First Report of Anthracnose on Euonymus japonicus Thunb. Caused by a Provisionally Novel Species of Colletotrichum in the Magnum Complex in South Korea.

Euonymus japonicus Thunb., also known as the evergreen spindle tree, is an evergreen tree, which is widely planted as a hedge plant along streets in South Korea. In April 2022, severe anthracnose symptoms were observed on the leaves of this tree in Jangsu in the Jeonbuk Province of the country (35°43'49.44″N, 127°34'53.7″E). About 80% of the leaves of each affected tree within a 0.03-ha area showed incidence of the disease on approximately 30 trees were planted along the roadside (~30 m). These symptoms typically included circular or irregularly shaped whitish-gray lesions with a diameter of 2.0 to 3.0 cm. In cases where some leaves were severely affected, larger blotches formed. To isolate the pathogen, about ten leaves showing anthracnose symptoms on each tree were randomly selected and brought to the laboratory. Fungal isolations were made from acervuli filled with conidial masses on infected evergreen tissues, followed by plating onto 2% potato dextrose agar (PDA) as well as incubated at 25℃. On the PDA, colonies were circular, raised, green-grey or dark grey, and had a distinct white margin. The conidia were single-celled, transparent, cylindrical with rounded ends, had smooth walls, with a length ranging from 12 µm to 16.7 µm and a width raging from 4 µm to 6.5 µm (av. = 14.1 X 5.0 µm, n=40). Of those that were successfully recovered with approximately 90% frequency, two monoconidial isolates were deposited to the culture collection at Chungnam National University in South Korea (Accession number: CDH059-060). To ensure the identity of the fungus, genomic DNAs were extracted from the selected isolates, CDH059-060, and were sequenced. This was achieved based on partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), actin and beta-tubulin (TUB2) gene regions which were amplified using ITS1F / ITS4 (Gardes and Bruns 1993; White et al. 1990), ACT-512F / ACT-783R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), and T1 / Bt2b (O'Donnell and Cigelnik 1997; Glass and Donaldson 1995) primer pairs, respectively. The resulting sequences were deposited to GenBank (OR984424-425) for ITS, (OR996289-290) for actin, and (OR996291-292) for TUB2. For a phylogenetic analysis, sequences from different gene regions (ITS, actin and TUB2) retrieved from GenBank were aligned, concatenated, and analyzed as a single dataset based on a maximum likelihood analysis. The phylogenetic result revealed that the fungus isolated in this study was positioned in a clearly distinct lineage, provisionally representing an undetermined species of Colletotrichum, which is most closely related to Colletotrichum liaoningense (Y.Z. Diao, C. Zhang, L. Cai & X.L. Liu, CGMCC3.17616 (KP890104 for ITS, KP890097 for actin, and KP890111 for TUB, Diao et al. 2017). Sequence comparisons revealed that this pathogen differed from C. liaoningense at 20 of 494 characters (∼4.0%) in the ITS and 2 of 251 (∼1.0%) in the actin sequences. For pathogenicity tests, three seedlings of E. japonicus were used. The leaves for each tree were treated with 10 ml of a conidial suspension by spraying (1x106 conidia ml-1 of the isolate, CDH059), while the three seedlings were treated with distilled water as control. After sprayed, the treated areas were sealed with plastic bags for a day to maintain humidity. Anthracnose symptoms identical to those observed in the field appeared seven days after inoculations, while no symptoms were observed in the control. Re-isolations were successfully achieved from the treatments, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Anthracnose associated with the provisionally novel species of Colletotrichum sp. on E. japonicus has not been recorded elsewhere, and in this regard, this is the first report of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum sp. on E. japonicus in Korea. To effectively control the disease, more attention should be paid to the host range of the pathogen and other regions where the disease caused by the pathogen might occur in the country.

First Report of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum siamense on Machilus thunbergii Siebold & Zucc. in South Korea.

