Differences In Incidence Of Disease Research Articles

Antifungal Activity of Erigeron floribundus (Asteraceae) and Ripe Banana Peel-NaHCO3 Extracts on Tomato in South-Kivu/DRC-Albertan Rift in the Great Lakes Region, Central-Africa

Tomato production faces significant challenges from fungal and bacterial diseases, often requiring chemical treatments. This study explores the potential of biopesticides derived from Erigeron floribundus and ripe banana peel-NaHCO3 as sustainable alternatives to conventional fungicides. A completely randomized design was employed to test the efficacy of the biopesticides. Local methods were used to prepare the extracts. Tomato plants were treated with ripe banana peel-NaHCO3, Erigeron floribundus, and a control (Dithane M45). Plant vigor, branch number, and disease incidence were monitored and recorded. Tomato plants treated with ripe banana peel-NaHCO3 showed increased vigor and similar branch numbers compared to those treated with Erigeron floribundus and the control. There was no significant difference in disease incidence between the biopesticides and Dithane M45. Both biopesticides were effective in disease protection and promoting yield, demonstrating their potential as sustainable alternatives to chemical treatments. The study concludes that ripe banana peel-NaHCO3 and Erigeron floribundus extracts are effective in protecting tomato plants from fungal and bacterial diseases while promoting growth and yield. Their non-toxic and environmentally friendly nature makes them suitable for sustainable tomato production.

#2116 Socioeconomic position and incidence of chronic kidney disease in Central Italy

Abstract Background and Aims Socioeconomic position is strongly related to most chronic conditions, with higher prevalence, higher incidence, and more adverse outcomes in disadvantaged groups of the population compared to well-off counterparts. Similar to other pathologies, several studies reported inequalities in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Few studies investigated socioeconomic differences in disease incidence, and some analyzed socioeconomic inequalities in long-term outcomes, such as mortality or end-stage renal disease, with conflicting results. We aimed to investigate the association between educational level and CKD in the Lazio Region Longitudinal Study, i.e., the 2011 census cohort of all residents followed through administrative databases from 1 Jan 2012 to 31 Dec 2022. Method The Lazio region is one of the twenty Italian regions. With its 5.5 million inhabitants, it is located in central Italy and includes Rome, the Italian capital city. We considered the population enrolled in the Lazio Region Longitudinal Study aged 35-90 years. We used a validated algorithm to identify prevalent cases of CKD at baseline (1 Jan 2012) and incident CKD cases during the follow-up (1 Jan 2012 to 31 Dec 2022). We used the education available for each individual from the census questionnaire to indicate socioeconomic position. We used Cox proportional hazard models to investigate the association between educational level and incidence of CKD. We used age as the time scale to punctually adjust for age, and we adjusted the multivariable models for place of residence, citizenship, marital status, and occupational status. Results We selected 3 752 190 25-90-year-olds included in the Lazio Longitudinal Study. We excluded 66 376 prevalent cases, obtaining a study population of 3 685 814 CKD-free individuals. The prevalent cases were more likely males than females, increased with age, were more Italians than foreigners, were diabetics, and residents in Rome compared to the general population. The study population comprised 1 754 781 men with a mean age of 52 years and 1 997 409 women with a mean age of 54 years. During the 11 years of follow-up, we identified 88 784 new CKD cases among men and 70 217 among women, with crude incidence rates of 540 and 364 per 100, 000 person-years, respectively. The age-adjusted models showed a strong association between educational level and CKD incidence in both men and women (Table 1). In men, compared to those with a university degree, those with upper secondary education had a 30% higher risk of suffering from CKD, those with lower secondary education had a 54% higher risk, while the primary educated men had a 70% higher risk. Among women, the excess risk of low-educated compared to those with a university degree was even higher than in men, with HR = 1.33 (95% CI 1.28-1.38), HR = 1.76 (95% CI 1.69-1.82), and HR = 2.24 (95% CI 2.16-2.32) in upper secondary, lower secondary and primary school educated, respectively. The socioeconomic gap was slightly reduced when we adjusted for possible confounders. Conclusion We found strong socioeconomic inequalities in CKD incidence. Further analyses will investigate the clinical risk factors that mediate the association between educational level and CKD incidence.

