Provinces In Southern China Research Articles

Genetic diversity of viruses associated with sugarcane mosaic disease of sugarcane inter-specific hybrids in China

In this study, we investigated 78 sugarcane samples with severe mosaic symptoms collected from four provinces of southern China: Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan, and Guangdong, which cover nearly 85 % of commercial sugarcane planting zones in China. Using RT-PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, we identified 72 hybrid sugarcane samples containing causal agents of sugarcane mosaic disease. Among these, 66 virus isolates were identified as Sorghum mosaic virus (SrMV) (84.6 %), four were identified as Sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV) (5.1 %), and two were identified as Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) (2.6 %). The isolates of SrMV were classified into three subgroups: I, II, and III with a 95 % similarity level. The two largest subgroups, SrMV I containing 36 sugarcane mosaic diseases isolates (46.2 %), and SrMV III containing 20 isolates (25.6 %), were prevalent in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces; however, SrMV II containing five isolates (6.4 %) did not exhibit any close association with geographical distribution. The popular sugarcane cultivar, ROC22, was found to be infected with all the three subgroup types of SrMV. According to our knowledge, this is the first reported detection of the co-infection of SrMV and SCSMV in Saccharum hybrid (YN-bs-9). Recombination analysis indicated recombination between different isolates mostly occurring in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces among the SrMV I group. This study provides insight into the species diversity and geographical distribution of causal agents of sugarcane mosaic disease, and provides the basis for its identification, prevention, and future control efforts.

Vaginal douching and association with sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in a prefecture of Yunnan Province, China.

Vaginal douching is a common practice and has been hypothesised to increase a woman's risk for human of contracting HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Our objective was to assess the prevalence of douching and its association with STIs, genital symptoms and HIV/STI knowledge among female sex workers (FSWs). We conducted a cross-sectional study of 837 FSWs with interviews and laboratory tests for HIV/STIs in a prefecture of Yunnan Province in southern China. Vaginal douching was reported by 84% of the women. We found a higher prevalence of vaginal douching practice among FSWs of Han ethnicity, and who were single or cohabitating. Douching was also significantly more common among more educated FSWs and those with greater knowledge of HIV/STIs, and as well as in FSWs who had experienced clinical symptoms in the previous 12 months. Douching was linked to higher risks of HIV (adjusted odds ratio = 2.29; 95% confidence interval 1.01-5.23) and herpes simplex virus type 2 infections (adjusted odds ratio = 2.18; 95% confidence interval 1.46-3.24) after adjusting for confounding factors. Medical professionals and public health workers should correct women's misconception about the effectiveness of douching and discourage women from douching through educational activities. More prospective studies among FSWs are urgently required to identify the relationship between vaginal douching and HIV/STIs.

ITRAQ-Based Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common disease in the southern provinces of China with a poor prognosis. To better understand the pathogenesis of NPC and identify proteins involved in NPC carcinogenesis, we applied iTRAQ coupled with two-dimensional LC-MS/MS to compare the proteome profiles of NPC tissues and the adjacent non-tumor tissues. We identified 54 proteins with differential expression in NPC and the adjacent non-tumor tissues. The differentially expressed proteins were further determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. In addition, the up-regulation of HSPB1, NPM1 and NCL were determined by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarray. Functionally, we found that siRNA mediated knockdown of NPM1 inhibited the migration and invasion of human NPC CNE1 cell line. In summary, this is the first study on proteome analysis of NPC tissues using an iTRAQ method, and we identified many new differentially expressed proteins which are potential targets for the diagnosis and therapy of NPC.