Machilus thunbergii Siebold & Zucc., known as Japanese bay tree, is an evergreen tree distributed widely in East Asia, including South Korea, where the species is of ecological importance. Machilus thunbergii provides habitat for wildlife species and is a common urban tree. In September 2022, anthracnose symptoms on leaves were observed in Jeju (33°26'02.4"N, 126°19'48.8"E) and Tongyeong (34°49'27.1"N, 128°24'01.8"E) in South Korea. Disease incidence on leaves of each affected tree, naturally growing in an urban forest area covering approximately 0.5 ha was approximately ~ 70 % in each study area. Anthracnose symptoms that were observed on 70 to 80% leaves per tree in each study area included orbicular or irregular, whitish-grey spots on leaves that were 1.5 to 3.0 cm in diam. In some cases where leaves were severely affected, larger blotches were formed, leading to bleaching symptoms and eventually defoliation. For pathogen isolation, two or three leaves showing anthracnose symptoms from each of the 15 trees were randomly selected and brought to the laboratory. Fungal isolations were then directly made by transferring spores from acervuli that developed on diseased leaves onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Cushion shaped acervuli filled with salmon to orange-colored conidial masses were produced on media approximately two weeks after the incubation at 25 ± 1°C with a photoperiod of 12 h. Conidia were single celled, hyaline, cylindrical with rounded ends, smooth walls, 13.7 to 18.1 µm long and 3.1 to 4.5 µm wide (n=30). Among 15 cultures that were successfully isolated, 10 isolates were retained based on culture characteristics, and two randomly selected monoconidial cultures were deposited in the culture collection (CDH) of the Chungnam National University, Republic of Korea (Accession No. CDH057-58). Two isolates selected, CDH057 and CDH058, were subjected to identification, and this was achieved based on multiplesequence comparisons using on internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA (ITS1 and ITS2), partial sequences of actin (ACT) and ß-tubulin (TUB2) gene regions amplified using ITS1F / ITS4, ACT-512F / ACT-783R and T1 / Bt2b, respectively (Weir et al. 2012). The representative sequence data were deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers OR473277 and OR473278 for the ITS, OR480772 and OR480773 for ACT, and OR480774 and OR480775 for TUB2. The resulting sequences were further used for a phylogenetic analysis based on the maximum likelihood method using a concatenated dataset of the ITS, ACT and TUB2 gene sequences for Colletotrichum species in the C. gloeosporioides clade. The results showed that the pathogen isolated in this study clustered with Colletotrichum siamense (Vouchered specimens: MFLU 090230, COUFPI291, and COUFPI294) (Prihastuti et al. 2009). Sequence comparisons revealed that the isolates obtained in this study differed from the type species of C. siamense (MFLU 090230; FJ972613 for ITS, FJ 907423 for ACT, FJ907438 for TUB2) at 2 of 258 bp (∼0.8%) and 6 of 387 bp (∼1.6%) in the ACT and TUB2 sequences, respectively, while the ITS was identical to the type species. For pathogenicity tests, a total of ten three-year-old seedlings of M. thunbergii were used. The leaves of each tree were sprayed with 5 ml of conidial suspension (105 conidia/ml, isolate CDH057). Three control plants were sprayed with sterile water. After being sprayed, treated areas were sealed with a plastic bag for 24 hours to preserve humidity. Anthracnose symptoms, identical to those observed in the field, appeared five to seven days after the inoculations, while no symptoms were observed on control plants. The isolates used in the pathogenicity test were reisolated from 90% of lesions, and their identity was confirmed based on sequence comparisons, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. Species of the C. gloeosporioides species complex include important plant pathogens, particularly C. siamense, which cause significant losses of economic and ecological relevance on a wide range of hosts (~ 100 hosts) (Talhinhas and Baroncelli 2021). Although C. fioriniae in the C. acutatum species complex, was found on M. thunbergii in South Korea (Thao et al. 2023), anthracnose associated with C. siamense on M. thunbergii has not been reported in the country. In this regard, this is the first report of anthracnose caused by C. siamense on M. thunbergii in South Korea. To effectively control the disease, more attention should be paid on the host range of the pathogen and other regions where the disease caused by the pathogen might occur in the country.

Inclusion of Beef Heart in Ground Beef Patties Alters Quality Characteristics and Consumer Acceptability as Assessed by the Application of Electronic Nose and Tongue Technology.

