Incidence Of Disease Research Articles

Association of statins use and genetic susceptibility with incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

The effect of statins use on the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still under debate, and it could be modified by a series of factors. We aimed to examine the association of statins use with the risk of cognitive impairment and AD, and assess the moderating roles of genetic susceptibility and other individual-related factors. A longitudinal study was conducted from the UK Biobank where individuals completed baseline surveys (2006-2010) and were followed (mean follow-up period: 9 years). A population-based study. A total of 371,019 dementia-free participants (mean age 56.4 years; 53.6% female). The effects of statins use on cognitive performance and incident AD were examined by using linear regression model and Cox proportional hazards regression model, respectively. We further evaluated the moderating roles of genetic risks and individual-related factors on both multiplicative and additive scales. The findings showed statins use was associated with an increased risk of AD development [hazard ratio (HR) 1.19 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.30)] compared with no use of statins. We further found significant negative additive interactions of statins use with APOE ε4 allele. Besides, the effects of statins use would be modified by age, sex and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A protective effect of statins use was observed in those who carried two APOE ε4 alleles. Also, sex, age and CVDs could modify the effects of statins use, which would provide insights for the guideline of the statins therapy.

Effective control of snake fruit (Salacca zalacca) rot using Trichoderma asperelloides SKRU-01: A safe approach to preserving fruit quality.

Rot disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Peniophora salaccae SKRU002, affects the quality of snake fruit production. In the pursuit of sustainable disease management, biocontrol using Trichoderma asperelloides SKRU-01 offers a promising solution. This study evaluated the antagonistic potential of T. asperelloides SKRU-01 against P. salaccae SKRU002 in both in vitro assays and snake fruit trials, while also assessing its impact on fruit quality. In vitro dual culture assays revealed that T. asperelloides SKRU-01 inhibited P. salaccae SKRU002 growth by 62.5% over 10days through efficient nutrient colonization. Microscopic analysis confirmed that T. asperelloides SKRU-01 hyphae penetrated and wrapped around P. salaccae SKRU002, causing cytoplasmic lysis. Additionally, T. asperelloides SKRU-01 culture filtrates (20%v/v) completely inhibited P. salaccae SKRU002 growth in both solid and liquid media. LC-QTOF/MS analysis identified 31 secondary metabolites, including toyocamycin and antimycin A1. In snake fruit trials, T. asperelloides SKRU-01 culture filtrates provided 100% protection against disease incidence (DI) and severity (DS), comparable to Mancozeb®. The application of T. asperelloides SKRU-01 spores (107 spores/mL) reduced DI and DS to 0% within 1-3days post-pathogen inoculation, demonstrating both protective and curative effects. Furthermore, while P. salaccae SKRU002 significantly affected fruit quality-causing weight loss, color changes, and reductions in total soluble solids, phenolic content, titratable acidity, and antioxidant activity-the simultaneous application of T. asperelloides SKRU-01 mitigated these effects without compromising fruit quality. These findings indicate the antagonistic activity of T. asperelloides SKRU-01 and its metabolites against P. salaccae SKRU002, suggesting their potential as biofungicidal agents for managing rot disease in snake fruit.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TCCC11824 exerts hypolipidemic and anti-obesity effects through regulation of NF-κB-HMGCR pathway and gut microbiota in mice and clinical patients

A strong association exists between the high-fat diet (HFD) and the incidence of obesity, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease, affecting an increasing number of individuals. More and more research has shown that probiotics and gut microbiota play important roles in dietary absorption, metabolism and host healthy. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects and the underlying mechanisms of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TCCC11824 (CGMCC 8198) on hyperlipidemia and obesity in mice and clinical. Fristly, there was a dose-dependent improvement in HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and obesity in mice which had been treated with L. plantarum TCCC11824 for 5 weeks thus restoring the balance of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, it showed that cell lysate of L. plantarum TCCC11824 could directly exhibit protective effects on the hepatocytes steatosis induced by oleic acid, and regulate the expression of HMGCR by inhibiting NF-κB pathway. Importantly, L.plantarum TCCC11824 ameliorated the expression of indicators of hyperlipidemia and inhibited the synthesis of SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids), as shown by blood and fecal tests in hyperlipidemic patients. In summary, L. plantarum TCCC11824 exerts anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-obesity effects through the regulation of HMGCR via NF-κB and modulating gut microbiota, indicating its potential as a dietary supplement for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity.

