Adolescent transport and unintentional injuries: a systematic analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10–24 years during the past three decades. Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 Study, we analysed mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to transport and unintentional injuries for adolescents in 204 countries. Burden is reported in absolute numbers and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population by sex, age group (10–14, 15–19, and 20–24 years), and sociodemographic index (SDI) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We report percentage changes in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019. Findings: In 2019, 369 061 deaths (of which 214 337 [58%] were transport related) and 31·1 million DALYs (of which 16·2 million [52%] were transport related) among adolescents aged 10–24 years were caused by transport and unintentional injuries combined. If compared with other causes, transport and unintentional injuries combined accounted for 25% of deaths and 14% of DALYs in 2019, and showed little improvement from 1990 when such injuries accounted for 26% of adolescent deaths and 17% of adolescent DALYs. Throughout adolescence, transport and unintentional injury fatality rates increased by age group. The unintentional injury burden was higher among males than females for all injury types, except for injuries related to fire, heat, and hot substances, or to adverse effects of medical treatment. From 1990 to 2019, global mortality rates declined by 34·4% (from 17·5 to 11·5 per 100 000) for transport injuries, and by 47·7% (from 15·9 to 8·3 per 100 000) for unintentional injuries. However, in low-SDI nations the absolute number of deaths increased (by 80·5% to 42 774 for transport injuries and by 39·4% to 31 961 for unintentional injuries). In the high-SDI quintile in 2010–19, the rate per 100 000 of transport injury DALYs was reduced by 16·7%, from 838 in 2010 to 699 in 2019. This was a substantially slower pace of reduction compared with the 48·5% reduction between 1990 and 2010, from 1626 per 100 000 in 1990 to 838 per 100 000 in 2010. Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of unintentional injury DALYs per 100 000 also remained largely unchanged in high-SDI countries (555 in 2010 vs 554 in 2019; 0·2% reduction). The number and rate of adolescent deaths and DALYs owing to environmental heat and cold exposure increased for the high-SDI quintile during 2010–19. Interpretation: As other causes of mortality are addressed, inadequate progress in reducing transport and unintentional injury mortality as a proportion of adolescent deaths becomes apparent. The relative shift in the burden of injury from high-SDI countries to low and low–middle-SDI countries necessitates focused action, including global donor, government, and industry investment in injury prevention. The persisting burden of DALYs related to transport and unintentional injuries indicates a need to prioritise innovative measures for the primary prevention of adolescent injury. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Global, regional, and national mortality among young people aged 10-24 years, 1950-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Documentation of patterns and long-term trends in mortality in young people, which reflect huge changes in demographic and social determinants of adolescent health, enables identification of global investment priorities for this age group. We aimed to analyse data on the number of deaths, years of life lost, and mortality rates by sex and age group in people aged 10-24 years in 204 countries and territories from 1950 to 2019 by use of estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Methods We report trends in estimated total numbers of deaths and mortality rate per 100 000 population in young people aged 10-24 years by age group (10-14 years, 15-19 years, and 20-24 years) and sex in 204 countries and territories between 1950 and 2019 for all causes, and between 1980 and 2019 by cause of death. We analyse variation in outcomes by region, age group, and sex, and compare annual rate of change in mortality in young people aged 10-24 years with that in children aged 0-9 years from 1990 to 2019. We then analyse the association between mortality in people aged 10-24 years and socioeconomic development using the GBD Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite measure based on average national educational attainment in people older than 15 years, total fertility rate in people younger than 25 years, and income per capita. We assess the association between SDI and all-cause mortality in 2019, and analyse the ratio of observed to expected mortality by SDI using the most recent available data release (2017). Findings In 2019 there were 1.49 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 1.39-1.59) worldwide in people aged 10-24 years, of which 61% occurred in males. 32.7% of all adolescent deaths were due to transport injuries, unintentional injuries, or interpersonal violence and conflict; 32.1% were due to communicable, nutritional, or maternal causes; 27.0% were due to non-communicable diseases; and 8.2% were due to self-harm. Since 1950, deaths in this age group decreased by 30.0% in females and 15.3% in males, and sex-based differences in mortality rate have widened in most regions of the world. Geographical variation has also increased, particularly in people aged 10-14 years. Since 1980, communicable and maternal causes of death have decreased sharply as a proportion of total deaths in most GBD super-regions, but remain some of the most common causes in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, where more than half of all adolescent deaths occur. Annual percentage decrease in all-cause mortality rate since 1990 in adolescents aged 15-19 years was 1.3% in males and 1.6% in females, almost half that of males aged 1-4 years (2.4%), and around a third less than in females aged 1-4 years (2.5%). The proportion of global deaths in people aged 0-24 years that occurred in people aged 10-24 years more than doubled between 1950 and 2019, from 9.5% to 21.6%. Interpretation Variation in adolescent mortality between countries and by sex is widening, driven by poor progress in reducing deaths in males and older adolescents. Improving global adolescent mortality will require action to address the specific vulnerabilities of this age group, which are being overlooked. Furthermore, indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to jeopardise efforts to improve health outcomes including mortality in young people aged 10-24 years. There is an urgent need to respond to the changing global burden of adolescent mortality, address inequities where they occur, and improve the availability and quality of primary mortality data in this age group. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