Consumer purchasing of beef is often driven by the trinity of flavor, palatability, and convenience. Currently, beef patties in the United States are manufactured with fat and lean trimmings derived from skeletal muscles. A reduction in total beef supply may require the use of animal by-product utilization such as variety meats to achieve patty formulations. The current study aimed to assess textural, color, and flavor characteristics in addition to volatile compounds through electronic technology, e-nose and e-tongue, of ground beef patties formulated with beef heart. Ground beef patties were manufactured with 0%, 6%, 12%, or 18% beef heart, with the remainder of the meat block being shoulder clod-derived ground beef. Patties (n = 65/batch/treatment) within each batch (n = 3) with each treatment were randomly allocated to cooked color (n = 17/batch/treatment), Allo-Kramer shear force (AKSF; n = 17/batch/treatment), texture profile analysis (TPA; n = 6/batch/treatment), cooking loss (n = 17/batch/treatment), consumer panel (n = 3/batch/treatment), e-nose (n = 1/batch/treatment), and e-tongue (n = 1/batch/treatment) analysis groups. Patties containing beef heart did not require additional cooking time (p = 0.1325) nor exhibit greater cooking loss (p = 0.0803). Additionally, inclusion rates of beef heart increased hardness (p = 0.0030) and chewiness values (p = 0.0316) in TPA, were internally redder (p = 0.0001), and reduced overall liking by consumer panelists (p = 0.0367). Lastly, patties containing beef heart exhibited greater red-to-brown (p = 0.0003) and hue angle (p = 0.0001) values than control patties. The results suggest that beef heart inclusion does alter ground beef quality characteristics and consumer acceptability.

Local Heating Induced Single-Crystalline Phase Control in Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanomaterials.

Development of synthetic strategies selectively yielding single crystals is desired owing to the facet-dependent chemical reactivities. Recent advances in electrochemical materials synthesis yielded nanomaterials that are surfactant-free, however, typically in polycrystalline forms. In this work, an electrochemical synthetic strategy selectively yielding single-crystalline nanoparticles by implementation of surface-selective heating of the working electrode is developed. Single crystals of copper, silver, gold, and platinum are afforded, and the crystallinity verified by electron diffraction and chemical reactivity studies. Notably, Cu (100) surface prepared by electrochemical synthesis yielded high single product selectivity when applied to electrochemical CO2 reduction catalysis.

Multicenter comparison of analytical interferences of 25-OH vitamin D immunoassay and mass spectrometry methods by endogenous interferents and cross-reactivity with 3-epi-25-OH-vitamin D3.

Background: Vitamin D (vit-D) deficiency is highly prevalent in the Korean population, highlighting the need for accurate measurements. In this study, the interferences by endogenous and cross-reactive substances were compared between routine vit-D immunoassays and mass spectrometry (MS) methods. Methods: Two MS methods and 4 immunoassays from different manufacturers (Abbott, Beckman Coulter, Roche, Siemens) were compared. Residual samples that were icteric, lipemic, hemolyzed, high in rheumatoid factor, from myeloma patients, or patients undergoing hemodialysis were collected. Also, 4 levels of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material 972a, and 12 samples serially spiked with 3-epi-25-OH-D3 were prepared. Results: Significant interferences were observed in hemolytic (Roche), icteric (Beckman and Siemens) and lipemic samples (all 4 immunoassays). Level 4 NIST material and 3-epi-25-OH-D3-spiked samples induced significant cross-reactivity, yielding higher total vit-D measurements in non-epimer-separating MS methods, and both the Beckman and Roche immunoassays. Conclusion: Most observed interferences were consistent with manufacturers' claims, but overall improvement of immunoassay bias limits is required. Awareness of potential interference is important to increase the accuracy of vit-D measurements. Moreover, care is due when interpreting vit-D results of newborns, infants and less commonly, pregnant women, who are known to have physiologically high levels of the highly cross-reactive 3-epi-25-OH-D3.

The complete mitochondrial genome of a wood-decaying fungus Vanderbylia fraxinea (Polyporaceae, Polyporales).

Vanderbylia fraxinea (Bull.) D.A. Reid, 1973 is an important wood-inhabiting fungus that plays a significant role in nutrient recycling in most forest ecosystems. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of V. fraxinea was characterized through de novo assembly using Illumina sequencing data and genome annotation. The mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 115,473 bp with a GC content of 28.66%. It comprises a total of 62 genes. Among these, 36 are protein-coding genes including 21 free-standing open reading frames (ORFs), 24 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. Core gene set commonly found in fungal mitochondrial genomes is also present in this genome, such as the apocytochrome b (cob), three subunits of the cytochrome c oxidase (cox1, cox2, and cox3), seven subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase (nad1, nad2, nad3, nad4, nad4L, nad5, and nad6), and three subunits of the ATP synthase (atp6, atp8, and atp9), as well as ribosomal RNA subunits (rns and rnl) and a set of transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the protein-coding sequences from the mitochondrial genome revealed a close relationship between V. fraxinea and the Ganoderma species within the Polyporaceae family.

