Average Disease Severity Research Articles

Evaluation of Reduced Fungicide Applications for Disease Management in Cold-Climate Wine Grapes in Wisconsin.

Cold-climate wine grapes are produced on 8,000 ha in the North Central region of the United States. Wisconsin has experienced considerable growth, with a 26% increase in acreage since 2017. Chemical management of fungal diseases in cold-climate, interspecific hybrid grapes mirrors that of traditional Vitis vinifera cultivars despite significant differences in disease susceptibility. Most cold-climate cultivars display disease tolerance or resistance to key pathogens such as Plasmopara viticola (downy mildew), Erysiphe necator (powdery mildew), and Phyllosticta ampelicida (black rot). Current fungicide programs in Wisconsin's cold-climate grape industry underutilize genetic resistance, resulting in overreliance on at-risk fungicides and an increased threat of fungicide resistance development. In vineyard trials, the impacts of a reduced fungicide application number compared to current grower "Standard" programs was assessed for disease incidence and severity for five diseases: anthracnose, black rot, downy mildew, Phomopsis cane and leaf spot and powdery mildew. In 2022, with moderate disease pressure at both vineyard sites, there were no significant differences observed when fewer fungicides (six or five applications vs. four applications) were applied. In 2023, higher disease incidence was observed in the "Standard" spray program at one study location which received a greater number of fungicide applications. In both years, grape cultivar was a significant factor with the 'LaCrosse' displaying greater average disease severity than the 'St. Pepin' in both the "Standard" and "Reduced" Programs. These findings present a promising opportunity for cold-climate grape growers to reduce the number of fungicide applications while maintaining disease control and marketable yield.

Improving Pepper Inbreds for Resistance to Pepper Yellow Leaf Curl Thailand Virus (PepYLCTHV) through Challenged Inoculations

Chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are an economically important crop worldwide. Pepper yellow leaf curl Thailand virus (PepYLCTHV), a Begomovirus causing yellow leaf mosaic disease of chili pepper, has been reported to incur 95% economic loss under epiphytotic conditions. Thirty-one chili genotypes were screened for resistance to PepYLCTHV disease through inoculation using 10–15 viruliferous whiteflies per plant. We purified two resistant lines (PEP6 and PEP12) through four generations of selfing and selection. At 28 days after inoculations, two chili genotypes (PEP6 and PEP12) had low disease severity and percentage of disease incidence (DI) compared to four susceptible checks, viz., Yodsonkeam80, Homsupan, Huareau12, and Pong Charian, which had a disease severity score of 5 with 100% DI. Thirty initial plants of PEP6 showed an average disease severity of 3.64 with 69.33% DI, and PEP12 showed an average disease severity of 3.83 with 77.67% DI. From these populations, we selected nine highly resistant plant of PEP6 and seven plants of PEP12 having a disease severity of 0 through pure-line selection for four selfing generations. The ratio of resistance (R) to susceptibility (S) consequently decreased. In PEP6, the ratio decreased from 1R:2S to 1R:1S, while in PEP12 the ratio decreased from 1R:3S to 1R:1S. These lines have potential for release as resistant lines for improving chili pepper resistance to PepYLCTHV and for developing makers associated with the resistant trait.

Colletotrichum cliviicola as a new causal agent causing leaf spot disease on Tilia tomentosa moench (silver linden) in China

Tilia tomentosa Moench (silver linden) is a globally preferred option for landscaping and street tree planting. Its intentional introduction to China in recent years has led to widespread cultivation. In 2021, a leaf spot disease significantly impacted silver linden trees in a sentinel garden in China, with an average incidence and disease severity of 94.3% and 5.0, respectively, adversely affecting the trees' growth and development. In this investigation, potential fungal pathogens were isolated from the affected leaves, and Koch's postulate was subsequently employed to validate the pathogenicity of the fungal isolates (TM-1 and TM-2). The pathogen was unequivocally identified as Colletotrichum cliviicola through a combination of morphological observation and a multi-locus analysis (ITS, ACT, ApMat, CAL, CHS-1, GAPDH, and TUB2). This marks the first record of C. cliviicola affecting silver linden in China. The information provided a valuable foundation for the rapid detection and effective prevention and control of the diseases affecting linden trees.

