The Green Odorous Frog (Odorrana margaretae) around the Sichuan Basin of western China displays a ring-shaped distributional pattern and possesses multiple replicate contact zones between lineages at various levels of differentiation. To understand its unique speciation history and mechanisms, we obtained 1,540 SNPs from 29 populations and 227 individuals using ddRAD sequencing. Population structure analysis revealed three groups within the species: The West, the North & South, and the East groups. These groups were initially isolated at ~2.03 million years ago, and subsequent post-glacial expansion produced the current ring-shaped distribution around Sichuan Basin with three contact zones. Hybridization in those zones involved lineages with different levels of divergence and produced greatly different outcomes. Both the hybrid zones at southwest (S-W) and southeast (E-NS) of the Basin have extensive admixture and less barrier effect. Consequently, the southern region has the highest genetic diversity and becomes an ‘evolutionary melting pot’. In contrast, the hybrid zone at northwestern corner (N-W), which resembles the overlap zone between two expansion terminals of a ring species, has limited admixture with a narrow geographic cline, suggesting partial reproductive isolation between the northern and western populations. The three hybrid zones likely resemble three time points along a speciation continuum; while both E-NS and S-W hybrid zones are merging, the N-W zone may have passed the ‘tipping point’ and is destined for a complete reproductive isolation over time.

The total impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is still emerging, changing all relationships as a result, including those with pet animals. In the infection process, the use of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a cellular receptor to the spike protein of the new coronavirus is a fundamental step. In this sense, understanding which residue plays what role in the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and ACE2 from cats, dogs, and ferrets is an important guide for helping to choose which animal model can be used to study the pathology of COVID-19 and if there are differences between these interactions and those occurring in the human system. Hence, trying to help to answer these questions, we performed classical molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate, from an atomistic point of view, the interactions in these systems. Our results show that there are significant differences in the interacting residues between the systems from different animal species, and the role of ACE2 key residues are different in each system and can assist in the search for different inhibitors for each animal.

Toxoplasma gondii was initially classified in three main lineages related to its virulence: Types I, II and III. The recombination of genes during sexual cycle in felids gut led to more than 200 genotypes, found in ToxoDB database, using 11 RFLP markers. Free-range chickens are good bioindicators of soil contamination with T. gondii oocysts. In this sense, there are systematic reviews regarding data of genetic characterization of this parasite in felines and ruminants, but not in chickens heretofore, what makes this work necessary. A systematic review in the literature was performed with papers published prior to September 21st, 2020. The main inclusion criteria was the presence of T. gondii genotypes, isolated strictly from free-range chickens, in experimental works. Initially, a total of 1,343 studies related to the terms were identified on databases and 30 studies were selected to be systematically reviewed. A total of 561 isolates of T. gondii from 6,356 free-range chickens were analyzed for genotyping, revealing 190 genotypes. ToxoDB #59 and #2 were the most frequent in America, #1 was the most frequent in Africa and 3 atypical isolates from genotype ToxoDB #9 were found in Asia. There is not data from Europe and Oceania. The majority of studies were Brazilian (16/30). A total of 68 RFLP genotypes were recognized among the 561 isolates’ DNAs analyzed from the 30 studies. Some studies show new genotypes never described before, which reinforces the idea that some years from now, even more new genotypes will be isolated, due to progressive genetic recombination. The large amount of undefined genotypes makes it necessary to perform Nested PCR technique when genotyping. Moreover, the lack of data in Continents such as Europe, Asia and Oceania makes it necessary to perform new isolating and genotyping studies in these places.

Over the last decade, increasing attention has been paid to the molecular adaptations used by organisms to cope with thermal stress. However, to date, few studies have focused on thermophilic species living in hot, arid climates. In this study, we explored molecular adaptations to heat stress in the thermophilic ant genus Cataglyphis, one of the world’s most thermotolerant animal taxa. We compared heat tolerance and gene expression patterns across six phylogenetically distant species that live in different habitats and experience different thermal regimes. We found that all six species had similar heat tolerance levels and critical thermal maxima. Furthermore, the transcriptome analyses revealed that, although the number of differentially expressed genes varied widely for the 6 species (from 54 to 1,118), many were also shared. Functional annotation of the differentially expressed and co-expressed genes then showed that the biological pathways involved in heat-shock responses were similar among species and were associated with four major processes: the regulation of transcriptional machinery and DNA metabolism; the preservation of proteome stability; the elimination of toxic residues; and the maintenance of cellular integrity. Overall, our results suggest that molecular responses to heat stress have been evolutionarily conserved in the ant genus Cataglyphis and that their versatility may help workers withstand temperatures close to their physiological limits.

