Regional Differences Research Articles

Regional differences in morphological characteristics of gall stones in children and adolescent in India- an observational multicentre study

Regional differences in morphological characteristics of gall stones in children and adolescent in India- an observational multicentre study

A change in cis-regulatory logic underlying obligate versus facultative muscle multinucleation in chordates.

Vertebrates and tunicates are sister groups that share a common fusogenic factor, Myomaker (Mymk), that drives myoblast fusion and muscle multinucleation. Yet they are divergent in when and where they express Mymk. In vertebrates, all developing skeletal muscles express Mymk and are obligately multinucleated. In tunicates, Mymk is only expressed in post-metamorphic multinucleated muscles, but is absent from mononucleated larval muscles. In this study, we demonstrate that cis-regulatory sequence differences in the promoter region of Mymk underlie the different spatiotemporal patterns of its transcriptional activation in tunicates and vertebrates. While in vertebrates Myogenic Regulatory Factors (MRFs) like MyoD1 alone are required and sufficient for Mymk transcription in all skeletal muscles, we show that transcription of Mymk in post-metamorphic muscles of the tunicate Ciona requires the combinatorial activity of MRF/MyoD and Early B-Cell Factor (Ebf). This macroevolutionary difference appears to be encoded in cis, likely due to the presence of a putative Ebf binding site adjacent to predicted MRF binding sites in the Ciona Mymk promoter. We further discuss how Mymk and myoblast fusion might have been regulated in the last common ancestor of tunicates and vertebrates, for which we propose two models.

Content of Biogenic Elements in Sheep Wool by the Regions of Slovakia.

The quality of nutrition and environmental pollution are crucial chemical indicators influencing animal health, reflected in element concentrations in animal tissues and coats. This study investigates the concentrations of biogenic elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, copper, and iron) in sheep wool from various regions of Slovakia to compare concentrations and identify possible correlations between individual elements. Samples were collected from six different regions, and concentrations of elements were measured using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in element levels among the examined regions. Calcium concentrations ranged from 729.2 to 4065ppm, with the highest concentrations in the Kysuce region and the lowest in the Šariš region. Potassium concentrations ranged from 2315 to 3282ppm, with the lowest values in the Zemplín region and the highest in the Liptov region. Magnesium, sodium, copper, and iron also exhibited varying concentrations across the regions. Correlation analysis identified significant associations between several elements. The findings suggest that regional environmental differences influence element concentrations in sheep wool, highlighting the importance of monitoring biogenic elements for assessing environmental pollution and animal health. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms driving element accumulation in wool and its implications for animal welfare and environmental management.

“Psychiatric emergency consultations of minors: a qualitative study of professionals’ experiences”

BackgroundPsychiatric emergency assessment of minors can be a complex process, especially for professional staff who are not specifically trained in handling child and adolescent emergency patients. As minors cannot usually express their feelings and experiences as well as adults, it is difficult to form an accurate picture of their condition and to determine what kind of emergency care is needed, for instance whether or not a psychiatric emergency admission is necessary. We lack insight in what professionals at emergency departments need to adequately assess these minors and their families. The aim of this study was to explore staff members’ experiences with assessing minors and explore recommendations for improving their ability to provide appropriate support.MethodsGuided by a topic list with open-ended questions, we conducted 11 semi-structured interviews with staff working at psychiatric emergency services. Thematic analysis enabled us to identify five main themes: (1) young age and the crucial role of parents; (2) professionals’ feelings, especially uncertainty; (3) psychiatric emergency admissions and the alternatives to them; (4) regional differences in organization and tasks; and (5) options for improving care.ResultsThe staff interviewed all agreed that it was often complicated and time consuming to take full responsibility when assessing minors with serious and urgent psychiatric problems. Most found it difficult to determine which behaviors were and were not age-appropriate, and how to handle systemic problems during the assessment. When assessing minors and their families in crisis, this led to uncertainty. Professionals were especially insecure when assessing children under age 12 and their families, feeling they lacked the appropriate knowledge and routine.ConclusionCustomized expertise development and improved regional embedding of the psychiatric emergency service in the child and adolescent services will reduce professionals’ uncertainty and improve psychiatric emergency care for minors.

