First Report of 16SrII Group Related Phytoplasma Associated with Witches'-broom Disease on Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in Hainan Province, China.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), a significant vegetable crop in China, holds particular prominence in the tropical island of Hainan. This region serves as the primary production area for the winter cultivation of cowpea. Phytoplasmas are an idiopathic parasitic pathogen and cannot be cultured in vitro. It is mainly transmitted by the insect vectors with the piercing and sucking mouthparts, such as leafhoppers, plant hoppers, and psyllids. (Kumari et al. 2019). On September 11, 2023, typical characteristics of phytoplasma diseases on cowpeas were observed in the experimental base of Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (20°0'38.6964″N, 110°21'35.4024″E, Haikou City, Hainan Province, China), including reduced leaf size, chlorosis, and the development of broom-like branch deformities reminiscent, as depicted in Figure 1. At the same time, we found a large number of leafhoppers near the diseased plants, and we speculated that leafhoppers are the insect carriers that spread the disease. Following an on-site investigation, it was determined that the disease incidence ranges from 10% to 15%, leading to a consequential decrease of about 10% in yield, which is a potential disease that seriously threatens the cowpea industry in Hainan. Ten disease and healthy samples were meticulously collected and subsequently preserved at -80°C within the laboratory refrigerator. Three disease samples denoted as HNNKY-1, HNNKY-2, and HNNKY-3, were randomly chosen, and total DNA extraction was carried out employing the NuClean Plant Genomic DNA Kit (CWBIO, Taizhou, China), while three healthy samples were randomly selected as control. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR using the primer pairs P1/P7 (Schneider et al. 1995) and R16F2n / R16R2 (Lee et al. 1993) and the secA gene was amplified by PCR using the primer pairs secAfor1/secArev3 (Hodgetts et al. 2008). After agarose gel electrophoresis analysis, no DNA fragments were observed in the healthy leaf samples, whereas all three disease samples yielded amplification products. The PCR products were subsequently sequenced by Hainan Nanshan Biotech Co., Ltd., Haikou, China. After sequence analysis, it was found that the 16S rRNA gene and secA gene sequences HNNKY-1, HNNKY-2, and HNNKY-3 were identical to each other. We selected two gene sequences of strain HNNKY-3 to submission to the GenBank database, The length of the 16S rRNA gene sequence is 1193 base pairs, identified by the accession number OR666421, while the secA gene sequence is 825 base pairs in length, associated with the accession number OR661282. The phytoplasma strain HNNKY-3 was named 'Vigna unguiculata' witches'-broom phytoplasma. A BLAST analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that strain HNNKY-3 displayed a 100% sequence match with 'Emilia sonchifolia' witches'-broom phytoplasma (MT420682), Peanut witches'-broom phytoplasma (OR239773), and 'Raphanus sativus' witches'-broom phytoplasma (OK491387). All of these phytoplasmas were classified within the 16SrII group. Based on the BLAST analysis of partial secA gene sequences, it was discerned that sequence homogeneity ranged from 99.27% to 99.74% among the studied sequences. These sequences were collectively classified as members of the 16SrII group. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was constructed by MEGA 11 (version 11.0.13) based on the 16Sr RNA gene and secA gene by the neighbor-joining method (Tamura et al. 2004). The results demonstrated the clustering of HNNKY-3 phytoplasma strains within the 16SrII group, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. A virtual RFLP analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene fragment of HNNKY-3 was conducted using the interactive online phytoplasma classification tool, iPhyClassifier (Zhao et al. 2009). The results indicated that the phytoplasma strain was the same as the reference pattern of the onion yellows phytoplasma of 16SrII-A (GenBank accession: L33765), and the similarity coefficient was 1.00. To best of our knowledge, this is the inaugural documentation of 16SrII Group-related phytoplasma infecting cowpea in Hainan, China, and lays the groundwork for further research on the dissemination of cowpea phytoplasma disease within China.

Preparation of a Tetra-Imidazolium Salt and Sensing for p-Dinitrobenzene.

