Levels Of Disease Severity Research Articles

Chitosan-coated nanoemulsions of a terpene-based natural deep eutectic solvent and lemongrass essential oil to control coffee leaf rust: Two alternatives based on natural products

Coffee production is negatively affected by coffee leaf rust, a disease caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix. As a natural product-based alternative to chemically control the disease, this study evaluated the effect of two chitosan-coated nanoemulsions prepared from Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (EO) and the thymol: pyruvic acid (1:1) natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) on the in vitro germination of H. vastatrix urediospores and on the in vivo control of the disease in Coffea arabica plants under greenhouse conditions. Both nanoformulations inhibited urediospores in vitro germination but only that prepared with EO did it significantly more than its free form active ingredient (the observed reduction was around 60 %). On the other hand, the in vivo experiment showed that the EO and NADES chitosan-coated nanoemulsions offered similar and significant protection for Coffea arabica plants against leaf rust; the disease severity level was found to be less than 2.6 % after 81 days from the application of the treatments to the plants (comparable to the cooper oxychloride, which is one of the commercial fungicides traditionally used), while the free components did not (9.0–13.3 % of severity level by day 81, such as the control). This is the first report demonstrating that chitosan-coated nanoemulsions, containing NADES or EO, protect coffee plants against H. vastatrix infection and can be two alternatives for sustainable pest management. Furthermore, this study contributes to broadening the prospects for using hydrophobic NADES in the design of biopesticides.

DeepEMPR: coffee leaf disease detection with deep learning and enhanced multivariance product representation

Plant diseases threaten agricultural sustainability by reducing crop yields. Rapid and accurate disease identification is crucial for effective management. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have facilitated the development of automated systems for disease detection. This study focuses on enhancing the classification of diseases and estimating their severity in coffee leaf images. To do so, we propose a novel approach as the preprocessing step for the classification in which enhanced multivariance product representation (EMPR) is used to decompose the considered image into components, a new image is constructed using some of those components, and the contrast of the new image is enhanced by applying high-dimensional model representation (HDMR) to highlight the diseased parts of the leaves. Popular convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures, including AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet50, are evaluated. Results show that VGG16 achieves the highest classification accuracy of approximately 96%, while all models perform well in predicting disease severity levels, with accuracies exceeding 85%. Notably, the ResNet50 model achieves accuracy levels surpassing 90%. This research contributes to the advancement of automated crop health management systems.

At-home wearable-based monitoring predicts clinical measures and biological biomarkers of disease severity in Friedreich’s Ataxia

BackgroundFriedreich ataxia (FRDA) results in progressive impairment in gait, upper extremity coordination, and speech. Currently, these symptoms are assessed through expert examination at clinical visits. Such in-clinic assessments are time-consuming, subjective, of limited sensitivity, and provide only a limited perspective of the daily disability of patients.MethodsIn this study, we recruited 39 FRDA patients and remotely monitored their physical activity and upper extremity function using a set of wearable sensors for 7 consecutive days. We compared the sensor-derived metrics of lower and upper extremity function as measured during activities of daily living with FRDA clinical measures (e.g., mFARS and FA-ADL) and biological biomarkers of disease severity (guanine-adenine-adenine (GAA) and frataxin (FXN) levels), using Spearman correlation analyses.ResultsThe results show significant correlations with moderate to high effect sizes between multiple sensor-derived metrics and the FRDA clinical and biological outcomes. In addition, we develop multiple machine learning-based models to predict disease severity in FRDA using demographic, biological, and sensor-derived metrics. When sensor-derived metrics are included, the model performance enhances 1.5-fold and 2-fold in terms of explained variance, R², for predicting FRDA clinical measures and biological biomarkers of disease severity, respectively.ConclusionsOur results establish the initial clinical validity of using wearable sensors in assessing disease severity and monitoring motor dysfunction in FRDA.