Impact of COVID-19 on testing, positive cases, patient characteristics, and hospital contacts for respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and pneumococcus in Danish children.

Respiratory infections substantially impact pediatric health. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced widespread non-pharmaceutical interventions, which influenced the incidence of common respiratory infections. This comprehensive study investigates the impact of these interventions on the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and invasive pneumococcal disease in Danish children. We conducted a descriptive study based on a cohort of 1,790,464 Danish children from 2012 to 2022. We analyzed data from microbiology tests and hospital contacts to assess infection rates and testing patterns before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships between testing and sex, age groups, chronic disease status, and hospital contacts were analyzed. We observed a marked decrease in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and pneumococcus disease during the lockdown period. Once restrictions were lifted, there was a substantial resurgence in these infections. The frequency of testing for respiratory pathogens increased over time, with a rising proportion of healthy individuals without underlying chronic disease being tested. The proportion of positive tests linked to hospital contacts varied: there was a notable decline for respiratory syncytial virus and influenza post-lockdown, while pneumococcus cases continued to be strongly linked to hospital contacts. The study highlights the impact of COVID-19 interventions on the epidemiology of pediatric respiratory infections, revealing a pattern of decreased incidence during lockdowns followed by a resurgence. More tests were carried out among an increasing proportion of healthy individuals. Such changes in testing practices and changing characteristics of tested populations have implications for understanding post-pandemic infection trends and healthcare resource allocation.

Risk of atherosclerosis-related diseases in polymyositis and dermatomyositis patients: A large-scale population-based study.

Several systemic autoimmune diseases predispose to the enhancement of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). These findings underline the role of inflammation in atherogenesis. Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are polygenic autoimmune disorders involving mainly skeletal muscles. The association between PM/DM and ASCVD has not been well addressed and explored. We aimed to investigate the association between PM/DM and ASCVD events, we examined the incidence, mortality, and interaction of disease-modifying agents, autoantibodies, and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a large population-based sample. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the electronic database of Clalit Health Services (CHS), the largest health organization in Israel. All DM and PM patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2016 were included and matched with healthy controls by age and sex in a 1:5 ratio. Follow-up continued until the first diagnosis of ASCVD or death. The incidence of ASCVD was compared between the groups using univariate and multivariate models adjusting for baseline cardiovascular risk factors. The study population included 1899 PM/DM patients and 7676 controls. The mean age at the index date was 32.5 years (SD±19 years), and the female proportion was 60.3%, similar for both groups. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors were similar in both groups. The Median follow-up time was 8.4 years (3.6-12.8) in the PM/DM group compared to 8.6 (3.7-12.9) in the control group. 47 (3.0%) PM/DM patients were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease (IHD) compared to 1.8% (140) in the controls, yielding a multivariate HR (95%CI) of 1.61 (1.15-2.25). Multivariate HR for cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in the PM/DM group was (95%CI) 2.45 (1.63-3.70). Multivariate HR for ASCVD. (95%CI) was 1.75 (1.35-2.27) in the PM/DM group. APLA-associated antibodies presence was more associated with ASCVD among PM/DM groups than non-ASCVD PM and DM patients (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.41-3.86, p<0.001). Our study demonstrates that PM and DM are associated with an increased risk of IHD and CVA. Furthermore, PM and DM patients positive for APLA-associated antibodies exhibited excessive rates of ASCVD. These findings support the increased need for awareness and surveillance of cardiological, neuronal, and vascular outcomes in patients suffering from PM/DM.

