Incidence Of Disease Research Articles

Exploring Natural Infection in Alternative Hosts of Corn Stunt Spiroplasma and Tracking the Temporal Dynamics of Corn Stunt Disease in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome

The corn stunt disease complex, caused by the mollicutes Spiroplasma kunkelii (Css) and the maize bushy stunt (MBS) phytoplasma, is a major phytosanitary issue for corn production in the neotropical region of Brazil. In this study, we investigated the presence of alternative hosts for S. kunkelii (Css) in the Brazilian Cerrado biome and explored the potential for asymptomatic Css infections in maize plants. To identify possible alternative hosts, we collected samples from ornamental and native plants located in Cerrado regions with a high incidence of corn stunt disease. We also monitored the disease’s progression over time and calculated the area under the disease progression curve (AUDPC). Additionally, we sampled healthy, asymptomatic maize plants growing near symptomatic ones and analyzed all the samples using qPCR to detect the pathogen. Our results showed no Css infection in the sampled alternative host species and no asymptomatic infections in the nearby maize plants. The incidence of maize stunting varied significantly among the sample years and counties. In Aparecida do Rio Negro, the infection rate was six times higher in 2020 compared to 2019, while Porto Nacional showed an 11-fold increase. During surveillance from March to July, the infection rate at the Sierra site went from less than 3% in March 2019 to 6% in July (F1,4 = 415.84; p = 0.0003). MBS infection increased significantly, while S. kunkelii remained stable below 3%. In 2020, MBS increased from 3% to more than 12%. A similar trend was observed at the Sede site, where MBS increased from 9% in 2019 to 11% in 2020. An increase in the AUDPC was observed both within individual years and between 2019 and 2020, indicating a worsening trend in disease severity. Overall, our findings reinforce the need for preventive measures in managing maize crop fields.

Investigating the effects of indoor lighting on measures of brain health in older adults: protocol for a cross-over randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe worldwide number of adults aged 60 years and older is expected to double from 1 billion in 2019 to 2.1 billion by 2050. As the population lives longer, the rising incidence of chronic diseases, cognitive disorders, and behavioral health issues threaten older adults’ health span. Exercising, getting sufficient sleep, and staying mentally and socially active can improve quality of life, increase independence, and potentially lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Nonpharmacological approaches might help promote such behaviors. Indoor lighting may impact sleep quality, physical activity, and cognitive function. Dynamically changing indoor lighting brightness and color throughout the day has positive effects on sleep, cognitive function, and physical activity of its occupants. The aim of this study is to investigate how different indoor lighting conditions affect such health measures to promote healthier aging.MethodsThis protocol is a randomized, cross-over, single-site trial followed by an exploratory third intervention. Up to 70 older adults in independent living residences at a senior living facility will be recruited. During this 16-week study, participants will experience three lighting conditions. Two cohorts will first experience a static and a dynamic lighting condition in a cluster-randomized cross-over design. The static condition lighting will have fixed brightness and color to match lighting typically provided in the facility. For the dynamic condition, brightness and color will change throughout the day with increased brightness in the morning. After the cross-over, both cohorts will experience another dynamic lighting condition with increased morning brightness to determine if there is a saturation effect between light exposure and health-related measures. Light intake, sleep quality, and physical activity will be measured using wearable devices. Sleep, cognitive function, mood, and social engagement will be assessed using surveys and cognitive assessments.DiscussionWe hypothesize participants will have better sleep quality and greater physical activity during the dynamic lighting compared to the static lighting condition. Additionally, we hypothesize there is a maximal threshold at which health-outcomes improve based on light exposure. Study findings may identify optimal indoor lighting solutions to promote healthy aging for older adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05978934.

Association of moderate alcohol intake with the risks of cirrhosis and steatotic liver disease: Results from a large population-based cohort study

Background&AimsThere is uncertainty about the associations between moderate alcohol consumption and liver-related outcomes. We aimed to explore the associations of moderate drinking with cirrhosis, steatotic liver disease (SLD), and liver cancer in a large cohort study. MethodsA total of 215,559 non-drinkers and moderate drinkers (< 20 g/day alcohol for females or < 30 g/day for males) were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and followed up to 2022. The primary outcome is incident cirrhosis, and the secondary outcomes are the incidence of steatotic liver disease and liver cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for liver-related outcomes in relation to moderate drinkers, as well as the quantity and type of their alcohol intake. All analyses were stratified by sex. ResultsA total of 705 cirrhosis, 2,010 SLD, and 350 liver cancer cases were documented during a median follow-up period of 12.7 years. Compared with non-drinkers, moderate drinkers had a lower risk of SLD (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.89). Among the moderate drinkers, alcohol intake [per standard deviation (SD) increment] was associated with an increased risk of incident cirrhosis (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.20), but the association was attenuated after restricting alcohol intake to no more than 16 g/day. Wine consumption (per SD increment of the percentage of wine consumption of total alcohol intake) had an inverse association with incident cirrhosis and SLD (HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.89 for cirrhosis; HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.96 for SLD). The inverse associations between moderate wine use and SLD were likely to be sex-dependent (P for interaction = 0.01). ConclusionsThe excessive alcohol threshold of 30 g/day for males may be set high for liver health. Further work is needed to make sex-specific recommendations on moderate drinking for liver health.

