Yr5-virulent races of Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici possess relative parasitic fitness higher than current main predominant races and potential risk

Wheat stripe rust,caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp.tritici(Pst),is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of wheat,and seriously threatens safe production of the crop worldwide.In China,new races historically appeared and rapidly developed to be predominant races and have resulted in ineffectiveness and replacement of wheat resistance cultivars as well as massive reduction in yield.In the present study,the relative parasitic fitness of the two newlyemerged Yr5-virulent races(TSA-6 and TSA-9)were compared with those of four currently predominant Chinese races(CYR31,CYR32,CYR33,and CYR34)based on evaluation on 10 Chinese wheat cultivars.As a result,there were significant differences in the relative parasitic fitness parameters among overall tested races based on multiple comparison(LSD)analysis(P<0.05).The principal component analysis(PCA)of overall parasitic fitness parameters indicated that the sporulation ability,infection and spore survivability,expansion capacity,and potential pathogenicity were the most important parasitic fitness attributes of the tested races.Based on the establishment of extracted three principal components and a comprehensive factor score mathematical models,evaluations of the parasitic fitness attributes of tested races showed that the level of relative parasitic fitness of the tested six races was:CYR32(1.15)>TSA-9(0.95)>TSA-6(0.92)>CYR34(0.29)>CYR31(–1.54)>CYR33(–1.77).The results indicated that two Yr5-virulent races TSA-9 and TSA-6 possessed relative parasitic fitness higher than races CYR34,CYR31,and CYR33,but lower than race CYR32,and have potential risks in developing to be predominant races.Therefore,continual monitoring of both Yr5-virulent races,and their variants is needed.The use of wheat cultivars(lines)with Yr5 resistance gene singly in wheat breeding is essential for being avoided,and is suggested to combine with other effective stripe rust resistance genes.

Research Progress of Differential Systems for Physiological Races of Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor

Research progress was reviewed on the differential systems for physiologic races of Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron,including Williams,differential system and European clubroot differential（ECD） set.The existing problems and countermeasures of the different differential systems were discussed,and a research status quo on the molecular identification and detection of clubroot pathogen in crucifers were introduced.

Development of Chinese Near-isogenic Line of Rice and Their Differentiating Ability of Pathogenic Races of Blast Fungus

The rice( Oryza L. ) variety, Lijiangxintuanheigu(LTH), is a universally susceptible variety. A set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) of rice which has single resistance gene for each line was developed by use of LTH as recurrent parent and Kusabue,Tsuyuake, K1, PiNo. 4, K60 and BL1, which are from Kiyosawa's differential varieties(KDV), as donor parents. Differentiating ability of these NILs to Philippine isolates was compared with that of their donor parents, KDV and IRRI' s NILs. The results of comparative studies were as follows: (1) Differentiating ability of Chinese NILs to Philippine isolates was much stronger than that of their donor parents and that of KDV. (2) Chinese NILs had similar ability to differentiate races to IRRI's NILs or higher differentiating ability than them. But IRRI's NILs almost had no differentiating ability to isolates from japonica rice-growing regions. They can not be used to differentiate races of isolates from japonica ricegrowing regions. Whereas, Chinese NILs can be used to differentiate races of isolates from both japonica ricegrowing regions and indica rice-growing regions. It was concluded that the set of Chinese NILs can be used as international differentials.

A study on the pathogen species and physiological races of tomato Fusarium wilt in Shanxi,China

In order to clarify the main pathogens of tomato Fusarium wilt in Shanxi Province, China, morphological identification, elongation factor 1 alpha （EF-1α） sequence analysis, specific primer amplification and pathogenicity tests were applied to study the isolates which were recovered from diseased plants collected from 17 different districts of Shanxi Province. The results were as follows： 1） Through morphological and molecular identification, the following 7 species of Fusarium were identified： F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. verticillioides, F. subglutinans, F. chlamydosporum, F. sporotrichioides, and F. semitectum; 2） 56 isolates of F. oxysporum were identified using specific primer amplification, among which, 29, 5 and 6 isolates were respectively identified as F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici physiological race 1, race 2, and race 3; 3） pathogenicity test indicated the significant pathogenicity of F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. verticillioides, and F. subglutinans to tomato plant. Therefore, among these 4 species confirmed as pathogenic to tomato in Shanxi, the highest isolation rate （53.3％） corresponded to F. oxysporum. Three physiological species, race 1, race 2, and race 3 of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici are detected in Shanxi, among which race 1 is the most widespread pathogen and is also considered as the predominant race.