Occurrence of leaf spot caused by Stemphylium vesicarium on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) in China.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is becoming increasingly important in grassland systems (sheep and beef) due to its high productivity, protein content and nitrogen-fixing ability which allows lower N fertilizer use (Murray et al. 2007). In June 2021, an unidentified foliar disease occurred seriously in experimental fields of red clover (25.61°N, 102.48°E) in Kunming city, Yunnan Province, China. Disease incidence was approximately 55% with an average disease severity of 41.1% in the fields (about 1.5 ha). Initially, the symptoms consisted of cicular to oval leaf spots with dark brown edges. In severely diseased plots, the diseased spots continued to expand and fuse along the leaf veins, forming long and narrow leaf spots, and the middle of the leaves were decayed and hollow. To isolate the pathogen, small pieces (3×3 mm) from the margin of infected lesions were surface-sterilized in 75% ethanol solution for 30 s, 1% NaClO solution for 90 s, rinsed three times with sterilized distilled water, air dried, and plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The same fungus was isolated in 90% of the samples and purified by transferring the hyphal tip from the edge of colonies to fresh PDA plates. The colonies produced relatively dense light-grayish aerial mycelium in the early stage, which turned grayish upon mature, and then dark brown on the back of the colonies with dense small black patches. Conidiophores were unbranched, straight or flexuous, accompanied by slight or obvious swelling of its apical cells. Conidia were olive brown, irregularly round, 1 to 3 transverse septa, 0 to 2 longitudinal or oblique septa, and measured 16.0 - (24.8)- 30.1 × 13.9 - (21.4) - 28.6 µm (n = 50). Morphological characteristics were consistent with those described for Stemphylium vesicarium (Simmons, 1967). For molecular identification, total genomic DNA was isolated from mycelia collected from 6 day-old colonies of three representative isolates LZQF-1-LZQF-3 using the Omega D3195 fungal genomic DNA extraction kit. Fragments of three genes, including those encoding the ITS region of rDNA, calmodulin gene (cmdA), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) regions of isolates LZQF-1-LZQF-3 were amplified by the primers described previously (Woudenberg et al. 2017) and sequenced. Resulting sequences of representative strain LZQF-1 were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers of OL615093 (ITS), OL624541 (cmdA) and OL624538 (gpd), respectively. A nucleotide BLAST search revealed ITS, cmdA and gpd sequences to be 100%, 100% and 99.0% similar to the corresponding sequences (accessions numbers KU850563.1, KU850853.1 and KU850710.1) of ex-type strain CBS 370.51 of S. vesicarium. The three locus datasets were combined by SequenceMatrix 1.8 (Vaidya et al. 2011), and the strain LZQF-1-LZQF-3 and S. vesicarium (CBS 192.86, CBS 370.51 and CBS 205.82) formed a subclade with 99% bootstrap support. Pathogenicity tests were performed on LZQF-1 in a greenhouse at 18 °C-26 °C with 75% relative humidity. Three pots each containing three 50-day-old red clover were sprayed with the conidial suspension (3 × 105 conidia/ml) while another three pots were sprayed with sterile water as a control. Two weeks later, the inoculated leaves showed oval leaf spots with dark brown edges, distinctive symptoms of S. vesicarium infection. S. vesicarium was reisolated and confirmed by morphological and molecular features. There were no symptoms on the control leaves. S. vesicarium as a pathogen causing leaf spot disease has been reported on red clover in Canada (Jasalavich et al. 1995) and in Russia (Babuschkina et al. 1995). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot of red clover caused by S. vesicarium in China. The identification of Stemphylium leaf spot lays the groundwork for future investigations into epidemiology and management of S. vesicarium on red clover.

Evaluation of Powdery Mildew Resistance and Agronomic Performance of Pyramided Mungbean Lines from Marker- Assisted Selection

Gene pyramiding is an effective strategy to provide a durable and high level of powdery mildew (PM) resistance in mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek]. The objectives of this study were to evaluate PM resistance levels of pyramided BC2F1 progenies derived from marker-assisted selection of KING (recurrent parent) × SUPER5 (donor parent) cross and measure their agronomic performance under fi eld condition. The results showed that the progenies with marker combinations linked to both PM resistance genes including I85420 + I42PL222, and I27R565 were more resistant to PM (average disease severity score of 3.80) than KING, check cv. CN72, and the progenies without any marker combinations (scores of 8, 8 and 6.75, respectively). While the progenies carrying only one resistance gene were identifi ed as containing either I85420 + I42PL222, or I27R565 which showed intermediate response score of 5.83. In addition, most of the pyramided lines produced higher yield per plant than KING because of their superior pods per plant, clusters per plant, and seeds per pod. In the future, these pyramided lines with two PM resistance genes can be further developed into new PM resistant varieties via marker-assisted backcross breeding or be used as potential PM resistant sources in mungbean breeding programs.

First report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing anthracnose on Cinnamomum camphora in Malaysia.

Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae), commonly known as camphor tree, is widely grown as an ornamental and is used as a source of camphor in Malaysia. In June 2021, leaves of three camphor trees with anthracnose symptoms were collected from a park (6°02'00.8"N, 116°07'18.5"E) at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Sabah province. The average disease severity across diseased plants was about 60% with 30% incidence on 10 surveyed plants. The disease severity on disease area of 10 leaves from each three diseased plants was estimated using ImageJ software. The disease incidence was determined based on Sharma et al. (2017). Gray spots were observed primarily on the surface of the leaves. After a week, the spots coalesced into larger patches, and anthracnose developed. Small pieces (5 x 5 mm) of symptomatic leaf tissue from three camphor trees were excised from the margin between healthy and symptomatic tissue. The pieces were surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol for 1 minute, washed with 2% sodium hypochlorite solution for 1 minute, rinsed, and air dried before plating in three Petri dishes with Potato dextrose agar, and incubated for 7 days at 25°C in the dark. After 7 days, all the PDA plates had abundant gray-white fluffy hyphae. Mycelium was dark brown when observed from the underside of the plate. The isolates UMS02, UMS04 and UMS05 were characterized morphologically and molecularly. The conidia were one-celled, cylindrical, hyaline, and smooth, with blunt ends, and ranged in size from 13.9 to 16.3 x 3.8 to 6.1 μm (n = 20). Appressoria were round to irregular in shape and dark brown in color, with size ranging from 7.8 to 9.8 μm x 5.3 to 6.8 μm (n= 20). Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh mycelium of the isolates based on Khoo et al. (2022a). Amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, calmodulin (CAL), actin (ACT), chitin synthase (CHS-1), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes of the isolate was performed using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, CL1C/CL2C, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS-79F/CHS-354R, and GDF1/GDR1 (Weir et al. 2012). PCR products with positive amplicons were sent to Apical Scientific Sdn. Bhd. for sequencing. Sequences of the isolates were deposited in GenBank as OK448747, OM501094, OM501095 (ITS), OL953034, OM513908, OM513909 (CAL), OL953031, OM513910, OM513911 (ACT), OL953037, OM513912, OM513913 (CHS-1), and OL953040, OM513914, OM513915 (GAPDH). They were 100% identical to ITS (MN296082), CAL (MN525840), ACT (MW341257, MN525819), CHS-1 (MT210318), and GAPDH (MT682399, MN525882) sequences of Colletotrichum siamense. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood on the concatenated ITS, CAL, ACT, CHS-1 and GAPDH sequences indicated that the isolates formed a clade (82% bootstrap support) to C. siamense. Morphological and molecular characterization matched the description of C. siamense (Huang et al. 2022). Koch's postulates were performed by spraying a spore suspension (106 spores/ml) on leaves of three healthy two-month-old camphor trees, while water was sprayed on three additional camphor trees which served as control. The inoculated camphor trees were covered with plastics for 48 h at 25°C in the dark, and then placed in the greenhouse. Monitoring and incubation were performed based on Chai et al. (2017) and Iftikhar et al. (2022). Symptoms similar to those observed in the field occurred 8 days post-inoculation. No symptoms occurred on controls. The experiment was repeated two more times. C. siamense has been reported causing anthracnose on camphor tree in China (Liu et al. 2022), Citrus spp. in Mexico (Pérez-Mora et al. 2021), and Crinum asiaticum and eggplant in Malaysia (Khoo et al. 2022b, 2022c). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing anthracnose on C. camphora in Malaysia. Our findings expand the geographic range of C. siamense and indicate it could be a potential threat limiting the camphor production of C. camphora in Malaysia.

Evolution of open surgery for unruptured intracranial aneurysms over a fifteen year period–increased difficulty and morbidity

ObjectiveThe approach to intervention for unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) remains controversial. Utilization of endovascular techniques for aneurysm repair increased dramatically during the last decade. We sought to analyze recent national trends for electively treated (open and endovascular) UIAs focusing on pre-existing patient disease burden and intervention modality selection. MethodsThe Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) national database was used to identify patients with primary diagnosis codes of unruptured intracranial aneurysm between 1999 and 2014. Patients were dichotomized by intervention into endovascular or open surgical treatment. Analysis of pre-existing disease severity were calculated using the Elixhauser comorbidity index. Complications of combined peri-procedural stroke or death during admission and hospital length of stay were used as primary endpoints for comparison. ResultsThe percent of total UIAs treated electively with open approach decreased from more than 95 % of cases in 1999 to less than 25 % in 2014. Patients undergoing clipping were 3 years younger than those in the endovascular group (p < 0.001). The rate of primary endpoint complications (stroke and death) and length of stay for open cases saw a decrease throughout the study but remained statistically higher when compared to the endovascular group over the study period (p < 0.001). Additionally, non-neurologic complications increased over the time period for open cases. The average preoperative co-morbid disease severity for all groups treated increased over this interval. Conversely, the relative volume of endovascular cases increased but the rate of complications and average group disease remained statistically lower than the surgical clipping group (p < 0.05). ConclusionThe percent of UIAs treated electively with open approach has decreased since 1999 with a concomitant increase in complication rate in particular compared to endovascular cases. However, the health characteristics of patients treated with surgical clipping show an increase in severity of pre-existing co-morbidities. Further research into factors contributing to this finding, including potential socioeconomic differences and changes in surgeon experience are needed.

