Yellow Dots Research Articles

A waterborne polyurethane‐based fluorescent tunable carbon quantum dot

AbstractFluorescent tunable materials have potential applications in lighting, display, anti‐counterfeiting, biological probes, and so on. Herein, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with blue fluorescence (BCDs), and yellow fluorescence (YCDs) were synthesized by solvothermal method using bio‐based citric acid and lignin as carbon sources, respectively. BCDs and YCDs were anchored on polyurethane chains to prepare waterborne polyurethane‐based blue fluorescent carbon quantum dots (BCDs1.0‐WPU) and waterborne polyurethane‐based yellow fluorescent carbon quantum dots (YCDs1.0‐WPU), respectively. Compared with the corresponding BCDs and YCDs, the fluorescence intensity of both BCDs1.0‐WPU and YCDs1.0‐WPU is markedly enhanced, and the emission peaks obviously show a hypochromatic shift. A waterborne polyurethane‐based fluorescent tunable carbon quantum dots (BCDsxYPDs1‐x‐WPU) is prepared by mixing the ratio of BCDs1.0‐WPU and YCDs1.0‐WPU with the RGB method. It is noteworthy that BCDsxYCDs1‐x‐WPU not only achieves a fluent change of fluorescence from blue to yellow but also emits strong white fluorescence (CIE coordinates: X = 0.28, Y = 0.32). The absolute value of the Zeta potential of BCDsxYCDs1‐x‐WPU is greater than 40, indicating good storage stability. Furthermore, the thermal decomposition temperature is above 225 °C, implying good thermal stability. Furthermore, BCDsxYCDs1‐x‐WPU uses water as a continuous phase and has potential applications in environmentally friendly luminescence, anti‐counterfeiting and biological probes.

Trichoscopic Features of Scalp Discoid Lupus Erythematosus versus Lichen Planopilaris: A Systematic Review.

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) are primary scarring alopecias that pose diagnostic challenges clinically, where trichoscopy features may provide benefit in delineating these two cicatricial alopecia, and also helps in assessing the evolution and therapeutic response. To date, there are few reviews on dermoscopic findings in differentiating these two alopecias. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search terms included for scalp DLE were 'lupus' OR 'discoid lupus' OR "scalp lupus" and for scalp LPP were "lichen planopilaris" OR "scalp follicular lichen planus" OR "lichen planus follicularis" and were combined with "dermoscopy" OR "dermatoscopy" OR "videodermoscopy" OR "video dermatoscopy" OR "trichoscopy". The differences in the prevalence of dermoscopic features in scalp DLE and LPP were calculated using the Chi-square test. Of 52 articles, 36 (17 LPP, 19 DLE) were eligible for quantitative analysis. We found predominant peripilar tubular casts and perifollicular erythema with the presence of arborizing vessels in the vicinity of these changes, indicating early LPP. In contrast, follicular red dots, speckled brown pigmentation, and hair diameter variability indicated active DLE. Shiny white areas were common in both the groups in late stages. The target pattern of distribution of blue-grey dots, milky red areas, and irregular white fibrotic dots were seen in LPP, and pink-white background, follicular plugs, perifollicular and interfollicular scale, rosettes, chrysalides, and red spider on yellow dots were detected in DLE. Features such as yellow dots and blue-grey structureless areas were nonspecific and did not have a major role in differentiating DLE from LPP. This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature and delineates the trichoscopic differences and peculiarities of scalp DLE and LPP, including the correlation of dermoscopic features with histopathological findings.

Trichoscopic Features in Female Pattern Hair Loss: 1-Year Hospital-Based Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) a nonscarring alopecia, is a common cause of hair loss in women. FPHL shows miniaturization of the hair follicles with thinning of hair. Scalp biopsy is diagnostic of FPHL but usually not needed. Trichoscopy a noninvasive higher magnification method (vs. scalp biopsy) for diagnosis of hair loss allows measurement of anisotrichosis characteristic of FPHL. Materials and methods: A total of 110 patients with clinically diagnosed FPHL of all grades were subjected to clinical and trichoscopic examination, and findings were looked for and compared with the occipital region serving as control. Results: Trichoscopic features apart from yellow dots and 2–3 hairs per unit follicle (HU) were statistically significant like hair diameter diversity, brown and white peripilar sign, one hair per follicular unit, white dots (WD), fine scaling, and honey-comb pigmentation (HCP). Focal atrichia, 2–3 hairs/HU, WD, HCP correlated with the grade of hair loss. Conclusion: Trichoscopy could be excellent tool for diagnosing FPHL in early stages and may aid in differentiating it from other conditions like chronic telogen effluvium and obviating the need of painful procedures like scalp biopsy. The study lacks histo-pathological and hormonal investigations however past studies done have already established correlation of trichoscopic and histo-pathological changes.