A macrocyclic tetra-imidazolium salt (2) based on quinoxaline was prepared and characterized. The recognition of 2 to nitro compounds was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, 1H NMR titrations, MS, IR spectroscopy, and UV/vis spectroscopy. The results displayed that 2 was able to effectively differentiate p-dinitrobenzene from other nitro compounds via the fluorescence method.

Clinical Features and Risk Factors for Nasal Rosacea: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: At present, some studies have reported that nasal rosacea may be an independent disease, but phenotypic characteristics and risk factors for nasal rosacea remain unknown. This study aimed to clarify the clinical features and explore the risk factors for nasal rosacea. METHODS: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted, including 1615 rosacea patients and 1501 healthy individuals. The patients were divided into three groups based on the involved areas of the lesions (non-nasal, intermediate and nasal rosacea group). Their demographic data and clinical features were obtained from patients' medical records, and risk factors of nasal rosacea were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 927 (57.4%), 647 (40.1%) and 41 (2.5%) cases in the non-nasal, intermediate and nasal rosacea groups, respectively. Of 41 patients with nasal rosacea, all (100.0%) had fixed erythema and 17 cases (41.5%) had phymatous changes. Compared with control group, male gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14, 4.99), obesity (aOR = 3.19, 95% CI 1.86, 11.79) and alcohol use (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.22, 5.40) were risk factors for nasal rosacea, but these three factors were not risk factors for non-nasal rosacea and intermediate rosacea groups. Among patients with nasal lesions (compared with patients without nasal phymatous changes), family history of rosacea was a risk factor (aOR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.01, 4.46) for nasal phymatous changes and Fitzpatrick IV skin type was a protective factor (aOR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.28, 0.86). CONCLUSION: Nasal rosacea has relatively specific clinical features and independent risk factors, suggesting that it may be a special type of rosacea.

Effects of skin care habits on the development of rosacea: A multi-center retrospective case-control survey in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Certain cosmetic habits may trigger or aggravate rosacea, while there is little published epidemiologic evidence to support this point. PURPOSE: To examine if daily skin care habits have an effect on the development of rosacea in Chinese population. METHODS: A multi-center retrospective case-control survey of 1,245 rosacea cases and 1,538 skin-healthy controls was conducted in China. Participants completed the questionnaire comprised of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic data and daily skin care habits. Data were collected retrospectively and analyzed using the chi-square test and t-test. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to predict rosacea. RESULTS: The multivariate logistic regression analysis highlighted some results: Dry, oily or mixed skin (OR = 6.3-6.9, P< .001), the usage of foaming cleanser (OR = 1.45, 95%CI 1.115-1.886, P = .01), make up more than 6 times a week (OR = 2.839, 95%CI 1.962-4.108, P< .001), using facial mask more than 4 times a week (OR = 2.56-3.069, P< .001), facial treatments at beauty salon more than once a week (OR = 4.946, 95%CI 2.005-12.198, P = .0018) and using beauty salon products (OR = 2.334, 95%CI 1.435-3.976, P = .0018) are positively correlated with the development of rosacea. Using of moisturizing products (OR = 0.602, 95%CI 0.386-0.983, P = .035) and sunscreen cream (OR = 0.303-0.507, P< .001 or P = .0167 for different frequency) presented significantly negative correlations with rosacea. Frequency of cleansing showed a nonlinear association with rosacea: using facial cleansers 1~3 times per week (OR = 0.647, 95%CI 0.429-0.975, P = .038) showed beneficial effects while using facial cleanser excessively (twice or more daily) (OR = 2.131, 95%CI 1.394-3.256, P< .001) positively correlated to rosacea strongly. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive use of facial cleanser (twice or more a day) and facial mask (more than 4 times a week), frequent makeup (more than 6 times a week), regular skin care in beauty salon (more than once a week), and using beauty salon products were closely correlated to the development of rosacea in Chinese population.