The Burden of Hepatitis B and C in Asia, 1990-2019: An Update Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

This research was aimed to uncover the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) related diseases burden in Asia over the past 3 decades, estimating from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Age-standardised rates, case numbers of prevalence, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), incidence and deaths with 95% uncertainty intervals (UI) for HBV/HCV-related diseases from 1990 to 2019 were derived from GBD 2019 database, with the estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) calculated. Our analysis also encompassed the association between the Sociodemographic Index (SDI) and the burden of HBV/HCV-related diseases, future disease burden predictions in six selected countries and various risk factors. A general downward trend in the age-standardised rates of death, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence and incidence for both HBV and HCV-related diseases was observed in Asia during the past 30 years. Despite overall declining trends, some analysed diseases experienced an increase. Compared with females, the disease burden was greater in the male population and peaked in the age of 50-54 for both sexes. It is significant for the HBV-related and HCV-related diseases burden in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia and Pakistan. Drug use and smoking were prominent contributors to HCV and HBV-related diseases. There was a negative relationship between the burden of HCV and HBV-related diseases and SDI. Although decreases were observed in Asia, the HBV- and HCV-associated diseases burden remained high, highlighting that imperative measures for prevention and treatment should be taken by governments in Asia.

The effects of rain and drought on incidence of enteric disease in Pennsylvania (2010-2019).

Campylobacter, nontyphoidal Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia cause an estimated 1 million cases of domestically acquired waterborne diseases annually in the United States. Acute symptoms can include diarrhea and vomiting; however, these illnesses can result in longer term complications such as reactive arthritis, Guillan Barré syndrome and death, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Precipitation and drought can plausibly increase the risk of enteric infections, but consensus in the literature is lacking. To determine the effects of rain and drought on weekly counts of reportable enteric illness (due to Salmonella, Campylobacter, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium) in Pennsylvania, US between 2010 and 2019. We obtained 10-years of data on confirmed illness from 66 Pennsylvania counties due to: Salmonella (9,924), Campylobacter (15,854), Giardia (4,537), and Cryptosporidium (4,017). A zero-inflated negative binomial model with random-intercept for county was used to assess the relationship between illnesses caused by these pathogens between 2010 and 2019, and weekly rain (cm) and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) values from the National Weather Service. The lag times that were tested, between illness and weather event, were chosen by calculating the cross correlation between the statewide average weekly rain and the statewide number of weekly cases. A positive association was found between rain and counts of campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, and giardiasis. An increase in prior wetness (PDSI value) was associated with increased incidence rates of cryptosporidiosis and campylobacteriosis. The relationship between rain and PDSI and illness varied by organism type. Complex relationships exist between enteric disease and precipitation and prior environmental wetness. Our findings suggest that rainfall may be contributing to increased waterborne exposure. Further investigation is needed to explore these relationships with factors such as drinking water source, local geological conditions, presence of combined sewer overflows and agricultural activities, recreational water use and irrigation water sources to better elucidate important waterborne transmission pathways.

DOMINÓ Registry: study protocol on mineral and bone disease (DOença MINeral e Óssea) of chronic kidney disease in pediatrics in Brazil.

Pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) develop mineral and bone disorders (MBD). We do not have Brazilian data that evaluate these outcomes, which can be obtained through epidemiological records. To present the DOMINÓ study, which aims to describe CKD-MBD characteristics in Brazilian pediatric patients. Retrospective and prospective, multicenter, observational cohort. The retrospective study will analyze data from prevalent patients in 2024, and the prospective study will analyze data from 2025 onwards. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and bone biopsy data will be collected from pediatric patients with CKD-MBD < 18 years old with CKD stage 3-5D and kidney transplant recipients. The Ethics Committees of the participating centers approved the study. The DOMINÓ study will provide information on the incidence, prevalence, morbidity, treatment results, and mortality of this pediatric disease in Brazil. Future analyses will allow us to identify predictors of response to treatment and improve the care for these patients.