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Regional Imbalance of China’s Digital Economy

The digital economy is an important driving force for promoting national economic growth and achieving high-quality economic transformation, and is a key force in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper measures the digital economy development level of 30 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021 utilizing the entropy of weighting approach, and in order to further reveal its intrinsic laws and differences, it uses three-dimensional kernel density analysis, the Dagum Gini coefficient, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and cold hot spot analysis to explore the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the digital economy and its regional imbalance. The empirical results show that ① China’s digital economy has been steadily increasing, spatially showing the characteristics of gradual decrease from east to west and from coast to inland, with obvious spatial agglomeration characteristics and an increasing trend. ② There are obvious regional imbalances in the digital economy, with the southeast coastal region leading significantly. ③ The overall regional differences are large but reduced, mainly from intra-regional differences, the and inter-regional contribution is low. The research in this paper provides data support for revealing the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of digital economic development and provides new path support for the balanced development of China’s regional digital economy.

Evaluation of Differences in Capacity of Nutrient Content Accumulation between two Ecotypes of Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) due to Environmental Difference in Tropical and Temperate Regions

Environmental fluctuations can amplify variations even in clonal plants. However, it is unclear whether these differences in environmental conditions can alter physiological activities of two different ecotypes of lotus. We intended to evaluate whether the difference in nutrient content accumulation capability between two ecotypes is different because of the different geographical distribution. The present study revealed us a substantial difference in capacity of nutrient accumulation of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) due to environmental difference in tropical and temperate zone. The moisture content of lotus in the tropical region was 8.25%, whereas the temperate region was 86.04%.Maintaining a low moisture content might extend the shelf life of the seed. Crude protein and crude fibres levels were found to be high in tropical lotus (24.4% and 3.15%, respectively) and low in temperate lotus (17.50% and 2.00%). Growth amplifying environmental conditions leads to increase in production of protein content. The tropical lotus has the largest crude lipid content (3.68%), whereas the temperate lotus had the lowest (1.90%).Because of the presence of big rhizomes in temperate lotus, the amount of Ash content produced (8.00%) was about double that of tropical lotus (4.03%). Overall, the tropical lotus ecotype had the highest nutrient content accumulation for crude protein, crude fibres and crude lipids. However, temperate lotus has the highest moisture and ash content.

Implementation status of comprehensive geriatric assessment among older inpatients: A nationwide retrospective study.

The importance of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is increasing in aging societies worldwide. However, there are few comprehensive studies on CGA, resulting in a limited understanding of its implementation rate, temporal changes and factors associated with its implementation. We aimed to investigate the implementation status of CGA and its regional variance in Japan. Using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we investigated CGA trends, and identified the patient, hospital and regional factors associated with its implementation. We identified patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted for the first time between 2016 and 2020 with a diagnosis of stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, bone fracture or colorectal cancer. We examined the CGA implementation rate according to patient and hospital characteristics. We also investigated temporal changes and tendencies to carry out CGA in different prefectures. A total of 1 974 817 patients were analyzed, of whom 570 696 (28.9%) underwent CGA. The implementation trend increased steadily from 25.3% in fiscal year 2016 to 33.4% in fiscal year 2019. The implementation rate also increased with patient age (30.3% in patients aged ≥95 years). Regional variations in its implementation status were observed, with a higher tendency to be implemented in areas near major metropolitan regions. A trend toward carrying out CGA for colorectal cancer, but not for other diseases, has been observed in eastern Japan. Although CGA is increasingly carried out, considerable regional differences remain in its implementation status. Initiatives to reduce variations are necessary. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••-••.

Digital financial inclusion, analyst attention, and the green innovation in energy firms

The transition towards environmental sustainability in China's energy sector underscores the crucial role of digital financial inclusion and analyst attention. This study employs an empirical analysis of data from listed Chinese energy-sector firms spanning 2011 to 2022, integrating regression models to investigate the impact of digital financial inclusion on green innovation and the moderating role of analyst attention. Findings reveal that digital financial inclusion significantly facilitates green innovation in energy firms, and analyst attention further amplifies this effect. Heterogeneity analysis shows regional differences, with the eastern and central regions benefiting more from digital financial inclusion, while the western region shows no significant effect. Additionally, state-owned enterprises experience a stronger positive impact compared to non-state-owned enterprises. The study highlights the synergistic potential between digital financial mechanisms and market dynamics in driving sustainable practices. Implications extend to policymakers, financial institutions, and energy companies, suggesting that enhancing digital financial access and market visibility of green initiatives can collectively advance sustainability goals within the energy sector, contributing to broader environmental and economic objectives.

