Correction: Detection and characterization of fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum) causing wheat blast disease on rain-fed grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Zambia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Zika virus impairs autophagic flux in trabecular meshwork, and inhibition of autophagy restricts ocular viral transmission and associated pathology.

Unlabelled: Zika virus (ZIKV) is the lone member of Flavivirus family known to cause congenital glaucoma following exposure. The molecular mechanisms of ZIKV-induced glaucoma remain elusive, with no known therapeutic modalities. Autophagy plays a dual role in viral infections and glaucoma pathogenesis.

Bayesian Divergence-Based Approach for Genomic Multi-trait Ordinal Selection.

Effective genomic selection for ordinal traits, such as disease resistance scores, is a persistent challenge in plant breeding due to the discrete, ordered nature of these phenotypes. This study presents a novel Bayesian divergence-based framework for multi-trait ordinal selection, implemented in the extended Multi-trait Parental Selection R package (MPS-R). By leveraging decision-theoretic loss functions, including the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, Bhattacharyya distance, and Hellinger distance, our approach quantifies the distance between candidate distributions and breeder-defined target distributions.

Genomic and Pathogenic Insights into the Geographic Range Expansion of Wheat Blast into Uruguay.

Wheat blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT), is one of the most destructive and emerging diseases affecting global wheat production. Although it is endemic to South America and has significantly affected Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia, it had not been reported in Uruguay until 2023. During that season, climatic conditions similar to those associated with Brazilian MoT outbreaks, particularly in northwestern Uruguay, prompted intensive monitoring of this disease.

Decoding breast cancer treatment resistance through genetic, epigenetic, and immune-regulatory mechanisms: from molecular insights to translational perspectives.

Breast cancer continues to be the primary cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally, with increased rates of incidence and mortality, highlighting the critical need for effective treatment strategies. Recent developments have introduced a variety of treatment options that address the molecular diversity of breast cancer; nonetheless, drug resistance remains a significant barrier to achieving favorable results. This review explains the crucial role of genetic and epigenetic changes in contributing to therapeutic resistance, in addition to other factors such as increased drug efflux, enhanced DNA repair, evasion of senescence, tumor heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

A weather-forecast driven early warning system for wheat blast disease: User-centered design, validation, and scaling in Bangladesh and Brazil.

We describe the user-centered design (UCD) of a numerical weather-forecast-driven early warning system (EWS) as a climate service for managing wheat blast, a fungal disease capable of causing complete crop yield losses that is strongly dependent on weather conditions. Our mixed-methods process was guided by stakeholder input on the design, testing, and refinement of the EWS from agricultural extension organizations, meteorological departments, and farmers' groups in Bangladesh and Brazil, where concerns about blast disease risks are high. The UCD process led to a wheat blast disease prediction model, server systems, and user-facing enhancements, including an open-source dashboard (https://beattheblastews.

Effect of different heat mitigation strategies on the thermography of lactating water buffaloes during summer seasons under tropical conditions.

Livestock management practices like the provision of shade, air movement using fans, and wallowing are important methods to alleviate heat stress (HS) and maintain the productivity of buffaloes during extreme summer seasons. This study evaluated the effectiveness of heat mitigation strategies in lactating Murrah buffaloes under extreme summer conditions, with temperature-humidity index (THI) values ranging from 82.29 to 84.

Gut microbial metabolites butyrate and acetate limit Zika virus replication and associated ocular manifestations via the G-protein coupled receptor 43/FFAR2.

Unlabelled: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are gut microbial metabolites produced by gut microbiota from dietary fiber. SCFAs have shown both pro- and anti-viral roles among different viruses, and are known to regulate immune functions during infections. However, their role against the Zika virus (ZIKV) in general and ocular infection, in particular, has never been investigated.

Mucoadhesive Tannic Acid-Cross-Linked Nanogels for Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging and Enhanced Ocular Therapeutic Delivery.

Mucoadhesive nanoparticles show promise for mucosal drug delivery, but ocular applications remain limited by rapid clearance, poor retention, and insufficient drug encapsulation. Existing systems struggle to deliver a full spectrum of therapeutics, hydrophobic drugs, hydrophilic drugs, and proteins, despite the critical need for such versatility in treating complex ocular diseases. Many eye conditions, including infection, inflammation, and degenerative disorder, require combination therapies or multidrug regimens for optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Schizophrenia detection from electroencephalogram signals using image encoding and wrapper-based deep feature selection approach.

Schizophrenia is a persistent and serious mental illness that leads to distortions in cognition, perception, emotions, speech, self-awareness, and actions. Affecting about 1% of people worldwide, schizophrenia usually emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood. It is characterized by symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and cognitive impairments.

Nebulized dexmedetomidine prior to flexible bronchoscopy in reducing procedural cough episodes a randomized double blind clinical trial. (NCT: CTRI/2022/07/044389, NICOBAR group of investigators).

Background: Flexible bronchoscopy (FOB) or video bronchoscopy is a day-care procedure indicated in the diagnosis of various pulmonary disorders. FOB is done under conscious sedation with the use of local lignocaine to reduce cough episodes. Nebulized dexmedetomidine has been shown to have local anaesthetic as well as systemic action.

Harnessing novel genetic markers for scald resistance from gene bank spring barley genotypes.

Background: Scald caused by Rhynchosporium graminicola is a common foliar disease affecting barley production worldwide. Identifying and utilizing scald resistance genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) to develop barley cultivars with durable and effective resistance to scald is crucial.

Results: In the present study, we evaluated 275 spring barley genotypes together with 4 commercial check cultivars under controlled conditions and examined the underlying genetics of scald resistance in these genotypes.

Evaluation of Fusarium Head Blight Resistance Through a Genome-Wide Association Study in CIMMYT and South Asian Wheat Germplasm.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease throughout the world due to its strong association with yield reduction, quality deterioration, and mycotoxin contamination in wheat. The use of FHB-resistant genotypes in wheat production can significantly reduce damage. The current study screened a panel of bread wheat from CIMMYT and South Asian countries for FHB resistance to identify promising genotypes useful for wheat breeding and to map the associated genomic regions and linked molecular markers through a genome-wide association study (GWAS).

Metabolomic Profiling of Aqueous Humor From Glaucoma Patients Identifies Metabolites With Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Potential in Mice.

Purpose: Metabolomic profiling of aqueous humor from primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients using targeted metabolomics analysis and assessment of the potential anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective roles of key dysregulated metabolites in a mouse model of retinal neuroinflammation.

Methods: A targeted metabolomics was performed on aqueous humor from POAG patients (n = 19) and healthy subjects (n = 10) via LC-MS/MS. In vitro neuroprotection studies were performed using a mouse cone photoreceptor cell line (661W) exposed to oxidative stress.

Challenges to Wheat Disease Resistance and Current Global Strategies.

Wheat yields have continued to increase globally at a steady pace over the past decade despite challenges faced by breeding programs from evolving and migrating races of rust and other wheat disease-inducing fungi. Additionally, pathogens are becoming tolerant to fungicides because of their injudicious use. We highlight the challenges in breeding and deploying resistant varieties and discuss global strategies to protect wheat from diseases.

Kinome screening identifies integrated stress response kinase EIF2AK1/HRI as a negative regulator of PINK1 mitophagy signaling.

Loss-of-function mutations in the PINK1 kinase lead to early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). PINK1 is activated by mitochondrial damage to phosphorylate ubiquitin and Parkin, triggering mitophagy. PINK1 also indirectly phosphorylates Rab GTPases, such as Rab8A.

Serum Biochemical and Gene Expression Changes in the Spermatozoa of Buffalo Bulls Under Heat Stress.

Environmental heat stress is a major concern in livestock production especially in water buffalo, which are more sensitive to heat stress. Buffalo bulls experiencing heat stress exhibit reduced feed intake and semen production, triggering stress responses at multiple levels. This comprehensive study delves into the understanding of the complex nature of heat stress responses in Murrah bulls through gene expression analysis.

Role of Sequential Approach to Sample Collection in Microbiological Diagnosis of Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Background: The current diagnostic tools for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) fail in detecting up to 43% of cases, leading to inappropriate use of antibiotics and delayed diagnosis. Induced sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) are more accurate samples, but their use is not clearly recommended. This study evaluates the real-world feasibility and effectiveness of using a sequential collection of respiratory samples to diagnose PTB.

Evaluation of mitochondrial copy number and gene expression changes in the spermatozoa of buffalo bulls under heat stress.

Relative copy number of mitochondria was estimated for the potential association with the expression of mitochondrial coded stress related genes in bubaline spermatozoa. Semen samples were collected from buffalo bulls under two extreme temperature-humidity index conditions: hot summer and winter. Based on the semen quality, the bulls were categorized: exhibiting poor semen quality during hot summer as "seasonally affected," while those maintaining good semen quality throughout the year, as "seasonally not affected".

A Comparative Study of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models for Automatic Parkinson's Disease Detection from Electroencephalogram Signals.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent, widespread, and intricate neurodegenerative disorders. According to the experts, at least 1% of people over the age of 60 are affected worldwide. In the present time, the early detection of PD remains difficult due to the absence of a clear consensus on its brain characterization.

Quality of sleep in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors requiring invasive mechanical ventilation: a prospective observational study.

Purpose: Sleep disturbances arising during ICU stay among ARDS (acute-respiratory-distress-syndrome) patients may continue long after discharge. This study is aimed at evaluating the sleep quality in severe-pulmonary-ARDS survivors.

Methods: This was a prospective-observational study recruiting all eligible patients, who survived after invasive-ventilation for ARDS diagnosis.

A Novel Quantitative Trait Locus on Chromosome 7D Derived from Confers Moderate Field Resistance to Wheat Blast.

Wheat blast is a devastating disease in the tropical and subtropical regions of South America and has recently spread to Bangladesh and Zambia. Host resistance to this disease has primarily relied on the 2NS/2AS translocation, making it crucial to identify and utilize novel sources of resistance. In the current study, a recombinant inbred line population consisting of 345 BCF progenies was generated, using the susceptible wheat genotype 'Gladius' as the female and recurrent parent and the resistant line 'KU-2097' as the male parent.

An uncommon cause of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure managed with endoscopic ultrasound.

Mediastinal cysts can occasionally cause severe respiratory symptoms. A 60-year-old female smoker presented with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Imaging revealed a posterior mediastinal cyst compressing the trachea.

A fuzzy rank-based deep ensemble methodology for multi-class skin cancer classification.

Skin cancer is widespread and can be potentially fatal. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it has been identified as a leading cause of mortality. It is essential to detect skin cancer early so that effective treatment can be provided at an initial stage.