Exploring the role of bispecific and CAR-T cell therapies in gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

465 Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is associated with significant mortality due to the limited efficacy of current conventional treatments, necessitating the need for novel therapies. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to explore the potential role and outcomes of bi-specific antibodies and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy in treating GC. Methods: Using PRISMA guidelines, searches were conducted on PubMed, Cochrane, and Clinicaltrial.gov for 'Gastric cancers', 'bispecific antibodies', and 'CAR-T therapy' as of March 30, 2024. Out of 35 studies, 9 were selected for pooled analysis in R (v4.3.3) using the Der Simonian-Laird Estimator, calculating inter-study variance and extracting data with 95% CI. Results: 138 gastric cancer (GC) patients from 2 phase I (22.22%), 3 phase Ib (33.33%), 3 phase II (33.33%), and 1 case report (11.11%). Median age was 57 (28-77) years, and 76% (31/41) were male. Bispecific antibodies were MCLA-128 (25/138), catumaxomab (15/138), AK104 PD-1/CTLA-4 (16/138), ABL 001 DLL4VEGFA (19/138), and KN026 (25/138) while CART therapy was CT041 (38/138). The pooled overall response (OR), partial response (PR), and complete response (CR) for bispecific antibodies was 37% (95% CI, 0.12-0.71, I2=76%, n=100, p &lt;0.01), 21% (95% CI,0.05-0.55, I2=73%, n=85, p&lt;0.01), and 11%(95% CI, 0.02-0.38, I2=63%, n=85, p=0.03) respectively, while the pooled OR, PR, and CR for CART was 56% (95% CI, 0.40-0.71, I2=0%, n=38, p=0.41), 53%(95% CI, 0.36-0.69, I2=0%, n=38, p=0.38, ), and 12% (95% CI, 0.02-0.42, I2=38%, n=38 p=0.2), respectively. The pooled disease control rate was 75% (95%CI,0.46-0.92, I2=79%, n=80, p &lt; 0.01) for bispecific antibodies and 27% (95% CI,0.16-0.40, I2=0%, n=65, p=0.37) had the stable disease while pooled incidence of progressive disease was 18% (95% CI,0.09-0.31, I2=0%, n=55, p=0.53). The median progressive free survival was 6.74 months, with a median overall survival of 14.75 months. Common adverse effects included anemia, diarrhea, fatigue, and cytokine release syndrome grades 1 or 2. Conclusions: This analysis shows promising results in GC patients using bi-specific antibodies and CAR-T cell therapy. However, further clinical trials are needed to fully explore their potential.

Chinese consensus report on the assessment and management of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with cardiovascular disease: 2024 edition.

As cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and mortality rates continue to rise in China, the importance of identifying and managing CVD risk factors grows. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder, affecting an estimated 936 million individuals aged 30-69 worldwide, with China leading globally with about 176 million affected. Increasing research indicates a close association between OSA and the onset and progression of various CVD, significantly affecting outcomes. However, OSA has long been underrecognized and undertreated in CVD clinical practice. To address this gap, a multidisciplinary expert panel developed evidence-based recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology and the Delphi process. This consensus provides 17 recommendations on core clinical issues such as screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of CVD patients with OSA, aiming to standardize care and improve patient outcomes. The recommendations were informed by current evidence-based research and extensive expert consensus discussions. This approach seeks to support clinical decision-making, improve the quality of care, and address the unique challenges of managing OSA in Chinese CVD patients.

Trastuzumab emtansine as second-line therapy in HER2 positive advanced biliary tract cancers: Single arm prospective phase II clinical trial (TAB-3 trial).