Preparation of anthracene-based tetraperimidine hexafluorophosphate and selective recognition of chromium(III) ions.

A novel anthracene-based tetraperimidine hexafluorophosphate 3 was prepared, and its structure was determined through X-ray analysis, HRMS as well as 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. In the cationic moiety of 3, two (N-ethylperimidinyl-C2H4)2NCH2- arms were attached to the 9- and 10-positions of anthracene. In addition, compound 3 was used as a chemosensor to research the ability to recognize Cr3+ through fluorescence and UV titrations, HRMS, as well as 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The results indicate that 3 is an effective chemosensor for Cr3+.

Are Meniere's disease patients with otolith organ impairment more likely to have balance dysfunction?

Background: Patients with Meniere's disease (MD) may present with peripheral vestibular end organ dysfunction and balance dysfunction. Objective: This study aimed to compare the results of vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) tests with those of the sensory organization test (SOT) in patients with MD to determine whether they are correlated. Material and methods: In total, 132 patients with unilateral MD were evaluated using an audiometric test, the SOT, a caloric test and VEMP tests. Results: Cervical VEMP and ocular VEMP tests were conducted in 132 patients with MD, and the response rates of the affected side were lower than those of the unaffected side. The composite score, C5ES, and C6ES of the SOT were significantly decreased in patients with no VEMP responses compared to those with VEMP responses. Conclusions and significance: MD patients with no VEMP responses are more likely to develop balance impairment than those with VEMP responses. MD patients with otolith organ impairment may therefore have balance disorders, and should exercise caution to prevent falls and subsequent injuries.

Discovery of novel acylhydrazone neuraminidase inhibitors.

Neuraminidase (NA) plays a crucial role in the replication and transmission of influenza virus. NA inhibitors have been developed as effective treatments for influenza A and B infections. In this paper, a new lead neuraminidase inhibitor 6a (IC50 = 7.10 ±â€¯0.2 µM) was discovered by ligand-based virtual screening, receptor-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulation (MD), and bioassay validation. MD simulation indicates that the morpholinyl group of 6a could be embedded in 430-loop of NA. To exploit the 430-loop in the active site, a series of novel acylhydrazone NA inhibitors 6b-6g were designed and synthesized based on the lead compound 6a. Compound 6e exerts the most potency, with IC50 value of 2.37 ±â€¯0.5 µM against NA, which is lower than that of oseltamivir carboxylate (OC) (IC50 = 3.84 µM). Overall, this work provided unique insights in the discovery of potent inhibitors against NA.

NHC Pd(II) and Ag(I) Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalytic Activity in Three Types of C-C Coupling Reactions.

Four bis-benzimidazolium salts, 1,4-bis[1'-(N-R-benzimidazoliumyl)methyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene 2X- (L 1 H 2 ·(PF 6 ) 2 : R = ethyl, X = PF6; L 2 H 2 ·Br 2 : R = picolyl, X = Br; L 3 H 2 ·Br 2 : R = benzyl, X = Br; and L 4 H 2 ·Br 2 : R = allyl, X = Br), and their three N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Pd(II) and Ag(I) complexes, L 1 Pd 2 Cl 4 (1), L 2 Ag 2 Br 2 (2), and L 4 (AgBr) 2 (3), as well as one anionic complex L 3 H 2 ·(Ag 4 Br 8 ) 0.5 (4), have been synthesized and characterized. Complex 1 adopts a funnel-like type of structure, complex 2 adopts a cyclic structure, and complex 3 is an open structure. In the crystal packing of 1-4, one-dimensional polymeric chains and two-dimensional supramolecular layers are formed via intermolecular weak interactions, including hydrogen bonds, π-π interactions, and C-H···π contacts. The catalytic activities of NHC Pd(II) complex 1 in three types of C-C coupling reactions (Suzuki-Miyaura, Heck-Mizoroki, and Sonogashira reactions) were studied. The results show that this catalytic system is efficient for these C-C coupling reactions.