Consumer acceptability of no added sugar pound cakes under blind and informed testing conditions.

Stevia is an emerging natural high-intensity sweetener. There are negative perceptions of zero-calorie sweeteners, but studies that provide knowledge of these sweeteners improve their perception. This study evaluated consumer acceptability of a zero-sugar bakery product under blind and informed conditions (n = 96) along with physicochemical analysis of the products. Rebaudioside A (Reb A) and the new types of stevia (Rebs D and M) with sugar as a control were used to formulate pound cakes. Panelists evaluated the overall hedonic impressions (aroma, texture, flavor, and aftertaste) and intensity (sweetness and bitterness) of the cakes under blind and informed conditions with an enforced 2-week break between evaluations. During the informed session, a document was provided prior to evaluating samples that included stevia's health benefits and the nutritional facts panels for the cakes. The cakes underwent volatile profile (electronic nose [e-nose]) and water activity (aw ) analysis. Overall, stevia cakes showed an increase in flavor and texture liking during the informed session when compared to the blind session, but only Reb A showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). The increase in liking scores indicated that information positively affected the consumer's perception of the stevia-sweetened cakes attributes. The e-nose confirmed differences in aroma. There was a significant difference in aw of the samples Rebs A, D, M versus sucrose (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the Rebs (p > 0.05). This study illustrates that stevia, despite non-browning or fermenting, can be used in a practical baking application, and product-related information impacts consumer acceptability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study demonstrates that product-related information may have an impact on the consumer acceptability of the product. Through potential labeling improvements, overall consumer perception and acceptability of zero-sugar added or low-sugar products could be improved. This study also illustrates that stevia, despite being a non-browning or fermenting sugar alternative, can be used in a practical baking application.

Molecularly Imprinted Chemiresistive Sensor for Specific Recognition of Furaneol as a Biomarker of Strawberry Flavor Conditions.

This work introduces the concept of a molecularly imprinted gas sensor to monitor the condition of naturally ripened strawberries. Furaneol, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone, is considered as an important biomarker related to the strawberry flavor. Identification of furaneol concentration is still a challenge because of its weak adsorption, nonpolar, and unreactive properties. Therefore, no study has been reported yet to measure furaneol gases via a simple chemiresistive mechanism. Herein, we demonstrate the sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based polyaniline (PANI). The sensitive and selective detection of furaneol gas with a MIP-PANI gas sensor was observed at room temperature and under different humidity conditions. The comparison between MIP and the nonimprinted (NIP)-based PANI shows a strong interaction between furaneol and the molecularly imprinted polymer. The furaneol gas sensing mechanism is explained based on the interaction between the gas molecules and the charge carriers of MIP-PANI, which results in the functional group change in the carboxylic group. Furthermore, the developed MIP-chemiresistive sensor for real strawberries was compared with a commercial e-nose system. The results show the potential to offer a rapid and cost-effective platform for specific recognition of furaneol.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cladosporium anthropophilum (cladosporiaceae, dothideomycetes).

The genus Cladosporium (Cladosporiaceae, Capnodiales) is a large genus of Ascomycota. Although the genus is mostly reported as saprobes from a wide range of substrates with a worldwide distribution, members of this genus comprise infectious agents in animals and plants. Of those, Cladosporium anthropophilum is a common saprophytic fungus and has been found to be a human opportunistic pathogen and plant pathogen. The complete mitochondrial genome of C. anthropophilum is characterized through the de novo assembly of Illumina sequencing data. The mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 35,937 bp with 30.23% GC content and has a total of 47 genes including 16 protein-coding genes, 29 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. Based on protein-coding sequences of the mitochondrial genome sequence, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to demonstrate the phylogenetic relationship of C. anthropophilum and its related genera.

Clinical Usefulness of Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Low Serum Testosterone Measurement.