An epidemiological survey of visual impairment in rural populations aged 30 and above: the Handan Eye Study

Objective: To investigate the changes in prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment over six years among rural populations aged 30 and above in Yongnian County, Handan City, Hebei Province, a pilot area in northern China for blindness prevention and treatment, and to study the incidence of common blinding eye diseases. Methods: This population-based prospective cohort study included a baseline survey conducted from 2006 to 2007 using stratified cluster sampling, targeting 6 830 Han Chinese individuals aged 30 and above, with a response rate of 90.4%, and a follow-up survey conducted from 2012 to 2013 with 5 394 participants, maintaining a response rate of 85.3%. Visual impairment was defined according to World Health Organization standards as visual acuity<20/60 but ≥20/400, and blindness as visual acuity<20/400. Age-and gender-standardized prevalence rates of blindness and visual impairment, along with their 95% confidence intervals (CI), were estimated. The six-year incidence rates of primary glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and myopic maculopathy, along with their 95%CI, were reported. Results: At baseline, the standardized prevalence of bilateral blindness in individuals aged 30 and above was 0.6% (41/6 799) for presenting visual acuity and 0.5% (31/6 799) for best-corrected visual acuity. These rates were higher than those found in the follow-up survey, 0.5% (27/5 293) and 0.3% (17/5 276). Conversely, the standardized prevalence of bilateral visual impairment increased from 4.7% (361/6 799) and 1.0% (85/6 799) at baseline to 6.5% (355/5 293) and 1.4% (74/5 276) at follow-up, respectively. The leading cause of bilateral blindness was cataract in both baseline (13/31, 41.9%) and follow-up (7/17) surveys. Other major causes included myopic retinal degeneration (5/31, 16.1% at baseline; 2/17 at follow-up), glaucoma (3/31, 9.7% at baseline; 2/17 at follow-up), and corneal opacity (3/31, 9.7% at baseline; 2/17 at follow-up). Over six years, the incidence rates for primary glaucoma, early and late age-related macular degeneration, and myopic maculopathy in individuals aged 35 and above were 1.6% (95%CI: 1.2%-1.9%), 4.2% (95%CI: 3.8%-4.7%), 0.2% (95%CI: 0.2%-0.3%), and 0.1% (95%CI: 0.0%-0.2%), respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of bilateral blindness in the rural population of Yongnian County, Handan City, Hebei Province, decreased over six years due to blindness prevention and treatment efforts but remained higher than in urban areas. Meanwhile, the prevalence of bilateral visual impairment increased since the baseline survey. Cataracts continued to be the primary cause of blindness, followed by myopic retinal degeneration, glaucoma, and corneal opacity.

Stevia rebaudiana Is a New Host of Stagonosporopsis pogostemonis Associated with Leaf Spot Disease in China.

Stevia rebaudiana is a promising medicinal and edible plant, widely cultivated in China. In 2022-2023, a new leaf spot disease occurred in S. rebaudiana in Hongxing country (32°34'55″N, 118°2'12″E), Dingyuan city, Anhui province. Symptoms were observed on 10 to 15% of plants in three S. rebaudiana nursery beds (0.1 ha in total). The typical symptoms included dark brown spots on the leaves and foliar wilting, the development of brown stems with dieback of top buds, and occasional plant death (Fig. 1a). To identify the pathogen, twenty diseased leaves were collected, cut into small pieces, surface sterilized with 75% ethanol for 30 s, in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, washed three times in sterile water, placed on PDA, and incubated at 25℃ for 5 days. Pure cultures were prepared by subculturing hyphal tips. Twenty-five Stagonosporopsis-like isolates with similar morphology were obtained. After 7 days growth on PDA, colonies had a regular margin, were cottony, and formed concentric circles on the surface that were gray-green. The reverse side of the culture was dark brown with a creme-orange and white, margin. The growth rate was 9.5 mm/day on PDA. Pycnidia were mostly solitary, globose or subglobose, pale to dark brown, thin-walled, glabrous, ostiolate, 95.735~250.851×90.93~266.32 μm (n=50). Conidia were oblong, cylindrical to ellipsoidal, smooth-walled, aseptate, with rounded ends and two polar guttules and measured 3.41 to 5.83 × 1.78 to 3.07 μm (n = 50) (Fig.1 b-d). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA, large ribosomal subunit (LSU) gene, β-tubulin (TUB2) gene and RNA polymerase II (RPB2) gene sequences of two representative isolates (TYJ-SP1 and TYJ-SP2) were amplified by PCR (Woudenberg et al. 2009; Dong et al. 2021). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos.: OR506193 and OR506194 for ITS, OR533526 and OR533527 for LSU, OR545221and OR545222 for TUB; OR545223 and OR545224 for RPB2) and showed 99.60% to 99.2% similarity to ITS (502/504 bp and 507/511 bp; MZ156571), 100% similarity to LSU (857/857 bp and 857/857 bp; MZ191532), 98.67% to 99.3% similarity to TUB2 (296/300 bp and 298/300 bp; MZ203132) and 99.78% (888/890 bp and 868/870 bp; MZ203135) of S. pogostemonis strain ZHKUCC 21-0001. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of ITS, LSU, TUB2 and RPB2 using MEGA 11.0 showed the strains TYJ-SP1 and TYJ-SP2 formed a clade with S. pogostemonis (Fig. 2). Thus, the strains were identified as S. pogostemonis (Dong et al. 2021). To test pathogenicity, the strain TYJ-SP1 was inoculated onto 30-day-old S. rebaudiana seedlings which were surface sterilized with 70% alcohol and washed 3 times with water and air dried prior to inoculation. Ten seedlings were sprayed with a conidial suspension (105 conidia/mL) and ten seedlings were sprayed with sterile water to serve as the negative control. All seedlings were maintained in a growth chamber (25°C, 90% relative humidity) with a 16 h photoperiod. Brown spots were first observed on inoculated leaves 48 h after inoculation; typical symptoms appeared by 7 days post inoculation. All inoculated plants developed symptoms similar to naturally infected plants in the nursery beds, and the disease incidence reached 100% while control plants remained symptom free (Fig. 1 e-f). The same Stagonosporopsis isolates were reisolated from the inoculated plants and identified based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. S. pogostemonis has been reported to cause leaf spot in Pogostemon cablin and Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (Dong et al. 2021; Habib et al. 2024). To our knowledge, this is the first report of S. pogostemonis causing leaf spot on S. rebaudiana in China. As a medicinal and economic plant, S. rebaudiana is widely planted in China and other Asian countries. The occurrence of this leaf spot disease seriously affects its medicinal and economic value. Therefore, it is crucial to establish and implement effective disease management practices to reduce the impact of the disease.

