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Tree trunk cankers represent serious fungal diseases that pose significant threats to Chinese hickory trees (Carya cathayensis). To characterize the pathogen diversity associated with this disease, tissues were collected between 2016 and 2018 from the primary Chinese hickory plantation regions. A total of 97 cultures were isolated from trees in six towns (Longgang, Qingliangfeng, Changhua, Tuankou, Taiyang Town, and Lin’an urban area) within the Linan district, where 60% of Chinese hickory tree yields originate. The isolated cultures caused cankers on Chinese hickory tree branches, but infections did not occur on fruits or leaves under tested conditions. Combined morphological observations and phylogenetic analysis of multiple genes (ITS, β-tubulin, and EF) indicated that five Botryosphaeriaceae species were recovered, including 89 isolates of Botryosphaeria dothidea, 4 isolates of Botryosphaeriaceae fabicerciana, 1 isolate of Botryosphaeriaceae qingyuanensis, 1 isolate of Botryosphaeriaceae corticis, and two isolates of Lasiodiplodia theobromae. B. dothidea was the most prevalent, and this is the first report of B. corticis, B. qingyuanensis, and L. theobromae infections in Chinese hickory trees. We investigated the mycelial growth, spore germination, and pathogenicity of these species at different temperatures. L. theobromae grew the fastest and B. cortices grew the slowest on potato dextrose agar. The optimum temperature of spore germination for all species was 30°C. L. theobromae was the most virulent species, followed by B. dothidea and B. qingyuanensis, then B. fabicerciana, and finally B. cortices. These new insights into fungal pathogen diversity provide critical new information to understand and manage tree trunk cankers of Chinese hickory.

Anthracnose is a serious fungal disease that primarily infects strawberry roots and stolons during development. Here, 91 isolates from different areas of Zhejiang province, China, were collected. Morphological characteristics were analyzed, and a phylogenetic analysis based on multiple genes (actin, internal transcribed spacer, calmodulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and chitin synthase) was performed. We found that all of the Colletotrichum species causing strawberry anthracnose belonged to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex. Among them, we identified 48 isolates of C. fructicola, 21 isolates of C. siamense, 13 isolates of C. gloeosporioides, and 9 isolates of C. aenigma. C. siamense was distributed in the central and eastern regions of Zhejiang province (Hangzhou, Jinhua, Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Taizhou). This is the first report of C. siamense causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province. C. fructicola was the most dominant species causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province. We identified the four species causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province, which will improve our understanding of the strawberry anthracnose epidemic and will benefit the development of future control measures.

Trunk canker disease caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea with a prolonged latent infection phase poses a serious threat to Chinese hickory production. To further understand the epidemiological characteristics and develop reasonable management techniques, a quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (q-LAMP) assay was developed to quantitatively monitor B. dothidea in hickory plants, water, and air samples. Specific primers were designed based on the different sites of the β-tubulin sequence between B. dothidea and other fungi commonly found on Chinese hickory. At the optimum reaction temperature of 65.9°C, this loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay can specifically distinguish B. dothidea from other tested fungi. The limit of detection of LAMP assays for B. dothidea was 0.001 ng/µl of pure genomic DNA and 10 spores per 1 ml of water. The q-LAMP assay enables rapid detection of B. dothidea within 60 min in hickory trunk, water in hickory forests, and spores captured on tapes. These results provide a powerful and convenient tool for monitoring B. dothidea, which could be applied widely in epidemiology, forecast, and management of tree canker disease.

Anthracnose is one of the most common diseases in strawberry plants. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the major cause of anthracnose in China, including Zhejiang Province. Early, specific, reliable, and time-saving detection is urgently needed to prevent the further spread of C. gloeosporioides, guiding farmers to utilize chemicals to control anthracnose. In this study, we showed that the high resistance to pyraclostrobin, caused by a point mutation at codon 143 (GGT→GCT) in the cytochrome b gene of C. gloeosporioides was prevalent in the strawberry growing regions, and we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay as a detection method. Primer sets S0 and S4 could be used to specifically detect C. gloeosporioides isolates and the G143A mutations, respectively. A detection limit of 10−2 ng (10 pg), which is at least 10-fold more sensitive than conventional polymerase chain reaction, was achieved by the LAMP assay. Here, we utilized lateral-flow devices (LFDs), nitrocellulose membranes that can absorb nucleic acids, to acquire the total genomic DNA of strawberry plants within 2 min. The LFD membranes were used as DNA templates for the LAMP assays to accurately detect strawberry plants infected with C. gloeosporioides. This diagnostic method for strawberry anthracnose was accomplished within 1 h, including the sample preparation and LAMP assays. Collectively, we developed a sensitive and practical method for monitoring C. gloeosporioides and its quinone outside inhibitor–resistant mutants. The LAMP assay for detection of C. gloeosporioides in strawberry plants has great potential for rapid strawberry anthracnose surveillance and will provide farmers with advice on preventing C gloeosporioides at the early stages of strawberry development.