Permanent Magnets Beyond Nd-Dy-Fe-B

Permanent magnets are one of the key parts in energy conversion devices to realize the utmost efficiency. DC motors up to the 100-kW class are used in some ‘‘strong’’ hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), in which the top-grade Nd-Dy-Fe-B-type permanent magnets are required. Such motors have inner permanent magnet (IPM) rotors with which the combination of magnet torque and reluctance torque is optimized. For such an optimized design, permanent magnets are shaped in thin plate-like blocks with a thickness of about 5 mm, inserted into slots in a laminated rotor core, and magnetized perpendicularly to the largest surfaces of the block. The weight of the magnets may amount to about 2 kg or less per vehicle. The reason why Nd-Dy-FeB permanent magnets are used is simply because the highest performance of this class of material in terms of residual flux density, Br, can be generated with them. These magnets have high intrinsic coercivity, HcJ, typically about 2.0–2.4 MA/m. Such high HcJ values are certainly not necessary at room temperature, but the magnet temperature can rise to about 200C at which HcJ is only about 0.6–0.8 MA/m, being marginally enough to withstand the armature magnetic fields generated by driving current. Dysprosium (Dy) or terbium (Tb) is used in the magnet in order just to obtain such high HcJ but have been indispensable in the permanent magnets. Since Dy and Tb can be mined industrially only in a southern province of China in a limited quantity, Dy and Tb are now typical critical elements, overreliance on these elements should be avoided. For this very reason, permanent magnets beyond Nd-Dy-Fe-B are now extensively sought. Development of permanent magnets beyond the Nd-Dy-Fe-B is a challenge because Nd2Fe14B, the main hard magnetic phase of the magnet, is the compound that has the largest magnetization at room temperature among all existing hard magnetic compounds, and that, in terms of elemental abundance, already consists mainly of Fe and Nd, both of which are the most abundant elements carrying magnetic moments in the 3d and 4f transition metal series, respectively. One of the approaches is to reduce the overall average Dy content over the entire commercial grades down to a sustainable level, which may be about 1–1.5 mass percent in the magnets, even if the crustal abundance ratio with Nd is considered. Another approach is to seek for an entirely new material with or without rare earth elements. In advanced economic blocks that have benefitted from functional critical elements, governments have taken strategic actions to promote developments in technologies that will lead to reduced society’s dependence upon those elements. In Japan, well

Prevalence and correlates of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among female sex workers in a city in Yunnan Province, China.

Sexual transmission is the fastest growing route of HIV transmission in China, and Trichomonas vaginalis(TV) can facilitate HIV transmission and acquisition. Our goal was to determine the prevalence and correlates of TV infection among female sex workers (FSWs). This cross-sectional study was conducted in a city of Yunnan Province in southern China, with confidential face-to-face interviews and laboratory tests for TV (wet mount) and other sexually transmitted infections. A total of 734 FSWs participated in the study. The prevalence of TV was 9.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.02-11.30). In multivariate analyses, adjusted odds ratios of TV infection were 3.0 (95% CI 1.47-6.01) for herpes simplex virus type 2 seropositive, 2.4 (95% CI 1.37-4.14) for Chlamydia trachomatis infection, 2.6 (95% CI 1.30-5.31) for genital ulcer, 1.9 (95% CI 1.11-3.30) for starting age in commercial sex <20 years, and 0.5 (95% CI 0.27-0.87) for vaginal douching. We found a relatively high prevalence of TV infection among FSWs in Yunnan Province. A range of control strategies that include TV screening are recommended among FSWs, which could contribute significantly to the disruption of transmission by the provision of immediate treatment.

The changing epidemiology of dengue in China, 1990-2014: a descriptive analysis of 25 years of nationwide surveillance data.

BackgroundDengue has been a notifiable disease in China since 1 September 1989. Cases have been reported each year during the past 25 years of dramatic socio-economic changes in China, and reached a historical high in 2014. This study describes the changing epidemiology of dengue in China during this period, to identify high-risk areas and seasons and to inform dengue prevention and control activities.MethodsWe describe the incidence and distribution of dengue in mainland China using notifiable surveillance data from 1990-2014, which includes classification of imported and indigenous cases from 2005-2014.ResultsFrom 1990-2014, 69,321 cases of dengue including 11 deaths were reported in mainland China, equating to 2.2 cases per one million residents. The highest number was recorded in 2014 (47,056 cases). The number of provinces affected has increased, from a median of three provinces per year (range: 1 to 5 provinces) during 1990-2000 to a median of 14.5 provinces per year (range: 5 to 26 provinces) during 2001-2014. During 2005-2014, imported cases were reported almost every month and 28 provinces (90.3%) were affected. However, 99.8% of indigenous cases occurred between July and November. The regions reporting indigenous cases have expanded from the coastal provinces of southern China and provinces adjacent to Southeast Asia to the central part of China. Dengue virus serotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4 were all detected from 2009-2014.ConclusionsIn China, the area affected by dengue has expanded since 2000 and the incidence has increased steadily since 2012, for both imported and indigenous dengue. Surveillance and control strategies should be adjusted to account for these changes, and further research should explore the drivers of these trends.Please see related article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0345-0Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0336-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Clinical and immunological characteristics in 552 systemic lupus erythematosus patients in a southern province of China.