Background: Mass spectrometry methods exhibit higher accuracy and lower variability than immunoassays at low testosterone concentrations. We developed and validated an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) assay for quantifying serum total testosterone. Methods: We used an ExionLC UPLC (Sciex, Framingham, MA, USA) system and a Sciex Triple Quad 6500+ (Sciex) MS/MS system in electrospray ionization and positive ion modes with multiple reaction monitoring transitions to evaluate precision, accuracy, linearity, lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ), carryover, ion suppression, stability, and reference intervals. For method comparison, we measured serum testosterone concentrations using this method in 40 subjects whose testosterone concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 55.48 nmol/L as determined using the Architect i2000 immunoassay (Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, IL, USA) and in an additional 160 sera with testosterone concentrations <1.67 nmol/L. Results: The intra- and inter-run precision CVs were <2.81%, and the accuracy bias values were <3.85%, which were all acceptable. The verified linear interval was 0.03-180.84 nmol/L; the LLOQ was 0.03 nmol/L. No significant carryover and ion suppression were observed. The testosterone in serum was stable at 4°C, at -20°C, and after three freeze-thaw cycles. The reference intervals were successfully verified. The correlation was good at testosterone concentrations of 0.14-55.48 nmol/L; however, the Architect assay showed positive percent bias at concentrations <1.67 nmol/L. Conclusions: The UPLC-MS/MS assay shows acceptable performance, with a lower LLOQ than the immunoassay. This method will enable the quantitation of low testosterone concentrations.

Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of Trichoderma cornu-damae Using Hi-C Data.

Trichoderma cornu-damae is known as a poisonous mushroom (Basidiomycota, Fungi) that produces several trichothecene mycotoxins. We constructed a chromosome-level genome assembly of T. cornu-damae with Hi-C sequencing data.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Pulveroboletus ravenelii (Boletales, Basidiomycota).

Pulveroboletus ravenelii, an ectomycorrhizal fungus, has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine and mushroom dyes; however, its mitogenome and phylogenetic relationship with other taxa remain unexplored. Here, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of P. ravenelii using next-generation sequencing and found that its mitogenome, a circular DNA molecule of 43,528 bp, comprised 15 protein-coding genes, 15 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. The mitogenome had a base composition of A (37.52%), C (11.14%), G (12.21%), and T (39.13%) and a GC content of 23.35%. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the phylogenetic relationship of this species with other taxa based on the mitochondrial genome sequence. This study revealed the phylogenetic positions of P. ravenelii and its related genera for the first time.

Mitrula aurea sp. nov., A New Aero-Aquatic Species from the Republic of Korea.

The genus Mitrula (Mitrulaceae, Helotiales), as also known as swamp beacons, inhabits submerged, decaying vegetation in standing or decaying needles, twigs, leaves, and shallow water. They play an important role in carbon cycling in some freshwater ecosystems. In the herbarium of the Korea National Arboretum (KH), seven Mitrula specimens were collected during mushroom forays in the period from 2019 to 2021. The Korean collections were found to be macromorphologically closely related to M. paludosa and M. elegans, but micromorphologically they could be distinguished by characteristics of slightly narrower asci and aseptate ascospores. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 28S rDNA regions also revealed that our specimens were related to M. paludosa and M. elegans, but formed a distinct clade. Based on these results, we reported our specimens as new to science and discussed the phylogeny and diversity of Mitrula species.

The Effect of Steviol Glycosides on Sensory Properties and Acceptability of Ice Cream.

There has been a challenge in overcoming the bitter aftertaste of stevia, a natural non-caloric sweetener. Recent research focuses on investigating various types of steviol glycosides, the sweet compounds in stevia leaves, as they exhibit different sensory characteristics. This study determined the sensory properties and acceptability of ice cream sweetened solely with three steviol glycosides, rebaudioside (Reb) A, D, and M (0.09% w/v), using sucrose-sweetened ice cream as a control (14% w/v). Ice cream consumers (n = 92) rated their overall liking, attribute liking, and sweetness and bitterness intensities and described the aftertastes of each sample using check-all-that-apply. The liking scores of Reb D- and M-sweetened ice creams were significantly higher than those of Reb A-sweetened ice cream. Among the three glycosides, only Reb M showed a sweetness intensity comparable with that of sucrose. Consumers perceived the aftertastes of Reb D and M ice creams as being more sweet, pleasant, creamy, and milky, while Reb A was more artificial and chemical. Reb D and M ice creams were also plotted close to sucrose in the correspondence analysis graph, meaning that their aftertaste characteristics were similar to those of sucrose. The present study clearly highlights that Reb D and M have better tastes and provide better perceptions to consumers than Reb A, which is the most widely used glycoside in food industry.