Phenotyping COVID-19 respiratory failure in spontaneously breathing patients with AI on lung CT-scan

BackgroundAutomated analysis of lung computed tomography (CT) scans may help characterize subphenotypes of acute respiratory illness. We integrated lung CT features measured via deep learning with clinical and laboratory data in spontaneously breathing subjects to enhance the identification of COVID-19 subphenotypes.MethodsThis is a multicenter observational cohort study in spontaneously breathing patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure exposed to early lung CT within 7 days of admission. We explored lung CT images using deep learning approaches to quantitative and qualitative analyses; latent class analysis (LCA) by using clinical, laboratory and lung CT variables; regional differences between subphenotypes following 3D spatial trajectories.ResultsComplete datasets were available in 559 patients. LCA identified two subphenotypes (subphenotype 1 and 2). As compared with subphenotype 2 (n = 403), subphenotype 1 patients (n = 156) were older, had higher inflammatory biomarkers, and were more hypoxemic. Lungs in subphenotype 1 had a higher density gravitational gradient with a greater proportion of consolidated lungs as compared with subphenotype 2. In contrast, subphenotype 2 had a higher density submantellar–hilar gradient with a greater proportion of ground glass opacities as compared with subphenotype 1. Subphenotype 1 showed higher prevalence of comorbidities associated with endothelial dysfunction and higher 90-day mortality than subphenotype 2, even after adjustment for clinically meaningful variables.ConclusionsIntegrating lung-CT data in a LCA allowed us to identify two subphenotypes of COVID-19, with different clinical trajectories. These exploratory findings suggest a role of automated imaging characterization guided by machine learning in subphenotyping patients with respiratory failure.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04395482. Registration date: 19/05/2020.

A stochastic loss given default model of Hungarian residential mortgages

AbstractThe paper analyses the Loss Given Default (LGD) rates of residential mortgages, using a model based on stochastic collateral value. The implementation of the model is based on exponential Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes fitted to the Hungarian regions' house price indices. According to the model results, in case of a mortgage with a 80% loan-to-value ratio at origination, the expected LGD is around 30–40%, depending on the region. The highest LGD rates are estimated for villages, while the lowest rates are expected in Budapest and cities in the middle of the country. The range of the regional differences can reach 7 percentage points. According to the LGD Risk index based on the aggregated model, the LGD risk profile of recently issued mortgages has improved significantly since 2009 in Hungary.Due to the strong negative relation between the house prices and mortgage default rates, the expected return on defaulted collateral value tends to be low. The results could be relevant for credit institutions in their mortgage origination decisions and enhance analysis of lending processes and the associated risks.

Development of a Brief Assessment Tool to Evaluate Early Low Nutrition Risk in Community Elderly. Creation of the tool and examination of its reliability and criterion-related validity.

To date simple assessment tool to evaluate early low nutrition risk in general older population has not been available. This study aimed to create such tool and examined its reliability and criterion-related validity. 1,192 community elderly with a mean age of 74.7(5.8) years responded to a questionnaire consisting of 48 (Hatoyama) or 34 items (Kusatsu), which have been reported to be associated with nutritional state in older people. Item analysis was conducted on the 34 common items, and items were selected based on the following criteria: adequate pass rates and discriminative power, no gender and regional differences, and a certain level of commonality based on factor analysis. Next, the factor structure of the candidate items was examined through exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted as the final scale structure. Furthermore, Spearman's partial rank correlation coefficients (sex- and age-adjusted) between the created index and important health indicators were examined to determine the criterion-related validity. Finally, we obtained a semantic coherence of 4 factors (named health beliefs, dietary status, physical activity, and food-related quality of life) totaling 13 items; confirmatory factor analysis of the 4-factor solution yielded good model fit values, χ2 (59) =275.4 (p<0.001), CFI=0.930, and RMSEA=0.056. The factor loadings for each factor ranged from 0.43 to 0.82, indicating adequate loadings. The reliability of the index was shown to be high by Good-Poor analysis and Cronbach's α. The index showed statistically significant correlations with all health indicators. We have developed a simple assessment tool to evaluate early low nutrition risk in general older population.

