{We study the existence and asymptotic behavior of positive solutions for the following fractional magnetic Kirchhoff equation with steep potential well \begin{align*} \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.25} \begin{array}{ll} \ds \left \{ \begin{array}{ll} \ds \left(a+b\int_{\R^{3}}|(-\Delta)_A^\frac{s}{2}u|^2\, dx\right)(-\Delta)_A^s u+V_{\lambda}u=|u|^{p-2}u~~~in~\mathbb{R}^3, \\ u\in H^s(\R^3), \\ \end{array} \right . \end{array} \end{align*} where $a,~b>0$ are constants, $2

We report a case of malignant mesenchymal spindle-cell neoplasia of the skull, diagnosed in a female newborn at 13 days of age by biopsy and subtotal resection. Considering the good clinical condition, the age, tumor histology and the risks associated with surgery and chemotherapy, we proposed a “wait and see” approach with a close radiologic monitoring of the tumor lesion. Surprisingly the tumor showed spontaneous regression both at MRI and ultrasound evaluations. To date, after 12 months of observation, MRI showed sustained remission: the infant recovered from surgery and maintains good clinical condition while follow-up is ongoing.

Early identification of fetal abnormalities is a huge challenge for modern obstetrics. Quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) has quickly become an effective means of chromosome anomaly detection due to its advantages in terms of timing, manpower and accuracy. The QF-PCR results also make a significant change in clinicians’ attitude to some extent, assisting them providing parents with professional and valuable advice on pregnancy management. In this review, the advantages and drawbacks of QF-PCR will be explored. By reviewing studies published in Vietnamese Medical Journals, we conclude QF-PCR can become a potential screening test in the field of prenatal diagnosis.

Background and Purpose: Cognitive side effects after cancer treatment threatening quality of life (QoL) constitute a major challenge in oncology. Abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) and enzalutamide (ENZ) are next generation therapy (NGT) administered with androgen deprivation therapy to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. NGT significantly improved mCRPC overall survival but neurological side effects such as fatigue and cognitive impairment have been recently reported. Experimental Approach: We developed a behavioral 17 months-aged and castrated mouse model receiving per os AAP or ENZ during 5 days per week for six consecutive weeks. After behavioral tests, brain and plasma were collected for immunohistochemical studies. Spontaneous activity, cognitive functions and emotional reactivity, as well as neurobiological functions were investigated. Key Results: ENZ exposure reduced spontaneous activity and exploratory behavior associated with a decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-dopaminergic activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the ventral tegmental area. A decrease in TH+-DA afferent fibers and Phospho-DARPP32-related dopaminergic neuronal activities in the striatum and the ventral hippocampus, highlighted ENZ-induced dopaminergic regulation whithin the nigrostriatal and mesolimbocortical pathways. ENZ and AAP treatments did not substantially modify spatial learning and memory or behavioral flexibility performances, but ENZ led to a thygmotaxis behavior impacting the cognitive score, and reduced c-fos-related activity of NeuN+-neurons in the dorsal hippocampus. Conclusion and Implications: These results establish the consequences of the mCRPC treatment ENZ in aged castrated mouse motivation to exploration and cognition, of particular importance for future management of patients elderly postrate cancer patients and their QoL.

Human populations, especially European, are polymorphic in the RHD gene. A significant fraction of their members carries two copies of a mutated (deleted) allele, which results in their Rh-negative blood type. Theoretically, this polymorphism should be unstable. Carriers of the less frequent allele are penalized by reduced fertility because of the immunization of Rh-negative mothers by their Rh-positive babies, which results in hemolytic disease of newborns in their subsequent progeny. For about 90 years, some form of balancing selection has been suspected to sustain this polymorphism. Several recent studies showed that the Rh-positive heterozygotes express higher viability than both types of homozygotes. However, the genotype of subjects in these studies was estimated only by indirect methods. Here we compared the physical and mental health of 178 women and 86 men who were directly tested for their Rh genotype. The results showed that Rh-positive homozygotic women had worse and Rh-positive homozygotic men better physical health than Rh-negative homozygotes; the difference between Rh-negative homozygotes and heterozygotes was not significant. Our results confirmed that health of Rh-positive heterozygotes and homozygotes differ. Therefore, any result of the comparison of subjects with Rh-positive and Rh-negative phenotype depends on the heterozygote-to-homozygote ratio in the Rh-positive sample. It is, therefore, crucial to analyze the effects of Rh-genotypes, not phenotypes in future studies.

