Most common clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, dyspnea, fatigue, myalgia, sore throat, expectoration, hemoptysis, nausea, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and headache. But pleuritic chest pain as lone presenting symptom with COVID-19 is not reported till date.

Background and Purpose: SARS-coV-2 pandemic continues to cause an unprecedented global destabilization. There is an urgent need to develop vaccines or identify molecules to treat severe cases and repurposing of drugs is the best approach at this hour. Thalidomide, despite having an infamous history has been successfully repurposed and tested for various disease conditions including inflammatory diseases and tumor. Few reports emphasize the use of thalidomide with a SARS-coV-2 pneumonia patient being successfully treated with thalidomide. Experimental Approach: A meta-analysis comparing the transcriptomes of SARS-coV-2 infected tissues with thalidomide and lenalidomide-induced transcriptomic changes in transformed lung, endothelial and hematopoietic models was performed. Key Results: Thalidomide and lenalidomide exhibited pleiotropic effects affecting a range of biological processes including inflammation, immune response, angiogenesis, MAPK signaling, NOD-like receptor signaling, TLR signaling, leukocyte differentiation and innate immunity, the processes which are aberrantly regulated in severe COVID-19 patients. In addition, we show the similarities between the expression profiles of SARS-coV-2 infected lung and systemic lupus erythematous. Conclusion and Implications: The present study recommends thalidomide analogs as a “better fit” to treat severe cases of novel viral infections, healing the damaged network by compensating the impairment caused by the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Porcine Deltacoronavirus is a newly emergent enteric pathogen affecting swine farms worldwide. It has been detected in several countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Yet, it has not been reported in South America. In November 2019, an enteric disease outbreak in a pig farm located in San Martin, Peru was reported along with submission of three intestinal samples from pigs who succumbed to the disease. Samples were processed for molecular detection by qRT-PCR, viral isolation and further sequencing analysis. A taqman-based RT-PCR was performed to differentiate among the most relevant swine enteric coronaviruses described to date. All samples were positives to Porcine Deltacoronavirus with a cycle threshold (Ct) between 9-14, revealing a high viral load, while tested negatives to Porcine Epidemic diarrhea and Transmissible Gastroenteritis viruses. Following detection, viral isolation was performed using PK-15 and Vero cell lines. After 5 days of inoculation, no cytopathic effect was observed. A second blind passage allowed the observation of cytopathic effect on PK-15 cells, while it remained absent in Vero cells. One sample was processed for whole genome sequencing (NGS). In short, raw reads were imported into CLC genomics and assembled de novo. Out of 479k reads generated from the sample, 436k assembled into a 25501 bp contig which was 99.5% identical to a reference Porcine Deltacoronavirus strain from US within the North American phylogroup. Yet, there are relevant differences at the nucleotide and amino acid levels compared to previously described Porcine Deltacoronavirus strains. Altogether, our findings represent the first report of Porcine Deltacoronavirus in South America, its genomic characterization, which provides information of its evolutionary origin. Thus, this study offers new insights into the molecular epidemiology of Porcine Deltacoronavirus infections in the swine industry.

Objective:Scapular and parascapular free tissue transfer (SFTT) is a well described reconstructive option for the head and neck. Majority of reported outcomes are of reconstruction of oromandibular and midface defects. The aim was to describe one institution’s experience with SFTT for reconstruction of PE defects. Design: Retrospective review of patients undergoing SFTT for head and neck defects between 2009 and 2014 at a tertiary medical center. The cohort included patients undergoing reconstruction of PE defects with at least 6 months follow up. Setting:Tertiary medical center Participants:Patients undergoing SFTT for PE defects. Seventeen patients (13 male and 4 female) met inclusion criteria. Main outcomes and Measures: Surgical outcomes, speech, voice outcomes, swallowing outcomes, enteral feeding and tracheoesophageal puncture usage. Results:Seventeen patients met criteria – 4 female, average age at time of surgery 64.5 (SD 9.1). Thirteen patients were Caucasian and remaining four African American. Two of 17 patients developed pharyngocutaneous fistulas (PCF) as inpatients. There was one major medical complication (pulmonary embolism) and 7 minor complications. Mean hospital length of stay was 15.7 days (SD 8.2). In post-operative setting, only one patient remained PEG-dependent, 11 patients supplemented oral intake with PEG feeds and 5 patients took nutrition solely by mouth. Four patients utilized written communication exclusively, 6 patients pursued TEP placement and 7 utilized electrolarynx. Conclusion:The SFTT is a viable option for hypopharyngeal reconstruction. All SFTT remained viable for the duration of our review. Post-operative PCF rate were comparable to that reported after laryngectomy.

The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is an important industrial microorganism used for the production of lipids, proteins and various chemicals. The design of effective biotechnological processes with this cell factory requires an in-depth knowledge of its metabolism. Here we present a transcriptomic study of Y. lipolytica grown in the presence of two important carbon sources, namely glycerol and glucose, as well as in a mixture of both at different carbon to nitrogen ratios. It emerged that the transcriptomic landscape of Y. lipolytica is more sensitive to the nitrogen availability than to the utilized carbon source, as evidenced by more genes being differentially expressed in lower carbon to nitrogen ratio. In particular, expression of hexokinase (HXK1) is significantly susceptible to changes in nitrogen concentrations. Moreover, high HXK1 expression in low nitrogen seems to impact the expression of other genes which are implicated in tricarboxylic acid cycle and erythritol biosynthesis. We further show that expression of HXK1 and two genes belonging to the sugar porter family might be controlled by GATA-like zinc-finger proteins.

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a closely related group of > 35 cryptic species that feed on the phloem sap of a broad range of host plants. Species in the complex differ in their host-range breadth, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. We investigated, therefore, how six different B. tabaci species cope with the environmental unpredictability presented by a set of four common and novel host plants. Behavioural studies indicated large differences in performances on the four hosts and putative specialization of one of the species to cassava plants. Transcriptomic analyses revealed two main insights. First, a large set of genes involved in metabolism (> 85%) showed differences in expression between the six species, and each species could be characterized by its own unique expression pattern of metabolic genes. However, within species, these genes were constitutively expressed, with a low level of environmental responsiveness (i.e., to host change). Second, within each species, sets of genes mainly associated with the super-pathways “environmental information processing” and “organismal systems”, responded to the host switching events. These included genes encoding for proteins involved in sugar homeostasis, signal transduction, membrane transport and immune, endocrine, sensory and digestive responses. Our findings suggested that the six B. tabaci species can be divided into four performance/transcriptomic “Types” and that polyphagy can be achieved in multiple ways. However, polyphagy level is determined by the specific identity of the metabolic genes/pathways that are enriched and overexpressed in each species (the species’ individual metabolic “tool kit”).

With the pandemic emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the exposure of cell substrates used for manufacturing of medicines has become a possibility. Cell lines used in biomanufacturing were thus evaluated for their SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility, and the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in culture supernatants was tested by routine adventitious virus testing of fermenter harvest.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disorder which affects about 80% of the population above 65 years revealing radiographic evidence of OA. Recently, more and more researches have been conducted on the molecular mechanism of OA to find target treatments. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a key role in genome regulation. Nucleolar GTP-binding Protein 3 (GNL3) is abundantly expressed in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and correlates with chondrocytes differentiation. Here we report the transcriptome study of GNL3, which regulates transcription in osteoarthritis (OA). In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to analyze the global transcription level in HeLa cells. The results showed that the expression of IL24 and PTN was down-regulated when GNL3 was knocked down. Likewise, in the lesions of osteoarthritis, the expression level of GNL3, IL24 and PTN gene were significantly up-regulated compared with the control group. IL24 contributes to the progression of osteoarthritis by inducing bone cells apoptosis at the joint, and PTN contributes to the progression of osteoarthritis by promoting angiogenesis. This study aimed to assess the association between GNL3 and both of these two downstream genes as a potential biomarker for investigating the development of OA.

Flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus) belongs to the frugivorous bats, which play a crucial role in maintaining proper functioning of an ecosystem and conservation of environment. Bats are well known carriers of pathogenic viruses such as BatCov RaTG13 from the coronavirus family that share 90.55% with SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen causing recent global pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). However, bats’ possible role as a carrier of pathogenic bacteria is less explored. Here, using metagenomic analysis through high-throughput sequencing, we explored the gut microbiome composition of different island populations on the east and west coasts of Peninsula Malaysia. The 16S rRNA gene in samples from Redang Island, Langkawi Island, Pangkor Island and Tinggi Island was amplified. Bacterial community composition and structure were analyzed with α and β diversity metrics. In contrast to recent studies of host-microbe associations in other mammals, we found no correlation between host phylogeny and bacterial community dissimilarity across four island populations. Our analyses suggest that the significant linear relationship between Redang Island and Langkawi Island implies high bacteria diversity which supporting latitudinal correlation. We found geographic locality is a strong predictor of microbial community composition and observed a positive correlation between ecological features and bacterial richness.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most hazardous pollutants released by humans and is of global environmental concern. Mercury causes oxidative stress and strong cellular damages in plants, which can be attenuated by the biosynthesis of thiol-rich peptides (biothiols), which include glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs). We analysed Hg tolerance and speciation in five Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes, the wild-type Col-0, three knockdown γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γECS) mutants and a knockout PC synthase (PCS) mutant. Mercury-PC complexes were detected in roots by HPLC-ESI-TOFMS, with its abundance being limited in γECS mutants. Analysis of Hg-biothiol complexes in the xylem sap revealed that HgPC2 occurs in wild-type Col-0 Arabidopsis, suggesting that Hg could be translocated associated with thiol-rich metabolites. Twenty genes involved in sulphur assimilation, GSH and PCs synthesis were differentially expressed in roots and shoots, implying a complex regulation, possibly involving post-translational mechanisms independent of GSH cellular levels. In summary, the present study describes the importance of biothiol metabolism and adequate GSH levels in Hg tolerance, and identifies for the first time Hg-PC complexes in the xylem sap. This finding supports that Hg-biothiol complexes could contribute to Hg mobilisation within plants.

Whilst climate change is recognised as a major future threat to biodiversity, most species are currently threatened by extensive human-induced habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Tropical high altitude alpine and montane forest ecosystems and their biodiversity are particularly sensitive to temperature increases under climate change, but they are also subject to accelerated pressures from land conversion and degradation due to a growing human population. We studied the combined effects of anthropogenic land-use change, past and future climate changes and mountain range isolation on the endemic Ethiopian Highlands long-eared bat, Plecotus balensis, an understudied bat that is restricted to the remnant natural high altitude Afroalpine and Afromontane habitats. We integrated ecological niche modelling, landscape genetics and model-based inference to assess the genetic, geographic and demographic impacts of past and recent environmental changes. We show that mountain range isolation and historic climates shaped population structure and patterns of genetic variation, but recent anthropogenic land-use change and habitat degradation are associated with a severe population decline and loss of genetic diversity. Our models predict that the suitable niche of this bat has been progressively shrinking since the last glaciation period. This study highlights threats to tropical montane biodiversity, squeezed to higher altitudes under climate change while losing genetic diversity and suffering population declines due to anthropogenic land-use change. We conclude that assessments of threats to biodiversity under global change should adopt a holistic approach, simultaneously studying the effects of multiple threats across temporal scales based on genetic, ecological and geographic information.

Hydatid cyst is an endemic disease especially in underdeveloped and developing countries affecting mostly the liver and lungs. However, a wide range of unusual anatomical sites in the abdomen has been reported, including the spleen, pancreas, kidney, and ovaries as well as dissemination within the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The location of hydatid disease in the colon is very infrequent, and very few cases have been presented. The hydatid cysts located in other sites are mostly due to rupture or extrusion of primary liver or splenic cysts. In this article, we present a case of primary left-sided colon hydatid cyst, resected laparoscopically with the affected intestinal segment. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst was made by macroscopic and microscopic examination.