本文对1例门诊患者多次接触农药草甘膦后反复发生变应性皮肤血管炎的临床资料进行分析，探讨草甘膦引起变应性皮肤血管炎的临床表现及病理改变，为其预防和治疗提供依据。患者多次接触草甘膦后均引起皮肤血管炎性改变，停止接触及治疗后痊愈。草甘膦可引起变应性皮肤血管炎，在喷洒农药时应引起重视并进行积极防治。.

患者中年女性，以腹水为首发临床表现，入院后行肝活检、门静脉压力测定、骨髓穿刺、免疫固定电泳等系列检查，排除肝源性、肾源性、心源性、肿瘤性、风湿等疾病所致腹水， 最终结合患者既往表现及生化检查等指标，诊断为POEMS综合征。.

Anthracnose is a serious fungal disease that primarily infects strawberry roots and stolons during development. Here, 91 isolates from different areas of Zhejiang province, China, were collected. Morphological characteristics were analyzed, and a phylogenetic analysis based on multiple genes (actin, internal transcribed spacer, calmodulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and chitin synthase) was performed. We found that all of the

In 2014 and 2015, a total of 151 tobacco brown spot (Alternaria alternata) isolates were collected from Guizhou Province in China to evaluate their resistance to the benzimidazole thiophanate-methyl, the carbamate diethofencarb, and the dicarboximide procymidone. Resistance to thiophanate-methyl and diethofencarb was observed in all isolates. Resistance to all the three fungicides, thiophanate-methyl, diethofencarb, and procymidone was detected at a frequency of 6.0%. The F167Y single mutation in the β-tubulin gene was found to be associated with resistance to thiophanate-methyl,but no mutation was found in the coiled-coil region of the histidine kinase-encoding gene OS1, a fungal gene for dicarboximide resistance. Procymidone applied at the rate of 20 mg l−1 inhibited spot lesion formation on tobacco leaves with an efficacy of 51.7% for the low resistance (LR) isolates and 74.2% for the procymidone-sensitive isolates. Thiophanate-methyl applied at 100 mg l−1, however, slightly promoted the expansion of disease lesions with an efficacy of −7.7%. Azoxystrobin applied at 10 and 20 mg l−1 provided efficacies of 91.1 and 100%, respectively, regardless of whether the isolates were thiophanate-methyl resistant or procymidone-LR. Further studies suggested that azoxystrobin exhibited excellent protective activity and good curative activity against A. alternata in plants. The baseline sensitivity to azoxystrobin was then determined. In the presence SHAM, the mean EC50 values for conidial germination inhibition were 0.49 ± 0.22 (Mean ± SD) mg l−1. Interestingly, no resistance was recovered through UV irradiation or Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated mutagenesis. This research indicated widespread resistance to thiophanate-methyl and diethofencarb, low frequency of (6.0%) resistance to procymidone in A. alternata populations from tobacco, and suggested that azoxystrobin could potentially constitute a good alternative for the management of tobacco brown spot disease.

In 2017 and 2018, a total of 294 Fusarium fujikuroi isolates were collected from bakanae-diseased rice plants in Jinhua, Shaoxing, and Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province, China. Phenamacril sensitivity of these isolates was determined by the 50% effective concentration value or minimum inhibitory concentration methods. Our results indicated that the phenamacril resistance frequency of F. fujikuroi increased from 18% in 2017 to 47% in 2018, and rice plants infected with F. fujikuroi-resistant isolates could not be protected effectively with 50 mg/liter of phenamacril. Phenamacril-resistant F. fujikuroi isolates obtained from rice fields showed stable resistance, because their fitness levels (i.e., mycelial growth, sporulation, and pathogenicity) were similar to the phenamacril-sensitive isolates. In addition to the point mutation at codon 219 in the myosin-5 gene that conferred resistance to phenamacril, our results also showed another point mutation at codon 218 (AAG→ACG) in myosin-5 that also conferred resistance to phenamacril. In this study, we found rapid development and persistence of diversified genotypes of phenamacril resistance, highlighting the importance of proper use of phenamacril in rice fields. Our results may also help researchers develop new fungicides or new control strategies using combinations of different fungicides in the control of phenamacril-resistant F. fujikuroi isolates.

