Comparison of samples of blister fluid and scales in the diagnosis of dermatomycosis.

BACKGROUND: The successful diagnosis of dermatomycosis depends on specimen collection. Dermatomycosis is sampled mainly for scales, but there is a lack of research on specimens of blister fluid. OBJECTIVES: To explore whether blister fluid can diagnose dermatomycosis and compare blister fluid and scale specimens for dermatomycosis diagnosis. METHODS: From April to July 2021, we prospectively gathered 34 patients who needed to meet all inclusion criteria simultaneously and collected their blister fluid and scales as specimens. The two samples were tested by fluorescent stain microscopy, fungal culture and PCR, and the diagnosis results were compared. RESULTS: The blister fluid sample's sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 90%, 100% and 94.1%, respectively, whereas the scales sample were 60%, 100% and 76.5%, respectively. The positive likelihood ratios were >10 for both blister fluid and scales specimen, and the negative likelihood ratios were not <0.1. On the Youden's index, the blister fluid specimen was 90%, and the scales specimen was 60%. As for the diagnostic odds ratio, both of them were >1. By fungal culture, we detected 14 cases of fungi in blister fluid and eight in scales. On PCR, 22 cases of fungi in blister fluid and ten in scales were identified. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that a sample of blister fluid had better sensitivity, accuracy and Youden's index in diagnosing dermatomycosis with blister fluid. Collection of blister fluid might compensate for the inadequacy of collecting only scales specimens for mycological testing.

A study on the design methodology of TAC3 for edge computing.

The following scenarios, such as complex application requirements, ZB (Zettabyte) order of magnitude of network data, and tens of billions of connected devices, pose serious challenges to the capabilities and security of the three pillars of ICT: Computing, network, and storage. Edge computing came into being. Following the design methodology of "description-synthesis-simulation-optimization", TAC3 (Tile-Architecture Cluster Computing Core) was proposed as the lightweight accelerated ECN (Edge Computing Node). ECN with a Tile-Architecture be designed and simulated through the method of executable description specification and polymorphous parallelism DSE (Design Space Exploration). By reasonable configuration of the edge computing environment and constant optimization of typical application scenarios, such as convolutional neural network and processing of image and graphic, we can meet the challenges of network bandwidth, end-cloud delay and privacy security brought by massive data of the IoE. The philosophy of "Edge-Cloud complements each other, and Edge-AI energizes each other" will become a new generation of IoE behavior principle.

GmPHR25, a GmPHR member up-regulated by phosphate starvation, controls phosphate homeostasis in soybean.

As an essential nutrient element, phosphorus (P) plays an important role in plant growth and development. Low P availability is a limiting factor for crop production, especially for legume crops (e.g. soybean), which require additional P to sustain nitrogen fixation through symbiotic associations with rhizobia. Although PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1 (PHR1) or PHR1-like is considered as a central regulator of phosphate (Pi) homeostasis in several plant species, it remains undefined in soybean. In this study, 35 GmPHR members were cloned from the soybean genome and expression patterns in soybean were assayed under nitrogen (N) and P deficiency conditions. GmPHR25, which is up-regulated in response to Pi starvation, was then overexpressed in soybean hairy roots in vitro and in vivo to investigate its functions. The results showed that overexpressing GmPHR25 increased Pi concentration in transgenic soybean hairy roots under normal conditions, accompanied with a significant decrease in hairy root growth. Furthermore, transcripts of 11 out of 14 high-affinity Pi transporter (GmPT) members as well as five other Pi starvation-responsive genes were significantly increased in soybean hairy roots with GmPHR25 overexpression. Taken together, this study suggests that GmPHR25 is a vital regulator in the P signaling network, and controls Pi homeostasis in soybean.

[Male urethral duplication infection: experience with 9 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics of male urethral duplication infection and offer some guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. METHODS: We analyzed the pathological types, clinical characteristics, therapeutic processes and follow-up results of 9 cases of male urethral duplication. RESULTS: Among the 9 cases of urethral duplication, 7 turned out to be of Type I, 1 Type II A2 and 1 Type II B. The disease courses varied from 2 to 420 days, with an average of 77.2 +/- 141.5 days. Four cases with longer disease duration were identified with a history of repeated use of various antibiotics for treatment. Their clinical manifestations varied, with the outflow of excretions or pus from the duplicate or normal urethra as the cardinal symptoms. The pathogens detected from the secretions were mainly Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Chlamydia trachomatis. The consistency rate of the same pathogens detected in the vaginal or cervical secretions from the sex partners of the patients was 87.5%. All the symptoms disappeared after a sufficient-course treatment with sensitive antibiotics, and the patients' sex partners received the same medication simultaneously. No recurrence was found during a 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Urethral duplication infection has various clinical manifestations, and thus is easily missed in diagnosis. Sufficient-course treatment with sensitive antibiotics is recommended for those that prefer conservative therapy, and their sex partners should be treated simultaneously.