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Hakka populations. We studied the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics in a cohort of 552 SLE patients diagnosed at the Rheumatology Department in MeiZhou People's Hospital from January 2008 to December 2012. There were 495 women and 57 men (8.7:1) with a mean age of 35.3years (range 12-78years). The mean age at disease onset and the mean disease duration were 31.8±14.4years and 3.3±2.8years, respectively. The most common clinical manifestations were arthritis (61.6%), followed by malar rash (52.7%), photosensitivity (22.8%), mouth ulcers (17.0%) and discoid lupus (14.7%). The prevalence was 46.7% for nephritis (by biopsy), 18.3% for pleuritis, 15.6% for pericarditis and 4.9% for neuropsychiatric manifestations. The most common hematological manifestations were anemia (63.8%), followed by leucopenia (29.0%) and thrombocytopenia (14.9%). Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 99.8% of patients, followed by anti-double-stranded DNA (81.3%), anti-SSA (Sjögren's syndrome antigen A)/Ro (58.7%), anti-ribonucleoprotein (36.8%), anti-Sm (35.7%), and anti-SSB/La (15.0%). Anti-cardiolipin immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM were detected in 18.3% and 14.1% of patients, respectively. Active disease and infections were the two major causes of death. The clinical and immunological characteristics of the SLE patients in our study place our population in the middle of the spectrum between other Asian and Caucasian populations.

Fenxiang biota: a new Early Ordovician shallow-water fauna with soft-part preservation from China

Our perception of biodiversity in the geological past is incomplete and biased because most organisms did not have mineralized skeletons and therefore had little chance of fossilization. This especially refers to shallow-water marine environments, rarely represented by localities with exceptional preservation of fossil material (known as taphonomic windows or Konservat-Lagerstätten). Such extraordinary “windows” may markedly broaden our knowledge of biodiversity of the past. Here, we show a review of the invertebrate fossils from recently discovered locality in the Lower Ordovician Fenxiang Formation of Hubei Province in southern China revealing exceptional preservation of soft tissues. The fauna, generally of shallow-water aspect, contains linguloid brachiopods with a remarkably preserved pedicle, the oldest traces of nematode life activities, the oldest reliable record of hydroids, the first fossil antipatharian corals, a pyritized colonial organism of unknown affinity, supposed arthropod appendages, probable phosphatized scalidophoran worm embryo and other fossils. Our discovery supports the opinion that the famous soft-bodied preservation of Burgess Shale- or Chengjiang-type did not vanish from the fossil record in post-Cambrian times. The new finding represents a prelude to the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event and provides evidence for calibration of molecular clock of several invertebrate lineages.

A new Crinipellis species with floccose squamules from China

A new species Crinipellis floccosa, discovered from Jiangxi and Guagndong provinces in southern China, is formally introduced. Morphologically the new taxon is similar to C. zonata and C. corvina, but the pale gray to reddish brown floccose squamules on the pileus make it a distinct species, which is also supported by the molecular data based on ribosomal RNA gene ITS sequence. The holotype is deposited in the fungal herbarium of Guangdong Institute of Microbiology (GDGM) and the sequence data is deposited in GenBank.

Molecular epidemiology of coxsackievirus A6 associated with outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Tianjin, China, in 2013

Since 2008, Mainland China has undergone widespread outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). In order to determine the characteristics of epidemics and enteroviruses (EV) associated with HFMD in Tianjin, in northern China, epidemiological and virological data from routine surveillance were collected and analyzed. In Tianjin, a persistent epidemic of HFMD was demonstrated during 2008-2013, involving 102,705 mild, 179 severe, and 16 fatal cases. Overall, 8234 specimens were collected from 7829 HFMD patients for EV detection during 2008-2013. Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) were the dominant serotypes during 2008-2012, and they were replaced by CV-A6 as the major causative agent in 2013. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete VP1 nucleotide sequences revealed that multiple CV-A6 lineages co-circulated in Tianjin, which grouped together with strains from China and other countries and split into two distinct clusters (clusters 1 and 2). Most Tianjin strains grouped in cluster 1 and were closely related to strains from several eastern and southern provinces of China during 2012 and 2013. Estimates from Bayesian MCMC analysis suggested that multiple lineages had been transmitted silently before the outbreaks at an estimated evolutionary rate of 4.10×10(-3) substitutions per site per year without a specific distribution of rate variances among lineages. The sudden outbreak of CV-A6 in Tianjin during 2013 is attributed to indigenous CV-A6 lineages, which were linked to the wide spread of endemic strains around eastern and southern China.

