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The emerging software-defined networking (SDN) technology lacks tools to proactively ensure that policies will be followed or to inspect the behavior of the network. The network is vulnerable to sophisticated attacks against packets, such as alteration, injection, dropping, and hijacking attacks. Accurate and efficient network packet forwarding verification is a critical issue to ensure the correctness of packet forwarding when confronting with malicious attacks, while most of the existing packet forwarding verification solutions were implemented by inserting linear-scale cryptographic tags that increased with path length, which introduced significant communication overhead. In this paper, we propose a constant-size credential based packet forwarding verification mechanism in SDN. In the scheme, the ingress switch of a flow embeds a tag credential of constant-size which is independent of the packet forwarding path, each downstream switch verifies packets basing on the constant-size credential, and the controller periodically acquires node forwarding statistics along the path and localizes anomaly. The header space communication overhead of the proposed scheme is less than existing linear-scale mechanisms. We further prototype and evaluate the proposed scheme. Experiments demonstrate that the scheme achieves efficient forwarding and effective anomaly localization with less than 11% of additional forwarding delays and no more than 10% of throughput degradation.

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCA) is a relatively rare and fatal disease with poor prognosis. It remains controversial whether its survival can be improved with additional treatment besides complete surgical excision. In this case,we presented a 52-year-old man with PCA in the right atrial who underwent a palliative resection, but suffered from metastases of the brain, lung and liver rapidly. He accepted multi-mode combination therapy including first-line chemotherapy, second-line anlotinib which was not only concurrent with brain radiotherapy but also concurrent with immunotherapy in the end. Although anlotinib combined with brain radiotherapy had a effectively control on the intracranial lesions, progression free survival was 5 months. But overall survival didn’t significantly prolonged, for he only survived for 12 months. In conclusion, the treatment for those metastatic PCA still needs further exploration.

Animal-derived biological products, such as fetal bovine serum (FBS) and trypsin, are important supplements for scientific, pharmaceutical, and medical use. Although preventive guidelines and tests are implemented to reduce potential viral contamination in these biologicals, they do not target unusual or emerging viruses, leading to safety concerns. Using unbiased metagenomics, we investigated the presence of viruses in recently collected commercial FBS and trypsin samples from different geographic regions. In total, we detected viral sequences belonging to动物源性的生物制品，如胎牛血清（FBS）和胰蛋白酶（Trypsin），是科学、制药和医疗等领域的重要添加成分。尽管采取了预防性的指南和措施来减少这些生物制品中潜在的病毒污染，但是这些措施并未针对罕见的或新发的病毒，因此可能会导致潜在的安全问题。我们使用无偏的宏基因组方法，对来自不同区域的商业FBS和Trypsin样本中携带的病毒进行了分析。我们检测到了

BACKGROUND A rapid detection system for multiple pathogens that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology and microfluidic chip technology was established. METHODS Primers were designed for the specific conservative genes of the multiple pathogens. A rapid detection method for multiple pathogens based on LAMP technology was established using the primer screening and optimization of reaction conditions. The microfluidic chip was designed. manufactured, and combined with the LAMP method for detection pathogenic bacteria as detected by a chip detector. After this, the detection limit and anti-interference ability of the chip were evaluated, and the accuracy of chip was verified by clinical samples. RESULTS A rapid microfluidic detection system for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pneumoniae klebsiella, Shigella, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans was established. The detection limits of the 6 strains above were 6.95, 44.6, 3.89, 15.33, 16.45, and 463 pg/µL, respectively; there was no cross-reaction with the other 15 strains; analysis of ROC curve showed the best cut-off values for the 6 strains are 38.5, 21.25, 31.5, 36.5, 22.5 and 33.75 respectively and the area under the curve for the 6 strains was 0.91, 0.91, 0.83, 0.97, 0.96, and 0.9, respectively, as analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). A total of 278 clinical samples collected including blood, urine, sputum and drainage fluid were analyzed, and the total coincidence rates were 0.91, 0.83, 0.75, 0.99, 0.92 and 0.76, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The establishment of microfluidic detection chips for multiple pathogen types can be used for the rapid detection of bacteria and may be particularly useful in environments with the limited equipment and personnel, such as infection sites, grassroots hospitals, disaster area rescue, etc.

To investigate the effects of mixed fermentation with T. delbrueckii on aroma profiles of blueberry fermented beverage, five fermentations were conducted: monoculture of T. delbrueckii and S. cerevisiae, respectively; co-inoculation of two strains; sequential inoculation of two strains at time intervals of 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Compared with pure S. cerevisiae fermentation, ethanol level was decreased by up to 1.1% vol., while total anthocyanins were increased by 27.7%-85.0% in mixed fermentations. Marker aroma compounds in different fermentations with relative odor activity values higher than 1were identified. T. delbrueckii significantly decreased volatile acid content (especially acetic acid) by 22.2%-83.3%. Ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate, in pure T. delbrueckii fermentation were significantly decreased, while their concentrations were increased by 1.6-4.4 folds in sequential fermentations. Besides, linalool, rose oxide, benzeneacetaldehyde were significantly increased by sequential fermentation, which was associated with the enhancement of fruity and sweet notes.

