of the overlapping clones, a contig containing 16 BAC clones which spanned 500 kb was constructed. All the insert-ends of the BAC clones could be amplified with thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR. Fourteen insert-ends were subcloned. Seven of them were identified as a single or low copy sequences and five were mapped on the expected sites flanking G342 or R1167. The insert fragment isolated from the minimum tile BAC clones of the contig was used to screen a cDNA library and four different positive clones were detected.

[Molecular tagging of a new recessive gene for late heading in a rice cultivar 8987]

8987 is a late flowering (lf) indica cultivar. In this study, genetic analysis for lf was carried out in the crosses between 8987 and four varieties with different heading time. Inheritance of lf in F1 plants and F2 populations clearly revealed that the lf of 8987 is controlled by one recessive gene. Bulked-segregant method and cosegregation analysis in F2 population were used to screen molecular markers, which were linked with lf gene. The results showed that the lf gene was mapped between the two RFLP marker C213 and RG404 on chromosome 7. The tagged gene will be utilized in molecular marker assisted selection in the future rice breeding program for new varieties.

[Major-polygene effect analysis of resistance to bacterial blight (Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae) in rice]

Five crosses between resistance and susceptible were analyzed to study major-polygene effect using major-polygene mixed mode. The result showed that 3 of 5 crosses were controlled by both major gene and polygene. In addition, there were large variation of additive effect, variance as well as heredity of major gene polygene in 3 crosses. Major gene was predominant in resistant variation, but durability should be considered. We suggested that construct major-polygene system be constructed in the long run in breeding program to ensure a durable and high level of resistance to constrain fluctuation of races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae population.

Observation of a spin-flip M1 transition in 7(lambda)Li

Using a large-acceptance germanium detector array (Hyperball), we have observed a spin-flip M1 gamma transition between the ground-state spin doublet of (7)(Lambda)Li (3/2(+)-->1/2(+)). The observed energy of 691.7+/-0.6(stat)+/-1.0(syst) keV provides crucial information on the strength of the spin-spin interaction between a Lambda and a nucleon. This is the first observation of well-identified hypernuclear gamma transitions using germanium detectors.