Panorama dos principais estudos clínicos sobre medicamentos contra tuberculose no Brasil e no mundo

Introduction: This article provides a comprehensive overview of tuberculosis (TB) drug clinical trials conducted in Brazil and globally. TB is highlighted as one of the leading lethal infectious diseases, facing the growing challenge of drug resistance. Objective: The study aims to map recent advances and identify gaps and challenges in the search for effective treatments for TB, emphasizing Brazil’s contribution, which is known for its research in tropical diseases. Method: An analysis of clinical trials related to TB was conducted, focusing on the geographical diversity of the studies and the intersectoral collaboration between governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations. The survey covered research at both national and international levels. Results: The results indicate a significant increase in the number of clinical trials, reflecting a growing interest and investment in research and development (R&amp;D) aimed at combating TB. Regions with high disease incidence have received special attention. Collaboration between different sectors has been crucial in promoting progress. Conclusions: Despite the advances, the study underscores important challenges, such as the need for more R&amp;D investments and the urgency of public policies to facilitate access to new drugs. The article highlights the importance of continuous and collaborative efforts in developing safe and accessible treatments, as well as the effective integration of innovations into the healthcare system, with special attention to vulnerable populations.

Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum spaethianum on Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum in Korea.

Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum (Miq.) Ohwi (Asparagaceae), commonly known as Lesser Solomon's seal, is a perennial herbaceous plant widely distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is known for tea and contains various pharmacologically active compounds (Chang et al. 2007). In September 2021, previously unseen anthracnose was encountered on Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum in Chuncheon (37°45'07''N; 127°47'45''E) and Wanju (35°38'47''N; 127°31'16''E), Korea, with a disease incidence of 20 to 30% of the inspected plants. The disease symptoms begin with leaf yellowing (chlorosis) along the margins, progressing toward the central part of the leaf. As the disease progressed, brown necrotic lesions developed, covered with small, dark dots, indicating the presence of conidiomata of Colletotrichum. The disease often led to leaf blight, resulting in concentric lesions of a periodic and concentric arrangement of conidiomata, forming circular patterns within the affected tissue. It expanded rapidly during the rainy season producing water-soaked lesions but nearly slowed down during the dry season, leaving the plant with a ragged appearance. Monoconidial isolates were obtained from five fresh samples collected in Wanju, of which a representative isolate was deposited in the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC410442), and the dried specimen was housed at the herbarium of Jeonbuk National University (JBNU0135). Morphological characteristics of the fungus were examined with fresh and naturally infected leaves. Setae (n = 30) were dark brown to nearly blackish, 45 to 172 um long, 4.1 to 6.1 µm wide at the base, and becoming narrower upwards, apex pointed, 2 to 4-septate. Conidia were 1-celled, sometimes uniseptate before germination, slightly curved, with an acute or rounded apex and a more or less truncate base, and 11.4 to 23.2 × 3.1 to 4.2 µm. Appressoria were single or in groups, dark brown, lobate, irregularly shaped, and 6.0 to 11.9 × 7.0 to 14.8 µm. Two-week-old colonies grown on PDA at 25 ℃ reached 30-35 mm in diam., initially white, turning gray with age, with cottony aerial mycelia. These morphological characteristics were in good agreement with those of C. spaethianum (Damm et al. 2009; Liu et al. 2020). To confirm the morphology-based determination, genomic DNA was extracted from KACC410442, and multi-loci sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) rDNA, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (actA), chitin synthase (CHS1), histone (HIS3) and tubulin (TUB2) genes were determined, as outlined by Cannon et al. (2012) and Damm et al. (2009). The resulting sequences obtained in this study were registered to GenBank (PP739190 for ITS, PP741985 for GAPDH, PP741986 for actA, PP741987 for CHS1, PP741988 for HIS3, and PP741989 for TUB2) and compared with other sequences on GenBank using the BLASTn search tool. The results showed 100% identity to other C. spaethianum sequences (e.g., MT611068 for ITS, MN400659 for actA, OP965007 for CHS1, OR060963 for GAPDH, PP480643 for HIS3, and OQ613727 for TUB2). In a maximum parsimony tree, the Korean isolate formed a well-supported clade (100% bootstrap value) with reference sequences of C. spaethianum. Pathogenicity was tested by spraying a conidial suspension (1×104 conidia/ml) from a two-week-old culture onto ten leaves of three potted plants, without wounding. Ten water-sprayed leaves were served as controls. The plants were maintained in a dew chamber and later moved to a greenhouse at 25 to 30 °C. After two weeks, all inoculated plants developed anthracnose symptoms, while the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus isolated from the inoculated plants was morphologically identical to that initially observed, fulfilling Koch's postulates. C. spaethianum has been known on various plant species, but mostly on the Asparagaceae, including Anemarrhena (Okorley et al. 2019), Hosta (Damm et al. 2009; Cheon and Jeon 2016), and Polygonatum (Liu et al. 2020; Ma et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose caused by C. spaethianum on P. odoratum var. pluriflorum in Korea, highlighting the continuous need for disease management and control in the cultivation of this plant.