Background: Humans and mammals have sex-specific differences in cardiac electrophysiology, linked to the action of sex hormones in the cardiac muscle. These hormones can either increase or decrease the expression of ionic channels modulating the cardiac cycle through genomic and non-genomic interactions. Methods: Systematic search in PubMed, Medline and EMBASE including keywords pertaining to testosterone and QT interval. Included experimental studies, observation studies and case reports presenting the results of testosterone administration, excess or deficiency in humans and animals. Results: Testosterone has been shown to shorten the action potential duration, by enhancing the expression of K+ channels and downregulating ICaL increasing the repolarization reserve of the cardiac muscle. This increased repolarization reserve also protects the heart against the effects of QT prolonging drugs and arrhythmogenesis. This effect has been observed in both genders and animals. Conclusions: Testosterone deficient states can promote arrhythmogenesis. The evidence in this paper may be used to guide clinical consideration relating to testosterone levels and QT prolonging states and medications, such as increased clinical surveillance of patients in testosterone deficient states using ECG.

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillatoruse has increased worldwide. The annual rate of inappropriate shock (IAS) is between 3.1% and 25% and is usually followed by admission in Critical Care units. In such setting, the suspension of shock therapy is mandatory during an electrical storm. Temporary inhibition is also requested during surgical procedures but now is not yet clearly addressed by guidelines. Here we describe the strategies that can be followed to reduce IAS in critical care settings with the appropriate use of any model of clinical magnet, to temporarily inhibit shock therapies.

Background: Inflammation is integral in the pathogenesis and propagation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Peri-ablation administration of steroids has been shown to significantly reduce AF recurrence at 3 months. We sought to determine the effect of intraoperative dexamethasone on early recurrence at both 3 months and 12 months post-ablation. Methods: A cohort of 94 adult patients (>18 years) underwent catheter ablation at Mayo Clinic Rochester from January to March 2019. Only first-time ablation patients were included, with all re-do ablations excluded to minimize heterogeneity. Administration of intraoperative dexamethasone 4 mg or 8 mg was determined by chart review from the procedure. At our institution, intraoperative intravenous steroids are administered for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prophylaxis at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. AF recurrence was determined by ECG or cardiac monitoring at less than 3 months or between 3 months and 1 year with an in-person follow-up visit. Results: A total of 36.2% of patients received intravenous dexamethasone compared to 63.8% who did not (providing a 2:1 comparison group). The incidence of documented AF or flutter lasting greater than 30 seconds was 20.6% in the dexamethasone group versus 21.7% in the non-dexamethasone group, p value 1.00. AF or atrial flutter recurrence from 3 months to 1 year was 20.6% in the dexamethasone group compared to 21.7% in the non-dexamethasone group, p value 1.00. Conclusion: These data suggest that intraoperative intravenous dexamethasone administered during AF ablation for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis does not have a significant effect on AF recurrence rates.

SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the viral spike (S) encoding a SARS-COV-2 SPIKE D614G mutation protein predominate over time in locales revealing the dynamic aspects of its key viral processes where it is found, implying that this change enhances viral transmission. It has also been observed that retroviruses infected ACE2-expressing cells pseudotyped with SG614 that is presently affecting a growing number of countries markedly more efficiently than those with SD614. In this paper, we strongly combine topology geometric methods targeting at the atomistic level the protein apparatus of the SARS-COV-2 virus that are simple in machine learning anti-viral characteristics, to propose computer-aided rational drug design strategies efficient in computing docking usage, and powerful enough to achieve very high accuracy levels for this in-silico effort for the generation of the AI-Quantum designed molecule of Combination of GisitorviffirnaTM, Roccustyrna_gs1_TM, and Roccustyrna_fr1_TM ligands with Preferred IUPAC Names of (7aR)‐5‐amino‐N‐[(S)‐{2‐[(S)‐[(E)‐(amino methyl idene)amino](cyano)methyl]hydrazin‐1‐yl}(aziridin‐1‐yl)phosphoryl]‐1‐[(2E)‐2‐[(fluoromethanimidoyl)imino]acetyl]‐7‐oxo‐1H,7H,7aH‐pyrazolo[4,3‐d]pyrimidine‐3‐carboxamide; N‐{[(2‐amino‐ 6‐oxo‐6,9‐dihydro‐1H‐purin‐9‐yl)amino]({1‐[5‐ ({[cyano({1‐[(diaminomethylidene)amino]ethenyl})amino]oxy}methyl)‐3,4‐dihydroxyoxolan‐2‐yl]‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐3‐yl}formamido)phosphoryl}‐6‐fluoro‐3,4‐dihydropyrazine‐2‐carboxamide;[3‐(2‐amino‐5‐sulfanylidene‐1,2,4‐triazolidin‐3‐yl)oxaziridin‐2‐yl]({3‐sulfanylidene‐1,2,4,6‐tetraazabicyclo[3.1.0]hexan‐6‐yl})phosphoroso1‐(3,4,5‐trifluorooxolan‐2‐yl)‐1H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐carboxylate targeting the COVID-19-SARS-COV-2 SPIKE D614G mutation using Chern-Simons Topology Euclidean Geometric in a Lindenbaum-Tarski generated QSAR automating modeling and Artificial Intelligence-Driven Predictive Neural Networks.