Incidence and Severity of Bacterial Wilt Disease on Three Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Varieties in Central Uganda.

This study was aimed at evaluating three eggplant varieties for response to bacterial wilt disease, to guide recommendations to farmers in central Uganda. Experiments were conducted at four sites under field conditions in 2016 and 2017 in central Uganda during three planting seasons. Two commercial eggplant varieties, namely, “Black beauty” and “Long purple”, were tested alongside one newly introduced variety, the “Thai long green”. Data was collected on disease incidence, severity and fruit yield. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in disease incidence, severity, and fruit yield across seasons, varieties and sites. The “Thai long green” variety proved to be a superior in terms of bacterial wilt resistance, showing the lowest levels of mean disease severity (1.5) and incidence (14%). The long purple variety was the most susceptible. “Thai long green” also attained highest average yields (14.86 t/ha), fruit weight per plant (1.2 kg) and fruit number per plant (9), across all locations for the three seasons. Therefore, we recommend promotion of the “Thai long green” variety in the region.

A genome-wide association study for resistance to Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum) race 4 in diploid cotton (Gossypium arboreum)and resistance transfer to tetraploid Gossypium hirsutum.

Fusarium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV), is a devastating disease affecting cotton (Gossypium spp.) worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis of resistance in diploid cotton and successfully transferring the resistance to tetraploid Upland cotton (G. hirsutum) are crucial for developing resistant cotton cultivars. Although numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the genetic basis of Fusarium wilt in tetraploid cotton, little research has been conducted on diploid species. In this study, an association mapping panel consisting of 246 accessions of G. arboreum, was used to identify chromosomal regions for FOV race 4 (FOV4) resistance based on foliar disease severity ratings in four greenhouse tests. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on 7,009 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers, 24 FOV4 resistance QTLs, including three major QTLs on chromosomes A04, A06, and A11, were detected. A validation panel consisting of 97 diploid cotton accessions was employed, confirming the presence of several QTLs. Evaluation of an introgressed BC2F7 population derived from G. hirsutum/G. aridum/G. arboreum showed significant differences in disease incidence and mortality rate, as compared to susceptible and resistant controls, suggesting that the resistance in G. arboreum and/or G. aridum was transferred into Upland cotton for the first time. The identification of novel major resistance QTLs, along with the transfer of resistance from the diploid species, expands our understanding of the genomic regions involved in conferring resistance to FOV4 and contributes to the development of resilient Upland cotton cultivars.

Influence of Preharvest Polyoxin-D Applications with or Without Spray Oils on Brown Rot Development and Tree Health of Peach

Polyoxin-D is a microbial fermentation product registered to control multiple crop diseases. However, there is limited knowledge of the effect of polyoxin-D against peach brown rot or potential efficacy improvements through combinations with essential or mineral oils. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of polyoxin-D with or without thyme oil or mineral oil to control brown rot on peach caused by Monilinia fructicola in a multiyear study. Treatments were applied preharvest and included OSO 5% (polyoxin-D), OSO 5% + ThymeGuard 0.25% (polyoxin-D + thyme oil), and OSO 5% + PureSpray Green 0.5% (polyoxin-D + mineral oil). Assessment of preharvest brown rot revealed that the OSO 5% treatment had less disease incidence (9.4% on average) compared with the untreated control (20.0% on average), but no significant differences were found between OSO 5% + PureSpray Green (11.8% on average) and OSO 5% + ThymeGuard (11.4% on average). All three OSO 5% treatments reduced postharvest brown rot compared with the untreated control, but there were no significant differences in disease incidence between experimental treatments. Phytotoxicity was observed in the form of premature leaf drop. The greatest leaf drop was recorded for OSO 5% + PureSpray Green with 36.5% blind nodes on average. In summary, polyoxin-D (OSO 5%), when applied by handgun to runoff using 1,870 liters/ha water volume, significantly reduced preharvest and postharvest brown rot disease but caused some premature leaf drop. The addition of thyme oil or mineral oil did not improve its efficacy.