First Report of Anthracnose on Juglans regia Caused by Colletotrichum siamense in Korea.

Walnut (Juglans regia) is one of the main tree crops cultivated for nut production in South Korea with an estimated production of about 1,189 tons per year (Korea Forest Service 2020). In August 2021, anthracnose symptoms, including dark, depressed, irregularly shaped lesions on fruits and leaves of walnut cv. Sinlyeong, were observed at three orchards in Nonsan (36°10'22.5"N 127°06'14.8"E) and Suwon (37°16'04.7"N 126°55'22.3"E and 37°15'10.6"N 126°57'35.6"E). This led to severe yield loss of walnut fruit with a disease incidence of approximately 70 to 80% in each orchard. Three samples, including infected fruits and leaves, were randomly collected per site. Fungal isolates were isolated either from acervuli filled with conidial masses on infected walnut tissues or from plant tissues that were surface-disinfested, followed by plating onto 2% PDA. Colonies were initially white, later became pale brownish to light gray with concentric rings of salmon sporodochia. White to gray aerial mycelia, reaching 65 mm diameter in 5 days, were abundantly produced on PDA at 25 °C. Appressoria were brown, ovoid, and in some cases, clavate, 5.1-8.7 µm in length, and 3.2-5.1 µm in width (n = 50). Conidia were single celled, hyaline, cylindrical with rounded ends and smooth walls, guttulate, 13.6-18.8 µm in length, and 4.4-6.3 µm in width (n = 50). Setae were absent. Three isolates, i.e., one per orchard, were retained and deposited in the culture collection (CDH) of National Institute of Forest Science, Korea (Accession No. CDH052-054). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, beta-tubulin (TUB2) and a partial sequence of the actin (ACT) genes were amplified and sequenced for each of the isolates using the pair of primers, ITS1F/ITS4 (Gardes and Bruns 1993; White et al. 1990), T1/Bt2b (ODonnell and Cigelnik 1997; Glass and Donaldson 1995) and ACT-512F/ACT-783R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), respectively. A BLAST search in GenBank revealed that the sequences of ITS (OK631731-733), TUB2 (OK665927-929) and ACT (OK665930-932) showed sequence identities of 98.6 to 99.6% to Colletotrichum siamense sequences (FJ972613, FJ907423, FJ907438). A maximum likelihood tree, based on a combined dataset of ITS, ACT and TUB2 gene sequences for Colletotrichum spp., revealed that the three isolates were clustered with type specimens of C. siamense. To prepare larger quantities of inoculum for the pathogenicity, mycelial plugs bearing acervuli taken from 2% PDA were incubated in a conical flask containing 200 ml of 2% potato dextrose broth at 25°C on a rotary shaker at 150 rpm for two weeks. Spore concentration was adjusted to 1.0 × 104 ml-1 conidia of C. siamense (CDH054). A 10 to 15 ml of spore suspension was then sprayed on each leaf of 12 seedlings of 'Sinlyeong' walnut (three-year-old), while 7 seedlings were treated with sterile distilled water as a control. Each treated seedling was covered by a plastic bag to maintain moisture for one day. Inoculation trials were repeated twice, in August and September 2021. Symptoms identical to those observed in the field developed four to five days after the inoculations from which the inoculated pathogen was successfully re-isolated, fulfilling Koch's postulates. However, no symptoms were observed in the control. To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose on J. regia caused by C. siamense in Korea. This indicates that disease occurrences must be further rigorously surveyed at the nation-wide scale to effectively control the disease in the country.

Recent Information on Vitamin D Deficiency in an Adult Korean Population Visiting Local Clinics and Hospitals.