Contamination features and health risk of soil heavy metals in China

China faces a big challenge of environmental deterioration amid its rapid economic development. To comprehensively identify the contamination characteristics of heavy metals in Chinese soils on a national scale, data set of the first national soil pollution survey was employed to evaluate the pollution levels using several pollution indicators (pollution index, geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor) and to quantify their exposure risks posed to human health with the risk assessment model recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The results showed that, due to the drastically increased industrial operations and fast urban expansion, Chinese soils were contaminated by heavy metals in varying degrees. As a whole, the exposure risk levels of soil metals in China were tolerable or close to acceptable. Comparatively speaking, children and adult females were the relatively vulnerable populations for the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, respectively. Cadmium and mercury have been identified as the priority control metals due to their higher concentrations in soils or higher health risks posed to the public, as well as, arsenic, lead, chromium and nickel. Spatial distribution pattern analysis implied that the soil metal pollutions in southern provinces of China were relatively higher than that in other provinces, which would be related to the higher geochemical background in southwest regions and the increasing human activities in southeast areas. Meanwhile, it should be noticed that Beijing, the capital of China, also has been labeled as the priority control province for its higher mercury concentration. These results will provide basic information for the improvement of soil environment management and heavy metal pollution prevention and control in China.

Prevalence of c.2268dup and detection of two novel alterations, c.670_672del and c.1186C>T, in the TPO gene in a cohort of Malaysian–Chinese with thyroid dyshormonogenesis

ObjectivesThe c.2268dup mutation in the thyroid peroxidase (TPO) gene is the most common TPO alteration reported in Taiwanese patients with thyroid dyshormonogenesis. The ancestors of these patients are believed to...

&lt;i&gt;Primulina lechangensis&lt;/i&gt; (Gesneriaceae), A new species from a limestone cave of northern Guangdong, China

Primulina lechangensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from northern Guangdong province in southern China is described and illustrated. Its morphology suggests affinities to P. longicalyx, but can be distinguished from similar taxon by several distinct characters including: smaller leaf blade (2.0-3.5 × 1.0-1.2 cm), base cuneate-attenuate; smaller bracts (1.0-1.5 × c. 0.15 cm); shorter calyx lobes (0.8-0.9 cm long) tuberculate inside; smaller corolla tube (c. 2 cm long), inflated in the middle and contracted near the mouth; shorter glabrous filaments (0.3-0.4 cm long), inserted 1.3-1.5 cm from base of corolla; stamens and staminodes glabrous; pistil 1.4-1.5 cm long, and capsule c. 1.5 cm long. This species is further exemplified by photographs, and a distribution map is presented.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v21i2.21359Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 21(2): 187-191, 2014 (December)

Guiqiao (Returned Overseas Chinese) Identity in the prc归侨的认同意识

Beginning in the early 1950s there were tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese who chose to ‘return’ to the People’s Republic of China (prc). Until fairly recently, little attention has been given to the approximately 600,000 ethnic Chinese who chose to immigrate to China from locations throughout Southeast Asia, as well as further afield in the first few decades after the founding of theprc. There were many factors influencing their migration to a country that many had never stepped foot on. However, it is clear that the Chinese state made a concerted attempt to rally the support (capital and immigration) of overseas Chinese communities. Many of the returnees were resettled on one of dozens of ‘Overseas Chinese Farms’ (huaqiao nongchang) scattered throughout the provinces of southern China. Outside of China they were considered ‘Chinese’ and foreign, juxtaposed against the local or ‘indigenous’ identities that had taken shape in tandem with the independence of former colonies in Southeast Asia and the rise of modern nationalism. Upon their ‘return’ to what was, for many, an imagined ancestral homeland — a country many of them had never seen — they were confronted with a different type of discrimination and suspicion than they faced ‘abroad’. This was despite, and in some cases because of, certain favorable policies enacted by the party state to assist in their relocation and assimilation into society. Ironically, some of the same policies that sought to gradually assimilate them into Chinese society actually reinforced their position as ‘permanent outsiders’: the creation of an official ‘huaqiao’ legal status; institutionalized segregation in the form ofhuaqiao nongchang, huaqiao villages, andhuaqiao schools; and a resultant pariah status that did not begin to recede until after the reforms of the late 1970s. While the concept of ‘huaqiao’ (overseas Chinese sojourners) was falling out of use among Chinese communities abroad, the word was taking on a new meaning in theprc, both for the Chinese party state, and for those who would come to self-identify ashuaqiao/guiqiao.