Trichoscopy of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia, the most common cause of non-scarring hair loss, is a consequence of the gradual miniaturization of the hair follicles. In the majority of male androgenetic alopecia cases, a patient's history and clinical evaluation may be sufficient to establish the diagnosis, while for women, they should be supplemented with trichoscopy. Methods: The PubMed and Scopus databases were used to collate published studies and to analyze the most typical trichoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia. A total of 34 articles were retrieved after exclusion. Results: The most common features identified using trichoscopy included hair diameter variability (94.07% of patients), vellus hairs (66.45%) and the peripilar sign (43.27%). Others, such as the honeycomb pattern, yellow and white dots, were less relevant. Conclusions: We concluded that hair diameter variability, vellus hairs and the peripilar sign represented valuable indicators for the diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia.

Rare earth-modified yellow carbon dots for long-term imaging in cells and zebrafish

Carbon dot (CDs) materials are typically hindered by aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect. However, there are limitations in terms of their development and application. The introduction of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics into CDs has emerged as a viable solution to this challenge. In this work, we synthesized a novel yellow fluorescence (FL) rare earth-doped AIE CDs (named Y-CDs), which integrate the benefits of AIE materials, rare earth materials, and CDs. Y-CDs exhibit bright yellow FL, good temperature sensitivity and pH response properties. In cell imaging, Y-CDs showed excellent targeting capability towards the nuclear in HeLa cells. Y-CDs also showed excellent biocompatibility and safety in imaging of zebrafish embryos and zebrafish. Even on the 10th day following culture of zebrafish embryos, the digestive system and lens of zebrafish can be accurately located and imaged. The work presented here suggests the great potential of replacing commercial dyes with Y-CDs for highly specific nuclear labeling and bioimaging.

Microwave synthesis of chitosan-based carbon dots for Al3+ detection and biological application.

Yellow fluorescent carbon dots (Y-CDs) were prepared via microwave method using chitosan and o-phenylenediamine as the main raw materials. The obtained Y-CDs possesses good water solubility, excellent biocompatibility and luminous stability. During the microwave pyrolysis carbonization process, the surface of Y-CDs was modified with the functional groups such as amino and carboxyl, which can bind to Al3+ by forming complexes, further improving the selectivity and sensitivity of the Al3+ detection. And the fluorescence of Y-CDs was quenched by Al3+ by static quenching process. More importantly, Y-CDs as fluorescent sensor was further applied for the determination of Al3+ in the real water samples with high reliability and accuracy. In addition, Y-CDs present potential application in biological imaging. The cultivated zebrafish embryos with Y-CDs displayed clearly in vivo uptake and metabolic fluorescence images, further confirming its low toxicity and excellent biocompatibility.

An ultrasensitive smartphone-assisted bicolor-ratiometric fluorescence sensing platform based on a “noise purifier” for point-of-care testing of pathogenic bacteria in food

Non-specific binding in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) remains a challenge in foodborne pathogen detection, resulting in interference of high background signals. Herein, we innovatively reported a dual-mode FRET sensor based on a “noise purifier” for the ultrasensitive quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in food. An efficient FRET system was constructed with polymyxin B-modified nitrogen-sulfur co-doped graphene quantum dots (N, S-GQDs@PMB) as donors and aptamer-modified yellow carbon dots (Y-CDs@Apt) as acceptors. Magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Fe@MWCNTs) were employed as a “noise purifier” to reduce the interference of the fluorescence background. Under the background purification mode, the sensitivity of the dual-mode signals of the FRET sensor has increased by an order of magnitude. Additionally, smartphone-assisted colorimetric analysis enabled point-of-care detection of E. coli O157:H7 in real samples. The developed sensing platform based on a “noise purifier” provides a promising method for ultrasensitive on-site testing of trace pathogenic bacteria in various foodstuffs.

Eyebrow trichoscopy in leprosy.