BCR-NTRK2 fusion in a Pediatric Patient with Spinal GangliocytomaAvanti Gupte, M.D.1, Neena I. Marupudi, M.D.1,2, M.S. 1,Swati Mody, M.D.1,2, William Kupsky M.D.1,2, Hamza S. Gorsi, M.D., M.P.H.1,3

Objective: To estimate the association between chronic hypertension and perinatal mortality and evaluate the extent to which this risk is impacted by preterm delivery. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: US, 2015-2018. Population: Singleton births from 20-44 weeks’ gestation. Main outcomes and measures: We derived the risk of perinatal mortality in relation to chronic hypertension from fitting log-linear Poisson models with robust variance. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated after adjusting for confounders. The impact of misclassifications and unmeasured confounding biases were assessed. Causal mediation analysis was performed to quantify the impact of preterm delivery on the association. Results: Of the 15,090,678 singleton births, perinatal mortality was 22.5 per 1000 births in chronic hypertensive pregnancies compared to 8.2 per 1000 births in normotensive pregnancies (adjusted RR 2.05, 95% CI 2.00, 2.10). Corrections for exposure misclassification and unmeasured confounding biases substantially increased the risk estimate. Although, causal mediation analysis revealed that most of the effect of chronic hypertension on perinatal mortality was mediated through preterm delivery, the perinatal mortality rates were highest at early term, term, and late term gestations, suggesting that a planned early term delivery at 37-386/7 weeks may optimally balance risk in these pregnancies. Additionally, 87% (95% CI 84, 90) of perinatal deaths could be eliminated if preterm deliveries, as a result of chronic hypertension were prevented. Conclusions: Chronic hypertensive pregnancies are associated with increased risk for perinatal mortality. Planned early term delivery and targeting modifiable risk factors for chronic hypertension may reduce perinatal mortality rates.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is reported to be a risk factor for drug hypersensitivity. However, there is conflicting data about true prevalence of drug allergy in children with CF. Methods: The suspicious drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHR) of children with CF were enquired by European Network for Drug Allergy (ENDA) questionnaire and skin tests and/or drug provocation tests were performed according to established guidelines. Results: Two hundred and nineteen children (48.9% boys; median [IQR] age, 8.4 years [4.8-12.4 years]) with cystic fibrosis were included in the study, from whom 22 patients with 24 suspected DHRs were evaluated. Most of the suspected DHRs were non-immediate (n=16, 66.6%) type and the offending drugs were amoxicillin clavulanic acid (n=7), macrolides (n=4), trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) (n=2), piperacillin tazobactam (n=1), pancrelipase (n=1) and ursodeoxycholic acid (n=1). Eight (33.3%) of the DHRs were classified as immediate [ceftriaxone (n=2), ceftazidim (n=2), meropenem (n=1), ambisome (n=2), vancomycin (n=1)]. The main presenting clinical presentations were maculopapular eruption (41.6%) and urticaria (37.5%), accompanied by angioedema (8.3%), flushing (12.5%) and vomiting (8.3%). Nine skin tests (with beta-lactam protocol in 6 patients) and 24 DPTs were performed and none of the skin tests revealed a positive result, however 2 DPTs with TMP/SMX were positive. Conclusion: Actual drug allergy was demonstrated in 2 of 219 patients (0.9%) with nonbeta-lactam antibiotics. These results conflict with previous researches that showed higher drug allergy rates but were consistent with some recent studies. Numerous and long-term use of multiple drugs during management of cystic fibrosis may contribute to tolerance development.

