Brassica crops include various edible vegetable and plant oil crops, and their production is limited by low temperature. The key regulators of low-temperature resistance in Brassica remain largely unexplored. To identify post-transcriptional regulators of plant response to low temperature, we performed small RNA profiling, and found that 16 known miRNAs responded to cold treatment in Brassica rapa. The cold response of seven of those miRNAs were further confirmed by qRT-PCR and/or northern blotting analyses. In parallel, a genome-wide association study of 220 accessions of Brassica napus identified four candidate MIRNA genes, all of which were cold-responsive, at the loci associated with low temperature resistance. Specifically, these large-scale data analyses revealed a link between miR1885 and the plant response to low temperature in both B. rapa and B. napus. Using 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends approach, we validated that miR1885 can cleave its putative target gene transcripts, Bn.TIR.A09 and Bn.TNL.A03, in B. napus. Furthermore, overexpression of miR1885 in B. napus decreased the mRNA abundance of Bn.TIR.A09 and Bn.TNL.A03 and resulted in increased sensitivity to low temperature. Knocking down of miR1885 in B. napus led to increased mRNA abundance of its targets and improved rapeseed tolerance to low temperature. Together, our results suggested that the loci of miR1885 and its targets could be potential candidates for the molecular breeding of low temperature-tolerant Brassica crops.

We present the rare case of a 71 year old man with intracranial primary dural Hodgkin lymphoma (PDHL). He underwent subtotal resection of the mass, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and consolidative radiotherapy, with no recurrence at 5 years follow up.

Left atrial ball thrombus is a rare complication of rheumatic mitral stenosis. We report on a patient with a left atrial ball thrombus combined with rheumatic mitral stenosis, which was detected during echocardiographic in the context of an etiological assessment of an ischemic stroke

Insects often harbor heritable symbionts that provide defense against specialized natural enemies, yet little is known about symbiont protection when hosts face simultaneous threats. In pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), the facultative endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa confers protection against the parasitoid, Aphidius ervi, and Regiella insecticola protects against aphid-specific fungal pathogens, including Pandora neoaphidis. Here we investigated whether these two common aphid symbionts protect against a specialized virus A. pisum virus (APV), and whether their anti-fungal and anti-parasitoid services are impacted by APV infection. We found that APV imposed large fitness costs on symbiont-free aphids and these costs were elevated in aphids housing H. defensa. In contrast, APV titers were significantly reduced and costs to APV infection were largely eliminated in aphids with R. insecticola. To our knowledge, R. insecticola is the first aphid symbiont shown to protect against a viral pathogen, and only the second arthropod symbiont reported to do so. In contrast, APV infection did not impact the protective services either R. insecticola or H. defensa. To better understand APV biology, we produced five genomes and examined transmission routes. We found that moderate rates of vertical transmission, combined with horizontal transfer through food plants, were the major route of APV spread, although lateral transfer by parasitoids also occurred. Transmission was unaffected by facultative symbionts. In summary, the presence and species identity of facultative symbionts resulted in highly divergent outcomes for aphids infected with APV, while not impacting defensive services that target other enemies. These findings add to the diverse phenotypes conferred by aphid symbionts, and to the growing body of work highlighting extensive variation in symbiont-mediated interactions.

Ecological speciation within the mormyrid genus Campylomormyrus resulted in sympatric species exhibiting divergence in their feeding apparatus and electric organ discharge (EOD). This study provides direct evidence to support the suggested ecological speciation scenario that Campylomormyrus radiation is caused by an adaptation to different food sources. We performed diet assessment of sympatric Campylomormyrus species with markedly different snout morphologies and EODs using hybrid capture/NGS DNA metabarcoding of their stomach contents. Our approach allowed for high taxonomic resolution of prey items, including benthic invertebrates, allochthonous invertebrates, and vegetation. Comparisons of the diet compositions using quantitative measures and diet overlap indices revealed that all species are able to exploit multiple food niches in their habitats, i.e. fauna at the bottom, the water surface, and the water column. The major part of the diet is larvae of aquatic insects, such as dipterans, coleopterans, and trichopterans, known to occur in holes and interstitial spaces of the substrate. The results showed that different snout morphologies and the associated divergence in the EOD translate into different prey spectra. This suggests that the diversification in EOD and the morphology of the feeding apparatus is under functional adaptation.