Survey and Surveillance on Major Rice Diseases Severity in Karnataka, India

Rice blast, sheath blight and Grain discoloration diseases of rice were becoming a serious threat to rice crop in Karnataka. The patterns of spatio-temporal distribution of disease incidence were examined in two seasons (Kharif 2012 and 2013) with main objective of statues of rice diseases in paddy growing areas of Karnataka and variability with climatic condition. Most of the fields in the paddy growing areas of Karnataka were diseased, but significant differences in disease incidence occurred among the some sites in paddy growing areas of Karnataka. The leaf blast severity showed that the highest mean per cent disease incidence 37.20 was observed in Mandya district.and sheath blight severity showed that the highest mean per cent disease incidence 41.76 was observed in Yadgir district. The spatio-temporal distribution of grain discoloration incidence in Kharif 2012 and 2013 varied with districts, the maximum disease was in Bellary (33.82% and 31.24%) followed by Koppal (31.78% and 27.16%), for sheath blight, maximum disease was in Yadgir (36.23% and 41.76%) followed by Raichur (27.16% and 30.59%) and maximum leaf blast disease was in Mandya (37.20% and 36.91%) followed by Ramanagar (36.67% and 36.54%) respectively. Many fungi have been isolated from discolored grain, Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boed. were found as a dominant pathogen. Survey and surveillance were serve as a precursor for evolving management strategies against the disease effective for the zone in an integrated way for sustainable development of crop in the state.

Are sex and gender considered in head and neck cancer clinical studies?

We analyzed the inclusion of sex and/or gender (S/G) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) clinical studies, through inspecting ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT) and the mention of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) on a specific subgroup, namely oral cavity, larynx and oropharynx. Only 5% of HNC studies mention S/G as a planned analytical variable. Proportionally more observational studies treated S/G as an analytical variable than interventional studies (10% vs 5%, P-value ≤ 0.001), 8% of studies that mentioned S/G involved more than 100 subjects while 4% less than 100 (P-value ≤ 0.001). In randomized protocols, S/G was mentioned more in studies with a planned sample of more than 100 patients and including HPV status (P-value < 0.05). Small controlled studies have lower mention of S/G as an analytical variable than uncontrolled studies (4% and 10%, respectively among studies with less than 100 subjects). Significantly greater mention of S/G as an analytical variable is observed in controlled and randomized studies with a sample size greater than 100 subjects. HPV was mentioned in only 18% of oral cavity-larynx-oropharynx studies. Interventional studies do not regularly account for S/G during HNC study design. Thus, although fundamental, in studies concerning HNC the S/G variable is often not considered. In trials published in scientific journals (P-value = 0.01) and in more recent clinical trials (P-value = 0.002), S/G is taken more into account suggesting an increasing awareness on its importance. However, the need to systematically include S/G in study design clearly emerges, to better highlight sex-related differences in disease incidence and prognosis and best imbue science and medicine with the proper biological and cultural differences.