Background Anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) encephalitis is clinically heterogeneous, especially at presentation, and though it is sometimes found in association with tumor, this is by no means the rule. Methods Clinical data for 10 people with anti-LGI1 encephalitis and 3 people with anti-N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis with teratoma were collected. Microscopic pathological examination and immunohistochemical (IHC) assay of the LGI1 antibody were performed on teratoma tissue obtained by laparoscopic oophorocystectomy. Results In our teratoma associated anti-LGI1 encephalitis case, teratoma pathology was characterized by mostly thyroid tissue and IHC assay confirmed partial or focal positive nuclear staining of LGI1 in some tumor cells. The case was similar to the non-teratoma (NT) group in many ways: age at onset; percent presenting with rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) and psychiatric symptoms; hyponatremia; normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results except for positive LGI1 antibody; bilateral hippocampal hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); diffuse slow waves on electroencephalogram (EEG); good response to immunotherapy and mild residual cognitive deficit. Her chronic anxiety and status epilepticus (SE) were the biggest differences compared with NT group. Interestingly, the case presented many differences compared with anti-NMDAR encephalitis with teratoma: older onset age, prominent anxiety, SE, hyponatremia, normal CSF cell count, hippocampal hyperintensity on MRI and slowly recovered and residual short-term memory impairment. Conclusion In our series, anti-LGI1 encephalitis included common clinical features: RPD, faciobrachial dystonic seizures, behavioral disorders, hyponatremia, T2-MRI hyperintensity of hippocampus and residual cognitive deficit, but a larger accumulation of cases is needed to improve our knowledge base.

An unusual localization of genital ulcer in Behçet’s disease: external urethral meatusRunning head: Unusual genital ulcer in Behçet’s diseaseÇağrı Turan1, İbrahim Karabulut 21Department of Dermatology and Venereology, the Republic of Turkey, Health Sciences University Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital, Turkey2Department of Urology, the Republic of Turkey, Health Sciences University Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital, TurkeyCorresponding Author : Çağrı TURAN; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, the Republic of Turkey, Health Sciences University Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital, Turkey; Üniversite Mahallesi, Çat Yolu Cd., Yakutiye/Erzurum, Post Code: 25070e-mail: cagrituranmd@gmail.com, telephone number: +905445252504Word count: 471Table count: 0Supplementary table: 0Figure count: 1Funding sources : We declare no financial support or relationships that may pose a conflict of interest.Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest.The paper has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.All authors have contributed significantly, and all authors agree with the content of the manuscript.Informed consent form was obtained from the patient.Key words: Behçet’s disease, genital ulcer, Urethra, VasculitisDear editor,Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic, recurrent, multisystemic vasculitis which can affect all vascular system. The most common symptom is genital ulcer accompanying oral aphthae, and its diagnosis is currently made according to the International Criteria for Behçet’s Disease (ICBD). Providing two points for oral aphthae, genital ulcers, and ocular involvement and one point for the other skin lesions (erythema nodosum, papulopustular/acneiform lesions in post-adolescent), vascular involvement, and neurological findings are evaluated if the patient scores reach four or more; the patient is considered to be BD1, 2. In men, genital aphthous ulcers occur in 60 to 65% of cases and are most common in the scrotum, shaft and glans penis, and rarely in the groin and perineum, extremely rare in the urethral orifice2, 3We presented a patient with a complaint of painful micturition, ultimately diagnosed with BD. A 34-year-old male patient was consulted from the urology following the evaluation of his painful voiding complaint 10 days accompanying wound in the periurethral orifice. On genital examination, an oval, and sharp circumscribed aphthous ulcer with a serous floor, approximately 4 mm in diameter, was seen on the external urethral orifice (Figure 1a). The patient who had no known disease has refused to use any medication, similar complaints, suspicious sexual contact, except for oral aphthae recurring 8-10 times a year (Figure 1b). After noticing a few pustular lesions with peripheral partial erythema on his back, we focused on BD and inflammatory bowel diseases in the examination (Figure 1c). We learned that the patient had no family history and other related symptoms. Bowel habits were normal. Hepatitis, HIV, syphilis serologies were negative. CRP and sedimentation were 3.2 mg/dl (0-5 mg/dl) and 27 mm/hour (0-20 mm/hour); respectively. Other hematological and biochemical parameters were within normal limits. Complement levels, antinuclear antibody, anti-dsDNA, p-ANCA, c-ANCA and rheumatoid factor were normal. Pathergy test was positive. The patient was diagnosed with BD with a score of 6 according to the current ICBD, and no pathology was found in the eye and cardiology consultations. His complaints improved within 1 week without leaving any scar, after treatment with topical betamethasone valerate applied to the urethral orifice and oral colchicine 1.5 mg/day. No clinical progression has been observed for 2 years in the follow-up.A urethral ulcer is an unusual finding in BD. Aktaş recently reported a 27-year-old male patient with clinical features quite similar to our case, but with negative pathergy4. Interestingly, Cobilinschi et al. reported that a 34-year-old female patient with BD who was admitted with progressive dysuria, pain in the right lumbar region, and hydronephrosis was determined a necrotic ulcer in the ureter whose histopathology was compatible with vasculitis5.We present this case to draw attention to the aphthous ulcer in the urethra as an unusual genital involvement for BD, and the importance of physical examination.

The soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) is a sedentary plant parasite that exceeds a billion dollars in yield losses annually. It has spread across the soybean-producing world, emerging as the primary pathogen of soybeans. This problem is exacerbated by H. glycines populations overcoming the limited sources of natural resistance in soybean and by the lack of effective and safe alternative treatments. Although there are genetic determinants that render soybean plants resistant to certain nematode genotypes, resistant soybean cultivars are increasingly ineffective because their multi-year usage has selected for virulent H. glycines populations. Successful H. glycines infection relies on the comprehensive re-engineering of soybean root cells into a syncytium, as well as the long-term suppression of host defenses to ensure syncytial viability. At the forefront of these complex molecular interactions are effectors, the proteins secreted by H. glycines into host root tissues. The mechanisms that control genomic effector acquisition, diversification, and selection are important insights needed for the development of essential novel control strategies. As a foundation to obtain this understanding, we developed a nine scaffold, 158Mb pseudomolecule assembly of the H. glycines genome using PacBio, Chicago, and Hi-C sequencing. An annotation of 22,465 genes was predicted using a Mikado pipeline informed by published short- and long-read expression data. Here we present results from our assembly and annotation of the H. glycines genome.

Lung ultrasound is a technique that has rapidly developed in recent years. It is a low-cost, radiation-free, and easy-to-operate tool that can be repeatedly performed at the bedside. Compared to chest X-ray, lung ultrasound has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnoea of newborns and pneumothorax. Lung ultrasound has been widely used in neonatal intensive care units. However, it has limitations in some other lung diseases and cannot fully substitute for chest X-ray or CT. This review describes these limitations in detail and highlights that if clinical symptoms are not effectively alleviated after medical treatment or the clinical presentation is not compatible with the ultrasound appearances, then chest X-ray or CT scanning should be performed to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.

Objectives: Intratracheal steroid therapy for lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) remains challenging particularly in surfactant-deficiency lungs, a common problem of preterm infants. Surfactant has been used as a vehicle for intratracheal steroid in the treatment of other types of ALI. This study investigated the efficacy of intratracheal budesonide (BUD) delivered by two concentrations of surfactant in the treatment of LPS-induced ALI in surfactant-insufficiency rat lungs. Methods: Male adult rats were anesthetized and ventilated. Our ALI model was established by repeated saline lavage to produce surfactant insufficiency, followed by intratracheal LPS instillation. Five study groups (n=5 for each) with different intratracheal treatments following ALI were used: Control (no treatment), BUD (IT-NS-BUD; BUD in saline); IT-DS-BUD (BUD in diluted surfactant); IT-FS-BUD (BUD in full-strength surfactant); IT-FS (full-strength surfactant). Cardiopulmonary variables were monitored 4 h post injury. Histological and immunohistochemical assessments of the lungs were performed. Results: The IT-FS-BUD and IT-FS groups presented better gas exchange, less metabolic acidosis, less oxygen index, and more stable hemodynamic changes than the IT-DS-BUD, IT-NS-BUD, and Control groups. The total lung injury scores assessed by histological examination were ordered as follows: IT-FS-BUD < IT-DS-BUD or IT-FS < IT-NS-BUD < Control. The immunostaining intensities of lung myeloperoxidase showed the following order: IT-NS-BUD, IT-DS-BUD, or IT-FS-BUD < Control or IT-FS. Only the IT-FS-BUD group displayed a smaller immunostaining intensity of lung TNF-α than the control group. Conclusion: Among our therapeutic strategies, intratracheal BUD delivered by full-strength surfactant confers an optimal protection against LPS-induced ALI in surfactant-insufficiency rat lungs.