N-(4-((6-bromopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl)oxy)phenyl)morpholine-4-carboxamide is a derivative of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine with anti-tumor, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects. Using 2-aminonicotinic acid as the starting material, the title compound was prepared through esterification, bromo ring and chlorine reactions. 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS confirmed the structure of the target compound. The precise structure of the compound N-(4-((6-bromopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl)oxy)phenyl)morpholine-4-carboxamide was analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecular structure was further calculated using density functional theory (DFT), compared with the X-ray diffraction value. The molecular electrostatic potential and frontier molecular orbitals of the title compound were further investigated using DFT.

Background-The COVID-19 pandemic called for significant restructuring of healthcare system in the United Kingdom to overcome the burden on emergency services and restore elective activities.This study aims to discuss the development of a new triage system of reviewing gynaecology e-referrals to secondary care and analyse the sustainability of this service beyond the pandemic.The streamlining of primary care referrals was conceptualised on the framework of Clinical Assessment Service (CAS) as recommended by NHS Long-Term Plan. Method-CAS was implemented in our gynaecology department as a response to COVID-19 pandemic.E-referrals triaged using CAS in phase 1 were reviewed and areas of improvement identified. A second review was carried out in phase 2 after implementing changes to ensure improved services.The outcomes of interest were appropriateness of referrals,destination appointments and percentage of virtual appointments. Results-185 e-referrals in phase 1 and 85 e-referrals in phase 2 were analysed.Training and education of relevant stakeholders and a more efficient CAS in phase 2 resulted in significant reduction in inappropriate referrals from 14% to 3% [RR-0.17 (95% CI - 0.04-0.72); p=0.02].For every 9 e-referral reviewed in CAS,1 inappropriate referral was avoided.The number of virtual appointments increased by 16% (45% in Group 1, 61% in Group 2). Conclusion-CAS framework provides a sustainable strategy to overcome disruptions in the provision of elective outpatient services caused by COVID-19 pandemic.It reduces inappropriate secondary care e-referrals,allows management of eligible patients digitally,shortens patient care pathway and creates a dynamic link between the primary care providers and specialist care.

The separator is a key component for rechargeable batteries. It separates the positive and negative electrodes to prevent short-circuit of the battery and also acts as an electrolyte reservoir facilitating metal ion transportation during charging and discharging cycles. Separator selection and use significantly impact the electrochemical performance and safety of rechargeable batteries. This paper reviews the basic requirements of rechargeable battery membrane separators and describes the features, benefits and drawbacks of different types of membrane separators. The structure, characteristics, fabrication, modification, and performance of the separators are discussed, including the microporous membrane, modified microporous membrane, nonwoven membrane, composite membrane, and electrolyte membrane. Finally, it also provides the outlook and suggests future directions for this field of study.

Objective: To study the role of placenta fibrinogen-like 1 (FGL1) during pre-eclampsia (PE) progression. Design: A case-control study combined with the experimental research of the cellular and PE mouse model. Setting: FGL1 is a protein involved in liver regeneration, but its role in the placenta and PE remains uninvestigated. Population or Sample: Serum and placenta from the PE mouse model and in women with (n = 38) and without (n = 42) PE were analyzed. Methods: Pregnant C57Bl/6 mice (n = 6) were administered L-NAME subcutaneously with or without FGL1 once daily starting on day 7–14 of pregnancy until sacrifice. Maternal body weight, blood pressure, urinary protein, weight and length of the placenta and fetus were assessed. The placental structure was evaluated using histochemistry staining. The sera of pregnant women during the late trimester were quantified with ELISA. Main Outcome Measures: FGL1 expression in serum and placenta during PE, and treatment outcome of FGL1. Results: FGL1 expression in both serum and placenta was significantly upregulated in patients with PE and mice compared with control groups. FGL1 treatment decreased maternal hypertension, and proteinuria, ameliorated fetal weight in PE mice, downregulated proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1b and -6), and maintained the balance between antiangiogenic (sFlt-1, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1) and proangiogenic substances (Pgf, placental growth factor) in the placenta. Conclusions: Placental FGL1 upregulation plays a pivotal role in reducing PE progression. Funding: Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 106-2314-B-006-066, 108-2314-B-006-062), Taiwan; National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH-10604002, NCKUH-10705015, NCKUH-10902008); Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU-TC108A02, KMUH-DK(A)110003)

