Disease Management Strategies Research Articles

Harnessing Microbial Antagonists for Biological Control of Plant Pathogens: A Global Perspective

Reducing agricultural production inputs while maintaining a lucrative yield of high-quality goods is becoming more and more necessary as a result of the global sustainability agenda. Plant diseases pose a significant threat to productivity and product quality, yet many times there are no adequate measures available to control them. Consequently, research on substitute methods of crop protection has been mandated and has garnered significant interest from scholars around. A number of biological control agents (BCAs), including Bacillus, Pantoea, Streptomyces, Trichoderma, Clonostachys, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, and specific yeasts, have been screened. Of these alternatives, biological controls through beneficial microorganisms have gained significant importance. BCAs, at the very least, support other sustainable disease management strategies like disease resistance and offer chances to control illnesses for whom alternative strategies are unfeasible or unobtainable. It is reasonable to anticipate that BCAs will be used more often to manage agricultural diseases in environmentally friendly ways.

Unraveling the intriguing interplay: Exploring the role of lncRNAs in caspase-independent cell death.

Cell death plays a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes. Until recently, programmed cell death was mainly attributed to caspase-dependent apoptosis. However, emerging evidence suggests that caspase-independent cell death (CICD) mechanisms also contribute significantly to cellular demise. We and others have reported and functionally characterized numerous long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that modulate caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways potentially in a pathway-dependent manner. However, the interplay between lncRNAs and CICD pathways has not been comprehensively documented. One major reason for this is that most CICD pathways have been recently discovered with some being partially characterized at the molecular level. In this review, we discuss the emerging evidence that implicates specific lncRNAs in the regulation and execution of CICD. We summarize the diverse mechanisms through which lncRNAs modulate different forms of CICD, including ferroptosis, necroptosis, cuproptosis, and others. Furthermore, we highlight the intricate regulatory networks involving lncRNAs, protein-coding genes, and signaling pathways that orchestrate CICD in health and disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and functional implications of lncRNAs in CICD may unravel novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools for various diseases, paving the way for innovative strategies in disease management and personalized medicine. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.

ENCAPSULATION OF SOYBEAN SEEDS WITH Actinomycetes AS A BIOCONTROL AGENT AGAINST Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Actinomycetes in encapsulating soybean seeds to control damping-off disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. With national soybean demand reaching 22 million tons per year and domestic production only 1 million tons, increasing production is essential. One major constraint is the attack of plant pathogens such as S. rolfsii, which can cause significant losses. Actinomycetes were isolated from the rhizosphere of weeds and tested for their antagonistic activity in vitro. Seed encapsulation using various carriers (kaolin, talc, and zeolite) was conducted to determine the most effective formula. In vivo tests showed that the Actinomycetes isolate PM2 exhibited the best antagonistic activity, with the zeolite formulation reducing pre-emergence damping-off disease incidence to 12.50% and post-emergence damping-off to 8.25%, compared to the positive control. These results indicate that the use of Actinomycetes in soybean seed encapsulation is an effective and sustainable method for controlling damping-off disease. Zeolite as a carrier proved to provide a supportive environment for antagonistic microbes, maintaining moisture and supplying necessary nutrients. This research reveals the great potential of Actinomycetes as a biocontrol agent in plant disease management strategies, which can significantly enhance soybean production and support national food security.