584 Background: HER2 overexpression or amplification is a therapeutic target of interest in advanced BTC, especially gallbladder cancers (GBC). Limited studies evaluate the role of T-DM1 in these groups of cancers. Methods: This study was an investigator-initiated, open-label, single-arm, phase II trial in patients (pts) aged 18 years or older with HER2-positive (defined as IHC 3+ or IHC 2+, and FISH positive), advanced BTCs who had previously received systemic therapy (irrespective of prior additional HER2 targeted therapy). Pts received T-DM1 at 3.6mg/kg q 3 -weekly till disease progression (PD), unacceptable toxicities, or patient choice. The primary end-point of the study was an improvement in 3-month progression-free survival (PFS) from 50% (historical cohort) to 70% in the study arm. Secondary endpoints included overall response rates (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and incidence of grade 3 and 4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAE). Results: From July 2023 to July 2024, ‘52’ pts with HER2-positive BTC were screened, and 40 enrolled in the study. A majority of patients had GBC (95%) and most commonly received combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine-cisplatin, with or without nab-Paclitaxel (78%). Six patients (15%) had previously received trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy. A majority of patients (n=24; 60%) had rapid progression (within 3 months) on prior systemic therapy. With a median follow-up of 7.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.1-9.1] , 24 patients had disease progression with a 3-month PFS of 51.2% (95% CI: 33.4 - 69) and median PFS of 3.1 months (95% CI: 2.3-3.8); median OS was 7.1 months (95% CI: 5.1-9.1). Partial responses (PR) were seen in 5 patients (12.5 %) and 8 had stable disease (20 %) for a disease control rate of 32.5 %. Patients without rapid disease progression on prior therapy (n=16; 40%) had a 3-month PFS of 70% (95% CI: 44.8 - 95.2) and median PFS of 4.9 months (95% CI: 2.9-6.9). Grade 3 and grade 4 TRAE in the overall cohort were noted in 11 patients (28%), with the commonest being grade 2 fatigue in 6 patients and grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 2 patients. Conclusions: T-DM1 was well tolerated in pre-treated HER2 positive advanced BTCs, but did not statistically improve PFS in comparison to historical data. Patients who did not have rapid progression on prior systemic therapy appeared to have a more favorable survival in comparison to rapid progressors and the role of T-DM1 in such favorable cohorts can be explored in larger studies. Clinical trial information: CTRI/2023/07/055785.

Association of genetically predicted levels of circulating blood lipids with coronary artery disease incidence.

Estimating the genetic risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) is now possible by aggregating data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) into polygenic risk scores (PRS). Combining multiple PRS for specific circulating blood lipids could improve risk prediction. Here, we sought to evaluate the performance of PRS derived from CAD and blood lipids GWAS to predict the incidence of CAD. This study included individuals aged between 40 and 69 from UK Biobank. We conducted GWAS for blood lipids measured by nuclear magnetic resonance in individuals without lipid-lowering treatments (n=73,915). Summary statistics were used to derive PRS in the remaining participants (n=318,051). A PRSCAD was derived using the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D GWAS. Hazard ratios (HR) for CAD (n=9017 out of 301,576; median follow-up: 12.6 years) were calculated per standard deviation increase in each PRS. Models' discrimination capacity and goodness-of-fit were evaluated. Out of 30 PRS, 27 were significantly associated with the incidence of CAD (p<0.0017). The optimal combination of PRS included PRS for CAD, VLDL-C, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Discriminative capacities were significantly increased in the model including PRSCAD and clinical risk factors (CRF) (C-statistic=0.778 [0.773-0.782]) compared to the model with CRF only (C-statistic=0.755 [0.751-0.760], difference=0.022 [0.020-0.025]). Although the C-statistic remained similar when independent lipids PRS were added to the model with PRSCAD and CRF (C-statistic=0.778 [0.773-0.783]), the goodness-of-fit was significantly increased (chi-square test statistic=20.18, p=1.56e-04). Although independently associated with CAD incidence, blood lipids PRS provide modest improvement in the predictive performance when added to PRSCAD.

Environmental Mycotoxins: A Potential Etiological Factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases?