Pleiotropy with sex-specific traits reveals genetic aspects of sex differences in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with a higher incidence in males than females. The causes for this sex difference are unknown. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 90 Parkinson's disease risk loci, but the genetic studies have not found sex-specific differences in allele frequency on autosomal chromosomes or sex chromosomes. Genetic variants, however, could exert sex-specific effects on gene function and regulation of gene expression. To identify genetic loci that might have sex-specific effects, we studied pleiotropy between Parkinson's disease and sex-specific traits. Summary statistics from GWASs were acquired from large-scale consortia for Parkinson's disease (n cases = 13 708; n controls = 95 282), age at menarche (n = 368 888 females) and age at menopause (n = 69 360 females). We applied the conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate (FDR) method to identify shared loci between Parkinson's disease and these sex-specific traits. Next, we investigated sex-specific gene expression differences in the superior frontal cortex of both neuropathologically healthy individuals and Parkinson's disease patients (n cases = 61; n controls = 23). To provide biological insights to the genetic pleiotropy, we performed sex-specific expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis and sex-specific age-related differential expression analysis for genes mapped to Parkinson's disease risk loci. Through conditional/conjunctional FDR analysis we found 11 loci shared between Parkinson's disease and the sex-specific traits age at menarche and age at menopause. Gene-set and pathway analysis of the genes mapped to these loci highlighted the importance of the immune response in determining an increased disease incidence in the male population. Moreover, we highlighted a total of nine genes whose expression or age-related expression in the human brain is influenced by genetic variants in a sex-specific manner. With these analyses we demonstrated that the lack of clear sex-specific differences in allele frequencies for Parkinson's disease loci does not exclude a genetic contribution to differences in disease incidence. Moreover, further studies are needed to elucidate the role that the candidate genes identified here could have in determining a higher incidence of Parkinson's disease in the male population.

Incidence, diversity and distribution of &lt;i&gt;Fusarium wilt&lt;/i&gt; pathogens of eggplant in some major growing areas of Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions of Ghana

Fusarium wilt of eggplant is a major cause of losses to eggplant production globally. The disease is caused by many Fusarium species. In this study, incidence, diversity and distribution of Fusarium wilt pathogens of eggplants were determined in five communities each from Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions of Ghana during the 2017–2019 cropping seasons. Purposive sampling method was used to select 10 eggplant farms infected with Fusarium wilt from each community. Infected eggplants were sampled for isolation and identification of Fusarium species. Fusarium wilt incidence was below 10% in 57.3% of the sampled farms. Differences in disease incidence were significant (p ≤ 0.05) between the Regions. Volta Region recorded the highest disease incidence. A total of eight Fusarium species were isolated. These included F. accuminatum, F. culmorum, F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum, F. poae, F. solani, F. subglutinans, and F. verticillioides. Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum and F. culmorum were the most occurring species, representing 92.79% of the isolates. Six, five and eight Fusarium species were isolated respectively in Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions. Inoculum density of the Fusarium species was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions than in the Volta Region.

Phytopathological situation in crops of spring wheat varieties in Belarus

Monitoring of phytopathological situation in crops is the basis for biological justification of the need for protective measures, allowing to obtain a yield close to the potentially possible. The results of phytopathological situation monitoring in crops of spring wheat varieties are presented in the paper. Studies were carried out in 2019–2021 in the laboratory of phytopathology and in the experimental field of the Institute of Plant Protection. Standard methods in phytopathology were used during the work. The main criteria for assessing the degree of plant infestation were disease development (%) and area under disease process curve (AUDPC, in conditional units). Analysis of phytopathological state of spring wheat crops showed that during the growing season the crop varieties were affected by diseases of vegetative and generative organs: root and byroot rots, powdery mildew, leaf and ear septoriosis, pyrenophorosis, brown rust, and fusariosis of ear. Root rot, leaf spot disease, septoriosis, and spikelet fusariosis are among the dominant diseases annually present in spring wheat crops. Variety differences in disease incidence are a factor influencing the emerging phytopathological situation in the crop. Cultivation of resistant varieties reduces the risk of epiphytotics. According to the sum of infectious loads experienced by the plants during the whole period of vegetation, the evaluated varieties of spring wheat were ranked in ascending order: Lyubava (60,5 %), Slavyanka (61,9 %), Sudarynya (66,9 %), Laska (71,3 %), and Darya (83,9 %). The results of the studies allow to give preference to the most interesting varieties, based on the available opportunities to ensure the proper level of protection against diseases.