Risk Factors for Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Adults With Mild Asthma

Although individuals with mild asthma account for 30% to 40% of acute asthma exacerbations (AAEs), relatively little attention has been paid to risk factors for AAEs in this population. To identify risk factors associated with AAEs in patients with mild asthma. This was a retrospective cohort study. We used administrative data from a large managed care organization to identify 199,010 adults aged 18 to 85 years who met study criteria for mild asthma between 2013 and 2018. An asthma-coded qualifying visit (index visit) was identified for each patient. We then used information at the index visit or from the year before the index visit to measure potential risk factors for AAEs in the subsequent year. An AAE was defined as either an asthma-coded hospitalization or emergency department visit, or an asthma-related systemic corticosteroid administration (intramuscular or intravenous) or oral corticosteroid dispensing. Poisson regression models with robust SEs were used to estimate the adjusted risk ratios for future AAEs. In the study cohort, mean age was 44 years and 64% were female; 6.5% had AAEs within 1 year after the index visit. In multivariate models, age, sex, race, ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index, prior acute asthma care, and a variety of comorbidities and other clinical characteristics were significant predictors for future AAE risk. Population-based disease management strategies for asthma should be expanded to include people with mild asthma in addition to those with moderate to severe disease.

SCOPE OF AYURVEDA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF KUSHTHA (SKIN DISEASES)

Background: Skin disorders are multi-faceted and may have their origin in allergy, autoimmunity, and hereditary. Ayurveda describes skin disorders under the umbrella of Kushtha, a disease characterized by the derangement of the skin. When we take into account the prevalence of different diseases, over 20% of all people seeking medical attention each year are suffering from skin disorders globally. Kushtha is categorized as Maha Kushtha and Kshudra Kushtha by all Acharyas depending on the severity of the symptoms and its prognosis. Many different etiological factors and disease management strategies are described in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Aim: To assess the scope of Ayurveda in the management of skin diseases. Material & Methods: Different classical Ayurvedic texts, websites, journals and research articles were referred in the above context. Discussion & Conclusion: Kushtha arises from the vitiation of Tridosha and Twak, Rakta, Mamsa and Lasika. Thus the management for Kushtha is based on the involvement of Dosha and Dushya. Though some treatment modalities are condition-specific, the fundamental principle of treatment is consistent with all forms of Kushtha. Acharya have emphasized the significance of Shodhana (detoxification) therapy to eliminate the morbid Dosha from the body, and Raktamokshana to expel Dushita Rakta which is the key Dushya in the pathology of Kushtha. The Shamana (palliative) therapy comprises both internal and external medications viz. Rasa Aushadhi, Churna, Kwath, Asav, Arishta, Guggulu, Ghrita, and Malhara, Tail, Lepa. Dietary management, Dincharya, Ritucharya, Rasayana therapy, and Sadvritta are given immense importance in Ayurveda to preserve good health and prevention of diseases. This wholesome viewpoint of detoxification, palliative care and lifestyle modification needs to be analyzed to develop guidelines for the management of skin diseases based on Ayurveda principles.

First Report of Green Mould on Leaf of Phaseolus vulgaris Caused by Cladosporium tenuissimum in Liaoning, China.