6.G. Scientific session: The importance of using country-specific severity distributions in burden of disease indicators

Abstract One of the most commonly used health gap summary measures in the field of public health is the Disability-adjusted life year (DALY). It has become the key metric for quantifying the burden of disease (BoD) and is used as an information source for setting priorities for health care and health service planning. The DALY metric quantifies gaps between a theoretical population in perfect health and the current health status related to both morbidity and mortality. It is the sum of the number of healthy life years lost due to disability (YLD) and death (YLL). The YLD summarises the loss of healthy life time using the frequency of diseases differentiated by severities or related health states (including sequelae). Depending on each health state, it converts the time spent with diseases into YLD by weighting each year with health limitation with so-called disability weights. This allows the two indicators YLL and YLD to be added to the DALY. Consequently, severity distributions are a means of describing the range of health loss along specific health states, which enables an accurate mapping with disability weights. For most of the diseases, these distributions are usually categorised as mild, moderate, severe, or no health loss (asymptomatic). Conditions with higher severity levels contribute more to the YLD and thus, to the overall disease specific BoD. The severity distributions are highly dependent on utilization at the individual level, but also on available health care services at the society level, which indicates that differences by settings are to be expected. Changes over time in the share of severe cases, for instance, may reflect the effectiveness of health interventions and policies. This underlines the importance of severity distributions, as they also reflect information about the quality of healthcare for those affected. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study applies for a significant proportion of their considered diseases uniform severity distributions across countries and broader regions. They acknowledge concerns over applying estimates of severity distributions based on limited data, noting that it is the only available information that they were able to use. As the YLD estimates are often utilized to develop and prioritize health policy interventions, there is a necessity for country-specific estimates that are evidence based and less susceptible to model assumptions. In most cases, the estimation of severity distributions involves complex methodology as data for such assessments are very limited or hardly reliable. In the following workshop, general concepts and country cases from Germany, Scotland, and Belgium will be presented covering a variety of diseases. The examples underline the importance of estimating national and even regional severity distributions when identifying the importance of diseases or comparing the health conditions of populations across time. Key messages • As the Burden of disease indicators are predominantly used to prioritize health interventions and allocate resources, it is crucial to use accurate information in the severity levels of disease. • Severity distributions reflect the health care services and vary across different settings. Utilising country-specific severity distributions when estimating Burden of Disease indicators is essential.

Extracellular DNA as a Strategy to Manage Vascular Wilt Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Based on Its Action as a Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern (DAMP) or Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP).

Vascular wilt is an important tomato disease that affects culture yields worldwide, with Fusarium oxysporum (F.o) being the causal agent of this infection. Several management strategies have lost effectiveness due to the ability of this pathogen to persist in soil and its progress in vascular tissues. However, nowadays, research has focused on understanding the plant defense mechanisms to cope with plant diseases. One recent and promising approach is the use of extracellular DNA (eDNA) based on the ability of plants to detect their self-eDNA as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogens' (non-self) eDNA as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the eDNA of F.o (as a DAMP for the fungus and a PAMP for tomato plants) applied on soil, and of tomato's eDNA (as a DAMP of tomato plants) sprayed onto tomato plants, to cope with the disease. Our results suggested that applications of the eDNA of F.o (500 ng/µL) as a DAMP for this pathogen in soil offered an alternative for the management of the disease, displaying significantly lower disease severity levels in tomato, increasing the content of some phenylpropanoids, and positively regulating the expression of some defense genes. Thus, the eDNA of F.o applied in soil was shown to be an interesting strategy to be further evaluated as a new element within the integrated management of vascular wilt in tomato.

Assessing the Pathogenicity of Berkeleyomyces rouxiae and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum on Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) Using a Rapid and Robust Seedling Screening Method.

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important fibre crop worldwide. Black root rot and Fusarium wilt are two major diseases of cotton caused by soil-borne Berkeleyomyces rouxiae and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov), respectively. Phenotyping plant symptoms caused by soil-borne pathogens has always been a challenge. To increase the uniformity of infection, we adapted a seedling screening method that directly uses liquid cultures to inoculate the plant roots and the soil. Four isolates, each of B. rouxiae and Fov, were collected from cotton fields in Australia and were characterised for virulence on cotton under controlled plant growth conditions. While the identities of all four B. rouxiae isolates were confirmed by multilocus sequencing, only two of them were found to be pathogenic on cotton, suggesting variability in the ability of isolates of this species to cause disease. The four Fov isolates were phylogenetically clustered together with the other Australian Fov isolates and displayed both external and internal symptoms characteristic of Fusarium wilt on cotton plants. Furthermore, the isolates appeared to induce varied levels of plant disease severity indicating differences in their virulence on cotton. To contrast the virulence of the Fov isolates, four putatively non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) isolates collected from cotton seedlings exhibiting atypical wilt symptoms were assessed for their ability to colonise cotton host. Despite the absence of Secreted in Xylem genes (SIX6, SIX11, SIX13 and SIX14) characteristic of Fov, all four Fo isolates retained the ability to colonise cotton and induce wilt symptoms. This suggests that slightly virulent strains of Fo may contribute to the overall occurrence of Fusarium wilt in cotton fields. Findings from this study will allow better distinction to be made between plant pathogens and endophytes and allow fungal effectors underpinning pathogenicity to be explored.