Health Parameters of Potato Tubers under the Influence of Soil Applied Bio-Preparations and Bio-Stimulants

Increasing consumption of processed potatoes and consumer preference for buying potatoes washed and packed in transparent packages are a reason for increasing quality standards for potatoes. Processing and trade require potato tubers with smooth skin and without signs of disease, such as common scab, black scurf, and silver scurf. It is necessary to introduce protective measures to reduce the growth of pathogens causing these diseases and, at the same time, are safe for the environment and the consumer. To meet these requirements, the effects of application to soil and treatment of seed potatoes in the following solutions were examined: biological control agents (BCAs): Pythium oligandrum (BCAPo), Bacillus subtillis str. QST 713 (BCABs); microbial soil additives (MSADs): Efficient microorganisms (EM), UGMax soil conditioner, Biogen Rewital (BR); plant growth promoter (PGP): Ecklonia maxima (PGPEm) for the infection of the tubers by Streptomyces scabies (S.s), Rhizoctonia solani (R.s) Helminthosporium solani (H.s) and potato yield. Average Disease Severity Index (DSI) for common scab (S.s) 62.0%, black scurf (R.s) 57.88%, and silver scurf (H.s) 54.24%, obtained from three growing seasons, indicate their significant economic importance. The bio-preparations used significantly reduced their intensity. The effectiveness of protection for individual pathogens varied and was highly dependent on hydrothermal conditions. The analyzed preparations showed E between 8.0% and 50.8% against S.s. However, a stronger effectiveness was found in relation to H.s (12.9–56.6%) and R.s (19.5–69.2%). In years with water deficit, PGPEm and MSADs are more effective than BCAs in protecting potato tubers from skin diseases and contribute to higher yield increases. There was a significant negative correlation between the total DSI and the potato tuber yield.

​Cu-Chitosan Nanoparticle Induced Plant Growth and Disease Resistance Efficiency of Soybean [Glycine max (L.)

Background: Inefficient and excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides causes environmental risks. Concurrent with the recent increase in agricultural productivity, agricultural systems are now also recognized to be a significant source of environmental damage. Chitosan is a biocompatible, biodegradable and nontoxic polymer with various applications. Methods: In the present investigation, the efficacy of Cu-chitosan nanoparticles (NPs) to plant growth promoting activity and antibacterial activity against bacterial pustule disease of soybean were evaluated. NPs treatments exhibited growth promoting effect in terms of plant height, root length, root weight, nodule number, weight of nodule and number of pods per plant in pot experiments. In field experiment, plant height, root length, root weight, nodule number, weight of nodule and number of pods per plant weight were enhanced in NPs treatments. Result: In control plants (water treated+inoculation) showed average disease severity 66.0%. All plants treated with 0.02 to 0.12% Cu-chitosan NPs showed significant antibacterial activity, express lower disease severity 50.0% to 33.3% and 55.3% to 34.0% in pot and in field condition respectively.

Cosmos white rot: First characterization, physiology, host range, disease resistance, and chemical control.

A new disease of Cosmos sulphureus Cav. causing external and internal stem discoloration, premature death, and wilting was observed in 27.8% of plants with an average disease severity rating of 4.4 in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Morphological, pathological, and molecular analyses identified the isolated fungus as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib) de Bary, the causative agent of white rot disease. The optimum growth and sclerotium formation of S. sclerotiorum occurred at 20°C and pH 5.0, while glucose, peptone, yeast extract, casein, and ascorbic acid were the appropriate nutrient sources. Furthermore, mycelial growth and sclerotial development were favored in media containing potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium. As many as 20 plant species of 10 families; Calendula officinalisi, Chrysanthemum indicum, Catharanthus roseus, Solanum tuberosum, S. lycopersicum, S. melongena, Capsicum annum, Lablab purpureus, Phaseolus vulgari, Lens culinaris, Vigna radiata, Vigna mungo, Daucus carota, Raphanus sativus, Brassica juncea, Punica granatum, Spinacia oleracea, Ipomoea batatas, Ipomoea aquatica, and Elaeocarpus serratus were identified as the new hosts of the pathogen in Bangladesh. None of the C. sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnatus germplasms screened were genetically resistant to the pathogen. Among the tested fungicides, Autostin 50 WDG (carbendazim) and Rovral (Dicarboxamide) were most inhibitory to the fungus, while Autostin 50 WDG provided an efficient control of the pathogen in vivo up to 15 days after spray. The acquired results on characterization, physiology, host range, resistance, and fungicidal control of the pathogen could be valuable for effectively managing cosmos white rot in the field.