Mycotoxins are potential environmental risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases. These toxins penetrate the central nervous system via a compromised blood-brain barrier, which may cause oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, these can also contribute to amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque accumulation, Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, and neurofibrillary tangle formation. Mycotoxins also activate microglia, cause neuronal apoptosis, and disrupt central nervous system function. This study examines the evidence linking mycotoxin exposure to neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. We explore mechanisms such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuroinflammation, and direct neurotoxic effects. Epidemiological studies show regional variations in mycotoxin prevalence and corresponding neurodegenerative disease incidences, supporting this association. We also review current approaches to mitigate mycotoxin exposure and discuss the challenges and opportunities in developing strategies to prevent or slow neurodegenerative disease progression. This work highlights the need for increased awareness and research on mycotoxins as modifiable risk factors in neurological health.

A review about cardiovascular disease and risk factors

This overview discusses the causes and contributing factors of cardiovascular disease. Apart from the conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease diabetes, hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol, and genetic predisposition a growing body of research suggests that environmental physical and chemical factors also contribute significantly to the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases. In the area, heart disease, or "CD," continues to be the leading cause of mortality. Premature deaths, or cardiovascular deaths in people under 72 years of age, are especially alarming since they represent approximately 60 million years of life that may be lost to the disease annually in Europe. To estimate the global health burden of cardiovascular disease, continuous surveillance and monitoring should form the foundation for the creation and execution of evidence-based prevention and treatment initiatives.

Climate-induced expansion of Lyme disease in east central Ohio.

The geographical distribution of Lyme disease has been attributed to changes in Earth's climate and associated distribution of its vector, ticks of the genus Ixodes. This study focuses on the impact of climatic and meteorological conditions on Lyme disease transmission in East Central Ohio, an emerging hotspot of cases. Using county-level data from 2001 to 2023, we analyzed the relationship between Lyme disease cases and temperature, precipitation, and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) using a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM). Results show that warmer winter temperatures, higher precipitation, and negative SOI values (El Niño conditions) were significantly associated with increased Lyme disease incidence and displayed delayed effects of 6 to18 months. These findings suggest that climate change, with its potential to bring milder winters and increased spring and summer rainfall, may further exacerbate Lyme disease cases in Ohio.

First Report of Pantoea ananatis Causing Bacterial Leaf and Panicle Blight of Rice in Louisiana, USA.

In July 2023, panicle and leaf blight-like symptoms were observed from the rice (Oryza sativa) variety, PVL03, in research field plots in Louisiana (Rayne, LA 70578, USA; 30.21330⁰ N, 92.37309⁰ W). We observed that chlorosis started on the tips and spread throughout the whole leaf. We also observed panicle blight-like symptoms (grain discoloration of rice hulls) on infected rice plants at the heading stage, which ranged from dark brown to black. Disease incidences were approximately 70% in the observed plots. Five plants were sampled from five plots (one plant per plot). Leaf tissues including both symptomatic and healthy parts (~ 1 cm2) were surfaced sterilized and placed on CCNT medium, a semi-selective medium for the rice bacterial panicle blight pathogen Burkholderia glumae (Kawaradani et al., 2000), and on Luria-Bertani (LB) agar supplemented with cycloheximide (50 µg/ml) for non-selective isolation of bacteria. For the panicle samples, the surfaced sterilized rice kernels were dehulled and ground in sterile distilled H2O using a sterile mortar and pestle. The homogenate was spread on the CCNT media and LB agar supplemented with nitrofurantoin (50 µg/ml) and cycloheximide (50 µg/ml). After ~72 h at 41⁰C, round, smooth and yellow-colored bacterial colonies were observed on both media. The two isolates, one from an infected rice leaf (LPL-1) and the other from the infected rice panicles (LPP-1), were initially identified as Pantoea ananatis based on PCR-amplified 16S rDNA sequences (Weisburg et al., 1991). The taxonomic identity of these two isolates was further confirmed through whole genome sequencing (NCBI Accession ID: PRJNA1092676), which was performed through a hybrid sequencing approach using Oxford Nanopore sequencer & Illumina NextSeq2000 system (Plasmidsaurus Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA). To satisfy Koch's postulates, we inoculated six one-month-old rice plants (cv. Kitaake) with LPL-1 and LPP-1, respectively, by pricking the stems with a sterile toothpick touched to the overnight grown bacterial culture on LB agar (~ 5-8 x 105 bacterial cells). This virulence assay was conducted twice, and rice plants inoculated with sterile distilled water were included as the negative control. By 27 days post inoculation (DPI), the inoculated plants developed symptoms on leaves and panicles, which were like the symptoms originally observed in the field, and additional symptoms such as shot holes and stem necrosis were also observed. From leaf and panicle samples of the artificially inoculated plants, we reisolated bacteria and confirmed the identity of the bacteria using the P. ananatis specific PCR primers PANA_1080 61F and PANA_1080 1009R (Asselin et al., 2016). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bacterial panicle and leaf blight of rice caused by P. ananatis in Louisiana. Since P. ananatis is a recently emerging pathogen of rice worldwide, including the United States (Yu et. al., 2022; Lu et al., 2022; Luna et al., 2023), it is crucial to monitor the occurrence of this pathogen in other rice-growing areas as a potential threat to US rice production.