Spatiotemporal evolution of carbon budget and carbon compensation zoning of urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin

As a crucial industrial, agricultural, and energy base in China, the urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) have faced increasingly significant pressure for carbon emission reduction since the implementation of the “Dual Carbon” strategy. This study focuses on 615 counties within the major urban agglomerations in the YRB, analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon budget in land use from 2000 to 2020. Methods such as the normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA) index and SOM-K-means model are employed to explore the carbon compensation zoning of counties in the urban agglomerations in the YRB from the perspective of main functional zones. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, there was a significant and continuous widening gap between carbon emissions and carbon absorption in the study area. The total carbon emissions increased significantly from 3.64 × 108 to 13.56 × 108 t, showing a “north high, south low” spatial distribution pattern. Meanwhile, the carbon absorption remained stable at around 6.47 × 107 t, with a spatial distribution pattern roughly characterized by “higher in the west, lower in the east, and highest in the central part”. The carbon budget of various types of functional zones generally aligns well with their strategic positioning. (2) There is a significant regional difference in net carbon emissions among urban agglomerations, with the greatest internal variation observed in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (Gw = 0.471) and the most notable differences between the Lanzhou-Xining Urban Agglomeration and others (Gb = 0.554). (3) The study area consists of 273 payment zones, 257 balanced zones, and 85 compensated zones. Combining with the reconstruction of main functional areas, seven types of carbon compensation zones are identified.

Human rights health care measures reporting physical fitness test for ages 6 to 17 with 10-year follow-up

Purpose This study aims to compare the physical fitness test results of Japanese children in 2008 and 2018 to narrow the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy and extend healthy life expectancy. In addition, this paper sought to explore the potential of implementing health education programs as a new social context to promote race equality and human rights in health and social care. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted in 2008 and 2018 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Physical fitness tests related to growth and development were administered to participants aged 6–17 years. Findings Physical fitness measurements in 2018, specifically those for walking ability and endurance, were significantly inferior to those in 2008. In a gender-specific analysis, boys outperformed girls in muscle strength, muscle endurance, walking ability and endurance tests, while girls outperformed boys in the balance test. Research limitations/implications Most of the junior and senior high school students who participated in the EO test exceeded the upper limit of 120 s, suggesting that the load of the measurement method is low and improvement is necessary. In 2018, a large variation in 6M results was observed among participants, possibly due to the differences in the level of seriousness during the 6M test. Therefore, to ensure that junior and senior high school students properly perform the EO and 6M tests, it is necessary to devise an effective method of implementation, such as changing the physical fitness test load. Originality/value Mere health education is ineffective to address health inequalities. Addressing structural factors is essential to avoid unintended consequences such as increasing the gap between groups of people. However, one way to extend healthy life expectancy is to improve overall health, including differences in the health status of groups due to differences in region and socioeconomic status.

Update on Effects of the Prophylactic HPV Vaccines on HPV Type Prevalence and Cervical Pathology.

Most national prophylactic HPV vaccination programs started in approximately 2008, with either the bivalent Cervarix HPV16/18 or quadrivalent Gardasil (HPV6/11/16/18) vaccines, which were then followed by introduction of the nonavalent Gardasil 9 (HPV6/11/16/18/ 31/33/45/52/58) vaccine from 2015. Since that time, these products have demonstrated their ability to prevent infection with vaccine-covered HPV types and subsequent development of HPV-related cervical and genital pathologies. The data indicate that vaccination of young girls prior to sexual debut is more effective than vaccination of older HPV+ve women. Although some studies have shown a decline in the prevalence of vaccine-covered HPV types, there are national and regional differences in overall vaccine efficacy. Furthermore, several recently published studies show an increase in the prevalence of non-vaccine-covered HPV types in vaccinated populations, which is indicative of HPV type-replacement. It is also notable that vaccine-related changes in HPV type prevalence spread between vaccinated and unvaccinated women at the same geographical location-presumably via sexual transmission. In conclusion, it is not yet clear what effect dissemination of vaccine-associated changes in HPV type prevalence will have on vaccine efficacy and cervical pathology, particularly in mixed populations of vaccinated and unvaccinated women. However, it is very clear these observations do underscore the need for long-term continuation of cervical screening combined with regular reassessment of testing practices.

