Using a systems approach to investigate the efficacy of a disease rating system for Sclerotinia stem rot in canola

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by the necrotrophic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a major, but unpredictable disease of canola in Australia. However, there is no disease rating system for current canola varieties. Over the last four years the most common varieties of canola grown in Western Australia were assessed in the field using natural disease occurrence, and in glasshouse experiments using manual inoculations, to determine their susceptibility to SSR. The results highlighted the complexity and unpredictable nature of SSR with infection levels and varietal response varying depending on seasonal conditions and time of infection, despite limited levels of genetic resistance to SSR in current varieties. It is suggested that a disease rating system should not be based purely on inseason plant infection, but should also include potential for future infections through the contribution of sclerotia from infected plants to the system

Sport-related concussion attitudes and knowledge in elite English female footballers

Background: Sport-related concussions (SRC) are more common and more severe in women’s football than men’s yet the knowledge and attitudes of SRC in the women’s game are not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess the SRC knowledge and attitude in elite female footballers. Methods: An online questionnaire was sent to all registered players in the English Football Association Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship. Respondents completed an amended version of the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (RoCKAS). Concussion Knowledge Index (CKI) and Concussion Attitudes Index (CAI) scores were derived for all respondents. Results: One hundred and twenty three players completed the survey with 111 fitting the inclusion criteria. The mean CKI score was 20.5±2.3 and the mean CAI score was 63.3±6.3. A weak positive correlation was shown between the CKI and CAI (r=0.20; p=0.03). Previous concussion education had a significant impact on increased knowledge (U=1198; p=0.04). There was no significant difference in concussion attitudes and knowledge between the WSL and Championship or in those with a previous concussion history and no previous concussion (p>0.05). Conclusion: Previous SRC education demonstrated an increased knowledge around concussion but a limited impact towards concussion attitudes. It is suggested that concussion education should be mandated across the professional game to enhance player welfare

Fatal child maltreatment in England, 2005-9

Objective: This paper presents comprehensive and up-to-date data covering four years of Serious Case Reviews into fatal child maltreatment in England. Methods: Information on all notified cases of fatal maltreatment between April 2005 and March 2009 was examined to obtain case characteristics related to a systemic classification of five broad groups of maltreatment deaths (severe physical assaults; covert homicide/infanticide; overt homicide; extreme neglect/deprivational abuse; deaths related to but not directly caused by maltreatment). Results: A total of 276 cases was recorded giving an incidence of 0.63 cases per 100,000 children (0-17) per year. 246 cases could be classified based on the data available. Of these the commonest specific group was those children who died as a result of severe physical assaults. Apparently deliberate overt and covert homicide was less common, whilst deaths as a direct consequence of neglect were rare. In contrast, some evidence of neglect was found in at least 40% of all cases, though not the direct cause of death. Conclusions: Class characteristics differ between the different categories of death and may suggest the need for different strategies for prevention

Club, country and clinicians united : ensuring collaborative care in elite sport medical handovers

Medical handovers are fundamental to optimal patient care but can be a source of errors in clinical care with important implications on patient welfare and safety. Care of international athletes presents unique challenges to open and effective communication between medical teams. Handover of complete medical records should occur with athlete consent between medical teams on the transfer of an athlete between clubs. There are currently no specific guidelines or published recommendations advising sports and exercise medicine clinicians about medical handovers. The aim of this editorial is to provide a checklist of recommendations for the handover of elite athlete care between clubs and national medical and sports science teams, with lessons shared from professional football (soccer).http://bjsm.bmj.compm2021Sports Medicin

Predicting Online and Offline Civic Participation among Young Czech Roma: The Roles of Resources, Community Perceptions and Social Norms

Roma in the Czech Republic represent a large ethnic minority that faces intolerance and social exclusion. This study aims to describe factors that boost civic participation among Roma adolescents and emerging adults. Specifically, it asks whether different factors apply to Roma and members of the majority, and whether different factors boost offline and online participation. Survey data were analysed from Roma (n = 157) and majority (n = 573) participants between the ages of 15 and 28. Hierarchical regression models suggested that certain factors (a sense of collective influence and peer participatory norm) predict all forms of civic participation, regardless of ethnicity. For Roma youth, in contrast with the majority, offline participation was associated with a perceived lack of opportunities and unmet needs in their communities, which suggests that their offline civic participation might be a reaction to perceived communal problems. Finally, a lack of education was identified as a major explanation for lower rates of online participation among Roma

Incidence, Clinical Characteristics, and Natural History of Pediatric IBD in Wisconsin: a Population-based Epidemiological Study

Epidemiological studies of pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are needed to generate etiological hypotheses and inform public policy; yet, rigorous population-based studies of the incidence and natural history of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the United States are limited

Hair Cortisol in Twins : Heritability and Genetic Overlap with Psychological Variables and Stress-System Genes

A. Palotie on työryhmän jäsen.Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a promising measure of long-term hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Previous research has suggested an association between HCC and psychological variables, and initial studies of inter-individual variance in HCC have implicated genetic factors. However, whether HCC and psychological variables share genetic risk factors remains unclear. The aims of the present twin study were to: (i) assess the heritability of HCC; (ii) estimate the phenotypic and genetic correlation between HPA axis activity and the psychological variables perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism; using formal genetic twin models and molecular genetic methods, i.e. polygenic risk scores (PRS). HCC was measured in 671 adolescents and young adults. These included 115 monozygotic and 183 dizygotic twin-pairs. For 432 subjects PRS scores for plasma cortisol, major depression, and neuroticism were calculated using data from large genome wide association studies. The twin model revealed a heritability for HCC of 72%. No significant phenotypic or genetic correlation was found between HCC and the three psychological variables of interest. PRS did not explain variance in HCC. The present data suggest that HCC is highly heritable. However, the data do not support a strong biological link between HCC and any of the investigated psychological variables.Peer reviewe

Genomic Relationships, Novel Loci, and Pleiotropic Mechanisms across Eight Psychiatric Disorders

Genetic influences on psychiatric disorders transcend diagnostic boundaries, suggesting substantial pleiotropy of contributing loci. However, the nature and mechanisms of these pleiotropic effects remain unclear. We performed analyses of 232,964 cases and 494,162 controls from genome-wide studies of anorexia nervosa, attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome. Genetic correlation analyses revealed a meaningful structure within the eight disorders, identifying three groups of inter-related disorders. Meta-analysis across these eight disorders detected 109 loci associated with at least two psychiatric disorders, including 23 loci with pleiotropic effects on four or more disorders and 11 loci with antagonistic effects on multiple disorders. The pleiotropic loci are located within genes that show heightened expression in the brain throughout the lifespan, beginning prenatally in the second trimester, and play prominent roles in neurodevelopmental processes. These findings have important implications for psychiatric nosology, drug development, and risk prediction.Peer reviewe