Diffusion coefficient always attracts more attention because of its prediction for diffusion in a glassy polymer. However, most of the direct measurements of diffusion coefficients are time-consuming, expensive and system intrusive. Here, we report a facile method to measure apparent diffusion constant on the cross-section of thin PVA film with a device, which is structured with a thin conductive film, employed diffusion and the solution conductivity theory well. The diffusion time and the conductivity of the device are determined by the process of solution passing through the cross-section of thin PVA film and reaching the conductive substrate. The data detected the apparent diffusion constant in diffusion and the concentration gradient of the solution on the interface between the PVA film and conductive film. This device provides a simple, rapid and effective way to study the apparent diffusion constant in PVA film.

Background: Chronic pain and poor sleep quality are biopsychosocial changes that are associated with human aging and have a bidirectional correlation. The objective was to evaluate the association between chronic pain and quality of sleep and quality of life of elderly people. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a correlational quantitative approach on the association of chronic pain with the quality of sleep and quality of life of elderly people in the community. The evaluation was carried out using sociodemographic, clinical and anthropometric questionnaires, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, visual analogue scale, cognitive impairment, quality of life, and functional mobility. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The means between the groups were compared using the Student’s t-test for independent samples, using the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) to test the associations and one-way analysis of variance to compare the means between the three age groups. Results: This study included 131 elderly people, predominantly female (87%), with an average age of 68 ± 7 years, low income per capita (84.8% ≤2 MW), and low education (86.3% ≤3 years of study). The elderly with a history of chronic pain had worse quality of sleep and quality of life than those without chronic pain. There was a moderate (ρ = 0.590) and significant (p <0.01) positive correlation between sleep quality and chronic pain intensity, and a moderate (ρ = -0.57) and significant (p <0.01) correlation between quality of life and the intensity of chronic pain. Conclusion: Elderly people with chronic pain have worse quality of sleep and quality of life than those without chronic pain. We also found that the greater the number of chronic diseases, the worse the quality of sleep and quality of life. Trial Registration: Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (REBEC) Identifier: RBR-3cqzfy Keywords: Elderly; sleep; chronic pain; quality of life.

Background Antibiotic resistance is a global concern of public health resulting due to the indiscriminate use, abuse and misuse of antibiotics. In order to encounter this health issue, it is highly essential to primarily understand the knowledge and attitude of the healthcare professional students towards the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance Objective The objective of the present study was to assess the levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices pertaining to antibiotics use and resistance among the healthcare professional students (MBBS, BDS, B.Pharma and B.Sc (Nursing) students of Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods A cross sectional survey was conducted using structured questionnaire. Collected data was analyzed using Chi-square test, ANOVA and adjusted odd ratios (AORs) with 95% significance by SPSS version 20. A total of 326 participants responded giving information in the structured questionnaire given to them. Results The prevalence of self-medication among the participants was 27% (n = 87/326). A proportionately larger number of MBBS students were self-medicating (51%) compared to the other students (p<0.05). The reason for student’s self-medication was because of the illness being too simple for consultation. Nearly one third of the participants (53.1%) stated that their earlier familiarity with the disease (old prescriptions for the same illness) was a source of information about the drug to be used. The results of ANOVA analysis indicated that knowledge, attitudes and patient doctor relationship are not uniform among individual groups with mean squares of 2.0, 2.122, and 2.69 respectively. Correlation analysis indicates moderately strong positive linear relationship that attitude shares with patient doctor relationship regarding antibiotic use. Conclusions The results of the current study suggest that majority of the students are aware of the antimicrobial resistance and its consequences. However, the students were found to have very casual attitude towards the use of antibiotics.