EFEKTIVITAS MINYAK CENGKEH TERHADAP PATOGEN YANG BERASOSIASI DENGAN TANAMAN TOMAT (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of clove oil to control pathogens associated with tomato plants in screen houses. The study was carried out using a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments repeated 3 times and each treatment consisted of 3 plants for a total of 45 plants, the treatments given were P0 (without application), P1 (pathogenic fungus Sclerotium sp. without clove oil application). , P2 (pathogenic fungus Sclerotium sp. with clove oil application), P3 (pathogenic fungus Helminthosporium sp. without clove oil application), P4 (pathogenic fungus Helminthosporium sp. clove oil application). The variables observed were plant height, stem diameter, number of branches and disease severity of tomato plants. The results showed that clove oil was able to increase plant growth as indicated by the highest average height and diameter of 18.61cm and 0.31cm, respectively. Clove oil application also suppressed the development of the pathogen Sclerotium sp. As indicated by the average incubation period and disease severity 18.67 days and 6%, respectively.

Characterization of leaf rust resistance in a set of wheat-Thinopyrum amphiploid-derived hexaploid breeding lines

In order to identify new sources of resistance to leaf rust, a globally important disease of wheat, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt), a total of 170 hexaploid breeding lines, which have similar morphology with wheat and were derived from crosses of wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum or wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids with susceptible wheat cultivars, were inoculated with the selected Chinese Pt races for evaluating seedling leaf rust response in the greenhouse. The response of adult plants to leaf rust was assessed on seedling susceptible lines over three cropping seasons from 2017 to 2020. In addition, 24 specific markers for 20 known Lr genes were used. Based on the results from gene postulation and molecular marker detection, two adult plant resistance (APR) genes (Lr34 and Lr37) and nine seedling resistance genes (Lr1, Lr2a, Lr2b, Lr3ka, Lr10, Lr15, Lr17, Lr18, and Lr26) were identified in 118 lines either singly or in combination. Most commonly identified Lr genes were Lr37 in 81 (47.6%) lines and Lr26 in 40 (23.5%) lines. Less frequently detected genes were Lr1 in nine lines; Lr2b and Lr3ka each in eight lines; Lr17 in seven lines; Lr2a and Lr34 each in four lines; Lr10 in three lines; Lr18 in two lines; and Lr15 was found in only one line. Twenty-eight lines were resistant to almost all the races used, but no known resistance gene was identified except Lr26, a gene with widespread ineffectiveness, suggesting that these derivatives could possess uncharacterized seedling Lr gene(s). Eleven seedling-susceptible lines were found to have APR over three cropping seasons, with an average maximum disease severity (MDS) below 15%, and hence could be potential sources of new APR genes. This study showed that these hexaploid breeding lines derived from wheat-Thinopyrum amphiploids could serve as new sources for wheat leaf rust resistance.