Clinical profiles of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children

Objectives: To investigate clinical characteristics, outcomes and antimicrobial resistance of community-acquired Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CAPA) infections in Chinese pediatric patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at 6 tertiary hospitals in China during January 2016 to December 2018. The clinical and microbiological data of CAPA infected hospitalized children in Hainan and in other regions were collected and compared, and the antimicrobial resistance patterns, clinical characteristics and antibiotic therapy were analyzed. Between different groups were compared using the Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Among 91 patients, 63 cases were males, 28 cases were females, and 74 cases were from Hainan province, 17 cases were from other regians. The age of consultation was 22.5 (5.4, 44.0) months. Twenty-four cases (26%) had underlying diseases. Fever (79 cases (87%)) and cough (64 cases (70%)) were common initial symptoms. Other concomitant symptoms included wheezing 8 cases (9%), diarrhea 3 cases (3%) and vomiting 4 cases (4%). Twenty-eight cases (31%) had organ infections, including pneumonia 22 cases (24%), skin infection 5 cases (5%), meningitis, intra-abdominal infection and upper urinary tract infection each 1 case (1%). The resistance rate of CAPA isolates to cefepime (4% (4/90)), amikacin (1% (1/90)), ciprofloxacin (2% (2/90)) and levofloxacin (1% (1/89)) was low, and to ceftazidime, piperacillin, piperacillin-azobactam, carbapenem was 12% (11/90), 3/16, 18% (10/56) and 6% (5/90), respectively. Antimicrobial combination therapy accounted for 52% (47/91) of empirical therapy and 59% (52/88) of definite therapy. Two cases (2%) were hopeless discharged, and 3 cases (3%) died during hospitalization. The worse prognosis of CAPA infection is significantly different among children in other regions and in Hainan (4/17 vs. 1% (1/74), χ²=9.74, P<0.05). Conclusions: The invasive CAPA-infection has regional difference in incidence and prognosis in China. Clinical symptoms and signs are non-specific. CAPA strains isolated from pediatric patients display low level of resistance to most of the common antipseudomonal antibiotics. The proportion of poor prognostic outcome is lower in Hainan than in other regions.

Development of a Global Metabo-Lipid-Prote-omics Workflow to Compare Healthy Proximal and Distal Colonic Epithelium in Mice.

A multimetabo-lipid-prote-omics workflow was developed to characterize the molecular interplay within proximal (PC) and distal (DC) colonic epithelium of healthy mice. This multiomics data set lays the foundation to better understand the two tissue types and can be used to study, for example, colon-related diseases like colorectal cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. First, the methyl tert-butyl ether extraction method was optimized, so that from a single tissue biopsy >350 reference-matched metabolites, >1850 reference-matched lipids, and >4500 proteins were detected by using targeted and untargeted metabolomics, untargeted lipidomics, and proteomics. Next, each omics-data set was analyzed individually and then merged with the additional omics disciplines to generate a deep understanding of the underlying complex regulatory network within the colon. Our data demonstrates, for example, differences in mucin formation, detected on substrate level as well as on enzyme level, and altered lipid metabolism by the detection of phospholipases hydrolyzing sphingomyelins to ceramides. In conclusion, the combination of the three mass spectrometry-based omics techniques can better entangle the functional and regional differences between PC and DC tissue compared to each single omics technique.

A comparative ethnic study on the urban integration of the migrant populations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the process of urbanization

ABSTRACT This paper constructs an urban integration index system of the migrant population to compare differences in the level of urban integration among different ethnic groups on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The study finds that Tibetan migrants have the highest level of urban integration, followed by Han and then Hui migrants. The migrants of each ethnic group have their own advantages in urban integration among the different dimensions used in this study. Han migrants have the highest level of economic integration, Tibetan migrants have the highest level of social participation, and Hui migrants have the highest level of psychological and cultural integration. There are also regional differences, with the level of urban integration of migrants in Qinghai Province being higher than that of migrants in the Tibet Autonomous Region. From the perspective of the different dimensions of integration, the economic integration of migrants in Qinghai Province and the social participation of migrants in the Tibet Autonomous Region have integration advantages. In addition, factors affecting the urban integration of the migrant population of different ethnic groups share some similarities and have some differences.

ScaDA: A novel statistical method for differential analysis of single-cell chromatin accessibility sequencing data.