Feasibility and Clinical Utility of Prediction Models for Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema Incorporating Racial Differences in Disease Incidence

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a common complication of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) but can also develop after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Several models have been developed to predict the risk of disease development before and after surgery; however, these models have shortcomings that include the omission of race, inclusion of variables that are not readily available to patients, low sensitivity or specificity, and lack of risk assessment for patients treated with SLNB. To create simple and accurate prediction models for BCRL that can be used to estimate preoperative or postoperative risk. In this prognostic study, women with breast cancer who underwent ALND or SLNB from 1999 to 2020 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic were included. Data were analyzed from September to December 2022. Diagnosis of lymphedema based on measurements. Two predictive models were formulated via logistic regression: a preoperative model (model 1) and a postoperative model (model 2). Model 1 was externally validated using a cohort of 34 438 patients with an International Classification of Diseases diagnosis of breast cancer. Of 1882 included patients, all were female, and the mean (SD) age was 55.6 (12.2) years; 80 patients (4.3%) were Asian, 190 (10.1%) were Black, 1558 (82.8%) were White, and 54 (2.9%) were another race (including American Indian and Alaska Native, other race, patient refused to disclose, or unknown). A total of 218 patients (11.6%) were diagnosed with BCRL at a mean (SD) follow-up of 3.9 (1.8) years. The BCRL rate was significantly higher among Black women (42 of 190 [22.1%]) compared with all other races (Asian, 10 of 80 [12.5%]; White, 158 of 1558 [10.1%]; other race, 8 of 54 [14.8%]; P < .001). Model 1 included age, weight, height, race, ALND/SLNB status, any radiation therapy, and any chemotherapy. Model 2 included age, weight, race, ALND/SLNB status, any chemotherapy, and patient-reported arm swelling. Accuracy was 73.0% for model 1 (sensitivity, 76.6%; specificity, 72.5%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.75-0.81) at a cutoff of 0.18, and accuracy was 81.1% for model 2 (sensitivity, 78.0%; specificity, 81.5%; AUC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.83-0.88) at a cutoff of 0.10. Both models demonstrated high AUCs on external (model 1: 0.75; 95% CI, 0.74-0.76) or internal (model 2: 0.82; 95% CI, 0.79-0.85) validation. In this study, preoperative and postoperative prediction models for BCRL were highly accurate and clinically relevant tools comprised of accessible inputs and underscored the effects of racial differences on BCRL risk. The preoperative model identified high-risk patients who require close monitoring or preventative measures. The postoperative model can be used for screening of high-risk patients, thus decreasing the need for frequent clinic visits and arm volume measurements.

COVID-19 and Its Relationship with Social and Behavioral Factors in the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Introduction: In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, information about risk factors of the infection is of utmost importance. The objective of our study was to analyze the prevalence of behavioral and social risk factors for COVID-19. Materials and methods: In October–November 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 1,123 residents of Kazakhstan aged 18 to 69 years. We used a standardized customized STEPS questionnaire that included socio-demographic data, behavioral data, and questions related to COVID-19. The significance of differences in data characterizing qualitative features was determined using 2×2 contingency tables based on the value of Pearson’s χ2 correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 44 years; 29 % of them were men and 71 % were women. Among those who had experienced COVID-19, there were more young and middle-aged people (p &lt; 0.05), people with higher education (55.6 %) (p &lt; 0.05), people having 1 to 3 family members (p &lt; 0.05), and those not engaged in moderate physical activity. We found no statistical relationship between smoking and the novel coronavirus disease (p &gt; 0.05). Those who recovered had higher titers of IgM and IgG antibodies. There was a considerable difference in disease incidence between the vaccinated and unvaccinated (p &lt; 0.05) with an odds ratio of 1.661 (95 % CI: 1.275; 2.164). Conclusions: Our findings can serve as a guide for COVID-19 awareness campaigns aimed at the coronavirus disease prevention conducted by health authorities and mass media. They can also serve as the basis for in-depth studies of the contribution of various factors to the risk of the disease.