Trichoscopy is a noninvasive technique based on the analysis of hair structures and the scalp, which allows for early diagnosis of different forms of alopecia. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in the Dermatology Department of Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González" in Monterrey, Northeastern Mexico. We included 25 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of leprosy. Ten dermoscopic characteristics were assessed in the eyebrows of these patients. Images of the medial and distal portions of the eyebrows were included. Cohen's kappa coefficient was used for the analysis of coherence between the findings of two dermatologists. Of the 25 patients, 14 were male (56%) and 11 were female (44%), with a median age of 60.28 years (IQR: 40-87). The most common findings in the medial eyebrow included vellus hair (96%) and white-yellowish structureless areas (84%). Furthermore, the most common features of the distal eyebrow included vellus hair (96%), white yellowish structureless areas (92%), and pinpoint white dots (92%). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to describe trichoscopy findings in different leprosy subtypes and classify them into medial and distal eyebrow findings, which seem to be the most affected areas. Identification of these changes is easier in the distal portion of the eyebrows in every subtype of leprosy. We also discovered new trichoscopic findings in the eyebrows: perifollicular hyperpigmentation and yellow dots.

Peripilar Sign in Androgenetic Alopecia: Does It Really Indicate Peripilar Infiltrate?

Peripilar sign (PPS) is a trichoscopic sign that was first described in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and is thought to reflect the presence of perifollicular infiltrate (PFI) in histopathology. To study PPS in a cohort of patients with AGA and to assess its validity as a sign indicative of PFI. One hundred patients with AGA (confirmed by trichoscopic examination) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. From those patients, frontal scalp biopsy was done for two subgroups, 22 patients with PPS and 23 patients without PPS. Both groups were compared as regards the presence of PFI. Peripilar sign was present in 50% of the 100 studied cases. No significant difference existed between those with and those without PPS as regards PFI. Peripilar sign was significantly more encountered in patients with skin type III (p=0.001). Its absence was significantly associated with lower interpretability of yellow dots (p<0.001) and their scores were significantly positively correlated (r=0.498, p<0.001). Peripilar sign was significantly associated with absent melanophages histopathologically (p=0.011). Peripilar sign as a trichoscopic sign in AGA does not reflect PFI. It represents a dark color more encountered in patients with lighter skin types. This can be explained by the increased contrast between the dark PPS and the lighter surrounding skin in lighter skin types. Further studies using melanocyte markers and Masson Fontana's stain are needed to further verify the cause of this peri-follicular dark color.

A design strategy of ratiometric probe based on dual-colored carbon dots for phosphate detection

Establishment of a rapid, sensitive, and selective quantitative assay of food additives was of great significance in food safety evaluation. In this study, a novel ratiomentric probe (B/Y-CDs) based on dual-colored carbon dots was developed to detect phosphates (Pi) in frozen seafoods. With the aid of the strong coordination ability of Tb3+ and electrostatic attraction, the nanoprobe (B/Y-CDs) was constructed composed of yellow emissive terbium-doped carbon dots (Y-CDs) and the blue emissive carbon dots (B-CDs). Consequently, the blue fluorescence signal was significantly quenched based on Förster resonance energy transfer. Upon the addition of Pi, the stronger coordination capacity with Tb3+ would make the Y-CDs prefer to combine with Pi, causing the desorption of B/Y-CDs, thus recovering the blue fluorescence. Meanwhile, Y-CDs fluorescence remains stable, presenting the ratiometric detection of Pi. The analytical potential of the probe was evaluated and a good linear range from 0.5 to 12 μM was achieved. The whole analysis process could be accomplished within 15 min. In brief, this study offered a new design strategy of ratiometric probe for rapidly and sensitively detecting Pi in seafoods, which demonstrated potential application value in food safety evaluation.

Characteristic of Subcutaneous Mycosis Patients at Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G Hospital, Denpasar, Bali: An Observational Retrospective Study

Introduction: Subcutaneous mycosis infections can occur in tropical and subtropical countries. Indonesia’s geographic location is in a tropical country and is a developing country with the majority of its population working in agriculture, which is a risk factors associated with subcutaneous mycosis. Methods: This is a retrospective observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. Data were obtained through medical records from all patients who came for treatment in Prof IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital Denpasar from January 2018 to December 2023. The inclusion criteria in this study were all patients diagnosed with subcutaneous mycosis. The variables studied were age, gender, occupation, comorbidities, first symptoms, skin efflorescence, dermatoscopy finding, and type of mycosis based on yeast culture. Results: A total of 21 cases of subcutaneous mycosis within 5 years. The majority of patients were female, (67%), with the most common age group being 45-64 years (57%). Based on occupation, farmers account for at most (33%). The majority of patients had itchiness (33%) and redness (33%) as the first symptoms, nodule erythema was the most common skin efflorescence (57%), and the most common dermatoscopy finding was yellow dots (57%). The most common fungal infection based on culture was chromoblastomycosis (71%). Conclusion: The majority of patients of subcutaneous mycosis were female, with age group 45-64 years old, and farmers. Itchiness and redness were the common symptoms of the disease. On examination, nodule erythema is the most common skin efflorescence. Chromoblastomycosis was the most common type of infection.