Integrated pest management farmer field school of Chinese cabbage for young farmers in Batu City

The Abinaya Milenial Youth Farmers Group in Sumber Brantas Village, Bumiaji District, Batu City, faces significant challenges in cultivating Chinese cabbage due to a high incidence of clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, with infection rates reaching 50–80 percent, leading to crop failure. The overuse of synthetic pesticides has resulted in pathogen resistance. Therefore, we adopted an integrated pest management (IPM) approach focusing on long-term prevention by integrating ecologically-based control techniques. The principles of IPM include managing healthy plants, preserving natural enemies, monitoring, and enhancing farmers' ecological understanding to become IPM experts. Through the IPM Farmer Field School (IPM-FFS), we aimed to implement ecological IPM, improve agroecosystem health, and support sustainable agriculture through participatory extension methods. Activities were conducted from June to November 2023 in Sumber Brantas Village, Bumiaji District, Batu City. The activities included surveys, planning, socialization, teaching, training, and follow-up. The IPM-FFS successfully developed standard operating procedures for Chinese cabbage management, increasing farmers' knowledge of IPM by 85 percent. The adoption of IPM reduced the incidence of clubroot disease to 20 percent, increased production by 420 kg, and reduced production costs by IDR 403,000 on an area of 400 m2. Farmers independently produce compost, compost tea, botanical pesticides, mycorrhizae, and fungicides through the IPM-FFS, empowering them in sustainable agriculture.

Research Progress on the Mechanism for Improving Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders Using Phenolic Acid Components from Medicinal and Edible Homologous Plants.

Glucose and lipid metabolism disorders are the core pathological mechanism of a variety of metabolic diseases, and the incidence of related diseases is increasing year by year, which seriously threatens human life and health. Traditional Chinese medicine with medicinal and edible properties refers to Chinese medicinal resources that have both medicinal and edible characteristics. Due to its safety and its health-promoting and medicinal functions, traditional Chinese medicine has received increasing attention in the development of functional health foods. Phenolic acids are important secondary metabolites that are ubiquitous in medicinal and edible homologous plants, and the regulation of glycolipid metabolism is an important activity and plays a key role in many diseases. In this paper, we focus on the alleviation of glycolipid disorders using MEHH phenolic acids, which regulate glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism, improve insulin resistance, inhibit inflammatory responses, alleviate oxidative stress, and regulate intestinal flora; additionally, we summarize the mechanism in order to provide a reference for MEHH phenolic acids in the treatment of glycolipid metabolism diseases.

Community Behavior Based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge Towards Environmental Health and Disease Prevention

This study explores how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) affects community behavior related to environmental health and disease prevention. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, which includes customary practices, cultural beliefs, and local wisdom, plays a crucial role in how communities interact with their environment. Focusing on the relationship between Traditional Ecological Knowledge and public health, this study investigates how indigenous peoples utilize traditional ecological knowledge to maintain and maintain natural beauty, natural habitats, environmental cleanliness, utilize available facilities, infrastructure, natural potential, reduce health risks, and prevent the spread of disease. The study used qualitative methods, including interviews and field observations, to collect data from community members who actively practiced Traditional Ecological Knowledge in their daily lives. The findings suggest that TEK-based behaviors, such as natural resource management, traditional medicine use, and community-led environmental monitoring, significantly contribute to reducing the incidence of waterborne diseases, improving sanitation, and fostering overall environmental resilience. This study underscores the importance of integrating and synergizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge into modern public health frameworks, demonstrating that recognizing and preserving indigenous knowledge systems (Traditional Knowledge) can enhance community-based approaches to disease prevention and environmental sustainability. The study concludes that encouraging collaboration between traditional and modern health practices is key to developing more effective and efficient strategies for safeguarding the health of the environment and people.

