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Litchi (Litchi chinensis) pepper spot disease results in black spotting symptoms on litchi fruits. This disease was first observed on litchi cultivar Guiwei, in Guangzhou, China, in 2009, and then found widespread in other litchi‐growing regions of China. Colletotrichum isolates were consistently recovered from typical black spot lesions of diseased fruits with frequency ranging from 83% to 100%. Three representative Colletotrichum isolates from Maoming, Guangzhou and Shenzhen were selected for identification and pathogenicity testing in the field. Based on morphology and phylogenetic analysis using the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), calmodulin (CAL), actin (ACT), β‐tubulin (TUB2) and glutamine synthetase (GS) gene sequences, the three isolates were identified as C. siamense. In the pathogenicity experiments, typical symptoms appeared on the inoculated litchi fruits, including black spots and green patches around these black spots. These symptoms were consistent with the symptoms originally observed in the field. Colletotrichum siamense was successfully reisolated from the typical black spot lesions of the inoculated litchi fruits. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on characterization of C. siamense as the causal agent of litchi pepper spot disease in mainland China by successful inoculation on fruits under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee pollen is a health food with a wide range of nutritional and therapeutic properties. However, the bioactive compounds of bee pollen have not been extensively revealed due to low efficacy in separation. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and solvent extraction were applied to separate tyrosinase inhibitors from camellia pollen in this study. The camellia pollen extracts prepared with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and n-BuOH have tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Acidic hydrolysis could promote the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of crude sample. Three fractions with tyrosinase inhibitory activity were separated from the hydrolysate by a one-step HSCCC procedure. Among the fractions, two chemicals were sufficiently purified and identified to be levulinic acid (LA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The recovery was 0.80 g kg-1 pollen for LA and 1.75 g kg-1 pollen for 5-HMF; and their purity was all over 98%. The study demonstrates that HSCCC method is powerful for preparative separation of tyrosinase inhibitors from camellia pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Faecal microbiota transplantation ( FMT) has become routine in managing recurrent C. difficile infection ( CDI) refractory to antibiotics. Aim To compare clinical response and improvements in colonic microbiota diversity in subjects with recurrent CDI using different donor product. Methods Seventy-two subjects with ≥3 bouts of CDI were randomised in a double-blind study to receive fresh, frozen or lyophilised FMT product via colonoscopy from 50 g of stool per treatment from eight healthy donors. Recipients provided stools pre- and 7, 14 and 30 days post- FMT for C. difficile toxin and, in a subset, microbiome composition by 16S rRNA gene profiling. Results Overall resolution of CDI was 87% during 2 months of follow-up after FMT. Stool samples before FMT had significantly decreased bacterial diversity with a high proportion of Proteobacteria compared to donors. Cure rates were highest for the group receiving fresh product seen in 25/25 (100%), lowest for the lyophilised product 16/23 (78%; P = 0.022 vs. fresh and 0.255 vs. frozen) and intermediate for frozen product 20/24 ( P = 0.233 vs. fresh). Microbial diversity was reconstituted by day 7 in the subjects receiving fresh or frozen product. Improvement in diversity was seen by day 7 in those randomised to lyophilised material with reconstitution by 30 days. Conclusions Comparative efficacy in faecal microbiota transplantation was observed in subjects receiving fresh or frozen faecal product from the same donors. The lyophilised product had a slightly lowered efficacy compared with fresh product, but it resembled other treatments in microbial restoration 1 month after faecal microbiota transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinguishing label-free malignant cells from healthy ones by their laser scattering spectra is still a tough challenge in label-free cells detection methods. During cells malignant transferring, some tiny structural differences occurs. The nucleus, as the most important internal structure, has very close relationships with cell's healthy state. In this paper, cells with similar size but different tiny nucleus differences are set as the research objects. A novel cell's laser scattering processing algorithm, even interval incident angle (EIIA) algorithm, is developed which is effective in distinguish label-free cells with tiny nucleus' size difference. The laser scattering spectra of human acute leukaemia Jurkat cell models with different nuclei are processed by EIIA to test its sensitivity and reliability. The results prove that cell's original tightly compacted laser scattering spectra have been well separated by EIIA. A consistent rule for cell's nucleus becoming larger can be obviously observed in EIIA processed laser scattering results, which is promising to be an effective standard for identifying malignant larger nucleus cells from healthy ones; therefore, a valid pathway for identify label-free cells simply and directly by their laser scattering spectra can be implemented by EIIA. Also, it may supply an important clinic diagnosis tool to detect malignant cells in early cancerous stage without any dying and marking procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Studies several students in the U.S. for fecal immunoglobulin A response to their homologous infecting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and to heat-labile (LT) toxin of ETEC. Information on ETEC; Methods used; Frequency of local antibody responses to homologous ETEC bacteria and to LT toxin in several travelers with ETEC diarrhea.