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, with a 5-year survival rate of 15% to 50%. Cuproptosis, a unique kind of cell death driven by protein lipoylation, is strongly connected to mitochondrial metabolism. The clinical implications of cuproptosis-related genes in esophageal cancer, however, are mainly unknown.To identify cuprotosis-related genes that are differentially expressed in esophageal cancer and investigate their prognostic significance.With |log fold change|1 and false discovery rate0.05 as criteria, the Wilcox test was used to evaluate the differentially expressed genes between 151 tumor tissues and 151 normal esophageal tissues. Cuproptosis-related genes were selected to be linked with prognosis using univariate Cox regression analysis. Genes were separated into high- and low- expression groups based on their cutoff value of gene expression, and the correlation between the two groups and overall survival or progression-free survival was investigated using the log-rank test. The C-index, calibration curve, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve were used to assess a nomogram containing clinicopathological characteristics and cuproptosis-related genes.Pyruvate dehydrogenase A1 (PDHA1) was found to be highly correlated with prognosis in univariate Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio = 22.96, 95% confidence interval = 3.09-170.73;Cuproptosis-related genes can be used as a prognostic predictor for esophageal cancer patients, providing novel insights into cancer treatment.

To investigate the age distribution of Mongolian patients with cerebral infarction caused by thrombosis and the correlation and consistency between thromboelastography (TEG) and four parameters of coagulation.The age distribution of 298 Mongolian patients with cerebral infarction treated in Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Minzu University from January 2020 to December 2021 and their TEG, four items of routin coagulation and platelet count were analyzed retrospectively. The correlation and consistency of above-mentioned two detection methods were statistically analyzed.The onset age of 298 Mongolian patients with cerebral infarction was mainly 61-70 years old, accounting for 38.3%, followed by 51-60 years old, accounting for 26.8%. The R time detected by TEG was linearly correlated with PT and APTT（r=0.186，r=0.152）. K value, MA value and α-Angle measured by TEG was linearly correlated with Fib (r=-0.364，r=0.616，r=0.359), K value, MA value and α-Angle measured by TEG was linearly correlated with Plt (r=0.318，r=0.519，r=0.301). The R time detected by TEG was consistent with PT and APTT, and the Kappa values were 0.252 (P0.001), 0.336 (P0.001). K, MA, and α-Angle measured by TEG was consistent with Fib, the Kappa values were 0.265 (P0.001), 0.289 (P0.001) and 0.290 (P0.001), respectively; K、MA and α-Angle measured by TEG was consistent with Plt, the Kappa values were 0.276 (P0.001), 0.285 (P0.001) and 0.302 (P0.001), respectively.The onset age of Mongolian patients with cerebral infarction caused by thrombosis is mainly 61-70 years old, followed by 51-60 years old. The onset age shows a younger trend. There is a significant correlation between TEG and coagulation, but the consistency is weak, therefore, the two methods can not be replaced each other.蒙古族血栓患者血栓弹力图和凝血项目的对比分析.探讨蒙古族血栓病所致脑梗死患者年龄分布情况及血栓弹力图（TEG）与凝血四项各参数间的相关性和一致性.回顾性分析2020年1月-2021年12 月内蒙古民族大学附属医院收治的298例蒙古族血栓病所致脑梗死患者的年龄分布及TEG、常规凝血四项和血常规中血小板计数的结果，统计分析两种检测方法的相关性和一致性.298例蒙古族血栓病所致脑梗死患者发病年龄主要集中在61-70岁，占比最高，为38.3%，其次为51-60岁，占26.8%。TEG检测的R时间与PT、APTT呈线性相关（r=0.186，r=0.152），TEG测出的K值、MA值、α-Angle与Fib呈明显的线性相关 （r=-0.364，r=0.616，r=0.359），TEG测出的K值、MA值、α-Angle与P1t呈明显的线性相关（r=0.318，r=0.519，r=0.301）；TEG检测的R时间与PT、APTT 的Kappa值分别为0.252（P0.001）和0.336（P0.001）；K值、MA值、α-Angle和Fib的Kappa值分别为0.265（P0.001）、0.289（P0.001）和0.290（P0.001）；K值、MA值、α-Angle和P1t的Kappa值分别为0.276（P0.001）、0.285（P0.001）和0.302（P0.001）.蒙古族血栓病所致脑梗死患者发病年龄主要集中在61-70岁，其次是51-60岁，发病年龄具有年轻化趋势；TEG与凝血四项之间呈显著相关，但一致性弱，两种方法不能互相替代.

