Safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of aerosolized Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 vaccine in a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

This phase 3, observer-blinded, non-inferiority randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05517642), conducted from September 2022 to May 2023 at three Malaysian sites, involved 540 adults previously vaccinated with three COVID-19 doses. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive either one dose of inhaled Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Ad5-nCoV-IH) or intramuscular tozinameran (BNT-IM). The study assessed safety, vaccine efficacy (VE) and immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The primary outcome was the non-inferiority of anti-spike protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD IgG) antibodies, with a 97.5% confidence interval lower limit for the geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratio >0.67. Ad5-nCoV-IH showed lower immunogenicity than BNT-IM, with a GMC ratio of 0.22 and a seroconversion rate difference of -71.91%. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were less frequent with Ad5-nCoV-IH (39.26%) compared to BNT-IM (64.68%). No serious vaccine-related adverse events were reported. Both vaccines had comparable efficacy against COVID-19 variants. This study was funded by Tianjin Biomedical Science and Technology Major Project.

Sleep Characteristics During the First Year Postpartum in a Cohort of Black and White Women.

Study Objectives: The postpartum period is a unique time when sleep deficiency often occurs. Black and White adults are reported to have differences in sleep characteristics, but little is known if these differences exist in the postpartum period. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine sleep characteristics in a cohort of Black and White women from 6-8 weeks to 12 months postpartum. Methods: Participants were 49 Black and 85 White women who gave birth to an infant at ≥37 weeks gestation. Participants were instructed to wear an Actiwatch for 7 days at 6-8 weeks, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum. Mixed-effects linear models with a race by time interaction were used to examine if characteristics differed between races over time. Results: Only bedtime varied by race. White women had a later bedtime at 6-8 weeks compared to 6 months, but no significant change occurred for Black women. For the entire sample, average nighttime sleep duration increased from 385 minutes at 6-8 weeks to 404 minutes at 4 months postpartum. Percent sleep during the sleep interval and wake after sleep onset (WASO) improved by 6 and 9 months, respectively. However, average WASO remained >45 minutes and sleep efficiency <85% at all timepoints for both Black and White women. Compared to White women, Black women had significantly shorter sleep duration (range: 40.6-59.9 minutes shorter across all timepoints, p<0.0001) and time in bed (range: 17.5-67.6 minutes shorter, p=0.0046), and lower percent sleep (range: 0.7%-1.2% lower, p=0.0407) and sleep efficiency (range: 2.6%-5.7% lower, p=0.0005). Sociodemographic factors were associated with sleep outcomes in Black and White women while behavioral factors were associated with sleep outcomes in White women only. Conclusion: While there were improvements in nighttime sleep duration and quality, sleep duration remained suboptimal, and quality remained poor throughout the first year postpartum. In this sample, differences existed in factors associated with sleep outcomes between Black and White women.

Laser-Induced Self-Limiting Welding of Ag Nanowires with High Mechanical and Electrical Performance.

The high-efficiency and high-precision welding technology of Ag nanowires is of great engineering significance for the integration of new-generation micro- and nanodevices, and the mechanical behavior of its interconnect joints is also essential for their reliable application, especially for some flexible device. In this paper, based on the nano-focusing and localized plasma enhancement properties of Ag nanowires under laser irradiation, Ag nanowire self-limiting joints with mechanical and electrical properties comparable to those of the base material are obtained. At the same time, the local plasma enhancement characteristics of Ag nanowire joints are scanned and analyzed with nanoscale resolution by using cathodoluminescence technology, and the local multi-physical field coupling regulation mechanism of Ag nanowire joints induced by different laser parameters is systematically investigated by combining theoretical simulations. Meanwhile, based on the in situ laser welding and nanomechanical tensile experiments, the mechanical properties of single Ag nanowires and their welded joints are systematically analyzed, and the characteristics of the interfacial atomic behaviors and the evolution process during the welding and tensile processes are investigated.

[Retracted] Electroacupuncture attenuates cervical spinal cord injury following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in stroke­prone renovascular hypertensive rats.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2014.1619.].