Clinical and dermoscopic profile of female pattern hair loss

Background: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is one of the hair loss disorders in women characterized by a gradual reduction in hair from the frontal, central, and parietal areas of the scalp. FPHL is more common than previously thought, and data regarding the same are lacking in the Indian literature. Unlike male pattern hair loss, there are not much studies regarding FPHL in South India. Hence, we intend to study the clinical features, associations, and dermoscopic findings of FPHL in our population. Aims and Objectives: The study was conducted to estimate the clinical and dermoscopic features of FPHL. The secondary objective of the study was to estimate the severity of FPHL based on clinical and dermoscopic features. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 300 patients who were clinically diagnosed with FPHL attending the Department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Kottayam, during a period of 18 months from February 2021 to August 2022. Results: The mean age of patients with FPHL was 46.99±13.8 years. The majority of the patients were asymptomatic. Hair diameter diversity of &gt;20% and miniaturized hair were the most common dermoscopic findings seen in all patients. Honeycombing and yew dots in dermoscopy were seen in 17 and 8.4% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Dermoscopes are a useful tool to differentiate FPHL from other causes of diffuse hair loss that could mimic FPHL. The presence of yellow dots and honeycombs indicated advanced FPHL. Thus, dermoscopy helps in detecting early FPHL and initiating early treatment of this condition.

Synthesis of Yellow Fluorescence Carbon Dots for the Applications of Vitamin B12Detection and Cell Imaging.

In this work, bright yellow fluorescent and multifunctional carbon dots (N-CDs) were prepared by hydrothermal method from O-phenylenediamine and 4-aminobenzoic acid. The fluorescence characterization showed that the N-CDs possessed good optical properties (QY = 32%) and excitation dependent multi-color emission. By exciting with 390nm, the strong selective interaction of VB12 with N-CDs could result in a sharp decrease in the luminescence of N-CDs at 567nm. An efficient fluorescence sensor in aqueous solution was constructed which could linearly respond VB12 in wide concentration ranges of 0-90μM and 140-250μM. The linear correlation coefficients of N-CDs and VB12 were 0.9950 and 0.9968, respectively, and the detection limit was 0.119μM. N-CDs were performed for sensitive determination of VB12 in real samples. Moreover, the N-CDs were exploited to image cell.This N-CDs was a sensitive fluorescence probe to monitor VB12 and presented prospective potential in living cells imaging. Schematic diagram of the synthesis process and application research of N-CDs.

Bright and Stable Yellow Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Through Core-Shell Nanostructure Engineering.

Solution-processed and efficient yellow quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) are considered key optoelectronic devices for lighting, display, and signal indication. However, limited synthesis routes for yellow quantum dots (QDs), combined with inferior stress-relaxation of the core-shell interface, pose challenges to their commercialization. Herein, a nanostructure tailoring strategy for high-quality yellow CdZnSe/ZnSe/ZnS core/shell QDs using a "stepwise high-temperature nucleation-shell growth" method is introduced. The synthesized CdZnSe-based QDs effectively smoothed the release stress of the core-shell interface and revealed a near-unit photoluminescence quantum yield, with nonblinking behavior and matched energy level, which accelerated radiative recombination and charge injection balance for device operation. Consequently, the yellow CdZnSe-based QLEDs exhibited a peak external quantum efficiency of 23.7%, a maximum luminance of 686050cdm-2, and a current efficiency of 103.2cdA-1, along with an operating half-lifetime of 428523h at 100cdm-2. To the best of the knowledge, the luminance and operational stability of the device are found to be the highest values reported for yellow LEDs. Moreover, devices with electroluminescence (EL) peaks at 570-605nm exhibited excellent EQEs, surpassing 20%. The work is expected to significantly push the development of RGBY-based display panels and white LEDs.