Unlabelled: This study examined whether high presentation rates of clicks while recording brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) can improve the detection of central auditory impairment in asphyxiated neonates using the BAER. The BAER was analysed at different presentation rates of clicks within the first week after birth in 38 term neonates who suffered perinatal asphyxia. At the routinely used 21 s(-1) clicks all BAER wave latencies increased significantly (ANOVA, p < 0.05-0.01). After excluding five neonates who had a significantly elevated BAER threshold, only wave V latency increased slightly (p < 0.05). The interpeak intervals of I-V and III-V also increased slightly (both p < 0.05). Similar results were found at 51 s(-1) clicks. As the clicks were increased to 91 s(-1), the III-V interval increased more significantly (p < 0.01) and the III-V/I-III interval ratio also increased significantly (p < 0.01). In particular, wave V amplitude reduced more significantly than that in normal term controls (p < 0.01). Compared with values in the controls, wave V amplitude reduced by 4.5%, 12.2% and 24.7% at 21, 51 and 91 s(-1) clicks, respectively.Conclusion: Although a moderate increase in the rate (e.g. 51 s(-1)) while recording the BAER did not improve the detection of hypoxic-ischaemic auditory impairment, a significant increase (e.g. 91 s(-1)) did, which mainly indicates an abnormal reduction in wave V amplitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: Seventy preterm babies who were born with a birthweight <1500 g were studied with brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) at 37-42 wk of postconceptional age. The data were compared with those of normal term neonates to determine the prevalence of hearing impairment in preterm very low birthweight (VLBW) babies when they reached term. The BAER was recorded with click stimuli at 21 s(-1). Wave I and V latencies increased significantly (ANOVA p < 0.01 and 0.001). I-V and III-V intervals also increased significantly (p < 0.05 and 0.001). Wave V amplitude and V/I amplitude ratio did not differ significantly from those in the normal term controls. Ten of the 70 VLBW babies had a significant elevation in BAER threshold (>30 dB normal hearing level). Eleven had an increase in I-V interval (>2.5 SD above the mean in the normal controls) and one had a decrease in V/I amplitude ratio (<0.45). These results suggest that 14% (10/70) of the VLBW babies had a peripheral hearing impairment and 17% (12/70) a central impairment. Three babies had both an increase in I-V interval and an elevation in BAER threshold, suggesting that 4% (3/70) had both peripheral and central impairments. Thus, the total prevalence of hearing impairment was 27% (19/70).Conclusion: About one in four preterm VLBW babies has peripheral and/or central hearing impairment at term. VLBW and its associated unfavourable perinatal factors predispose the babies to hearing impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Bacterial enteropathogens, the major cause of travelers’ diarrhea, are customarily treated with antibacterial drugs. Rifaximin, a nonabsorbed antimicrobial was examined as treatment for travelers’ diarrhea. Methods: A randomized, prospective, double-blind clinical trial was carried out in 72 US adults in Mexico. Patients with acute diarrhea received one of three doses of rifaximin (200, 400 and 600 mg t.i.d.) or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX, 160 mg/800 mg b.i.d.) for 5 days. Results were compared with data from 2 placebo-treated historical control populations. Results: The shortest duration of treated diarrhea was seen in the group receiving 200 mg rifaximin t.i.d (NS). Clinical failure to respond to treatment occurred in 6 of 55 (11%) rifaximin-treated subjects versus 5 of 17 (29%) of TMP/SMX-treated subjects (NS). Sixteen of twenty (80%) of the enteropathogens isolated from the rifaximin-treated subjects and 7 of 7 (100%) from the TMP/SMX group were eradicated by treatment (NS). Sixteen of twenty-four (67%) enteropathogens identified were susceptible to TMP and all 24 were inhibited by ≤50 µg/ml of rifaximin. Rifaximin reduced the number of unformed stools passed during the first 24 h of treatment when compared with 2 control placebo groups (3.3 versus 5.1; p = 0.008 and 0.0001) and led to a reduced duration of post-enrollment diarrhea (mean values of 43.1 versus 68.1 and 81.9 h; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Rifaximin shortened the duration of travelers’ diarrhea compared with TMP/SMX and 2 earlier studied placebo-treated groups. A poorly absorbed drug if effective in treating bacterial diarrhea has pharmacologic and safety advantages over the existing drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly compact (25 × 25 × 0.8 mm³) dual-band folded square-loop antenna is proposed for reading near-field RF identification (RFID) tags. The antenna has a strong and uniform magnetic field in the nearfield zone of the square loop. The side length of the square loop (~λ/16) generates resonant frequencies in two conventional modes (0.5λ and 1.0λ). Experimental interrogation of a small RFID button tag attached to a blood sample collection tube showed that the antenna has a small