Evaluation of capsicum genotypes for resistance to cucumber mosaic virus

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is one of the most destructive viruses that affect pepper all over the world. Using resistant varieties is one of the most effective ways to control the virus. Identification of new resistance sources is essential for the development of resistant cultivars. In the present study, the reactions of 50 Capsicum genotypes (25 Capsicum baccatum, 15 C. annuum and 10 C. frutescens) were determined against CMV-Sa isolate with mechanical inoculation under controlled conditions in 2020. A 0–4 disease rating scale was used to analyze the genotypes, and the genotypes were categorized as resistant, moderately resistant and susceptible based on disease incidence and disease severity scores. The findings revealed that there were significant (p &lt; 0.01) differences in disease incidence and severity among genotypes. The study demonstrated that one of the 25 tested C. baccatum genotypes (KTB-11) found to be resistant, and three genotypes (KTB-29, KTB-34, KTB-57 and KTB-72) were rated as moderately resistant to CMV. However, it was determined that all tested C. frutescens and C. annuum genotypes were susceptible to CMV. The genotypes identified as resistant and moderately resistant can be used as a source of resistance in pepper breeding studies.

Respirasome Proteins Are Regulated by Sex-Hormone Interactions in the Brain

The existence of sex differences in disease incidence is attributed, in part, to sex differences in metabolism. Uncovering the precise mechanism driving these differences is an extraordinarily complex process influenced by genetics, endogenous hormones, sex-specific lifetime events, individual differences and external environmental/social factors. In fact, such differences may be subtle, but across a life span, increase susceptibility to a pathology. Whilst research persists in the hope of discovering an elegant biological mechanism to underpin sex differences in disease, here, we show, for the first time, that such a mechanism may be subtle in nature but influenced by multiple sex-specific factors. A proteomic dataset was generated from a gonadectomized mouse model treated with Tibolone, a menopausal hormone therapy. Following functional enrichment analysis, we identified that Alzheimer's disease and the electron transport chain-associated pathways were regulated by sex-hormone interactions. Specifically, we identified that the expression of three respirasome proteins, NDUFA2, NDUFA7 and UQCR10, is significantly altered by compounding factors that contribute to sex differences. These proteins function in bioenergetics and produce reactive oxygen species, which are each dysregulated in many diseases with sex differences in incidence. We show sex-specific reprogrammed responses to Tibolone following gonadectomy, which primarily influence the expression of proteins contributing to metabolic pathways. This further infers that metabolic differences may underpin the observed sex differences in disease, but also that hormone therapy research now has potential in exploring sex-specific interventions to produce an effective method of prevention or treatment.

Geographical Distribution of Pancreatic Cancer in the State of Mississippi by Incidence and Mortality From 2003 to 2019.

Pancreatic cancer can be a very debilitating disease. In the USA and around the world, pancreatic cancer is among the causes ofcancer-related deaths. This study aims to highlight mortality and incidence rates of pancreatic cancer by geographic location. The study area is the state of Mississippi with atargeted time period between 2003 and 2019. The Mississippi Cancer Registry is the source of data for this study. The subject under investigation was divided into two phases. The first phase involved analyzing data on the incidence rate while the second phase entailed data analysis of the pancreatic cancer mortality rate in Mississippi. In both phases, the focus was on three categories of geographic locations in Mississippi, which includepublic health districts, the regional cancer coalitions in the state, and the interplay between rural and urban locations.Descriptiveand inferential statistical approaches with graphical techniques and tabulations were utilized in data presentation. The results of this study demonstrate there are variations in the incidence rates of pancreatic cancer by geographic location in Mississippi. In the data analysis of the Mississippi public health districts, the worst-hit areas include the rural communities in the rural-urban regional analysis, the Delta region among the cancer coalition regions, and the Central District (incidence rates) and North District (mortality rates). In Mississippi, there is a need for aggressive community-based participation and education. This approach will help improve screening and early detection of pancreatic cancer. Healthcare intake should be boosted and geared toward a reduction in mortality rates. To minimize disparities that eventually lead to differences in disease incidence and mortality from different locations, legislative and non-legislative authorities should advocate for equitable distribution of healthcare resources. An understanding of the geographic distribution of pancreatic cancer in a state will aid in the designation of specific primary prevention measures targeted in the worst-hit communities.