CDK3 expression and its clinical significance in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 3 (CDK3) in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to evaluate its association with the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with NPC. CDK3 expression was examined in three NPC cell lines and one nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line by western blot analysis and in 94 specimens of NPC and 40 specimens of inflamed nasopharyngeal tissue by immunohistochemistry staining. CDK3 was overexpressed in the three NPC cell lines, 5-8F, CNE1 and CNE2, compared with the NP-69 nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line, and was primarily expressed in the cytoplasm. The frequency of CDK3 expression was significantly higher in NPC specimens (67%) compared with inflamed nasopharyngeal tissue specimens (12.5%; P<0.001). CDK3 expression was associated with the degree of infiltration, lymph node metastasis and tumor node metastasis clinical staging, respectively, (P<0.001) in patients with NPC. These results revealed that the expression of CDK3 is associated with the progression of NPC, and may be a potential biomarker for prediction of the prognosis of patients with NPC.

catena-Poly[3,3'-diethyl-1,1'-(propane-1,3-di-yl)di(1H-imidazol-3-ium) [silver(I)-di-µ-iodido-silver(I)-di-µ-iodido]].

The title compound, {(C(13)H(22)N(4))[Ag(2)I(4)]}(n), was prepared by reaction of 1,3-bis-(N-ethyl-imidazolium-1-yl)propane iodide with silver (I) oxide. In the 3,3'-diethyl-1,1'-(propane-1,3-di-yl)di(1H-imidazol-3-ium) cation, the dihedral angle between the imidazole rings is 49.3 (1)°. In the [Ag(2)I(4)](2-) anion, each Ag(I) atom is bonded to three iodide anions, the two Ag(I) atoms and two of the iodides forming Ag(2)I(2) square-planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.01 Å) units·The remaining two iodides, which are placed on opposite sides of the square, together with their centrosymmetric counterparts, link the square-planar Ag(2)I(2) units into {[Ag(2)I(4)](2-)}(n) polymeric chains via Ag-I bonds.

Laparoscopic choledochal cyst excision, hepaticojejunostomy, and extracorporeal Roux-en-Y anastomosis: a technical skill and intermediate-term report in 62 cases.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to present the authors' technique and the intermediate-term outcome for laparoscopic choledochal cyst excision with Roux-en-Y hepatoenterostomy. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated 62 children (39 girls and 23 boys) who had undergone laparoscopic resection of choledochal cyst. The average age of the children was 2.3 years. The retrospective data and the following investigations about type of choledochal cyst, surgical technique, conversion rate, morbidity, and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 62 patients, 43 (69.4%) showed type 1a choledochal cysts, 16 (25.8%) showed type 1c, 2 (3.2%) showed type 4a, and 1 (1.6%) showed type 4b. Total cyst excision could be performed for 51 of the patients (82.3%). The large cysts were opened on the front wall, then divided circumferentially in 29 cases. The small cysts did not need to be opened before excision in 22 cases. For 11 patients (17.7%), Lilly's (Surg Gynecol Obstet 146:254-256, 1978) technique was adopted, and for 5 patients with a huge cyst, the duodenum together with the head of the pancreas had to be mobilized for visualization of the cyst's lower limit. The hepatic duct was excised, and plastic operation of bile duct was performed for two patients. The mean operative time was 226±41.2 min. Eight patients needed blood transfusion, and conversion was required for one patient. The mean hospital stay was 8±1.5 days, and the mean follow-up period was 38 months. The overall morbidity rate was 8.2% (5/61) including bile leakage (n=1), adhesive small bowel obstruction (n=1), intestinal necrosis (n=1), and cholangitis (n=1). Inflammatory edema anastomotic narrowing occurred in one patient. None of the patients needed surgery due to anastomotic stricture. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic choledochal cyst excision, hepaticojejunostomy, and extracorporeal Roux-en-Y anastomosis can be safely and quickly performed for children, with satisfactory intermediate-term results. Extracorporeal Roux-en-Y anastomosis could shorten the operative time.