The biotechnological production of glycosides is an economically competitive manufacturing alternative to classical chemical synthesis. Through continuous production improvement, glycosides can now be used in low-cost products by various industries. However, many production systems still suffer from low yields. Directed evolution, coupled with a suitable screening method, can tackle this challenge. We generated glycosyltransferase mutants through error-prone-PCR and screened the library using a small-scale whole-cell biotransformation system. The screening of only 176 colonies yielded three putative candidates. Detailed investigations revealed that the reason for the increase in product titer was mainly due to different expression effects of the mutagenized genes rather than improved enzyme kinetics. In total, a 60-fold increase in product formation was achieved. Therefore, in addition to the quality of the mutant library, an efficient and stable expression system is crucial to achieve high concentrations of active enzyme and product, as formation of inclusion bodies and other inactive forms of the biocatalyst reduces productivity.

Climate models consistently project large increases in the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events in the 21st century, revealing the potential for widespread impacts on various aspects of society. While the impacts on flooding receive particular attention, there is also considerable damage and associated cost for other precipitation–driven phenomena, including soil erosion and muddy flooding. Multiple studies have shown that climate change will worsen the impacts of soil erosion and muddy flooding in various regions. These studies typically drive erosion models with output from a single climate model or a few models with little justification. A blind approach to climate model selection increases the risk of simulating a narrower range of possible scenarios, limiting vital information for mitigation planning and adaptation. This study provides a comprehensive methodology to efficiently select suitable climate models for simulating soil erosion and muddy flooding. For a study region in Belgium using the WEPP soil erosion model, we compare the performance of our novel methodology against other model selection methods for a future period (2081–2100). The main findings reveal that our methodology is successful in generating the widest range of future scenarios from a small number of models, compared with other selection methods. This represents a novel targeted approach to climate model selection with respect to soil erosion by water but could be modified for other precipitation–driven impact sectors. This will ensure a broad range of climate impacts are simulated so the best- and worst-case scenarios can be adequately prepared for.

Amongst the more widely accepted general hypotheses in ecology is that community relationships between abundance and body size follow a log-linear size spectrum, from the smallest consumers to the largest predators (i.e., “bacteria to whales”). Nevertheless, most studies only investigate small subsets of this spectrum, due to extreme size classes that deviate from these linear expectations. In this study, we fit size spectra to field data from 45 rocky and coral reef sites along a 28° latitudinal gradient, and spanning 11 orders of magnitude in body size, from 3 μg to 150 kg. We found that 97% of the variation in abundance along this ‘extended’ size gradient was described by a single linear function across all sites. Moreover, consistent ‘wobbles’ were also observed, with subtle peaks and troughs in abundance along the spectrum, that related strongly to sea temperature and local site conditions.

In this paper, Tetraphenyldipyranylidene (DPPh), a large quinoidal planar π-conjugated heterocyclic, was considered as primary organic molecule in organic field effect transistors (OFETs). Electron-withdrawing atoms such as F, Cl, and Br were attached to the H-atoms of four peripheral phenyl groups of para-positions relative to the O-atoms of DPPh. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the M06-2X/6-311G++ (d,p) level were performed. The influences of the different electron-withdrawing atoms such as F, Cl, and Br on the electronic and optical properties, charge transport parameters, and charge carrier mobility were investigated. The absorption and emission spectra of the DPPh and its derivatives were theoretically simulated in OFETs. The simulated spectra show an intense peak in the visible region (400-650 nm), in which the highest adsorption/emission intensity is related to DPPh-Br. Moreover, the charge injection energy barrier of DPPh and its derivatives were calculated by considering Pt as the source electrode. Based on the results, a greater hole transport is predicted than the electron transport. Moreover, the obtained ratio of the hole/electron mobility and the theoretical correlations between the charge transport parameters of monomers and dimers show that the insertion of the electron-withdrawing atoms in the DPPh structure is a promising strategy to have an ambipolar or n-type semiconductor, too. The obtained results show that introducing electron-withdrawing atoms at the para-position of the DPPh improves the hole/electron injection and transport process in the OFET devices. Finally, DPPh-Br shows a great performance in comparison with the substituted F and Cl atoms in the OFETs devices.

Introduction : The issue of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR), which is still being debated all over the world, is extremely complex and has not yet been discussed extensively in our country. Our aim in this study; to determine the place of DNAR in emergency services and the applicability of DNAR concept. Materials and Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional survey in Turkey. The questions were designed to examine physicians’ approaches to the concept of DNAR, whether they apply this concept and why. Results: A total of 246 physicians were reached. Sixty-nine physicians (30%) stated that they used DNAR in practice and metastatic terminal stage malignancy patients were found to be the most accepted DNAR group. There was a statistically significant difference between physicians’ anxiety about physical violence. Discussion: In order to increase the quality of CPR, patients should be well analyzed. The applicability of the concept of DNAR in our country is not legally possible. However, this situation does not prevent the emergence of patients who will not benefit from treatment in the clinic. Conclusion: It is best to establish a committee on DNAR and redefine the legal rules within certain norms.

Abstract Objective: Obesity was once a rare problem in Type 1 diabetes mellitus, but is a growing problem today. The aim of our study is to determine the frequency of overweight / obesity at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus as well as review the conditions that may accompany. Methods: 315 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the last examination as normal weight and overweight / obese. The two groups were compared in terms of age at diagnosis, gender, birth weight, family history, anthropometric measurements, insulin dose used and blood pressure measurements, and insulin, c-peptide, hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein levels at the time of diagnosis and follow-up. Results: The prevalence of overweight / obese in all patients was 4.8% at the time of diagnosis, while it was 9.8% at the last examination. The height, weight and BMI SD scores and c-peptide levels at the time of diagnosis of the overweight / obese group were higher than those with normal weight (p <0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The frequency of dyslipidemia and hypertension was higher in the overweight / obese group than in the normal weight group [18.2% versus 5% (p = 0.015) and 10% versus 1.5% (p = 0.003), respectively]. Conclusion: In our study, the fact that the overweight / obese group had higher BMI and c-peptide and lower HDL values at the time of diagnosis can be evaluated as indicators that insulin resistance syndrome can accompany T1DM from the beginning (double diabetes). When determining the treatment and follow-up strategies of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, considering the risk of obesity and taking the necessary precautions is very important in terms of morbidity.

Land degradation in drylands threatens vulnerable ecosystems and socioeconomic development. Currently, NDVI derived from remotely sensed data is the main tool used for degradation detection. Three indicators have usually been used to detect land degradation: (1) NDVI trends for visible degradation, (2) residual for human-induced potential degradation, and (3) sensitivity of vegetation to rainfall for functional degradation. However, few studies have integrated and compared these three indicators. In this study, we used Global Inventory Monitoring and Modelling System Version (GIMMS 3.1) NDVI dataset and Multiple Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) rainfall dataset (1982-2015) and applied linear regression, Time Series Segmented and Residual Trend (TSS-RESTREND), and Sequential Regression (SeRGs) methods to detect degradation in southern Africa. The results showed that degradation was detected by these three respective indicators in 18.7%, 11.3%, and 7.1% of the study area. Degradation from any one type was found to occupy 27.21% of the total area, whereas the co-occurrence of two or more types only occupied 3.84%. These results indicate the dominant discrepancies among these indicators and the independent relationships among the degradation processes. Despite significantly greening, potential degradation and functional degradation were still observed. On the regional scale, spatial patterns of degradation were affected by different levels of aridity. On the national scale, the proportions of degradation were still influenced by increased population, inadequate policies, and other factors. This study highlights the need to detect degradation with multiple indicators and improves our understanding of degradation types and intensity.

Objective: To compare early effects of the application of kinesio and athletic taping as part of the intensive conservative physiotherapy of the lateral epicondylitis using the results from ultrasonography and clinical tests. Methods: Twenty-eight volunteers aged from 27 to 55 years old who had been clinically diagnosed with the lateral epicondylitis received in addition to the 4-week conventional physiotherapy program, one group was treated with athletic taping (n=14), the other with kinesio taping (n=14). The patients were evaluated through clinical tests (visual analog scoring, isokinetic elbow, grip and pinch strength tests, a Disability of Arm and Shoulder questionnaire (DASH) and ultrasonography examination on the first and last days of the physiotherapy program. Results: The two groups had similar characteristics in all the baseline findings-and they showed improvement in the DASH score and the regression in pain scores. The activity pain was further reduced in the kinesio group (p = 0.006). However, there were no significant differences in isokinetic muscle strength at 600 /s and 1200 /s velocity speeds between kinesio and athletic groups. There was also a substantial reduction in the tendon thickness in the kinesio group (p = 0.063, 0.031, 0.07; respectively) The tendon thickness was reduced by 92.3% in the kinesio-taped patients, and only 22.2% in the athletic taped patients. The presence of a tear in the tendon had a negative effect on the tendon thickness reduction (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results showed that physiotherapy coupled with the kinesiotaping was considered to be the better choice in the short-term treatment of the lateral epicondylitis. Since the presence of a tear has an impact on the healing process, ultrasonography might be an efficient method to use to discover the existence of a tear in the tendon and informing the decision about the appropriate type of treatment.

