BackgroundRoles of microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in biotic stress responses, e.g., viral infection, have been demonstrated in plants by many studies. Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) is a monopartite begomovirus that can systemically infect Solanaceae plants, and induces leaf curling, yellowing and enation symptoms when co-inoculated with a betasatellite (TYLCCNB). The released genome sequence of Nicotiana benthamiana provides an opportunity to identify miRNAs and siRNAs responsive to begomovirus-associated betasatellite in N. benthamiana.ResultsmiRNAs were identified in three small RNA libraries generated using RNA isolated from N. benthamiana plants systemically infected with TYLCCNV (Y10A) alone, co-infected with Y10A and its betasatellite TYLCCNB (Y10β) or a TYLCCNB mutant (Y10mβ) that contains a mutated βC1, the sole betasatellite-encoded protein. A total of 196 conserved miRNAs from 38 families and 197 novel miRNAs from 160 families were identified. Northern blot analysis confirmed that expression of species-specific miRNAs was much lower than that of conserved miRNAs. Several conserved and novel miRNAs were found to be responsive to co-infection of Y10A and Y10β but not to co-infection of Y10A and Y10mβ, suggesting that these miRNAs might play a role unique to interaction between Y10β and N. benthamiana. Additionally, we identified miRNAs that can trigger the production of phased secondary siRNAs (phasiRNAs).ConclusionsIdentification of miRNAs with differential expression profiles in N. benthamiana co-infected with Y10A and Y10β and co-infected with Y10A and Y10mβ indicates that these miRNAs are betasatellite-responsive. Our result also suggested a potential role of miRNA-mediated production of phasiRNAs in interaction between begomovirus and N. benthamiana.

BackgroundThe impact of strabismus on visual function, self-image, self-esteem, and social interactions might decrease health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical applications of two strabismus-specific HRQoL questionnaires in the cultural context of China.MethodsThe Chinese versions of the Adult Strabismus Quality of Life Questionnaire (AS-20) and the Amblyopia and Strabismus Questionnaire (ASQE) were self-administered to 304 adults with strabismus. The Cronbach’s α coefficient was calculated to assess the internal consistency reliability. The criterion-related validity was identified by exploring Spearman’s correlation with the most widely used vision-specific quality of life questionnaire NEI-VFQ-25. One-way ANOVA was employed to examine the differences in the quality of life of strabismus patients with visually normal adults and with other eye diseases patients.ResultsSignificantly positive correlations with NEI-VFQ-25 were shown in both scales (r = 0.21 - 0.44, p <0.05, p <0.01). Both scales could distinguish individuals with strabismus from visually normal adults (p <0.001) and adults with other eye diseases (p <0.001). The overall Cronbach’s α value were 0.91 for the AS-20 and 0.89 for the ASQE; and for the subscales, the α value ranged from 0.68 to 0.90.ConclusionThis was the first cross-sectional study to compare the psychometric properties of two strabismus-targeted questionnaires, AS-20 and ASQE in the context of Chinese culture. Both AS-20 and ASQE showed satisfactory and comparable properties for measuring HRQoL in strabismus patients.

BackgroundRoles of microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in biotic stress responses, e.g., viral infection, have been demonstrated in plants by many studies. Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) is a monopartite begomovirus that can systemically infect Solanaceae plants, and induces leaf curling, yellowing and enation symptoms when co-inoculated with a betasatellite (TYLCCNB). The released genome sequence of Nicotiana benthamiana provides an opportunity to identify miRNAs and siRNAs responsive to begomovirus-associated betasatellite in N. benthamiana.ResultsmiRNAs were identified in three small RNA libraries generated using RNA isolated from N. benthamiana plants systemically infected with TYLCCNV (Y10A) alone, co-infected with Y10A and its betasatellite TYLCCNB (Y10β) or a TYLCCNB mutant (Y10mβ) that contains a mutated βC1, the sole betasatellite-encoded protein. A total of 196 conserved miRNAs from 38 families and 197 novel miRNAs from 160 families were identified. Northern blot analysis confirmed that expression of species-specific miRNAs was much lower than that of conserved miRNAs. Several conserved and novel miRNAs were found to be responsive to co-infection of Y10A and Y10β but not to co-infection of Y10A and Y10mβ, suggesting that these miRNAs might play a role unique to interaction between Y10β and N. benthamiana. Additionally, we identified miRNAs that can trigger the production of phased secondary siRNAs (phasiRNAs).ConclusionsIdentification of miRNAs with differential expression profiles in N. benthamiana co-infected with Y10A and Y10β and co-infected with Y10A and Y10mβ indicates that these miRNAs are betasatellite-responsive. Our result also suggested a potential role of miRNA-mediated production of phasiRNAs in interaction between begomovirus and N. benthamiana.