This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of miR-421 in terms of overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) in ESAD and its potential regulatory network.An in-silico analysis was conducted using data from large databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas-Esophageal Carcinoma (TCGA-ESCA), Starbase 3.0 and GeneMANIA.Both esophageal adenocarcinoma (ESAD) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues had significantly upregulate miR-421 expression, compared with adjacent normal tissues. Upregulated miR-421 expression was associated with shorter OS, but not RFS in ESAD. In patients with ESCC, no difference in miR-421 expression was observed regards to OS or RFS status. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that high miR-421 expression was independently associated with shorter OS (HR: 2.77, 95%CI: 1.41-5.46, p0.01), after adjustment of histological grade and pathological stages. The predicted regulatory network of miR-421 in ESAD includes both tumor suppressors and oncogenes, which makes the role of miR-421 quite mysterious in this cancer.MiR-421 expression might serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker in patients with ESAD. But future molecular studies are required to explore the exact regulatory effect of it.

Anthracnose is one of the most common diseases in strawberry plants.

Trunk canker of Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis), caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, is the most important disease threatening production. Although fungicides are applied to control the disease, efficacy is very poor. In this study, fungicides were studied and selected for effective control of trunk canker through assessments of inhibitory activity and application programs. Seventeen fungicides from eight different FRAC groups were tested for their in vitro activity against B. dothidea. Difenoconazole, tebuconazole, and prochloraz (FRAC 3) were the most effective in inhibiting mycelial growth. Trifloxystrobin (FRAC 11) had the most significant inhibitory activity against spore germination with an EC50 of 1.78 ± 0.61 mg/ L. Seven different application programs with three sprays of trifloxystrobin and/or difenoconazole for each program were evaluated at two forest sites over 3 years. Results indicated that the date of the first spray is crucial. If the first spray was applied on March 10, significantly better efficacy was achieved compared to an application on March 20. In 2016, a real-time PCR technique was adopted to help quantify the pathogen and thereby assess canker control. The results suggested a good relationship between gDNA content of B. dothidea in trunk tissues and the development of the canker lesions at both sites. Moreover, a total of 107 single-conidium isolates of B. dothidea were further tested for their sensitivities to trifloxystrobin in conidial germination experiments. In the presence of 100 mg/L SHAM, the EC50 values ranged from 0.29 mg/L to 8.38 mg/L, with an average of 3.16 ± 0.85 mg/L. The range of variation was 28.9-fold. These sensitivity data can be used as a baseline for monitoring putative sensitivity shifts in B. dothidea to trifloxystrobin, a Qo-inhibiting (QoI) fungicide, members of which are commonly considered to be at a high risk for resistance selection.

Anthracnose, caused by a C. gloeosporioides complex, is an important disease affecting both strawberries and grapes. In this study, a total of 222 isolates of C. gloeosporioides, including 114 from strawberries and 108 from grapes, were tested for their resistance to benzimidazole fungicides and diethofencarb. The results of this study showed that the decrease in the control of C. gloeosporioides in China for benzimidazoles could be attributed to the development of resistances. The resistance frequency was found to be 69.4 %, 99.1 %, and 37.0 % for the combined population (n = 222), strawberry sub-population, and grape sub-population, respectively. Within the subset of isolates from strawberry plants, only one Ben R2 (double resistance to benzimidazoles and diethofencarb) isolate, and one Ben S (benzimidazole sensitive) were detected, whereas the remaining 98.2 % of the isolates were found to be of a Ben R1 (benzimidazole highly resistant and diethofencarb sensitive) resistance type. Otherwise, 37.0 % of the Ben R2 isolates, and 63.0 % of the Ben S isolates were respectively detected within the subset of the C. gloesporioides isolates of the table grapes. The Ben R1 and Ben R2 isolates showed a comparable fitness (mycelial growth, sporulation, and virulence), similar to that of the Ben S isolates. The present study also demonstrated that a combination of temperatures and carbendazim concentrations could be adopted for the management of benzimidazole resistance within the C. gloesporioides population in China. In addition, the present paper determined that Ben R1 was associated with a point mutation from GAG to GCG at codon 198, and Ben R2 was associated with a point mutation from TTC to TAC at codon 200, both in the β-tubulin gene of sensitive isolates. However, the above results of the resistance development, wherein the host differentiation within the C. gloesporioides complex suggested by the pathogenicity tests and alignment analysis based on β-tubulin gene sequence were identified, require further in-depth study in the future.