Phaseolus vulgaris Linn. is a widely cultivated vegetable throughout the world. From spring 2019 to 2022, green mould symptoms were observed on leaves of P. vulgaris in the greenhouse in Liaoning, China, with disease incidence of 8-75% (plants) and 6-23% (leaves). Symptoms appeared as chlorotic lesions covered with dark green mould. The infections started at the apex or margin of the leaves and then spread inward with a characteristic "V" shape. Lesions exhibited curly morphology. 15 leaf samples with typical symptoms were collected from 5 different greenhouses. A total of 75 (5 replicates of each sample) leaf tissues (0.5 cm × 0.5 cm) were selected from the boundary between diseased and healthy parts. These samples were surface sterilized in 0.5% NaClO formin, rinsed 3 times in sterile distilled water and subsequently incubated at 28℃ on potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with streptomycin (50 μg/ml). Numerous morphologically uniform colonies had been purified, with no other fungi observed. Afterwards, the strains were subcultured on malt extract agar (MEA). Colonies on MEA reached 70 to 80 mm diam after 14 days, smoke-grey to pale olivaceous-grey, woolly, sometimes radially wrinkled. The mycelia were pale olivaceous-grey, with hyphae measuring 1-5 μm wide (n = 20). The conidiophores were solitary or in groups of 2 to 5, and measured 50-280(-350) × 2.5-4 μm (n = 20), with 2-7 septa. The conidiogenous cells exhibited a cylindrical-oblong morphology and measured 10-44 × 5 μm (n = 20), with 0-2 septa, and the loci frequently thickened. The conidia were catenate in densely branched chains, ellipsoid to obovoid, smooth, and measured 2.5-5 × 2-3 μm (n = 50), with 0-4 septa. The morphological characteristics were similar to Cladosporium tenuissimum (Zhang 2003). The representative isolate KZ-19 was selected for molecular identification. The rDNA-ITS, translation elongation factor 1-α and actin genes were amplified, sequenced, and the resulting sequence data were submitted to GenBank (ITS: OQ931048; EF-1α: OQ954495; ACT: OQ954496). The BLAST results exhibited a 99 to 100% similarity with the sequences of C. tenuissimum type strain CBS 125995(ITS: HM148197; EF-1α: HM148442; ACT: HM148687). Furthermore, a multi-locus phylogenetic tree was constructed using the PhyloSuite (v 1. 2. 2) software, which revealed that the strains were most closely related to C. tenuissimum (Zhang et al. 2020). Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics, KZ-19 was finally identified as C. tenuissimum (Bensch 2012). Pathogenicity testing was performed on healthy 1-month-old P. vulgaris plants by inoculating the spore suspension (1×106 conidia/ml) of KZ-19 onto leaf surfaces, while control plants were simulated inoculated with sterile water, and five pots were used for each treatment. The test was performed under field conditions of 16-28°C (temperature) and 24-56% (relative humidity). Chlorotic lesions became evident within 2 days of inoculation, followed by the appearance of green mold on leaves after 7 days. No symptoms were observed in the control group. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the pathogen was re-isolated from three inoculated leaves. The morphological identification of re-isolated pathogens was similar to that of originally isolated pathogens. No infection was observed in non-inoculated control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. tenuissimum causing green mould on P. vulgaris. As a ubiquitous saprobic hyphomycete, C. tenuissimum has been implicated in leaf mold in Punica granatum and Trifolium repens, larch bud blight, and strawberry blossom blight in previous years (He et al. 1987; Zhang et al. 2003; Zheng et al. 2010; Nam et al. 2015), presenting a potential threat to numerous crops. Therefore, an investigation of its distribution and pathogenic potential is essential in addition to the development of effective disease management strategies.

Homobrassinolide Delays Huanglongbing Progression in Newly Planted Citrus (Citrus sinensis) Trees.

Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a devastating disease impacting citrus trees worldwide, with severe effects particularly noted in Florida. Current strategies to combat HLB focus on aggressive replanting, despite the high susceptibility of young trees to infection. In this context, it is critical to explore agronomic practices that can enhance the health and resistance of young citrus trees to HLB. Here, we demonstrate that treatment with homobrassinolide (HBr), a type of brassinosteroid, in newly planted citrus (Citrus sinensis) trees can delay HLB infection and improve tree health amidst the high psyllid pressure conditions endemic to Florida. Our study reveals a significant reduction in HLB infection rates in HBr-treated trees compared to control trees, with only 25% of treated trees testing positive for HLB by six months, in contrast to 100% infection in untreated trees. This delay in infection may be attributed to HBr inducing an immune response and negatively impacting psyllid performance, as subsequently demonstrated in a greenhouse experiment. Our findings suggest that HBr applications could serve as a viable strategy to enhance the resilience of citrus production against HLB, underscoring the need for further investigation into their mechanisms of action and potential role in a comprehensive pest and disease management strategy.