Illnesses and Diseases Constitute a Quarter of Medical Conditions in an Under-21 National Football Team.

There is a minimal number of studies of under-21-year-old national football teams, and the literature is injury centric. Particularly, current knowledge is deficient regarding noninjurious medical conditions, such as illnesses and diseases. The objectives of this study were to analyze the descriptive characteristics of injuries and illnesses or diseases encountered in an under-21 football team during 2 European championship qualification tournaments. Medical records of 2 consecutive men's Union of European Football Associations European Under-21 Championship qualification competition tournaments were retrospectively analyzed for the study from September 2015 to October 2018. All match- and training-related injuries, illnesses, and diseases were analyzed and further categorized. In the 20 international caps played within 13 separate events, the players encountered 81 injuries and 26 other conditions, illnesses, or diseases requiring medical attention. In total, 25 injuries and 5 diseases led to attendance inability. The incidence of injury was 0.6 per match and disease 0.3 per day. Many overuse injuries appeared during prematch training and in relation to previous history. Twenty-four percent of all medical conditions during 2 qualification tournaments were illnesses or diseases. The injury and disease incidences were low and mild or moderate rather than severe. A variety of illnesses and diseases constitute a quarter of conditions requiring medical attention in an under-21 national football team. Attendance at under-21 national team events can be stated as safe as the incidence and severity rates are low.

Impact of management technologies on banana growth and fusarium wilt mitigation

The study was conducted during 2023-2024 under the Department of Fruit Science, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The objective of the study was to find out the best technology for the Fusarium wilt management in the banana cultivar Rasthali under pot culture experiment. The experiment was conducted with nine treatments replicated thrice with three plants in each replication in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatment T7- Bacillus subtilis (10 g/plant) +Salicylic acid 5mM spray showed more root length (71.89 cm) and number of roots (30) than other treatments. The treatment T7- Bacillus subtilis (10 g/plant) + Salicylic acid 5mM spray showed a 33 % improvement in root length over absolute control (T1) and a 53 % increase over inoculated control (T2). Whereas the number of roots was 50% more in T7 than in T1 and 76 % more than in T2. The length of the pseudostem and girth of the pseudostem were 69.40 cm and 25.43 cm. The leaf area was 2.99 m2 and the number of leaves was 12. The physiological parameters such as chlorophyll content (57.03), stomatal resistance (0.521 Scm-1) and transpiration rate (9.572 ?g H2O cm2 S-1) of T7 were significant. In soil enzymes, the chitinase activity was 37.50 ?mol/min/g and ? 1, 3 Glucanase 40.33 ?mol/min/g. It showed less disease incidence (DI %) of 18.86 % and a disease severity index (DSI %) of 14.73 %. The absolute control (T1), without the pathogen, had no disease. The inoculated control (T2) showed the highest disease incidence and disease severity index of 100 %. T7- Bacillus subtilis (10 g/plant) + Salicylic acid 5 mM spray showed less disease incidence (DI %) of 18.86 %and a disease severity index (DSI%) of 22.93 % over the absolute control (T1). And 81.14 % and 77.07 % reduced disease incidence (DI %) and disease severity index (DSI %) compared to inoculated control (T2). It is concluded that T7- Bacillus subtilis (10 g/plant) + Salicylic acid 5 mM spray can be used to control Fusarium wilt in cultivar Rasthali.