Objective: The current management of fibrous dysplasia (FD) involving the paranasal sinuses and the adjacent skull base is controversial. This study is to present our experience in the management strategy of FD involving the paranasal sinuses and the adjacent skull base. Design/setting: 23 patients from 2006 to 2019 with monostotic fibrous dysplasia (MFD), polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD), or McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) involving the paranasal sinuses and the adjacent skull base were retrospectively reviewed. This study series was divided into 3 groups based on the management strategies: the observation group, the surgery group, and the optic nerve decompression group. Main outcome/results: The observation group included 9 asymptomatic MFD patients with a stable condition during the follow-up period of 15 to 164 months. The surgery group included 10 symptomatic MFD patients having personalized endoscopic endonasal surgery. The patients’ symptoms were relieved after surgery. The optic nerve decompression group included 4 patients with visual loss, who underwent endonasal endoscopic optic nerve decompression with the aid of image-guided navigation. Their vision improved after surgery. Conclusion: The clinical observation and periodic computed tomography (CT) scan is adopted for asymptomatic patients. Surgery is indicated in symptomatic patients. Optic nerve decompression is recommended as soon as possible if the patient has visual loss, whereas prophylactic decompression is not recommended if the optic nerve is encroached upon by FD without visual loss. Navigation plays an important role in endoscopic surgery involving the paranasal sinuses and the adjacent skull base, especially in FD resection and optic nerve decompression.

Background & Purpose: Liver fibrosis is a disease that seriously threatens people’s health, and its etiopathogenesis has not been described clearly. Experimental Approach: Female rats were subjected to common bile duct ligation (BDL) for one month, and male rats were treated with thioacetamide for 23 weeks. The expression of cytokines, signal pathways, histopathology in liver and biochemical indexes in serum were detected. Key Results: The levels of transaminases in serum and hydroxyproline and α-smooth muscle actin in the liver were remarkably increased in both models, although the degree of liver fibrosis was more severe in thioacetamide rats than in BDL rats. However, the levels of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-10, TNFα, MCP-1, PDGF-BB, p-Akt and p-STAT5 decreased, and the levels of IL-18, TGFβ1 and p-p70s6k increased in the livers of BDL rats, while the levels of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-12p70, TNFα, MCP-1, PDGF-BB, p-CREB, p-JNK, p-NFκB, p-Akt, p-p70s6k, p-STAT3 and p-STAT5 decreased, and the levels of IL-18 and TGF-β1 increased in the livers in thioacetamide rats. Conclusion and Implications: These data suggest that TGFβ1 and IL-18 may be the main fibrogenic factors at different stages of liver fibrosis and that the levels of inflammation-associated cytokines and signaling pathway components decrease as the severity of hepatic fibrosis progresses. Therefore, it may be better to apply anti-inflammatory drugs in the early stage or use these drugs which facilitating more inflammatory cells or cytokines into liver tissue at the end stage of hepatic fibrosis.

African swine fever (ASF) is an acute hemorrhagic disease of domestic pigs. The causative agent of ASF, ASF virus (ASFV), is a double-stranded DNA virus, the sole member in the family Asfarviridae. The non-structural protein pB602L of ASFV is a molecular chaperone of the major capsid protein p72 and plays a key role in the icosahedral capsid assembly. This protein has good antigenicity and is also a target for developing diagnostic tools for ASF. To understand the molecular basis for the antigenicity of pB602L, a procaryoticly expressed recombinant pB602L protein was produced and applied to immunize mice for producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A total of eight mouse mAbs were obtained and their binding epitopes were screened by Western blot against overlapped polypeptides of pB602L. Three linear epitopes were identified and designated Epitope 1 (366ANRERYNY373), Epitope 2 (415GPDAPGLSI423), and Epitope 3 (498EMLNVPDD505). Based on their recognizing epitopes, the eight mAbs were placed to three groups: Group 1 (B2A1, B2F1 and B2D10), Group 2 (B2H10, B2B2, B2D8, and B2A3), and Group 3 (B2E12), accordingly. mAbs B2A1, B2H10 and B2E12 were applied to detect pB602L in ASFV infected porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM) and pig tissues by indirect florescence assay (IFA), immunohistochemical staining, and immunogold labeling for electron microscopy, respectively. The results showed that pB602L was well detected with all the three mAbs by immunohistochemical staining and immunoelectron microscopy; but only B2H10 was suitable for detecting the protein in ASFV infected PAM cells by IFA. Taken together, we developed eight anti-pB602L mouse mAbs recognizing three linear epitopes in the protein, which provide biological materials and molecular basis for the basic and applied researches on ASFV.