Advanced lung cancer inflammation index is associated with prognosis in skin cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Skin cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting humans. This study was designed to explore the correlation between the advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI), a metric that gauged both nutrition and inflammation statuses, in skin cancer patients and their subsequent prognosis. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999-2018 were scrutinized, along with mortality tracking extending to December 31, 2019. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and COX regression analysis, utilizing NHANES-recommended weights, delineated the association between ALI levels and skin cancer prognosis. To decipher the potential non-linear relationship, a restricted cubic spline analysis was applied. Additionally, stratified analysis was conducted to affirm the robustness of our findings. Results: The 1,149 patients participating in NHANES 1999-2018 were enrolled. We observed a reverse J-shaped non-linear relationship between ALI and both skin cancer all-cause mortality and cancer mortality, with inflection points at 81.13 and 77.50, respectively. Conclusions: The ALI served as a comprehensive indicator of a patient's nutrition and inflammation status and was demonstrably linked to the prognosis in skin cancer cases. The meticulous evaluation and continuous monitoring of these parameters in skin cancer patients bear clinical importance.

ZnO@In2O3 Core-Shell Heterojunctions Constructed With ZIF-8 and MIL-68 (In) for Improving Photogenerated Carrier Transfer Process.

The realization of fast carrier transport can effectively enhance photocatalytic performance. A core-shell structure of ZnO and In2O3 is successfully constructed by using MIL-68 (In) and ZIF-8 as a substrate, forming a heterojunction. This MOF-derived core-shell heterojunction inherits the advantages of ZIF-8, with pores facilitating carriers transfer to the surface for reactions and a large specific surface area providing more active sites. This Z-scheme heterojunction of ZnO and In2O3 can effectively separate and improve the utilization of photogenerated carriers. The well-designed interface of the core-shell structure achieves the rapid transfer of photogenerated carriers. The photocatalytic degradation capability of ZnO@ In2O3 is enhanced by the synergistic effect of Z-scheme heterojunction and core-shell structure. This work provides insight into the investigation of constructing core-shell heterojunctions.

All Roads Lead to Rome: Isomers with Divergent Cathode Modification Mechanisms toward Ohmic Contact.

Cathode interfacial layers (CILs) hold utmost importance for achieving ohmic contact at the organic semiconductor-cathode interface of organic photovoltaic devices. Delving deep into diverse design principles and working mechanisms is of great significance for designing novel CILs with high performance. Herein, two novel nonamine-based CILs are designed: one featuring a cyclopentadiene unit, designated as CIL-cp; while the other, lacking cyclopentadiene, is referred to as CIL-ph, which is an isomer of CIL-cp. The subtle changes in chemical structures result in distinct modification mechanisms toward ohmic contact. On one hand, the robust electron-withdrawing characteristic of cyclopentadiene endows CIL-cp with lower energy levels, resulting in an interfacial dipole at the active layer-CIL-cp interface due to electron transfer from D18 to CIL-cp. On the other hand, CIL-ph exhibits a strong interfacial dipole at the CIL-Ag interface, which significantly reduces the work function (WF) of the silver electrode. Both CIL-cp and CIL-ph demonstrate excellent interfacial modification capability, whereas CIL-cp possesses a stronger electron extraction ability, thus leading to a high power conversion efficiency of 19.31% in the D18:L8-BO system. Our results reveal the distinctive operational mechanism of cyclopentadiene-based CILs, thus offering innovative design ideas for CIL materials.

Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and the Obesity Paradox with Consideration for Racial and/or Ethnic Differences: A Broad Review and Call to Action.

Despite decades of extensive research and clinical insights on the increased risk of all-cause and disease-specific morbidity and mortality due to obesity, the obesity paradox still presents a unique perspective, i.e., having a higher body mass index (BMI) offers a protective effect on adverse health outcomes, particularly in people with known cardiovascular disease (CVD). This protective effect may be due to modifiable factors that influence body weight status and health, including physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), as well as non-modifiable factors, such as race and/or ethnicity. This article briefly reviews the current knowledge surrounding the obesity paradox, its relationship with PA and CRF, and compelling considerations for race and/or ethnicity concerning the obesity paradox. As such, this review provides recommendations and a call to action for future precision medicine to consider modifiable and non-modifiable factors when preventing and/or treating obesity.

Enhancing Spin-Orbit Coupling in an Indolocarbazole Multiresonance Emitter by a Sulfur-Containing Peripheral Substituent for a Fast Reverse Intersystem Crossing.

A fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) remains an ongoing pursuit for multiresonance (MR) emitters but faces formidable challenges, particularly for indolocarbazole (ICz) derived ones. Here, heavy-atom effect is introduced first to construct ICz-MR emitter using a sulfur-containing substitute, simultaneously enhancing both spin-orbit and spin-vibronic coupling to afford a fast RISC with a rate of 1.2 × 105 s-1, nearly one order of magnitude higher than previous maximum values. The emitter also exhibits an extremely narrow deep-blue emission peaking at 456 nm with full-width at half-maxima of merely 12 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield of 92%. Benefiting from its efficient triplet upconversion capability, this emitter achieves not only a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 31.1% in organic light-emitting diodes but also greatly alleviates efficiency roll-off, affording record-high EQEs of 29.9% at 1000 cd m-2 and 18.7% at 5000 cd m-2 among devices with ICz-MR emitters.

Ultralow thermal conductivity of 2D Dion-Jacobson (PDA)(FA)n - 1PbnI3n + 1 perovskite films.

Two-dimensional (2D) perovskites exhibit enhanced thermal stability compared to three-dimensional perovskites, especially the emerging 2D Dion-Jacobson (DJ) phase perovskite. However, the heat transfer mechanisms in DJ phase perovskites are rarely reported. Herein, we determine thermal conductivities of (PDA)(FA)n - 1PbnI3n + 1 films with n = 1-6 by time-domain thermoreflectance. The measured results indicate that the thermal conductivities of these films are extremely low, showing a trend from decline to rise with increasing n values, and reaching to the lowest when n = 2. We measure the propagation of acoustic phonons in films with n = 1-3 by time-domain Brillouin scattering and find phonon velocity plays a key role in the thermal conductivity, which can be explained by the mismatch of spring constants between the inorganic layer and the organic layer using the bead-spring model. The gradually increasing thermal conductivity for larger n values is attributed to the gradual transformation of the grain orientation from horizontal to vertical, which is demonstrated by the grazing-incidence wide-angle x ray scattering (GIWAXS) results. Our work deepens the understanding of the thermal transport process in 2D DJ phase perovskite films and provides insights into thermal management solutions for their devices.

KCa3.1 Promotes the Migration of Macrophages From Epicardial Adipose Tissue to Induce Vulnerability to Atrial Fibrillation During Rapid Pacing.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between local epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) macrophages and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of KCa3.1 in the migration of macrophages from EAT to adjacent atrial tissue during rapid pacing. METHODS: Part 1: Eighteen beagles were randomly divided into the sham group, pacing group, and pacing + clodronate liposome (CL) group. Part 2: Eighteen beagles were randomly divided into the sham group, pacing group, and pacing + TRAM-34 group. HL-1 cells and RAW264.7 cells were co-cultured to explore the specific migratory mechanism of macrophages. RESULTS: Depleting EAT macrophages significantly reduced macrophage infiltration in the adjacent atrium and the induction of AF in canines with rapid atrial pacing. TRAM-34 significantly inhibited the migration of macrophages from EAT to the adjacent atrium and electrical remodelling in canines with rapid atrial pacing. Compared with those of the control HL-1 cells, the secretion of CCL2 and the number of migrating macrophages in pacing HL-1 cells was significantly increased, which could be reversed by TRAM-34. Further in vitro experiments showed that KCa3.1 regulated CCL2 secretion through the p65/STAT3 signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibiting myocardial KCa3.1 reduced the migration of EAT macrophages to adjacent atrial muscles caused by rapid atrial pacing, thereby decreasing vulnerability to AF. The mechanism by which KCa3.1 regulates CCL2 may be related to the p65/STAT3 signalling pathway.

Cuttlefish ink-derived melanin nanoparticle-embedded tremella fuciformis polysaccharide hydrogels for the treatment of MRSA-infected diabetic wounds.

Diabetic wounds arise great attention as they are difficult to heal and easily suffer from serious bacterial infection. However, the overuse of antibiotics increases the resistance of bacteria and makes common drugs ineffective. Here, we developed a photothermal hydrogel (TFP/NP) composed of tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) and cuttlefish ink-derived melanin nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs can produce reliable photothermal effects under near-infrared laser (NIR) irradiation and help to remove the bacteria in the wounds, while TFPs were able to form hydrogel frameworks which possessed anti-inflammatory effects and could be applied to promote wound healing. The TFP/NP hydrogels produced stable thermal effects under NIR irradiation and could continuously kill bacteria. The experiment on a full-layer skin wound sMRSA activity and could improve the healing efficiency. The wounds of the mice could be repaired within 14 days after reasonable treatment. In addition, the hydrogels play significant roles in promoting collagen deposition, anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation during the therapeutic process. This research provides a simple and effective method for the therapy of bacterial infection wounds through the synergistic effect of TFPs and NPs.