First Report of Collar and Root Rot of Faba Bean Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-2-2 IIIB in Bangladesh.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an underutilized promising grain legume commercially grown in central and northern part of Bangladesh (Yasmin et al. 2020). In January 2021, faba bean plants exhibiting symptoms of collar and root rot and yellowing of leaves were observed in thirty plots of an experimental field at the Bangladesh Agricultural University (24.75° N, 90.50° E), Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Infected plants had dark brown to black lesions on the roots, extending above the collar region. An average disease incidence and severity was 7.16% and 6.91%, respectively. Eight diseased plants were collected from the field by uprooting one plant from each of eight randomly selected experimental plots and surface disinfected with sodium hypochlorite (0.2%) for 3 min followed by 1 min in ethanol (70%), and then rinsed three times with distilled water and dried on sterile paper towels. Collar and root pieces (5×5 mm) of symptomatic tissues were placed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Plates were incubated at 25°C for three days and isolates were purified from single-tip culture. The isolates produced brown colored mycelia often with brown sclerotia. Under microscope, fungal colonies exhibited right-angled branching with constriction at the base of hyphal branches and a septum near the originating point of hyphal branch consistent with the description of Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn (Sneh et al. 1991). The isolates grew at 35°C on PDA (5 mm/24). Molecular identification of the isolates BTRFB1 and BTRFB7 was determined by sequencing the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using primers ITS1 and ITS4 (White et al. 1990). A BLAST search showed that the sequences (GenBank Accession nos. MZ158299.1 and MZ158298.1) had 99.28% similarity with R. solani isolates Y1063 and SX-RSD1 (GenBank Accession nos. JX913811.1 and KC413984.1, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the present isolates grouped with R. solani anastomosis group AG-2-2 IIIB. To confirm pathogenicity, both isolates were grown individually on sterile wheat kernels at 28°C for 6 days (D'aes et al. 2011). Faba bean seedlings were grown in plastic pots containing sterile potting mix (field soil/composted manure/sand 2:2:1 [v/v]). Two-week-old plants were inoculated by placing five infested wheat seeds adjacent to the roots. Control pots were inoculated with sterile wheat kernels using the same procedure. Plants were placed in a growth room with a 16 h/8 h light/dark photoperiod at 25 ± 2°C after inoculation. Fifteen days after inoculation, typical collar and root rot symptoms were developed on inoculated plants, similar to symptoms observed in the field. Control plants remained non-symptomatic. Finally, six isolates of R. solani were isolated from the symptomatic plants and identified by morphological and molecular analysis. Rhizoctonia solani is the causal agent of seed and root rot, hypocotyl canker, and seedling damping-off diseases of faba bean in many other countries (Rashid and Bernier 1993; Assunção et al. 2011). To our knowledge, this is the first confirmed report of Rhizoctonia solani causing collar and root rot of faba bean in Bangladesh. This finding will be helpful for the development of management strategies to control this disease and to expand the production of faba bean in Bangladesh.

Longitudinal changes of deep gray matter shape in multiple sclerosis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate longitudinal deep gray matter (DGM) shape changes and their relationship with measures of clinical disability and white matter lesion-load in a large multiple sclerosis (MS) cohort. Materials and MethodsA total of 230 MS patients (179 relapsing-remitting, 51 secondary progressive; baseline age 44.5 ± 11.3 years; baseline disease duration 12.99 ± 9.18) underwent annual clinical and MRI examinations over a maximum of 6 years (mean 4.32 ± 2.07 years). The DGM structures were segmented on the T1-weighted images using the “Multiple Automatically Generated Templates” brain algorithm. White matter lesion-load was measured on T2-weighted MRI. Clinical examination included the expanded disability status scale, 9-hole peg test, timed 25-foot walk test, symbol digit modalities test and paced auditory serial addition test. Vertex‐wise longitudinal analysis of DGM shapes was performed using linear mixed effect models and evaluated the association between average/temporal changes of DGM shapes with average/temporal changes of clinical measurements, respectively. ResultsA significant shrinkage over time of the bilateral ventrolateral pallidal and the left posterolateral striatal surface was observed, whereas no significant shape changes over time were observed at the bilateral thalamic and right striatal surfaces. Higher average lesion-load was associated with an average inwards displacement of the global thalamic surface with relative sparing on the posterior side (slight left-side predominance), the antero-dorso-lateral striatal surfaces bilaterally (symmetric on both sides) and the antero-lateral pallidal surface (left-side predominance). There was also an association between shrinkage of large lateral DGM surfaces with higher clinical motor and cognitive disease severity. However, there was no correlation between any DGM shape changes over time and measurements of clinical progression or lesion-load changes over time. ConclusionsThis study showed specific shape change of DGM structures occurring over time in relapse-onset MS. Although these shape changes over time were not associated with disease progression, we demonstrated a link between DGM shape and the patients’ average disease severity as well as white matter lesion-load.

Impairment of visual working memory as endo-phenotypic marker for paranoid schizophrenia

