Chrysomya bezziana is an obligate, myiasis-causing fly in humans and warm-blooded animals throughout the tropical and subtropical Old World. We report a case of cutaneous myiasis due to C. bezziana in a dog from Guangxi province in China. A total of 35 maggots were removed from the lesions. Direct sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene showed that the specimen belonged to haplotype CB_bezz02, which was previously reported in Malaysia and the Gulf region. This paper also reviews reported cases of screwworm myiasis from humans and animals in China. Geographical records indicate that the distribution of C. bezziana is expanding, suggesting that an integrated pest management control should be taken into consideration in China.
Rare flavonoids, a special subclass of naturally occurring flavonoids with diverse structures including pterocarpans, aurones, neoflavonoids, homoisoflavones, diphenylpropanes, rotenoids and 2-phenylethyl-chromones. They are mainly found in legumes with numerous health benefits. Rare flavonoids are regarded as minor flavonoids due to their very limited abundance in nature. This review gives an overview of the natural occurrences of rare flavonoids from previous literatures. Recent findings on the biosynthesis of rare flavonoids have been updated by describing their structural characteristics and classifications. Recent findings on the health benefits of rare flavonoids have also been compiled and discussed. Natural rare flavonoids with various characteristics from different subclasses from plant-based food sources are stated. They show a wide range of health benefits, including antibacterial, anticancer, anti-osteoporosis and antiviral activities. Studies reviewed suggest that rare flavonoids possessing different skeletons demonstrate different characteristic bioactivities by discussing their mechanism of actions and structure-activity relationships. Besides, recent advances on the biosynthesis of rare flavonoids, such as pterocarpans, rotenoids and aurones are well-known, while the biosynthesis of other subclasses remain unknown. The perspectives and further applications of rare flavonoids using metabolic engineering strategies also be expected.
In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.