ОЦЕНКА ПАРАЗИТОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ СИТУАЦИИ ПО ОТОДЕКТОЗУ КОШЕК В РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

The purpose of the study is to review the distribution of cat otodectosis in the territory of the Russian Federation. Cat otodectosis is widespread in different climatic and geographical zones of Russia. Currently, there is a tendency towards an increase in the incidence of otodectosis in small domestic animals. This is due to various factors – an increase in the number of animals, the lack of preventive treatments. Animals of both sexes are at risk for the incidence of otodectosis: outbred and belonging to breeds; crossbred cats that are on a mixed method of keeping; animals that have a lot of contact with other animals. Extensiveness of invasion in different regions varies considerably. The minimum indicators of the extensiveness of invasion are 3.4 %, and the maximum – 80.3 %, which depends on the time of year, sex, age and method of keeping animals. The highest incidence rates of cats with otodectosis were established in the cities: Barnaul – 80.3 %, Armavir – 76.44, Omsk – 73.4, Vladivostok – 75, Novosibirsk – 55.6±11.7, Krasnodar – 50 %. Male cats are more susceptible to otodectosis: among the patients there were 77.7 % of males and 22.3 % of females. An analysis of the age composition of sick cats showed that kittens aged 1–12 months most often suffer from otodectosis (EI is 30.65–100 %), somewhat less often at the age of 13–36 months (EI – 45.16–75.0 %) , in animals older than 3 years there is a decrease in the incidence rate (42.8 %). The highest incidence of skin diseases was found in outbred cats (48 %), mestizos (21 %), British Shorthair (11 %) and Russian Blue (9 %). High infestation with otodectosis was found in the Asian tabby – 33.3 %, Persian cats – 27.8, Turkish Angoras – 25.0 %. Extensiveness of invasion of purebred cats and crossbreeds is 24.2 %, and of a domestic cat – 20.0 %. The lowest percentage among the studied breeds was in the Siamese cat – 6.7.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Pancreatic Disease-A Population-Based Nationwide Cohort and Sibling-Controlled Study.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been linked to pancreatic diseases, but evidence from population-based studies with liver histology is lacking. In this population-based cohort including all Swedish adults (n=8563) with biopsy-proven MASLD, we aimed to investigate incidences of pancreatic diseases compared with matched reference individuals from the general population (n=38,858) and full siblings (n=6696). Using Cox proportional hazard models, we calculated multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and confidence intervals (CIs). We documented 359 incidents of pancreatic diseases in MASLD patients and 880 events in matched reference individuals, resulting in an incidence rate difference of 1.54 (95% CI, 1.25-1.84). The relative risk of pancreatic disease was highest in the first two years after MASLD diagnosis (aHR, 2.19 [95% CI, 1.92-2.50), but remained statistically significant increased even up to ten years [aHR, 1.60 (95% CI, 1.38-1.85)]. The most common pancreatic disease in individuals with MASLD was acute non-biliary pancreatitis (1.44 vs. 0.44 events/1000 PY), followed by chronic pancreatitis (0.54 vs. 0.12/1000 PY) and pancreatic cancer (0.88 vs. 0.47/1000 PY). We documented 130 versus 344 pancreas-related deaths among individuals with MASLD and their matched comparators, yielding an absolute risk difference of 0.51/1000 PY and an aHR of 2.41 (95%CI=1.95-2.97). The findings were consistent in sibling-controlled analyses with an aHR of 2.21 (95%CI=1.69-2.90). MASLD was associated with significantly higher rates of acute and chronic pancreatitis of predominantly non-biliary origin, as well as an increased risk of pancreatic cancer and pancreas-related mortality.