A new disease of Rhubarb occured in Gansu Province of China was reported.The disease appears along the veins of lower leaf surface of Rhuaarb (Rheum palmatum) with swelling,and shows a reddish-purple color at the beginning and turns pale brown late. On the leaf appears yellowish reticulated sppts, in Petioles the spots are tumourlike blisters arranged in rows.The growth of the smaller and in severe attacks the whole plant eventually withered.The causal pathogen was identified as a smut Thecaphora schwarzmaniana and seems to be the first reported case that occurs in China.Methods for its control are suggested.

A multicenter blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in accordance with international clinical trial standards to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuebijing injection in the treatment of severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) under strict quality control condition. This article aims to illustrate key contents of the design ideas and implementation process of the RCT of Xuebijing injection in the treatment of SCAP, including the selection of research objects, design, implementation, and insights, etc., share experience with researchers of the respiratory and critical care, and provide reference for future studies in critical care.

The current ear is a time of agriculture civilization, industrial civilization and information intelligence in parallel.In this time traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is much valued but it is still in an opportunity period of transformation from a vulnerable science.TCM development should comply with development direction of big science, and keep pace with the times based on image thinking and original creativity.Aiming at 2 important issues in medical development-medical moral education and clinical research, the authors propose that the characteristics of high concept age should be grasped, medical ethics should be remodeling according to benevolence and virtue concepts, humanistic care should be blended in medicine, innovative academic team should be built, and harmonious academic atmosphere should be constructed.Medical research should be based on clinical practice, and clinical practice should be guided by original derivation and development of sciences.The talents of general medicine should be cultivated through early and frequent clinical practice.Basic and clinical researches should be guided by TCM original thinking.It is historical inevitability to integrate TCM and Western medicine.The update of disciplinary framework should be mobilized by curative effect of TCM pattern differentiation and treatment, and medical system will be completed with philosophic wisdom of Chinese ethnic peoples.