Study Genetic Variation Using DNA Molecular Markers and Identification Physiological Races of Wheat Stripe （yellow） Rust Puccinia striiformis f.sp tritici during 2010-2014 in Some Regions of Syria

Yellow Rust （stripe） rust （Puccinia striiformis West. f. sp. tritici） is one of the most epidemic diseases infect wheat in cold and wet regions. In 1988, this disease caused a loss of seasonal production amounted 70% on wheat variety Mexipak in Syria, and recurrent infection in 2010, caused by a virulent race called Yr27, caused a considerable loss in the production of bread wheat cultivars （Cham 8, Cham 6 particularly） amounted 90%. Recently, 15 races of yellow rust had been addressed in Syria for seasons 2010-2014; 159E256, 166E254, 166E256, 255 E112, 0 E0, 64 E 6, 230 El50, 0 E 18, 198 El30, 166 El50, 102 El60, 128 E0, 126 El50, 214E150, and 6E16. The race 6E16 was the most frequent during the two seasons, while the race 255El12 was the most virulent, followed by the race 230E222 and the race 0E0 was the weakest one. This study revealed the presence of fourteen newly observed races in Syria. Molecular Variance Analysis of Molecular Variance （AMOVA） of 55 yellow rust Puccinia striiformis f.sp tritici isolates examined by Amplify Fragment Length Polymorphism （AFLP） revealed high genetic variation within population, and the dimensional scale analysis （MSD） and tree diagram showed that the Syrian yellow rust isolates were clustered in three groups： the first group contained isolates derived from durum wheat, the second one contained bread wheat isolates, but the third was made of isolates derived from both durum and bread wheat species.

Sampling Survey and Identification of Races of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) in Huang-Huai Valleys

Soybean cyst nematode （SCN Heterodera glycines Ichinohe） is one of the most important nationwide soybean diseases in China. A total of 38 soil specimens or locations in the area was sampled and tested for SCN races during 2001-2003 for the inspection of race distribution in Huang-Huai Valleys. A map of race distribution was constructed according to the data from both the present study and the published reports cited. Three areas, namely, the area of southeast to Jinan in Shangdong Province; the area of northern Henan Province and its border region to south of Hebei Province; and the area of Luohe, Zhoukou of Henan Province and Fuyang of Anhui Province mainly infested with Race 1 were identified. Race 4 was predominant in Shanxi Province, Beijing and the adjacent area of Henan, Shandong, and Anhui provinces, and the delta of Huanghe River in Shandong Province. Race 2 was mainly found in Liaocheng, Dezhou of Shangdong Province and Shijiazhuang of Hebei Province, and Jiaozuo and Huojia of Henan Province. Race 7 was distributed in the west part of Jiaodong Peninsula of Shandong Province and Kaifeng, Huaxian, Wenxian of Henan Province. Race 5 was found and scattered in Hebei and Henan Province. Race 9 was found in Shangqiu of Henan Province, which was reported for the first time in China. It can be seen that Race 1 and Race 4 were the two predominant races in Huang-Huai Valleys, and that research should focus on developing resistant cultivars of these races. There might exist other races in an area with some predominant races. The race substitution in the past decade was not obviously found, therefore, the results should be meaningful to future breeding for resistance to SCN in Huang-Huai Valleys.