An "on-off-on" Fluorescent Sensor Based on Carbon Dots for the Detection of Au (III) and Creatinine.

The present study proposes a new approach for detecting trace amounts of creatinine (Cre) through the utilization of a fluorescence sensor system consisting of nitrogen doped carbon dots (NCDs) and gold ions (Au3+). Yellow fluorescent carbon dots were prepared using a one-step hydrothermal method with o-phenylenediamine and isopropanol as raw materials. First, gold ions are reduced to gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), which bind to NCDs, resulting in electron transfer and fluorescence quenching of NCDs. After adding creatinine, Cre and Au NPs were preferentially combined to form non-fluorescent complexes, and the NCDs fluorescence was restored. The study achieved a detection limit of 1.06 × 10-7 M for Au3+ and 9.29 × 10-9 M for creatinine, indicating a high level of sensitivity. The sensing system has also been successfully utilized for detecting Au3+ in lake water and Cre in human urine, indicating its promising potential and practical applications in the areas of environmental monitoring and biosensing.

Geno-Multiomics Strategy Informs Drug Response Profiles in High-Risk Myeloid Neoplasia

Theclonal diversity of myeloid neoplasia (MN) results from the interplay of genomic entities. While diverse molecular lesions suggest distinct leukemogenic mechanisms, various combinations may lead to similar molecular convergence. Such convergence in the context of clinical heterogeneity may be difficult to discern by classic analytic tools leading to selection based on outcome rather than functional overlaps. We leveraged the state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) as a new approach to define likelihood of pharmacologic sensitivity/resistance in high-risk MDS/secondary AML (HR-MDS/sAML). We applied an integrative dimension reduction and subsequent clustering via neural networks generating an Encoder-Decoder architecture. Multiple omics were included as input/output to increase the resolution of drug response characterization. Further, drug response data were used to supervise the embedding. Specifically, we generated a deep feed-forward Encoder with 3 layers to embed distinct data modalities and 2 layers for combined embedding generating 100-d latent representation. Drug response measures (IC 50 values) extracted from The BEAT AML Master Trial 1 was used to supervise the landscape and effectively to generate a non-linear supervised dimension reduction framework. We previously reported the identification of distinct molecular subclasses in MDS. 2 Unsupervised ML via consensus-clustering approach of an autoencoder architecture coupled with GMM resolved clusters according to molecular features, diagnosis, and disease risk. Here, we focus on HR-MDS/sAML (n=1509) clusters. HR-MDS/sAML were grouped in six clusters with mean frequency of 37%. Such clusters, while sharing molecular features were characterized by diverse combinations of genomic features. Therefore, synergistic combination of computational and experimental therapeutics might inform on treatment indications in this group of patients. We noted that treatment response was heterogeneous across the clusters and, in some cases, there was a limited resolution due to molecular heterogeneity. Considering the invariant combinations of dominant and subclonal mutations, we incorporated clonal hierarchy to refine drug response. By adding a loss function for drug-sensitivity mapping, we generated a multi-omic-phenotype map. Similar joint-dimension reduction (jDR) approaches have been successfully utilized previously as well, specifically in the context of multi-omic single-cell sequencing where majority of the tools are either highly regularized/linear or fully unsupervised. 3 We simulated drug response prediction and show two examples of clusters associated with response profiles using two known drugs ( Fig1A, HMA, upper 3D surface plot; low plot 3D surface plot: lenalidomide). We identified clusters of patients likely refractory to HMA and responding to lenalidomide (red circles), clusters of patients predicted to respond to HMA and less likely to lenalidomide (black circles) or poorly to both drugs (yellow dots). Since multiple drugs could be assessed simultaneously, clusters of patients sensitive or resistant to drug combination could be also identified (overlapping hills/valleys). We then applied cluster assignments based on our previous model 2 augmented with VAF and copy number using The Beat AML cohort and characterized drugs with significant difference (ANOVA test). We found significant differences in sensitivity/resistance across the clusters with lower IC 50 values representing high sensitivity scale against a panel of 120 FDA-approved agents ( Fig1B). As an example, we generated a 2D embedding. Individual axes show the multi-modal latent-features associated linearly with drug response. Color-coding shows sensitive/resistant IC 50 profiles for individual samples from The Beat AML cohort. Four drugs with largest F-statistics are depicted. Interestingly, our prediction show feasibility to simultaneously identify clusters of patients characterized by increased resistance for one drug ( e.g., trametinib) and high sensitivity to others ( e.g., rapamycin, dasatinib, doramapimod). In sum, our study suggests that multi-modal genomic configuration increases the power of resolution in HR-MDS/sAML by reducing molecular heterogeneity, which in turn might help resolving therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Linear alopecia in pediatrics: RCM and dermoscopy reveal diagnostic cues.