Anoectochilus roxburghii is one of the important herbal medicines in China. As a national rare and endangered plant, A. roxburghii is presently cultivated in bottles through greenhouse productions. The cultivation of A. roxburghii in Zhejiang Province accounts for a large proportion in China. Gray mold was found to severely affect the production of A. roxburghii. In 2018, the incidence of gray mold indicated by water-soaked gray mold symptoms with white to gray mycelia and conidiogenous apparatus on infected stems and leaves was observed for 6% of seedling bottles. When the conditions are suitable, gray mold spreads to the whole leaf and then gradually turns into grayish black and produces brown dead plaque, which causes the plant to wrinkle in severe cases. Thirty-one diseased leaves collected from different greenhouses in Jinhua City were picked with a needle on 2% potato dextrose agar (PDA) and cultured in the dark at 23°C. The colonies on the PDA were initially grayish white, followed by brownish black, and produced one-celled, round conidia (8.78 ± 0.4 × 12.60 ± 0.3 μm). These morphological features are consistent with Botrytis cinerea. In order to confirm the identification based on morphological features, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2), heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3PDH) were amplified from the DNA extracted from the mycelium produced on PDA (Berbee et al. 1999; Liu et al. 1999; Smith 1989). The sequences were deposited in NCBI under accession numbers RPB2 (MN464111, MN464112, MN464113), HSP60 (MN464108, MN464109, MN464110), and G3PDH (MN464105, MN464106, MN464107). BLAST analysis of the RPB2 (1,106 bp) segment showed 100% identity to the RPB2 sequence of B. cinerea isolate S4GBR40 (GenBank accession no. MK3880531). The HSP60 (956 bp) segment showed 100% identity to the HSP60 sequence of B. cinerea isolate F2-17 (GenBank accession no. MK256903). And the G3PDH (994 bp) gene segment showed 100% identity to B. cinerea isolate GZFQ-1 (GenBank accession no. MH479930). Phylogenetic analysis based on RPB2, HSP60, and G3PDH showed that the pathogen was B. cinerea. Uninfected A. roxburghii healthy plants were sprayed with 2 × 10⁶ conidia/ml in distilled water as inoculum, and plants inoculated with only distilled water were adopted as the blank control. For each isolate, 16 intact plants were inoculated. Plants were then kept at 25°C and 95% relative humidity in a 12-h light/dark incubation. After 10 days, all three tested isolates caused gray mold symptoms on A. roxburghii, whereas no symptoms appeared in the controls. Cultures reisolated from lesions and cultured on PDA exhibited the same morphological characteristics as B. cinerea (Carmichael et al. 2019), confirming Koch’s postulates. The inoculations were performed twice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the gray mold in A. roxburghii, which is the main factor limiting its productions. Measures must be taken to manage the disease in a timely manner.

Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis) is one of the important economic forest crops in Zhejiang and Anhui Provinces, China. In 2012, nearly 40% of hickory orchards and 6.8% of hickory trees were affected by leaf blight in Zhejiang. Initial symptoms consisted of small, brown, water-soaked lesions, which subsequently enlarged and developed a black sporulating necrotic center surrounded by a chlorotic halo. Infected leaf samples collected from 25 different orchards in Lin'an and 13 different orchards in Chun'an were surface sterilized with 1.5% sodium hypochlorite for 1.5 min, rinsed in water, plated on 2% potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 1 week. Single conidium cultures were consistently isolated and cultured on PDA and V8 agar for morphological characterization (1,3). On both agar media, colonies were dark olive brown with smooth margins and concentric rings of sporulation. Conidia were solitary, darkly pigmented, predominantly ovoid-subsphaeroid, and 23 to 52 × 13 to 23 μm with up to six or seven transepta and one to three longisepta. The ribosomal internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 of 10 isolates were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 on DNA extracted from mycelium and nucleotide sequences showed 100% similarity to that of A. petroselini (GenBank Accession Nos. AY154685.1 and EU807868.1). To confirm pathogenicity, 10 uninfected leaves from each of 10 C. cathayensis trees were sprayed either with a conidia suspension (105 conidia per ml) or with distilled water only to serve as an un-inoculated control. Leaves were subsequently wrapped in plastic bags to retain moisture, and incubated for 48 h. After 1 week, 8 of 10 isolates caused lesions identical to those initially described whereas no symptoms developed on water inoculated leaves. Cultures reisolated from lesions and cultured on PDA exhibited morphological characteristics identical to A. petroselini (1,2,3), confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf blight in C. cathayensis, and this identification would allow producers to identify for appropriate management practices. References: (1) P. M. Kirk et al. The Dictionary of the Fungi, 10th edition, page 159. CABI Bioscience, UK, 2008. (2) B. M. Pryor et al. Mycologia 94:49, 2002. (3) E. G. Simmons. Alternaria: An Identification Manual. CBS Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2007.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is a leafy, annual, solanaceous plant grown commercially for its leaves. China is the biggest single tobacco market and accounts for more than 40% of the global tobacco consumption (1). Tobacco seed harvested in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China, are commonly contaminated or infected by various fungal pathogens, which can cause abnormal seedlings with dark brown lesions and stunting of roots and decayed seeds. In 2013, five samples of 500 seeds from tobacco cv. Guiyan 4 were tested for germination on moistened paper on petri dishes. On average, 35% of the seeds from all five samples developed into abnormal seedlings or were decayed and were plated onto potato dextrose agar media and grown for 5 days at 25°C in darkness to confirm the presence of a pathogen. However, one fungus was isolated from an average of 10% of the 500 seeds sampled. It was identified morphologically as Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fresen.) de Vries based on the velvety olive-brown with almost black reverse colony color and dimensions and color of conidia and conidiophores. Conidia formed in long branched chains that readily disarticulate, single celled, elliptical to limoniform, 2 to 8 (avg. 4.3) × 2 to 3 (avg. 2.1) μm. Conidia were pale to olive brown and smooth to verruculose. Ramoconidia were 0 to 1 septate, 7 to 14 (avg. 9.2) × 2 to 4 (avg. 2.6) μm, smooth or sometimes minutely verruculose. Conidiophores were pale to olive brown, macro- and micronemateus, smooth or sometimes verruculose, and of various lengths up to 320 μm long and 2 to 5 μm wide. Primer pair ITS1 and ITS4 was employed to amplify the regions of ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 of the pathogens. Sequences of all three isolates (G3, G10, and G18) (Accession Nos. KF841547, KF841554, and KF841560) were identical to each other and to four sequences in GenBank (JX230994.1, JQ768317.1, JQ768322.1, and AB763555.1). Pathogenicity of the three isolates of C. cladosporioides was verified on tobacco seedlings of 3-week-old grown on wet filter paper in the petri dishes (9 cm in diameter). For each isolate, 20 seedlings incubated in one plate were inoculated with 0.5 ml of a suspension of 105 conidia/ml. Twenty seedlings were treated with sterile water as control treatment. After inoculation, the petri dishes were incubated at 25°C, 100 to 120 μEm−2 S−1, RH > 80%, and 16 h light per day for disease development. At 96 h after inoculation, symptoms comprising medium brown to black lesions on the roots were clearly visible on inoculated plants but not on the control plants. All seedlings inoculated died 9 days after inoculation whereas control seedlings remained symptomless. Re-isolation attempts on PDA from roots demonstrated C. cladosporioides to be present in symptomatic seedlings but not in roots of the control plants. Moreover, the characteristics of the cultured fungi were exactly the same as those originally isolated. Isolates G3, G10, and G18 (KF841547, KF841554, and KF841560) were deposited with the Tobacco Diseased Fungi, Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Sciences, Guizhou, China. Previously, C. cladosporioides has also been isolated from macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche) racemes in South Africa (4), from diseased papaya (Carica papaya L.) in Taiwan province of China (2), and from seeds of Amaranthus spp. in Poland (3). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cladosporioides causing seed disease on tobacco in China and the disease should be considered in existing disease management practices. References: (1) British American Tobacco Annual Report, 8, 2012. (2) R. S. Chen, et al. Plant Dis. 93:426, 2009. (3) W. Pusz. Phytopathologia 54:15, 2009. (4) N. van den Berg et al. Plant Dis. 92:484, 2008.