The reference values for semen parameters of 1213 fertile men in Guangdong Province in China.

Semen samples were collected from 1213 fertile men whose partners had a time-to-pregnancy (TTP) ≤12 months in Guangdong Province in Southern China, and semen parameters including semen volume, sperm concentration, total counts, motility, and morphology were evaluated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 guideline. All semen parameters analyzed were normal in ~62.2% of the total samples, whereas ~37.8% showed at least one of the semen parameters below normal threshold values. The fifth centiles (with 95% confidence intervals) were 1.3 (1.2–1.5) ml for semen volume, 20 × 106 (18×106–20×106) ml−1 for sperm concentration, 40 × 106 (38×106–44×106) per ejaculate for total sperm counts, 48% (47%–53%) for vitality, 39% (36%–43%) for total motility, 25% (23%–27%) for sperm progressive motility, 5.0% (4%–5%) for normal morphology. The pH values ranged from 7.2 to 8.0 with the mean ± standard deviation at 7.32 ± 0.17. No effects of age and body mass index were found on semen parameters. Occupation, smoking and alcohol abuse, varicocele appeared to decrease semen quality. Sperm concentration, but not sperm morphology, is positively correlated with TTP, whereas vitality is negatively correlated with TTP. Our study provides the latest reference values for the semen parameters of Chinese fertile men in Guangdong Province, which are close to those described in the new WHO guidelines (5th Edition).

Identification, phylogenetic evolutionary analysis of GDQY orf virus isolated from Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, southern China

Infection with the orf virus (ORFV) leads to contagious ecthyma, also called contagious pustular dermatitis, which usually affects sheep, goats and other small ruminants. It has a great distribution throughout the world and has also been reported to infect humans. Though many strains have been isolated from differing parts of mainland China, rarely has any strain been reported from the southern provinces of China. We studied a case of orf virus infection that occurred at Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province in southern China. An orf virus strain, GDQY, was successfully isolated and identified through cell culture techniques and transmission electron microscopy. Complete genes of ORFV011, ORFV059, ORFV106 and ORFV107 were amplified for the sequence analysis based on their nucleotide or amino acid level. In order to discuss the genetic variation, precise sequences were used to compare to other reference strains isolated from different districts or countries. Phylogenetic trees based on those strains were built up and evolutionary distances were calculated based on the alignment of their complete sequences. The typical structure of the orf virus was observed in cell-culture suspensions inoculated with GDQY, and the full-length of four genes was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that GDQY is homologous to FJ-DS and CQ/WZ on ORFV011 nucleotides. ORFV059 may be more variable than ORFV011 based on the comparison between GDQY and other isolates. Genetic studies of ORFV106 and 107 are reported for the first time in the presented study.

Homology difference analysis of invasive mealybug species Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley in Southern China with COI gene sequence variability.

The mealybug species Phenacoccus solenopsis (P. solenopsis) has caused much agricultural damage since its recent invasion in China. However, the source of this invasion remains unclear. This study uses molecular methods to clarify the relationships among different population of P. solenopsis from China, USA, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam to determine the geographic origin of the introduction of this species into China. P. solenopsis samples were collected from 25 different locations in three provinces of Southern China. Samples from the USA, Pakistan, and Vietnam were also obtained. Parts of the mitochondrial genes for cytochrome oxidase I (COI) were sequenced for each sample. Homologous DNA sequences of the samples from the USA and India were downloaded from Gen Bank. Two haplotypes were found in China. The first was from most samples from the Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan populations in the China and Pakistan groups, and the second from a few samples from the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan populations in the China, Pakistan, India, and Vietnam groups. As shown in the maximum likelihood of trees constructed using the COI sequences, these samples belonged to two clades. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that most P. solenopsis mealybugs in Southern China are probably closely related to populations in Pakistan. The variation, relationship, expansion, and probable geographic origin of P. solenopsis mealybugs in Southern China are also discussed.

Influence of place-based senses of distinctiveness, continuity, self-esteem and self-efficacy on residents' attitudes toward tourism

This study examined the influence of the four place identity principles (i.e., senses of distinctiveness, continuity, self-esteem and self-efficacy) (Breakwell, 1986) on residents' attitudes toward tourism. A self-administered survey was conducted on urban residents in a southern province of China, and the place-based senses of distinctiveness, self-esteem and self-efficacy were found to affect residents' perceptions of tourism impacts and attitudes toward support for tourism. While tourism literature has suggested social exchange theory to be a useful tool in predicting residents' perceptions and attitudes toward tourism, this study suggests a new perspective in evaluating resident perceptions and attitudes by applying place identity theory as a theoretical foundation instead. Both the theoretical and marketing implications are discussed.