The Potential Effects of Red Wine and Its Components on Neurocognitive Disorders: A Narrative Review.

The aging population is associated with a net increase in the incidence and prevalence of chronic-degenerative diseases, particularly neurocognitive disorders. Therefore, the identification of preventative strategies to restrain the burden of such chronic conditions is of key relevance. Red wine and its components have accumulated evidence regarding their positive effects in terms of neurological pathologies associated with neurocognitive symptoms. Based on this background, the present narrative review aims to summarize the state-of-the-art evidence on the effects of red wine and its components on neurocognitive disorders in both preclinical and clinical settings. The main findings highlight a protective effect of wine polyphenols present in red wine on dementia in different preclinical models of cognitive decline. The current translational clinical evidence remains uncertain, especially considering the risk-to-benefit ratio of alcohol consumption on brain health. Given the overall health risks associated with red wine consumption and consistent with the prevailing guidelines in the literature, there is insufficient evidence to support light-to-moderate red wine consumption as an effective strategy for preventing these diseases. However, the largely preclinical findings on polyphenols derived from red wine remain of significant interest in this context.

The women's cardiovascular disease risk perception after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A qualitative meta-synthesis

BackgroundHypertensive disorders of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, but studies suggest that women with previous hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are not aware of this. Little is known about how these women perceive the condition and the associated long-term risks. ObjectivesThis study aims to examine and synthesize qualitative evidence on the perceptions and awareness of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy following perceived cardiovascular disease risk. MethodsComputer searches of Pub Med, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang database, Vip and SinoMed for all qualitative studies that met the inclusion criteria. The time frame for the search was from the establishment of the database to April 2024. Literature quality was assessed using the Australian Joanna Briggs Institute Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care Qualitative Research quality assessment criteria, and results were summarised and integrated using a pooled integration approach. ResultsEleven studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria and quality assessment were included in the meta synthesis. Three themes were identified during the analysis: (1)Factors affecting perceived cardiovascular risk in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; (2)Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy use different strategies to cope with cardiovascular risk; (3)Needs and expectations for coping with cardiovascular disease risk. ConclusionsBoth women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and healthcare providers lack knowledge of the link between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and cardiovascular risk. Healthcare professionals should establish a multidimensional support model, pay timely attention to postpartum women's psycho-emotional and risk awareness, and give individualised health education to promote health behaviour change. At the same time, professionals should be given standardised training and personalised follow-up services to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in the future.

Identifying potential exercise mimetics that deliver the benefits of exercise

Identifying potential exercise mimetics that deliver the benefits of exercise Robert Wessells, Associate Professor at Wayne State University, discusses his research on identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics to deliver the benefits of exercise to less mobile individuals and help reduce the global disease burden. Exercise is an indispensable part of our daily life to maintain a healthy body and brain across ages. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases and preserve healthy function during normal aging, improving quality of life and independence. However, regular exercise remains inaccessible to portions of the population due to injury, illness, advanced age, or job-enforced sedentary periods. Therefore, identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics that can deliver the benefits of exercise to sedentary people would be potentially transformative in reducing disease burden worldwide.

Influence of cultivar selection on blast and brown spot diseases in rice: Molecular screening of blast resistance genes &amp;nbsp;

The prevalence of blast and brown spot diseases in rice is a substantial threat to national food security. This study investigated the distribution patterns of blast and brown spot, comparing their occurrence and distribution with respect to cultivar selection and conducting molecular screening for the identification of blast resistance genes. The research was conducted over five cultivating seasons from Yala 2017 to Yala 2019 in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Incidence percentages of the two diseases were calculated in 114 randomly selected fields across the five districts; Jaffna, Mullaitheevu, Kilinochchi, Mannar, and Vavuniya. Molecular markers were used to screen for nine major blast-resistant genes in 25 commonly cultivated rice cultivars. The results showed a significant shift in the disease over the period of study. While blast disease incidence declined after Maha 2017, brown spot incidence increased steadily from Yala 2017, peaking in Yala 2019. Interestingly, farmers’ cultivar preferences, often diverging from the Department of Agriculture recommendations, exhibited a strong correlation with disease occurrence. The cultivar Attakkari was identified as a highly susceptible cultivar, which had only three R genes and a major contributor to the progression of blast before Maha 2017. Despite higher brown spot incidence percentages observed in cultivars At362, Bw367, and Bg450, compared to Bg360, intensive post-Maha 2017 cultivation of Bg360 increased the average brown spot incidence to 43%. Cultivars grown after Maha 2017, with over five R genes, showed lower blast disease incidence, suggesting a genetic link to susceptibility. This lower incidence of blast was also observed in the disease evaluation test, where we used the same cultivars. Hence, this study highlights rice cultivar selection as a decisive factor influencing disease occurrence. Given Sri Lanka’s robust germplasm for blast-resistant genes, strategic cultivar selection has the potential for effective disease management.