To investigate the regulatory effect of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) FER1L4 on biological behaviors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells, such as proliferation and invasion.The expressions of FER1L4 were detected in 42 pairs of ESCC tissues and corresponding para-carcinoma tissues and 5 kinds of ESCC cell lines via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Polyethyleneimine (PEI) and liposomes were used for FER1L4 expression or interference elimination assays, respectively. The proliferation and invasion of ESCC cells were detected via MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide), apoptosis assay, cell cycle assay, and transwell chamber.Results of qRT-PCR showed that, compared with that in normal tissues, FER1L4 was lowly expressed in ESCC tissues. Overexpression of FER1L4 could inhibit cell proliferation and invasion, promote apoptosis and increase the cell cycle distribution in G0/G1 phase. Knockout of FER1L4 could promote the proliferation and invasion of ESCC cells, inhibit apoptosis and decrease the cell cycle distribution in G0/G1 phase.FER1L4 is involved in the occurrence and development of ESCC and plays a key role as a tumor suppressor gene in ESCC.

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex, is an important disease of strawberry and grape plants. Demethylation-inhibitor fungicides (DMIs) are potential alternatives to benzimidazole fungicides for the management of anthracnose in strawberry and grape plants in China. However, no information regarding the baseline sensitivity of C. gloeosporioides complex to DMIs is available. In this study, a total of 216 isolates of C. gloeosporioides including 113 from strawberries and 103 from grapes, were tested for their baseline sensitivities to prochloraz and tebuconazole. The sensitivities of the total combined population (n = 216) of the strawberry and grape isolates collected from six different locations showed no geographical variation. The frequency distribution of the EC50 values for the 216 isolates was a unimodal curve. The mean EC50 value of 0.053 ± 0.01 mg/l (ranging from 0.016 to 0.19 mg/l), and 0.62 ± 0.11 mg/l (0.27 to 3.75 mg/l), could be utilized as the baseline for monitoring the shift of sensitivity to prochloraz and tebuconazole, respectively. Some geographical variation was detected among the grape subpopulation (n = 103), which showed significantly lower sensitivity to both fungicides than the strawberry subpopulation (n = 113). Prochloraz and tebuconazole had a significantly lower risk of resistance development than that of kresoxim-methyl, which is a Qo inhibitor. This was indicated by the fewer mutants obtained through UV mutagenesis, the lower resistant factor and the decreased sporulation and pathogenicity ability of the obtained mutants. All of the kresoxim-methyl resistant mutants became resistant to pyraclostrobin, but not to the boscalid or DMIs. Interestingly, however, a positive cross-resistance was observed between tebuconazole and difenoconazole, but not between tebuconazole and prochloraz.

We explored the properties and performance of copper-based metallic nanoparticle paste (MNPs) for interconnects applications in 3D heterogeneous integration. A patterning method was developed to process micron sized sintered MNPs structures. This enables the fabrication of IC interconnect test structures to characterise specific resistivity sintered MNPs and the contact resistances of sintered MNP to bulk copper (bCu) which was respectively 78.4 mOhm.micrometer and 0.23 Ohm.micrometer2. In situ XRD analysis showed no oxidation of MNPs at processing temperatures below 100 oC. When Copper based MNPs are sintered under forming gas conditions, no oxidation of copper is measured. With in situ TEM at a temperature range of 220 -- 260 oC local melting of copper nanoparticles was observed. This is in agreement with the electrical measurements, the resistivity and contact resistance are considerably reduced when MNPs is sintered in this temperature range. Copper-based MNPs is successfully applied as die attach and wafer to wafer (W2W) bonding. However, for W2W bonding, the specific contact resistance was 800 Ohm.micrometer2.