Abstract Background Examination of cognitive endo-phenotypes is a modern approach for establishing genetic risk for schizophrenia. Visual working memory (VWM) is significantly impaired in cases with paranoid schizophrenia (PSch). Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) is a standardized neurocognitive instrument for accessing VWM. The aim of the study was to access VWM in patients with PSch and their first-grade relatives (FGR) and to compare the results with healthy controls. Methods We examined VWM in 108 patients with PSch - 66 males and 42 females; their mean age was 38.86±10.02 years and average disease severity 71,8±5,1 points measured on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The FGR group included 30 males and 28 females with a mean age 36.71±11.74 years. The control group consisted of 37 males and 23 females aged 35.68±11.36 years. The VWM in all cases was measured by BVRT. The study was approved by the University of Pleven Ethical Committee. Mann-Whitney U and z-tests were used for between-group comparisons. All correlations were interpreted as significant at 95% confidence level. Data processing was performed by IBM SPSS Statistics v.24. Results Patients with PSch showed lower correct answers and more total errors on BVRT as compared to their first-grade relatives (z= -6.482; p = 0.0001). They also made more omissions, distortions, perseverations, misplacement errors and had specific tendencies for changing angular figures with circles. First-grade relatives had greater total number of errors and more distortions, perseverations, misplacement errors and horizontal shifts compared to healthy controls. All differences were significant at p = 0.01 or even p = 0.001. Conclusions Both PSch and FGR show difficulties in space organization and/or have restricted analysis of perception and poor scheme of getting information. This illustrates a deficit in the hierarchical organization, planning and strategy development for visual perception resulted from the frontal disfunction. Key messages First-grade relatives of patients with paranoid schizophrenia show specific impairments of visual working memory which makes it suitable endo-phenotypic marker for paranoid schizophrenia. Visual working memory could be used in clinical scientific research for the purpose of differentiation of high-risk groups for schizophrenia.

Effect of Low Temperature on the Aggressiveness of Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-2 Isolates on Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris) Seedlings.

Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG) 2-2 can cause seedling damping-off in sugar beets and substantial losses may occur in all regions where beets are grown. Sugar beets are planted early in the season when soil temperatures are low in order to maximize the length of the growing season and minimize the risk of damping-off. However, predictive models that indicate there is little to no risk of Rhizoctonia damping-off at temperatures <15°C may not be entirely reliable. We tested this possibility by inoculating sugar beet seedlings in a growth chamber at 11°C with 35 R. solani AG 2-2 isolates that were representative of the genetic diversity present in AG 2-2. Although disease progress and growth rate were greatly reduced at 11°C, considerable disease symptoms did develop in inoculated plants. Three weeks after inoculation, 16% of the plants were dead and 77% of the isolates tested had average disease severity scores that were significantly greater than those of the mock inoculated control. This confirms our concern about the possibility for low-temperature infection of sugar beets and indicates that waiting until the soil warms up to above 15°C to apply fungicide could leave the crop at risk. Aggressiveness does not appear to be related to subgroup or growth rate but rather depends on the response of the specific isolate to low temperature.

Variation of Daily Care Demand in Swiss General Hospitals: Longitudinal Study on Capacity Utilization, Patient Turnover and Clinical Complexity Levels.

BackgroundVariations in hospitals’ care demand relies not only on the patient volume but also on the disease severity. Understanding both daily severity and patient volume in hospitals could help to identify hospital pressure zones to improve hospital-capacity planning and policy-making.ObjectiveThis longitudinal study explored daily care demand dynamics in Swiss general hospitals for 3 measures: (1) capacity utilization, (2) patient turnover, and (3) patient clinical complexity level.MethodsA retrospective population-based analysis was conducted with 1 year of routine data of 1.2 million inpatients from 102 Swiss general hospitals. Capacity utilization was measured as a percentage of the daily maximum number of inpatients. Patient turnover was measured as a percentage of the daily sum of admissions and discharges per hospital. Patient clinical complexity level was measured as the average daily patient disease severity per hospital from the clinical complexity algorithm.ResultsThere was a pronounced variability of care demand in Swiss general hospitals. Among hospitals, the average daily capacity utilization ranged from 57.8% (95% CI 57.3-58.4) to 87.7% (95% CI 87.3-88.0), patient turnover ranged from 22.5% (95% CI 22.1-22.8) to 34.5% (95% CI 34.3-34.7), and the mean patient clinical complexity level ranged from 1.26 (95% CI 1.25-1.27) to 2.06 (95% CI 2.05-2.07). Moreover, both within and between hospitals, all 3 measures varied distinctly between days of the year, between days of the week, between weekdays and weekends, and between seasons.ConclusionsWhile admissions and discharges drive capacity utilization and patient turnover variation, disease severity of each patient drives patient clinical complexity level. Monitoring—and, if possible, anticipating—daily care demand fluctuations is key to managing hospital pressure zones. This study provides a pathway for identifying patients’ daily exposure to strained hospital systems for a time-varying causal model.