We retrospectively reviewed serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) test results from an adult Korean population visiting local clinics and hospitals between July 2017 and December 2021 to gather recent information on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency status was investigated according to criteria offered by various clinical guidelines. During the study period, 180,289 subjects (29,658 men and 150,631 women) were tested for 25(OH)D. The overall prevalence rates of vitamin D deficiency status based on 25(OH)D level were as follows: 0.4% for <5 ng/mL, 12.5% for <10 ng/mL, 20.6% for <12 ng/mL, 49.4% for <20 ng/mL, and <75.3% for <30 ng/mL. Women tested their 25(OH)D level more frequently than men, and the overall prevalence of 25(OH)D < 10 ng/mL was higher among women than men, while that of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was lower among women than men. Among age groups, the prevalence of 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL was higher in younger patients (20s−40s, 79.6−85.5%) than older ones (≥50 years, 62.6−69.2%). The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency decreased over time from 2018 to 2021. Future studies are needed to clarify the clinical impact of this change.

Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of Colletotrichum siamense Isolated in South Korea.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Colletotrichum siamense is characterized. The circular genome has a size of 52,710 bp, with a GC content of 34.45%, and contains 15 protein-coding genes, 23 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes.

Recent Applications of Potentiometric Electronic Tongue and Electronic Nose in Sensory Evaluation.

Electronic tongue (e-tongue) and electronic nose (e-nose) have been widely used to determine food products' taste, aroma, and flavor profiles. Several researchers and industries have recently attempted to find relationships between these e-senses and human sensory panels to ultimately replace sensory panels or use them as a viable alternative to timeconsuming and expensive traditional sensory evaluation (e.g., consumer acceptance testing or descriptive sensory analysis). This study investigated the recent applications of e-tongue and e-nose in the food and beverages sectors and their relationships with human sensory panels, including a trained sensory panel and naïve consumers. According to several studies, the e-tongue, e-nose, or a combination of e-tongue and e-nose can be an effective and powerful tool for rapid assessment of sensory profiles and quality detection with significant correlations with human sensory data. These instruments are also often reported to be more sensitive to detect subtle changes/differences that the human panel cannot detect. Future trends and projections of the e-tongue and e-nose with limitations are also discussed.

Ceratocystis quercicola sp. nov. from Quercus variabilis in Korea.

During a survey of putative fungal pathogens infecting oak trees in the Gangwon Province of the Republic of Korea, a fungus resembling a Ceratocystis sp. was repeatedly isolated from natural wounds on Quercus variabilis. Morphological comparisons and DNA sequence comparisons based on partial ß-tubulin and TEF-1α gene regions showed that the fungus resided in a distinct lineage. This novel Ceratocystis species is described here as C. quercicola sp. nov. This is the first novel species of Ceratocystis to be reported from Korea. A pathogenicity test showed that it can cause lesions on inoculated trees but that it had a very low level of aggressiveness. The discovery of this fungus suggests that additional taxa residing in Ceratocystis are likely to be discovered in Korea in the future.

Consumer-Based Sensory Characterization of Steviol Glycosides (Rebaudioside A, D, and M).

Rebaudioside (Reb) D and M are the recent focus of the food industry to address the bitter taste challenge of Reb A, which is the most commonly used steviol glycoside in natural sweetener stevia. This study evaluated the sensory characteristics of Reb A, D, and M, compared to 14% (w/v) sucrose, using a consumer panel and explored the relationship between 6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status (i.e., non-tasters, medium tasters, supertasters) and the perceived intensity of sweet and bitter tastes of the three steviol glycosides. A total of 126 participants evaluated the intensities of in-mouth, immediate (5 s after expectorating), and lingering (1 min after expectorating) sweetness and bitterness of 0.1% Reb A, D, M, and 14% sucrose and described the aftertaste of the sweeteners by using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question. The results showed that in-mouth sweetness and bitterness of Reb D and M were not significantly different from sucrose, unlike Reb A which showed significant bitterness. However, Reb D and M showed more intense lingering sweetness than sucrose. The CATA analysis resulted that Reb D and M were closer to positive attribute terms and also to sucrose than Reb A, but Reb D and M were still considered artificial, which may cause them to be perceived negatively. When comparing among PROP taster groups, no significant differences in the perceived sweetness and bitterness of the three steviol glycosides were found. This study generates important information about Reb A, D, and M for the food industry, especially working with products formulated to deliver reductions in sugar using a natural high-intensity sweetener, stevia.