Flower-like phosphorus-doped ZnO nanostructure was grown on Si substrate by chemical vapour deposition method. The crystal structure and vibration modes of P-doped ZnO were investigated by X-Ray Diffraction and Raman spectrum, respectively. Two local vibration modes centred at 361 cm−1 and 486 cm−1 have been detected, suggesting significant incorporation of P atoms in both O sites and Zn sites, respectively. To explain the difference between the experimental frequency result and the calculated value based on the harmonic approximation, we intentionally introduce an average effective mass model which takes account of the defect structure of P-doped ZnO. Using the average effective masses model we obtained the calculated Raman shift of 366 cm−1 and 483 cm−1 for P-Zn and P-O pairs, respectively, which are consistent well with the experimental results.

Free vascularised fibular grafting has been reported to be successful for adult patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). However, its benefit in teenage patients with post-traumatic ONFH has not been determined. We evaluated the effectiveness of free vascularised fibular grafting in the treatment of this condition in children and adolescents. We retrospectively analysed 28 hips in 28 patients in whom an osteonecrotic femoral head had been treated with free vascularised fibular grafting between 2002 and 2008. Their mean age was 16.3 years (13 to 19). The stage of the disease at time of surgery, and results of treatment including pre- and post-operative Harris hip scores, were studied. We defined clinical failure as conversion to total hip replacement. All patients were followed up for a mean of four years (2 to 7). The mean Harris hip score improved from 60.4 (37 to 84) pre-operatively to 94.2 (87 to 100) at final follow-up. At the latest follow-up we found improved or unchanged radiographs in all four initially stage II hips and in 23 of 24 stage III or IV hips. Only one hip (stage V) deteriorated. No patient underwent total hip replacement. Free vascularised fibular grafting is indicated for the treatment of post-traumatic ONFH in teenage patients.

From 2003 to 2006, a total of 426 single-conidial isolates of B. cinerea collected from greenhouse vegetables in China were characterized for resistance to benzimidazole fungicides and diethofencarb according to inhibition of mycelial growth. Rapid development of double-resistance to benzimidazoles and diethofencarb was observed. Three types of benzimidazole-resistant isolates, Ben R1, Ben R2 and Ben R3 were detected. A new phenotype, Ben R3, which showed low level of resistance to benzimidazole fungicides and resistance to diethofencarb, was detected with frequencies of 6.8%, 10.0%, 13.2% and 12.4% from 2003 to 2006, respectively. Further studies indicated that Ben R3 was caused by a point mutation from GAG in sensitive(S) isolates to GTG at codon 198 in the β-tubulin gene, predicted to cause a change from glutamic acid to valine. Ben R3 isolates had comparable growth, sporulation and pathogenicity ability as isolates of other phenotypes but were more sensitive at lower temperatures.

The minimum inhibitory concentration of tricyclazole for hyphal melanization (MIC-H) was adopted to detect the sensitivity of 129 Magnaporthe grisea isolates collected in China in 2000. Results showed that the mean MIC-H was 0.2 μg/ml and no isolate with a MIC-H ≥1 μg/ml was detected. Therefore, 1 μg/ml was chosen as a discriminatory dose to identify resistant mutants generated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Only three low-level resistant (R) mutants derived from the sensitive (S) isolate TH16 were obtained. In addition, fitness decrease was observed for all mutants, with lower sporulation ability and pathogenicity to rice than that of the wild strain TH16. Four crosses between S x R and S x S were tested to determine the inheritance mode of resistance during the process of sexual recombination by analysing the sensitivity of hybrid F 1 progeny to tricyclazole. Progeny of crosses between a tricyclazole-sensitive strain and tricyclazole-resistant mutants segregated in a 1: 1 (R: S) ratio and no segregation was found in the cross of S x S, indicating that each mutant contained a single gene for resistance. No nucleotide differences leading to amino acid changes in the coding sequences for 1,3,6,8-tetra-hydroxynaphthalene reductase (4HNR) and 1,3,8-tri-hydroxynaphthalene reductase (3HNR) were found between resistant mutants and sensitive strains. Therefore, it is preliminarily concluded that tricyclazole resistance in M. grisea was conferred by a one-locus mutation in a single Mendelian gene other than those encoding for 4HNR or 3HNR.