The Role of Disease Severity, Affected Joints, and Physical Activity Levels on Functional Impairment in Osteoarthritis after the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) is common among Chilean adults over 60, impacting their functionality. This study aimed to determine how health factors such as disease severity, type of OA, medication use, and physical activity levels relate to functionality in individuals with OA. The sample size included 67 women and 13 men aged 38 to 92 (66.6 ± 11.2) with diagnosed knee or hip OA. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to estimate physical activity, the Lequesne Index for functional impairment, and the VAS (Visual Analog Scale) for pain. Data were collected from December 2022 to March 2023. We performed bivariate analyses, which indicated that greater OA severity and bilateral OA are associated with increased functional impairment and pain. Medication use was correlated with higher pain levels, and physical activity was correlated with functionality; there was no correlation with age. Here, 65.4% of the variance in functionality problems was explained by OA severity, bilateral involvement, and pain level, highlighting their impact on functionality. Functionality problems were higher in individuals who suffered higher levels of severity when they performed lower levels of physical activity. These findings underscore the importance of promoting physical activity to improve the quality of life for individuals with OA.

Linear Discriminant Analysis for Predicting Net Blotch Severity in Spring Barley with Meteorological Data in Finland

Predictive information on plant diseases could help to reduce and optimize the usage of pesticides in agriculture. This research presents classification procedures with linear discriminant analysis to predict three possible severity levels of net blotch in spring barley in Finland. The weather data utilized for classification included mathematical transformations, namely features of outdoor temperature and air humidity with calculated dew point temperature values. Historical field observations of net blotch density were utilized as a target class for the identification of classifiers. The performance of classifiers was analyzed in sliding data windows of two weeks with selected, cumulative, summed feature values. According to classification results from 36 yearly data sets, the prediction of net blotch occurrence in spring barley in Finland can be considered as a linearly separable classification task. Furthermore, this can be achieved with linear discriminant analysis by combining the output probabilities of separate binary classifiers identified for each severity level of net blotch disease. In this case, perfect classification with a resolution of three different net blotch severity levels was achieved during the first 50 days from the beginning of the growing season. This strongly suggests that real-time classification based on a few weather variables measured on a daily basis can be applied to estimate the severity of net blotch in advance. This allows application of the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) and usage of pesticides only when there is a proven need.

Presence of cholestasis and its impact on survival in SARS-CoV-2 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Data on cholestasis and biliary injury in patients with COVID-19 are scarce. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of cholestasis and factors associated with its development and outcome in critically ill patients with COVID-19 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this retrospective exploratory study, COVID-19 patients with ARDS admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) at the Medical University of Vienna were evaluated for the development of cholestasis defined as an alkaline phosphatase level of 1.67x upper limit of normal for at least three consecutive days. Simple and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate parameters associated with development of cholestasis and survival. Of 225 included patients 119 (53%) developed cholestasis during ICU stay. Patients with cholestasis had higher peak levels of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, bilirubin and inflammation parameters. Factors independently associated with cholestasis were extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, ketamine use, high levels of inflammation parameters and disease severity. Presence of cholestasis and peak ALP levels were independently associated with worse ICU and 6-month survival. Development of cholestasis is a common complication in critically ill COVID-19 patients and represents a negative prognostic marker for survival. It is associated with disease severity and specific treatment modalities of intensive care.

The role of ischaemia-modified albumin in the prognosis of acute pancreatitis and its correlation with the NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response.

To investigate the correlation between the serum levels of ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) and disease severity in rats with acute pancreatitis (AP). A rat AP model was established and blood samples from each group were analysed at different time points. After the experiment, the pancreatic tissues of the rats were collected for pathological examination and the measurement of protein levels of NF-κB and NF-κB p65. Serum levels of amylase (α-AMY), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were also compared between groups of rats. The serum IMA concentration in the severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group was greater than that in the mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) group. The levels of the NF-κB and NF-κB p65 proteins were increased in the MAP and SAP groups in a time-dependent manner. α-AMY, TNF-α and IL-6 were increased at all time points in the MAP and SAP groups. The increases were greatest at 24 h in the SAP group. In terms of pathological changes in the pancreas, renal and lung tissues, the damage in the SAP group was more obvious than that in the MAP group. Serum IMA level was associated with inflammatory markers and NF-κB p65 in rats with AP.