Bacillus thuringiensis promotes systemic immunity in tomato, controlling pests and pathogens and promoting yield

AbstractPlant pathogens and pests pose an increasing threat to worldwide food security. To improve and strengthen food security under increasingly difficult environmental, economic, and geopolitical conditions, the prospect of using microbial biocontrol agents becomes increasingly desirable. One of the most studied, and commercially used, biopesticide microorganisms is the entomopathogenic, gram-positive, soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). While Bt has been known for many years as an insecticidal microorganism and used extensively in agriculture, its possible anti-phytopathogen and plant growth-promoting activities have received comparatively limited attention thus far. Here, we examine the ability of Bt to promote systemic immunity in tomato plants. We investigate how Bt influences plant immunity and disease resistance against several fungal and bacterial plant pathogens, as well as several arthropod pests. In order to determine which component of Bt (i.e., Bt spores or pure crystals) is responsible for the observed effects on pathogens or pests, we dissected the different fractions present in a commercial preparation and assessed their effects on pest and pathogen control. As previously reported in the Bt literature, our results indicate that proteins produced by Bt are likely the primary acting components against pests. In the case of pathogens, however, it appears that both the Bt spores and proteins directly act against pathogens such as the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Bt Spores and produced proteins also both induce plant immunity. Understanding the different Bt mode of action mechanisms will help in developing cost-effective and safe plant protection strategies for enhancing food security. Taken together, our findings suggest that Bt could be used in broad-spectrum pest and disease management strategies. Pending validation in agricultural settings, Bt products on the market could have additional uses in sustainable pest management and plant growth promotion.

Real-World Analysis of Post-Progression Treatment Patterns and Outcomes for EGFR Mutation-Positive Patients Treated with First-Line Osimertinib.

Introduction: The use of osimertinib in the first-line (1L) setting is an effective treatment option for sensitizing EGFR-mutations (EGFRm+) and has significantly altered the standard of care practice for EGFRm+ disease in Canada. Unfortunately, acquired resistance to osimertinib is almost universal, and outcomes are disparate. Post-progression treatment patterns and the outcome of real-world Canadian EGFRm+ patients receiving 1L osimertinib were the focus of this retrospective review. Methods: The Glans-Look Lung Cancer Research database was used to identify and collect demographic, clinical, treatment, and outcome data on EGFRm+ patients who received 1L osimertinib in the Canadian province of Alberta between 2018 and 2022. Results: A total of 150 patients receiving 1L osimertinib were identified. In total, 86 developed progressive disease, with 56 (65%) continuing systemic therapy, 73% continuing osimertinib, and 27% switching to second-line (2L) systemic therapy. Patients were similar both in clinical characteristics at 1L osimertinib initiation and patterns of treatment failure at progression; those continuing 1L osimertinib post-progression had a longer time to progression (13.5 vs. 8.8 months, p = 0.05) and subsequent post-osimertinib initiation survival (34.7 vs. 22.8 months, p = 0.11). Conclusions: The continuation of osimertinib post-progression is an effective disease management strategy for select real-world EGFRm+ patients, providing continued clinical benefit, potentially due to different underlying disease pathogenesis.

Comparative Analysis of Virulence and Molecular Diversity of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Isolates Collected in 2016 and 2023 in the Western Region of China.

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is adept at overcoming resistance in wheat cultivars, through variations in virulence in the western provinces of China. To apply disease management strategies, it is essential to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of Pst populations. This study aimed to evaluate the virulence and molecular diversity of 84 old Pst isolates, in comparison to 59 newer ones. By using 19 Chinese wheat differentials, we identified 98 pathotypes, showing virulence complexity ranging from 0 to 16. Associations between 23 Yr gene pairs showed linkage disequilibrium and have the potential for gene pyramiding. The new Pst isolates had a higher number of polymorphic alleles (1.97), while the older isolates had a slightly higher number of effective alleles, Shannon's information, and diversity. The Gansu Pst population had the highest diversity (uh = 0.35), while the Guizhou population was the least diverse. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that 94% of the observed variation occurred within Pst populations across the four provinces, while 6% was attributed to differences among populations. Overall, Pst populations displayed a higher pathotypic diversity of H > 2.5 and a genotypic diversity of 96%. This underscores the need to develop gene-pyramided cultivars to enhance the durability of resistance.