Objectives To compare the hemorrhage complications between the coadministration of dronedarone and rivaroxaban and that of amiodarone and rivaroxaban after radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Fifty patients with AF and abnormal thyroid function were administered dronedarone and rivaroxaban (Group D-R) after catheter ablation, and fifty patients with AF and normal thyroid function received dronedarone and rivaroxaban (Group A-R) after the operation were matched using propensity score matching. All patients returned for follow-up once a month for 3 months. The incidence of minor hemorrhage, massive hemorrhage, thromboembolism, and the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation were observed. Results No significant difference was noted in the incidence of postoperative minor bleeding between the Group D-R and the Group A-R（2% versus 4%, P=0.558）, and no massive hemorrhage and ischemic events were detected in both groups. Also, no significant difference was observed in recurrence rate of AF between two groups(18% versus 16%, P=0.790). Conclusions Compared to the coadministration of amiodarone and rivaroxaban, that of dronedarone and rivaroxaban does not increase the risk of hemorrhage, thromboembolism and AF recurrence after radiofrequency ablation.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), besides causing human infection, has been shown to naturally infect several susceptible animal species including large cats (tigers, lions, pumas, spotted leopards), dogs, cats, ferrets, gorillas, and minks. We report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 from a domestic cat that exhibited respiratory disease after being exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus from humans in the same household. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in two oropharyngeal swabs collected at two time points, 11 days apart; the first, when the cat was reported to be sick and the second, before euthanasia due to poor prognosis. The viral nucleic acid detected at two time points showed no genomic variation and resembled the clade GH circulating in humans in the United States. Clinical and pathological findings noted in this 16-year-old cat were consistent with respiratory and cardiac insufficiency. SARS-CoV-2 viral infection was likely an incidental clinical finding, as virus was not detected in fixed lung, heart or kidney tissues. Only fresh lung tissue collected at necropsy showed the presence of viral nucleic acid, albeit at a very low level. Further research is needed to clarify the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals of advanced age and underlying cardiac disease.

Tomato hypocotyl elongation is a consequence of active cell division and expansion, both of which require precisely regulated cell cycle progression. Little is known about the function of APC/C regulators in cell cycle progression during hypocotyl growth. Here, we isolated and characterized the positive and negative APC/C regulators, SlCCS52 and SlUVI4 genes in tomato. We probed SlUVI4 and SlCCS52B roles in tomato hypocotyl elongation via modulating cell cycle progression. Light especially blue light represses the transcription of SlUVI4 and SlCCS52B to inhibit the hypocotyl elongation through the suppression of endoreduplication. MS basal salts and sugar both improve SlUVI4 and SlCCS52B transcription to enhance hypocotyl length via the promotion of endoreduplication. Hypocotyl elongation enhanced by heat might require auxin-induced repression of SlUVI4 transcription. Salt inhibits hypocotyl elongation possibly through ethylene-mediated modulation of SlUVI4 and SlCCS52B transcription. Genetic studies reveal that tomato deletion mutant of SlUVI4 and overexpression plants of SlCCS52B in Arabidopsis both exhibit shorter hypocotyl with enhanced endoreduplication. Thus, our results suggest that APC/C activities stimulated by SlCCS52 genes requires SlUVI4-meidated inhibitory machinery to reorchestrate cell cycle progression and facilitate hypocotyl elongation.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder associated with mutations of the ABCD1 gene that encodes a peroxisomal transmembrane protein. It results in accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in tissues and body fluid. Along with other factors such as epigenetic and environmental involvement, ABCD1 mutation-provoked disorders can present different phenotypes including cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD), Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), and Addison’s disease. cALD is a life-threatening form that causes death in young children. Bone marrow transplantation and hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy are only effective when performed at an early stage of onsets in cALD. Nonetheless, current research and development of novel therapies are hampered by a lack of in-depth understanding disease pathophysiology and a lack of reliable cALD models. The ABCD1- and ABCD1-/ABCD2-/- mouse models and ABCD1- rabbit models created in our lab, do not develop cALD phenotypes observed in human being. In this review, we summarize the clinical and biochemical features of X-ALD, the progress of pre-clinical and clinical studies. Challenges and perspectives for future X-ALD studies are also discussed.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for approximately 30 percent of all childhood cancer. Leukemic infiltration is generally present in the bone marrow, liver and spleen. It is uncommon to demonstrate infiltration to the kidneys as an initial presenting feature. We present the case of an 11-year-old boy who presented with back pain, without peripheral evidence of bone marrow involvement, who was found to have bilateral renal masses and 70 percent leukemic blasts upon bone marrow evaluation.