Identification and Analysis of Physiological Races of Magnaporthe oryzae in Heilongjiang Province

A totatl of 116 isolates of rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, were collected from 45 samples in different counties of Heilongjiang Province, and 20 Chinese physiological races belonging to seven groups were identified by using seven standard Chinese rice blast identifying varieties. Results showed that the dominant groups could be ranked as ZA, ZD, and ZB, with the occurrence frequencies of 47.41%, 22.41% and 15.52%, respectively. The race ZA49 was the dominant race with the occurrence frequency of 26.72%. The occurrence frequencies of the races ZD5 and ZD1 were 10.34% and 8.62%, respectively. The rising occurrence frequencies of these three dominant species were the most important reasons that causing Kongyu-131 more sensitive to rice blast. The results of virulence frequency indicated that the race harboring Pi-k, Pi-i, Pi-a gene were more susceptible to rice blast in Heilongjiang Province, and they should not be large-scale cultivated.

Analysis of Sudden Cardiac Arrest during Marathon Races in Japan

Objective: Increased number of runners in Japan has been one reason for increasing the risk of cardiac arrest during marathon races. The purpose of the study was to examine 1) the incidence of cardiac arrest during marathon races held in the past in Japan, 2) the characteristics of runners with cardiac arrest, 3) the effectiveness of public access defibrillation (PAD) use for cardiac arrest cases. Methods: We examined the incidence of the cardiac arrest during marathon races in Japan from the medical records of marathon races that Kokushikan University provided in the past five years. Also, we analyzed cardiac arrests occurred in Japan in the past 15 years between 1999 and 2013. Results: The incidence rate of cardiac arrest was 2.18 per 100,000 participants. As shown in Table 1, the incidence rates were 2.00 per 100,000 participants in full marathon and 2.50 per 100,000 participants in half-marathon. A total of 63 cardiac arrests occurred in the past 15 years, and the number of incidents has been increasing every year. Among 63 cardiac arrest cases, the mean age was 45.3 ± 14.9 years old and 93.7% (59/63 cases) were in males. Eighty-three percentage of cardiac arrest cases applied AED (20/24 cases) were the shockable rhythm. In terms of the survival rate, there was a statistically significant difference between the cases where both bystander CPR and PAD were delivered and the cases where the only bystander CPR took place without PAD (95.0% vs. 47.1%;p Conclusions: Performing PAD on the scene during marathon races could be expected to be higher in the survival rate. Creating a medical support system is needed to handle sudden cardiac arrest rapidly in order to perform early bystander CPR and PAD.

Identification of Physiological Races of Pyricularia oryae in Heilongjiang Province of China from 2007 to 2011

In order to clear the composition and distribution of physiological races of Pyricularia oryae in Heilongjiang Province, 299 single spore isolates of P. oryae collected from five rice regions （30 cities, counties or farms） in Heilongiiang Province form 2007 to 2011 were identified by seven differential varieties in Chi- na, and a total of seven groups with 31 physiological races had been identified. The results showed that ZA, ZD and ZB groups were the dominant groups in Hei- longjiang Province, with the occurrence frequencies of 34.8%, 31.1% and 16.1%, respectively. ZD5 was the dominant race with the oeeurrence frequency of 17.1% ; followed by ZA49 and ZD1 , with the occurrence frequencies of 13.7% and 10.7% , respectively. The types and compositions of physiological races of P. oryae varied with rice regions.

Dietary and Biochemical Profile of Congolese Athletes in Endurance Races during International Competition