Organic vs. Integrated-Production Agriculture Farming: Which Grapevine Stress-Responsive Genes Are Affected by the Application of Resistance Inducers and Elicitors?

With the rising prominence of organic farming systems in European Union countries, motivated by agricultural policies, there is pressure for effective disease management strategies. To address this challenge, the use of plant resistance inducers (PRIs) and elicitors has emerged as a promising approach. In this study, we compared the impact of integrated production with organic agriculture farming practices, specifically applying PRIs and elicitors in the latter, on the expression levels of stress-responsive genes in two grapevine cultivars, ‘Alicante Bouschet’ and ‘Trincadeira’. Our findings revealed that the organic farming system led to upregulation of eight of the 12 studied genes in at least one cultivar, indicating a significant influence of production mode. The upregulated genes were associated with plant stress-responsive genes (PR1, PR2, PR4, and TLP9), sugar metabolism (HT5), phenylpropanoids (STS1), enzymes related to jasmonic acid synthesis and response to biotic stresses, respectively (LOX, PER42). Also, the ‘Alicante Bouschet’ cultivar consistently displayed significantly higher levels of transcript accumulation on most of the stress-related genes compared to the ‘Trincadeira’ cultivar in both production modes. Our study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of PRIs and elicitors in increasing plant expression levels of stress-responsive genes, leading to greater resilience to pathogen attacks and emphasizing their position in organic agriculture.

Graph learning with label attention and hyperbolic embedding for temporal event prediction in healthcare

The digitization of healthcare systems has led to the proliferation of electronic health records (EHRs), serving as comprehensive repositories of patient information. However, the vast volume and complexity of EHR data present challenges in extracting meaningful insights. This paper addresses the need for automated analysis of EHRs by proposing a novel graph learning model with label attention (GLLA) for temporal event prediction. GLLA utilizes graph neural networks to capture intricate relationships between medical codes and patients, incorporating hierarchical structures and shared risk factors. Furthermore, it introduces the Label Attention and Attention-based Transformer (LAAT) algorithm to analyze unstructured clinical notes as a multi-label classification problem. Evaluation on the widely-used MIMIC III dataset demonstrates the efficacy of GLLA in enhancing diagnostic prediction performance. The contributions of this research include a comprehensive analysis of existing models, the identification of limitations, and the development of innovative approaches to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of EHR analysis. Ultimately, GLLA aims to advance healthcare decision-making, disease management strategies, and patient outcomes.

Molecular commensalism: how oral corynebacteria and their extracellular membrane vesicles shape microbiome interactions.

Historically, the study of microbe-associated diseases has focused primarily on pathogens, guided by Koch's postulates. This pathogen-centric view has provided a mechanistic understanding of disease etiology and microbial pathogenesis. However, next-generation sequencing approaches have revealed a far more nuanced view of the roles various microbes play in disease, highlighting the importance of microbial diversity beyond individual pathogens. This broader perspective acknowledges the roles of host and microbial communities in disease development and resistance. In particular, the concept of dysbiosis, especially within the oral cavity, has gained attention for explaining the emergence of complex polymicrobial diseases. Such diseases often stem from resident microbes rather than foreign pathogens, complicating their treatment and even clouding our understanding of disease etiology. Oral health is maintained through a delicate balance between commensal microbes and the host, with diseases like caries and periodontal disease arising from pathogenic perturbations of this balance. Commensal microbes, such as certain streptococci and Corynebacterium spp., play crucial roles in maintaining oral health through mechanisms involving hydrogen peroxide production and membrane vesicle secretion, which can inhibit pathogenic species and modulate host immune responses. Recent research focused upon the mechanisms of molecular commensalism has expanded our understanding of these key functions of the commensal microbiome, demonstrating their central role in promoting oral health and preventing disease. These abilities represent a largely untapped reservoir of potential innovative strategies for disease prevention and management, emphasizing the need to bolster a symbiotic microbiome that inherently suppresses pathogenesis.