Survey and Molecular Identification of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Causing Bacterial Spot of Tomato in Blue Nile State in Sudan

This study aimed to survey, characterize, and identify the causal pathogen of tomato bacterial spots (TBS). The survey evaluated the disease incidence and severity on tomato cultivated in Blue Nile State during the autumn season 2015. The surveyed sites were in Alrosseris and Aldmazein localities. Four farms were selected from each locality. Symptomatic leaves were collected and sent to plant pathology laboratory, Department of Crop protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum for detection of the pathogen. Pathogenicity of the isolated bacteria was confirmed by relevant test. The pathogen was isolated and characterized morphologically, biochemically and at molecular level. The survey revealed that there was no significant difference in disease incidence within each locality, while there were significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) among locations within both localities in disease severity. The disease incidence was remarkably high in Alrosseris and Aldamazein which recorded 49.27 and 52.17 %, respectively, while the disease severity was 28.28 and 30.32%, respectively. The results showed that the isolates were rod shaped, obligate aerobic, Gram negative, catalase positive, oxidase negative, and were able to hydrolyse starch and gelatine, yellow colonies on nutrient agar and Yeast Dextrose Calcium carbonate (YDC) media. In the pathogenicity test, the bacterium known as Xanthomonas vesicatoria was confirmed to be as Xanthomonas euvesicatoria by PCR and sequence analysis of the 16S RNA gene (Gen Bank Accession No's MH047248, MH051263 and MG686236).These results also indicate that the tomato plants grown in Blue Nile State were highly infected by the bacterial leaf spots. Further studies should be considered to determine potential yield loss caused by the pathogen, as well as control strategies to limit the spread of this pathogen. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria causing bacterial spot disease in tomato in Sudan

Origin of Sex-Biased Mental Disorders: Do Males and Females Experience Different Selective Regimes?

The origins of sex-biased differences in disease and health are of growing interest to both medical researchers and health professionals. Several major factors have been identified that affect sex differences in incidence of diseases and mental disorders. These are: sex chromosomes, sex hormones and female immunity, sexual selection and antagonistic evolution, and differential susceptibility of sexes to environmental factors. These factors work on different time scales and are not exclusive of each other. Recently, a combined Sexual Selection-Sex Hormones (SS-SH) Theory was presented as an evolutionary mechanism to explain sex-biased differences in diseases and mental disorders (Singh in J Mol Evol 89:195–213, 2021). In that paper disease prevalence trends were investigated, and non-sex-specific diseases were hypothesized to be more common in males than in females in general. They showed signs of exceptions to this trend with inflammatory diseases and stress-related mental disorders that were more common in females. We believe that the SS-SH theory requires the consideration of psycho-social stress (PSS) to explain the predominance of female-biased mental disorders and some other exceptions in their findings. Here we present a theory of sex-differential experience of PSS and provide quantitative support for the combined SS-SH-PSS Theory using age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) recording the levels of male- and female-bias in data obtained from different countries. The grand theory provides an evolutionary framework for explaining patterns of sex-biased trends in the prevalence of disease and health. Further exploration of women’s vulnerability to social factors may help to facilitate new treatments for female-biased diseases.

