Chinese Central Government, the Ministry of Science and Technology of The People's Republic of China, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The Magnaporthe oryzae avirulence gene AvrPiz-t activates immunity in a gene-for-gene fashion to rice mediated by the blast resistance gene Piz-t. To dissect the molecular mechanism underlying their recognition, we initiated the cloning of AvrPiz-t using a map-based cloning strategy. The AvrPiz-t gene was delimited to an approximately 21-kb genomic fragment, in which six genes were predicted. Complementation tests of each of these six candidate genes led to the final identification of AvrPiz-t, which encodes a 108-amino-acid predicted secreted protein with unknown function and no homologues in M. oryzae or in other sequenced fungi. We found that AvrPiz-t is present in the virulent isolate GUY11 but contains a Pot3 insertion at a position 462 bp upstream from the start codon. Complementation tests of AvrPiz-t genes driven by promoters of varying length revealed that a promoter larger than 462 bp is essential to maintain the AvrPiz-t function. These results suggest that a Pot3 insertion in GUY11 might interfere with the proper function of AvrPiz-t. Additionally, we found that AvrPiz-t can suppress the programmed cell death triggered by mouse BAX protein in Nicotiana benthamiana, identifying a mechanism by which AvrPiz-t may contribute virulence of M. oryzae.

Reactive oxygen or nitrogen species play an integral role in both myocardial injury and repair. This dichotomy is differentiated at the level of species type, amount and duration of free radical generated. Homeostatic mechanisms designed to prevent free radical generation in the first instance, scavenge, or enzymatically convert them to less toxic forms and water, playing crucial roles in the maintenance of cellular structure and function. The outcome between functional recovery and dysfunction is dependent upon the inherent ability of these homeostatic antioxidant defences to withstand acute free radical generation, in the order of seconds to minutes. Alternatively, pre-existent antioxidant capacity (from intracellular and extracellular sources) may regulate the degree of free radical generation. This converts reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to the role of second messenger involved in cell signalling. The adaptive capacity of the cell is altered by the balance between death or survival signal converging at the level of the mitochondria, with distinct pathophysiological consequences that extends the period of injury from hours to days and weeks. Hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia and insulin resistance enhance oxidative stress in the diabetic myocardium that cannot adapt to ischaemia-reperfusion. Altered glucose flux, mitochondrial derangements and nitric oxide synthase uncoupling in the presence of decreased antioxidant defence and impaired prosurvival cell signalling may render the diabetic myocardium more vulnerable to injury, remodelling and heart failure.

We examined the genomes of 100 isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae (Pyricularia oryzae), the causal agent of rice blast disease. We grouped current field populations of M. oryzae into three major globally distributed groups. A genetically diverse group, clade 1, which may represent a group of closely related lineages, contains isolates of both mating types. Two well-separated clades, clades 2 and 3, appear to have arisen as clonal lineages distinct from the genetically diverse clade. Examination of genes involved in mating pathways identified clade-specific diversification of several genes with orthologs involved in mating behavior in other fungi. All isolates within each clonal lineage are of the same mating type. Clade 2 is distinguished by a unique deletion allele of a gene encoding a small cysteine-rich protein that we determined to be a virulence factor. Clade 3 isolates have a small deletion within the MFA2 pheromone precursor gene, and this allele is shared with an unusual group of isolates we placed within clade 1 that contain AVR1-CO39 alleles. These markers could be used for rapid screening of isolates and suggest specific events in evolution that shaped these populations. Our findings are consistent with the view that M. oryzae populations in Asia generate diversity through recombination and may have served as the source of the clades 2 and 3 isolates that comprise a large fraction of the global population.

Introduction. Cervical cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women in China. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends routine screening for cervical cancer, and the WHO Global Monitoring Framework suggests that every nation monitors cervical cancer screening. However, little information is available on cervical cancer screening behavior among women in China. Methods. We used data from the 2010 China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance System that included 51,989 women aged 18 years and older. We report the proportion of women who reported ever having had a Papanicolaou (Pap) test, stratified by sociodemographic characteristics and geographic region. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to adjust for potential confounders. Results. Overall, 21% of 51,989 women reported having ever had a Pap test. The highest proportion was reported among women aged 30–39 years (30.1%, 95% confidence interval, 26.8%–33.4%). In all geographic regions, women in rural areas were consistently less likely than women in urban areas to report having had a Pap test. Among women who reported ever having a Pap test, 82% reported having the most recent test in the past 3 years. Factors associated with reporting ever having a test were being aged 30–49 years, higher education, being married, and having urban health insurance. Conclusion. Our results indicate that screening programs need to be strengthened along with a more intense focus on specific demographic groups. National cervical cancer screening guidelines and comprehensive implementation strategies are needed to make screening services available and accessible to all women. Implications for Practice: This study is the largest nationwide and population‐based assessment of self‐reported history of Pap test for cervical cancer screening in China. This article describes cervical cancer screening behavior among women and examines key demographic and geographic factors. Only one fifth of Chinese women reported having ever had a Pap test for cervical cancer screening. The results highlight the urgent need to develop national cervical cancer screening guidelines and strategies that make screening services widely available, accessible, and acceptable to all women, especially to those who reside in rural areas and those with no health insurance.