Socio-Economic Impacts of Endemic and Epidemic Diseases on Livestock Production Systems in Tanzania

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine socio-economic impacts of endemic and epidemic diseases on livestock production systems in Tanzania. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that endemic diseases such as brucellosis, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) pose ongoing challenges to livestock health, productivity, and household livelihoods. Epidemic diseases like avian influenza and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) can cause sudden outbreaks, leading to acute disruptions in production and trade. These disease outbreaks result in various socio-economic consequences, including decreased livestock productivity, loss of income for farmers, increased veterinary and containment costs, and disruptions in domestic and international trade. Additionally, diseases can exacerbate poverty and food insecurity among rural communities reliant on livestock for sustenance and income generation. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Economic theory of disease control & social-ecological systems theory may be used to anchor future studies on socio-economic impacts of endemic and epidemic diseases on livestock production systems in Tanzania. Building technical capacity at the grassroots level empowers communities to implement effective disease management strategies and adopt biosecurity measures. Establishing community-based disease surveillance systems that empower local communities to monitor and report disease outbreaks in livestock populations. Providing financial support and risk-sharing mechanisms mitigate economic losses and encourage proactive disease management practices. Establish data-sharing mechanisms and surveillance networks that facilitate real-time exchange of information on disease outbreaks, epidemiological trends, and economic impacts.

Simultaneous Detection of Grapevine Viruses via Multiplex Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction: An Academic Approach

Grapevine viruses pose a significant threat to the viticulture industry, resulting in reduced grape yield, poor fruit quality, and economic loss. Accurate and timely detection of multiple viruses are essential for effective disease management and the implementation of appropriate control measures. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine leafroll-associated virus‑1 (GLRaV-1), arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), and grapevine virus A (GVA) in 320 plant samples collected from the Aegean region of Turkey using the powerful technique of multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Through comprehensive analysis, 119 of the 320 infected samples were identified using PCR. The distribution of the detected viruses revealed the presence of 28 GFLV, 31 GLRaV‑1, 12 GFkV, 21 GVA, and 27 ArMV. By comprehensively analyzing the samples, the researchers were able to simultaneously detect and identify the target viruses using a single, cost-effective assay. These results reveal the prevalence and distribution of these viruses in the Aegean region, providing valuable insights into the viral landscape of grapevines in this important viticultural area. The high detection rates of these viruses highlight the urgent need for improved disease management strategies to safeguard vine health and productivity.

Acute care utilization among individuals with sickle cell disease and related cardiopulmonary and renal complications.

Cardiopulmonary and renal end organ (CPR) complications are associated with early mortality among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, there is limited knowledge regarding acute care utilization for individuals with SCD and CPR complications. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of CPR complications in a state specific SCD population and compare acute care utilization among individuals with and without CPR complications. We leveraged 2017-2020 data for individuals with SCD identified by the Sickle Cell Data Collection program in Wisconsin. The prevalence of CPR complications is determined for distinct age groups. Generalized linear models adjusted for age compared the rate of acute care visits/person/year among individuals who had cardiopulmonary only, renal only, both cardiopulmonary and renal, or no CPR complications. There were 1378 individuals with SCD, 52% females, mean (SD) age 28.3 (18.5) years; 48% had at least one CPR complication during the study period. The prevalence of CPR complications was higher in adults (69%) compared to pediatric (15%) and transition (51%) groups. Individuals with SCD and cardiopulmonary complications had higher acute visit rates than those without CPR complications (5.4 (IQR 5.0-5.8) vs 2.4 (IQR 2.1-2.5), p <0.001)). Acute care visit rates were similar between individuals with SCD who had renal only complications and no CPR complications (2.7 (IQR 2.5-3.0) vs 2.4 (2.1-2.5), p = 0.24). The high acute care visit rates, especially for those with cardiopulmonary complications, warrant further investigation to understand risk factors for CPR complications, the underlying reasons and identify effective disease management strategies.