Single-cell ATAC-seq sequencing data (scATAC-seq) has been widely used to investigate chromatin accessibility on the single-cell level. One important application of scATAC-seq data analysis is differential chromatin accessibility (DA) analysis. However, the data characteristics of scATAC-seq such as excessive zeros and large variability of chromatin accessibility across cells impose a unique challenge for DA analysis. Existing statistical methods focus on detecting the mean difference of the chromatin accessible regions while overlooking the distribution difference. Motivated by real data exploration that distribution difference exists among cell types, we introduce a novel composite statistical test named "scaDA", which is based on zero-inflated negative binomial model (ZINB), for performing differential distribution analysis of chromatin accessibility by jointly testing the abundance, prevalence and dispersion simultaneously. Benefiting from both dispersion shrinkage and iterative refinement of mean and prevalence parameter estimates, scaDA demonstrates its superiority to both ZINB-based likelihood ratio tests and published methods by achieving the highest power and best FDR control in a comprehensive simulation study. In addition to demonstrating the highest power in three real sc-multiome data analyses, scaDA successfully identifies differentially accessible regions in microglia from sc-multiome data for an Alzheimer's disease (AD) study that are most enriched in GO terms related to neurogenesis and the clinical phenotype of AD, and AD-associated GWAS SNPs.

Fungal communities associated with Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris and Larix sp. seeds of different geographic origin: Implications for disease management

AbstractIn Europe, Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies are the most common coniferous tree species used in commercial forestry, which rely on high‐quality reproductive material for successful reforestation. Clear‐cut harvested forest sites are often replanted using tree seedlings, which are produced in forest nurseries using seeds from seed orchards. However, incidences of fungal diseases in seedling production show that a better knowledge of seedborne fungi, including fungal pathogens, is needed to manage diseases in forest nurseries. This study aimed to assess seedborne fungal communities associated with commercial seeds of P. abies, P. sylvestris and Larix sp. seeds originated from geographically separated regions in Sweden, Belarus, Finland and Poland. Fungal communities were obtained first from the seed surface and then from the seed tissue. These were analysed using high‐throughput sequencing of the ITS2 rDNA region. The results showed that fungal diversity and community composition differed between the seed surface and the seed tissue. Picea abies accommodated a higher fungal diversity than P. sylvestris. In addition, a strong host affinity of the fungal community composition on the seed surface and a weaker association in the seed tissue was found. Fungal communities on P. abies and P. sylvestris seed surface differed significantly between geographical regions, whereas no regional differences were found in the seed tissue. The seedborne fungal communities included a high proportion of plant pathogens, among which the most abundant were Sydowia polyspora (13.3%), Phoma herbarum (11.2%) and Sirococcus conigenus (3.8%). In conclusion, the results showed (a) characteristic fungal diversity and community composition between the seed surface and the seed tissue; (b) a host‐specific fungal community composition on the seed surface and in the seed tissue; (c) regional difference in fungal communities on P. abies and P. sylvestris seed surface, thus the movement of seeds between different regions can contribute to the spread of fungal diseases; and (d) the presence of a high incidence of seedborne fungal pathogens which suggest a potential need of preventative or control measures to reduce the occurrence of these fungi on the seed surface.

Dengue virus type 3 infection in a traveler returning from Costa Rica to Japan in 2023

The number of dengue cases has increased dramatically in recent years. In Latin America, the number of cases and deaths in 2023 was the highest ever recorded. We report on a patient who had been infected with dengue virus during his stay in Costa Rica in September 2023, and developed the disease after returning to Japan. Plasma obtained from the patient was used for diagnosis and dengue virus serotyping by real-time PCR. The nucleotide sequence of the envelope region of dengue virus was then determined by the direct sequencing method, and this sequence was used for phylogenetic analyses. The patient was found to be infected with dengue virus type 3 genotype III. The sequence from the present case was more homologous with sequences registered in Florida, USA, associated with travel to Cuba in 2022 than with sequences registered in Costa Rica 10 years ago. The Pan American Health Organization reported that only dengue virus type 1 and 2 cases were reported in Costa Rica in 2019–2021, whereas dengue virus type 3 and 4 cases started being reported in 2022. In 2023, the reported numbers of cases with dengue virus types 3 and 4 exceeded those of dengue virus types 1 and 2. In addition, regional differences in endemic strains have been observed in Costa Rica. Our findings suggest that the dengue virus type 3 that infected the patient was more likely an influx of a strain that had been circulating in Caribbean countries such as Cuba in recent years, rather than a re-emergence of an indigenous virus in Costa Rica. The serotypes of dengue virus prevalent in Costa Rica have been changing since 2022. All four serotypes were prevalent in 2023, with a particularly sharp increase in the number of cases of dengue virus types 3 and 4. Future monitoring and surveillance are essential because changes in endemic serotypes can cause antibody-dependent enhancement, which can lead to severe dengue disease presentations.