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The rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a notorious pest of rice in Asia. The larvae and adults of C. medinalis utilize specialized chemosensory systems to adapt to different environmental odors and physiological behaviors. However, the differences in chemosensory genes between the olfactory organs of these two different developmental stages remain unclear. Here, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of larvae heads, male antennae, and female antennae in C. medinalis and identified 131 putative chemosensory genes, including 32 OBP s (8 novel OBP s), 23 CSP s (2 novel CSP s), 55 OR s (17 novel OR s), 19 IR s (5 novel IR s) and 2 SNMP s. Comparisons between larvae and adults of C. medinalis by transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the number and expression of chemosensory genes in larval heads were less than that of adult antennae. Only 17 chemosensory genes (7 OBP s and 10 CSP s) were specifically or preferentially expressed in the larval heads, while a total of 101 chemosensory genes (21 OBP s, 9 CSP s, 51 OR s, 18 IR s, and 2 SNMP s) were specifically or preferentially expressed in adult antennae. Our study found differences in chemosensory gene expression between larvae and adults, suggesting their specialized functions at different developmental stages of C. medinalis . These results provide a theoretical basis for screening chemosensory genes as potential molecular targets and developing novel management strategies to control C. medinalis .

Background: Bones are the third most common site of metastasis, although bone metastasis (BM) incidence varies widely. This study investigated the incidence of BM in the most common cancers in Taiwan to present the recent treatment landscape in patients with organ-specific cancers., Methods: Data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan were used to identify adult patients diagnosed with organ-specific cancers between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2015. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to quantify cumulative BM incidence at follow-up. BM incidences associated with different cancers were calculated comprehensively and stratified by sex, age group and follow-up periods, and age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of BM were calculated using multivariate Cox regression analysis., Results: Among 938 776 participants (mean follow-up, 9.2 years), liver (19.6%), colorectal (17.1%) and lung (15.1%) cancers were most commonly associated with BM. The mean interval between a primary cancer diagnosis and BM was 2 years. BM incidence varied widely among cancers; lung cancer (3213 per 10 5 person-years) was associated with the highest BM risk, followed by oesophageal, prostate and breast cancer. HRs of BM were significantly higher for lung cancer (HR = 8.1) than for other cancers., Conclusion: The estimated BM incidence provided insight into oncological clinical practice trends in the Asia-Pacific region. BM incidence may vary among populations. Understanding the principles of clinical evaluation in patients with cancer of unknown primary origin can facilitate appropriate treatment recommendations., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Preoperative evaluation of donors for living-donor liver transplantation aims to select a suitable donor with optimal graft quality and to ensure donor safety. Hepatic steatosis, a common finding in living liver donors, not only influences the outcome of liver transplantation for the recipient but also affects the recovery of the living donor after partial hepatectomy. Histopathologic analysis is the reference standard to detect and quantify fat in the liver, but it is invasive, and results are vulnerable to sampling error. Imaging can be repeated regularly and allows assessment of the entire liver, thus avoiding sampling error. Selection of appropriate imaging methods demands understanding of their advantages and limitations and the suitable clinical setting. This article describes potential clinical applications for liver fat quantification of imaging methods for fat detection and quantification, with an emphasis on the advantages and limitations of ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging for quantifying liver fat.

The donor shortage problem is particularly serious in Asia and has markedly limited progress in liver transplantation. The increasing demand has, in fact, made it necessary to resort to living donor liver transplantation in both pediatric and adult recipients. Nevertheless, expanding the use of split liver allografts is yet another option to increase the supply. This has a wide potential application on a regional level because most liver transplant programs are still small and may have limited resources in terms of being able to do two transplants in one sitting. The first experience of overseas sharing of split liver grafts in Asia took place in January 1999. The graft was from a 35-yr-old donor from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, who sustained irreversible brain damage in a vehicular accident and had optimal conditions for multiorgan donation. The liver was split ex vivo and the left lateral segment was given to a 3-yr-old girl with biliary atresia at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The extended right lobe split graft was transported to Hong Kong and transplanted into a 51-yr-old male patient with end-stage hepatitis C cirrhosis who was then in a state of acute failure with hepatorenal syndrome. Graft function was excellent in both recipients and the patient from Taiwan was discharged without any complications. Unfortunately, the Hong Kong recipient developed a cerebrovascular accident and required a reoperation for bile leakage from the cut surface of the liver in the early postoperative period. He has made a steady recovery since then; graft function has remained good and his kidneys have recovered. Both patients are currently alive and well 11 months post-transplant. This initial experience of overseas sharing of split liver grafts in Asia demonstrates its feasibility. It has a potentially wide applicability and could lead to the establishment of a formal organ-sharing network in the region. Established competence and mutual trust among the participating liver transplant teams would be essential in perpetuating such a graft-multiplying strategy on an organized basis.