In-vitro &amp; In-vivo Studies on Antimicrobial and Plant Growth Promoting Efficacy of Fluorescent Pseudomonads

Aims: Excessive use of chemical fungicides cause environmental pollution and its residual effects are deleterious for human and animal consumption. So, application of biological control agents in IDM is an ecofriendly complement to manage the diseases as well as to protect the environment. PGPRs are free living microorganisms which have antimicrobial properties as well as exert beneficial effects to plant growth. Study Design: This present study has been designed to identify potential indigenous fluorescent Pseudomonads strains from different crop ecosystems under Eastern Gangetic plains of West Bengal. Study of Plant growth promoting properties and antimicrobial properties were done under both in-vitro and in vivo condition. Place and Duration of Study: Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, Duration 03years Methodology: Under this experiment 22 bacterial isolates were isolated and purified from different rhizosphere. Isolates were identified based on different biochemical test like catalase, oxidase activity, citrate utilization. The major plant growth promoting properties like P, K and Zn solubilisation efficiency were tested. In-vitro antimicrobial properties were also tested like HCN production, Volatile and non volatile compounds production etc. Based on in-vitro performance, best performing isolate was selected for in-vivo in Lentil against Stemphylium botryosum, a major disease causing fungi of lentil. IDM practice was done in three stages like Seed treatment, Prophylactic spray and Therapeutic spray and three lentil variety WBL 77(Maitree), Pusa Ageti and MN12 were used. Results: Most of the isolates showed positive result in biochemical tests and performed well i.r.o. PGP properties and antimicrobial properties. In field trial UBPF5 gave a promising result. PF5 isolate was identified through 16S rRNA based molecular method and sample showed 99.25% similarity with Pseudomonas gessardii based on nucleotide homology and phylogenetic analysis. In comparison to different combination of treatments cuprous chloride as seed treatment, Pseudomonas sp. as prophylactic spray and for therapeutic purpose Boscalid + Pyroclostrobin were found mostly efficient in respect of disease incidence as well as plant growth and yield. Prophylactic spray with Pseudomonas sp. in combination with biological seed treatment and therapeutic application of fungicide has resulted in 26-38% reduction in disease incidence and 28-32% increment in yield. Conclusion: So, use of PGPR in combination with chemical fungicides is an eco-friendly tool to manage plant diseases in a sustainable manner.

Enhancing apple postharvest protection: Efficacy of pectin coatings containing Cryptococcus laurentii against Penicillium expansum

The aim of this work is the application of pectin coatings containing Cryptococcus laurentii as a method of biocontrol of Penicillium expansum for postharvest protection of apples. For this purpose, the yeast was incorporated into a pectin matrix, and its viability and biocontrol activity in vitro and in vivo against P. expansum was evaluated over time. In addition, the influence of the sterilization process on coating thickness was studied. Results showed that pectin coating with C. laurentii enhanced mycelial growth inhibition in vitro studies, while no significant differences were observed in disease incidence and severity reduction in vivo studies. The sterilization process reduced the viscosity of the pectin solution, resulting in coating thicknesses ranging from 0.5 to 1 μm. As a general evaluation, in vitro and in vivo, biocontrol assays were useful in demonstrating better postharvest protection of the yeast at 7 °C concerning 25 °C.

First Report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing Leaf Anthracnose on Jackfruit in Thailand.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is commonly grown in Thailand. In June 2023, leaf anthracnose on this plant was observed at a field in Chai Prakan District (19°42'24"N, 99°01'59"E), Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, with ~25% disease incidence in a 1000-m2 plantation area. The initial symptom had brown spots with a yellow halo, enlarged, elongated, 0.2 to 2 cm in diameter, irregular, sunken, brown, with a dark brown halo, and leaves withered and dried. Pale yellow conidiomata developed on the lesions in high humidity. Ten symptomatic leaves were used to isolate the fungal causal agents through a single spore isolation method (Tovar-Pedraza et al. 2020). Four fungal isolates (SDBR-CMU492 to SDBR-CMU495) with similar morphology were obtained. Colonies on potato dextrose agar (PDA) were 70 to 85 mm in diameter, white to grayish white with cottony mycelia, the reverse pale yellow after incubation at 25°C for 1 week. All isolates produced asexual structures. Setae were brown with 1 to 3 septa, 40 to 100 × 2.2 to 4.0 µm, a cylindrical base, and acuminate tip. Conidiophores were hyaline to pale brown, septate, and branched. Conidiogenous cells were hyaline to pale brown, cylindrical to ampulliform, 7.4 to 27.2 × 2.0 to 4.5 µm. Conidia were one celled, hyaline, smooth walled, cylindrical, ends rounded, guttulate, 11.1 to 15.7 × 3.4 to 6.1 µm. Appressoria were dark brown to black, oval to irregular, 8.8 to 24.9 × 3.6 to 10 µm. Morphologically, all isolates resembled the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (Weir et al. 2012). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, actin (act), β-tubulin (tub2), calmodulin (CAL), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were amplified using primer pairs ITS5/ITS4, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, T1/T22, CL1C/CL2C, and GDF1/GDR1, respectively (White et al. 1990; Weir et al. 2012). Sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: PP068858, PP068859, PP446789, PP446790; act: PP079636, PP079637, PP460760, PP460761; tub2: PP079638, PP079639, PP460762, PP460763; CAL: PP079634, PP079635, PP460758, PP460759; GAPDH: PP079632, PP079633, PP460756, PP460757). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated five genes identified all isolates as C. siamense. To pathogenicity test, the mature leaves of a healthy plant were surface disinfested using 0.1% NaClO for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile water, and wounded. Conidia suspensions (15 µl of 1 × 106 conidia/ml) of each isolate grown on PDA at 25°C for 2 weeks were used to inoculate wounded and unwounded samples by the attached method. Control leaves were mock inoculated with sterile distilled water. Ten replications were conducted for each treatment and repeated twice. Plants were placed in a greenhouse at 25 to 30°C and 80 to 90% relative humidity. After 7 days, all inoculated leaves displayed brown lesions, while control leaves had no symptoms. Colletotrichum siamense was reisolated from inoculated tissues on PDA to complete Koch's postulates. Prior to this study, C. fructicola and C. gloeosporioides caused leaf anthracnose on jackfruit worldwide (Sangchote et al. 2003; Chitambar 2016). Leaf anthracnose on jackfruit caused by C. siamense has been reported from Australia (James et al. 2014) and Bazil (Borges et al. 2023). In Thailand, Bhunjun et al. (2019) reported that C. artocarpicola causes leaf anthracnose in jackfruit. Therefore, this is first report of C. siamense causing leaf anthracnose on jackfruit in Thailand. The finding will inform epidemiological investigations and future approaches to managing this disease.