Correlation of Serum IL-1β Level in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Disease Severity Parameters

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory, chronic disorder, characterized by prolonged inflammation of the synovial joints, with ultimate destruction of joints, high concentrations of IL-1β in the synovial fluid and serum RA patients correlated with RA incidence. This study was conducted to compare IL-1β concentration in serum from patients with RA and healthy controls with the correlation parameter being related to markers indicating disease severity. A case-control study enrolled 71 patients with RA and 46 healthy controls from an Iraqi Arab population. In the present study, the level of serum IL-1β was detected using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay method of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). This study found a correlation between the serum level of IL-1β and DAS28-CRP severity among RA patients (p=0.065). Furthermore, the serum level of IL-1β was significantly increased in RA patients compared to the level noted in the healthy group (p=0.039). Moreover, the results demonstrated a very weak correlation between the IL-1β level with CRP, ESR, and ACCP (r=0.079, r=0.059, r=0.080), respectively. In conclusion, the current study showed a correlation between the serum level of IL-1β and RA disease severity (DAS28) among the Iraqi Arab population, additionally, the study noted a very weak correlation between the IL-1β level with CRP, ESR, and ACCP.

Identification and Differentiation of the Fusarium graminearum NX-2 Chemotype Using High-Resolution Melting (HRM).

Fusarium head blight causes significant yield losses in wheat and other cereals and contaminates grain products with trichothecene mycotoxins. F. graminearum isolates are classified into different chemotypes depending on the type of mycotoxin produced, including the type B trichothecenes 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON), nivalenol (NIV), and the recently identified type A trichothecene NX-2. Molecular tools to differentiate NX-2 producers from other chemotypes have remained relatively laborious and time consuming. In this study, we developed and validated a high-resolution melting (HRM) assay that can identify NX-2 producers quickly and cost-effectively. By analyzing TRI1 coding sequences from 183 geographically diverse isolates representing all four F. graminearum chemotypes, we selected a 75-base pair region containing four non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are specific to the NX-2 genotypes. The amplicon generated two HRM profiles, one of which was specific for only NX-2. We confirmed that the assay is robust across qPCR platforms and unambiguously differentiates NX-2 from other chemotypes using a panel of 72 diverse isolates previously collected from North America. The HRM assay was also successful in identifying NX-2 producers directly from DNA extracted from infected wheat spikes with varying levels of disease severity and fungal DNA. The assay can detect as little as 0.01 ng of fungal DNA in a background of 50 ng of plant DNA. This new diagnostic assay can be used for high-throughput molecular detection of the NX-2 chemotype of F. graminearum from infected plant samples and culture collections, thus making it a valuable tool for surveys of contemporary and historical FHB pathogen populations.

Effects of Immunotoxicity biomarkers, essential elements and vitamin D levels on the severity levels of COVID-19 disease in Turkey.

Many mechanisms are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in 2019 and affected the whole world. It has been claimed that a deficiency in the immune system can significantly affect the severity of COVID-19 disease. It is important that the levels of essential elements and vitamin D are at certain levels for the healthy functioning of the immune system. Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to evaluate immunotoxicity biomarkers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)), vitamin D, and essential element levels in COVID-19 patients in Turkey. According to the results of the study, it was found that the magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) levels decreased as the severity of the disease worsened, while the iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) levels were similar to the mild group and the control group, and the levels decreased as the disease worsened. It has also been found that vitamin D levels decrease as the severity of the disease worsens. Compared to the control group, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IFN-γ levels were found to decrease as the severity of the disease worsened. Also, it was observed that there was a significant relationship between essential metal levels and disease progression in most of the patient groups.

Cognitive performance in patients with neuromyelitis optica: clinical and imaging characteristics

This study aimed to identify the prevalence, clinical and radiographic characteristics, and risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Eighty-three participants who were diagnosed with NMOSD were recruited. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). The mean age of the patients was 47.78 ± 13.14 years, with an average of 12.05 ± 4.62 years of formal education. The majority (54%) exhibited cognitive impairment, defined by a MoCA score < 25 (mean: 22.96 ± 3.82). Disease severity (evaluated by the Expanded Disability Status Scale) and lower formal education levels were associated with cognitive impairment (p = 0.011 and < 0.001, respectively). The annualized relapse rate, disease duration, and AQP4 antibody status were not associated with cognitive impairment. Interestingly, informant-reported cognitive decline was associated with poorer cognitive performance (p = 0.027). Radiographic findings of lesion location and severity were associated with MoCA-assessed cognitive performance, particularly for lesions in the right parietal lobes (p = 0.023). Hippocampal atrophy was negatively correlated with FAB scores. In conclusion, approximately half of the Thai patients with NMOSD exhibited cognitive impairment, which was associated with age, formal education level, disease severity, relative perception, and specific radiological findings. Further studies incorporating comprehensive neuropsychological tests and subjective cognitive complaints are warranted.

