The British Thoracic Society guidelines recommend observation for patients with asymptomatic malignant pleural effusion (MPE). However, asymptomatic MPE can become symptomatic. This study examined the clinical course of asymptomatic MPE in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including the incidence and timing of symptom development of asymptomatic MPE and the associated factors. Retrospective data of 4822 NSCLC patients between January 2012 and December 2017 were reviewed. Symptom development of asymptomatic MPE was defined as the development of symptoms requiring additional treatment, such as insertion of a chest tube, within 1 year in patients who lacked MPE symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Clinical information, pathological parameters, and radiological characteristics were reviewed. Patient data up to 1 year from the initial diagnosis were reviewed. Of 113 patients with asymptomatic MPE, 46 (41%) became symptomatic within 1 year despite appropriate anticancer treatment. The median time to symptom development was 4 months, and 38 patients (83%) developed symptoms within 6 months. Multivariate logistic regression showed that female sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.256; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.101–0.649; P = .004) and the depth of pleural effusion on initial computed tomography (CT) (OR, 0.957; 95% CI, 0.932–0.982; P = .001) were independently associated with symptom development of asymptomatic MPE. A fraction of 41% of patients with asymptomatic MPE became symptomatic within 1 year. Female sex and larger MPE on initial CT were independently associated with symptom development of asymptomatic MPE.

Lodging is the most common factor that affects crop productivity, reducing yield, grain quality, and harvesting efficiency of rice and other cereal crops. The Cheongcheong (Indica)/Nagdong (Japonica) doubled haploid (CNDH) genetic map was used to develop a lodging-resistant variety. The major agricultural traits of rice related to lodging resistance, such as the pushing strength of the lower stem before the heading date (PSLSB) at reproductive growth period and pushing strength of the lower stem after the heading date (PSLSA) at full ripe period were investigated. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of PSLSA and PSLSB detected on RM439-RM20318 on chromosome 6 has overlap in three consecutive years. RM439-RM20318 on chromosome 6 contained 15 lodging resistance candidate genes. Among the candidate genes, Os06g0623200, named OsPSLSq6, which is similar to Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase, involved lignin biosynthesis in defense responses. Lignin is the main structural component of vascular plants’ secondary cell wall, which is not only related to plant growth and development but also to mechanical strength. OsPSLSq6 opens new possibilities to control lignin synthesis to improve lodging resistance. OsPSLSq6 can be used as a target gene for further studies to provide important information for the marker-assisted improvement of target traits and cloning genes underlying the QTL of interest.

As a wild ancestor of cultivated rice, Oryza rufipogon is domesticated into cultivated rice Oryza sativa, many agricultural traits are newly created or disappear. In particular, in wild rice, awn protects from predators and is easily blown by the wind and used as a means of propagation. However, awns gradually disappeared as they were breeding from wild rice to cultivated rice. Since awn development is disadvantageous to rice yield, it is important to understand the genetic basis related to awn development. In addition, characterization of the genes associated with awn development is helpful in analyzing the genetic relationships of rice from ancient times to the present for the regulatory mechanisms of awn formation. QTL analysis identified RM14330-RM218 on chromosome 3 using a 120 Cheongcheong/Nagdong double haploid population. Through screening of genes related to awn development in RM-14330-RM218, it is indicated that OsDRPq3 is a causal gene that can be involved in awn development. OsDRPq3 transcription level is maintained high in long awn and less yield populations during the panicle formation stage, the period during awn development. Moreover, the sequence of OsDRPq3 has high homology with the drooping protein leaf. This study provides a new resource for phylogenetic research of rice and exploration of awn development.

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