Biochemical parameters are useful in the diagnosis of many health abnormalities in athletes. Some studies suggest training well and eating a balanced diet to improve performance. The modification of biochemical parameters during endurance races has not yet been studied in many African countries. Our objective was to evaluate the dietary profile and the effects of competition on the biochemical parameters of Congolese endurance athletes. The method used was the questionnaire for the food profile and blood samples were taken to measure the biochemical parameters of the athletes. A total of 64 athletes, i.e. 20 girls and 44 boys divided into two groups (group 1 or experimental group (EG), 32 endurance athletes and group 2 or control group (CG), 32 walkers who participated in a cross-sectional study in Brazzaville. The subjects were respectively 26.16 ± 2.79 years old for the EG and 27.44 ± 3.34 years old for the CG. The results indicated that quality foods were difficult to access. The main course was more consumed compared to the starter and dessert (60% of girls and 63.63 of boys). However, biochemical parameters showed a significantly lower serum creatinine concentration in EG subjects compared to CG subjects (0.86 ± 0.06 mg/dl vs 1.04 ± 0.16 mg/dl;t = ?5.95;p 0.05). Similarly, Total Cholesterol was significantly low (1.66 ± 0.34 g/l vs 2.09 ± 0.50 g/l;t = ?3.99;p < 0.000). Cholesterol concentrations of EG subjects (HDL-C) were significantly elevated (0.98 ± 0.49 g/l vs 0.48 ± 0.18 g/l;t = 5.34;p < 0.000). In conclusion, the biochemical data were normal but the food profile of the runners was unfavorable, inadequate and unbalanced. This is considered to be a performance limiting factor.

湖羊lncRNA-269的鉴定及转录调控分析

[目的]本文旨在研究湖羊长链非编码RNA-269(long no-coding RNA-269,lncRNA-269)序列特征、表达模式和转录调控,为后续开展lncRNA-269的功能研究提供理论基础。[方法]以湖羊为研究对象,采用5′/3′RACE结合PCR扩增方法获得其序列全长,利用RT-qPCR方法鉴定其在湖羊组织中的表达模式,并利用PCR方法扩增其启动子区,鉴定其启动子区特征,分析其转录调控情况。[结果]湖羊lncRNA-269全长3 146 bp,组织表达谱显示其在湖羊各组织中广泛表达,且在健康卵泡中显著高表达,其表达水平与NR5A1 mRNA水平和血清中雌二醇(E_(2))水平呈正相关。荧光素酶活性分析发现在lncRNA-269启动子区的-359~-17 nt有1个转录激活基序,在-1 485~-942 nt有1个转录抑制基序。JASPAR软件预测发现在lncRNA-269转录抑制启动子区域存在FOXO3、PDX1等转录因子结合位点,在转录激活区域有SMAD4、YY1等转录因子结合位点。过表达SMAD4可显著提升lncRNA-269启动子区荧光素酶活性,染色质免疫沉淀(ChIP)-PCR试验进一步确认了SMAD4特异性与lncRNA-269启动子区结合。[结论]湖羊lncRNA-269在健康卵泡中显著高表达,其启动子区存在一个转录激活区域和一个转录抑制区域,转录因子SMAD4可通过与lncRNA-269启动子区结合显著上调lncRNA-269的启动子活性。

家蚕追寄蝇虾红素样精液蛋白酶EsSemp的基因克隆与特性分析

虾红素样金属蛋白酶广泛存在于各种昆虫中,参与受精繁殖、孵化及消化等生理功能。为鉴定家蚕追寄蝇生殖繁育相关基因,利用RACE技术克隆获得家蚕追寄蝇虾红素样精液蛋白酶基因全长cDNA序列,命名为EsSemp(GenBank登录号:OP777491),其全长为985 bp,ORF为771 bp,编码256个氨基酸残基。以染色体步移技术克隆获得EsSemp完整基因结构,由1个内含子和2个外显子组成。系统发生树结果显示,EsSemp与黑腹果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)精液蛋白酶基因副本的产物CG15254高度同源。qRT-PCR结果显示,EsSemp在雄蝇副性腺表达较弱,在蝇蛆和成蝇的中肠和马氏管表达较强,在卵期0 h和卵后期大量表达,推测EsSemp参与了受精、孵化与消化代谢等过程。体外表达EsSemp蛋白,结果显示EDTA可抑制EsSemp酶活。以上研究结果为进一步阐明家蚕追寄蝇繁殖发育相关分子机制提供了参考,为开发家蚕蝇蛆病防治新途径提供了基础信息。