Metal(loid) uptake and physiological response of Coix lacryma-jobi L. to soil potentially toxic elements in a polluted metal-mining area.

Coix lacryma-jobi L. is a traditional medicinal plant in east Asia and is an important crop in Guizhou province, southwest China, where there are elevated levels of soil mercury and arsenic (As). Exposure to multiple potentially toxic elements (PTEs) may affect plant accumulation of metal(loid)s and food safety in regions with high geological metal concentrations. Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of PTEs on metal(loid) accumulation and physiological response of C. lacryma in different plant parts at three pollution levels. Total root length, number of root tips, number of branches, and number of root crosses increased with increasing pollution level, with increases in highly polluted areas of 44.2, 57.0, 79.6, and 97.2%, respectively, compared to lightly polluted areas. Under multi-element stress the activity of C. lacryma antioxidant oxidase showed an increase at low and medium PTE concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations. The As contents were all below the maximum limit of cereal food contaminants in China (GB 2762-2022, As < 0.5 mg kg-1). The stems had high Tl bioconcentration factors but the translocation factors from stem to grain were very low, indicating that the stems may be a key plant part restricting Tl transport to the grains. C. lacryma increased root retention and reduced the transport effect, thus reducing metal accumulation in the grains. C. lacryma adapted to PTE stress through root remodeling and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities.

Microsecond-Scale Transient Thermal Sensing Enabled by Flexible Mo1-xWxS2 Alloys.

Real-time thermal sensing through flexible temperature sensors in extreme environments is critically essential for precisely monitoring chemical reactions, propellant combustions, and metallurgy processes. However, despite their low response speed, most existing thermal sensors and related sensing materials will degrade or even lose their sensing performances at either high or low temperatures. Achieving a microsecond response time over an ultrawide temperature range remains challenging. Here, we design a flexible temperature sensor that employs ultrathin and consecutive Mo1-x W x S2 alloy films constructed via inkjet printing and a thermal annealing strategy. The sensing elements exhibit a broad work range (20 to 823 K on polyimide and 1,073 K on flexible mica) and a record-low response time (about 30 µs). These properties enable the sensors to detect instantaneous temperature variations induced by contact with liquid nitrogen, water droplets, and flames. Furthermore, a thermal sensing array offers the spatial mapping of arbitrary shapes, heat conduction, and cold traces even under bending deformation. This approach paves the way for designing unique sensitive materials and flexible sensors for transient sensing under harsh conditions.

Breaking the Saturation of Sensitivity for Ultrawide Range Flexible Pressure Sensors by Soft-Strain Effect.

The flexible pressure sensors with a broad pressure range and unsaturated sensitivity are highly desired in practical applications. However, pressure sensors by piezoresistive effect are always limited by the compressibility of sensing layers, resulting in a theoretically decreasing sensitivity of less than 100%. Here, a unique strategy is proposed that utilizes the strain effect, simultaneously achieving a trade-off between a wider pressure detection range and unsaturated sensitivity. Ascribed to the strain effect of sensing layers induced by interlaced microdomes, the sensors possess an increased sensitivity (5.22-70 MPa-1) over an ultrawide pressure range (45 Pa-4.1 MPa), a high-pressure resolution (5 Pa), fast response/recovery time (30/45 ms), and a robust response under a high-pressure loading of 3.5 MPa for more than 5000 cycles. These superior sensing performances allow the sensor to monitor large pressure. The flexible pressure sensor array can assist doctors in restoring the neutral mechanical axis, tracking knee flexion angles, and extracting gait features. Moreover, the flexible sensing array can be integrated into the joint motion surveillance system to map the balance medial-lateral contact forces on the metal compartments in real time, demonstrating the potential for further development into precise medical human-machine interfaces during total knee replacement surgery.