Lower-Limb Exoskeletons for Gait Training in Parkinson's Disease: The State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

Gait dysfunction (GD) is a common impairment of Parkinson's disease (PD), which negatively impacts patients' quality of life. Among the most recent rehabilitation technologies, a lower-limb powered exoskeleton (LLEXO) arises as a useful instrument for gait training in several neurological conditions, including PD. However, some questions relating to methods of use, achievable results, and usefulness compared to traditional rehabilitation methodologies still require clear answers. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarise and analyse all the studies that have applied an LLEXO to train gait in PD patients. Literature research on PubMed and Scopus retrieved five articles, comprising 46 PD participants stable on medications (age: 71.7 ± 3.7 years, 24 males, Hoehn and Yahr: 2.1 ± 0.6). Compared to traditional rehabilitation, low-profile lower-limb exoskeleton (lp-LLEXO) training brought major improvements towards walking capacity and gait speed, while there are no clear major benefits regarding the dual-task gait cost index and freezing of gait symptoms. Importantly, the results suggest that lp-LLEXO training is more beneficial for patients with an intermediate-to-severe level of disease severity (Hoehn and Yahr > 2.5). This review could provide a novel framework for implementing LLEXO in clinical practise, highlighting its benefits and limitations towards gait training.

Mutational analyses of mitochondrial ATP6 gene reveal a possible association with abnormal levels of lactic acid and ammonia in Bangladeshi children with autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial and highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder. Mitochondrial dysfunction, caused by the genetic variations in the electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and marked by higher lactic acid and ammonia levels, can play a crucial role in the development of autism. This study focused on identifying genetic variants in the mitochondrial ATP6 gene of children with ASD and their association with autism disease outcome, disease severity, lactic acid and ammonia levels. Ninety children were recruited of which 53 were with autism and the remaining 37 were healthy controls. The ATP6 gene was amplified by PCR, purified, and sequenced by Sanger sequencing. In total forty-two genetic variants were identified within the gene. Among them 8886G > A and 8911 T > C were found to be associated with higher lactic acid levels and 8748C > T, 8886G > A, and 8964C > T were associated with higher ammonia levels after the adjustment with age, gender, and disease response. Additionally, all the synonymous variants were found to alter the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values, potentially affecting the protein's structure and translation rate. Although there was no significant association between any ATP6 variants and disease outcomes, the variants associated with mitochondrial dysfunction as reflected by abnormal levels of lactic acid and ammonia may provide an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. Therefore they need to be explored further along with other components of the electron transport complex.

Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibition ameliorated neuroinflammation during chronic white matter ischemia

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH), a disease afflicting numerous individuals worldwide, is a primary cause of cognitive deficits, the pathogenesis of which remains poorly understood. Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibition (BTKi) is considered a promising strategy to regulate inflammatory responses within the brain, a crucial process that is assumed to drive ischemic demyelination progression. However, the potential role of BTKi in CCH has not been investigated so far. In the present study, we elucidated potential therapeutic roles of BTK in both in vitro hypoxia and in vivo ischemic demyelination model. We found that cerebral hypoperfusion induced white matter injury, cognitive impairments, microglial BTK activation, along with a series of microglia responses associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ferroptosis. Tolebrutinib treatment suppressed both the activation of microglia and microglial BTK expression. Meanwhile, microglia-related inflammation and ferroptosis processes were attenuated evidently, contributing to lower levels of disease severity. Taken together, BTKi ameliorated white matter injury and cognitive impairments induced by CCH, possibly via skewing microglia polarization towards anti-inflammatory and homeostatic phenotypes, as well as decreasing microglial oxidative stress damage and ferroptosis, which exhibits promising therapeutic potential in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced demyelination.