The pollination biology of Omphalogramma souliei Franch., a species endemic to southwestern China, was investigated. Floral phenology, flower visitors, pollen/ovule ratio, attractants and rewards to the visitors were observed, measured, and recorded. Bagging experiments to exclude pollinators were carried out in the wild for two years. Our results revealed five important aspects of the reproductive biology of Omphalogramma souliei. 1) The pollen-ovule ratio was 1748±233. The breeding system was self-compatible, with facultative xenogamy. 2) The pollination syndrome is entomophily, and this species could not be pollinated by wind if the pollinators were unavailable. 3) Six insect species were observed visiting the flowers of Omphalogramma souliei in the wild, of them, three species of hymenoptera, Lasioglossum sp., Heriades parvula Cockerell and Micrapis florae Fabricius, are the principal floral visitors and effective pollinators. 4) The visual attractants to the visitors are floral color and shape, the large yellow anthers, and the rewards for visitors are pollen and nectar. 5) Cleistogamy may also occur, since the anthers of some flowers dehisced before opening of the corolla. The results of floral biology and pollination characters suggest that xenogamy predominated and autogamy played an assistant role in the evolution of reproduction and breeding system of O. souliei.

On the basis of the model of slip-bare metal dissolution-repassivation and crack-tip strain analysis, a theoretical equation of stress corrosion crack propagation rate as a function of crack-tip strain rate and potential for 304L stainless steel in acidic chloride solution was deduced. The theoretical prediction showed that there are two regions in the curve of crack propagation rate with the crack-tip strain rate. In region I, the crack growth rate increased with increasing crack-tip strain rate. In region 11, the crack propagation rate was independence of the crack-tip strain rate. The crack propagation rate of 304L stainless steel in acidic chloride solution has been measured by slow strain rate testing (SSRT) technique. The crack propagation rate calculated theoretically was consistent with the experimental results in region 11 when potential was controlled in anodic region.

Spin-dependent electron transport in a periodically stubbed quantum wire in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) is studied via the nonequilibrium Green's function method combined with the Landauer-Buttiker formalism. The coexistence of spin filtering, charge and spin switching are found in the considered system. The mechanism of these transport properties is revealed by analyzing the total charge density and spin-polarized density distributions in the stubbed quantum wire. Furthermore, periodic spin-density islands with high polarization are also found inside the stubs, owing to the interaction between the charge density islands and the Rashba SOI-induced effective magnetic field. The proposed nanostructure may be utilized to devise an all-electrical multifunctional spintronic device., 4 pages, 4 figures

A Raman scattering study of the vibrational modes in K2Al2B2O7 crystals has been performed at room temperature. The vibrational modes are classified by the nuclear site group analysis method and the internal vibrational modes are assigned to vibrations of the BO3 triangle and AlO4 tetrahedron.

Product innovation is of great importance to new firms. However, there is no a consensus on its effects on firm performance. In this paper, we introduce two kinds of approaches to tackle this issue. One is decomposing the construct of new product. The other one is introducing contingent factors, including technical and application knowledge from demand side and environmental factors. Our results are a series of propositions upon these considerations.

Kinetic reaction theory was used to model first shell substitution effects for several amine-cured epoxy resins, subject to the constraint of intermolecular reactions. Moment analysis will allow numerical simulations to be extended beyond the gel point. Functionalities for several chemical moieties were correlated as a function of conversion. Simulations also incorporated population density distribution dynamics. Analyses of several oligomers clearly demonstrated the dependency of oligomeric weight fractions on first shell substitution effects and conversion. The ratio of rate constants for reactions of secondary amino hydrogens relative to reactions of primary amino hydrogens ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 for the resins analyzed

To test the hypothesis that activation of integrin molecules play a role on protecting bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) from oxidant injury. Based on a cell-injury model made by ozone (1.5 x 10(-6)) exposure, the present study investigated the protective effect of fibronectin (Fn), a kind of ligand of integrin, and it's specific sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD peptide) which is a recognizable domain for integrin on BEC. 3H release, LDH and MDA were measured as indexes for damage.(1) Ozone exposure induced a significant increase of 3H release and LDH release from BEC and elevation of MDA. (2) Pretreatment with Fn or RGD before ozone exposure markedly attenuated the release of 3H, LDH and MDA, and the effects of Fn were reversed by W7, a calmodulin inhibitor. (3) Either Fn or RGD up-regulated activity of catalase in BEC and promoted GSH synthesis in BEC.These suggests that the binding of integrin with Fn improve the antioxidant ability of BEC and lighten the damage induced by oxidant attack. The protective mechanism of Fn-integrin binding may be related with calmodulin.