Modified bi-directional long short-term memory and hyperparameter tuning of supervised machine learning models for cardiovascular heart disease prediction in mobile cloud environment

In recent decades, cardiovascular heart disease (CHD) has emerged as the predominant cause of mortality on a global scale. Numerous risk factors for cardiovascular disease necessitate prompt access to accurate, dependable, and efficient early diagnosis and disease management strategies. The timely and precise identification of cardiac disease holds significant importance in the prevention and treatment of heart failure. The reliability of diagnosing heart disease by standard medical history has been widely questioned. Medical imaging, including angiography, is the most widely used method for diagnosing CAD. Nevertheless, angiography is renowned for its high cost and its correlation with many adverse consequences. Noninvasive techniques, such as machine learning, demonstrate reliability and efficiency in the classification of individuals as either healthy or afflicted with cardiac disease. In this research, a new efficient real-time diagnostic method for CHD was designed via hyperparameter tuning of supervised machine learning (SML). This study consists of five significant components: the data preprocessing stage, classification with and without hyperparameter tuning, model integration and clinical decision, intervention and patient engagement, and lastly, model deployment and API integration on Amazon Cloud SageMaker. The data was preprocessed, which included finding outliers using the interquartile range (IQR), normalizing the data, and using the synthetic minority oversampling method (SMOTE) to fix the imbalance in the data. Following this, we propose a new adaptation of the Bi-Directional Long-Short Term Memory (BiLSTM) model, incorporating an attention mechanism (AM) to facilitate feature selection. The feature relevance was determined by calculating the coefficient scores for the top ten (10) features in each of the SMLs, namely the Catboost, extreme gradient boosting (XgBoost), random forest (RF), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Both with and without the inclusion of hyperparameter tuning, the grid search process further improved the models. We deployed our proposed models at scale by outsourcing them to the SageMaker cloud environment. The detailed experimental analysis showed that the BiLSTM + AM-XgBoost model worked best when tuned for hyperparameters via the grid search method. Specifically, this model achieved an accuracy of 99.99%, recall of 99.65%, precision of 99.68%, and AUC of 88.16%. The BiLSTM + AM-XgBoost model, without any hyperparameter adjustment, achieved an accuracy of 97.58%, recall of 96.32%, precision of 97.32%, and AUC of 87.32%. The tuning of hyperparameters affects the performance of SML in terms of accuracy, recall, precision, and AUC. In addition, we conducted a comparative analysis of our proposed models against the current state-of-the-art approaches. The findings of our evaluation indicate that our models exhibit a level of performance that outperforms the existing methods. The proposed model can function as a decision support system that employs SML techniques and seeks to enhance the efficacy of cardiac patient diagnostics for healthcare professionals. The simplicity of the suggested model is attributed to its reduced computational complexity. The findings demonstrate the potential application of our method in the field of telemedicine, particularly in the context of mobile cloud device environments for CHD.

Deciphering the virome of Chunkung (Cnidium officinale) showing dwarfism-like symptoms via a high-throughput sequencing analysis.

Viruses have notable effects on agroecosystems, wherein they can adversely affect plant health and cause problems (e.g., increased biosecurity risks and economic losses). However, our knowledge of their diversity and interactions with specific host plants in ecosystems remains limited. To enhance our understanding of the roles that viruses play in agroecosystems, comprehensive analyses of the viromes of a wide range of plants are essential. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques are useful for conducting impartial and unbiased investigations of plant viromes, ultimately forming a basis for generating further biological and ecological insights. This study was conducted to thoroughly characterize the viral community dynamics in individual plants. An HTS-based virome analysis in conjunction with proximity sampling and a tripartite network analysis were performed to investigate the viral diversity in chunkung (Cnidium officinale) plants. We identified 61 distinct chunkung plant-associated viruses (27 DNA and 34 RNA viruses) from 21 known genera and 6 unclassified genera in 14 known viral families. Notably, 12 persistent viruses (7 DNA and 5 RNA viruses) were exclusive to dwarfed chunkung plants. The detection of viruses from the families Partitiviridae, Picobirnaviridae, and Spinareoviridae only in the dwarfed plants suggested that they may contribute to the observed dwarfism. The co-infection of chunkung by multiple viruses is indicative of a dynamic and interactive viral ecosystem with significant sequence variability and evidence of recombination. We revealed the viral community involved in chunkung. Our findings suggest that chunkung serves as a significant reservoir for a variety of plant viruses. Moreover, the co-infection rate of individual plants was unexpectedly high. Future research will need to elucidate the mechanisms enabling several dozen viruses to co-exist in chunkung. Nevertheless, the important insights into the chunkung virome generated in this study may be relevant to developing effective plant viral disease management and control strategies.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Fusarium udum in India and its correlation with pigeonpea wilt incidence.

In a study conducted in India, 50 Fusarium isolates were collected from pigeonpea growing regions and extensively examined for their cultural and morphological characteristics. These isolates exhibited significant variations in traits including growth rate, mycelial growth patterns, color, zonation, pigmentation, spore size, and septation. Subsequently, 30 isolates were chosen for pathogenicity testing on eight pigeonpea genotypes. Results showed distinct reactions, with four genotypes displaying differential responses (ICP8858, ICP8859, ICP8862, and BDN-2), while ICP9174 and ICP8863 consistently exhibited resistance and ICP2376 and BAHAR remained susceptible to wilt disease. To study the interaction between Fusarium isolates and pigeonpea host differentials (HDs), an additive main effects and multiplicative interactionanalysis was conducted. The majority of disease incidence variation (75.54%) was attributed to HD effects, while Fusarium isolate effects accounted for only 1.99%. The interaction between Isolates and HDs (I × HD) contributed 21.95% to the total variation, being smaller than HD but larger than I. Based on HD reactions, isolates were classified into nine variants, showing varying distributions across pigeonpea growing states, with variants 2 and 3 being prevalent in several regions. This diversity underscores the need for location-specific wilt-resistant pigeonpea cultivars. Furthermore, genetic analysis of 23 representative isolates, through internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA and translation elongation factor 1-αgene sequencing, revealed three major clusters: Fusarium udum, Fusarium solani, and Fusarium equiseti. These findings hold potential for developing location-specific wilt-resistant pigeonpea cultivars and enhancing disease management strategies.

How Tea Plant Defends Blister Blight Disease: Facts Revealed and Unexplored Horizons.

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is cultivated as a beverage crop. Despite being a hardy perennial, the tea plant is susceptible to various biotic stresses. Among them, foliar disease, blister blight (BB) is considered the most serious threat to the tea industry, particularly in Asia. Blister blight caused by Exobasidium vexans (Basidiomycetes) was first reported from Northern India in 1868 and gradually established in other tea-growing countries. The fungus E. vexans attacks young harvestable shoots and causes 20-50% crop loss. Over the past 150 years, scientific research has delved into various aspects of BB disease, including pathogen biology, disease cycle, epidemiology, disease forecasting, crop loss assessment, and disease management strategies. In a recent shift in research focus, scientists have begun to investigate the resistance mechanisms of tea plants against BB and apply this knowledge to commercial tea cultivation. While progress has been significant in understanding the fundamental aspects of BB resistance, the detailed molecular mechanisms driving this resistance remain under investigation. This paper focuses on the current understanding of defense mechanisms employed by tea plants against E. vexans, and conversely, how E. vexans overcomes these defenses. Furthermore, we discuss the application of plant resistance strategies in commercial tea cultivation. Lastly, we identify existing research gaps and propose future research directions in the field.