Urethral duplication is uncommon with few cases reported in the literature. We report a case in which a patient presented with discharge from proximal part of penis since childhood and recent history of infection. The diagnosis of pre-pubic sinus was made and complete excision of the sinus tract was done.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have occurred more frequently and emerged increasing hazard ways in recent years. This study firstly combined both short-read and long-read metabarcoding analyses for marine phytoplankton community and HAB species identification in the coastal waters of the Beibu Gulf. Short-read metabarcoding showed that the phytoplankton in the sea area had high levels of biodiversity, with Dinophyceae dominating, especially Gymnodiniales, and multiple small-size phytoplankton were also identified, which complements the previous lack of understanding phytoplankton of both small-size and those unstable after fixation. Of the top 20 phytoplankton genera identified, 15 were HAB-forming genera, which account for 47.3%-71.5% of the relative abundance of phytoplankton. Based on long-read metabarcoding it further revealed that a total of 147 OTUs (PID>97%) belonging to phytoplankton were identified at the species level, including 118 species. Among them, 37 species belonged to HAB-forming species, and 98 species were reported for the first time in the Beibu Gulf. Contrast of the two metabarcoding methods at the class level, they both showed a predominance of Dinophyceae, and both included high abundances of Bacillariophyceae, Prasinophyceae and Prymnesiophyceae, but the relative contents of the classes varied. Notably, the results of the two metabarcoding methods were quite different below the genus level. High abundance and diversity of HAB species were mainly due to the special life history and multiple nutritional modes, which provided a basis for preventing the potential impact of HAB species on the aquaculture and even nuclear power plants safety in the Beibu Gulf.

A set of new rasagiline derivatives is presented. They were designed to be antioxidant compounds with the potential to be used for treating neurodegenerative disorders. They are expected to be multifunctional molecules that can help reduce oxidative stress, which is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative disorders. The CADMA-Chem computational protocol was used to produce rasagiline derivatives and to evaluate their likeliness as oral drugs and antioxidants. Three of them were identified as the most promising ones. They are proposed to be better free radical scavengers than rasagiline. In addition, they are expected to keep the parent's molecule neuroprotective capability. Hopefully, the results presented here would promote further experimental and theoretical investigations on these compounds.

A document by Hui Peng. Click on the document to view its contents.

A document by Hui Peng. Click on the document to view its contents.

Our understanding of the hydrological processes in cocoa agroforests is extremely limited. Most work has focused on characterising throughfall and transpiration processes under various management approaches and climate change scenarios. However, little is currently understood about the soil hydrological processes which serve as a link to throughfall and transpiration. We monitored the soil properties, soil water repellency and hydraulic conductivity in a 5, 12 and >30 year old cocoa plantation in the wet and dry seasons. During the wet season repellent conditions were absent in all stands while the hydraulic conductivity showed no significant differences among them. This suggests that stand age has little effect on water movement during the wet period. During the dry season, the soil at the 5 and 12 year old stands became extremely repellent and was twice as severe as that of the >30 year old plantation. It was expected that the extreme repellency in the younger stands would reduce infiltration rates; however, higher rates were recorded in the 5 and 12 year old stands. This was likely due to the combination of a repellent soil matrix and the presence of large, deep soil cracks which enhanced preferential flow. As the repellency was not significantly correlated with soil properties, we hypothesised that the high grass/sedge cover and temperatures in the 5 and 12 year old stands enhanced it. While further research is needed to investigate the role that grass and sedges play in developing repellent conditions, managing their cover may prove beneficial for the growth and survival of young cocoa trees.

Title: Atopic sensitization in childhood depends on the type of green area around the home in infancy Tiia Voor1,2*, Meelis Pärtel3*, Aleksandr Peet1,2, Liisa Saare1,2, Heikki Hyöty4,5, Mikael Knip6,7, John Davison3, Martin Zobel3#, Vallo Tillmann1,2#1 Children´s Clinic of Tartu University Hospital, Estonia2 Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Estonia3 Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia4 Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Finland5 Fimlab Laboratories, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland6 Pediatric Research Center, New Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland7 Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandTo the editor,The prevalence of allergy has increased worldwide (1) and a green environment is essential in developing immune responses and may protect against allergy (2, 3). However, previous studies have not distinguished the effects of different green area types.Here we tested how the type and spatial scale of green area around the infancy home are associated with atopic sensitization up to the age of 9 years.The study group comprised 280 children from the Estonian DIABIMMUNE project birth cohort (4) whose sera were measured for different allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) antibodies at the ages 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 9 years. Subjects were divided into 3 groups by sIgE results. 86 children who had at least one sIgE ≥0.7 kU/L were categorized into the group of definite atopic sensitization (Group I); 44 children had some sIgE between 0.35-0.69 kU/L and were classified as uncertain sensitization (Group II); 150 children had all measured sIgE below 0.35 KU/L, and they formed the control group (Group III). The types of surrounding green areas during the first six months of life were obtained from digital maps of Estonia. The land was divided into agricultural fields, forests, grasslands and wetlands (Figure 1A).The combination of various green area types at a radius of 1-10 km around homes in infancy was related to signs of atopy by ordinal regressions, and model weights were compared.This is the first study addressing the correlation between the land-use intensity around child homes and the development of atopic sensitization. A model with the green areas within 8 km had the highest protective weight (Fig. 1B). Among the various types of green areas, the impact of forests was the largest (Fig. 1C), but the best model also included grasslands and wetlands. Agricultural fields had an impact only at 1-2 km scales, and their weight declined strongly at larger scales (Table 1). We used the best model (area of forest, grasslands and wetlands within 8 km) and examined how it predicts atopic sensitization groups (Fig. 1D). The model predicted a decrease in Group I and an increase in control Group III. The uncertain Group II showed a slightly decreasing tendency. The protective effect of forests, grasslands and wetlands against sensitization was evident for both inhaled and food allergens.The world is urbanizing, and the isolation of humans from biodiverse green areas leads to reduced contact with beneficial environmental microbes (5). Ruokalainen et al (2) showed that the greenness around homes was negatively associated with the risk of atopy in children. Contact with natural soil enriched microbiota enhanced immune regulation and may reduce the risk of development of immune-mediated diseases (6). Our results reveal considerable differences in how various green area types might prevent atopic sensitization. The area of biodiverse land (forests, grasslands, wetlands) showed a strong protective effect, while the agricultural land did not. The positive effect of forests, grasslands and wetlands became clearer with increasing spatial scale. The relatively large distance of influence indicates that the biodiversity of beneficial microbes might need a large area.Our study has some limitations. First, we could not study the microbiota of the participants and determine whether the spatial environmental model explained microbiota composition. Secondly, we studied only atopic sensitization and did not diagnose allergic disease. This was because the data were collected using questionnaires completed by parents and were of variable quality.In conclusion, the current results indicate that biodiverse land – such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands – around homes during infancy elicits a strong protective effect against the development of atopy later in childhood. At the same time, intensive croplands have only a very weak effect.

Background: Recognition of specific allergens triggering immune response is key for the appropriate prescription of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). This study aimed at evaluating the impact of using the commercially available microarray ImmunoCAP TM ISAC 112 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) on the etiological diagnosis and SIT prescription compared to the conventional diagnostic methods in patients with allergic rhinitis/rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma. Methods: 300 patients with respiratory allergic disease, sensitized to three or more pollen aeroallergens from different species, as assessed by skin prick-test (SPT) and specific IgE assays (sIgE), were included in this multicentric, prospective observational study. SPT and a blood test were performed to all patients. Total serum IgE, sIgE (ImmunoCAP TM) for allergens found positive in the SPT and sIgE allergen components (ImmunoCAP TM ISAC 112) were measured. Results: According to SPT results, the most prevalent pollen sensitizers in our population were Olea europaea followed by grass, Platanus acerifolia and Parietaria judaica. The molecular diagnosis (MD) revealed Ole e 1 as the most prevalent pollen sensitizer, followed by Cup a 1, Phl p 1, Cyn d 1, Par j 2, Pla a 1, 2, and 3 and Phl p 5. Immunotherapy prescription changed, due to MD testing, in 51% of the cases, with an increase of prescription of SIT from 39% to 65%. Conclusion: The identification of the allergen eliciting the respiratory disease is essential for a correct immunotherapy prescription. The advances in allergen characterization using methods such as the commercial microarray ImmunoCAP TM ISAC 112 can help clinicians to improve SIT prescription.

The two cases we present are the first to demonstrate novel manifestations of COVID-19- related interaction between the liver and the immune system in pediatric patients. Written informed consent was obtained from the parent/guardian to publish this report in accordance with the journal’s patient consent policy.

In this paper, general one-dimensional difference equations (DE) are studied. In fact, the asymptotic behaviour of such DE's will be studied via an algebraic closed-form condition plus a linear DE. Some examples are presented including the Collatz sequence, proving the existence of at most one invariant set surrounding the number 1: {1, 2, 4}. Some conclusions will be also depicted.

Objective To explore whether a previous late miscarriage(LM) has a prognostic impact on the subsequent pregnancy outcomes in in-vitro fertilization(IVF) women. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Reproductive medicine centre at a tertiary hospital Population 1072 infertile women who had a LM following first embryo transfer. Methods Women were grouped by the causes of LM, 458 women with unexplained factor(unLM), 146 women with fetal factor(feLM), 412 women with cervical factor(ceLM), 56 women with trauma factor(trLM). Subgroup analysis and binary logistic regression were performed to evaluate the associations between LMs with different causes and subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Main outcome measures The frequency of live birth and miscarriage following the subsequent embryo transfer after LM. Results Compared with general IVF population, the early miscarriage rate was significantly higher in unLM group(8.28% vs. 13.47%,P=0.003, rate ratio(RR)=1.725,95% confidence interval(CI)1.204-2.470). Further, women with a unLM or ceLM had a dramatically elevated risk of recurrent LM(for unLM:4.24% vs. 9.43%,P=0.000,RR=2.348,95%CI 1.527-3.610; for ceLM: 4.24% vs. 15.53%,P=0.000,RR=4.147,95%CI 2.836-6.064) and a consequently reduced frequency of live birth(for unLM: 49.96% vs. 43.01%,P=0.005, RR=0.756,95%CI 0.622-0.918; for ceLM: 49.96% vs. 38.59%,P=0.000,RR=0.629,95%CI 0.512-0.774). Conclusions Only one previous LM resulted from unexplained factor or cervical factor was significantly associated with a higher risk of miscarriage and a lower live birth rate after the subsequent embryo transfer. Keywords Late Miscarriage/Live Birth/Early Miscarriage/Cervical Incompetence/In Vitro Fertilization Tweetable abstract Women who had a LM for unexplained factor or cervical factor following the first embryo transfer had a significantly poor pregnancy prognosis after the subsequent transfer.

A modular multilevel converter (MMC) based four-port power electronic transformer (PET) based on is proposed in this paper. Medium-voltage AC(MVAC) and medium-voltage DC(MVDC) ports provided by MMC, adopts the MMC SMs of upper and lower arms with symmetric structure to build the low-voltage port, in each phase, the first submodule of the upper bridge arm and the last submodule of the lower bridge arm are used to build low-voltage DC(LVDC) port, and the last submodule of the upper bridge arm and the first sub-module of the lower bridge arm are used to build low-voltage AC(LVAC) port. They are cascaded with DAB for step-down and power isolation. The working principle and control strategy of the four-port are introduced respectively, a voltage fluctuation compensation control strategy for low-voltage terminal module is proposed to reduce capacitor voltage fluctuation effectively. It has the advantage of using fewer switching devices and transformers (56.8% lower cost compared with the existing traditional PET). The feasibility of the proposed PET and the effectiveness of the overall control strategy are verified by simulation.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an exercise intervention, in addition to usual care, to prevent or delay insulin prescription in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Design: Randomised controlled trial Setting: University hospital Population: Women at 25-35 weeks pregnancy upon diagnosis of GDM. Methods: In the intervention arm, women had weekly, supervised, 30-45 min long exercise sessions and were encouraged to accumulate more than 5000 steps per day, monitored by a pedometer, in addition to usual care. Women in the control group had usual care only. Main outcome measure: Insulin prescription. Results: From February 2008 through April 2013, 109 women were randomized into intervention (n=57) or usual care (n=52). Two women, both in the intervention group, were excluded from the analysis (one randomised in error and one lost to follow-up). Six women never attended the exercise sessions and two women participated to less than two sessions, while two-third of women were considered as compliant to the intervention. Incidence of insulin prescription was not significantly different between groups: 31 (56%) in the intervention and 24 (46%) in the control group (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.78); the median time between randomization and insulin prescription was not different between groups (14 and 13 days, respectively). Conclusion: We were unable to show that an exercise program reduces or delays insulin prescription. Low compliance with the intervention, small sample size and the short duration of the program may explain the apparent lack of benefit.

Objective: To determine whether health care providers (HCPs) would find an interactive digital 3D application (webapp) showing pelvic and genital anatomy to be helpful in patient consultations about female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Setting: Recorded audio/video calls with HCPs in migration-destination countries of USA, UK, Sweden, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Sample: Seven HCPs from various disciplines experienced in care for women and girls with FGM/C in migration-destination settings. Methods: Audio- and video-recorded usability testing with semi-structured interview protocol, transcribed manually and analysed thematically. Main outcome measures: Contextualised data regarding HCP’s willingness to use a 3D webapp visualising anatomy in FGM/C in consultations with patients. Results: All but one of the seven HCPs interviewed expressed keen interest in using this webapp and its 3D visuals of anatomy after FGM/C in consultations with patients. In their feedback, participants shared the common contexts for the use of visuals in health care for FGM/C and the concepts they are used to reinforce. Participating HCPs also highlighted the need for visuals that patients can relate to, as well as features that would adapt to and improve the continuum of care for women and girls with FGM/C. Conclusions: Digital applications with interactive 3D models of pelvic and genital anatomy that are accessible, accurate, and adaptable are likely to aid HCPs in communicating clinical information about FGM/C to patients in consultations. Funding: N/A Keywords: FGM/C, FGM, FGC, 3D, pelvis, interactive, patients, consultations, application, webapp, genital, vulva, anatomy, female genital cutting

A document by Ann Moore. Click on the document to view its contents.

Rare cystic variant of adenomatoid tumor of the uterus: a case reportPrasanna D. Tati D.O.1, Muhammad O. Afridi D.O.1, Victoria Petty M.D.2, Monika Mansmann PA-C2, Joyce Varughese M.D.3

Neuroschistosomiasis is a rare entity, it can cause cerebral or spinal cord involvement. high clinical suspicion is needed to diagnose it and rapid treatment is needed to prevent complications.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic neoplasm derived from plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors. The malignancy was characterized by cutaneous and bone marrow involvement and leukemic spread，predominantly involving elderly patients. Pediatric cases of BPDCN are much fewer reported in the literature, making the management of pediatric BPDCN challenging. We report a congenital BPDCN patient who manifested with neutropenia and nodular skin lesions. Whole-exome sequencing suggests the presence of kmt2c gene duplication. She died four months after diagnosis. This case report reminds clinicians, especially neonatologists, to consider the possibility of BPCDN when finding neonates present with rash(such as purplish nodules, bruiselike macules) and a cytopenia. In addition, this study suggests that the KMTC2 gene may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of BPDCN.

Introduction: Case definitions are used to guide clinical practice, surveillance, and research protocols. However, how they identify COVID-19-hospitalised patients is not fully understood. We analysed the proportion of hospitalised patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, in the ISARIC prospective cohort study database, meeting widely used case definitions. Methods: Patients were assessed using the CDC, ECDC, WHO, and UKHSA case definitions by age, region, and time. Case fatality ratios (CFR) and symptoms of those who did and who did not meet the case definitions were evaluated. Patients with incomplete data and non-laboratory-confirmed test-result were excluded. Results: 263,218 of the patients (42%) in the ISARIC database were included. Most patients (90.4%) were from Europe and Central Asia. The proportions of patients meeting the case definitions were 56.8% (WHO), 74.4% (UKHSA), 81.6% (ECDC), and 82.3% (CDC). For each case definition, patients at the extremes of age distribution met the criteria less frequently than those aged 30 to 70 years; geographical and time variations were also observed. Estimated CFRs were similar for the patients that met the case definitions. However, when more patients did not meet the case definition, the CFR increased. Conclusions: The performance of case definitions might be different in different regions and may change over time. Similarly concerning is the fact that older patients often did not meet case definitions. While epidemiologists must balance their analytics with field applicability, ongoing revision of case definitions is necessary to improve patient care through early diagnosis and limit potential nosocomial spread.