Alopecia areata (AA), trichotillomania (TM), nevus sebaceous (NS), and linear scleroderma en coup de sabre (LSCS) can all present with a patch of linear alopecia, making diagnosis challenging. The purpose of this study was to combine reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and dermoscopy in the diagnosis of these lesions in children. A total of 36 patients with linear alopecia were enrolled, of whom 14 had AA, seven had TM, nine had NS, and six had LSCS. We evaluated the characteristics and distinguishing features of the four conditions using RCM and dermoscopy. The key to differential diagnosis was the dermal Hair follicle density in the dermis was decreased in AA, and the size and density of the follicular openings were normal in TM. In NS, the major features were petal-like and frogspawn-like structures. In LSCS, dermal papillary rings, sebaceous glands, and follicles were partially or completely missing, and abundant fibrous material was distributed in the dermis. Dermoscopy revealed alopecia, and all four conditions resulted in decreased hair density. AA patients exhibited yellow dots, black dots, and exclamation mark hairs. TM patients presented with irregularly broken hairs and blood spots. Both NS and LSCS patients exhibited an absence of follicular openings; NS patients demonstrated whitish and yellowish round structures, while an atrophic area with white patches, linear vessels, and no yellow or black dots was observed in LSCS patients CONCLUSION: RCM combined with dermoscopy can provide additional information on disease states and differentiate between AA, TM, NS, and LSCS.

AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO STANDARDIZE THE DERMOSCOPIC FINDINGS OF NORMAL SCALP AND HAIRS IN MALE

Background: Trichoscopy is a recent innovation in the field of dermatology and alternative to more time consuming and cumbersome procedures such as Pull test, Pluck test, Daily hair count, scalp biopsy, microscopic examination of hair by conventional methods by microscope which needs removal of hairs which is painful and unacceptable to patients, to replace these old modality with newer one to diagnose hair and scalp disorders by dermatoscope is known as trichoscopy. It is easy non-invasive, less time consuming, and well acceptable to patients. After years of use of this modality for examination of hair and scalp disorders, there is no relevant data regarding trichoscopic variables of hairs and scalp in normal population were found. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to standardize trichoscopic findings of normal hairs and scalp in male. Methodology: This study was conducted over 1-year period with effect from 24th January 2020 to 23th January 2021 among 360 male subjects presenting in outpatient Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, M.G.M. Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore (M.P.). Examination to rule out any local dermatological disorder of scalp was done. Trichoscopic photographs were taken from frontal, right temporal, occipital, and vertex area with the help of Heine Delta 20T digital dermatoscope. Results: Anisotrichosis shows significant age-wise difference in temporal and occipital area. Whereas maximum numbers of subjects with anisotrichosis were present in frontal area followed by vertex scalp, maximum numbers of subjects with white dots are present in more than 50-year age group in vertex (83.3%). Overall, maximum numbers are present in vertex area (68.6%) and rest of the areas has nearly equal numbers (56%). Conclusion: Comparison with standardize findings is necessary before labeling it as pathological finding, also some variables such as black dots, yellow dots, red dots, scarring, and hair shaft abnormality other than diameter variability are considered as absolute pathological finding and not found in healthy subjects, when present on trichoscopy they signify some hair or scalp abnormality.