A cucumber leaf disease severity classification method based on the fusion of DeepLabV3+ and U-Net

Research on the recognition and segmentation of vegetable diseases in simple environments based on deep learning has achieved a relative success. However, in complex environments, the image background often contains elements similar to the representation of leaves and disease spots, making it difficult for the recognition model to segment leaves and disease spots. Consequently, the segmentation precision is significantly reduced, which further affects the accuracy of disease severity classification. In response to this problem, while discussing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of DeepLabV3+ and U-Net, this study proposed a two-stage model that fuses DeepLabV3+ and U-Net for cucumber leaf disease severity classification (DUNet) in complex backgrounds. In the first stage, this model uses DeepLabV3+ to segment leaves from complex backgrounds. The images of leaves obtained after segmentation are used as the input for the second stage. In the second stage, U-Net is used to segment the diseased leaves to obtain disease spots. Finally, the ratio of the pixel area of disease spots over the pixel area of leaves is calculated so as to classify the disease severity. The experiment results show that the proposed model is able to segment leaves and disease spots from complex backgrounds in a step-by-step manner so as to complete disease severity classification. The leaf segmentation accuracy reached 93.27%, the Dice coefficient of disease spot segmentation reached 0.6914, and the average disease severity classification accuracy reached 92.85%. Compared with other models, the model proposed in this study has higher robustness, segmentation precision and classification accuracy, providing important ideas and methods for classifying the severity of cucumber leaf diseases in complex backgrounds.

Evaluation of the Prognostic Value of Chest Computed Tomography Scan in COVID-19 Patients

Background: The world is facing the coronavirus 2 pandemic since 2019 (COVID-19 infection) and all countries have challenges in management of patients based on their facilities. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan can be valuable in early detection and estimation of the pulmonary involvement in these patients. Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of chest CT imaging features in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 201 patients with COVID-19 were enrolled consecutively. The patients’ chest CT scans were analyzed, and the disease severity was rated using two methods: (1) total lung involvement (TLI) in which each lobe is scored from 0 to 4 based on the percentage of involvement; and (2) modified TLI in which each lobe involvement score is multiplied by the number of its segments, and the sum is recorded as the modified TLI. The patients were categorized into four groups depending on their prognosis (patients admitted to hospital wards, patients admitted to intensive care units [ICUs], patients with intubation during hospitalization, and expired patients). The relationship between both scoring methods and the clinical outcomes of patients was examined in the four groups. Results: The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed no significant difference between the two scoring methods (TLI and modified TLI) in predicting the patients’ prognosis. The average disease severity based on the two scoring methods was significantly different between the four groups. Patients who were intubated during hospitalization and patients who expired had significantly higher scores than patients admitted to the ICUs and hospital wards (P = 0.001). The area under the ROC curve for the prediction of mortality was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72 - 0.90; P &lt; 0.001). The TLI score of 18.5 could predict mortality with specificity of &gt; 95%. Conclusion: The TLI scoring system can be used for predicting in-hospital mortality and ICU admission in COVID-19 patients. This scoring method can help us devise a better strategic healthcare plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On-Farm Trials Reveal Significant but Uncertain Control of Botrytis cinerea by Aureobasidium pullulans and Potassium Bicarbonate in Organic Grapevines.

Botrytis cinerea, a fungal pathogen that causes gray mold on grapes, can decrease yield, substantially reduce wine quality, and therefore cause significant economic losses. In a context of increasing awareness of environmental and human health, biopesticides are a potential alternative to synthetic chemical treatments to produce grapes and wine in compliance with high food standards. However, the effectiveness of biopesticides is not well known and more research is needed to help winegrowers assess their ability to control wine diseases. Our study aims to assess the efficacy of two commercial biopesticides, based on potassium bicarbonate and Aureobasidium pullulans, in reducing the incidence of gray mold (i.e., the proportion of grape bunches that are diseased). We use data from an on-farm trial network managed over 3 years (from 2014 to 2016) in a major wine producing region located in Southwestern France, and fit Bayesian generalized linear multilevel models able to take the variability of treatment effect across trials into account. The fitted models were then used to estimate the efficacy on incidence as a function of the severity (i.e., the proportion of diseased grape berries in a bunch) in an untreated plot in order to determine if the effectiveness of the treatments depends on the disease pressure. At average disease severity (i.e., 3%), the efficacy on disease incidence at the network level was equal to 20% [95% CI = (−0.1; 37.3)] and 13% [95% CI = (0.2; 24.7)] for potassium bicarbonate and A. pullulans, respectively. For both biopesticides, the efficacy on incidence for a new site-year is highly uncertain, but potassium bicarbonate had a lower uncertainty and a lower application cost compared to A. pullulans. Our results confirm that potassium bicarbonate is an interesting biopesticide under farming conditions in organic vineyards in southwestern France, but the amount of uncertainty points to the need for further research.