Every year, esophageal cancer is responsible for 509000 deaths and around 572000 new cases worldwide. Although esophageal cancer treatment options have advanced, patients still have a dismal 5-year survival rate.To investigate the relationship between genes associated to platelets and the prognosis of esophageal cancer.We searched differentially expressed genes for changes between 151 tumor tissues and 653 normal, healthy tissues using the "limma" package. To develop a prediction model of platelet-related genes, a univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression analysis were carried out. Based on a median risk score, patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk categories. A nomogram was created to predict the 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) of esophageal cancer patients using four platelet-related gene signatures, TNM stages, and pathological type. Additionally, the concordance index, receiver operating characteristic curve, and calibration curve were used to validate the nomogram.The prognosis of esophageal cancer was associated toA survival risk score model and independent prognostic variables for esophageal cancer have been developed using

Safety and efficacy of allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) in persons with CD19-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) relapsing after an allotransplant remain unclear. Forty-three subjects with B-ALL relapsing post allotransplant received CAR-T cells were analyzed. 34 (79%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 66, 92%) achieved complete histological remission (CR). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 38 (88%; 78, 98%) and was ≥grade-3 in 7. Two subjects died from multiorgan failure and CRS. Nine subjects (21%; 8, 34%) developed ≤grade-2 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Two subjects developed ≤grade-2 acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). 1-year event-free survival (EFS) and survival was 43% (25, 62%). In 32 subjects with a complete histological remission without a second transplant, 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 41% (25, 62%) and 1-year EFS and survival, 59% (37, 81%). Therapy of B-ALL subjects relapsing post transplant with donor-derived CAR-T cells is safe and effective but associated with a high rate of CRS. Outcomes seem comparable to those achieved with alternative therapies but data from a randomized trial are lacking.

Metallophilic interaction is a unique type of weak intermolecular interaction, where the electronic configuration of two metal atoms is closed shell. Despite its significance in multidisciplinary fields, the nature of metallophilic interaction is still not well understood. In this work, we investigated the electronic structures and bonding characteristic of bimetallic Au \begin{document}$ _{2} $\end{document} @Cu \begin{document}$ _{6} $\end{document} nanocluster through density functional theory method, which was reported in experiments recently [Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55 , 3611 (2016)]. In general thinking, interaction between two moieties of (CuSH) \begin{document}$ _{6} $\end{document} ring and (Au \begin{document}$ _{2} $\end{document} PH \begin{document}$ _{3} $\end{document} ) \begin{document}$ _{2} $\end{document} in the Au \begin{document}$ _{2} $\end{document} @Cu \begin{document}$ _{6} $\end{document} nanocluster can be viewed as a d \begin{document}$ ^{10} $\end{document} - \begin{document}$ \sigma $\end{document} closed-shell interaction. However, chemical bonding analysis shows that there is a ten center-two electron (10c-2e) multicenter bonding between two moieties. Further comparative studies on other bimetallic nanocluster M \begin{document}$ _{2} $\end{document} @Cu \begin{document}$ _{6} $\end{document} (M = Ag, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg) also revealed that multicenter bonding is the origin of electronic stability of the complexes besides the d \begin{document}$ ^{10} $\end{document} - \begin{document}$ \sigma $\end{document} closed-shell interaction. This will provide valuable insights into the understanding of closed-shell interactions.

The utility of traditional methods for detecting seed-borne fungi is limited by the fact some fungi are unculturable or difficult to isolate. The seed-borne pathogens affecting Panax ginseng cultivation have not been fully characterized. Seed-borne fungi can be identified based on the high-throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons. A hierarchical clustering tree diagram analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed a relationship between the seed-borne fungi and the region from which the seeds were collected. This study analyzed the fungal diversity on 30 ginseng seed samples from the main ginseng-producing areas of China. The 50 most abundant genera were identified including those responsible for ginseng diseases, Fusarium, Alternaria, Nectria, Coniothyrium, Verticillium, Phoma, and Rhizoctonia. Fusarium species, which are the primary causes of root rot, were detected in all seed samples. The results of a phylogenetic analysis indicated that the seed-borne fungal species originating from the same region were closely related. Fungi on ginseng seeds from eight different regions were divided into eight clades, suggesting they were correlated with the local storage medium. A total of 518 Fusarium isolates were obtained and 10 species identified, all of which can be detrimental to ginseng production. Pathogenicity tests proved that seed-borne Fusarium species can infect ginseng seedlings and 2-year-old ginseng root, with potentially adverse effects on ginseng yield and quality.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Peg-Dox) treatment resulted in a good outcome for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma, with reduced cardiotoxicity and an improved pharmacokinetic profile when compared to those of conventional doxorubicin. However, the use of Peg-Dox in myeloid neoplasms remains poorly studied. In this study, we first tested the role of Peg-Dox in the killing of myeloid cell lines and of primary myeloid leukemia cells. Then, a Peg-Dox-based protocol was used to treat patients with myeloid neoplasms. The results showed that the Peg-Dox and Peg-Dox-based protocols had a similar killing ability in myeloid cell lines and in primary myeloid leukemia cells compared to that of conventional doxorubicin. The complete remission rate was 87.5% and 100% for patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts, respectively, after treatment with Peg-Dox. All patients developed grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity and recovered approximately 2 weeks after completing chemotherapy. No deaths or other severe complications were reported. Our results showed that Peg-Dox can be used in the treatment of myeloid neoplasms with high rates of complete remission and with mild complications.

American ginseng (

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) is a valuable medicinal plant that is commercially cultivated in China. In May 2020, Sclerotinia root rot of American ginseng was observed on 4-year-old plants in Fusong County in northeastern China, which is the most important part of the country for American ginseng cultivation. The pathogen only infected the tuberous ginseng roots, with sclerotia tightly attached to the root surface. Infected roots, which were brownish and had a watery soft rotted appearance (Fig. 1), eventually became hollow and filled with sclerotia. There were no significant changes to the aboveground plant parts during the initial infection stage, but as the disease progressed, the foliage became discolored and wilted because of the damaged roots. More than 31% of the plants in a 30-ha field were infected. Symptomatic roots were collected and sclerotia were removed from the diseased tissue, immersed in 1% NaClO for 1 min, rinsed three times with sterile water, and placed on acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA) in Petri dishes. After an incubation in darkness at 20 °C for 2-3 days, 21 suspected Sclerotinia isolates were obtained. Isolates JH1 and JH2 were randomly selected for identification. On PDA, colonies produced sparse, white, and cottony aerial mycelia (i.e., wool-like appearance), with septate, branched, and hyaline hyphae. Within 4 days of incubation, the PDA surface was covered with white hyphae. Small and white sclerotial primordia formed 3 days later and were irregularly distributed in the middle and along the edge of the Petri dish. After maturing, the hardened and black sclerotia had an irregular shape and size, ranging from 1.4 × 1.5 to 4.1 × 7.5 mm (n = 50). Most of the sclerotia developed separately, with approximately 15-25 per plate (Fig. 2). On the basis of their morphology, the isolates were initially identified as Sclerotinia sp. (Mordue and Holliday 1976; Kohn 1979). Using the JH1 and JH2 rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (GenBank accession no. MZ031405 and MZ031406) and the aspartyl protease gene specific to S. sclerotiorum (MZ292709 and MZ292710) in GenBank as queries, BLAST searches revealed that the sequences were respectively 99%-100% similar to S. sclerotiorum sequences KF859933 and AF271387. The primer pairs for amplifying the ITS region and the aspartyl protease gene were respectively ITS4/ITS5 (White et al. 1990) and SSaspr F/SSaspr R (Abd-Elmagid et al. 2013). The pathogenicity of JH1 and JH2 was evaluated using healthy plants. The roots of 4-year-old ginseng plants were washed, wiped with 75% alcohol, and transferred to flower pots containing sterile sand and sorghum grain (10:1 v/v) infested with 10-day-old isolates. For both isolates, 12 plants were inoculated, with four plants per pot. Control plants were transferred to flower pots containing sorghum grain lacking fungus. The inoculated samples were incubated in a greenhouse (12 h photoperiod and 25 °C) for 25 days before they were examined. The test was repeated twice. The inoculated roots exhibited the same symptoms as those observed in the field, whereas the controls remained symptomless. The same fungus was reisolated from all infected roots and resequencing results confirmed its identity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. sclerotiorum causing Sclerotinia root rot on American ginseng in China. Because this disease is detrimental to the production of American ginseng, effective management strategies will need to be developed.

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common type of endocrine disorder, affecting 5–11% of women of reproductive age worldwide. microRNAs (miRNAs) stably exist in circulating blood encapsulated in extracellular vesicles such as exosomes; therefore, serum miRNAs have the potential to serve as novel PCOS biomarkers. Methods To identify miRNA biomarkers that are associated with PCOS, we performed a comprehensive sequence-based characterization of the PCOS serum miRNA landscape. The serum exosomes were successfully isolated and characterized in a variety of ways. Next, sequence-based analysis was performed on serum exosomes to screen the differentially expressed miRNAs in women with and without PCOS. Results The sequence data revealed that the levels of 54 miRNAs significantly differed between PCOS patients and normal controls. The levels of these miRNAs were detected by RT-qPCR. The results show that hsa-miR-1299, hsa-miR-6818-5p hsa-miR-192-5p, and hsa-miR-145-5p are significantly differentially expressed in PCOS patients serum exosomes and identify these microRNAs as potential biomarkers for PCOS. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) analyses and KEGG pathway analyses of the miRNA targets further allowed to explore the potential implication of the miRNAs in PCOS. Conclusion Our findings suggest that serum exosomal miRNAs serve important roles in PCOS and may be used as novel molecular biomarkers for clinical diagnosis.

Siberian ginseng (

Panax ginseng rusty root rot caused by the Ilyonectria species complex is a devastating disease, and it is one of the main factors contributing to the difficulty in continual cropping. Rusty root rot occurs in all ginseng fields, but little is known about the taxonomy of the fungal pathogen complex, especially Ilyonectria and Ilyonectria-like species. Rusty root rot samples were collected from commercial ginseng cultivation areas of China, and the pathogens were isolated and purified as single spores. Based on the combination analysis of multiple loci (rDNA-ITS, TUB, HIS3, TEF, ACT, LSU, RPB1, RPB2, and SSU) and morphological characteristics, the pathogens causing ginseng rusty root rot were determined. Fungal isolates were obtained from infected roots in 56 locations within main cultivation areas in China. A total of 766 strains were identified as Ilyonectria, Ilyonectria-like and Rhexocercosporidium species, including I. robusta (55.0%), I. communis (21.7%), I. mors-panacis (10.9%), I. pseudodestructans (2.0%), I. changbaiensis (1.3%), I. qitaiheensis (1.3%), Neonectria obtusispora (2.0%), Dactylonectria torresensis (0.5%), D. sp. (0.5%), and R. panacis (1.5%), and four novel species, Thelonectria ginsengicola (1.0%), T. jixiensis (1.0%), T. mulanensis (0.8%) and T. fusongensis (0.5%), with a total of 14 species. As the pathogen present in the highest proportion, I. robusta was the most prevalent and damaging species, unlike the pathogens reported previously. All of the examined strains were proven to cause ginseng rusty root rot. Our results indicate that the taxonomy of the fungal complex associated with ginseng rusty root rot includes Ilyonectria, Ilyonectria-like genera (Dactylonectria, Neonectria, and Thelonectria) and Rhexocercosporidium.

Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a valuable medicinal plant that is commercially cultivated in China. A long postharvest storage period is required before ginseng is processed. From October 2019 to May 2020, snow rot was observed on the roots of 4- and 5-year-old fresh ginseng stored in three cold storage facilities located in Tonghua and Changbai cities in northeastern China, which are the most important regions for Asian ginseng production. We sampled 1,000 ginseng roots from the three cold storage facilities, and the average disease incidence was 21%. Initially, sparse hyphae and microsclerotia appeared on the root epidermis. Lesions gradually softened and the epidermis detached easily. Multiple infected sites slowly converged, resulting in the formation of a dense complex of multiple sclerotia and thick hyphae on the surface of the ginseng root as well as internal decay. The infection eventually spread to the adjacent ginseng roots (Fig. 1). Sixteen diseased ginseng roots were collected and then sclerotia were removed from the root surface, immersed in 1% NaClO for 2 min, rinsed three times with sterile water, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) containing streptomycin (40 μg/mL) in Petri dishes. After a 3-day incubation at 20 °C in darkness, 22 suspected Sclerotinia isolates were obtained. Isolates SN1 and SN2 were randomly selected for identification. On PDA, fast-growing colonies produced white, sparse, powdery, and cotton-like aerial mycelia, and the reverse side showed the same color (Fig. 2). Small and white sclerotial primordia formed 3 days later and a ring of sclerotia was detected at the plate periphery. At 7 to 10 days after incubation, the mature sclerotia were black, spherical-to-subspherical, and elongated or fused to form irregular shapes. Each Petri dish produced 55-65 sclerotia, measuring 1.1 × 1.2 to 3.2 × 3.9 mm (n = 100). The sclerotia were firmly attached to the agar surface. The isolates were initially identified as Sclerotinia sp. (Saito 1997). After sequencing the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (MW927134 and MW927135) and the β-tubulin gene (MW929179 and MW929180) (White et al. 1990; Glass and Donaldson 1995), BLAST searches revealed 100% homology with JX262268 and JX296007 of the published S. nivalis strain KGC-S0601, respectively. The pathogenicity of the two isolates was tested using detached ginseng roots. Briefly, healthy roots were washed, surface-disinfested with 75% alcohol, and rinsed with sterile water. Mycelial plugs (5 mm diameter) removed from the margin of actively growing colonies on PDA were placed on the ginseng roots. For each isolate, four roots were inoculated, with two plugs per root. Additionally, PDA plugs without mycelia were used as the negative control. The roots were placed in a fresh-keeping box at 20 °C in darkness and evaluated after 7 days. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice. The symptoms on the inoculated roots were the same as those observed on the roots during cold storage, whereas the control roots remained symptomless. The same fungus was reisolated consistently from all infected roots and its identity was confirmed by resequencing, thereby fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. nivalis causing postharvest snow rot on Asian ginseng in China. The occurrence of this disease threatens the postharvest storage of Asian ginseng. Hence, effective management strategies must be developed.

This study examined the antibacterial effect of protoporphyrin IX-ethylenediamine derivative (PPIX-ED)-mediated photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PPIX-ED-PACT) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo. PPIX-ED potently inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inducing reactive oxygen species production via photoactivation. Atomic force microscopy revealed that PPIX-ED-PACT induced the leakage of bacterial content by degrading the bacterial membrane and wall. As revealed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, PPIX-ED-PACT altered the permeability of the bacterial membrane. In addition, the antibacterial effect of PPIX-ED-PACT was demonstrated in an in vivo model of P. aeruginosa-infected wounds. PPIX-ED (100 μM) decreased the number of P. aeruginosa colony-forming units by 4.2 log10. Moreover, histological analysis illustrated that the wound healing rate was 98% on day 14 after treatment, which was 10% higher than that in the control group. According to the present findings, PPIX-ED-PACT can effectively inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa in vitro and in vivo.

The optimal energy intake for early nutrition therapy in critically ill patients is unknown, especially in Chinese patients with a lower BMI. This study investigated the relationship between energy intake and clinical outcomes in this patient population.A retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary hospital. Critically ill patients were recruited and divided into 3 tertiles according to the ratio of actual/target energy intake during the first week of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) (tertile I,33.4%; tertile II, 33.4%-66.7%; and tertile III,66.7%). 60-day mortality and other clinical outcomes were compared. To adjust for potentially confounding factors, multivariate and sensitivity analyses were performed exclusively in patients who stayed in the ICU for ≥7 days.A total of 325 patients with a mean BMI of 22.5±4.7 kg/m2 were recruited. 60-day mortality was similar between the 3 tertiles. In the unadjusted analysis, tertile III had a longer length of stay in the ICU and at the hospital, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, and higher rate of ICU-associated infections, but only the latter showed a significant difference between the 3 tertiles in the multivariate and sensitivity analyses. Logistic regression analysis showed that energy groups was an independent risk factor for ICU-associated infections.Energy intake in early nutrition therapy influences risk of ICU-associated infections in Chinese critically ill patients with lower BMI. Furthermore, patients with near-target energy intake have more frequent ICU-associated infections.

Hypoxia and high-fat diet (HFD) feeding are two factors commonly existing in aquaculture. However, their individual and combined effects on nutrient composition and flesh quality in fish have not been investigated. The present study evaluated the alterations of growth, nutrient composition and flesh quality in Nile tilapia (initially 7.0 ± 0.1 g and 5.6 ± 0.2 cm) fed with normal fat diet (5.95% fat) or HFD (11.8% fat) at two dissolved oxygen levels (1.1 ± 0.1 and 7.2 ± 0.1 mg/L) for 8 weeks. The results showed that hypoxia and HFD had similar effects in inducing lipid deposition, reducing flesh protein and amino acids content, pH values and water holding ability. Hypoxia had additional adverse effects in decreasing meat yield, flesh contents of n-3 PUFA and glycogen, increasing flesh fragmentation and causing liver damages. The combination of hypoxia and HFD significantly decreased feed intake, survival rate and muscle protein content, but didn’t affect flesh quality-related parameters.

A simple, enzyme-free supersandwich-type biosensor is fabricated for the ultrasensitive detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) using N-doped graphene/Au nanoparticles (NG–AuNPs) and hemin/G-quadruplexes. In the proposed strategy, AuNPs are deposited on the surface of a MoSe2 modified electrode to immobilize the thiol-modified hairpin probe through the strong Au–S bond. When the target miRNA is added, capture DNA hybridizes with it and unfolds its stem-and-loop structure. The NG–AuNP hybrids are the main amplification element and are modified by hybridization with assistance DNA and the terminus of capture DNA, resulting in the formation of the supersandwich structure. The assistance DNA is embedded into the hemin/G-quadruplex complexes in the presence of hemin and K+ to provide an exceptional current signal for the detection of miRNAs. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a detection limit of 0.17 fM is obtained with a linear range of 10 fM–1 nM. In addition, the present biosensor shows outstanding selectivity towards mismatched miRNAs. This biosensor platform successfully realized the combination of the signal amplification technique with the supersandwich structure, providing a promising approach for the detection of miRNA-21 in practical applications.

The utility of traditional methods for detecting seed-borne fungi is limited by the fact some fungi are unculturable or difficult to isolate. The seed-borne pathogens affecting

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus (Rupr. & Maxim.) S. Y. Hu, Araliaceae), is a perennial medicinal plant that is widely cultivated in China. Leaf spot was observed in 2- and 3-year-old Siberian ginseng in Zuojia County (126°05'23.2″E, 44°03'09.5″N), northeast China, in August 2019. Polygonal or irregular black spots ranging from 2 to 9 mm in diameter were found on infected leaves, and each leaf had dozens of spots. The green color around the lesions gradually faded. As the disease progressed, the spots withered and multiple lesions merged into large disease spots, causing leaf wilting (Fig. 1). More than 38% of plants in one 25-ha field were infected in 2019. Fifteen diseased leaves were collected from those plants and cut into 5-mm pieces. The pieces were surface-disinfected by immersion in 1% NaOCl for 2 min and then rinsing twice with sterile distilled water. The leaf pieces were placed on acidified potato dextrose agar (PDA, pH 4.7) in Petri plates, and incubated in the dark at 25°C. Nineteen isolates were obtained and all were purified from a single spore in water agar. Isolate CWJ7 was randomly selected for identification and pathogenicity testing. The colonies on PDA were olivaceous gray to olivaceous black, velvet, with dense hyphae and a scalloped or irregular margin. The reverse side was gray-black and surrounded by tawny halos. The conidia were aseptate and variable in shape and dimension: piriform, columnar, drop-shaped, dumbbell-shaped or oval, measuring 4.90 (7.03) 9.50 × 2.10 (2.78) 3.40 µm (n=100), and chlamydospores were absent. Black pycnidia (132.2-241.5 µm in diameter) appeared after 7 days. The pathogen was initially identified as Phoma or Phoma-like (Boerema et al. 2004). Further confirmation was also determined by sequencing the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (GenBank accession no. MT912950), 28S ribosomal RNA gene (MT912968), and genes encoding β-tubulin (MT920618), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (MT920619) and translation elongation factor (MT946526) (de Hoog and Gerrits van den Ende 1998; Rehner & Samuels 1994; Liu et al. 1999; Vilgalys & Hester 1990), and Blast searches showed 90%-100% homology with GU237754, GU237938, KT389780, KT389575, and KY484705, respectively. In a phylogenetic analysis combining all loci, CWJ7 and the type strains of Boeremia linicola clustered in one group (Fig. 2). Based on its morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, isolate CWJ7 was identified as B. linicola as revised in 2019 (Jayawardena et al. 2019). Healthy 2-year-old plants were used for pathogenicity testing. The leaves of nine potted plants (one plant per pot, three plants per replicate) were spray-inoculated with a suspension of conidia (1×105 spores/ml) from colonies on PDA for 7 days and cultured for 48 h under continuous black light. Nine plants were sprayed with sterile water as the control. This experiment was repeated twice. All plants were cultured in a greenhouse (25°C, 12-h photoperiod, 78% relative humidity). Clear plastic bags were used to maintain high humidity. After 7 days, the inoculated plants showed lesions on the leaves, similar to those observed in the field. The control plants remained symptomless. The pathogen was reisolated and identified by sequencing. This is the first report of B.linicola causing Siberian ginseng leaf spot, and a new record of this species in China. This disease poses a threat to production and management strategies should be developed.

Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (Fabaceae) is a perennial medicinal herb widely cultivated in China. In June 2018, root rot was observed on two-year-old A. membranaceus plants in Chaoyangshan town (northeastern China). In a 40-ha field, over 40% of the plants exhibited root rot and the infected area ranged from 10 to 70% of the roots. The roots first exhibited circular or irregular brown, sunken and necrotic lesions, and finally multiple lesions coalesced. The infected root surface was destroyed, showing rusty and dry rot (Fig. 1). Symptoms were concentrated in the main roots (Carlucci et al. 2017). The aboveground parts of infected plants did not initially show symptoms but gradually wilted; 7.6% of the plants died when root decay became severe. Infected roots were not used for processing and were not marketable. Ten infected roots were collected from May to October 2018 from the above location. The diseased root tissue was cut into 25 mm3 pieces, immersed in 1% NaOCl for 2 minutes, rinsed three times with sterile water and placed on water agar in Petri plates. After 15 days of incubation at 20°C, 11 single-spore isolates were obtained. Isolates HQ1 and HQ2 were randomly selected for morphological and molecular identification. Colonies grown for 10 days produced yellow, cottony to felty aerial mycelium on potato dextrose agar. Conidiophores originating laterally or terminally from the mycelium were solitary to loosely aggregated and unbranched or sparsely branched. Macroconidia predominated and were cylindrical, with a tendency to gradually widen towards the tip; 1- to 3-septate; and 20.2 to 31.0 × 3.0 to 6.7 µm (n=100). Microconidia had mostly 0¬- to 1-septate and 8.6 to 16.7 × 1.9 to 5.1 µm (n=100) (Fig. 1). Chlamydospores were rare, but occasional chlamydospore chains were observed. The isolates were tentatively identified as Dactylonectria torresensis (Cabral et al. 2012a). Further confirmation of the two isolates was conducted by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS, GenBank accession no. MN558983 and MN558984), β-tubulin (TUB, MN561692 and MN561693), histone 3 (HIS3, MN561694 and MN561695), and translation elongation factor (TEF, MN561696 and MN561697) genes (Cabral et al. 2012b). These sequences had 99 to 100% match with D. torresensis (JF735362 for ITS, JF735492 for TUB, JF735681 for HIS3 and JF735870 for TEF). Phylogenetic trees based on analyses of a concatenated alignment of all loci grouped these isolates into the D. torresensis clade (Fig. 2). The same two isolates were tested for pathogenicity. Healthy two-year-old plants were taken from the field, and their roots were disinfected with 75% alcohol for 3 minutes, rinsed with sterile water three times, immersed in a 1×105/ml spore suspension or sterile water (control) for 10 minutes, transferred to a tray filled with sterile sand and placed in a greenhouse (12 h photoperiod, 25°C). Twelve plants grown in three pots were used for each isolate, and the same number of plants were inoculated as a control. This experiment was repeated three times. After one month, inoculated plant roots showed the same symptoms as those observed in the field, while the controls remained symptomless and no pathogen was recovered. The same fungus was reisolated from all the infected plants and confirmed by sequencing all of the above genes. This is the first report of D. torresensis causing root rot in A. membranaceus in China. The occurrence of this disease poses a threat, and management strategies need to be developed.

Objective: To assess the China-made equipment Mindray BS-2000M biochemical analyzer and explore the comparability between the results of the sixteen test parameters detected by Mindray BS-2000M biochemical analyzer and by imported equipment Roche cobas702 automatic biochemical analyzer. Methods: In line with the American Clinical Laboratory Standardization Committee (NCCLS) document EP9-A2, Switzerland Roche cobas702 biochemical analyzer was used as a comparison system, while the Mindray BS-2000M served as an experimental system. Sixteen biochemical parameters from forty cases at different levels were tested at the same time. The correlation coefficient(r), linearity regression equation and absolute deviation (SE) and relative deviation (SE%) of test detection system (Y) and control detection system (X) at different medical decision levels were calculated. The clinical acceptability and comparability between different detection systems were tested according to the standard of allowed total error of American Clinical Proficiency Testing Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA'88). Results: The test results of the sixteen parameters between the two different biological detection systems were well-correlated (r2 ≥0.95, p

Yeast, bacterial, and mold strains in different stages during the daqubased production of Luzhou-flavored liquor were isolated and identified by analyzing the 26S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and internal trans...

To confirm the most correct method between different analysis methods used in the activity analysis of glucoamylase of Koji, the analysis result by several methods used commonly were compared in this study. It is showed that results were quite different between different measurement methods. Glucoamylase activity in Koji by white spirit method was 36~200 u/g; it was 144.98~318.95 u/g by the method of national standard of China (GB), it was 26.96~146.67 u/g by the DSN method, it was 392.04~419 u/g by Japanese Sake Koji analysis method. It was particularly evident in the sample amount for GB; results by enzymes extraction at 30°C were greater than that at 40°C. By different enzyme extraction methods, the result show that, the activity with the extraction method in sake was greater than that with other two extraction methods of GB and DSN. By different measurement methods, but using same extraction method, the result show measurement methods in several assays had some adaptability. In shortly, glucoamylase activity by the method used in Sake was the most stable, best embodying. Activity of glucoamylase by the extraction method (by dialysis), measuring with DNS measurement method, the results were relatively stable, closest to it.

With the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has entered a new era. The efficacy of TKIs compared with other ALL treatment options is emphasized by a rapid increase in the number of TKI clinical trials. Subsequently, the use of traditional approaches, such as combined chemotherapy and even allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), for the treatment of ALL is being challenged in the clinic. In light of the increased use of TKIs in the clinic, several questions have been raised. First, is it necessary to use intensive chemotherapy during the induction course of therapy to achieve a minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative status? Must a patient reach a complete molecular response/major molecular response before receiving allo-HSCT? Does MRD status affect long-term survival after allo-HSCT? Is auto-HSCT an appropriate alternative for allo-HSCT in those Ph+ ALL patients who lack suitable donors? Here, we review the recent literature in an attempt to summarize the current status of TKI usage in the clinic, including several new therapeutic approaches, provide answers for the above questions, and speculate on the future direction of TKI utilization for the treatment of Ph+ ALL patients.

Background Approximately 30% to 60% of patients with acute B-lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) show as refractory or relapsed, which is one of the major causes of death in patients with B-ALL, but the methods of the treatment for relapsed/refractory B-ALL (R/R B-ALL) are limited. The chimeric antigen receptors redirected T cells (CAR-T cells) have showed a strong anti-leukemia role for B-ALL. About 90% of patients with R/R B-ALL treated with CD19-CAR-T cells achieved complete remission. However, 60% to 70% of patients relapsed after CAR-T cells treatment, which may be related to target antigen reduction or escape. New products are urgently needed to prevent and treat antigenic escapes causing recurrence. Patients and Methods In this article, we retrospectively analyzed the immunophenotype of patients with B-ALL initially diagnosed in our center from January 2010 to December 2015 to determine whether aberrant antigen expression was associated with the prognosis of patients in order to find new targets for immunotherapy. Results The results show that disease-free and overall survival in patients without aberrant antigen expression were better than patients with aberrant antigen expression. The most common abnormal antigens were CD123, CD13, and CD56. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between aberrant CD123 expression and both disease-free and overall survival. Conclusion Therefore, in the construction of CAR-T cells in patients with R/R B-ALL, conventional CD19 can be combined with aberrant antigens such as CD123 to form CARs with bi-specific antigens or multi-specific antigens may achieve the purpose of improving efficacy. However, more clinical trials are needed.

A sensitive aptamer/protein binding-triggered sandwich assay for thrombin is described. It is based on electrochemical-chemical-chemical redox cycling using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) that was modified with WSe2 and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The AuNPs are linked to thrombin aptamer 1 via Au-S bonds. Thrombin is first captured by aptamer 1 and then sandwiched through the simultaneous interaction with AuNPs modified with thrombin-specific aptamer 2 and signalling probe. Subsequently, the DNA-linked AuNP hybrids result in the capture of streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase onto the modified GCE through the specific affinity reaction for further signal enhancement. As a result, a linear range of 0–1 ng mL−1 and a detection limit as low as 190 fg mL−1 are accomplished. The specificity for thrombin is excellent. Conceivably, this strategy can be easily expanded to other proteins by using the appropriate aptamer.