Molecular and biological investigating of tea plant necrotic ring blotch virus as a worldwide threat

Abstract Tea plant necrotic ring blotch virus (TPNRBV) has emerged as a significant threat to tea plantations, primarily in China. Since 2020, similar symptoms have been observed in tea plants in northern Iran, raising concerns about the spread of this viral infection. In this study, we conducted an extensive investigation involving approximately 70 samples collected from both symptomatic and asymptomatic tea plants. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with specially designed primers, we successfully amplified DNA fragments from 26 samples, confirming the presence of TPNRBV. Subsequent sequencing of these fragments revealed various segments of the TPNRBV genome. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Iranian TPNRBV isolates formed a distinct sub-cluster alongside Chinese isolates, distinguishing them from Japanese isolates. These finding sheds light on the genetic diversity and relationships of TPNRBV across different regions. Additionally, we explored the potential modes of TPNRBV transmission. Mechanical transmission experiments confirmed the ability of the virus to infect Nicotiana rustica and Chenopodium quinoa seedlings, highlighting the risk of mechanical spread within tea plantations. Moreover, we investigated seed transmission and found evidence of TPNRBV in various parts of tea seeds, suggesting the possibility of seed-borne transmission. Overall, this comprehensive study enhances our understanding of the biological and molecular characteristics of TPNRBV, an emerging threat to global tea production. Our findings provide valuable insights into the virus’s transmission dynamics and genetic diversity, which are essential for developing effective management strategies to mitigate its impact on tea cultivation worldwide

A New Distinct Clade for Iranian Tomato spotted wilt virus Isolates Based on the Polymerase, Nucleocapsid, and Non-structural Genes

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV; Genus Orthotospovirus: Family Tospoviridae) is one of the most destructive viruses affecting a wide range of horticultural crops on a worldwide basis. In 2015 and 2016, 171 leaf and fruit samples from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants with viral symptoms were collected from the fields in various regions of Iran. ELISA test revealed that the samples were infected by TSWV. The results of RT-PCR showed that the expected DNA fragments of about 819 bp in length were amplified using a pair of universal primer corresponding to the RNA polymerase gene and DNA fragments of ca 777 bp and 724 bp in length were amplified using specific primers that have been designed based on the nucleocapsid (N) and non-structural (NSs) genes, respectively. The amplified fragments were cloned into pTG19-T and sequenced. Sequence comparisons with those available in the GenBank showed that the sequences belong to TSWV. The high nucleotide identity and similarities of new sequences based on the L, N, and NSs genes showed that minor evolutionary differences exist amongst the isolates. The phylogenetic tree grouped all isolates six clades based on N and NSs genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Iranian isolates were composed a new distinct clade based on a part of polymerase, N and NSs genes. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study on molecular characterization and genetic diversity of TSWV isolates from tomato in Iran that could be known as new clade of TSWV isolates

Genetic Variation between Asian and Mediterranean Populations of Cucurbit Aphid-Borne Yellows Virus

Viral symptoms, such as yellowing, leaf deformation, mottling, vein clearing, and reduced yield, were observed in cucurbits in Iran. This study aimed to detect the main suspected causal agent, cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV), in Iran and analyze the genetic diversity among isolates. Two hundred samples were collected from different growing areas between 2019 and 2022. PCR amplification was performed on the P3 and P4 genes. The sequences of 18 Iranian isolates were obtained and deposited in GenBank. Recombination, phylogenetic, and population genetics studies were then carried out for the complete genome and all ORFs sequences, together with other isolates in GenBank. The nucleotide identities of the overlapped ORF3/4 sequences of Iranian isolates were 94.8 to 99.5% among themselves, and with other tested isolates ranging from 94.3 to 99.3%. Phylogenetic trees based on the complete genome and the overlapped ORF3/4 showed two major clades, namely Asian and Mediterranean, and the new isolates from Iran were positioned in both clades. The obtained results also suggest that all the genes and two clades of CABYV populations were under negative selection pressure. Furthermore, rare gene flow between these two clades (FST > 0.33) confirmed the high genetic separation among them

<i>In silico</i> analysis of microRNA binding to the genome of <i>Beet curly top Iran virus</i> in tomato

<p><i>Beet curly top Iran virus</i> (BCTIV) is a new member of geminiviruses causing leaf curl disease in a wide range of crops. These DNA viruses can both induce and be themselves targeted by gene silencing machinery. In animals, miRNAs were found to limit viral establishment by direct interference with viral replication or by targeting viral transcripts. However, such mechanisms have not been yet reported for plant viruses. In this work, we investigated the possible binding of tomato encoded miRNA/miRNA* sequences to the viral genome and/or transcripts of BCTIV. <i>In silico</i> analysis showed that several miRNA/miRNA* species including mir319, mir1919 and mir159 can potentially target both the genome and transcribed ORFs of the BCTIV. In addition, the identified miRNAs* also were predicted to bind host genes from various metabolic pathways. This may suggest a novel role for plant miRNA/miRNA* in host-virus interactions and defence response.</p

Production of Polyclonal Antibody against Grapevine fanleaf virus Movement Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli

The genomic region of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) encoding the movement protein (MP) was cloned into pET21a and transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) to express the protein. Induction was made with a wide range of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentrations (1, 1.5, and 2 mM) each for duration of 4, 6, or 16 h. However, the highest expression level was achieved with 1 mM IPTG for 4 h. Identity of the expressed protein was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by Western blotting. The expressed 41 kDa protein was purified under denaturing condition by affinity chromatography, reconfirmed by Western blotting and plate-trapped antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PTA-ELISA) before being used as a recombinant antigen to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. Purified anti-GFLV MP immunoglobulines (IgGs) and conjugated IgGs detected the expressed MP and GFLV virions in infected grapevines when used in PTA-ELISA, double antibody sandwich-ELISA, and Western blotting. This is the first report on the production of anti-GFLV MP polyclonal antibodies and application for the virus detection

Insight into Population Structure and Evolutionary Analysis of the Emerging Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

A total of 112 symptomatic tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and 83 symptomatic pepper (Capsicum spp.) samples were collected in Ankara, Eski¸sehir, Bartın, and Zonguldak provinces of Turkey during 2020–2021. Six tomatoes and one pepper sample (3.6%) tested positive for tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV, genus Tobamovirus) infection by DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. ToBRFV-positive tomato and pepper plants were removed from greenhouses as soon as possible, and the greenhouses and tools were disinfected completely. Phylogenetic analysis on the complete CP sequences suggested the clustering of 178 GenBank isolates and 7 novel isolates into three groups. A study using DnaSP software showed very low genetic variation among current global ToBRFV isolates. All four ORFs of the virus genome were under strong negative evolutionary constraints, with a ω value range of 0.0869–0.2066. However, three neutrality tests indicated that most populations of the newly identified ToBRFV are currently expanding by assigning statistically significant negative values to them. The very low FST values (0.25 or less) obtained by all comparisons of the isolates from Europe, the Middle East, China, and America concluded that there is no clear genetic separation among currently known isolates from different geographic origins. The divergence time of ToBRFV was estimated to be in the middle of the course of the evolution of 11 tested tobamoviruses. The time to the most recent common ancestors (TMRCAs) of ToBRFV were calculated to be 0.8 and 1.87 with the genetically closest members of Tobamovirus. The results of this study could improve our understanding on the population structure of the emerging ToBRFV