Fusarium pernambucanum Causing Leaf Yellow Spot on Melon (Cucumis melo L.), a New Disease in China.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is an important economic and horticultural crop. In March 2022, melon plants in greenhouses exhibited severe leaf yellow spot symptoms in Changjiang County (109°13'N, 19°28'E), Hainan Province. The incidence of the disease was about 30-50%. Lesions initially appeared as yellow dots on leaves and expanded irregularly. Gradually, brown spots appeared, and finally the whole leaves turned yellow and resulted in blighting and death of foliage (Figure 1.). A total of four symptomatic plants were sampled from about 0.2 ha of an area. Symptomatic leaves were excised, surface disinfected with 2% (w/v) NaOCl, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) followed by incubation at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The pure cultures were obtained by the hyphal-tip method. A total of eight fungal isolates with similar colony characteristics were recovered from the four symptomatic plants. Three DNA fragments (ITS, TEF1, and RPB2) of the eight isolates showed 100% sequence identity based on the molecular identification methods described below. Therefore, one of the isolates, M2JP-3, was chosen for identification and test of the pathogenicity. The colony of M2JP-3 on PDA at 25°C for 5 days was white with yellow-brown pigmentation in the center (Figure 2A-B). From 10-day-old cultures grown on CLA (Fisher et al. 1982), macroconidia (n = 50) were falcate, slender, curved dorsiventrally, tapering towards both ends, 3 to 7 septate, and measured 24.5 to 52.1 x 3.7 to 4.7 μm. The microconidia (n = 50) were straight or slightly curved, septate 0 to 2, and measured 9.9 to 16.3 x 2.5 to 3.7 μm (Figure 2C-E). For molecular identification, genomic DNA was extracted using the method previously described (Khan et al. 2021),the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1) and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2) were amplified, respectively, using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1/ EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998), and 5F2/7cR (Reeb et al. 2004). The 529 bp (ITS), 723 bp (TEF1), and 965bp (RPB2) sequences were deposited in GenBank with acce. nos. OP303211, OP312675 and OP312674, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the concatenated three gene sequences of M2JP-3 and that of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) (Xia et al. 2019) based on Maximum Likelihood (Figure 3). M2JP-3 was grouped together with the F. pernambucanum strain NRRL 32864 (accession no. GQ505702 for ITS, GQ505613 for TEF1and GQ505791 for RPB2), and shared 100% concatenated sequence identity. For pathogenicity tests of M2JP-3, seeds of melon cultivar Jinmeiren were surface disinfected and sowed in soil in three replicated pots in a greenhouse at 26 °C under natural light. Healthy leaves of the melon plants were wounded with needles and inoculated with mycelial plugs of M2JP-3 or PDA plugs as control. . Symptoms similar to the original greenhouse symptoms were observed at 7 days after inoculation (Figure 4). The control leaves were asymptomatic. The same fungus was reisolated from the inoculated leaves, as identified based on morphology and molecular evidence, which confirmed the Kochs' postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first time Fusarium pernambucanum has been recorded causing leaf yellow spot disease on melon. Further, findings of the present study will help to develop effective disease management strategies against Fusarium pernambucanum Leaf Yellow Spot on melon in China.

Separation and flow cytometry analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics.

In recent years, the utilization of flow cytometry for quantitative microplastic analysis has gained prominence. However, the current methods have some drawbacks that need to be improved. The present study aims to enhance the flow cytometry detection protocols for Nile red (NR) stained microplastics, facilitating distinct microplastic and nanoplastic enumeration. By elevating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) concentration to 20%-30% within the solution, NR solubility improved and agglomeration reduced. The analysis of 26 replicates of polystyrene (PS) liquid samples through four distinct dot plots highlighted the superior accuracy of dot plots integrating yellow fluorescence. Through systematic staining of varying NR concentrations across three microplastic liquid samples (polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene), the optimal staining concentration was determined to be 15-20μg/mL. The distributions of agglomerated NR and NR stained PS under two scenarios-dissolved NR and partially agglomerated NR-were compared. Results showed their distinct distributions within the side scatter versus yellow fluorescence dot plot. Counting results from gradient-diluted PS liquid samples revealed a microplastic detection lower limit of 104 particles/mL, with an optimal concentration range of 105-106 particles/mL. Flow cytometric assessment of PS microspheres spanning 150nm to 40μm indicated a 150nm particle size detection minimum. Our investigation validated the efficacy of NR staining and subsequent flow cytometry analysis across eleven types of microplastics. Separation and concentration of microplastics (1.0-50.0μm) and nanoplastics (0.2-1.0μm) were achieved via sequential sieving through 50, 1.0, and 0.2μm filter membranes. We used a combination of multiple filtration steps and flow cytometry to analyze microplastics and nanoplastics in nine simulated water samples. Our results showed that the combined amount of microplastics (1.0-50.0μm) and nanoplastics (0.2-1.0μm) after filtration had a ratio of 0.80-1.19 compared to the total microplastic concentration before filtration. This result confirms the practicality of our approach. By enhancing flow cytometry-based microplastic and nanoplastic detection protocols, our study provides pivotal technical support for research concerning quantitative toxicity assessment of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution.