Starch/PBAT blown films with high ultraviolet aging resistance and excellent mechanical properties were prepared by introducing lignin with polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) as a starch modifier and physical compatibilizer and 4,4′–methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as a crosslinker. Starch was modified by reacting the NCO groups of the PUP with the OH groups of the starch to form a carbamate bond. The mechanical properties, hydrophobic properties, ultraviolet barrier, ultraviolet aging properties and microscopic morphology of starch/PBAT films with different contents of lignin were investigated. The results showed that the starch/PBAT films were blown continuously. The addition of lignin did not decrease the mechanical properties. On the contrary, the film with 1% lignin possessed the excellent mechanical properties with longitudinal tensile strength of 15.87 MPa and the elongation at a break of 602.21%. In addition, the higher the lignin content, the better the UV blocking effect. The introduction of lignin did not affect the crystalline properties but improved the hydrophilic properties and sealing strength of the high starch content composite films. Plastics are widely used in packaging, isolation and mulch due to their low cost, high mechanical properties and easy processing characteristics . Mulch fStarch is not only an abundant resource of low cost with high renewability and biodegradability, but its degradation products also facilitate the growth of crops without the risk of compacted soil, indicating that films based on starch are suitable for agricultural mulch. However, pure starch cannot be blown into films due to the lack of thermoplastic properties and processability. Blending with degradable polyesters such as poly  (PBAT) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a promising alternative to overcome the limitation of starch and lower the cost of pure polyesters to some extent.Although the composites films were prepared by blending starch and degradable polyester by many researchers, the starch content in the composite films is relatively low . The higher the starch content, the lower the cost of the composite but the higher the processing difficulty. More importantly, with the increase of starch content, the starch and polyester tend to be difficult to mix evenly because starch is hydrophilic while polyesters are hydrophobic. In addition, there is obvious phase separation between starch and degradable polyester. The mechanical properties of composite films will decrease rapidly at the high content of starch. As a result, the agricultural mulch films on the current market are mainly PE non-degradable mulch films or low starch content composite degradable films.Low cost and high mechanical properties are the goal of biodegradable agricultural mulch films. Improving the starch content of the composite films, enhancing the interface bonding between starch and polyesters and continuous preparation play a vital role in the development of mulch films. PBAT is one of the degradable polyesters prepared by copolymerization reaction between butylene adipate and butylene terephthalate. It possesses excellent ductility, high elongation at break, high thermal stability and effective resistance to external impact. Therefore, in this study starch/PBAT composite materials with high strength and high starch content were attempted to prepare by in–situ reaction and melt blending with 4,4′–methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as a bifunctional crosslinking agent and polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) as a starch modifier and physical compatibilizer.In addition, the biodegradable mulch films are directly exposed to sunlight during use. Ultraviolet light will accelerate the aging of the film, resulting in performance degradation and a shorter life cycle. Therefore, it is meaningful and necessary to study anti-ultraviolet aging biodegradable film, aiming to extend the life cycle of the film and slow down its photodegradation.The evidence for the abundant reserves of lignin is that it can be extracted from wood, can be obtained from some plants and agricultural products, and it is also a biodegradable and sustainable material ,10,11,12In this study, it was attempted to introduce lignin into starch–based composite films, aiming to endow the starch–based films with UV aging resistance. In addition, polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) was used to modify starch, and a small amount of crosslinking agent MDI was added to the system to improve the mechanical properties of the film. Starch–based composite films with different lignin contents are prepared by melt blending and extrusion blown methods. The effects of lignin with different contents on the tensile properties, crystallization properties, heat sealing properties, hydrophobic properties and UV resistance properties of the starch/PBAT composite film were also investigated.co–terephthalate) (Ecoflex C1200) were purchased from BASF .Corn starch was purchased from Nanjing Ganzhiyuan Sugar Industry Co., Ltd. . The lignin was purchased from Shanghai Xianding Biological Technology Co., Ltd. . 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and Polybutylene succinate diol were purchased from Aladdin Reagent Co., Ltd. . Poly (butylene adipate–Modified starch was prepared by polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) and corn starch, according to our previous work, with a little modification . In shorThe anti-ultraviolet aging starch-based composites were prepared by reacting modified starch, PBAT, MDI and lignin in an internal mixer at 180 °C for 30 min, as listed in −1. After the test results come out, the peaks appearing in the obtained infrared spectrum are compared with the standard peak spectrum to determine the concentration of each typical group in the film sample to analyze the degree of reaction of each component.To show whether the addition of lignin to the composite material will affect the structure of the composite material, put each group of starch-based film in a Fourier infrared spectrometer  for infrared test. The infrared wavelength range is set to 4000–400 cmX–ray diffractometer  was used to study the crystalline morphology of starch-based films doped with different lignin content. The test parameters are as follows: the test voltage and current intensities were 40 kV and 100 mA, the scanning speed was 3°/min and the scanning range was 5–75°.The contact angle of starch-based films doped with different lignin content was tested on a contact angle measuring instrument . Cut the film into a size of 3 × 3 cm and place it on the test platform for testing. Wait until the water drops on the surface of the film. After waiting for 10 s, freeze the image and read the degree. Test multiple times and take the average value.WVTR) was calculated according to Formula (1):D (day) is the time in the incubator; A (m2) is the area of the centrifuge tube.To compare the water vapor transmission rate of the starch-based film before doping with lignin, it was tested according to the ASTM E96-00 test standard. The test process is as follows: Take several centrifuge tubes with a diameter of 27 mm and introduce about 2/3 of the volume of purified water into the centrifuge tubes. The mouth of the tube was sealed with the sample film of each group, and the total mass of the centrifuge tube and the sample film was weighed and recorded as The microscopic morphology of starch-based films with different lignin contents was observed by scanning electron microscope . After spraying gold for 60 s, the surface morphology of the film was observed under 15 kV acceleration voltage.According to the GB/T 1040.3-2006 test standard, the mechanical properties of starch–based films with different lignin contents are tested using a universal testing machine (CMT2503). The film is cut into dumbbell-shaped splines with a narrow neck width of 4 mm and a gauge length of 25 mm. The stretching rate is 100 mm/min. For each type of film, at least five samples are tested.To explore the influence of lignin on the optical properties of the starch/PBAT composite film, UV-VIS spectroscopy was performed on each film with an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer . First, preheat the machine for half an hour to ensure the stability of the light source. Test the absorption of different light waves in the 200–800 nm wavelength range of each group of films.According to the ASTM G154-06 test standard, each group of the starch-based film is subjected to an ultraviolet aging test in an ultraviolet aging box. The UV aging conditions are set as follows: the constant temperature is set to 60 °C, and the UV light is continuously irradiated for 100 h. After the aging is over, the mechanical properties of the film are tested. The preservation rate  is calculated to determine the anti-UV aging effect of the film incorporated with lignin.According to the test method of QB/T2358-98 standard, the starch-based films with different lignin contents are cut into strips of 75 mm × 15 mm. Align the two films and place them on the thermoplastic machine, and heat for 10 s with a sealing width of 2 mm. After cooling to room temperature, the mechanical properties are conducted on a universal testing machine at the vertical stretching speed of 300 mm/min. The distance between the clamps is set to 50 mm and the maximum load during the peeling process of the two films are recorded. The maximum load is the sealing strength of the film, in N/15 mm. Test multiple times and take the average value.−1, which is attributed to the presence of N-H in the urethane bond of the urethane [−1 and 1267 cm−1 are due to the stretching vibration of the C–O and C=O group pairs in the urethane [−1 was assigned to the hydroxyl groups in starch and an absorption peak at 2276 cm−1 was ascribed to the isocyanate groups in MDI [−1 or 2276 cm−1 in the FTIR spectra of starch/PBAT composite film in our study. It indicated that the –OH groups of starch and the –NCO groups in the crosslinking agent were nearly fully reacted. Furthermore, The figure shows the FTIR spectra of starch/PBAT composite film doped with different content of lignin. As shown in urethane . Moreoveurethane ,20. In as in MDI ,21,22,23The XRD curves of starch–based films with different lignin content were shown in The contact angle and water vapor transmission rate performance of starch/PBAT films with different lignin contents were displayed in Compared with the blank group, four groups of starch/PBAT films with different lignin contents films all had the obvious effect of the water vapor barrier. However, as the content of lignin increased, the water vapor transmission rate of the film was on the rise which meant that the water vapor barrier performance of the film decreased. Because lignin contains a large number of hydrophilic groups, its water absorption is extremely strong. When water molecules pass through the composite film, the free volume of molecular chains in the film increases, resulting in larger gaps between molecular chains and making it easy for water vapor to pass. Therefore, the introduction of lignin with a certain amount is favorable for improving the water vapor barrier performance of the starch-based composite films.The microscopic surface morphology of starch-based films with different lignin content was shown in The stress–strain curves of starch/PBAT films with different lignin content were shown in In addition, it can be seen from P-π conjugation effect of the phenylpropane structure could efficiently absorb a large amount of ultraviolet light [Ultraviolet rays were the main factor causing the rapid aging of the mulch film. Strengthening the anti–ultraviolet properties of the film can effectively extend the service life of the film. The results of ultraviolet-visible light spectra of starch-based films with different lignin content were shown in et light ,27. In aThe photographs of the starch-based film before aging (a–d) and after UV aging (a’–d’) were shown in In order to further explore the resistance of lignin to ultraviolet light, four groups of starch-based films were placed in an ultraviolet aging box for continuous aging for 100 h. The mechanical properties of starch-based films with different lignin content  after UV aging were shown in The heat–seal performance of the anti-ultraviolet aging starch/PBAT film doped with different lignin ratios was shown in Starch/PBAT films with high ultraviolet aging resistance and excellent mechanical properties were successfully continuously blown by introducing lignin with polyurethane prepolymer (PUP) as a starch modifier and physical compatibilizer and 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as crosslinker. Lignin was uniformly dispersed in the system and had little effect on crystallization performance and compatibility. PUP modifying starch and MDI crosslinking between modified starch and PBAT endowed the composite material with excellent processing ability, good mechanical properties and high starch content. The anti-ultraviolet aging performance improved with the increased lignin content of the starch/PBAT films. The starch-based film with a lignin content of 1wt.% had the best mechanical properties with longitudinal tensile strength of 15.87 MPa and an elongation at break of 602.21%. Lignin is beneficial to improve the heat-seal strength of starch-based films. The heat seal strength of M1L3 is the highest at 10.46 N/15mm. The anti-ultraviolet aging starch-based films are expected to be used as agricultural mulch films, nursery mulch films, weeding films, vegetable greenhouse films, and pesticide sustained-release films.


Despite increasing attention on provisioning quality burn care, there continues to be no consensus definition of burn “graft loss”, nor a uniformly adopted scale to grade severity. The American Burn Association Burn Quality Improvement Project metric is a binary code identifying only "failure to achieve >95% autograft take." We introduced an institutional graft loss scale in 2014 for quality improvement and reported initial results and interrater reliability. With additional data now available for analysis, a secondary review was undertaken.All patients with graft loss were identified on departmental Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) reports between 7/2016-7/2021. Graft loss grades were assigned during clinical care per institutional scale (Table 1). Non-burn acute surgical wounds that underwent skin grafting were included, but chronic non-healing wounds were excluded. Data abstracted included demographics, medical history, injury details, surgical procedures, graft loss, and lengths of stay. In situations where the graft loss grade recorded on M&M documentation was discordant with the grade documented in the medical record, the grade assigned at the later point in time was used for analysis.Graft loss was noted in 260 instances for 200 patients. Mean age was 51.4(±7.5y)years. The majority were male (60.7%) and African American (48.0%). Smoking (26.0%) and diabetes (37.5%) were prevalent. Overall mortality was 4% (8/200). Graft loss percentages by grade are 28% (grade I), 28% (grade II), 13% (grade III), and 22% (grade IV). An additional 9% were deemed either unknown or due to a technical error. Overall reporting of graft loss grades improved over time as surgeons became more familiar with the scale. Reported percentages of Grades I and II graft loss also increased over time, indicating better compliance with the overall goals of this quality improvement project.A graft loss grading scale can be applied to track split thickness autografting outcomes among a diverse group of surgeons. Regular reporting of low grade graft loss needs to be done to understand the complete distribution of graft loss after surgical intervention, including documentation of allograft and other skin substitute loss. Improved reporting in the medical record can optimize data collection for quality assessment purposes.


Corneal transplantations are the commonest allogenic transplant surgeries performed worldwide. Transplantable grade donor cornea is a finite resource. There is thus an impetus for eye banks to optimize the use of each harvested cornea, and clinicians to minimize the risks of graft rejection and failure. With better survival and lower rejection rates, anterior lamellar keratoplasty has gained popularity as an alternative technique to full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty, for the treatment of corneal stromal diseases. This study evaluated the effects of donor-recipient age- and sex-matching on the outcomes of eyes that had undergone deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) surgeries.Observational cross-sectional study .All DALK surgeries performed in a tertiary ophthalmic hospital over an 11-year period.To analyse the effects of donor-recipient sex-matching, transplantations were classified as “presumed H-Y incompatible”  or “presumed H-Y compatible” . For age-matching, differences in donor and recipient ages were calculated. Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to evaluate the influence of donor-recipient sex-matching and age-matching on graft failure and rejection.Rates of graft failure and rejection within each group.p = 0.34) and 0.93 , respectively]. Median difference in age between recipients and donors was 15.0 years (IQR −2.8–34.3). The HRs of graft failure and rejection were not influenced by donor-recipient age .401 eyes were included. 271 (67.6%) transplants were presumed H-Y compatible. 29 (7.2%) grafts failed and 9 (2.2%) grafts rejected. There were trends of lower hazard ratios (HRs) in graft failure and rejection in the presumed H-Y compatible group [HRs: 0.59 (95% CI 0.20–1.77, In eyes that had undergone DALK surgeries, no significant influence of donor-recipient sex- or age-matching on graft rejection and failure was observed. Without strong evidence and the limitations of obtaining sample sizes required for an adequately powered study, the benefits of sex- and age-matching of donors and recipients during graft allocation for DALK surgeries is currently inconclusive. Corneal transplantations are the most common allogenic transplant surgeries performed worldwide , 2. A glPenetrating keratoplasty (PKP) is a full-thickness corneal transplantation technique where all layers of the corneas are replaced. Since its introduction in 1905, for more than a century, PKP has been the predominant procedure for the treatment of visual loss from corneal diseases. Over the past two decades however, there has been a paradigm shift in the surgical treatment of corneal diseases to perform selective tissue transplantation i.e., anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) or endothelial keratoplasty (EK), where only diseased layers of the cornea are replaced –14. In AWith only one in 70 of the global demands of corneal transplantations being met, there is a shortage of suitable donor corneas . Indeed,Published literature on donor-recipient age or sex compatibility has thus far mainly been focused on the outcomes of PKP procedures , 40–43. Anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK), the other selective tissue transplant procedure, has gained popularity as an alternative to PKP to treat corneal stromal diseases , 17, 44.This was a cross-sectional analysis of consecutive DALK surgeries performed in the Singapore National Eye Center from 2004 to 2015. Data was obtained from the Singapore Corneal Transplant Study (SCTS) database. This national transplant registry database is maintained by the Singapore Eye Bank where the surgical outcomes of all corneal transplants performed in Singapore are prospectively collected. The study protocol adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and is approved by the SingHealth Centralized Institutional Review Board (CIRB reference: 2018/2688).Guttae prednisolone acetate 1% or Dexamethasone 0.1%) together with topical fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Guttae levofloxacin 0.5% or moxifloxacin 0.5%) were administered at 3-hourly intervals and gradually tapered over 6–8 months. Sutures were removed between post-operative month 4–18, guided by visual acuities and corneal astigmatism.The Singapore National Eye Center is a tertiary referral center that performs approximately 80% of corneal transplants in Singapore. The DALK surgeries were performed by a group of corneal surgeons in our center, including trained corneal specialists and corneal fellows-in-training. All surgeons used the same techniques of DALK. DALK surgeries were performed using either the modified big bubble technique or a pre-Descemetic manual layer-by-layer dissection technique . Post-opAs is standard practice at the Singapore Eye Bank, donor-recipient ages were matched as closely as possible, where recipients were allocated corneal tissues from donors of approximately the same age groups. No donor-recipient matching for sex was performed in the allocation of corneal grafts to the recipients. In our study, we only included cases of DALKs performed for optical indications. As DALKs that are performed for tectonic or therapeutic reasons tend to have poorer outcomes compared to grafts performed for optical indications,  these caPre-operative variables collected included age and sex of both recipients and donors. Recipient eye characteristics collected included indications for transplant surgeries, co-existing ocular diseases, and the presence of risk factors for graft failure or rejection . High-risk grafts were defined as cases with at least one of the aforementioned risk factors for graft failure or rejection. Post-operative data collected included the presence and recorded date of occurrence of graft rejection, graft failure, and any other post-operative complications. From this data, the duration of rejection-free period and graft survival were extrapolated. Graft rejection was defined as corneal oedema and the presence of epithelial or stromal inflammation in a graft that was previously clear . Graft fAll statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 15.0 . The unit of analysis was outcomes for eyes. To account for the cluster effect of within-patient inter-eye correlations in patients who had DALK surgeries performed in both eyes, cluster-correlated analysis was performed. The primary outcomes were graft rejection and graft failure. To analyse the effects of donor-recipient age-matching on graft rejection and failure, the donor-recipient age gap was calculated. Donor age gap = age of recipient – age of donor in years. To analyse the effects of donor-recipient sex-matching and presumed H-Y compatibility on graft rejection and failure, we looked at presumed H-Y incompatible grafts [male donor to female recipient (M-F)] and compared them to presumed H-Y compatible grafts . The term “presumed compatibility” was used as the H-Y antigen is HLA-A1 restricted; it is only expressed by the Y-chromosome in A1-positive males –39 and tp < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Kaplan-Meier curves of graft survival time and rejection-free survival time were generated; the differences between presumed H-Y compatible and incompatible groups were also assessed with log-rank tests. Additionally, Cox proportional hazards regression were used to evaluate the influence of age- and sex-matching on the hazards of graft rejection and failure. Univariable and multivariable analyses were also conducted. The multivariable cox regression model was adjusted for donor age, recipient age, donor sex, recipient sex, indications of graft, and whether the graft was considered low or high risk. Using the observed rates of events and hazard ratios determined in this study, Cox regression power analyses were used to estimate the sample sizes required to achieve sufficient power (80%) to show a significant difference if any, in rates of graft survival and graft rejection. A n = 167, 41.6%), corneal dystrophies , cornea scar from infective keratitis , and cornea scar from interstitial keratitis . The remaining cases were performed for less common indications such as corneal scar from chemical injuries or ocular surface diseases. Amongst the recipients, the median age was 33.3 (IQR: 22.8–53.9) years and 192 (47.9%) were female. Amongst the donors, the median age was 55.0 (IQR: 40.0–66.0) years and 126 (31.4%) were female. The median difference in age between recipients and donors was 15.0 years (IQR: −2.8–34.3). With regard to donor-recipient sex-matching, 130 (32.4%), 145 (36.2%), 64 (15.9%), and 62 (15.5%) were M-F, M-M, F-M, and F-F, respectively. Ninety-six grafts (23.9%) were classified as high risk grafts.A total of 540 DALK surgeries were performed over the 11-year study period. Of these, 56 surgeries were performed for tectonic or therapeutic indications and were excluded. Of the 484 surgeries performed for optical indications, 24 were repeat transplants; no follow-up data were available in 59 cases. Thus, a total of 401 eyes that underwent DALK surgeries for optical indications were included in our analyses. The characteristics of our donor and recipient population is reported in p = 0.345) (29 (7.2%) of DALK grafts had failed. Of the grafts that failed, the median time to graft failure was 0.38 years (IQR 0.15–0.84). Presumed H-Y incompatible grafts (M-F grafts) showed a trend of worse survival compared to presumed H-Y compatible grafts , although this was not statistically significant (= 0.345) .p = 0.439) (Rejection episodes were recorded in 9 (2.2%) grafts. Of the grafts that suffered rejection, the median time to rejection was 1.1 years (IQR 0.93–3.0). There was no significant difference in rejection-free duration in presumed H-Y incompatible grafts (M-F grafts) compared to presumed H-Y compatible grafts  (= 0.439) .p = 0.329 and p = 0.347, respectively). Similarly, there were trends that the HRs of graft rejection were lower in presumed H-Y compatible grafts  compared to presumed H-Y incompatible grafts (M-F grafts), although this was not statistically significant in both univariable and multivariable analyses . In this study, we evaluated the effects of donor-recipient sex- and age-matching on the risks of graft failure and rejection in eyes that had undergone DALK surgeries. In our cohort of 401 consecutive DALK grafts performed over an 11-year period (2004–2015), there were trends of improved graft survival in presumed H-Y compatible grafts . ThroughA potential graft survival benefit of donor-recipient sex-matching was first reported by Völker-Dieben et al. . ReportiNot all studies have reported similar beneficial effects of sex-matching , 42, 43.The evidence of sex-matching in lamellar keratoplasties, is even much less clear. In 2017, a Swedish based study investigating 1,789 EK procedures showed that male donor sex was associated with lower rates of graft survival in a univariate regression model . AlthougSeveral factors may explain why the beneficial effects of sex-matching have been observed in studies involving PKP but not in studies of lamellar keratoplasties, such as ours. It has been well-reported that the risks of graft rejection and failure, are significantly lower in lamellar keratoplasty procedures compared to full-thickness PKPs , 17–22. Another factor explaining the disparity of results between studies evaluating the effects of sex-matched corneal transplantations relates to H-Y compatibility and the prevalence of male individuals who are HLA-A1 positive , 34, 36.In addition to sex- or H-Y matching for DALK grafts, we also explored the hypothesis that age-matching may affect graft failure or rejection. It is the practice of many cornea eye banks and surgeons to match donor and recipient grafts for age . This prOur study has its limitations. Firstly, the retrospective nature of our data limits any inferences of causality, with respect to age- and sex-matching and risks of graft failure and rejection, for which a randomized clinical trial would have served best. Secondly, as mentioned above, because of our low rates of graft failure and rejection, a larger sample size is required to have sufficient power to detect significance differences between matched and unmatched groups. In this study, we used data obtained from the Singapore national transplant registry, where the surgical outcomes of all corneal transplantations performed in Singapore are prospectively collected. This allowed us to obtain data on the 401 DALKs cases performed for optical indications over an 11-year period. As the surgical technique of DALK is challenging and not performed by all corneal surgeons, this large sample size of DALK cases will not be easily replicated by many other institutions. Obtaining the required numbers through other study designs, such as a randomized controlled trial, would not have been possible. Future work may involve combining data from different corneal graft registries to increase the sample size to achieve sufficient statistical power. However, as indicated in our power analyses, obtaining the required number of cases may be difficult even when such registry data are combined.In conclusion, in our large cohort, in eyes that had undergone DALK surgeries, no significant influence of donor-recipient sex- or age-matching on graft rejection and failure was observed. This adds to the current literature which has thus far been focused on PKP and EK procedures. Without strong evidence and the limitations of obtaining numbers required for an adequately powered study, the benefits of sex- and age-matching of donors and recipients during graft allocation for DALK surgeries remains inconclusive.The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.This study was reviewed and approved by SingHealth Centralized Institutional Review Board.HO, AA, and JM: conceptualization and supervision. HO, NC, HH, and AK: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, and methodology. HO, NC, and JM: writing draft, review, and editing. All authors approved the manuscript.This work was partially supported by the Lee Foundation SingHealth Transplant Grant (No. SHTX/LFG/001/2019).The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


Rhizoctonia solani, an important soil-borne pathogen, forms different anastomosis groups (AGs) and adapts to a broad range of hosts in nature. Here, we reported three complete mitogenomes of AG1-IA RSIA1, AG1-IB RSIB1, and AG1-IC, and performed a comparative analysis with nine published Rhizoctonia mitogenomes . These mitogenomes encoded 15 typical proteins  and several LAGLIDADG/GIY-YIG endonucleases with sizes ranging from 109,017 bp (Rhizoctonia sp. SM) to 235,849 bp (AG3). We found that their large sizes were mainly contributed by repeat sequences and genes encoding endonucleases. We identified the complete sequence of the rps3 gene in 10 Rhizoctonia mitogenomes, which contained 14 positively selected sites. Moreover, we inferred a robust maximum-likelihood phylogeny of 32 Basidiomycota mitogenomes, representing that seven R. solani and other five Rhizoctonia sp. lineages formed two parallel branches in Agaricomycotina. The comparative analysis showed that mitogenomes of Basidiomycota pathogens had high GC content and mitogenomes of R. solani had high repeat content. Compared to other strains, the AG1-IC strain had low substitution rates, which may affect its mitochondrial phylogenetic placement in the R. solani clade. Additionally, with the published RNA-seq data, we investigated gene expression patterns from different AGs during host infection stages. The expressed genes from AG1-IA (host: rice) and AG3 (host: potato) mainly formed four groups by k-mean partitioning analysis. However, conserved genes represented varied expression patterns, and only the patterns of rps3-nad2 and nad1-m3g18/mag28 (an LAGLIDADG endonuclease) were conserved in AG1-IA and AG3 as shown by the correlation coefficient analysis, suggesting regulation of gene repertoires adapting to infect varied hosts. The results of variations in mitogenome characteristics and the gene substitution rates and expression patterns may provide insights into the evolution of R. solani mitogenomes.Mitochondria are the major energy source for cell functions. However, for the plant fungal pathogens, mitogenome variations and their roles during the host infection processes remain largely unknown.  Rhizoctonia solani Kühn [teleomorph Thanatephorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk] is a worldwide prevalent soil-borne plant pathogen. It causes diseases in many economically important crops , ornamental plants, and forest trees , and AG1 consists of four primary intraspecific subgroups of AG1-IA, AG1-IB, AG1-IC, and AG1-ID , corn (Zea mays), and soybeans  and other protein-coding genes (LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases and GIY-YIG endonucleases) by the pipeline as follows. First, we aligned the mitogenome sequences against amino acids in the NCBI NR database using BLASTPX with an e v2.2.0  with theE v1.3.1  with traE v1.3.1  were useR. cerealis RW, and four Rhizoctonia sp. mitogenome sequences . The AG4 mitogenome was included in the reported sequence deposited in NCBI with the accession number of JADHEA010000014.1  in XN (accession number: MT887631.1), LY (accession number: MT887629.1), SM (accession number: MT887628.1), YR (accession number: MT887627.1), and RW (accession number: MT887630.1) mitogenomes, respectively. The Rhizoctonia sp. JN (accession number: MT887626.1) mitogenome did not have a gap sequence, but its length (∼126 kb) was ∼35 kb less than that of Rhizoctonia sp. LY (∼161 kb), preventing the confirmation of complete mitogenome of Rhizoctonia sp. JN. The incomplete mitogenomes may prevent the prediction of genes (such as the incomplete rps3 in RW strain). However, the complete sequences of 14 typical proteins  were identified in 12 Rhizoctonia mitogenomes. To perform comparative analysis of endonucleases, only five complete mitogenomes of AG1-IA RSIA1, AG1-IB RSIB1, AG1-IC, AG1-IB 7/3/14, and AG3 were used  and performed MUSCLE alignment. Then these sequences were concatenated for the following analysis. The ProtTest v3.4 , 18, 24, 32, 48, and 72-h . The RNA20, and 0.25 μL of cDNA. Reactions were carried out at 95°C for 5 min, followed by 40 cycles of 95°C for 10 s, 60°C for 30 s, and melting curve analysis from 60°C to 95°C at 1°C increments . Primers for qPCR were designed based on our predicted gene sequences by NCBI primer blast, and the parameters were modified to suit the RT-qPCR conditions . RT-qPCR was performed using the AceQ qPCR SYBR green master mix . The qPCR reactions were performed in a final volume of 10 μL containing 5 μL of 2 × AceQ qPCR SYBR green master mix, 0.25 μL of 10 μM of each primer, 4.25 μL of ddHnditions . The 18SR. solani AG1-IA, AG1-IB, and AG1-IC, with the sizes of ∼152-168 kb , LAGLIDADG homing endonucleases and GIY-YIG endonucleases (ranging from 12 in AG1-IB and 36 in AG1-IA), and the small and large ribosomal RNA subunits , and tRNAs , i.e., longer genomic sizes containing more repetitive sequences , 54,190 (32.17%), 49,669 (30.52%), 50,748 (28.96%), and 100,785 (42.73%) bp of repeat sequences in AG1-IA, AG1-IB, AG1-IB 7/3/14, AG-IC, and AG3, respectively –10, withequences .However, the relationship between GC contents and genomic sizes was not similar to that between repeat sequences and genomic sizes . AlthougR. solani, we explored their phylogenetic relationships with other fungi. A phylogeny for 32 fungal strains in Basidiomycota and one strain in Ascomycota as an outgroup was constructed, which represented 26, 2, and 3 Basidiomycetes strains in three subphyla of Agaricomycotina, Pucciniomycotina, and Ustilaginomycotina, respectively  were parallel with a clade containing two binucleate Rhizoctonia strains  and three uninucleate Rhizoctonia strains . Outside the branches of these 25 lineages, there was one branch for Serendipita indica in the Sebacinales order (in Agaricomycotina).Based on the complete mitogenome of ectively . RhizoctJaminaea angkorensis strain; in Microstromatales, Ustilaginomycotina) to 235 kb . We found that five strains from Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina had mitochondrial genomic sizes of less than 41 kb . However, the mitochondrial genomic sizes were obviously increased in strains from Agaricomycotina, a separate clade in Basidiomycota, especially for R. solani strains in Cantharellales and Phlebia radiata strain in Corticiales, with sizes larger than 150 kb  between GC content and mitogenomic sizes are shown for Agaricomycotina strains, i.e., strains with higher genomic sizes with higher GC content . In Agaricomycotina, the GC content was quite different, ranging from 22.8 to 39.66% . A posit content . Meanwhi content . MoreoveR. solani phylogeny formed one branch in the mitochondrial phylogeny  were 283 aa, and one more aa was found in AG1-IA strains (RSIA1 and XN), as well as 56 more aa were found in Rhizoctonia sp. strains . The sequence alignment showed that they shared sequence identities larger than 89%, suggesting the conserved sequences in Rhizoctonia rps3 genes. However, with the CODEML method in PAML , 10, and 18-h, respectively, although they all had functional cytochrome c oxidase subunits. Similarly, the peaks for atp6 and atp9 were at 48 and 32-h, respectively, and atp8 was not expressed during rice infection. Meanwhile, LAGLIDADG endonucleases and GIY-YIG endonucleases represented expression peaks after host infection. For example, mag2 (a LAGLIDADG endonuclease) displayed an expression pattern similar to that of nad6, with the peak at 32-h; mag6 (a GIY-YIG endonuclease) showed a peak at 18-h. Similarly, peaks for different genes from AG3 mitogenomes during potato infection were found as well . In the neighboring genes nad2 and rps3 there were some repeat sequences; however, these repeat sequences from AG1-IA and AG3 mitogenomes were not similar sequences detected by BLAST alignment. Because the correlation coefficient was inferred from gene expression during varied host infection , we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient to measure their expression similarity. With the Pearson correlation coefficient value cutoff of 0.6, we identified 76 and 8 positive correlations between each pair of genes in AG1-IA and AG3, respectively ,15. AmonRhizoctonia and other non-pathogens in Agaricomycotina showed that Rhizoctonia had a higher GC content, and a comparison of mitogenomes between Rhizoctonia and other plant pathogens that were separated early in Basidiomycota showed that Rhizoctonia had more repeat sequences. The results may indicate the divergent evolution of Basidiomycota mitogenomes. The high GC content in mitogenomes of Rhizoctonia that have broader host ranges may have evolved under pathogenic environmental pressure.It has been proposed that mitochondria evolved from free-living bacteria via symbiosis within a eukaryotic host cell . With thR. solani mitogenomes showed the natural existence of varied mitogenomic characteristics in sizes, endonuclease genes (both LAGLIDADG and GIY-YIG endonucleases), and repeat sequences. The repeat sequences and endonucleases are the major contributors to the size variations. At least 12∼36 endonucleases were encoded in these mitogenomes  and mag33  at 10-h after rice infection. The expression patterns of mag31 (a LAGLIDADG endonuclease) and rps3 containing the intron host of mag31 were different, i.e., with expression peaks at 72 and 32-h, respectively, indicating that endonuclease and its inserted gene were expressed independently. These expression peaks may suggest the significant roles of endonucleases during host infection and independent roles for invasive endonucleases/introns and rps3 genes. As fungal mitochondria acting as organelles to provide energy for cell functions, their encoded genes displayed varied expression peaks after infection, indicating significant cooperation among these genes.Meanwhile, the expression peaks of endonucleases during host infection were identified , such asR. solani (rps3-nad2 and nad1-mag28) with positive correlations in expression were found. However, the influence of repeat sequence on gene expression in mitogenomes is required to further evaluate.The analysis of interspersed repeat sequences in the AG3 mitogenome suggested that the stable secondary structures exhibited by repeats may comprise catalytic RNA elements . None of. solani . The mit. solani . For bot. solani , their r. solani ,8. MeanwR. solani mitogenomes (Non-synonymous and synonymous substitution rates (dN and dS) were different for each pair of ogenomes , which mogenomes  because ogenomes  and nuclogenomes , which wogenomes .rps3 genes have been reported previously . Those highly expressed genes in rice infection  showed highly conserved sequences, with E-value of 2e-72 and identity of 46%. The sequence mutations in human MT-CO2 have been reported to be related to serious diseases , MW995475.1 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MW995475.1/), and MW995476.1 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MW995476.1).The datasets presented in this study can be found in the NCBI under the following accession numbers: RL, YX, YL, and DZ contributed equally to this work. AZ designed the study. YX, DZ, and YL conducted the experiments. RL, YX, DZ, XX, XN, and AZ analyzed the mitogenomic data. RL, YX, DZ, YL, LJ, and XW analyzed the transcriptomic data. RL and AZ submitted the data to NCBI. RL, YX, YL, and AZ wrote the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.


Fucus evanescens (FeF) and its enzymatically prepared high-molecular-weight (FeHMP) and low-molecular-weight (FeLMP) fractions to inhibit different stages of AMRV infection in Vero cells was studied. The structures of derivatives obtained were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We found that fucoidan and its derivatives exhibited significant antiviral activity by affecting the early stages of the AMRV lifecycle, notably virus attachment and penetration. The FeHMP and FeLMP fractions showed the highest anti-adsorption activity by inhibiting AMRV focus formation, with a selective index (SI) > 110; FeF had an SI of ~70. The FeLMP fraction showed a greater virucidal effect compared with FeF and the FeHMP fraction. It was shown by molecular docking that 2O-sulphated fucotetrasaccharide, a main component of the FeLMP fraction, is able to bind with the AMRV envelope glycoproteins Gn/Gc and with integrin β3 to prevent virus–cell interactions. The relatively small size of these sites of interactions explains the higher anti-AMRV activity of the FeLMP fraction.The Hantaan orthohantavirus (genovariant Amur–AMRV) is a rodent-borne zoonotic virus; it is the causative agent of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. The currently limited therapeutic options require the development of effective anti-orthohantavirus drugs. The ability of native fucoidan from  Hantaviridae, order Orthohantavirus) are enveloped, negative-stranded RNA viruses that belong to the most widely distributed zoonotic rodent-borne viruses . Accumulation of the FeHMP fraction with a molecular weight of about 71 kDa indicates the presence in FeF of extended regions with the regular  and [→4)Fucp2S-(1→3)-Fucp2S-Fucp2S residues. Presumably, minor 4O-sulphation is part of a transition zone between regions with regular 2O-sulphation and regular alternating 2O-sulphation and 2,4diO-sulphation.In this work, we have demonstrated the prospects for the use of enzymes in tandem with NMR spectroscopy to establish the structural features of fucoidans. The study of the structure of the FeLMP and FeHMP fractions of FeF, from the brown alga Obtaining standardised fucoidan preparations with defined structures can be the basis of a strategy to develop promising anti-orthohantavirus agents. We have demonstrated for the first time the anti-orthohantavirus activity of FeF and its enzymatically prepared derivatives, the FeHMP and FeLMP fractions, which have defined structures. We showed that FeF and the FeHMP and FeLMP fractions exhibit significant anti-AMRV activity, mainly due to their ability to block the AMRV envelop glycoproteins Gc and Gn and integrin β3 of the host cells. The sites of interaction of between the glycoprotein Gn/Gc and integrin β3 with the fucoidans are relatively small; hence, the FeLMP fraction has relatively higher antiviral activity that FeF and the FeHMP fraction. The data obtained indicate that 2O-sulphated fucooligosaccharides are promising anti-orthohantavirus agents.


In each field, all plants were visually assessed, and diseased plants were georeferenced. The incidence of FWB and the impact of the disease on the yield on a regional scale were estimated. Spatial patterns were analyzed using quadrat- and distance-based methods. FWB incidence ranged from 0.09% to 41.42%, being higher in Silk fields (median = 14.26%). Impacts of epidemics on yield ranged from 18.4 to 8192.5 kg ha−1 year−1, with an average of 1856.7 kg ha−1 year−1. The higher economic impact of the disease was observed on Silk cultivar with an average loss of USD 1974.2 ha−1 year−1. Overall, estimated losses increased on average by USD 109.8 ha−1 year−1 at each 1% of incidence. Aggregation of FWB was detected by all analytical methods in 13 fields . In the other 17 fields, at least one analytical method did not reject the null hypothesis of randomness. One field (5 ha), composed of six plots, was selected for spatial and temporal studies during two years with bi-monthly assessments. A sigmoidal curve represented the FWB progress and the Gompertz model best-fitted disease progress. The level of aggregation varied over time, and evidence of secondary infection to neighboring and distant plants was detected. FWB is a widespread problem in Brazil and yield losses can be of high magnitude. Epidemiology-based management strategies can now be better established.The effective management of Fusarium wilt of bananas (FWB) depends on the knowledge of the disease dynamics in time and space. The objectives of this work were: to estimate disease intensity and impact, and to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of FWB. Fields planted with Silk ( Fusarium oxysporum associated with symptomatic banana plants [Fusarium may be involved with the Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), also known as Panama disease. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (E. F. Smith) W. C. Snyder and H. N. Hansen has been traditionally reported as the causal agent of FWB, but another species, F. odoratissimum N. Maryani, L. Lombard, Kema & Crous, was nominated to describe one of the lineages of F. oxysporum capable of causing the disease [F. odoratissimum is under debate [F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc).Banana plants with symptoms of Fusarium wilt were first reported in Australia in 1874 [a plants . It has  disease ,4,5. Ther debate  and we pFusarium wilt is widespread in all banana-growing areas. The movement of infected planting material was responsible for the fast spread of the disease worldwide . This prDisease spatial pattern is primarily determined by biological and ecological factors correlated to the pathogen life-cycle , especia2 each) assessed in China. The higher the disease intensity, the higher was the aggregation level [Disease patterns can be the realization of the dispersal of propagules  and despon level . FWB wason level . Weevil on level . In Brazon level . The dison level . Anotheron level . If secoFoc tropical race 4 (TR4) from Southeast Asia to Africa or the Middle East [Other forms of spore dispersal cannot be ruled out, such as transport by animals, water, soils, substrates, and anthropogenic factors . Culturadle East  and evendle East .Foc would most likely result in random or regular distribution of wilted banana plants, whereas external inoculum from contaminated transplants or tools would result in aggregation or clusters of diseased plants. Pattern analysis and the study of spatio-temporal dynamics of epidemics can shed light on the contribution of the origin of the inoculum of FWB epidemics in banana plantations. However, these studies are largely absent for the Foc-banana pathosystem. The objectives of this study can be summarized by the following research questions: (i) What is the intensity and (ii) the impact of FWB in different production regions and cultivars in Brazil? (iii) What is the predominant spatial pattern of FWB epidemics at different scales? (iv) What is the temporal dynamic? Lastly, (v) how does the spatial distribution change over time?Classic and current texts emphasize the potential large contribution of infected plants or contaminated tools to the spread of FWB in fields ,24. By eThirty banana fields with records of FWB incidence were assessed from March 2016 to April 2017. The fields were grouped based on geographic location: Vale do Ribeira ; São José do Rio Preto and Araçatuba , in São Paulo state; Serra da Mantiqueira and Zona da Mata , in São Paulo and Minas Gerais states, respectively; Norte de Minas and Vale do São Francisco da Bahia , in Minas Gerais and Bahia states, respectively; Norte Catarinense , in Santa Catarina state; and Norte Pioneiro Paranaense , in Paraná state A. The fi® 64, Garmin, Olathe, KS, USA). When symptoms were not clearly assigned to FWB, samples were collected for further confirmation using morphological and molecular analyses . For each field, data sets containing the polygon used to delimit the field perimeter and the diseased plants’ geographic coordinates were used for spatial analyses.In each field, all banana plants were visually assessed for typical external and internal symptoms of FWB. External symptoms corresponded to plant wilting, yellowing of older leaves, the collapse of leaves at the base of the petiole, fallen and dried leaves around the pseudostem, wrinkling and distortion of leaf blades, and splitting at the base of pseudostem. Internal symptoms were observed when external symptoms were not evident, but the plant appeared infected. A small cut in the pseudostem was made to verify yellow, reddish-brown, or black discolorations in vascular tissues . If extey) in each field was recorded, and the estimated incidence  and plant spacing (plant distance within and between rows). Disease intensity was compared among regions and cultivars. The data were submitted to Shapiro–Wilk and Bartlett’s tests and transformed by log(x) before analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple comparison was performed by Tukey HSD test with the stats package in the R Software Version 3.6.1 [The number of diseased plants (on 3.6.1 . All theL) per unit area (ha) for each field was calculated based on L = W ∗ W is the actual yield of the banana crop per year (ton ha−1 year−1) and L (US$) = L ∗s, where s). Monthly prices from 2013 to 2016 for each banana variety were obtained from Fala.BR . Linear regression was used to analyze the relationships between yield loss and the disease incidence, L = β0 + β1 ∗ β0 and β1 are regression parameters [Yield loss (portion) . The actportion) . EconomiAnalytical methods based on quadrats and distances were used to investigate the spatial patterns at different spatial and temporal scales.quadratcount function of the spatstat package in R software [Incidence maps were transformed into quadrats using the software . The exaSpatial hierarchy. Initially, sampling units were set at four hierarchical levels: 2 × 2 (lowest), 3 × 3, 4 × 4, and 6 × 6 (highest) estimated plants per quadrat. Analyses of β-binomial curves were used to assess aggregation within-sampling-unit. The spatial hierarchy analysis was performed using spatial_hier from epiphy package [ package .Dispersion index. The index of dispersion (D) for binomial data was calculated for each field as the ratio of the observed and the estimated variances [χ2 test was performed to test if the dispersion index equals 1 (D = 1). The analysis was conducted using the agg_index function from the epiphy package.ariances . A χ2 teFitting distributions. The binomial and β-binomial distributions were fitted to the disease incidence data for each field. The χ2 goodness-of-fit test for both distributions and a log-likelihood ratio test (LRS) was used to determine whether the β-binomial better fits the observed frequency than the binomial distribution. This analysis was performed using the fit_two_distr function from the epiphy package.Binary power law. The binary power law was used to evaluate the relationship between the observed variance and the corresponding variance on the assumption of a binomial distribution of FWB incidence using an intermediate quadrat-size (3 × 3) [ (3 × 3) . The cat (3 × 3) .Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE). This method uses the location of the sampling units (quadrats) and the number of diseased individuals inside the unit to analyze the spatial arrangement of the diseased individuals by the distance to regularity (rD) [sadie function from epiphy package.ity (Dr) . The modity (Dr)  was compEvents and intervals. The distance-based statistic [cdf.test function from spatstat package.tatistic  was usedL(d) function. Ripley’s K(d) function is a cumulative distribution function useful to analyze completely mapped spatial point process data [K(d) considers the entire distribution of distances rather than just the mean of neighbor events [L(d) is a transformed version of K(d), on which the expected K value is equal to distance [Lest, envelope, and mad.test functions from spatstat package.ess data . K(d) cor events ,33. L(d)distance . The anaSemivariance. The semivariance (γ) is a measurement of one-half of the variance between values separated by the same distance in a specific direction. Samples separated at distances greater than the range, may be considered spatially independent [variog and variofit functions from geoR [ependent . The semrom geoR .kappa2 and kappam.fleiss functions from the irr package [The fields were classified in aggregated or random as result of spatial statistic and tested by Cohen’s kappa for agreement between pairs of statistical methods and Fleiss’s kappa for an overall agreement among all methods used. The analysis was performed using the  package .One Prata (Pome subgroup) banana field with 4.4 ha established in 2012 in Teixeiras, Minas Gerais state (Brazil), was selected to study the disease dynamics in space and time. The area has been cultivated in a low-input system, with minimal cultural practices. Six plots delimited by dirty roads, ranging from 0.3 to 1.0 ha, were set in the field. The number of plants per plot ranged from 171 to 649. Plants were spaced approximately 3 × 5 m, within and between rows, respectively. The plots were assessed from April 2017 to February 2019 every two months, resulting in 12 disease assessments. Disease incidence was assessed as described above.Hourly records of temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation data were obtained from the closest standard weather station located at 14.4 Km from the field. Data were provided by Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) of Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA).nlsLM function from the minpack.LM package [R2).The cumulative incidence was calculated for each plot in different assessment times. The monomolecular, logistic, and Gompertz models were fitted to the disease incidence and plotted over time by nonlinear regression analysis using the  package . The besSADIE, binary power law, and spatio-temporal association analyses were used to describe the spatial pattern of the disease on the plots over time. A spatio-temporal association study assesses the significance of the correlation coefficient between two spatially autocorrelated processes [pχ) was obtained by SADIE analysis [X, was acquired by the correlation coefficient of the local clustering between pairs of assessments. The t-test corrected for the spatial association was used to analyse the significance of χ2 distribution [sadie and modified.ttest functions from epiphy and SpatialPack [Spatio-temporal analyses were performed for the same six plots assessed in Teixeiras for temporal analyses. The index of dispersion, rocesses ,39. The analysis , and thetialPack  packagesp = 0.036). The highest average incidence was 22.1% in NPP (n = 2 fields) followed by SJA (n = 8) with an average of 17.8%. In other regions, the average incidence was lower than the overall average of 10.7% (FWB incidence ranged from 0.09 to 41.4% across the fields located in different regions in Brazil . The meaof 10.7% B.p = 0.017). The highest value of average incidence was observed for Silk (n = 10 fields), 18.62%. The widest range of incidence values was recorded on Silk fields: minimum of 4% and a maximum of 41.4%. Pome fields (n = 17) had intermediate incidence values: average of 7.5%, and ranging from 0.1% to 33.4%. The lowest disease incidence values were recorded on fields planted with Cavendish (n = 3) with an average of 2.4% and ranging from 1.8% to 2.8% (The incidence of FWB varied among cultivars ( to 2.8% C.−1 year−1 (−1 year−1 with a median of 935.2 kg ha−1 year−1. Yield losses did not vary among banana subgroups (p = 0.10). Economic losses reached a maximum of USD 5244.8 ha−1 year−1, with an average value of USD 1010.4 ha−1 year−1 and a median of USD 405.1 ha−1 year−1 (p = 0.01) among banana subgroups. Silk differed (p = 0.016) from the Pome subgroup with median loss of USD 910.6 ha−1 year−1 and USD 343.1 ha−1 year−1, respectively.The yield losses in the 30 fields ranged from 18.4 to 8192.5 kg ha1 year−1 A. The me1 year−1 B. Differ0yieldβ = −112.3 (SE = 250.3) and 0US$β = −162.4 (SE = 151.4), did not differ from 0 (p > 0.29). The slope parameter of both regression models, 1yieldβ = 184.4 (SE = 15.8) and 1US$β = 109.8 (SE = 9.53), differed from zero (p < 0.001). The 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) of the slope for estimated yield losses ranged from 152.1 to 216.7 kg ha−1 year−1, and for economic losses from 90.3 to 129.4 USD ha−1 year−1. The effects of banana cultivars were not significant (p > 0.16).A positive linear trend was detected for the relationships between FWB incidence and both the estimated yield and economic losses C,D. The β-binomial curves fell under the binomial curves  for all hierarchical levels (p < 0.001). Effective sample sizes were estimated at v2×2 = 2.79 (± 0.12) for the 2 × 2 quadrat-size containing 4 individuals, v3×3 = 5.22 (±0.32) for quadrats of 9 individuals, v4×4 = 7.95 (± 0.67) for quadrats of 16 individuals, and v6×6 = 13.73 (± 1.48) for the 6 × 6 quadrat-size containing 36 individuals at the highest level  ranged from 1 to 6.5 and the median value was 2.3 (D (p = 0.119) and aggregation was inferred in all fields and regions, but for a single field (out of 5) in the NMSF region where a random pattern of FWB was detected   (p = 0.26). The distribution of diseased plants was better described by the β-binomial than by the binomial distribution in 96.7% of the fields (p < 0.05) .The frequency of diseased plants in quadrats was well described for 90% of the fields by the  > 0.05) . For one = 0.20) B. There  < 0.05) . The onlR2 = 0.955) (pA) (2.09 ± 0.28) and b (1.227 ± 0.05), were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than 0 and 1, respectively. The disease had an aggregated pattern and the degree of aggregation was influenced by incidence. FWB had an aggregated pattern in Silk and Pome fields (p < 0.001) (p < 0.03). In general, the level of aggregation was higher and more influenced by incidence in Silk (log(pA) = 2.77 ± 0.41, b = 1.40 ± 0.09) than in Pome fields (log(pA) = 2.37 ± 0.45; b = 1.26 ± 0.07). Cavendish fields did not differ from Silk and Pome for both parameters (log(pA) and b; p > 0.05).The relationship between the logarithm of the observed and theoretical variances for binomial data from 30 fields was well described by the binary power law (= 0.955) A. The ov< 0.001) B. The esrD), computed by SADIE, was calculated for all fields. The aggregation index (aI) ranged from 0.93 to 3.86 and the median value was 1.75 (aI (p = 0.114). Considering the 30 fields in six regions, the random pattern of FWB was inferred for 10 fields (33.3%) (The distance to regularity (was 1.75 C. Differ (33.3%) . Five ofK-SD) between the observed and expected distributions ranged from 0.064 to 0.566 (median = 0.187) (K-SD were observed in SJA and NC (mean of 0.130). In SJA and NC a random pattern of FWB was inferred in almost all fields and there was no evidence to reject the null hypothesis in 50% and 60% of the fields, respectively. In the NMSF region, a random pattern of FWB was inferred in a single field with an intermediate value for K-SD (0.214) and the lowest FWB incidence (0.09%).The maximum difference (= 0.187) D. The hy= 0.187) . The smaK and the linearized form L(d) function. The maximum absolute deviation (MAD) test ranged from 1.61 to 58.34 m with a median of 6.91 m (L(d)-d for 96.7% of the fields were higher than the critical values of the simulated envelope and resulted in aggregation (p = 0.34). This field was cultivated with ‘Pome’ cultivar, had a low incidence of FWB (0.49%), and the random pattern was also inferred by two quadrat-based statistics (D and LRS). The distance that resulted in the highest scale of aggregation (max L(d)-d) for each field is shown in The second-order point-pattern analysis used Ripley’s f 6.91 m E. The obregation A. Only oSemivariance was successfully performed by the spherical model in 27 of 30 fields F. Three p < 0.001) between the aggregation index (D) and the MAD test on which all fields are classified in the same category (aggregated). The second was a weak agreement of SADIE’s aggregation index (aI) with K-SD , with 22 of 30 fields presenting the same spatial pattern. Fleiss’s Kappa  did not reject the null hypothesis for a random classification of all spatial analyses (p = 0.63). The agreement could not be detected by the test in 43.3% (13/30) for the fields that presented the aggregated patterns and none of them were classified as random for all spatial statistics  ranged from 0.003 to 0.027 with an average of 0.015 and the disease progress rate (r) from 0.096 to 0.148, with an average of 0.127  was chosen to assess the spatial pattern of FWB at a small scale. In 11 of 12 assessments, banana plants with symptoms of FWB were aggregated in all six plots .Among the different quadrat-based methods, the aggregation index (ix plots A. In theaI differed from 1 (p < 0.05) in only two plots, which correspond to 33.3% of the plots analyzed (p > 0.05). aI did not change during the period of study (p = 0.51). In the first assessment, April 2017, aI ranged from 0.78 to 1.98 with a median value of 1.01. In February 2019, aI ranged from 0.86 to 2.21 with a median of 1.47.Among the distance-based methods, SADIE was the method used to characterize the heterogeneity of patches and gaps of diseased banana plants over time. The analyzed B. Four pR2 = 0.914) (pA) = 0.882 ± 0.029, and b = 1.23 ± 0.045, were significantly different from 0 and 1, respectively, when all plots were jointly analyzed (p < 0.001). As log(pA) was higher than 0 and b higher than 1, the pattern of FWB was inferred to be aggregated and the degree of aggregation varied with disease incidence.The relationship between the logarithm of observed and binomial variances for six plots in bimonthly assessments was well described by the binary power law (= 0.914) C. OveralpX, p < 0.05) (p > 0.07). At this time, the overall association of the clustering index (X) values ranged from 0.41 to 0.91 with a median of 0.71. After the third association, August 2017 and October 2017, all pairwise comparisons were significantly associated for all plots (p < 0.05). In the last association, the X values ranged from 0.92 to 0.99  D. In the to 0.99 D.The gap of knowledge related to the spatio-temporal dynamics of FWB and the lack of estimates of the economic impact of the disease have been raised in previous studies . Based o2) studied in 180 peasant farms [Foc populations present in Brazil [Foc TR4 surpasses the borders with Colombia [The incidence of FWB on the assessed fields in Brazil was moderate (average = 10.7%) when compared to surveys performed in some regions in Africa ,43. FWB nt farms . In Eastn Brazil ,44. HoweColombia  and PeruColombia , or if i−1 year−1. The average value of ~10.7% of FWB incidence, which results in a yield loss of 1856.5 kg ha−1 year−1, or USD 1010.4 ha−1 year−1 can substantially reduce the revenue from the crop. Bananas are cultivated on 468,000 hectares in Brazil [http://www.fao.org/economic/est/est-commodities/bananas/bananafacts/en/#.YOnduejMPDc, accessed on 5 July 2021), the potential losses could feed 2.9 million people yearly. Unfortunately, some crucial information, such as local attainable yield and prices, and either the FWB prevalence in Brazil, were not available for a precise estimation of the social-economic impact of the disease for farmers and consumers. Thus, the estimates may be used as a baseline for farmers, industry, and policymakers. Most likely, the real impact of FWB in the banana industry is still underestimated.Despite occurring at moderate intensity, FWB may have socio-economic impacts because many affected fields in the study are in low- or moderate-input farms, where the resource access to manage and reduce the disease impact is limited . Overalln Brazil . In a hyD and distribution fitting) resulted in a higher number of fields with an aggregated pattern compared to the distance-based methods , illustrate this pattern of distribution [Overall, FWB had an aggregated pattern, but clusters of diseased plants (foci) were randomly distributed in the field. Thus, the spatial distribution of the disease is largely driven by the distribution of the initial inoculum in the area. From a focus, neighboring plants are more likely to become infected originating the aggregated pattern. Consequently, a random pattern is likely to be detected at lower intensities, and aggregation may be detected after epidemics develop. These dynamics were revealed when analyzing the data with the binary power law: fields with lower incidences had weaker aggregation parameters than fields with higher incidence values observed in this study A. Howeveribution ,49. An aribution .Foc to sites far from the main foci. Based on the semivariance analysis, half of the fields had a range of values shorter than 30.8 m, meaning that the foci size on these fields are usually smaller than that. The range parameter is the maximum distance that the samples are spatially correlated [Fol and F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum has been reported [Foc in banana plants may suggest the potential role of wind and rain dispersion [Foc [Foc [The random pattern of FWB epidemics detected in some of the fields by one or more spatial statistics may also warn about other processes affecting the dispersal of rrelated . The sprrrelated . Tomatoerrelated . Aerial reported ,52. Evidspersion . It is hspersion  and humaspersion  are invoion [Foc ,21. InseFoc [Foc  and theiFoc [Foc .pA), was significantly different between Silk and Pome cultivars. Silk is more susceptible than Pome, thus a clearer aggregated pattern was more often observed in fields planted to the latter. Based on this pattern, it is possible to infer that FWB can spread farther when epidemics occur in highly susceptible cultivars. Plants with intermediate resistance levels are less affected by FWB up to certain densities of inoculum [F. oxysporum pathosystems [Many biological, cultural, and ecological processes can directly affect the spatial pattern of plant diseases . The stuinoculum . In thisosystems ,57,58,59Foc [Foc, respectively, they may act as an inoculum source for an undetermined time. The intensive management to achieve high productivity and other mechanisms of dispersal during the growing season could affect the dynamics of the disease and were reported for other members of F. oxysporum [Foc in banana plantations [Foc dispersal is due to natural causes, such as root-to-root contact, vectors, floods, or wind. A critical point of this result is that the highest incidence value observed for the FWB epidemic was low  increased over time (aI) of a geospatial statistic (SADIE) remained unaltered  also affected the epidemics and were evidenced in the long term. This fact may be associated with disease spread beyond the borders of sampling units, by the increase in foci size or spread to plants far from initial foci that could not be detected by other methods. Understanding how the inoculum arrives in the field and the mechanisms involved in Foc dispersal are key to propose efficient management strategies to reduce the impacts of FWB epidemics.The spatio-temporal dynamics support the occurrence of secondary infection as indicated by the spatial and temporal analyses conducted separately. The ratio between the observed and expected variances  with losses up to 8.19 ton ha


The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of recipient obesity on the short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing primary kidney transplantation (KT).2; N = 304), overweight  and obese  groups. Their clinicopathological characteristics, outcomes, and survival rates were analyzed retrospectively.A total of 578 patients receiving primary KT in our department between 1993 and 2017 were included in the study. Patients were divided according to their body mass index (BMI) into normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/mP < 0.001), fascial dehiscence (P = 0.023), and lymphoceles (P = 0.010). Furthermore, the hospital stay duration was significantly longer in the groups with obese patients compared to normal weight and overweight patients . Multivariate analysis showed that recipient obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was an independent prognostic factor for delayed graft function (DGF)  and postoperative surgical complications . The mean death-censored graft survival was significantly lower in obese patients . However, when using the Cox proportional hazards model, the association between recipient obesity and death-censored renal graft failure disappeared, after adjustment for important covariates, whereas the principal independent predictors of graft loss were recipient diabetes mellitus and hypertension and kidneys from donors with expanded donor criteria.Obesity was associated with an increased rate of surgical complications such as wound infection (In conclusion, obesity increases the risk of DGF and post-operative surgical complications after primary KT. Appropriate risk-adapted information concerning this must be provided to such patients before KT. Furthermore, obesity-typical concomitant diseases seem to negatively influence graft survival and need to be considered after the transplantation of obese patients. Kidney transplantation (KT) is the treatment of choice in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and it improves both patient survival and recipients quality of life compared to chronic dialysis treatment –3.Due to an aging society and changes in lifestyle – characterized by excessive calorie intake and a lack of physical activity – the percentage of overweight and obese patients has steadily increased in recent decades. According to the current Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data, 60% of the population in Germany aged 15 years and older are overweight or obese . AdditioIn general, surgery in obese patients is associated with a prolonged operative time and a higher risk for complications such as increased intraoperative blood loss and wound infections –13. And Thus, the current study sought to analyze the short- and long-term outcomes of obese ESRD patients undergoing primary KT.2), and patients with missing (incomplete) data were excluded from the study. Follow-up data were collected until March 2020.Medical data from all adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) who underwent initial living or deceased donor kidney transplantation (KT) at the University Hospital of Leipzig between October 1993 and December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Our data source comprised a prospectively collected electronic database. Patients undergoing multi-organ (combined) transplants or re-transplants, underweight patients (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), donor cause of death, duration of dialysis, time on the waiting list, and Criteria of Expanded Criteria Donors (ECD). Peri- and post-transplant data included information on the number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -A, B, and DR mismatches (0–6), last pretransplant panel reactive antibody (PRA) levels, cold (CIT) and warm ischemia time (WIT) of the grafts, duration of operation, as well as immunosuppressive therapy. CIT is defined as the time that the organ spent in cold preservation solution after removal from the donor, while WIT is the time from cross-clamping until cold perfusion, plus the time of implantation (organ out of ice until reperfusion).The characteristics of the study population included donor and recipient age, gender, and body mass index , biopsy-proven or clinically suspected episodes of acute rejection (in the first year after KT), delayed graft function (DGF), intra- and post-operative complications, date of graft failure, and patient death. INF was defined as dialysis dependence or creatinine clearance ≤ 20 mL/ min at three months post-transplant. Rejection episodes were histologically proved and DGF was defined as the need for dialysis in the first week following transplantation . Post-op2], from height and weight recorded at the time of transplantation. Patients were classified as normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2), or obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) according to guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) [Recipient body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on the formula: weight (kg)/ [height (m)on (WHO) .2 of standard body surface area (BSA)) [2] / 1,73 m2 standard BSA = mL/ min)  or basiliximab) or antithymocyte globulin, followed by triple maintenance immunosuppression comprising calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus or cyclosporine), and/or mTOR inhibitors (everolimus or sirolimus), antimetabolites (azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil), and tapered steroids (prednisolone). A rapid steroid-tapering regimen was applied in all our patients, starting with 500 mg methylprednisolone intraoperatively to reach a dose of 25 mg prednisolone at the end of the first week after transplantation. Further reduction intended a daily maintenance dose of 5 mg. Whenever possible, steroids were rapidly withdrawn and discontinued at the end of the first year post-transplant.For comparison between the groups, the appropriate statistical significance test, including Student’s t-test, the chi-squared test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Kruskal–Wallis test, and the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test was used. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between independent variables and binary outcomes of allograft function, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis was applied to assess independent predictors of kidney graft failure. Prior to the regression analysis, post-operative complications were summarized into three groups: vascular , urological surgical (urine leakage), and surgical complications . For the multivariate analyses, we used a forward stepwise regression model including only clinically relevant variables and those presenting P < 0.05 in univariate analysis. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier analysis, and the log-rank test was applied to test statistical significance. Graft survival was calculated as the time from initial transplant to graft failure , uncensored for recipient death or censoring for death with a functioning graft. Patient survival was defined as the time from transplant to patient death, censoring for patients still alive at the time of analysis. If a recipient was alive or lost to follow-up at the time of the last contact, then survival time was censored at the time of the last contact. SPSS software, version 21.0  and Graphpad Prism software, version 9.2.0  were used for statistical analysis and graphs. A P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Baseline data are presented as median values with the standard deviation (SD).Between October 1993 and December 2017, 947 kidney transplants (KT) were performed in our department. A total of 578 patients could be included in the analysis, with 304 normal weight (52.6%), 205 overweight (35.5%), and 69 obese (11.9%) patients . A higher BMI was associated with a significantly longer duration of surgery (P < 0.001); however, no significant differences between the groups were found for cold and warm ischemia time or intraoperative complications.The groups were similar in most of their baseline characteristics Table . Median P = 0.108), whereas permanent lack of graft function from the time of transplantation  was observed in five cases . No cases of PNF or INF were reported in kidney grafts after living donation.The analysis of post-operative outcome parameters is shown in Table P = 0.005; DD: 65 (26.9%), 45 (25.1%), and 29 (45.3%), respectively, P = 0.005). Fig. Obese patients more frequently suffered from delayed graft function (DGF). These differences were most apparent in the subgroup of living donation , 2 (7.7%), and 3 (60.0%), respectively, P = 0.079). However, the number of patients receiving ventilation post-transplant was significantly higher in the obese group , 36 (17.6%), and 16 (23.2%), respectively, P = 0.041), whereas the time of post-operative ventilation failed to show significance .The length of time spent in the intensive care unit after KT was comparable between the three groups (P = 0.025). Obesity was especially associated with an increased rate of surgical complications such as wound infection (P < 0.001), fascial dehiscence (P = 0.023), and lymphoceles (P = 0.010). Univariate analysis revealed that especially a recipient BMI ≥ 30 is significantly correlated with postoperative surgical complications and graft dysfunction (Table P < 0.001).Comparing Clavien-Dindo scores ≥ 3b, there was a significant difference in major complication rate between the groups . The causes of death included septic shock and multiple organ failure (N = 3), liver insufficiency (N = 1), and subdural hematoma (N = 1) in the normal weight group and septic shock (N = 1), endocarditis (N = 1), acute bleeding with cardiac arrest (N = 1) and acute heart failure (N = 2) in the overweight group, respectively.P = 0.918). However, an increase in the total number of treated rejection episodes per KT could be demonstrated among the groups, although these trends were also not statistically significant  within the investigation period.In the overall study period, acute rejection was clinically suspected or histologically proven in 184 (31.8%) patients. In 149 cases, percutaneous kidney biopsies were performed and revealed acute rejection in 57 kidney allografts (38.3%), without showing any significant difference between the three groups (P = 0.001). After ten years of follow-up, graft survival was 39% in the obese group compared with 78% in the normal weight and 73% in the overweight group.Figure P = 0.186).The one-, three-, five- and ten-year cumulative patient survival rates were 96%, 92%, 89%, and 79%, respectively. The mean patient survival was 18.7 ± 0.5 years. The one-, three-, five- and ten-year survival rates, as well as the mean patient survival, were comparable between the groups . No statistical difference could be observed between the three groups in regard to graft loss due to rejection (29 (39.2%), 13 (27.1%), 7 (24.1%); P = 0.193).The causes of graft loss are summarized in Table P = 0.002) and postoperative surgical complications  (Table P = 0.003), biopsy-proven acute rejection ).In the multivariate regression analysis, obesity (BMI ≥ 30) remained an independent predictor of DGF  has been increasing over the last decades –9 and isIn the current study, obese KT recipients were significantly more likely to experience surgical complications such as wound infections, fascial dehiscence, and lymphoceles, compared with normal weight and overweight KT recipients. In reviewing the literature, wound complications were among the most common post-operative complications in obese patients after KT , and in Despite a higher rate of major postoperative complications, no post-operative deaths occurred in the group with obese kidney grafts recipients within the first three months after KT in our study cohort. Especially cardiovascular risk factors must be excluded prior to KT, as fatal cardiac events are a common cause of morbidity and death after KT in obese recipients –33. TherConsistent with previous publications, we could identify recipient obesity as an independent risk factor of delayed graft function (DGF) in our cohort . In a reAlthough the pathogenesis of DGF has not yet been fully elucidated, it is thought to be a result of immunologically and ischemia-induced graft injury , 35. In Furthermore, it should be noted that in obese KT recipients, renal function was only reduced in the early postoperative period after transplantation. Six months after KT, eGFR were comparable between the three study groups, indicating a good graft function even in KT recipients with a higher BMI.A tendency towards a higher frequency of acute rejections per graft could be observed in the obese group of our patients. Meta-analysis showed that patients with a higher BMI have a significantly greater risk of acute rejection after KT . EspeciaIn our study, compared with normal weight or overweight KT recipients, graft survival in obese KT recipients was significantly reduced after five and ten years of observation. Several previous reports have shown that obesity itself confers a negative outcome on kidney graft survival , 43–45. There are some limiting factors in this study. First, the retrospective non-randomized design of the study and single-center effect should be mentioned. Second, the long investigation period restricted data evaluation, thereby making further controlled and prospective studies necessary. Third, we solely used BMI to define obesity in our study, which may not be an appropriate measure to characterize the nutritional status of a patient. Therefore, further studies, with a measurement of body fat distribution and muscle mass, and their association with the risk of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients would be of interest. Fourth, the influence of weight loss or gain on the KT outcome and possibilities of bariatric surgery could be highlighted in future studies.In conclusion, data from our center indicate that obese patients after KT seem to suffer from surgical complications and DGF more frequently than non-obese patients. Therefore, appropriate risk-adapted information must be provided to these patient groups before KT. Furthermore, although obesity itself may not directly impair the survival of the kidney graft, secondary diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension must be taken into consideration in obese KT recipients as they seem to negatively affect long-term graft survival.


Journal of Intelligence was founded in 2013, eight years ago. Our aim was to offer a broad and flexible open-access journal that moves forward the study of human intelligence: the basis and development of intelligence, its nature in terms of structure and processes, and its correlates and consequences, also including the measurement and modeling of intelligence.The We have now published 252 articles on a broad variety of topics related to the domain of intelligence and cognition: cognitive plasticity, academic achievement, social cognition, personal intelligence, the SAT, general intelligence, Geary’s mitochondrial functioning theory of general intelligence, and many more. Looking back at 2013, it was both a jump into limbo and a leap of faith. I am especially thankful to Earl Hunt and Susanne Jaeggi, and to Wendy Johnson for their invited articles in the very first issue, and to Joe Rodgers for the very first special issue, on the Flynn effect. They largely reduced the feeling of being in limbo and provided the journal with a head start. I am thankful to the associate editors and the members of the editorial board. They were a justification of the faith. The associate editors Andrea Hildebrandt, Gizem Hülür, Andrew Conway and Matthias Ziegler are the mainstay for the journal, and many members of the editorial board have sent us their thoughts and have promoted the journal. The first editorial was entitled “Intelligence, Where to look? Where to go?” The authors of the many articles have each provided us with relevant ideas and findings to answer the questions “where to go?” and “where to look”, and so many collaborative reviewers have evaluated the submissions, with helpful suggestions for the authors of the submissions. Research on intelligence and related abilities and skills has many aspects. The journal has published a broad range of articles, in the methodological and substantive sense. We have also been open to less common types of articles: conceptual contributions, promising first steps to develop tests for new concepts, discussion and commentary articles. Quantitative approaches have always been important in the study of intelligence. I believe there are two rather new alternatives for the established factor model approaches: network models and cognitive models , and our journal has contributed to their dissemination. On the other hand, the established factor models and SEM approaches and response time approaches have also led to prominent contributions. Among the 10 most cited articles, there are three on the bifactor model, two on network models, two on response times, and one on the diffusion model. We also have published many articles on related abilities and skills, such as creativity (one article in the top ten cited), social intelligence, emotional intelligence, and more. Although not easy, we have also tried to bridge the gap with education.As the outgoing editor, stepping down this month, I realize the work is not complete. I am grateful for the opportunity I was given to be editor. I have had fun, except when submitted manuscripts had to be rejected, and the faith in “leap of faith” has also played an important role over the years. Intelligence is an intriguing but risky topic because intelligence is a complex concept with many facets, a concept without a consensus definition, experts have largely different opinions, and there are some difficult controversies in the study of intelligence.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General and Journal of Cognitive Psychology. His research is based on an integrated approach combining cognitive science, psychometrics, and neuroscience, with a mix of empirical and methodological work  and theoretical work (process overlap theory). I wish him and the associate editors all the best in their further development of the journal. I believe they are in good hands with the publisher and the journal staff, and I am sure the journal is in good shape with the new editor and his editorial team.I am glad that Andrew Conway is willing to take over as editor-in-chief. He has ample editorial experience and research expertise in the field of intelligence and cognition. He was associate editor of our journal, of