interrogation zone (15 × 15 mm²), which avoids unnecessary interrogation. Experiments also showed that with an input power of 25 dBm, the antenna can tag at a distance of up to 40 mm, which confirmed its suitability for reading button-type RFID tags attached to blood sample collection tubes and other specimen containers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to determine whether a specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) toxins after chaotropic extraction of DNA from stool would increase the detection of ETEC over that of conventional oligonucleotide probe hybridization of 5 E. coli colonies per stool sample (a standard method). By DNA hybridization, 29 (21%) of 140 patients were positive for ETEC, and 59 (42%) of 140 were positive for ETEC when PCR was used. Sensitivity of the PCR assay was confirmed through spiked stool experiments to be approximately 100-1000 ETEC colonies per sample. Specificity of the assay was determined by showing an absence of ETEC by the PCR technique in a subgroup of 48 subjects and by confirming the presence of ETEC DNA of positive samples by dot blot procedure. PCR technique detected significantly more ETEC infections in these subjects than did the hybridization method (P<.0001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on silicon on insulator (SOI) technology, a novel high temperature pressure sensor with high frequency response is designed and fabricated, in which a buried silicon dioxide layer in the silicon material is developed by the separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) technology. This layer can isolate leak currents between the top silicon layer for the detecting circuit and body silicon at a temperature of about 200 °C. In addition, the technology of silicon and glass bonding is used to create a package of the sensor without internal strain. A structural model and test data from the sensor are presented. The experimental results showed that this kind of sensor possesses good static performance in a high temperature environment and high frequency dynamic characteristics, which may satisfy the pressure measurement demands of the oil industry, aviation and space, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of a new antibiotic safely for preventing travelers' diarrhea. Daily antibiotics can prevent travelers' diarrhea but have many adverse effects, such as making bacteria in the body more resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, the risk of taking daily antibiotics to prevent travelers' diarrhea is usually considered greater than the benefit. Rifaximin, an antibiotic used in other countries to treat diarrhea, recently became available in the U.S. Rifaximin is an effective treatment for travelers' diarrhea once it has developed and might also be useful for preventing travelers' diarrhea.

Objective: To investigate the effect of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) on ferroptosis and its possible mechanism in glioblastoma cells. Methods: The online database of gene expression profiling interactive analysis 2 (GEPIA 2) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas were used to analyze the expression of SRSF2 in glioblastoma tissue and its association with patients prognosis. To validate the findings of the online databases, the pathological sections of glioblastoma and non-tumor brain tissues from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China were collected and analyzed by using immunohistochemistry. Silencing SRSF2 gene expression in glioblastoma cells by siRNA was analyzed with Western blot. The proliferation index was detected by using CCK8 assay. The rescued experiment was conducted by using expression plasmid of pcDNA3.1(+)-SRSF2. The activity of ferroptosis was assessed by using the levels of iron ions and malondialdehyde in glioblastoma cells and the changes in the ratio of glutathione to oxidized glutathione. The changes of gene expression and differential pre-mRNA alternative splicing (PMAS) induced by SRSF2 were monitored by using the third-generation sequencing technology analysis, namely Oxford nanopore technologies (ONT) sequencing analysis. Results: SRSF2 expression was higher in glioblastoma tissues than non-tumor brain tissues. Immunohistochemistry also showed a positive rate of 88.48%±4.60% in glioblastoma tissue which was much higher than the 9.97%±4.57% in non-tumor brain tissue. The expression of SRSF2 was inversely correlated with overall and disease-free disease survivals ( P <0.01). The proliferation index of glioblastoma cells was significantly reduced by silencing with SRSF2 siRNA ( P <0.01) and could be reversed with transfection of exogenous SRSF2. The levels of intracellulariron ions and malondialdehyde increased ( P <0.05), but the glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio and the expression of key proteins in the glutathione pathway remained unchanged ( P >0.05). ONT sequencing results showed that silencing SRSF2 in glioblastoma cells could induce a significant alternative 3' splice site change on ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1). Conclusion: SRSF2 inhibits the ferroptosis in glioblastoma cells and promotes their proliferation, which may be achieved by regulating FSP1 PMAS.

As we know, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is a peripheral vestibular disorder,while vestibular migraine is a central vestibular disease. Although they are two different independent diseases, patients often choose to consult otolaryngology and neurology. The clinical manifestations of some patients with these two diseases are similar and the diagnosis is easy to be confused, but the treatment methods are completely different, and incorrect treatment methods will inevitably affect the curative effect and prognosis. Vestibular migraine is characterized by a diversity of clinical manifestations and signs, and the migraine symptoms of some patients do not match with the vestibular symptoms. There are 30% of vestibular migraine patients who showed isolated paroxysmal vertigo/dizziness and nystagmus, which is easily confused with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and needs to be identified. Under the framework of the international classification of vestibular diseases, according to the new guideline of nystagmus examination and classification issued by Barany Association and new diagnostic criteria of two diseases, differential diagnosisof benign paroxysmal positional vertigo from vestibular migrainecan make up for one-sided understanding caused by the specialization of disciplines, improve thediagnosis and treatment of vestibular diseases, and thus reduce the misdiagnosis and mistreatment.

Objective: To explore the spectrum of causes for patients with vertigo or dizziness in the Department of Neurology, and provide a reference for diagnosis and treatment of patients with vertigo or dizziness. Methods: Clinical data of patients in the Department of Neurology, Baotou Central Hospital between January 2016 and September 2017 was retrospectively analyzed. The target group under study was diagnosed based on the uniform diagnostic criteria. Results: A total of 9 200 patients with a chief complaint of vertigo or dizziness were included. The ratio of male to female was 1∶1.8, with an age range of 19 to 85 years. The different etiology was as follows: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) (3 148 cases, 34.22%), persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) (2 006 cases, 21.80%), vertigo caused by cerebrovascular diseases (1 463 cases, 15.90%), vestibular neuritis (741 cases, 8.05%), vestibular migraine (536 cases, 5.83%), vestibular paroxysmia (336 cases, 3.65%), Ménière disease (187 cases, 2.03%), drug-induced vertigo (96 cases, 1.04%), neurological degenerative diseases (74 cases, 0.80%), sudden sensorineural hearing loss (51 cases, 0.55%), multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica (21 cases, 0.23%), other reasons (22 cases, 0.24%), unknown reasons (519 cases, 5.64%). Conclusions: Dizziness is resulted from various causes, and BPPV is the most common reason. Vertigo caused by cerebrovascular diseases appears to gradually increase along with age. PPPD is very common in clinical practice, so clinicians needs to be highly aware of BPPV and PPPD. Although those dizziness diseases have a low incidence, they should not be ignored. There are still certain proportion of vertigo patients whose diagnosis are undetermined.

Eleven published studies of the etiology of travellers' diarrhea (TD) were reviewed define the etiology of TD and to exam newly developed technology such as Real-Time multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify multiple pathogens in one assay to define the cause of TD. Using PCR methods bacterial pathogens were found in 72% of patients acquiring diarrhea in Latin America and in 80% in travellers with illness acquired in Southeast Asia). In these studies, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli as the predominant pathogen (42% in Latin America and 28% in Southeast Asia). Ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter was commonly associated with TD in Southeast Asia. Multiplex PCR has improved the detection of enteropathogens and allowed better assessment returning travellers hospitalized with TD and those with persistent diarrhea., (© International Society of Travel Medicine, 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy and hyperthermia are effective treatments for several diseases, especially for liver cancers. Thermal conductivity is a significant thermal property for the prediction and guidance of surgical procedure. However, the thermal conductivities of organs and tissues, especially over the temperature range of both cryotherapy and hyperthermia are scarce., Objective: To provide comprehensive thermal conductivity of liver for both cryotherapy and hyperthermia., Materials and Methods: A hot probe made of stain steel needle and micron-sized copper wire is used for measurement. To verify data processing, both the least square method and the Monte Carlo inversion method are used to determine the hot probe constants, respectively, with reference materials of water and 29.9 % Ca 2 Cl aqueous solution. Then the thermal conductivities of Hanks solution and pork liver bathed in Hanks solution are measured., Results: The effective length for two methods is nearly the same, but the heat capacity of probe calibrated by the Monte Carlo inversion is temperature dependent. Fairly comprehensive thermal conductivity of porcine liver measured with these two methods in the target temperature range is verified to be similar., Conclusion: We provide an integrated thermal conductivity of liver for cryotherapy and hyperthermia in two methods, and make more accurate predictions possible for surgery. The least square method and the Monte Carlo inversion method have their advantages and disadvantages. The least square method is available for measurement of liquids that not prone to convection or solids in a wide temperature range, while the Monte Carlo inversion method is available for accurate and rapid measurement.