Excess non-COVID-19-related mortality among inflammatory bowel disease decedents during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic disrupted healthcare in the United States.AIM To investigate COVID-19-related and non-COVID-19-related death and characteristics associated with excess death among inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)decedents.METHODS We performed a register-based study using data from the National Vital Statistics System,which reports death data from over 99%of the United States population,from January 1,2006 through December 31,2021.IBD-related deaths among adults 25 years and older were stratified by age,sex,race/ethnicity,place of death,and primary cause of death.Predicted and actual age-standardized mortality rates(ASMRs)per 100000 persons were compared.RESULTS 49782 IBD-related deaths occurred during the study period.Non-COVID-19-related deaths increased by 13.14%in 2020 and 18.12%in 2021[2020 ASMR:1.55 actual vs 1.37 predicted,95%confidence interval(CI):1.26-1.49;2021 ASMR:1.63 actual vs 1.38 predicted,95%CI:1.26-1.49].In 2020,non-COVID-19-related mortality increased by 17.65%in ulcerative colitis(UC)patients between the ages of 25 and 65 and 36.36%in non-Hispanic black(NHB)Crohn’s disease(CD)patients.During the pandemic,deaths at home or on arrival and at medical facilities as well as deaths due to neoplasms also increased.CONCLUSION IBD patients suffered excess non-COVID-19-related death during the pandemic.Excess death was associated with younger age among UC patients,and with NHB race among CD patients.Increased death at home or on arrival and due to neoplasms suggests that delayed presentation and difficulty accessing healthcare may have led to increased IBD mortality.

花斑裸鲤MSTN-1基因克隆及表达特性分析

花斑裸鲤是黄河上游重要的冷水性土著鱼类,其生长、发育缓慢,性成熟又较晚,故多年来其种群一直呈下降趋势。MSTN(肌肉生长抑制素)是一种对肌肉生长具有负调控作用的因子,通过克隆花斑裸鲤MSTN-1基因并检测其表达特性,为花斑裸鲤生长缓慢的分子调控机理提供基础资料。采用PCR、5′-RACE和3′-RACE法获得花斑裸鲤MSTN-1基因全长cDNA序列,采用qPCR检测MSTN-1基因在花斑裸鲤不同组织的表达特征和在不同鲤科鱼类肌肉组织中的差异性表达。花斑裸鲤MSTN-1基因的cDNA序列全长为2190 bp,其中ORF长1128 bp,5′UTR长96 bp,3′UTR长966 bp,共编码375个氨基酸。该蛋白是带有一个信号肽、无跨膜结构的不稳定亲水性分泌蛋白,主要分布在细胞核、线粒体和细胞质中。MSTN-1蛋白质二级结构以无规卷曲为主,存在2个TGF-β结构域:即TGF-β前肽区域(37—268 aa)和TGF-β功能区域(281—375 aa),有1个蛋白酶水解位点RIRR和9个位于TGF-β功能区域保守的半胱氨酸残基。氨基酸序列同源性分析表明,花斑裸鲤MSTN-1氨基酸序列与其他鲤科鱼类MSTN-1具有较高的相似性,而与禽类和哺乳动物的相似性较低。系统发育分析显示,花斑裸鲤MSTN-1与其他鲤科鱼类聚于同一进化支。qPCR检测结果表明,MSTN-1在花斑裸鲤的脑、肌肉、鳃、心、肝脏和肾脏组织中均有表达,但在脑和肌肉组织中表达量较高。该基因在不同鲤科鱼类肌肉组织中均有表达,在青海湖裸鲤肌肉组织中的表达量最高,其次在花斑裸鲤和黄河鲤鱼肌肉组织中。通过克隆获得花斑裸鲤MSTN-1基因cDNA序列,进行生物信息学分析和qPCR检测,MSTN-1在这几种土著鱼类肌肉组织中的特征性表达差异有助于进一步了解高原鱼类生长缓慢的分子机理。