Incidence of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the modern era; an Australian study

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an X-linked recessive condition is maternally inherited in two-thirds of affected boys. It is important to establish carrier status of female relatives to restore reproductive confidence for non-carriers and facilitate reproductive options and cardiac surveillance for carriers. This study investigates disease incidence within an Australian model of cascade screening and evolving genetic diagnostic technologies. A retrospective population-based cohort study of all genetically and/or histopathologically confirmed males with DMD, born in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory was undertaken from 2002–2012. Cases were identified using state-wide molecular laboratory and clinical databases. The annual disease incidence and “theoretically” preventable cases were extrapolated over the study period. Proband genotype/phenotype, pedigree analysis, carrier-risk and extent of cascade screening were also determined. The cumulative incidence of disease was 19.7 per 100,000 male live births and 1 in 5076 live born males were diagnosed with DMD. Differences in disease incidence were not statistically different when compared between 2002–2007 and 2008–2012 (incidence rate ratio = 1.13, 95% CI 0.76–1.69, p = 0.52). The incidence rate ratio of theoretically preventable cases did not significantly change between 2002–2007 and 2008–2012 (incidence rate ratio = 2.07, 95% CI 0.58–9.21, p = 0.23). Current diagnostic and cascade screening models have limitations in their impact on disease incidence, due to a spectrum of logistical, patient and condition related factors. Innovative approaches to reduce DMD incidence may be better achieved by preconception or early pregnancy carrier screening, prenatal exome sequencing and newborn screening.

Unsupervised learning methods for efficient geographic clustering and identification of disease disparities with applications to county-level colorectal cancer incidence in California

Many public health policymaking questions involve data subsets representing application-specific attributes and geographic location. We develop and evaluate standard and tailored techniques for clustering via unsupervised learning (UL) algorithms on such amalgamated (dual-domain) data sets. The aim of the associated algorithms is to identify geographically efficient clusters that also maximize the number of statistically significant differences in disease incidence and demographic variables across top clusters. Two standard UL approaches, k means with k++ initialization (k++) and the standard self-organizing map (SSOM), are considered along with a new, tailored version of the SOM (TSOM). The TSOM algorithm involves optimization of a customized objective function with terms promoting individual geographic cluster cohesion while also maximizing the number of differences across clusters, and two hyper-parameters controlling the relative weighting of geographic and attribute subspaces in a non-Euclidean distance measure within the clustering problem. The performance of these three techniques (k++, SSOM, TSOM) is compared and evaluated in the context of a data set for colorectal cancer incidence in the state of California, at the level of individual counties. Clusters are visualized via chloropleth maps and ordered graphs are also used to illustrate disparities in disease incidence among four identity groups. While all three approaches performed well, the TSOM identified the largest number of disease and demographic disparities while also yielding more geographically efficient top clusters. Techniques presented in this study are relevant to applications including the delivery of health care resources and identifying disparities among identity groups, and to questions involving coordination between county- and state-level policymakers.

Epidemiology, Microbiology, and Genetics of Contact Lens-Related and Non-Contact Lens-Related Infectious Keratitis.

Infectious keratitis is a rare but severe condition associated with a range of ocular and systemic predisposing conditions, including ocular trauma, prior surgery, surface disease, and contact lens (CL) wear. This review explores the epidemiology of infectious keratitis, specifically the differences in disease incidence and risk factors, causative organism profile and virulence characteristics and host microbiome, genetics, gene expression, proteomics, and metabolomic characteristics in CL-related and non-CL-related diseases. Differences exist in the epidemiology, demographics, causative organisms, and their virulence characteristics in CL-related and non-CL-related diseases, and there is less evidence to support differences between these groups of individuals in the ocular surface microbiome, genetics, and pathways of disease. Genetic variations, however, in the host immune profile are implicated in both the onset and severity of infectious keratitis in CL and non-CL wearers. As technologies in metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics improved to be better able to process small-volume samples from the ocular surface, there will be improved understanding of the interplay between the CL, ocular surface, host immune profile, and the microbial environment. This may result in a more personalized approach in the management of disease to reduce disease severity.