New Aspects of Mortellaro’s Disease: A Literature Review

Introduction. All over the word, hoof diseases, and Mortellaro’s disease in particular, are being among the most widespread and difficult to treat diseases in dairy cattle husbandry. They cause irreparable economic damage to the dairy industry by reducing the cattle reproductive ability indicators, feed conversion ratio, which compels to spend considerable amounts on treatment, prevention and culling of animals. Mortellaro’s disease is especially widespread in Europe and Western countries, but the current rate of national economy growth leads to the necessity to purchase the cattle abroad, which results in the increase of the Mortellaro’s disease incidence in Russia: at the farms where cattle has been imported, the percentage of the disease is 14.17±5.15% of the total number of hoof diseases in the herd. The aim of this review is to summarise the results of scientific research on the Mortellaro’s disease pathogenesis over the past 20 years.Materials and Methods. To achieve the stated objective, the criteria of inclusion into the search were defined. It was decided to include in the review the studies/reports presenting the results on: 1) the disease etiology and factors affecting the course of Mortellaro’s disease; 2) symptoms of Mortellaro’s disease manifestation in different species of farm animals; 3) the methods of Mortellaro’s disease treatment. The materials published in Elsevier, ASM Journal, Irish Veterinary Journal, Thieme, American Dairy Science Association, Epidemics, Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, eLIBRARY.RU, Google Scholar have been investigated in the frame of the literature search. The search by the following keywords was done: interdigital dermatitis, Mortellaro’s disease, hoof diseases of cattle, contagious interdigital dermatitis. The time range of sources – those published within the period from 2003 to 2023.Results. In total, 44 articles have been analysed, 33 of which have been included in the present review. According to the studied materials, one of the prerequisites underlying the spread of Mortellaro’s disease in the Russian Federation is the import of the infected cattle, since the measures undertaken during the temporary housing and quarantine periods do not give the desired result. The animals get infected with the bacteria of the genus Treponema, which are localized deep in the hoof tissues, therefore, after the disease is endured, it turns into its chronic form. The specific symptoms of Mortellaro’s disease course in various cattle breeds have been established: in beef cows and buffaloes the interdigital dermatitis is characterised by a low level of pain symptom severity; in sheep – by the ulcerative lesions of the сoronary band, which progress and lead to the destruction of the abaxial hoof wall and loss of the hoof horn. The areas with the erosion are very painful, but the intercellular adhesive junctions are not lost, which allows for positive prognosis of the disease. The main indicators of productivity and fertility are reduced due to the disease, as is the immunity in general, and there is an estrous cycle delay. In the samples of patients sick with the digital dermatitis, an increase of the number of intact and degranulated mast cells is observed, compared to the healthy ones, which indicates that mast cells can play an important role in the pathogenesis of digital dermatitis. Nowadays, the Mortellaro’s disease treatment abroad and in Russia is based on the elimination of symptoms, and not the pathogen itself. The local treatment is mainly represented by the antiseptic baths, surgical treatment, local application of antibiotics to the wound. The experiments on antibiotic susceptibility of Treponema, which are the important step in the search for the specific treatment of Mortellaro’s disease, have been performed. The antibiotic susceptibility tests gave positive results (all isolates of Treponema were sensitive to tiamulin, valnemulin, tylosin, aivlosin, lincomycin, doxyclin), however, the difficulty lies in the method of drug administration into the source of Treponema localization, since the conventional ways of administration of antibiotics entail restrictions on the sale of milk and meat.Conclusion. The presented review of the scientific publications on Mortellaro’s disease made it possible to summarise the currently known results and identify the areas for further research. For example, it should be still investigated why the interdigital dermatitis requires the presence of many Treponema species rather than one? What role do representatives of the Mycoplasma, Porphyromonas and other bacteria play in the pathogenesis of the studied disease? And of course, there is a serious scientific gap in finding treatment of Mortellaro’s disease capable of eliminating the pathogen itself, rather than its symptoms. It should be mentioned that not all Treponema species can be cultivated, which also slows down the scientific process and makes the problem of Mortellaro’s disease treatment relevant worldwide.