褐黄血蜱脂肪酸结合蛋白对褐黄血蜱卵及其原生质蛋白影响的研究

为了解蜱类脂肪酸结合蛋白(FABP)及其基因的结构和功能,本研究基于褐黄血蜱转录组文库中的Contig 879序列设计引物,采用cDNA末端快速扩增技术(RACE)扩增其两翼缺失部分,拼接后得到编码褐黄血蜱FABP (HfFABP)的全长cDNA序列;采用qPCR法检测该基因在褐黄血蜱的不同发育阶段、不同组织器官中的转录水平;采用平行反应监测(PRM)法分析HfFABP dsRNA干扰对褐黄血蜱产卵和孵化,以及卵原生质蛋白的影响。结果显示,HfFABP的cDNA全长1 443 bp,ORF长396 bp,编码132个氨基酸的多肽。HfFABP基因在雌蜱中的转录水平高于幼蜱、若蜱和雄蜱;在蜱的卵巢、中肠和体壳中的转录水平高于其在唾液腺中的转录水平;吸血使HfFABP基因的转录水平升高。HfFABP dsRNA干扰使蜱产卵减少,其中约30%的卵大小不均、蜡质增多、塌瘪易裂;表观正常的卵孵化率降低,原生质中的FABP、卵黄蛋白原(Vitellogenin)、弹性蛋白酶抑制剂(Neutrophil elastase inhibitor)、天冬氨酸蛋白酶(Aspartic protease)和热休克蛋白83 (Heat shock protein 83)等12种蛋白的丰度大幅下降(P<0.01、P<0.05)。上述结果首次表明HfFABP在蜱卵发育过程中发挥重要作用,本研究为HfFABP在抑制雌蜱生殖中的应用提供科学依据。

Establishment and characterization of new wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum addition and translocation lines with resistance to Ug99 races

Ug99, also designated as TFKSK, is a race of Puccinia graminis Pers.：Pers f. sp. tn＇tici Eriks. and E. Henn （Pgt） with broad virulence to wheat. It is the first known Pgt race possessing virulence to Sr31, a stem rust resistance （Sr） gene deployed in wheat varieties world- wide （Singh et al., 2011 ）. Since the first detection of TFKSK in 1998, a total of 13 Ug99 variants have been identified in several African countries.

Comparison of the quantities and subset distributions of natural killer cells among different races

Background Natural killer （NK） cells play critical roles in host immune defense, while the quantities and subset distributions may vary among different races. To address the difference, we compared these variables among Chinese Han, the Caucasians and the Blacks. The study may provide critical background information for both basic research and clinical investigation. Methods Blood samples collected from populations of different races were tested within 12 hours after collection and subsets of NK cells were characterized using flow cytometry. Results The absolute NK count in the Chinese Han was significantly higher than that in the Caucasian. The Han and Caucasian groups showed higher percentages of cytotoxic subset compared to that of the Black group. The percentage of cytokine-producing subset of Chinese Han group was lower than that of Caucasian and Black groups. Black group had a higher percentage of function-unknown NK subset than that of the Han and Caucasian groups. Conclusion Our data indicated that NK cell count and the distribution of different subsets varied among different races, which should be taken into consideration in related investigations.

Prevalence and resistance of Helicobacter pylori in a predominantly Hispanic population

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)is the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans.The risk of acquiring H.pylori is related to socioeconomic status and living conditions early in life.Treatment regimens must consider local antibiotic resistance patterns.Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital serves a predominantly indigent population in east Los Angeles with a large number of immigrants from South and Central America.Data regarding the prevalence and resistance of H.pylori in this population is scant.AIM To evaluate the prevalence and resistance of H.pylori and correlate with country of origin.METHODS All gastric biopsies were obtained by a single gastroenterologist at the hospital in a consecutive manner from patients with gastritis from 2017 to 2022 and sent to various labs for evaluation.RESULTS Two hundred and sixty-six patients are born in the United States,450,171,70,and 30 patients are immigrants from Mexico,Central and South America(CSA),Asia,and other countries respectively.Overall,14.65%were found to be infected with H.pylori.Rates of infection in United States-born citizens,immigrants from Mexico,CSA,and Asia are 9.02%,18.67%,13.45%,and 11.43%respectively,with Mexican immigrants having a relative risk of 2.3889[95%confidence interval(CI):1.4789-3.8588,P=0.0004]compared to those born in United States.No correlation seen between infection and length of time immigrants were in United States.Relative risk of infection in patients with no proton pump inhibitor use within the past 30 days found to be 1.9276(95%CI:1.3562-2.7398,P=0.0003).Rates of resistance for clarithromycin and levofloxacin are 21.43%and 31.11%.CONCLUSION H.pylori infection appears to be associated with low socioeconomic status and poor living conditions early in life.Clarithromycin and levofloxacin based treatment regimens should be avoided as first line therapy in this region,particularly in patients of Latin American origin.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Factors Influencing Orthopedic Surgery Application, Diversity, and Trainee Experiences