BackgroundThere is a lack of studies comparing stapled suturing and hand-sewn suturing in the surgeries of gastrointestinal tumors based on the clinical practice of Chinese surgeons.MethodsData were retrospectively collected from 499 patients who underwent surgery to remove gastrointestinal tumors from January 2008 to December 2009. The patients were divided into two groups according to the method of digestive tract reconstruction: 296 patients received stapled suturing and 203 patients received hand-sewn suturing. The operation time, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative recovery and complications of the patients were evaluated and compared between the two groups.ResultsThe stapling procedure took shorter operative time compared to the hand-sewn procedure for gastric carcinoma, colorectal cancer and esophageal carcinoma (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay (P > 0.05). Patients receiving stapled suturing also showed shorter recovery for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and shorter time to recovery of normal gastrocolorectal motility compared with patients in the hand-sewn group (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of normal time to commencing liquid diet for esophageal cancer patients (P > 0.05). We also found that the stapled procedure showed a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage, anastomotic hemorrhage and stump leakage in treating colorectal cancer or gastric carcinoma compared with the hand-sewn procedure (P < 0.05).ConclusionsApplication of the stapler in treating gastrointestinal tumors demonstrated better effects on patients in terms of surgical operation time, recovery time to normal functions, and occurrence of complications compared to hand-sewn anastomosis, especially in gastric carcinoma and colorectal cancer.

It is well known that the activation of Aurora A/B (Aur A/B) or inactivation of BRCA1/2 induces tumor formation. Others and we have reported that the mutual suppression between Aur A/B and BRCA1/2 may manipulate cancer cell growth and tumorigenesis, however, the interactive regulation and mechanism between these molecules are still elusive. In this study, by consecutive silencing of Aur A/B or/and BRCA1/2 with specific shRNAs, we showed that, in BRCA2-deficient pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-1 and in ovarian cancer cell line OVCA433, Aur A/B and BRCA1/2 inversely regulated the expression of each other likely through proteasome-mediated proteolysis but not through gene transcription. Aur A/B and BRCA1/2 conversely regulated cell cycle progression mainly through control of p53 and cyclin A. Moreover, the disruption of Aur A/B blocked abnormal cytokinesis and decreased cell multinuclearity and chromosome tetraploidy, whereas the deprivation of BRCA1/2 promoted the abnormal cytokinesis and enhanced the cell multinuclearity and tetraploidy. Furthermore, we showed by animal assays that the depletion of Aur A/B inhibited tumor growth of both cell lines, while the knockdown of BRCA1/2 promoted the tumor growth. However, the concurrent silencing of Aur A/B and BRCA1/2 diminished the effects of these molecules on the regulation of cell cycle, cytokinesis, and tetraploidy, leading to the burdened tumor sizes similar to those induced by scrambled shRNA-treated control cells. In summary, our study revealed that the negative interplay between Aur A/B and BRCA1/2 inversely controls the cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell multinuclearity, and tetraploidization to modulate tumorigenesis.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to analyze our experience with management of intrathoracic anastomotic leak after esophagectomy.MethodsClinical data from 33 patients who developed intrathoracic anastomotic leak were evaluated retrospectively. These patients were selected from 1867 patients undergoing resection carcinoma of the esophagus and reconstruction between January 2003 and December 2012.ResultsSurgical intervention and the reformed “three-tube method” were applied in 13 and 20 patients, respectively. The overall incidence of intrathoracic anastomotic leakage was 1.8%. The median time interval from esophagectomy to diagnosis of leak was 9.7 days. Sixteen patients were confirmed as having leakage by oral contrast computed tomography (CT). Age and interval from surgery to diagnosis of leak were identified as statistically significant parameters between contained and uncontained groups. Moreover, patients with hypoalbuminemia had a longer time to leak closure than patients without hypoalbuminemia. Six patients died from intrathoracic anastomotic leak, with a mortality rate of 18.2%. There was no statistically significant difference in the time to leak closure between patients who underwent surgical exploration and those who received conservative treatment.ConclusionsIntrathoracic anastomotic leak after esophagectomy was associated with significant mortality. Once intrathoracic anastomotic leakage following esophagectomy was diagnosed or highly suspected, individualized management strategies should be implemented according to the size of the leak, extent of the abscess, and status of the patient. In the majority of patients with anastomotic leak, we preferred the strategy of conservative treatment.