First Report of Rhizopus arrhizusi causing rot of Dictyophora rubrovolvata in China.

Dictyophora rubrovolvata, as an edible fungus with high medicinal value, is widely cultivated in several provinces in China (Hang et al. 2012). However, between December 2023 and March 2024, a rot disease occurred in the main production area in Fengxian District, Shanghai, China (N30°93', E121°49'). The disease incidence was 25% in the affected 1.33-ha growing area. High temperatures (>25℃) and poor ventilation provide favorable conditions for the spread of this disease. The disease mainly occurs at the stage of fruiting bodies formation of D. rubrovolvata. When the epidermis is damaged and broken, it becomes infested with mold, which then produces a layer of moldy rot with pus. The infected D. rubrovolvata tissues at the edge of the lesions were isolated, surface sterilized and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 30 ℃ under dark conditions. Pure cultures were obtained by single-spore isolation. After 3 days, isolates were transferred to Czapek Yeast agar (CYA) (Samson et al, 2014). On CYA, the fungal colony consisted of white flocculent hyphae. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the mycelium was white, and the internodes of the stolons formed characteristic pseudoroots, from which upwardly clustered erect, unbranched sporocarp peduncles expanded apically to form rounded sporocarp sacs, within which sporocarp spores were produced. (Hariprasath P, 2019). To confirm the identity of the pathogen, the genomic fragments for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and intergenic spacer (IGS) gene of the isolate were amplified by PCR (White et al. 1990; Liu XY. 2008). The resulting sequence was deposited in GenBank with accession PP951880 and PQ001670, respectively. PCR results and morphological observations indicated the isolated strain was a pure culture and the strain was designated as DIC01. Comparative results showed that the sequences with accession numbers MT603964.1 and DQ990323.1 showed high homology of 99.15% and 98.96% to the ITS and IGS sequences of Rhizopus arrhizusi DIC01, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis with ITS and IGS genes of the isolated strain and 7 Rhizopus spp. strains were performed using MEGAX with Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method. Based on the results of growth habits, morphological observations, and phylogenetic analysis, the pathogen was identified as R. arrhizusi. A spore suspension of the R. arrhizusi DIC01 (1 x107 conidia/mL) was inoculated back to healthy D. rubrovolvata. Five healthy fruit bodies of D. rubrovolvata were injected, and another five healthy morels were treated with potato dextrose broth (PDB) as controls. D. rubrovolvata was incubated at 25°C and 90% relative humidity without ventilation for 5 days. The pathogen successfully infected the D. rubrovolvata, which developed white moldy lesions similar to those of natural diseases. The controls remained healthy without any symptoms. The pathogen was reisolated from the affected lesions and identified as R. arrhizusi DIC01 based on its morphological characteristics and phylogenetic marker genes. R. arrhizusi has been reported to cause endothelial cell damage and mycelial invasion into blood vessels, leading to thrombosis and tissue necrosis. (Hariprasath P, 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. arrhizusi causing rot disease of D. rubrovolvata. This study confirmed that R. arrhizusi is the pathogenic fungus responsible for rotting disease in D. rubrovolvata farms in Fengxian, Shanghai.

The Mortality of Politics: An American Paradox.

The United States has the poorest health statistics of any high-income country. Political polarization has risen dramatically; newer safety net programs (the Affordable Care Act [ACA]) are unevenly provided because many Republican-leaning states refused expanded Federal coverage. Democratic programs have reduced physician leadership of medicine. Both have been deleterious. Here, we investigated associations among four key health measures two of which directly impact pregnancy outcomes and two that affect all patients by percentage of each state that voted for the Republican versus Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential election. For each state, we used public, non-partisan databases to assess the incidence of COVID, maternal, and infant mortality per 100,000 population and average life expectancy. Correlations among these four outcome variables and percentage Republican vote were calculated (r), contextualized by measuring associations with related variables including COVID vaccination rates, access to medical care, and incidences of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, gunshot deaths, and automotive fatalities. COVID mortality, maternal and infant mortality, and life expectancy were highly correlated with percentage Republican ("red") vote per state. If "red" states had vaccination rates equivalent to Democratic-leaning ("blue") states, 72,000 deaths could have been avoided. Overall, "red" states have lower health metrics, reduced access to care, and higher comorbidities. The percent Republican vote was strongly associated, but not the whole answer, for worse health outcomes for multiple key measures of public health including mortality, access to care, and various comorbidities. Overall, the ACA has improved patient access to care but has also led to "maternity care deserts" disproportionately in rural areas in "red" states. Translating insurance coverage into improved care and outcomes requires further analysis and will require multi-pronged approaches including expanding coverage and incentivizing quality care.