Background: Women and racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in orthopedic surgery. Exploring factors that draw individuals from these demographics to pursue orthopedic surgery and their experiences during training can provide valuable insights into this disparity. We aimed to quantify the current state of diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation among orthopedic surgery residents and fellows, and to identify factors that influenced their decision to pursue orthopedic surgery. Methods: An institutionally validated survey was delivered via Qualtrics to national orthopedic surgery residency programs from January to April 2023. Topics addressed included gender identity, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic background, reasons for pursuing orthopedic surgery, and medical training experiences. Differences between gender and racial discrimination were assessed via Chi-square test. Results: A total of 119 orthopedic surgery residents and fellows responded. Of these, 62.2% (n = 74) identified as non-Hispanic White, 60.5% (n = 72) were male, and 86.6% (n = 103) identified as straight or heterosexual. Mentorship was cited by 79.9% (n = 95) of respondents as a critical factor in their decision to pursue orthopedic surgery. Additionally, 23% of female respondents and 4.2% of male respondents highlighted the presence of women and diverse faculty as very important. Gender identity negatively impacted the decision to pursue orthopedic surgery in 15.4% of female and 1.4% of male respondents (p = 0.004). Among underrepresented minorities (URMs), 24.4% reported negative experiences during training compared to 4.1% of non-Hispanic White participants (p = 0.002). Discrimination experiences ranged from 2.6% due to sexual orientation, 20.7% due to race and ethnicity, and 26.3% due to gender and gender identity. Conclusions: Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and gender continues to pose significant challenges for orthopedic surgery trainees. The presence of mentors, particularly women and individuals from diverse backgrounds, remains crucial in fostering interest in orthopedic surgery among underrepresented groups. Sustained efforts are needed to create a more inclusive and supportive environment all trainees.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Orthorexia Nervosa Symptomatology and Other Disordered Eating

While some research has explored racial and ethnic differences in disordered eating, this study may be the first to examine these differences in orthorexia nervosa, involving obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors concerning healthy eating, which negatively impact one’s life. Adult participants, recruited from college courses and social media, completed an online survey with the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory (ONI) and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Regarding racial and ethnic background, 743 were White, 249 were Hispanic, 87 were Black, 61 were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 110 were biracial/multiracial. A MANCOVA revealed that the racial and ethnic groups did not differ on the ONI subscales assessing orthorexic behaviors, impairments, and emotions, after accounting for gender, BMI, and EAT-26 total scores that were covariates. In contrast, a second MANCOVA did reveal group differences on the EAT-26 subscales, after accounting for gender, BMI, and ONI total scores that were covariates. Black participants scored significantly lower than the other racial and ethnic groups on the subscale assessing dieting behaviors characteristic of anorexia nervosa, and the subscale assessing binge-eating and purging behaviors characteristic of bulimia nervosa. Further, Hispanic participants scored significantly lower than White participants on the latter subscale. These findings suggest that while orthorexic symptomatology does not differ based on race and ethnicity, a Black race and Hispanic ethnicity may be protective factors against disordered eating, perhaps related either to cultural norms concerning body image or to the resiliency and social support among the Black and Hispanic communities.