Identification of a novel gene, Bryophyte Co-retained Gene 1, that has a positive role in desiccation tolerance in the moss Physcomitrium patens.

The moss Physcomitrium patens is a model system for the evolutionary study of land plants, and as such, it may contain as yet unannotated genes with functions related to the adaptation to water deficiency that was required during the water-to-land transition. In this study, we identified a novel gene, Bryophyte Co-retained Gene 1 (BCG1), in P. patens that is responsive to dehydration and rehydration. Under de- and rehydration treatments, BCG1 was significantly co-expressed with DHNA, which encodes a dehydrin (DHN). Examination of previous microarray data revealed that BCG1 is highly expressed in spores, archegonia (female reproductive organ), and mature sporophytes. In addition, the bcg1 mutant showed reduced dehydration tolerance, and this was accompanied by a relatively low level of chlorophyll content during recovery. Comprehensive transcriptomics uncovered a detailed set of regulatory processes that were affected by the disruption to BCG1. Experimental evidence showed that BCG1 might function in antioxidant activity, the abscisic acid pathway, and in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis to resist desiccation. Overall, our results provide insights into the role of a bryophyte co-retained gene in desiccation tolerance.

Atrial fibroblast-derived exosomal miR-21 upregulate myocardial KCa3.1 via the PI3K-Akt pathway during rapid pacing.

Background: Fibroblast-derived exosomes can regulate the electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes, and the intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (KCa3.1) is important in atrial electrical remodeling. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of cardiac electrophysiology by exosomes linked to KCa3.1. Methods: Atrial myocytes (AMs) and atrial fibroblasts were isolated from Sprague-Dawley suckling rats and cultured individually. The cellular atrial fibrillation (AF) model was established via electrical stimulation (1.0 v/cm, 10 Hz), and fibroblast-derived exosomes were isolated via ultracentrifugation. Exosomes were co-cultured with AMs to investigate their influences on KCa3.1 and the underlying mechanisms. Nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy were used to measure exosome particle sizes and concentrations. Whole-cell patch clamp was applied to record the current density of KCa3.1 and action potential duration (APD). The expression of miR-21-5p was detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blotting or immunofluorescence was used to measure the expression of exosomal markers, Akt phosphorylation, and KCa3.1. Results: Rapid pacing promoted the secretion of exosomes from atrial fibroblasts and miR-21-5p expression in atrial fibroblasts and exosomes. KCa3.1 protein expression and current density significantly increased, and APD50 and APD90 were sharply shortened after rapid pacing in AMs. TRAM-34 (KCa3.1 blocker) extended APD and reduced susceptibility to AF. KCa3.1 and P-AKT expressions were amplified after co-culturing AMs with exosomes secreted by atrial fibroblasts. In contrast, the increase in KCa3.1 expression was reversed after the cells were co-cultured with exosomes secreted by atrial fibroblasts that were transfected with miR-21-5p inhibitors or after the use of LY294002, a PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor. Conclusions: Rapid pacing promoted the secretion of exosomes from fibroblasts, and miR-21-5p was upregulated in exosomes. Moreover, the miR-21-5p-enriched exosomes upregulated KCa3.1 expression in AMs via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Non-exercise estimated cardiorespiratory fitness and incident type 2 diabetes in adults.

AIM(S): To examine the association between non-exercise estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and incident type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In a sample of 13,616 men and women without diabetes at baseline, incident type 2 diabetes were determined as fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 7 mmol/l (126 mg/dL), self-report, or insulin usage at follow-up. eCRF was calculated in metabolic equivalents (METs) at baseline using sex-specific algorithms, including physical activity, smoking status, age, body mass index, waist circumference, and resting heart rate. Cox regression models were performed, and hazard ratios (HRs), 95 % confidence intervals (CIs), and p values were reported. RESULTS: Each 1-MET unit increase in eCRF was associated with an 11 % lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes (p < 0.0001). Men in the upper and middle eCRF tertiles were at 46 % (95 % CI, 0.42-0.68) and 29 % (95 % CI, 0.57-0.88) lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared to the lower eCRF tertile (p < 0.0001). For women, there were no significant findings between eCRF tertiles and incident type 2 diabetes (p ≥ 0.11 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Higher eCRF was associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in men. Further research needs to examine the association between eCRF and type 2 diabetes in women.

Characterization of an Escherichia coli phage Tequatrovirus YZ2 and its application in bacterial wound infection.

The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) resulting from the excessive utilization of antibiotics necessitates the immediate exploration of alternative approaches to counteract pathogenic E. coli. Phages, with their unique antibacterial mechanisms, are considered promising candidates for treating bacterial infections. Herein, we isolated a lytic Escherichia phage Tequatrovirus YZ2 (phage YZ2), which belongs to the genus Tequatrovirus. The genome of phage YZ2 consists of 168,356 base pairs with a G + C content of 35.34% and 269 putative open reading frames (ORFs). Of these, 146 ORFs have been annotated as functional proteins associated with nucleotide metabolism, structure, transcription, DNA replication, translation, and lysis. In the mouse model of a skin wound infected by E. coli, phage YZ2 therapy significantly promoted the wound healing. Furthermore, histopathological analysis revealed reductions in IL-1ß and TNF-α and increased VEGF levels, indicating the potential of phages as effective antimicrobial agents against E. coli infection.

First Report of Root Rot of Cathaya argyrophylla caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China.

Cathaya argyrophylla [Chun & Kuang.] is an ancient relict plant and its embryonic development is similar to that of Pinus species. This has important scientific value for studying the phylogeny of Pinaceae (Wu et al. 2023). In July 2022, root rot was detected in the seedling cultivation base of C. argyrophylla in Daozhen County, Guizhou Province, China (28.89 °N, 107.6 °E). The incidence of the disease was 30% (n = 100); the susceptible plants wilted, leaves withered, and roots showed brown-to-black lesions and rot. Ten root tissues were randomly collected from the edges of the lesions of six symptomatic susceptible plants. The tissues were sterilized with 75% alcohol for 30 seconds, followed by 2-minute immersion in 3% sodium hypochlorite. After washing with sterile water, the tissues were incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA; BoWei, Shanghai) at 28 ℃ for five days. Four single-spore cultures were obtained using a single-spore isolation method (Gong et al., 2010). Single-spore cultures grew rapidly on PDA. After five days of incubation, the colonies were white and pink, indicating a large amount of aerial mycelia. Microconidia were ovate or ellipsoid, measuring 5.0-10.0 × 1.5-3.0 µm (n = 50); Macroconidia were falcate, slightly curved or straight, measuring 19.5-28.5 × 2.0-6.0 µm (n = 50). Based on morphological features, the pathogen was considered to be Fusarium spp. (Leslie and Summerell 2006). Three representative strains, GF5, GF6, and GF7, were selected for molecular identification, and genomic DNA was extracted to confirm morphological diagnosis. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (White et al. 1990) was amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4, and the ß-tubulin gene (Varga et al. 2011) was amplified using primers Bt2a/Bt2b. The ITS and ß-tubulin sequences were aligned with GenBank, and amplification of the genes from the three isolates was consistent. The ITS (OP482273) and ß-tubulin (OR825353) sequences of GF5 were stored in GenBank, and their homology with Fusarium oxysporum HC131(accession numbers MW600442 and MW670451) was 99 to 100%. Maximum likelihood analysis using MEGA 11.0 showed that isolate GF5 belongs to F. oxysporum. The reconstructed phylogenetic tree confirmed the phylogenetic position of the isolate GF5. The pathogenicity test was carried out using GF5 and GF6 isolates. The taproots of ten 3-year-old C. argyrophylla plants were washed, and then the roots were immersed in a 2 × 106/mL conidial suspension for one hour. Ten plants with sterile water were used as controls. After planting in pots (30 × 25 cm) with sterilized forest soil, the plants were cultured in a greenhouse (25 ℃ and 12-hour photoperiod). Thirty days after inoculation, all plants inoculated with the isolated pathogen showed wilting symptoms, and the roots showed typical root rot symptoms, whereas the control group showed no symptoms. The pathogens re-isolated from all inoculated plants were morphologically identical and had ITS sequences identical to F. oxysporum, validating Koch's hypothesis. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice and similar results were obtained. Although this fungus has been previously reported to cause root diseases in hosts, such as Musa nana Lour. and Pinus massoniana Lamb. (He et al. 2010; Luo et al. 2020), to our knowledge, this is the first report of F. oxysporum causing root rot in C. argyrophylla. These findings provide a basis for the development of management strategies for C. argyrophylla infection.