An 82-year-old man, suffering abscess secondary to femoral prosthesis replacement, complained of intractable watery diarrhea and melena. Autopsy disclosed 12 mm-sized perforation at the gastric prepylorus and purulent peritonitis. Amyloid A was deposited in systemic organs and tissues, including the site of gastric perforation. IgM was co-deposited in the glomeruli.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) gain-of-function (GOF) syndrome is an early-onset monogenic inborn error of immunity characterized by multi-organ autoimmune disorders, growth failure and lymphoproliferation. We describe that STAT3 GOF syndrome may be presented with hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent severe upper and lower respiratory tract infections. The patient we present here did not have multi-organ autoimmunity and lacked early-onset autoimmune manifestations. Chest CT examinations showed mild bronchiectasis with areas of non-fibrosing alveolar-interstitial disease and maldevelopment of bilateral first ribs. By using Sanger sequencing, we revealed a novel c.508G>C, p.D170H STAT3 variant affecting the coiled coil domain (CCD) of STAT3. Functional studies confirmed that p.D170H was a GOF variant as showed by increased pSTAT3 and STAT3 transcriptional activity. Our observation suggests that STAT3 GOF syndrome can manifest in early childhood with hypogammaglobulinemia and recurrent severe respiratory tract infections and may lack autoimmune manifestations. We suggest that patients with hypogammaglobulinemia and severe, recurrent infections should be screened for STAT3 variants even if autoimmune manifestations are missing.

Abstract: Background: Systemic anticancer therapy (SAT) is the standard treatment for unresectable (progressive) pediatric optic pathway glioma (OPG), which can seriously affect visual function. New SAT modalities have been introduced the last decennium. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE (Ovid) were searched for studies reporting on change in visual acuity and visual field after start of treatment with SAT for OPG (1990-August 2020). Results: In 11 studies including 358 patients improvement of binocular VA was found in 0-45%, stability in 18-77% and decrease in 0-82% of patients. Considerable heterogeneity among included studies made a meta-analysis not appropriate. Studies on VEGF and MAPK signaling inhibition did not meet the eligibility criteria. Conclusion. This systematic review suggests a positive impact of SAT on pediatric OPG. However, the wide ranges reported in efficacy of SAT and the observed heterogeneity highlight the need for prospective studies with uniform definitions.

Global food production faces major challenges in the future due to population growth, decreasing arable land, risks of soil, water and air contamination and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. Currently, over 50% of the world's population lives in cities. This trend towards population concentration in urban areas increases the pressure on food supply systems and contributes to uncontrolled land use. In these circumstances, the urban agriculture, offers high potential in managing local food needs, in reducing environmental pollution and the use of resources, as well as in the use of abandoned or abandoned areas in urban agglomerations. The current COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of local food production. In fact, the management of the pandemic crisis has resulted in closures with the consequences of interruptions in the food chain in different ways, limiting people's ability to access food, reducing income and increasing job insecurity. This study aims to analyses the evolution of urban agriculture through different approaches ranging from urban gardens to rooftop greenhouses, from vertical farming to insect and algae farming and specifically aquaponics. The potential and opportunities in environmental, social and economic terms of such approaches are highlighted and how they respond to the challenges and emergencies that the world will have to face and will focus on consolidated experiences of cities like New York, London and Bologna in the Italian context. In the detail of urban agriculture systems, attention will be paid to analysing the aquaponic technology that has been experiencing high interest in the last decade. Aquaponics is recognized for its numerous potentials from that of guaranteeing healthy and safe food to the optimization of resources. It shows the perspective for the sustainable development of food production in urban areas and can serve as an essential element of sustainable urban infrastructure in the future vision of cities. However, there are various constraints and gaps that hinder the advancement of these innovative technologies, such as regulatory lack for organic certification, high investment costs and dubious profitability. Another aspect that is reflected in this study is the analysis of the current state with regard to the integration of urban agriculture in the urban planning and building processes. The cities of the future will have to respond to new requirements regarding the integration of a green infrastructure such as urban agriculture in urban planning and bulding, architects and urban planners will have to build spaces in which to allow new relationships with agricultural practices.