In the present work, novel core-shell polymer magnetic colloids are prepared and employed as a potential candidate in ultrasensitive molecular imaging. The synthesized colloids possess high colloidal stability, magnetization (43.85 emu g-1) and uniformity of particle size with an average diameter of 527 nm. FTIR spectrum of magnetic emulsion shows two characteristic peaks at 570 and 630 cm-1 which related to Fe-O vibration bands. Both T1 and T2 relaxation times were successfully measured. Based on signal intensities, the prepared colloids observed to perform as better T2 weighted contrast agents. The T2-weighted MR images showed significant signal intensity reduction and contrast darkening. Moreover, the prepared colloids were also employed to fabricate thin films via a facile method of layer by layer self-assembled multilayers (LBL-SAMU) to explore their potential application in imaging. Uniform particle size distribution with spherical morphologies was obtained for the fabricated bilayers. In addition, a 20% increment in iron contents was observed for 5-15 bilayer thin films decorated with film colloidal particles. The reported work opens new avenues for designing powerful T2 contrast agents in various biomedical applications such as analysis of biomacromolecules, diagnostics, and therapy.

Plants host diverse microbial communities, but there is little consensus on how we sample and characterize these communities, and this has unknown consequences. Using root and leaf tissue from 20 showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) plants in the field, we compared two common sampling strategies by: 1) homogenizing after subsampling a small proportion of tissue (30 mg), and 2) homogenizing bulk tissue before subsampling 30 mg. Due to potential differences in richness and spatial distributions among microorganisms, we targeted bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and non-AM fungi in roots, as well as foliar fungal endophytes (FFE) in leaves. We also sampled FFE twice across the season using sampling strategy 1 to assess temporal dynamics, and we extracted DNA from all remaining homogenized bulk leaf tissues to determine the extent of potential undersampling. Bacterial richness was higher under sampling strategy 2, and all microbial groups except AM fungi differed in composition. Community overlap between the two sampling strategies increased when rare taxa were removed, but FFE and bacterial communities remained more different than alike and showed largely non-overlapping communities within individual plants. Increasing the extraction mass 10x also increased FFE richness ~10x, confirming the severe undersampling indicated in the sampling strategy comparisons. Even so, seasonal patterns in FFE communities were apparent, suggesting that strong drivers may be identified despite severe undersampling. Our findings highlight that current sampling practices poorly characterize many microbial groups and that increased sampling intensity is necessary to identify subtler patterns and to increase the reproducibility of studies.

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A 33-year-old male admitted with sudden and spontaneous painless left infraorbital swellings after forceful nose-blowing. He was diagnosed orbital emphysema with orbital floor blow-out fracture. This case shows that forceful nose-blowing can cause orbital floor fracture and subcutaneous orbital emphysema by rapid increase in pressure in the upper airways.

In this study, we performed density functional theory calculations using the B3LYP, M052X, M062X, and APFD functionals to investigate substituent effects on the mechanism of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, a classical and effective method for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds. The results showed that changing the substituents on the chloroxime compounds affects the energy level of the highest occupied molecular orbital and consequently, the progress of the reaction. Finally, it provided an effective idea for this kind of reaction in the design of organic synthesis and the necessary theoretical basis for revealing the course of this reaction.

Population and conservation genetics seek to understand how adaptive diversity is shaped by the interweaving forces of molecular evolution in small and endangered populations. On the one hand, selection shapes variation, on the other hand, genetic drift impedes the selection by stochastic changes of allele frequencies. Drift is hypothesised to prevail if the population size is small. However, in practice empirical estimates of the population size are often challenging. Here we used island size as a proxy to population size to reveal the evolutionary constraints of molecular diversity in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of mockingbirds (genus Mimus) inhabiting Galápagos islands. TLRs are crucial for pathogen recognition by host immunity and thus under various selection constraints. We focused on the interaction of drift and selection in TLR1B, TLR4, and TLR15 across 12 size-variable insular populations and compared them with the mainland population of the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), aiming to test if population size impacts selection efficiency. Nucleotide diversity positively correlated with the island size indicating an increasing effect of genetic drift in small populations. Despite this pattern, functional TLR properties were largely conserved, presumably due to purifying selection opposing drift independently on the island size. The degree of protein conservatism differed between the loci with TLR15 being the least conserved. Island colonisation did not lead to relaxed selection or to local adaptations. Together with the invariable physicochemical properties of the TLR variants, these observations imply that drift did not outweigh purifying selection despite restricted population size.