A retrospective study of Parkinson's disease in Southwest China 2021–2024: An age-based approach

BackgroundGlobally, Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly with increasing morbidity and disability, and its clinical pathogenesis is not clear. ObjectiveTo compare the differences in disease severity and blood biomarkers levels and their correlation between patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) and late-onset Parkinson's disease (LOPD). MethodsA total of 342 patients diagnosed with PD were retrospectively collected. PD patients were categorized into EOPD (24 patients) and LOPD (318 patients) according to the age of onset of the disease. The Hoehn-Yahr (HY) staging was used to assess the severity of the disease in PD patients. Subjective rating scales such as the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to assess the motor and non-motor functions of the patients. The differences of objective blood biomarkers such as triglyceride (TG) between the two groups were investigated. The correlation between them and PD was explored by logistic analysis. ResultsPercentage of EOPD group with HY staged as intermediate to late and Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale-III (MDS-UPDRS-III), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and TG, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (N-HDL-C), homocysteine (HCY), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were lower than those in the LOPD group (P < 0.05); and the proportion of HY staged as early stage, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Fatigue severity scale (FSS) scores and the levels of vitamin B12 were higher than those in the LOPD group (P < 0.05). The results of Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that N-HDL-C [OR = 1.409, 95 % CI (1.063, 1.868)], Apo-B [OR = 0.797, 95 % CI (0.638, 0.997)], Vitamin B12 [OR = 0.992, 95 % CI (0.987, 0.998)] and hs-CRP [OR = 1.124, 95 % CI (1.070, 1.182)] were independent factors affecting the severity of PD, with significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). ConclusionN-HDL-C, Apo-B, Vitamin B12, and hs-CRP levels play an important role in the progression of PD.

Impact of Trichoderma afroharzianum infection on fresh matter content and grain quality in maize.

Trichoderma afroharzianum, a ubiquitous soil-borne fungus found on plant roots and decaying residues, displays competitive traits and mycoparasitic behavior against diverse microorganisms. Selected strains of this fungus are known in agriculture for their beneficial effects on plant growth and as bio-fungicides. However, recent findings have pinpointed Trichoderma afroharzianum as the causal agent behind maize ear rot disease in Europe since 2018, notably impacting maize cobs in Germany, France, and Italy. This study aims to evaluate the severity of Trichoderma ear rot disease on maize fresh matter content and specific quality parameters under semi-field conditions. Two distinct maize varieties were artificially inoculated with a pathogenic Trichoderma isolate at the flowering stage using needle pin or silk channel methods. Disease severity was assessed visually at the time of harvest based on the percentage of infected kernels according to EPPO Guidelines (PP 1/285). Fresh matter content and quality parameters such as alpha-amylase activity, C/N ratio, water, and sugar content were analyzed. Results showed that needle pin inoculation led to higher disease severity (60%) compared to silk channel inoculation (39%). Cob weight decreased significantly at the highest disease severity level by up to 50% compared to control plants. In both varieties, alpha-amylase activity increased significantly with higher Trichoderma disease severity, resulting in starch degradation and increased glucose release. The germination rate was severely affected by the infection, with only 22% of grains germinating, and the seedlings showed shortened and deformed growth. This is the first report on Trichoderma ear rot infection and its effect on fresh matter content and quality parameters in maize after artificial inoculation under field conditions. The results address an important knowledge gap and provide valuable insights into the infection pathway and impact on maize quality.

Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Induction in COVID-19 Is Poorly Associated with Disease Severity and Cholesterol Levels.

SARS-CoV-2 infection was shown to induce proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) plasma levels in sepsis. Here, we investigate the association between serum PCSK9 levels and disease severity. PCSK9 was measured in serum of 55 controls, 40 patients with moderate and 60 patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Serum PCSK9 was elevated in moderate COVID-19 compared to controls and further increased in severe cases. PCSK9 levels were not associated with C-reactive protein, bacterial superinfections, interventions, or survival in patients with severe COVID-19. PCSK9 regulates circulating cholesterol levels, and 15 cholesteryl ester (CE) species and free cholesterol (FC) were quantified by direct flow injection analysis using a high-resolution hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Most CE species with shorter fatty acid chains were decreased in severe compared to moderate COVID-19, and none of the CE species were correlated with PCSK9 in patients with severe COVID-19. Levels of all CE species negatively correlated with C-reactive protein in severe COVID-19 patients. Notably, FC was induced in severe compared to moderate COVID-19. The FC/CE ratio correlated positively with inflammatory markers and was associated with non-survival. The current study suggests that the imbalance between CE and FC levels is associated with disease severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19.