Supplemental Notes on the GenusLibotrechusUéno (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae), with Description of a New Species from Guangxi, Southern China

Libotrechus duanensis Lin and Tian, new species, the second species of the cavernicolous carabid genus Libotrechus Uéno, 1998, is described from a limestone cave in Du'an Xian of northern Guangxi province in southern China. Based on the morphological character states of L. duanensis, several supplemental diagnostic characters for the genus Libotrechus are noted. In addition, new distributional records of Libotrechus nishikawai Uéno, 1998 in the Mulun Karst of northernmost Guangxi, together with a distributional map for the genus, is provided.

First Report of Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus with Betasatellite Infecting Panax notoginseng.

Panax notoginseng, an important medicinal herb commonly known as notoginseng, san qi, or tian qi, is in the family Araliaceae. The herb is mainly cultivated in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces of southern China for its root, which is used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat various blood disorders. In December 2012, Panax yellowing was observed in several notoginseng farms with prevalence of 5 to 10% in Wenshan, Yunnan Province. Foliar symptoms included yellowing, shrinking, curling, and blistering. Leaf samples collected from 15 symptomatic plants were initially tested by negative staining electron microscopy, and no distinct virions were observed. Total nucleic acids were extracted from these samples by a CTAB method and used as templates in RT-PCR for presence of criniviruses, tobamoviruses, and tospoviruses, but results were negative. Infestation of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) has been a problem on these farms in recent years, suggesting a whitefly-transmitted begomovirus as potential causal agent. To explore this possibility, the samples were tested by PCR using degenerate primers BegoAFor1 and BegoARev1 described by Ha et al. (3). Amplicons of ~1.2 kbp were obtained from 12 out of 15 samples, indicating the presence of a putative begomovirus. These amplicons were cloned and sequenced in both directions. BLAST search showed that they had high sequence identities (94 to 95%) to the genome of Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV). A pair of virus-specific primers, TYLCCNVFa (5'-TGRTAGGWACYTGAGTAGAGTGG-3') and TYLCCNVRa (5'-TCRTCCATCCATATCTTCCCAA-3'), was then designed and used to amplify the remaining genomic sequence. The full-length genomic sequence of one isolate, YWSh03, was determined to be 2,733 nt (KJ477327). Sequence comparison showed that the genome of YWSh03 shared 96.2% nucleotide sequence identity with that of TYLCCNV-[G102] (AM050555). PCR using primers Beta01 and Beta02 (1) was also tested for the association of betasatellite with this virus. A DNA fragment was obtained from isolate YWSh03, and its sequence was determined to be 1,336 bp (KJ477326). This sequence has 99.9% nucleotide sequence identity to Tomato yellow leaf curl China betasatellite (TYLCCNB) [Y10] (AJ421621). The results show that TYLCCNV, a virus infecting tomato, tobacco, kidney bean, and several weeds (2), is also associated with the yellowing disease in P. notoginseng. To determine whether TYLCCNV and TYLCCNB might cause disease on P. notoginseng, infectious clones of TYLCCNV and TYLCCNB provided by Dr. Xueping Zhou (Zhejiang University, China) were used to inoculate to 44 healthy P. notoginseng plants by an Agrobacterium-mediated method. Thirty-four inoculated plants showed typical symptoms of yellowing, curling, and stunting, confirming TYLCCNV and TYLCCNB are the causal agents of the disease. To further investigate the distribution and incidence of the virus, 258 symptomatic P. notoginseng samples were collected from 18 fields in Wenshan, Honghe, Qujing, and Kunming of Yunnan Province and tested by PCR with TYLCCNV-specific primers of TYLCCNVdF (5'-CCTGTATATGCGACTTTGAAAGT-3') and TYLCCNVdR (5'-CCCAATTCCAGCTATAAAGAGTA-3'). The virus was detected in 149 samples (57.8%), indicating that TYLCCNV infection of P. notoginseng is common. However, the agent causing the disease in the 109 symptomatic plants lacking TYLCCNV remains under investigation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TYLCCNV with TYLCCNB infecting P. notoginseng and the family Araliaceae.